A Legion Grows From My Smartphone

Chapter 30

[Already the 15th trunk and the 35th Stratum has been reached.]

“Is this really the end?”

The Swarm ascended with irresistible momentum.

Of course, not every stratum was conquered.

Scouts were continuously sent upward.

Until a faction understanding and opposing our actions appeared, or until we discovered something unusual first.

“This makes no sense.”

[The Swarm discovered a singularity.]

And when we arrived there.

The Swarm halted reconnaissance.

They had discovered the anomaly first.

“What is this? The traces of a civilization?!”

[This cannot be determined yet. The Swarm divided its forces in half. One half continued consuming the conquered strata. The other half moved upward as fast as possible, conducting specimen collection and reconnaissance.]

“It’s architecture?!”

The murmurs didn’t register in my mind.

I rubbed my eyes and wiped my mobile phone screen thoroughly.

But nothing changed.

A scout, resembling a tiny bee, continued to observe the area.

The 35th Stratum… This place was an enormous cavern.

However, unlike other cave apertures filled with vegetation, no living creatures were visible here.

Instead, the area was filled with statues and structures, ruins that could never have occurred naturally.

“Ha.”

I sighed as I looked at the partially broken statue lying on the ground displayed on the screen.

Though half-destroyed, it was still possible to discern its features.

Eyes, nose, mouth… It was no different from a human.

“What on earth is this?”

[You do not know, and naturally, neither does the Swarm. However, the Swarm’s history has always begun with analyzing the unknown. At the very least, it is clear that these statues symbolize something.]

Well, eyes, noses, and mouths were features shared by goblins and orcs too.

Separate from the Swarm, my brain went into overdrive.

No matter how I thought about it, it seemed like traces of a civilization.

Was it some ancient ruins like the ones seen in movies?

If so, where were the beings who created these?

If they existed, could they be related to the guardian spirits?

Then, who were they?

What kind of people would create such ruins in a cave?

[The scouts began scouring every corner. Using the sense of dissonance that was entirely different from the natural environments encountered so far, the Swarm hypothesized that these structures were deliberately created, similar to our nest.]

As reconnaissance continued, the interior of the massive ruins could also be seen.

I was left speechless.

The entire enormous cavern was ruins.

Numerous rooms, structures resembling altars, and more.

Even the passage leading to the upper layer was located in the center of these ruins.

“…A hole?”

A scout lifted its head.

A massive cylindrical passage was wide open in the ceiling.

Intricate, incomprehensible markings were engraved around it.

[Whatever this place may be, it was undoubtedly a location worth establishing as a branch point. Having reached a conclusion, the Swarm began moving its forces. The goal was to first occupy this area and use it as an intermediate base.]

The main force of the Swarm followed the path scouted by the scouts and headed here.

After all, the remaining vegetation could no longer pose any obstacle to us.

As long as we checked every lateral branch to confirm there were no anomalies, it was likely they would be left untouched.

[Just beneath the 35th Stratum where the ruins were discovered, the 34th Stratum. Was this the place where that moth resided?]

A versatile swarm soldier that had reached just before the ruins noticed something.

It swept its hand across the ground.

Something white and glittering.

It was the moth powder from the moth we had encountered previously.

[A gatekeeper’s existence naturally implies that there is something beyond worth protecting.]

The Swarm began to move again.

Finally, the moment came when we set foot on the 35th Stratum for the first time.

[Was it a trap?]

At that very moment, an unexpected variable occurred.

“What the hell is this!”

[The Swarm is assessing it now.]

The entire ruins began to tremble.

The peculiar markings etched everywhere started to glow faintly.

I was startled, but the swarm soldiers remained utterly still.

“What on earth…”

[Ah, this might actually be a good thing. The only tools we can utilize right now are living organisms. By dissecting and consuming these unknown entities, we might gather clues.]

Cracks appeared on the walls of the ruins, and from them, pale limbs began to burst out.

Their smooth, translucent skin, tall and slender bodies, and gleaming eyes were striking.

Their pale bodies were covered in peculiar markings that resembled brands, as if etched into their skin.

One by one, they awakened and revealed hostility toward the swarm soldiers.

“Units… No way. Judging by how they’re waking up like this.”

I bit my lips.

Their overall appearance resembled humans.

In fact, their hair lengths and the presence or absence of genitalia even allowed for distinctions between male and female.

They did not look like mere beasts or monsters.

[It had been a while since we encountered a tool-wielding opponent. The Swarm showed interest and naturally engaged them.]

Holding worn swords and spears, they approached.

The swarm soldiers, too, lowered their bodies and advanced.

We had no reason to back down.

“!!”

As they let out a roar-like shriek just before the clash, their markings and eyes glowed brightly.

Then came the collision.

The most surprising thing was that these pale and slender creatures, unexpectedly, had the upper hand in strength over us.

*

“Either way… you’re still attending school.”

“More importantly, the others probably don’t even realize how massive the events happening right now are.”

Oh Yoon-Ah murmured.

The school had an uneasy atmosphere.

Today, Kang Do-Yeon and Oh Yoon-Ah’s school, which had been attacked by goblins, resumed classes.

However, it was far from a proper studying environment.

Flowers were placed on desks here and there, and more than half of the teachers had not come to work.

The families of the missing persons were refusing to accept the situation, even opposing holding funerals.

“Do you think they can be rescued?”

“Not sure. If I were in their shoes, dragged away by those monstrous things, I don’t think I’d last a day.”

Oh Yoon-Ah shook her head with a grimace.

Kang Do-Yeon felt the same.

Though she usually showed a resolute demeanor, if she were in that situation, she knew she would crumble faster than anyone else.

“We will never go through such things. We’ll survive to the very end.”

Oh Yoon-Ah firmly grabbed her hand.

“You’re the one telling me that?”

“Th-that’s… Anyway! As long as we all manage to make it through, that’s what matters. The Cheongsan Tribe will carry us through just fine!”

Her scoff startled Oh Yoon-Ah, who quickly pulled out her mobile phone in an attempt to cover up her reaction.

Kang Do-Yeon also took interest in it and observed curiously.

At first glance, one might mistake it for a movie or drama, but the people displayed on Oh Yoon-Ah’s mobile phone were all real individuals.

“What exactly are those people’s abilities?”

“There’s something called species characteristics. It’s a kind of unique ability. For instance, in the case of our Cheongsan Tribe, the tribe’s shamanism that had been passed down developed to the extreme, allowing us to communicate directly with Earth and Wind Spirits.”

Perhaps out of guilt or belief in the Brand, Oh Yoon-Ah readily answered any questions.

Of course, Kang Do-Yeon herself had no intention of betraying the leeching Oh Yoon-Ah at the moment.

She simply retained the information for later, so she could pass it on fully to those truly on her side.

“Anyway, our tribe is capable and intelligent. We’ve already unified the surrounding tribes, and now it’s just a matter of expanding outward.”

“…You’re not planning to act independently, are you?”

“Ugh.”

Oh Yoon-Ah flinched and subtly nodded her head.

Cha Jiyeon, who had effectively revealed herself as a Unit, continued to engage with Players.

Moreover, she maintained close cooperation with them.

While Oh Yoon-Ah and Kang Do-Yeon were also practically members of that organization, they were not actively participating.

“My mom and dad said they wouldn’t let it slide.”

“Exactly. It’s indiscriminate killing. And what if you end up being targeted for no good reason?”

“It’s a bit disappointing, though. Those things Cha Jiyeon gives out… If possible, I think it would be great for our tribe to have them.”

“True… That could be another approach.”

There were countless possibilities for interaction.

Clicking her tongue, Kang Do-Yeon suddenly recalled the Units Shin Woo was raising.

‘They didn’t seem… human.’

Although both sides exercised extreme caution, she had overheard a few things.

Based on that, Kang Do-Yeon concluded that Shin Woo’s Units were definitely not human.

“It seems like it’ll take more time to get proper lessons done.”

“Yeah. Today was practically all self-study anyway.”

“Alright then, see you later.”

With shorter school hours than usual, Oh Yoon-Ah and Kang Do-Yeon parted ways at the main gate.

Oh Yoon-Ah left in the car her mother had come to pick her up in.

Their homes were in completely opposite directions, and Oh Yoon-Ah found it burdensome to ride along as her mother always scolded her daughter apologetically, so she declined the offer.

As she blankly watched the car disappear into the distance, Kang Do-Yeon slowly began to walk.

‘I don’t know whether this is a good thing or not.’

She let out a small sigh.

Though she had been forcibly dragged into this situation, she now thought it might actually be for the best.

If she hadn’t known the truth, she wouldn’t have been able to understand Shin Woo, who struggled alone.

“Huh…? Argh!”

However, just as she was nearing her house.

She grimaced as a burning pain flared up on her wrist and grabbed it instinctively.