A Legion Grows From My Smartphone

Chapter 17

Thunderous sound, a flash incomparable to the light of a luminous stone.

And that overwhelming physical force.

Even when those Nutria-sized rats fired together, their accuracy was terrible due to the recoil.

However, our soldiers were too large to avoid being hit.

[Even with the sturdiest and toughest armor in hand, it was not enough. The dark blue carapace of the shield-bearing swarm soldier, who had been tasked with leading the charge, shattered instantly, and their head exploded.]

“…Guns are indeed powerful.”

I bit my lip.

Those creatures in the cave, which displayed abilities beyond earthly common sense, seemed powerless in the face of modern Earth’s gunpowder and bullets.

If that’s the case, I have no answer. No creature on Earth can stand against firearms.

I don’t know who that Player is, but one thing is certain—they live in a country without gun control.

[But since you know about the swarm, you are not worried, are you?]

“I’m not worried. I’m just curious about how they’ll react.”

I nodded.

Of course, I was surprised by the emergence of such an overpowered weapon as a gun, but I also know quite a bit about firearms.

“At most, ten rounds? Maybe nine?”

I wasn’t sure about the bullet capacity of that handgun, but it couldn’t be more than ten rounds.

If we endure just a little longer without fear, it should be manageable. But the problem is, the swarm doesn’t know that.

What choice will they make?

Having witnessed the power of the weapon they were curious about—retreat or continue to advance?

[The swarm chose to advance. Even if it meant losing all the soldiers they had dispatched, they were determined to see it through.]

And the swarm chose to advance further.

[The gunfire continued to echo as large species fell one by one. The battle formation broke, and the siege started to waver. Their numbers were considerable, and their fortress was quite sturdy.]

“…Surely the magazine must be empty by now. Why don’t you deliver the message instead? If you understand the swarm’s thoughts, you can convey my words to them, can’t you!?”

[I am merely an observer and guide. Even if I were to deliver your words verbatim, they would not understand. Explain it to them? Such interference is not within my capability.]

“Useless…”

I sighed in frustration, but for now, all I could do was watch.

Despite fierce resistance, the swarm did not cease their attack.

On the contrary—they doubled their forces.

“Is this… normal?”

[Why do you think so?]

Twice, no, three times… four times?

The number of soldiers crawling out of the nest showed no signs of decreasing; instead, it was steadily increasing.

“What, what is this? Why are they acting like they’re in it for the kill?”

[What is this tingling sensation? As the war repeats and they face the fierce and fiery resistance of their opponents, the swarm is experiencing a feeling they’ve never encountered before. The cause is unknown. If one were to speculate, it might be the highly advanced neural system, the swarm’s brain, which has been steadily nurtured over time.]

“What are you talking about?”

[They don’t want to lose. They want to kill. They want to eat. They want to fight.]

Perhaps overwhelmed by their sheer numbers, the battlefront now expanded to encompass the entire fortress.

Flying species filled the mid-air, attacking over the fortress walls, while large species pushed their heads and carapaces into the gaps.

[This is the moment when they feel something beyond their innate voracious appetite. Ah… This moment will go down in history. The swarm is now beginning to learn the basics of ’emotion.’ This is something they are creating on their own. It is not something they devour, copy, or extract—it is entirely of their own making.]

I couldn’t help but shiver as I read the words.

For some reason, the soldiers seemed different to me.

Numerous individual units, numerous unit types.

But fundamentally, these soldiers were all part of a single entity.

Now, at last, it seemed visible to me as well.

Until now, the teeth, claws, tails, and poison stingers of the swarm soldiers, which had seemed mechanical and emotionless, were now faintly imbued with an eerie sense of intent to kill.

[Do not underestimate what emotion can do. While it might sometimes drive one to self-destruction, in the end, it is the primal, fierce desire that allows one to surpass their limits.]

The war had now truly begun.

Victory would be decided by which side faltered first, as neither could overwhelmingly dominate the other.

If the swarm lost this battle, they would face an energy shortage and would no longer be able to produce massive troops like they currently do.

However, their advantage lay in their ability to rapidly cycle through troops, thanks to their explosive production capacity.

On the other hand, those rats had a lower circulation rate but were conducting a defensive war utilizing a variety of tools and facilities.

Moreover, the resources they had stockpiled thus far were nearly on par with the swarm’s.

“…A stalemate?”

[Is that so? Look at their expressions one by one. Something is strange. Very strange. The confidence that once filled them is now fading. They must have been overconfident. They must have thought they’d win. Given how many times they’ve repelled our advances, it’s understandable.]

Cracks were beginning to show in the unity of the rats.

Despite the visible pile of corpses on both sides, why was this happening?

“@%*!!”

Some of them, now looking at their guns that no longer spewed fire, squeaked in despair.

Of course. A gun with infinite bullets only exists in virtual games.

[We are different. We are the swarm. A deafening sound they’ve never heard before, their strongest soldier being killed in a single blow—it doesn’t make us falter. We merely kill, fight, and devour. Our soldiers move as one without the slightest hesitation.]

Though they had fought well together in their own ways, the differences were clear.

We are a species that can make choices.

While we may experience determination and anger, we do not break formation or collapse in fear at the sight of our goal.

But those rats are different.

[Once doubt is sown, fear quickly feeds on that doubt and grows. If one possesses emotions, this is inevitable. The swarm is no exception, but we have something they do not.]

When a gap appears, we relentlessly exploit it.

Finally, one of our soldiers climbed up the fortress wall on the body of a large species and swung its sharp carapace-edged tail, slicing a spear-wielding rat in half.

[We, who are many yet one, have trust. An infinite trust in ourselves and in our unity. But what about them? Their desire for survival… It is only natural for living beings.]

“…I agree with that.”

The rats’ battle lines collapsed.

The reason was the retreat of the intimidated ones.

Ironically, as their intelligence increased and their emotional spectrum diversified, the benefits they gained were offset by the drawbacks.

The fear spreading among the crowd amplified exponentially.

[The swarm began to tear and widen the wounds of their enemies. It was certain victory.]

Finally, the swarm’s ground species breached their fortress.

Had this large-scale siege warfare failed, it would have been difficult to attempt it a second time.

Whether the newly aware swarm had deliberately exploited the rats’ fear was unclear, but they had won nonetheless.

[Now begins the time of massacre.]

Once the formation collapsed and chaos ensued, the physical disparity ensured our victory.

In this vast grand stratum, the ceaseless screeches of the rats echoed everywhere.

The brutal ecosystem left no room for mercy for the defeated.

Even amidst this, the swarm continued to grow.

“Are there any rewards for this? Technically, it’s the first PVP victory.”

[Only if you ‘exterminate’ them completely and remove them entirely from the equation would there be a reward.]

“What?”

I asked absentmindedly, but my face stiffened at the answer.

I glanced at the back of my hand.

The unused Assassination Authority was still there.

I wondered what the opposing Player possessed.

If it were the same Assassination Authority as mine, there wouldn’t be a problem.

“Do you think a reward is possible?”

[…The opponent has used the Species Preservation Right. Therefore, extermination is impossible. No reward will be given.]

“Damn it.”

It was one of the bad scenarios I had somewhat expected.

Running away like a coward wasn’t an option.

“I’m exhausted.”

I put down my mobile phone.

It was already dark outside.

My neck was stiff, and my eyes felt dry.

It had been impossible to avoid after watching the Large-scale War unfold for hours.

“…”

In the darkened room, silence enveloped as ears strained to catch any sound.

Kang Do-Yeon had just entered the house.

The friends questioned all testified in unison that nothing unusual had happened today.

The cross-referenced testimonies made it seem factual in terms of timing, but there was still no room for relief.

[…Let me give you a hint.]

“What? You?”

[Be prepared.]

At that moment, a message appeared alongside a vibration.

The unexpected content left me momentarily frozen.

[Once the Game truly enters the Mainstream, it will likely be difficult to live a normal daily life. There’s no certainty that what happened today won’t occur on Earth.]

The following words were shocking.

“What exactly does that mean?”

[It’s as it sounds. It’s a fact you can easily infer. The Players and the Units.]

“…Now tell me. Who exactly are you? How do you know all this?”

[As I said before, I’m merely an Observer.]

My hand trembled.

At the same time, the Large-scale War I had just witnessed replayed vividly in my mind.

Could the possibility of that War happening on Earth truly be dismissed?

[It’s a brutal Game. So please survive. Protect what you want and the people you care for.]

“I have no power.”

[I know.]

“But you said you could help me.”

I held up my mobile phone.

A strong Player and a strong Unit could meet to make each other even stronger.

But that wasn’t the case for me. In this situation, the only ones I could rely on were these guys I had been monitoring all along.

“Is part-time work… too challenging?”

It seemed I would need to keep a closer watch for the time being.

But first, I had to take care of my younger sibling’s matter.