A Legion Grows From My Smartphone

[Competition among players is inevitable]

"So how do I protect myself? The legion..."

[That doesn’t matter. The important thing right now is to increase your strength, lust don’t die stupidly]

The screen changed.

I was still uneasy, but I calmed myself by thinking that the game was still in its early stages.

[You survive, and the legion becomes stronger. That’s each of our roles. And when we each perform our roles well, our power becomes our strength. Look at the screen]

I listened to him and checked the screen.

The legion was observing a creature.

"What is that?"

[The legion searched the area thoroughly to find the missing stats. And they found a fungus. Interestingly, this fungus reproduces by sending spores to the carcasses of beasts]

A peculiarly shaped mushroom was growing on a pile of what seemed to be organic matter.

The organic matter consisted of bones, skin, and scales.

"Is that...?"

[Yes. Those blue scales are from the Blue Scaled Two-headed Lizard, which we couldn’t digest. That mushroom has the ability to digest even those steel-like scales]

It was clear.

The legion immediately mobilized its soldiers to hunt the mushroom.

[True to its unique ability, the fungus had a unique defense mechanism. Frustratingly, the fungus began to harden its body with the same components as the scales. The legion soldiers-* teeth, poison stingers, and claws were ineffective]

"So, what now?"

[We had to find a creature with the attack power to pierce those scales. The legion expanded its reconnaissance. And then they found that turtle]

A turtle appeared on the screen.

It was a creature that could hardly be called a turtle.

Its size was ordinary compared to other creatures, but this turtle, which was soaking its body in the water, extended its neck and bit a lizard-type legion soldier who was acting as bait.

And it crushed it in an instant.

[The legion judged that the turtle’s biting power could crush the scaled fungus. It’s more efficient than breaking the shell and crushing the fungus]

The legion found the answer.

In the most efficient and profitable way.

"I think it would be better to use something big and strong like a shark."

[What’s important is the ability to fight underwater]

"I know."

I found a bustling market.

There was one reason, to buy fish.

A living fish that could give the legion gills and swimming skills.

"But what did you come to buy?"

"...Why did you follow me?"

The problem was my younger sister, Kang Do Yeon.

She followed me because I was going to the market.

Fortunately, as soon as Kang Do Yeon entered, she was drawn to the bakery.

"How much is this?"

I immediately bought a live fish from the aquarium.

I took the fish, which I asked to be as fresh as possible, to the bathroom and took a picture with my camera.

[The small fish you threw became a sample and a model. It’s a strange creature called a fish that was not in this cave. But the legion inferred from the existing data that the gills of the fish are organs for activity in the water]

The legion devoured the fish I gave them and began to produce new soldiers based on the newly acquired knowledge.

A specialized underwater combat force, more professional than the amphibians that mostly breathe with lungs here.

Soldiers to devour creatures that spend most of their time in the water.

"What? You went out and came back?"

"No? If you’re done shopping, let’s go."

I lied calmly to Kang Do Yeon, who was coming with a bag of bread.

On the way home, I kept looking at my cell phone.

New soldiers were already coming out of the nest in the form of eggs.

"...What’s that in your hand?"

"Huh? Wait. . !"

When we were almost home.

She suddenly grabbed my hand that was holding the cell phone.

"What...did you get a tattoo? But why does it look like this?"

"No, it’s not like that!"

I was flustered, pulled my hand away, and made an excuse.

Fortunately, she didn’t ask any further.

Her eyes were spinning and the corners of her mouth were rising, as if she had caught something.

[Are you planning to use the Assassination Right?]

"Are you insane?"

I muttered in disappointment and headed home. Even though my mind was in turmoil, I didn’t tell my mother about it right away.

[The legion has finished preparing. It’s time to hunt the targeted turtle.]

Once I got back to my room, I focused on my phone again. The newly evolved soldiers had hatched from their eggs. They were definitely not fish. After all, all I needed was their gills. Their streamlined bodies resembled the local amphibians, making it easier for them to swim. However, the difference was that they had gills and crawled on the ground with their strong, thick pair of arms.

[The turtle’s shell is undoubtedly hard. But compared to the lizard covered in scales, it’s an easy target.]

The turtle was already wary of us, sticking its head out of the water and hissing. All it got in return was a barrage of poisonous spikes, an attempt to draw its attention.

[The turtle’s attention was completely stolen. Meanwhile, the legion began to dive into the water one by one.]

The water was dark and murky, making it impossible to see. But I could still tell what was happening.

[The legion soldiers thrust their sharp teeth towards the relatively soft fins and tail of the turtle. Feeling the pain, the startled turtle quickly retracted its neck and fins into its shell.]

"What now?"

[The fight is already over. The turtle can’t breathe underwater.]

It was a cruel verdict. But even if it tried to escape to the surface, other soldiers were waiting.

[The moment the turtle stuck its head out to breathe, the waiting legion soldiers tore at its neck. Its attempt to struggle by extending its fins only provided more areas for them to tear at.]

It was more brutal than a savannah documentary. The pitiful cries of the turtle being eaten alive echoed throughout the cave. If that was a human... But surely, the legion would devour a human too.

[It’s not over yet. Hunting the turtle is just one part of the process. The real goal is to capture the fungus that can digest the lizard’s scales.]

The legion kept moving. Come to think of it, this wasn’t the first time. The legion had intentionally and persistently hunted a specific target as part of a process.

[Yes. The legion is learning. They are preparing more thoroughly to capture a powerful enemy, planning efficient hunts to solve problems.]

A new soldier was being created. A soldier equipped with the biting power of the cave turtle we had just hunted. As soon as it was ready, it would chew and swallow the targeted mushroom, acquiring its abilities as well.

"...I guess I need to find a part-time job again."

At the same time, I checked my bank balance. One way or another, I would need to prepare for more expenses. *

The cave was already in ruins. The fallen bodies would gradually be wrapped in extending tentacles and digested. Amidst all this, a single mushroom stood tall. It had sacrificed all its external roots to absorb the toughest material and cover its body, enduring the onslaught. This was the mushroom’s survival strategy.

But the enemy trying to devour this mushroom had exterminated five caves and slaughtered countless creatures to find the answer to kill this one mushroom.

[The mushroom doesn’t know how strong the obsession and greed aimed at it are.]

It was lucky to digest the toughest scales in this ecosystem, but that was it. A large lizard slowly approached. It opened its mouth wide. The mushroom tried to resist, but it couldn’t withstand the biting power with its imitation level defense. The scales started to break. The interior of the mushroom couldn’t withstand the shock and burst out.

[Now we have the toughest scales. But are we satisfied with that? Absolutely not.]

The lizard spat out the chewed mushroom into the nest. Production and digestion were solely the nest’s job. However, while the legion was digesting, it was simultaneously thinking and acting elsewhere.

[Another lizard... It has become our legion’s next target.]

A creature twice the size of the Blue Scaled Two-headed Lizard appeared in the ecosystem. A massive lizard with dark red scales slowly revealed itself.

[Did it smell something? Did it notice the anomaly and come to crush it?]

The lizard sniffed around as if it was searching for something. Despite its lizard-like appearance, it was surprisingly intelligent. Among the brain tissues absorbed by the legion, the lizards of this ecosystem had the most advanced structures.

Its eyes flashed, locking onto a black bird hovering in mid-air. There were no leathered creatures’ in this cave, so naturally, the bird was a scout from the legion.

Opening its mouth wide, it spewed out a large fireball. The fireball exploded upon impact, obliterating everything in its vicinity.