A Legion Grows From My Smartphone

[I don't know the end of this game. One thing is certain, the world is vast.]

"What's that... it's not helpful at all."

[As I said before, keep all possibilities open. The hints I give are all there is.]

"Huh."

A hollow laugh slipped from my lips. After all, as he had suggested, anything was possible. Whether it was nurturing beings from another world like myself, or... the opposite could also be true.

"What if there's another player commanding a legion? Should I kill them?"

[...It's your choice. However, it might not mean much in the early stages if the worlds are different.]

"So, there's no need to bother?"

I finally seemed to grasp the rules. Ultimately, one world was equivalent to one server. There was no point in interfering with people on other servers. In the end, my real competitors were those involved in the world where the 'legion' existed. Whether they were on Earth or in another world, they were just like the players of those despicable rats.

[They seem to be flustered.]

I maintained my focus, eyes glued to the screen. The war had only just begun. It was merely a small skirmish to mark the start, but it was crucial that I emerged victorious.

[Their initial shock quickly gave way to a fierce resistance, stronger than anticipated.]

They unleashed a barrage of crossbow bolts and brandished their spears with wild abandon. I narrowed my eyes as a crudely constructed catapult came into view. I had anticipated a

swift victory, but it was clear this battle would take more time than expected.

[The legion found something strange. It was a completely different system and communication method than before.]

"Yes... In my opinion, those rats are not just about what's engraved in their genes."

I figured out the reason.

Why the combat power of those rat bastards was stronger than what the legion had deciphered.

They were now using the power of tools and communication like humans, transcending the limits of genes.

[But no matter what, they can't overcome their physical limits.]

The fortress started to crumble. The legion, bolstered by their sheer numbers, finally breached the resistance and initiated a massacre. They bit, cut, and crushed their adversaries to death.

[However, they couldn't apprehend all those who were fleeing.]

"Our existence will be exposed if it comes to that."

What are the racial traits of those rats?

They don't appear to possess a hive consciousness like ours.

Undoubtedly, the surviving cowards will scurry back to their base and spill everything about us.

Then there's a good chance that the opposing player won't suspect us.

"But there's nothing certain. Can those rat bastards communicate with the player? I can't."

[I don't know.]

In my estimation, it's like modern humans providing equipment and information to those who are worse than Stone Age natives.

Surely, free conversation would be difficult.

However, it was a fact that those rats were receiving teachings and weapons from an unknown opponent.

[The legion had devoured and absorbed them, yet they were left with a pressing question: Was this enough? They had managed to digest them and extract their information, but the results were underwhelming. Despite their movements being less refined compared to the legion, it was the inability to learn from them that the legion focused on.]

"Learning from experience and knowledge isn't as simple as mere predation."

[The legion finally recognized the need for a brain, and something beyond a brain-a banquet of emotions, experiences, and knowledge.]

The legion's response was always the same.

They would simply devour anything.

If there was something they lacked, they would consume it.

Whether it was intangible knowledge or experience.

"So, what's your plan?"

[Of course, the legion is finding the answer itself. Information about highly intelligent birds like magpies or crows might help. Aren't you going to help?]

I froze at the sight of the flickering text on my phone.

How can I help?

I had been contemplating it for a while. Now that the legion had grown to such an extent, it might be feasible to consume humans.

"Sorry, but I don't think so... Should I visit the zoo and photograph a monkey? I can't allow an innocent person to be ripped apart alive."

[I think it's premature too. This is a problem that requires more attention. Literally, the legion is trying to develop a sense of self.]

"What does that imply?"

[They revere and worship God. However, there are certainly those who harbor resentment and seek to overthrow God.]

My brows furrowed as I struggled to comprehend the situation all at once. Soon, I found myself biting my lip, deep in thought.

"So, they might turn against me?!"

[It's only a possibility. So, you need to handle it well. The emerging legion's higher consciousness is not even at a child's level.]

The mere possibility was enough to unsettle me. Of course, it wasn't something I hadn't anticipated. From the start, I knew my values didn't align with those of the legion.

[I keep telling you, you're not just an observer.]

"...Alright."

Despite my heavy heart, there was no way to avoid it.

For now, I decided to observe.

To see how and where it would grow.

Above all, it didn't seem like we were losing to those rat bastards.

Regardless of my internal struggle, the legion didn't stop waging war.

They clearly thought the enemy was strange and planned to overwhelm them before they could respond properly.

The enemy player, who had been on a winning streak, even sending expeditions to the lower levels and establishing an outpost, how would they overcome this crisis?

By observing their response, I might be able to find clues to the player's identity or location.

"...On the other hand, I could kill the player and eliminate the legion's enemies."

[That's right.]

It was a terrifying game.

Extremely so.

"Aren't you heading out after the exam?"

"I plan to rest at home this time."

I replied, forcing an awkward smile. My mother didn't probe any further. Of course, I intended to make the most of the summer before it was too late, just as she had suggested. But considering my current circumstances...

Suddenly, my mother pointed at the TV.

"Look at that. That girl keeps showing up on TV. It seems she's finally reached A-rank."

My gaze instinctively shifted towards the screen, where a familiar face appeared.

"C-rank Cha Ji Yeon. No, now she's A-rank Cha Ji Yeon."

The woman emerging from the management office, bathed in the flash of cameras, was the same woman I had seen before. She was one of the rapidly rising hunters gaining global attention. Among them, she stood unrivaled, having ascended to the rank of an A-rank hunter, a title held by only a few dozen people in Korea.

I found myself pondering. Was she a unit blessed as a player? Whether a player or a unit, there were no set rules or hierarchies.

It's a thoroughly mutual relationship where each holds the other's life in their hands.

I sighed.

No matter how I thought about it, I was too powerless.

"Are you worried about her?"

Misunderstanding my sigh, my mother furrowed her brows and picked up her phone.

Only then did I notice the empty seat next to me.

*

"A game?"

"Yes. It's really fun...an inescapable game."

Late in the evening, when the family was having dinner.

Meeting her friend Oh Yoon Ah at a nearby park without much thought, Kang Do Yeon hesitated.

Oh Yoon Ah, who was just an ordinary friend, was acting unusual.

"I don't understand what you're saying. About this game..."

"The Chieftain said to find the guardians who can engrave this sentence. They can become warriors who will protect my life."

Ignoring her friend's words, Oh Yoon Ah lifted her hand. Something sparkled within her grasp, causing shock to ripple through her friend.

"Have you awakened as a hunter?"

"No, this is magic bestowed upon me by my people, for me!"

Without warning, Oh Yoon Ah seized her friend's hesitant wrist. Startled, Kang Do Yeon attempted to yank her hand away, but her efforts were in vain. The height difference between them was significant, with Kang Do Yeon standing at 170cm and Oh Yoon Ah at 155cm. Yet, Kang Do Yeon, who was a head taller and used to carry her friend around, couldn't shake off Oh Yoon Ah's grip.

"Ah, it hurts!"

"Just endure it a bit longer! You can become stronger too!"

Despite her screams of pain, Oh Yoon Ah refused to release her grip.

When her hand was finally released.

Kang Do Yeon was shocked to see a clear mark on her wrist.

"See."

"What the hell did you do!"

Something fist-sized suddenly flew towards her.

Angry, she reflexively raised her hand and swatted it away.

"...Unbelievable."

And she was shocked.

The large stone that hit her hand had shattered.

"Now you're my knight, Do Yeon. Stand against the enemies and die for me. It's reassuring to have the school's popular girl protect me."

Oh Yoon Ah giggled.

Kang Do Yeon, who couldn't understand the situation, just held her wrist with a pale, sick face.

"I'll tell you the secret now."

Oh Yoon Ah, who seemed to be showing mercy, raised her phone.

'Surely...'

The back of her hand, which was visible at that moment, was clean, the mark she had seen was nowhere to be found.