A Legion Grows From My Smartphone

[They have successfully analyzed their genes. They have figured out all the processes of their infectious attacks so at least their attacks will no longer affect us.]

Through the war, the legion simultaneously analyzed these tiny bacteria. The completion of the analysis meant that they had figured out everything. As long as they knew all of the opponent's moves, the attacks no longer worked.

[Proliferating Destructive Bacteria: 6N1523]

[As a result of this battle, the legion has acquired a new strategy and tactics at the cellular level. They can attack and infect other cells with toxins.]

“Are you thinking of germ warfare? Like... zombies?”

“Interesting. But inefficient. Of course, it can be used as a trump card at any time.”

Kang Do Yeon cautiously asked, but the legion, which had already finished its calculations, did not think highly of the ability to infect. Certainly, the tactic of infecting and consuming the opponent-’s cells to increase their numbers had great power.

[However, as the manipulation at the cellular level increases, the burden on the hive consciousness increases. According to the analysis, they are clearly forming a hive, but they do not feel connected to the outside. That’s why such a method works.]

“So they are independent small-scale hives.”

Kang Do Yeon placed her hand on her own chest. The legion’s hive consciousness is special. They can maintain a connection even without special means, even if they are far apart.

The legion didn’t know the exact principle, but they had a basis for speculation. The string of the soul that connects the player and the unit beyond the wall of the world. The

legion’s hive consciousness was also similar to that. That’s why they were hit by the spiritual attack of the guardian.

I

“Then the assassination right. We are many and one. If we are hit by the assassination right, won’t we all die at once?!”

“If the connection of the target dies due to the assassination right, there will be no harm to the legion in the end.”

Being many and one ultimately depends on their connection. If the connection is cut off, they are ultimately strangers. And the legion’s hive consciousness also has a spiritual aspect. The legion judged that if they used the assassination right, the target’s breath would be cut off and the connection would disappear first, so there would be no problem with other entities.

Kang Do Yeon, who flinched at the thought of the existence of the assassination right, a systemic reward that kills the enemy without question, breathed a sigh of relief for now.

“I have modified the bodies of the legionnaires to improve their immunity to their attacks.”

“Then...”

“Lead the legionnaires and continue to occupy the upper floors.”

The legion gave Kang Do Yeon an order once again. It was something they had been doing as if it was natural. Since they had found out about the enemy and prepared for it, there was no reason to hesitate.

“Okay.”

Kang Do Yeon didn’t really have a choice. She, who had just finished replenishing her nutrients, had to head up again immediately.

“But why don’t you tell my brother?”

lust before leaving. She left one question for the legion. She couldn’t tell that the legion had learned the language because she had received an order not to give away when Shin Woo was watching.

“I’m incomplete.”

The legion nodded as if it was natural.

“I can’t show him this side of me.”

“...What do you think of my brother? My brother is normal...ugh.”

“Shut. Up.”

Kang Do Yeon’s mouth closed involuntarily. The atmosphere around them became dangerous in an instant. The entire legion stirred.

“It’s not for me. You don’t know. If you find out, your cute brain will burn out.”

“Uh...”

A red light flashed from the eyehole of the mask that approached her. Kang Do Yeon broke out in a cold sweat inside. The young ego of the legion was undergoing its own growth based on the human knowledge she had taught, but she had no room to intervene in that growth.

‘’It’ll be...okay, right?’

In the end, she turned around without saying anything. She had no idea what values and beliefs the legion was thinking and acting on. The legion, which had become surprisingly aggressive after establishing its ego, had her completely under control.

“Ah.”

“This is.”

But at that moment.

Everyone could feel it. The powerful emotional wave transmitted through the string. It was what the being on the other side of this connection was feeling.

[He has made a decision and finally moved. Do you ask if there is a way to watch? No. If you want to know, think of a way yourself.]

But there was no way to know more. The voice that always came in just echoed in the legion’s mind.

*

Moonlight Rage.

Under the moonlight, one could harness the power of a mighty wolf. It was a night when the full moon shone brightly.

“Are you here, hyungnim?”

“Yes. There’s no harvest today either. No, Cha Ji Yeon, that woman is definitely a unit. Shouldn’t we start with her?”

“That, but isn’t she a hunter estimated to be S-rank?”

In a building on the city outskirts, used as a hideout, two men were engaged in conversation. Like their other colleagues, they were ordinary members of society with separate primary occupations. However, their fate had taken a significant turn not long ago.

Firstly, they had gained power. Possessing some power in these chaotic times was a considerable advantage.

“So we need to keep increasing our numbers for now.”

“Those strange guys in suits must be units too, right? It appears the countermeasures are gradually coming into play.”

They were well aware of what was happening in the world. After all, they were the ones involved. That’s why they were moving so discreetly, their senses keenly attuned to the changes in the world.

“...Huh.”

The man, who was mindlessly seated on a chair, pulling out a cup of ramen, suddenly wrinkled his nose. His colleague next to him did the same.

“Brother? This...”

“Smells like a dog. Get down!”

His eyes widened in an instant, and he rolled onto the floor, his colleague mirroring his actions. The window shattered as something massive, covered in silver fur, broke through.

“A wolf!”

Startled, he sprang to his feet. A giant wolf, hunched over, stood on its hind legs, baring its teeth and growling. A sudden battle ensued. The wolf possessed a strength that amplified in the night, a strength that allowed it to resist.

“This bastard..!”

He pounded the ground, scales sprouting on his body and sharp fangs revealing themselves. He charged at the wolf, but the beast was hiding something. Something that shimmered like obsidian.

“Huh?”

With a swift swing, his body was severely cut, blood splattering. The wolf immediately landed another blow, sending him flying into a wall.

“Ha...”

His blood, once boiling, began to cool.

They may have seemed like ordinary people, but they were far from it. He glanced at the sword in his hand, the first gift the legion had bestowed upon him. It was dripping with blood.

This was a gamble.

He had charged in, relying solely on the element of surprise, unaware of his opponent’s strength or his own. Moreover, he was vulnerable if a player had decided to use the Onetime Assassination Right against him.

However, there was some logic behind his actions. His adversary’s movements were too relaxed, indicating a low probability of a player watching. Still, it was a gamble.

*

[That wasn’t very rational. It’s a choice the legion wouldn’t have made.]

“What does it matter? The important thing is that I succeeded.”

I quickly hid before my transformation wore off. I went to where I had left my clothes, quickly dressed, and picked up my phone. I regretted not being able to take a picture of their corpses. But exposing my identity, even by the slightest chance, didn’t seem like a wise decision. They were monsters anyway. They would cover it up before their corpses were leaked to the outside.

“Were they monsters from the beginning, or did they become monsters after becoming a unit? If it’s the former, that’s a bit horrifying.”

[There are many secrets in the world. Don’t take your common sense for granted.]

“...This is driving me crazy.”

I thought we were in the same category, being from Earth, but that might not be the case. Were they monsters even without the app? Or, like me, were they grouped together because they had something in common? As always, there were no clear answers.

[Look at the screen. The legion, having finished their analysis, are attacking relentlessly.]

“There’s a lot... Did we wake up those who were asleep?”

As I made my way home, I was engrossed in my phone. I had fibbed to my mother, who was at home recuperating from the shock of my sister’s de facto demise, claiming I was meeting a friend.

The legion was locked in combat, much like I had been. Their foes were the infected bodies of destructive bacteria, gathering and screeching in a macabre display. Yet, the legionnaires had already developed immunity against them. Under Kang Do Yeon’s leadership, they were ruthlessly annihilating the infected bodies.

[The combat power of the destructive bacteria-infected bodies plummeted the moment they lost their infection ability. Furthermore, they are living creatures, not corpses cursed by magic. In other words, they are prey. They can be digested and converted into energy.]

Whether they were communicating amongst themselves or not, they were spilling out from the upper floors. Their grotesque screams were clearly audible, and their numbers were not to be underestimated.

[There’s nothing eternal, even for a ruler who once drove a race to extinction.]

“Not just one race, it seems.”

A bitter chuckle slipped from my lips as I stared at the screen. The tunnel shook violently, and something massive, resembling a cow, burst from the narrow entrance where the infected bodies were spilling out. It was a grotesque sight, infected with destructive bacteria, bloated and torn in places.

“It’s big.”

Its size was colossal. Standing next to Kang Do Yeon, who was 170 cm tall, its enormity was unmistakable. It seemed to be at least the size of a dump truck.