Chapter 23
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Movement (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[Do you understand now? How he thinks of you. Even now, he always keeps a generous number of extra slots available, just in case.]
A colossal, slowly pulsating cave.
But this cave was already covered in the tissues of a living creature, having become a single life form in itself.
This was the lowest level.
The place where the Legion originated.
[...Perhaps not yet. What would you, who have just opened your eyes, know?]
From the writhing walls of flesh, eggs poured out with a viscous slime.
The very first eggs produced had already completed their growth in half a day.
[But I know. That we are coming to understand the concept of the unknown entity that protects us. Until now, we have only consumed what was given. But not anymore. We doubt, and we think. That is how we became aware of his existence. Even we cannot create something from nothing. But he was doing just that.]
The first egg produced began to stir.
Just as its shell started to tear, a black hand shot out and ripped it wide open.
[To devour has always been our starving instinct. And now, so too is the hunger for knowledge. We began to question his identity. Just who is he?]
The new Legion soldier that tore its way out of the egg looked completely different from the lizard-type soldiers that had been the main production line until now.
It was based on a goblin, that much was true.
But with the Legion's reinterpretation, its appearance had become just as bizarre.
For one, like the other Units, it had no digestive organs, reproductive organs, or even a brain.
A straight spine, two arms, and two legs.
Most of its body consisted solely of muscle tissue built for combat.
Thanks to this, despite its thin, withered-looking body, it could produce explosive power relative to its weight.
[Take up your weapons. We are now capable of observing and learning. We know how to use tools.]
One side of the nest split open, and something with a gleaming blade shot up.
It was a sword forged from the hardest carapace the Legion could create.
This new Legion soldier, with its emaciated body clad in black carapace as if it were armor, flashed a red glint from the gap in the carapace that wrapped around its head like a helmet.
[One thing was certain: he always helps us. Do you wish to know more about him... If so, you need only do as you have always done.]
The first Legion soldier to hatch from its egg staggered to its feet and began walking up toward the upper levels of the cave.
Identical individuals began to follow behind it.
Their numbers grew into the tens, then the hundreds.
[Kill them all, and eat them all.]
Crossing the long, long passage and emerging from the stem, they raised the swords in their hands.
Their sole purpose was annihilation, slaughter, extermination, and consumption.
Along with newly devised tactics, the beast-type Legion soldiers that had been on standby joined the fray, and a black wave of thousands charged toward their target, covering both the ground and the sky.
*
"First, we'll go somewhere safe. We can have a proper conversation there."
"As expected from Step-Up Hunters. You're all Units, aren't you?"
"Let's just say we are."
A van sped through the city.
My sister and I sat in the back, cautiously observing the situation.
My phone kept vibrating, but I didn't dare check the app right now.
"I heard Evolution has been actively fighting the mutants... I mean, the Units."
"Of course. They are our enemies."
"I have a lot of questions."
Oh Yoon-ah, who had been knocked out and left crumpled, was now sitting in the passenger seat, conversing with Cha Ji-yeon as an equal.
Honestly, with Cha Ji-yeon's skills, she could probably slaughter everyone here.
"We're here. Room 306."
"...Where is this?"
"A safe house."
The vehicle had stopped in front of an ordinary villa in the middle of Seoul.
We all piled out and had no choice but to enter the house she had indicated.
Cha Ji-yeon was the last to enter, closing the door behind her.
It was, of course, a normal house.
But a strange tension filled the air.
"Now... let's get down to business."
Cha Ji-yeon brought out tea herself.
Oh Yoon-ah, the Player, and Cha Ji-yeon, the Unit, sat facing each other.
"Shall I go first? The homeworld of us Players is a land called Sehansha. Players call themselves Sorcerers of the Sky, and the reason we sought out a Player from another world like this is to propose a partnership."
"You're being quite open. The place my Units live is a continent that has long been called Anankil. My Units are of the Cheongsan tribe, a people of earth and wind."
The two women laid out their information from the very first word.
They could afford to. After all, they were completely unrelated entities.
"But what do you intend to do by contacting Players? Due to the restrictions, they won't be much help unless they're former Hunters."
"That's true. But it's the same for 'other' Players, isn't it? The Players in Sehansha who also have Units."
"Ah. You plan to preemptively strike and kill them."
The situation unfolded just as I had expected.
Eliminate the competition. That was the number one priority.
I subtly glanced around, just trying to cram all this information into my head.
"As you know, in our case, we were forced to reveal most of our information to conform to the existing social order. Thanks to that, we've drawn the aggro of others, whether they be Units or Players, so we needed allies who could move covertly."
"And that's us."
"Yes."
Cha Ji-yeon smiled bitterly.
Come to think of it, there were probably less than a hundred Step-Up Hunters.
And since they were all gathering under the new company, Evolution, all their information was practically public.
"This is as far as our meeting will go today, but things might be different next time. Other allies may be present."
"I have one question. Are the monsters pouring out from beyond the Gates Units from the start? And by any chance, you Players... when did your game begin?"
"...Didn't you ask your helper?"
"It wouldn't answer at all."
I flinched at that.
Come to think of it, I hadn't asked that either.
"The game began for everyone at the same time. In other words, the monsters from the Gates that appeared ten years ago are unrelated to this game."
Cha Ji-yeon provided the answer.
Ultimately, it meant that whether they were Units or not, we still had to kill those damn monsters.
"Then, is there a possibility of other Units from different factions appearing among humans like us?"
"Absolutely. So please be mindful of security."
You can't trust anyone.
That was the conclusion.
"You went through a lot today. Thank you for your hard work."
The business with Cha Ji-yeon ended quickly.
Leaving the villa, Oh Yoon-ah said her goodbyes to my sister and me.
"I'm sorry to your brother, but please act for a little while longer."
"I will."
With a gain this big, this much was nothing.
Cha Ji-yeon coolly tossed her the car keys.
On the way home, walking from where Oh Yoon-ah's father dropped us off, a different kind of silence fell between us.
"What do we do now? Do you still not know what kind of world your Units are in, Oppa? It's not Sehansha or Anankil?"
It was Kang Do-yeon who broke the silence.
I shook my head.
"I have no idea. But it doesn't matter. For now, I'm the only one who knows. And... no matter who I meet, it'll probably be a fight to the finish."
I really didn't think it was important.
The Legion was a being that had to devour and move forward just to survive.
"We won't have to fight... will we?"
"That Oh Yoon-ah girl promised after getting a beating from her parents, but who knows. If a crisis comes, they'll try to protect their own daughter first. How could they look after someone else's kid?"
"Maybe I should start working out..."
She mumbled.
I wasn't at ease either.
A fight? For her and me, that should never happen.
"What was with all those notifications? Glad to see you're okay, though."
[Would you see? How far the Legion has grown.]
I checked my phone as soon as I got inside.
With a troubled heart, I tapped the icon on the side, the history tab.
[Our proud history is always being updated.]
Suddenly, the screen started flipping pages at high speed.
What was unfolding was a story of the past.
"...Huh."
Goblins? No, those weren't goblins.
They were completely new beings.
And there were hundreds of them.
Alongside them were the familiar large lizards.
[We always give our all. The tide of the Legion began to pour down upon the master of this floor.]
It seemed the Legion had created a new tactic.
It looked chaotic, but in reality, each had a designated position and role.
[Each and every individual received a different command. Our minds, supported by the computational power of the colossal mass that has devoured this entire cave, can sufficiently control thousands of soldiers one by one.]
The nest ceased production and focused all its nerves for a moment.
The bewildered monster swung a massive fist and stretched its neck to swallow the flying types.
But those sacrifices were entirely intentional.
Based on those sacrifices, the Legion soldiers succeeded in clinging to the creature's body.
This was where the newly produced soldiers began to shine.