Chapter 49
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Legion VS Legion (3)
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[Proliferating Infectious Variant Ruin Fungus Sub-hive: 6N1535]
"...That's their name?"
[Correct. They are a completely different type from the existing Ruin Fungus.]
"What does 'sub-hive' mean?"
[According to the Legion's analysis, they are just beginning to approach a proper hive mind.]
From the sound of it, they were a real headache.
The variant Ruin Fungus was fundamentally a strain that had been growing for a very long time, and the cause of its mutation was presumed to be none other than cannibalism.
[Unable to consume the nutrients needed to survive even in extreme hibernation, they resorted to repeated cannibalism, giving rise to this variant. The reason their bodies are twisted and horribly deformed is that a body once controlled by a single Ruin Fungus hive is now co-dominated by two or three hives.]
"Why don't they eat each other anymore?"
[They evolved through mutation.]
The variant Ruin Fungus had apparently stopped cannibalizing its own kind.
Instead, they survived by preying on other Ruin Fungus-infected creatures.
Of course, I didn't know what would happen if they were on the verge of starvation again, but it seemed they hadn't reached that point yet.
"We can win, right?"
I clicked my tongue and changed the screen.
The war was in full swing.
In the midst of it all, I could see my sister fighting against the monsters.
I couldn't just stand by and watch her, wearing a mask, her eyes glinting as she swung a sword imbued with dark red power.
Especially considering she had been fighting for over 24 hours without a break.
[That remains unknown. According to our analysis, the ones we are currently facing are merely a sub-hive. We must always consider the possibility of a more advanced main hive appearing. Above all, the Legion's stored energy is on a gradual downward trend. We need to find a more efficient way to utilize energy or require additional supplies.]
"Ha, that's a bit difficult right now."
I strained my ears, focusing on the surrounding sounds.
Shouts and yells echoed from all around.
Of course, they weren't directed at me, but I couldn't help but feel a little guilty.
"Oppa, are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm more worried about you right now."
"I-I'm fine."
Kang Do-yeon had briefly pulled back from the front lines.
It was entirely the Legion's consideration.
"Tell them I said thanks. Uh, they can understand, right?"
"Yeah."
It was just for show.
Still, it would have some effect.
Her body wasn't even human anymore, and thanks to the mask, her mental fatigue was manageable, but my brow furrowed at her somewhat gaunt-looking face.
"You know, right? If I asked the Legion to pull my sister from combat, would they agree? They could use her in, what's it called... a strategist role or something."
[Would they? From the Legion's perspective, there is no issue with employing Kang Do-yeon as a Legion Commander. Growth through consumption is the Legion's ideal. This is a fundamental principle that applies even to you, and Kang Do-yeon is no exception. Under the Legion's protection, she is free from death and can grow infinitely stronger through endless battle. To the Legion, this is supreme common sense and the law of the world.]
"Damn it."
A hollow laugh escaped me.
I'd seen a variety of Players and Units until now.
Their relationships varied wildly, regardless of whether they were Players or Units.
Reliable comrades who depended on each other, pawns for one side, precious beings to be cared for, and so on.
One thing was certain: without some special method, mere words held no power of compulsion.
Even if the Legion considered my words of utmost importance, if they chose to twist them to their own liking, I had no way to stop it.
For the Legion, which had already established its fundamental values, that would be the obvious and correct answer.
So, I needed another way, but right now, I didn't have a clue.
"That must've been your plan, dragging this out. You bastard."
[Do you have anything else to say to your sister?]
...When I curse it, it plays dumb and pretends not to hear.
"But how are you doing this? Is there Wi-Fi there?"
"Of course not. It's the power of the app, apparently."
Hearing Kang Do-yeon's words, I looked around.
This place, filled with hastily built barracks, was the garrison the allied forces had decided to occupy first.
It was established to protect the Gate connected to Earth, and even now, troop deployment and barracks construction were in full swing.
"I wish I could take a picture and show you."
I muttered blankly.
Setting aside the fact that this was the stronghold of those horrific monsters, it was truly a mystical experience.
After all, I had set foot in another world where you didn't even need a spacesuit.
On a barren land of nothing but strange rocks and crags, the countless stars and moons shone brightly enough to illuminate the night.
I was momentarily speechless at the sight of three moons hanging in the sky together, like something out of a fantasy world.
"I want to see it. The sky."
"...You want to see the sky."
I flinched for a moment.
My sister couldn't say it, but I wondered whose wish it truly was to see the sky.
Was it Kang Do-yeon, who had been living in a cave for weeks?
Or was it the Legion, which had never once seen the high heavens?
"But what happens when your phone battery dies?!"
"Don't worry. A solution came up just before."
Around the time the Legion first fought and defeated the Ruin Fungus.
My account reached level 5.
Honestly, I hadn't paid much attention to it, since leveling up only increased the number of slots and the amount of food I could provide.
However, the moment I reached level 5, a new feature was added.
[From now on, even without a phone, you can use the app via your cornea.]
"Uwaaah!"
The first time I tried using that feature.
I'd fallen flat on my butt at the sight of the large screen unfolding before my eyes, showing the Legion moving within it.
"...It didn't make sense that I'd be helpless if my phone was taken away. Besides, aliens probably don't use phones."
"That's a relief."
"Anything else to say?"
I was asking not just my sister, but the Legion as well.
I wanted to communicate directly with the Legion as soon as possible.
But since it refused, I had to use this indirect method.
"Well..."
She hesitated before speaking.
I realized she was now relaying the Legion's will.
*
"You look bored."
"Well... we're not doing anything?"
"We can't do much until the garrison construction is finished. We need a safe place to stay, don't we?"
Robert, who was fiddling with some cards, chuckled.
I gazed outside with an uncomfortable look.
The ones working their butts off right now were the soldiers and other personnel.
We were just lazing around in our barracks, doing nothing.
"Our job is to fight when needed, not to pick up shovels and dig. We're not soldiers in the first place. We're mercenaries who get paid to do a job."
"I-I see."
The mercenaries seemed completely unfazed, as if they were used to this kind of situation.
I just sat there quietly with them, but not for long.
Cha Ji-yeon summoned me.
"Huh? That lightning girl?"
"Yes. I'll go see what she wants."
"That's strange. Our mission is with that lightning girl and..."
Robert's eyes widened in surprise, but another member, Sneaky, grinned and whispered something to him.
At that, Robert looked at me, the corners of his mouth and eyes lifting into a wide grin.
Seeing that expression, I had a feeling he was getting the wrong idea.
"Have a good time. Ahem, try not to be too obvious."
"...Don't get any strange ideas. She's a true professional."
To me, who knew Cha Ji-yeon's personality, it was a completely ridiculous misunderstanding.
She was certainly a beautiful and charming person.
But having spent a few days with her, absolutely nothing had happened.
She was a busy person, one who always focused on her training even at home.
Park Joon-suk had even said that watching her filled him with so much respect he could hardly look at her.
"I called you because I missed you."
But the moment I arrived at her barracks, I heard those unexpected words.
"I also need to check on your training progress. You've been keeping up with your personal training, right?"
"Ah?! Ah, yes. Of course."
"Still, it feels a bit more comfortable, I think."
She smiled faintly.
I heard that she and the other members of Evolution were moving separately.
It was surely an order from her Player, but in any case, it was her job to be busy with it.
"Comfortable?"
"Just a short while ago, I was an inexperienced 24-year-old C-rank Hunter. But now, I've become strong enough to be part of a separate squad in a large-scale operation like this. Honestly... it's awkward and difficult to be in the same room with people like the president or the commander."
"...I see."
I keep forgetting. She's only one year older than me.
Just one year older than my female classmates who graduated from college this year.
"In situations like that, it was a bit more comfortable talking with you, Shin-woo, since we're around the same age. Park Joon-suk is 29, but he's a bit too slick."
"Then would you like to speak more casually now?"
The words slipped out before I knew it.
To be honest, the way we'd been speaking so formally and politely to each other had been bothering me.
But seeing her eyes widen, I flinched, wondering if I'd spoken out of turn.
"...Should we?"
But she smiled and dropped the formal speech.
Seeing that, I smiled faintly as well.
At this point, I couldn't deny it.
I definitely had feelings for her...
[The Legion has noticed your feelings.]
"Pfft."
But at the words that suddenly appeared before my eyes like a hologram, I choked back a cough and flinched.