Chapter 62
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: The Abyss Monster (1)
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"Ugh."
Kang Do-yeon frowned at the bizarre sensation.
The roots that had dug in began to suck out every last bit of energy within.
Her power cores, which had been somewhat depleted and dimmed, were now fully recharged and regained their light.
*'Throw the rest into the nest.'*
Not just her, but the other Legion units also replenished their energy.
In the meantime, the roots that had extended from her hands quickly returned to normal.
"This isn't all of it."
*'Right. First, split the forces and clean up the 'branches'.'*
The Legion, having clashed with the golems once, divided its forces.
At the forefront were the high-tier Legion units that wielded Form Power.
Now that they realized the creatures' movements were sluggish and that destroying their cores made them surprisingly trivial, there was no need to over-invest energy.
[Those golems were meticulously designed to combat a single enemy: the Ruin Fungus. So, in a world where the Ruin Fungus has vanished, who became the new master?]
*'It must be the ones who made these golems. Whoever they are, there will be much to gain.'*
The Legion's mood lifted slightly.
It seemed they might be facing a new type of enemy from now on.
This new type of enemy seemed quite intelligent, advanced, and strong. That meant they were worth consuming.
Moreover, this wasn't unfounded bravado. Analysis of the cores that powered the golems revealed they weren't particularly advanced compared to the mana stone crafting techniques of the Soul Arts the Legion currently knew.
Due to efficiency, the Legion didn't bother with secondary processing of ores, but it could still tell that much.
At this level, it was manageable.
*'Faster, faster.'*
Nesting and absorption accelerated as its mass grew.
The speed at which it devoured and annihilated the vegetation also increased. A predation without a hint of mercy or hesitation.
Its only end goal was to ascend.
He had clearly shown and taught it to fight for the sake of protection.
*'I, too, fight to protect.'*
And the Legion interpreted that intention in its own way.
It had to protect him, and what he wanted to protect.
To do so, it had to become stronger. Therefore, it had to fight more, devour more, and evolve more.
["For him."]
*
"What in the world are you talking about? A problem in the Stem Layer?"
"It's true, Lord Wyte. I saw it clearly. The six-legged ground mice, sensitive to vibrations, were fleeing in a group!"
"Yelsen, I know you're a sharp one, but that's a ridiculous claim."
He shook his head. At the same time, his pointed ears twitched.
Twitching his ears was one of his habits when he was displeased.
"The Stem Layer is guarded airtight by their weapons. You may not know this, but those giant stone dolls are quite strong. Above all, the Ruin Fungus can never defeat them."
"But I'm sure..."
"The pact the Great Chieftain made with them in the past is still in effect. So, children like you should focus on your training instead of worrying."
He patted the head of the child who had raised the issue.
Perhaps because of his firm attitude, the child lowered their head and trudged away.
"Still, isn't he admirable?"
"Indeed. Children like him become great assets in the future."
"Like you, Lord Wyte."
"...Enough with the flattery."
He let out a dry cough at his subordinate's words.
But his expression quickly hardened.
As he turned around, his eyes fell upon a large city, kept bright by countless luminous stones.
In the center of the city, a tree that looked to be at least ten meters tall was in brilliant bloom, its flowers and leaves radiant.
"Still, it's a shameful truth. Every time I have to explain to young children like Yelsen why we must still live trapped underground."
"Those arrogant bastards..."
"Calm down, Reyam. They say they're 'from another place,' different from the humans who drove out our ancestors."
"I suppose you're right. Those fools were all wiped out by the Ruin Fungus in the end."
The subordinate, who had flared up for a moment, soon conceded and nodded.
"Still, one day we will."
"That's right. We must go to the surface."
Their eyes sparkled.
Go to the surface. And reclaim the lost glory of the past.
It was the tribe's aspiration, one they had never forgotten.
"Well then, Lord Wyte. I'll be off on patrol."
"Go ahead."
The subordinates left.
Wyte continued to gaze blankly down at the city.
*'But before we go to the surface, we must find our other kin.'*
His face remained dark.
The few Moonlight Elves who had been barely surviving were only able to establish a foothold for recovery thanks to help from outsiders.
They used weapons that the Ruin Fungus couldn't handle to clear out the labyrinth, and in that time, the Moonlight Elves gathered their scattered kin and painstakingly rebuilt their strength to this extent.
That was dozens of years ago.
But compared to their past glory, this was but a drop in the ocean.
The task of finding their kin scattered deep within the labyrinth was still ongoing.
Even as they stabilized, slowly grew their population, and stockpiled resources, the future still seemed distant and uncertain.
"Oh, Divine Tree. Please, our kin..."
"Lord Wyte! Th-there's big trouble!"
But just then.
The ones who had left on patrol just a few minutes ago came running back, their faces pale as sheets.
Instinctively sensing danger, he gripped the sword at his waist.
"What is it? Don't tell me they've betrayed us?!"
He considered the possibility he had been most wary of.
At this point in time, the only ones who could pose a threat to them were those occupying the surface.
"N-no, that's not it. First of all, their magitech weapons were all destroyed, and also..."
"What...?"
With every rambling word from his subordinate, his eyes grew wider and wider.
"Run!"
"We may have to use a spell to seal the entrance. Hurry!"
The city, which had maintained peace for quite a long time, was thrown into chaos.
Warriors bustled about, finding their armor and weapons, and moved to defensive positions to protect the city.
The residents also prepared to fight alongside them, bracing for the worst.
After all, there was nowhere to run to where they could survive.
"War Chief. What is happening?"
"Great Chieftain. I will explain the situation."
Wyte, struggling to calm himself to lead his people, stepped before the city's elders to explain the situation he had been briefed on.
All of them were trembling with anxiety.
Although they had enjoyed a relatively stable peace recently, some of them were elders who had actually experienced the fierce and desperate battles against the Ruin Fungus.
The fear engraved into their very bones was hard to shake off.
"Do not worry too much. We are not the same people who hid in the past."
Seeing them, Wyte gritted his teeth.
He firmly believed that for the sake of the future, they had to break this defeatist instinct ingrained in the entire race if they were ever to bounce back.
"Even if the Ruin Fungus attacks again! We will be victorious."
"Sh-shouldn't we contact them first? I heard it wasn't just our scouts who were harmed, but their magitech weapons were taken out too!"
"Hmph... Of course, we will."
Wyte agreed, though he frowned.
It couldn't be helped, even if it hurt his pride.
They had maintained a cooperative relationship with them and had benefited to some extent.
"But the most important thing is to protect this land, this city, with our own strength. We must show them our power so that we won't be pushed around in future encounters."
Their goal wasn't just simple growth. It was to one day return to the surface.
To achieve that, they needed to cultivate strength so they wouldn't be looked down upon by them.
"I believe in you, War Chief. We must show them our true strength."
The Great Chieftain, understanding his intent, nodded to show his trust.
Having convinced the elders, Wyte grabbed his gear and hurried back to the scene.
"So, who exactly is the enemy?"
But they had yet to even properly identify the enemy.
"The problem originated here, in the Stem Layer. The patrol units found shattered debris and bloodstains in the passage connected to this area."
"They said the divine stones were torn from the chests of the magitech weapons, and the scouts' bodies were hidden. Could this be the work of an intelligent being?"
Wyte held a meeting with the others in the barracks.
The information gathered so far indicated that the enemy was likely in the Stem Layer, which was connected to this place by branches.
It was also the place that the scouts, tasked with regular external exploration, used as a base.
"We've made sufficient preparations, so how about we send another reconnaissance team?"
"That sounds good. We'll have agile individuals go, so they can retreat if necessary..."
He trailed off and stopped.
His eyes caught sight of small creatures scurrying about in a corner.
A species called six-legged ground mice, for their six legs.
Those creatures, whose small size usually kept them off the golems' target list, were now continuously fleeing toward the deeper parts.
"Reyam."
"Yes, War Chief."
"By any chance... do you feel a vibration?"
Breaking out in a cold sweat, he focused his senses and asked his subordinate in a quiet voice.
His senses, heightened by mana, had already intuited that something was terribly wrong.