A Legion Grows From My Smartphone

Chapter 37

[The survivor we discovered in this ruin was not normal. Therefore, The Swarm halted reconnaissance and deployed a Swarm Soldier to subdue them.]

A Versatile Swarm Soldier was urgently dispatched.

Although the opponent didn’t seem to be in a normal state, this side stood at 2 meters tall and possessed strength several times that of an orc.

[The plan was to engage one-on-one to gauge their strength.]

The Swarm Soldier, having arrived before long, approached the target without a shred of hesitation.

But at that moment—

“This can’t be.”

The one who charged first was, surprisingly, the opponent.

Letting out a shriek, the enemy dashed madly across the ground. The Swarm Soldier extended its arm and seized them on the spot.

Due to the height and arm length difference, the opponent was promptly pinned down.

“Kyaaaak! Kreeek…”

However, the opponent, showing no signs of fear, thrashed wildly within the grasp, grinding their teeth and shrieking uncontrollably.

[The loss of reason resembled the cursed specters but was different. For one, there was no sensation of any peculiar power.]

The woman showed no sign of tiring and continued to struggle.

Watching her for too long made even my heart feel unsettled.

[Subduing her for analysis would provide answers. However, at that moment, an unforeseen situation occurred.]

The variable emerged then.

The woman, who had been thrashing violently, suddenly paused and bit down hard on the Swarm Soldier’s hand.

[The Swarm Soldier’s body is clad entirely in armor, and even the exposed joints are fortified with rough, tough leather to enhance defense. However, this particular attack managed to leave a faint scratch on the leather of the finger joint. Of course, under normal circumstances, such an imperceptible scratch would be meaningless.]

“What’s going on?”

[See for yourself.]

This footage was a record of an event that had already occurred.

Suddenly, the playback slowed, and the screen began to zoom in.

Closer, even closer.

The screen now displayed the finger larger than life.

It was only when the view resembled that of a microscope that I understood what was happening.

[It’s been a while since I’ve seen Cellular Warfare, but I definitely have experience. The problem is that the Swarm Soldier’s cells, optimized for energy efficiency, have most of their autonomous functions removed, leaving them defenseless.]

“This is…”

[The substance in their saliva isn’t poison. It’s countless living bacteria. The toxins emitted by these organisms weakened the Swarm Soldier’s leather and allowed those fragile teeth to scratch it.]

“Zombie!”

No matter how I looked at it, this was the kind of zombie I was familiar with.

The kind of being from fiction that bites people and causes infections.

Now, the screen displayed two types of cells.

One side consisted of normal, original cells, while the other side featured invaders.

These grotesque invaders, upon spotting healthy cells, emitted thorn-like projections that pierced and destroyed them.

[The affected cells have their functions entirely destroyed and soon become part of the invaders. The overall mechanism resembles that of cancer cells.]

The screen zoomed back out.

The Swarm Soldier’s arm swelled grotesquely and twisted unnaturally.

The invaders traveled through the bloodstream and soon dominated the entire body of the Swarm Soldier, causing degeneration.

[Interesting. Although it involves infecting other cells, it can still be considered Rapid Growth. Furthermore, even though the Swarm Soldier lacks a brain to control its body, the invaders continued their encroachment seamlessly. While it’s not yet certain, at the very least, it suggests the possibility of another ‘colony’ beyond ours.]

“Is ‘interesting’ really the right reaction? Can we handle this? The infected Swarm Soldier is now pointing its sword at us.”

[…Of course.]

The footage ended there.

What appeared next was real-time imagery.

“We can win!”

Kang Do-Yeon was seen running forward.

I clenched my fist tightly for a moment, worried that my younger sibling might be in danger.

[Do not worry. The Swarm will not put your younger sibling in jeopardy.]

“How can you be so sure? The Swarm still—”

[Because they are your younger sibling. I assure you, The Swarm has no desire to see you grieve.]

I was momentarily speechless.

During that time, Kang Do-Yeon faced the infected Swarm Soldier, raised her sword, and leapt off the ground.

[A Swarm Soldier that has left The Swarm’s embrace can only exert half its strength. These beings are designed solely to function with The Swarm’s fangs and claws.]

Kang Do-Yeon’s sword sliced the enemy in half.

Even to my eyes, the movements of the Swarm Soldier not under The Swarm’s control were abysmal.

“A sample has been secured. The question is whether it can be analyzed. If we’re not careful, it could backfire as a biological weapon.”

[Of course, we can analyze it. These unidentified bacteria may overwhelm other organisms that lack defenses, but The Swarm, capable of manipulating down to the cellular level, is likely the only civilization and species that can stand against these tiny predators that have wiped out entire entities.]

It was a bold claim. I could only trust it for now.

“I want to keep watching, but… it seems I can’t.”

[As always, any abnormalities will be reported via notification and recorded, so don’t worry.]

I had to turn off my mobile phone at that point.

Not long after lying in wait, the target appeared.

“A unit…?!”

“As you know, Shin Woo, I am currently in no position to act rashly.”

When I met Cha Jiyeon and received her request—

She made me an offer.

“Because of this, even though I’ve obtained information about the unit, I can’t act recklessly. That’s why I’ve effectively given up operating in the Republic of Korea.”

“…That’s true. There are so few Electrokinesis Users in the Republic of Korea.”

“In return, my player promised to give you this if you succeed in this request.”

She handed me something.

It was a stone fragment that looked like what I had seen when I first met her.

“What exactly is this?”

“A Mana Stone. An enchanted artifact infused with spells created directly by my player.”

She explained the concept of the Mana Stone to me.

As I listened to her explanation, one thing came to mind—the gem embedded in the Vajra that The Swarm had discovered.

A mineral containing energy engraved with intricate spells for activation.

It was an incredibly similar concept.

“Will this be useful?”

“Yes. I’ll take it. Besides, this isn’t the real prize anyway.”

I nodded.

The real goal wasn’t the reward.

It was to gain recognition and participate in the upcoming Gate Expedition.

The things I could salvage from there would undoubtedly enable The Swarm to grow rapidly.

“Then—”

“Oh, don’t worry too much.”

She seemed concerned as she narrowed her blue eyes.

Understandable. From her perspective, I probably didn’t seem to be in the best condition.

“Thank you. I’ll see you again.”

But right now, I prided myself on being colder than ever.

I had turned my younger sibling, who was on the brink of death because of me, into Part of the Swarm with my own hands.

Other matters paled in comparison.

Even if it meant killing someone.

After all, whether it was a unit or a player, once they joined this app, they had entered the wild.

Kill or be killed—that’s the law of the ecosystem.

If I don’t kill, I’ll be the one to fall.

“Hey, it’s me. I’m heading in now.”

Returning to the present, my target passed by me while talking on a mobile phone.

He looked like an ordinary, large-built man.

But according to the information Cha Jiyeon provided, he was a unit following the orders of a player.

I drank the potion I had pre-filled into a drink bottle.

[He has now begun his mission. Solely for you.]

“…Lies. He doesn’t even know about me.”

[Why didn’t you reveal your existence to him?]

Why?

It tilted its head slightly.

The encounter and connection with him were the very things it had yearned and longed for the moment it became aware of his existence.

Yet now, having gained the means to achieve that, it hesitated.

“God… What is a god? A god is…”

Kang Do-Yeon had even taught it the concept of a god.

Of course, it was a somewhat verbose explanation, reflecting the knowledge level of an average high school girl, but the core idea was there.

And The Swarm came to a conclusion.

[Is he not a god? If not, then what exactly is he to you?]

“Who knows.”

The Swarm frowned behind its mask.

It was one of the methods of expressing emotion that it had learned from Kang Do-Yeon.

Who exactly was he?

He wasn’t a god. Though he was referred to as a parent, he wasn’t truly one.

A Player? A Unit?

He was certainly a Unit belonging to the system, but such a designation was of no significance to The Swarm.

“One.”

Placing its hand on its chest, it murmured softly.

Through a single Connection, their souls were intertwined.

They could share each other’s emotions. The more the Connection developed, the more vividly it could sense.

From the time it was a mere cell, he had been involved with it.

The entire Nest, including itself, throbbed with anticipation.

“We are one.”

[…The Sample has arrived at the Nest. It’s time for Disassembly Analysis of the new Enemy.]

Nothing was certain yet.

The Swarm concluded its thoughts and redirected its focus elsewhere.

The corpse Kang Do-Yeon had brought back in pieces.

Traces of the Enemy’s information remained on the corpse.

[There’s a risk that they could infect the Nest in reverse, but that would only happen if we were to lose the war.]

The Swarm began digestion as it always did.

From the corpse sealed within the Flesh Wall of the Nest, still-living bacteria identified the new cells as prey and lunged at them.

To infect and propagate their kind.

But this time, the opponent was entirely different from anything encountered before.

[Against the ones protruding thorns, allied cells reinforced their cell walls and swarmed with tentacles and claws.]

In the end, it was the same as the wars fought until now.

The Swarm steadily killed and disassembled the Enemies.

Faster and stronger than the rate of Infection.