Chapter 1: Do You Admit Your Guilt? I Admit You’re a Fool!
66 – Monsters of the Abyss (5)
“I will teach you swordsmanship. My master wields a sword. Although I have not completely mastered it yet, it will surely help.”
“But Ji Chang-hyun, you don’t use a sword…”
“I used my ability to fight with fire. But you’ll understand soon.”
He handed me a sword. It wasn’t the crude sword typically used by Nol; it was a high-quality longsword without a dull edge.
Not bad. Legionnaires naturally use a sword or an analogous weapon to utilize Formancy.
Up until now, I had been running around with a gun, but the limitations of a personal firearm were clear.
So, I need to step up one level at the physical enhancement stage.
“Kang Shin Woo, have you ever read martial arts novels?”
At that moment, Ji Chang-hyun, whose sword was engulfed in flames, grinned.
“Martial arts novels?”
“My master acknowledged that inner strength is somewhat similar to martial arts skills. Of course, they are fundamentally different. Should we start with breathing techniques? You certainly have talent.”
The essence of it all was to stabilize one’s inner power through breathing and to move that power.
For now, I followed his instructions while stealing glances at the cell phone I had set aside.
That cell phone recording me was something Ji Chang-hyun allowed me to use for reviewing.
However, it wasn’t my real cell phone.
It was a gift I had given to the Legion. The one whose battery had drained, returning to me as a sacrificial offering.
“Do you feel anything?”
“…I certainly feel a different flow. But I’m not sure if this sense of alienation is because I’ve experienced another power.”
“You’ll soon understand the difference.”
I quickly noticed the changes within me. The difficulty was discerning whether this change was genuinely influenced by the inner strength training or if it was a result of my basic understanding of the esoteric Celestial Soul.
“My body is becoming lighter and sturdier. If I train my fighting techniques suitable for that body, it will become a martial art.”
“And you plan to publicly share such power by accepting anyone who wants to learn? Without any cost?”
“Of course. It’s the age of great chaos. Many people want the power to protect themselves and those around them. What we require from our members is simple: to protect others, be it their own bodies, family, or neighbors.”
“Is that really the only reason? There must be people who think it’s odd. I remember the brutal struggles for rights among hunters that continued until a few years ago…”
Even in this world filled with various people, I couldn’t help but ask out of confusion.
He chuckled as if he understood my bewilderment.
“If this were still a time of ordinary life, it would be impossible. But now the world’s leaders know. If they want to keep their livelihoods, let alone their lives, they must abandon trivial ideologies and just breathe quietly. If they can’t help, then they shouldn’t interfere.”
“…Understood.”
I knew he was praised as a modest and thoughtful heroic hunter, but seeing the sparkle in his eyes made me uneasy about getting too deeply involved.
Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling.
That they would become a force that would dramatically shake the course of this game, which was somehow still rolling along.
[So, will you pass the information contained in that cell phone to the Legion?]
“…I’m thinking.”
That day’s training ended.
Our mission was in a suspended state, meaning we were suspended in mid-air. Thanks to that, I was able to have free time and sat in a solitary room, deep in thought.
[If you absorb that knowledge, the Legion will undoubtedly become stronger.]
“I think just handing it over is meaningless.”
I should give something, but when I saw the overwhelming scene of the Legion ruthlessly wiping out the Moonlight Fairies, what I felt was fear rather than catharsis.
I could feel it in my body as I rolled around and faced them.
The current Legion is strong. A higher species of legionnaire possessing a power source? I’m confident I would never win. My body would be torn apart in an instant.
Just the number of them that were deployed in the previous battle was dozens. And that wasn’t even their full power.
“List it out in detail. What data… Yes. Display it in numbers. Just how much power does the Legion currently possess?”
[…Calculating data…]
As expected, the being paused with a sign indicating it was calculating.
I waited anxiously during that time.
Every time the Legion overcame an opponent, they thoroughly calculated nutrition and efficiency, deploying only the minimum necessary troops.
That was only possible because they had leeway. Even in battles against the Devouring Fungus, the Legion ultimately saved resources.
[Calculations complete.]
“What’s the answer?”
[Show me. The power your unit currently possesses, and if the Legion were to concentrate all their capabilities to mass-produce only one type of soldier, how many would they be able to deploy at once.]
[• Deployable higher species legionnaires: 52,400 units•]
[• Deployable large legionnaires: 244,400 units•]
[• Deployable medium legionnaires: 1,559,000 units•]
[• Deployable small legionnaires: 49,000,000 units•]
Strings of numbers filled the screen. My eyes widened as I read them.
[Of course, this data is extremely extreme. If that much force were mobilized, the current Legion would not be able to sustain their maintenance costs even if they indulged in constant feeding. This figure excludes special troops such as the Sacred Tree or infected species.]
“Right. After all, true strength comes from troop combinations.”
I mumbled with a quivering voice.
Even if a few tens of millions of small legionnaires the size of goblins charged… No, a few tens of millions?! That’s an absurd number beyond common sense.
Moreover, that wasn’t all. The Legion continues to grow and evolve.
If they find more efficient methods and absorb more nutrients, increasing that number exponentially would be a walk in the park.
[Will you send the cell phone?]
“Wait a moment.”
After a moment of contemplation with my hands covering my face, I made a decision.
I was in no position to hold back at this early stage of my journey.
[What are you doing right now?]
“What, what’s wrong with this? I should start showing my face soon.”
I roughly set the phone up and pressed the video recording button.
It was a method I had thought of after realizing I could interact through the gift and sacrifice system. The reason it came to me so late was my intelligence problem.
“Hey, ahem… It’s been a while. Nothing much…”
I started speaking just like that.
It wasn’t anything of great importance. On the surface, it looked like I was just talking to a younger sibling.
“Actually, I watched a video regarding this war.”
But I made sure to mention the Legion here and there.
The most important message was, after all, meant for the Legion.
You did well, you were awesome… It felt like obvious flattery, but I couldn’t bring myself to say something ridiculous like “Stop the slaughter!”
“I hope you all stay safe. Until the end.”
Ultimately, my video message ended up being cliché. The sole intent of recording this video was to establish some form of contact with the Legion.
I retrieved the satellite phone and took a picture with it.
The satellite phone disappeared as if evaporating.
*
“Step Up Hunter Chae Yeon from the Evolution Korea branch.”
“…Fenglong’s Ji Chang-hyun. I didn’t expect you to be a unit.”
“That goes both ways, doesn’t it?”
At the entrance of the barracks, as soon as they arrived at the garrison, Chae Yeon glared at Ji Chang-hyun, who had grabbed her wrist.
The mana stone in her hand was glowing.
Due to the heightened vigilance after they faced each other, the sounds of someone talking alone in the empty barracks were not picked up by the two.
“Let go of this.”
She harshly shook his hand away.
The tension between the two intensified fiercely.
They were units from the same world. That meant they were in a relationship where they had to kill each other.
“I’ll just ask one thing. Kang Shin Woo already knows your identity. As well as this evil and unjust game system. So abandon any thoughts of taking advantage.”
“…That’s quite amusing. That person was involved from the start.”
As she coldly retorted, his eyebrows twitched slightly.
Seeing that, the corners of Chae Yeon’s mouth faintly rose. She realized that she had the upper hand over her opponent.
“Then what kind of relationship is that?”
“It’s deeper than the one with you.”
“If there was a personal relationship between people, I would apologize.”
Ji Chang-hyun temporarily lowered his intensity and politely bowed his head.
But when he raised his head again, the red flames glimmered in his eyes.
“However, if your player engages in reckless actions using their unit, I cannot allow that for the sake of the greater good.”
“For the greater good? But the player…!”
“My master, my player wishes to speak with your player.”
He cut off her rising protests.
“You know it anyway. The evil demons and the players controlling them have formed an alliance. Their goal is precisely your Evolution and the Allied Forces. As a member of the Guardians, I cannot stand idly by while the Allied Forces are defeated.”
He turned and began to walk ahead.
Chae Yeon scoffed in disbelief but had no choice but to follow behind him.
[The player has taken an interest. Follow them.]
Because she had no choice in the matter.
