Chapter 62: Monsters of the Abyss (1)
“Ugh.”
Kang Do-yeon grimaced at the bizarre sensation.
The deeply buried roots began to absorb the energy within without leaving any behind.
Once her power units, which had somewhat depleted and dimmed, were fully recharged, they regained their light.
‘Throw what’s left into the nest.’
Not only she, but other legionnaires 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, divide the forces and clean up the “branches.”‘
The legion, having had a skirmish with the golems before, divided their forces.
Leading the front was a high-tier legionnaire who wielded Formancy.
With their movements slow and realizing that they were nothing special once the core was destroyed, there was no need to overspend energy.
[Those golems were created to face a single enemy, the Devouring Fungus. So, who has become the new master of a world without the Devouring Fungus?]
‘It must be those who created the golems. Whomever they are, there should be a lot to gain.’
The legion’s mood lifted slightly.
Perhaps they would be facing new types of enemies in the future.
That new type of enemy seemed likely to be quite intelligent, developed, and strong. It meant they had value worth consuming.
Moreover, it wasn’t an empty boast. Analyzing the core that operated the golems revealed it was not that superior compared to the mana stone crafting techniques of Celestial Soul known to the current legion.
The legion typically didn’t bother with secondary processing of ores due to efficiency issues, but they could tell at least that much.
At this level, it seemed manageable.
‘Faster, faster.’
The process of nesting and digestive absorption accelerated as they grew larger.
The speed at which they devoured and annihilated vegetation also increased. There was no hesitation or mercy in their predation.
The only endpoint was upward mobility.
He clearly demonstrated and taught that the fight was to protect.
‘I fight to protect too.’
And the legion interpreted that intention in their own way.
They must protect him and what he wanted to safeguard.
To do that, they needed to become stronger. So they had to fight, consume, and evolve even more.
[“For him.”]
*
“What the heck does that mean? It seems there’s a problem in the trunk layer.”
“It’s clear, Sir Oleson. I saw it for sure. The six-legged moles sensitive to vibrations are fleeing in groups!”
“Oleson, I know you’re smart, but that’s an absurd claim.”
He shook his head. At the same time, his pointed ears twitched.
The twitching of his ears was one of his habits that surfaced when he was displeased.
“In the trunk layer, their weapons are on high alert. You may not know, but those massive stone figures are quite strong. Above all, the Devouring Fungus can never defeat them.”
“But surely…”
“The pact our grand chief made with those creatures is still in effect. So you kids like you should focus on your training without worry.”
He patted the head of the child who raised the issue.
Perhaps because his attitude was firm, the child left the room with their head hung low.
“But isn’t that praiseworthy?”
“Indeed. Such children will become great talents in the future.”
“Like Sir Oleson.”
“…Stop with the flattery.”
He cleared his throat at his subordinate’s remark.
However, his face quickly hardened.
Turning around, he saw the large city’s bright view, illuminated by countless luminescent stones.
In the center of that city, a single tree that looked at least 10m tall bloomed brilliantly with blossoms and leaves.
“Yet it’s a shameful truth. Every time I explain to children like Oleson why we still have to live trapped beneath this land…”
“Those arrogant bastards…”
“Calm down, Leiam. They say they are humans who ‘came from another place’ and expelled our ancestors.”
“That’s true. Those foolish ones were all wiped out by the Devouring Fungus in the end.”
The subordinate who had momentarily flared up eventually agreed and nodded.
“But we will, someday.”
“Right. We must go to the surface.”
Their eyes sparkled.
To go to the surface. And to reclaim the lost glory of the past.
It was a desire of their race that had never been forgotten.
“Then, Sir Oleson. I’ll go on patrol.”
“Do that.”
The subordinates left.
Oleson continued to gaze blankly at the city below.
‘But before going to the surface, I need to find the other kin first.’
His face remained dark.
The few Moonlight Fairies barely surviving had managed to secure a foothold for revival thanks to the help of beings from the outside.
They cleared the maze using weapons that the Devouring Fungus could not face, and in the meantime, the Moonlight Fairies gathered their dispersed kin to barely rebuild this much of their force.
That was many decades ago.
But in comparison to the past glory, this was merely a drop in the ocean.
The search for kin scattered deep within the maze was still ongoing.
Even in a somewhat stable environment, gradually increasing their population and stockpiling resources, the distance to the ideal was still daunting.
“O Sacred Tree, please watch over our kin…”
“Sir Oleson! Something terrible has happened!”
But then.
Just minutes ago, those who had gone on patrol started to run back with pale faces.
Feeling an instinctive sense of foreboding, he gripped the sword at his waist.
“What’s going on? Could they have betrayed us?!”
He thought of the possibility he had been most wary of.
At this point, the only ones who could threaten them were those currently occupying the surface.
“No, it’s not that. Their magical weaponry has all been destroyed, and also…”
“What…?”
As the subordinate stammered, his eyes widened more and more.
“Run quickly!”
“We need to seal the entrance with a spell if it comes to that. Hurry!”
Even the city, which had maintained peace for quite some time, was thrown into chaos.
Warriors moved busily, arming themselves with armor and weapons before heading to defensive positions to protect the city.
The residents also prepared to fight together, ready for the worst situation.
After all, fleeing from here would mean there was no place left to live.
“Commander, what is happening?”
“Grand Chief, allow me to explain the situation.”
In an effort to lead the people, Oleson stepped forward to explain the situation he had been given to the senior members of the city.
They were all trembling with anxiety.
Although they had enjoyed relatively stable peace recently, some of them were elders who had actually experienced fierce and brutal battles against the Devouring Fungus.
The fear etched deeply into their bones was something hard to shake off.
“Do not worry too much. We are not the ones who lived in hiding in the past.”
Seeing them, Oleson gritted his teeth.
He firmly believed that to rebound for the sake of the future, they had to break through this instinct of defeat ingrained in the entire race.
“Even if the Devouring Fungus swarms again! We will surely win.”
“Shouldn’t we contact them first? I heard not only our scout troops were affected but also their magical weaponry!”
“Ugh… Of course that would be the case.”
Despite Oleson’s frown, he nodded in acknowledgment.
There was no helping it if his pride was bruised.
After all, they had maintained a cooperative relationship with them and had garnered some benefits.
“But the most important thing is to protect this land. This city with our own strength. We need to show them our power to ensure we won’t be left behind in the next meeting.”
Their goal was not merely simple growth. It was to eventually go back to the surface.
To that end, they needed to nurture a strength that wouldn’t be looked down upon by others.
“I trust you, Commander. We must show our resilience.”
Recognizing the intention, the Grand Chief nodded in acceptance.
Having persuaded the elders, Oleson hurriedly gathered weapons and prepared to return to the scene.
“So, who exactly is the enemy?”
However, they still had yet to fully grasp the true identity of the enemy.
“Firstly, the issue arose in this very place, the trunk layer. The troops on reconnaissance discovered shattered debris and bloodstains in the passage connected to here.”
“It was said that they removed the sacred stones from the chests of the magical weaponry and hid the bodies of the scouts. Could it have been the work of an intelligent being?”
Oleson convened a meeting with others in the barracks.
The gathered information suggested that the enemies were likely in the trunk layer connected to this place and the “branches.”
It was also where the scouts, tasked with regularly exploring the outside, had taken up their base.
“Since we are sufficiently prepared, how about conducting further reconnaissance?”
“That sounds good. Just in case, we can have agile individuals ready to withdraw…”
He stopped mid-sentence.
In his sight, he saw small creatures busily moving in the corner.
Six-legged creatures known as six-legged moles.
Having escaped the goals of the golems because of their small size, they were now desperately fleeing deeper inside.
“Leiam.”
“Yes, Commander.”
“Do you feel… any vibrations right now?”
At that moment, feeling a cold sweat, he silently asked his subordinate while concentrating his senses.
His heightened awareness, having maximized mana, already intuitively realized that something was wrong.
