Chapter 65: Monsters of the Abyss (4)
The Sacred Tree was the foundation of the Moonlight Fairies, akin to everything else. It took decades to grow it to that extent.
However, the Sacred Tree was now being crushed alive and collapsing.
That horrific tree that emerged by breaking the Sacred Tree was definitely not the Sacred Tree of the fairies.
“…How could this happen.”
White muttered helplessly as he saw the patterns on his body losing their light.
There was no longer any meaning in resisting.
In this unreasonable war, death was all that remained for them, and if they could choose how to die, it would be considered fortunate.
White rose unsteadily, using his sword as a staff.
‘Is this the feeling my ancestors felt while facing the endlessly approaching Devouring Fungus?’
Despair and resignation in the face of an inescapable disaster.
He pointed his sword at the enemy commander.
All the warriors who had fought alongside him were dead. Yet, the numerous monsters surrounding him were waiting, not attacking.
“Come. You were… the queen of these monsters.”
He had made his final decision.
At the very least, he wanted to leave a mark on what seemed to be the leader of these beasts.
The enemy was strong. Stronger and faster than any opponent he had faced so far.
It was impossible to move forward with one arm torn off and a hole in his abdomen, yet he stepped forward nonetheless.
“Ugh!”
But as soon as he spoke, the legionnaires by his side pounced on him.
He was pierced in the air by the stinger of a medium-sized legionnaire based on a giant scorpion, and a sense of injustice flickered in his eyes but soon faded.
‘Nothing should dare to exist above me.’
The reason he was not granted respect in his final moments and was mercilessly slaughtered was something so trivial that, had he known, he would have sighed.
“That’s too much… at least let me have my last moments…”
Kang Do-yeon half-took off her mask and murmured in a sad voice.
Even with the mask on, memories remained. They were dull and unremarkable, like sneaking a peek into someone else’s diary, but she was aware that they were indeed her memories.
Thus, she also knew well about the despair and urgency shown by White and the Moonlight Fairies.
‘This is the ecosystem, the nature. Even a mere ant swarm can be more brutal than us, and a pack of wild dogs can be more violent than us.’
Of course, such considerations did not even factor into the Legion.
They fought to survive; the defeated died, and the victors grew. It was not only the nature of the Legion but also a law followed by all living beings in this world.
Realizing that her feelings were hypocritical, Kang Do-yeon did not say any more.
‘Finish it.’
The final order of the Legion was given.
Once again wearing her mask, Kang Do-yeon led the legionnaires into the already-captured city.
All she could see were corpses—corpses, corpses, and more corpses.
Of course, those corpses were merely equal mass nutrients for the Legion. There was no need to clean up.
After all, this space would become the nesting ground for the Legion, and the corpses of the fairies and legionnaires would be digested in that state.
[Some legionnaires searching the city have discovered a passage to another location.]
“Was this some kind of mine?”
In the midst of it all, the Legion found a passage leading from the city to another place.
The information shared allowed Kang Do-yeon to identify the nature of that place.
Mining tools were scattered about, and glimmering ores were buried in the rock.
It was clearly a mine.
[It was the moment they learned how those who, like the Legion, could not manipulate the Sacred Tree’s power freely, had acquired the sacred stones.]
‘This is quite a harvest. The energy contained in several concentrated sacred stones is greater than that of hundreds of kilograms of organic matter.’
One legionnaire tore off a piece of ore with his bare hands. Within this mine, they could use the sensing mechanisms of the Legion to faintly locate more ores emitting a presence.
At the end of this mine, Kang Do-yeon discovered another cavern connected to the lower levels that the Legion had broken through.
The place that had been blocked by a spell was right here.
‘There are still things to take care of before this place.’
Having confirmed the end, there was nothing more to look at. The Legion turned its gaze.
Knowing what was about to happen, Kang Do-yeon shut her eyes tightly and wore her mask again.
“Kill… kill them! Kill!!”
Confident in her pride, the sole surviving commander shouted as she was dragged out.
“You wicked hellish insects… terrible monsters of the Abyss!”
Her scream echoed throughout the city. In reality, having watched the Sacred Tree burst before her eyes and her comrades being torn apart, she was already halfway to madness.
Her tongue had long been bitten. She was merely clinging to life, forced by the infection spores already introduced by the Legion.
‘I need to make her quieter.’
The Legion did not like that scream and commanded the infection spores that had taken over her body.
“Haaah..!”
Black veins surged all over her body in an instant, and she stared wide-eyed, shaking.
Even though she tried to scream, no voice came out.
‘Now you can hear my voice. Your brain, your lungs, your heart… all are in my hands.’
“A..aaah…”
‘Tell me everything you know.’
The horrifying pain of having her sensory system directly manipulated was worse than the worst agony one could imagine, surpassing even the pain of being burned.
In that unimaginable pain that made her sanity return, she began to spill every fact, true or false, in order to find some solace from her pride and hatred.
“So, um… the, the humans on the surface…”
“Humans…”
‘Humans?’
And through that process, the Legion discovered who had dispatched the Golems of the root layer.
—
“Honestly, isn’t it a bit amazing? Back when I was in college over a decade ago, aliens were creatures found only in imagination or fiction. I certainly never expected them to be monsters bursting forth from gates.”
“That’s how it used to be… for everyone.”
“But, as you know, this universe is wider and more complex than that.”
Ji Chang-hyun chuckled softly.
They were in a secluded corner of the temporary base where the main forces of the allied army had retreated after suffering heavy losses in the previous Alpha stronghold battle, a kind of… workshop.
I was there alone with him.
“There are many aliens greater than those monsters. They might even be more advanced than us. But I believe in us, humanity.”
“In humanity? I’m sorry, but in the end, it was also people who harmed my sister.”
“…That’s true.”
Seeing my expression darken, he nodded earnestly.
“But Mr. Kang Shin-woo. This is something that can’t be denied. There are many good people as well. I don’t mean to ask you to believe in the human race as a whole. I just want you to trust those who are working towards a cosmic good.”
“Like your mentor.”
“Everything has been taught to us by that person. We can do it.”
He felt very proud of himself now.
Since becoming a unit, he claimed to have gained clarity and grown stronger from the teachings.
Honestly, it was hard to believe. The purpose of the players might not be survival and growth.
But Ji Chang-hyun and his companions, along with the players, were already behaving that way.
I couldn’t figure out what ‘race’ they were grouped by. Could it really be their true disposition?
“It’s time to show the potential of humanity.”
His eyes sparkled with confidence.
I discreetly averted my gaze from the notion of humanity’s potential.
In my peripheral view, a screen displayed the Legion’s victory in battle, interrogating prisoners and finally discovering the existence of humans living on the surface.
What does the Legion really think of humanity?
After all, the human race could be viewed as my kind. Should I even consider that?
[The Legion has found new prey. A truly massive and valuable prey that can further its own growth.]
“…”
It did indeed seem unlikely. Knowing that I was watching, they refrained from revealing their physical form, but I felt I could guess what decision the Legion would make.
Well, I didn’t expect much in the first place. Even I didn’t think that the human race, without a collective consciousness, could be considered the same simply by the name of a race.
…Perhaps it seemed like something more was needed.
At least they could give more gifts, or something they would like even more than gifts.
“Director, the commander of the allied forces is now…”
“Oh, I need to step out for a moment.”
Just then, Ji Chang-hyun said he would be stepping out for a bit, leaving me behind.
That scene felt quite foreign. Of course, he was an S-rank hunter, and as someone at a high social status, it wasn’t strange for him to meet with high-ranking officials.
But now he wasn’t just an S-rank hunter but acting as the leader of an organization.
An international organization established to help those powerless who were sacrificed amidst the struggles between the applications, the players, and the units.
And his player, whose identity was still unknown, was said to instruct his units to impart his teachings and spread them to talented ordinary people.
It was an unbelievable reality, yet that organization was functioning well. No, it was revered and worshipped as a hero.
The fact that I was questioning whether those actions were pure goodwill or highly political displays was evidence that I had been severely tainted over the last few months.
“He was convinced that I would already know about the application through my relationship with Chae Yeon. But did he also choose not to disclose anything to the ordinary people, even while being unimpressed by the application?”
[Rational. If the existence of the application is revealed, it will only annoy them. It’s unnecessary to disclose anything regarding this game. Even if disclosed, what can be gained? Their wrath? Their disdain?]
“That’s true.”
I had nothing to say and closed my mouth.
Well, it was pointless to worry about others from my position. Right now, the priority was to receive the techniques Ji Chang-hyun offered and become stronger.
