Chapter 7: Endless Expansion (4)
The bats are not a legion.
They simply gather in groups to live.
Therefore, they show no interest in what may lie beneath the ground covered in their own excrement.
Although a few individuals detected something unusual, they merely ignored it and went out to hunt.
[Foolish and foolish. What can you expect from such beasts? But for us, it is a boon.]
“Seriously…”
I let out a sigh that was almost one of admiration.
Before I knew it, the sprawling flesh wall completely covered part of the seventh level.
Those chunks of meat that split rapidly over ten days were not a nest.
For a legion, it was a new type of forward base made for combat, created after the production nest and the brain.
[The legion posed a question. Should we annihilate those creatures right now, here? And it came to a self-judgment. The answer was no. It would be sufficient for us to merely drive them away.]
“Why is that? The energy invested is too great.”
[It’s only a matter of time; they will all become our prey.]
The legion was at war with the bats.
The bats had a high probability of fleeing rather than fighting back.
Where would the driven-away bats go?
They could only go up or down.
[Those coming down to the lower levels will become our food, and the hundreds of bats pouring into the upper levels will create cracks in the balance.]
“We will take advantage of those cracks amid the chaos.”
[Indeed. When a sudden chaos disrupts the existing ecosystem, we will devour it whole.]
Cunning and sly.
But undoubtedly, it would be an effective tactic.
Whether the bats are consumed or not, the prey simply increases and decreases.
The legion intended to consume all of that whole.
“However, what are we going to do by covering the wall with these chunks of meat?”
[Now that we’ve built a fortress, we need to launch a long-range attack.]
The flesh wall wriggled.
What was it planning to attack with?
A few bats appeared to show interest and turned their gazes, but their intelligence didn’t seem high enough to move.
But at that moment.
“…What’s happening?”
“EEEeek!”
“Eek! Eeek!”
The bats shrieked, spreading their wings in unison and flailing about like crazy.
In the process, at least dozens of bats seemed to fall to the ground.
What on earth had happened?
[The legion mimicked the strategy of the white-light cave ants. While they spat mountain fragments, we shot out a stronger acidic toxin in a more advanced form. The poison needles shot from the flesh wall pierced the bodies of the enemies. Not just any poison needles. They were made of a substance resembling hollow bones.]
“Insane.”
It was a method beyond my imagination.
And this method worked remarkably well.
The bats had thin hides.
Moreover, their wings wrapped in a membrane were even weaker.
This meant they were extremely vulnerable to the poisoned needles.
If hundreds were gathered together, the effect would be maximized.
[The legion’s ploy worked. The bats felt the threat and chose to flee into confusion rather than confront it directly. It is our victory.]
The now-empty seventh level became ours.
The nest continued to grow, cutting off the breath of the bats that fell to the ground and turned their bodies into nutrients down to the last drop of blood and hair.
But in this situation, it was likely that the greater chaos was in the upper level, the eighth level.
Hundreds of bats must have excitedly flocked there.
“We’re advancing rapidly, advancing rapidly.”
[It may seem that way. But that’s not the case.]
Having casually murmured after taking a test, the legion immediately countered. It was rather embarrassing for me.
“What are you implying?”
[The legion has merely found a tactic that maximizes efficiency, and it was effective; we still do not possess overwhelming strength.]
“…”
It was thorough, to say the least.
But regardless, I couldn’t help but feel burdened.
[Your account level has increased to 2. The available specimens are now 20, and the permissible food increased to 40kg.]
“So in the end, you mean I have to keep working?”
I let out a hollow laugh.
But if that was a problem that I, the player, had to deal with, there was no choice.
I had to do it.
“First, let’s hold on with wood for the time being.”
[Do you have a plan in mind?]
“…I’m not sure.”
It was a difficult issue.
Where can I find food that is easy to obtain, inexpensive, and high in calories?
While I was discussing this with my comrades, I returned home.
“Both of you have no plans for the afternoon tomorrow, right?”
My mother, who returned home late at night, called for me and my younger sibling.
Both of us, already aware, nodded.
[Could there be a problem in our lineage…?]
“Nothing like that, you crazy fool. It’s just a short trip.”
Returning to my room, I spoke to the one crossing the line.
“Tomorrow, I’m going to see Dad.”
What’s the point of telling some unknown hacker about this?
Sighing, I sat down on the bed.
It had been exactly ten years.
Since the day my father was tragically torn apart before our eyes.
Although I now consider myself an adult, thinking back on that time is still difficult.
“Let’s talk about something else. Like what to include as specimens. I don’t think I can use that opportunity recklessly.”
[That’s a good idea.]
“Isn’t it a bit lacking in insects now? Of course, the monsters in that area all seem gentle in comparison to the creatures here.”
My thoughts expanded to reptiles, birds, and mammals.
The problem was how to obtain them.
In fact, seeing those rough and terrifying alien caves, there were certainly similar creatures I wanted to include, but they were beings I couldn’t dare approach.
*
“Our father will be pleased when we visit.”
“…Yes.”
“Let’s go now.”
It’s already been ten years. I couldn’t help but become accustomed to it.
Uncharacteristically, my usually talkative younger sibling stiffened and took the lead.
At the time of that disaster, he was only seven years old, so it was natural that the shock was greater for him.
[Has everything concluded? The current legion has occupied the eighth level.]
A message flowed on my phone screen.
I didn’t bother to open the app.
It would manage on its own; after all, they would let me know if anything major happened.
I shut my phone and glanced at the rearview mirror.
The distant columbarium building was receding.
“I should come here more often.”
My mother’s voice was moist.
I kept my mouth shut.
Already ten years, even though I had grown accustomed, it still looked the same.
“Oh, we need to turn back.”
“Let’s do that.”
As the sun set, our car, which had been smoothly moving, was suddenly stuck among other cars lining the road.
Ahead, soldiers and police were bustling about.
The police were blowing whistles and redirecting vehicles.
“Everyone, please be cautious! The gate will open soon ahead!”
“This area is a controlled zone! Turn back!”
Several police officers were shouting nonstop with loudspeakers.
Seeing the soldiers gather made me hopeful, but it seemed they were indeed preparing for the gate.
“It’s alright. The soldiers are already prepared. There will probably be hunters there too.”
“Ugh… okay.”
I took hold of my mother’s hand, which was gripping the gear shift.
It was cold and trembling constantly.
My mother still feared the gates and the monsters pouring out from them intensely.
Who wouldn’t be afraid of those monsters? But she was particularly so.
It was understandable. Those beings were infernal monsters that once drove our family to ruin.
The response systems, public handling, everything was still immature ten years ago.
After that day, which had felt like hell, when my father sacrificed himself to protect me, a child, and my mother, the systematic systems began to develop and build up experience.
I bit my lip for no reason.
They were both an object of fear and my sworn enemy.
Of course, I was merely an ordinary person with no power.
Even when I served in the military, I never had the fortune to respond to any incident caused by the gate.
“Look, it must be the hunters.”
At that moment, my mother pointed to something in the distance.
Far away, silhouettes of several people descending from a helicopter could be seen.
They were people with power, fighting against monsters, like the soldiers.
“The monsters will come out.”
“…Let’s turn back quickly.”
Kang Do-yeon, who had been silent, added a word and urged my mother.
My gaze, however, was still directed that way.
[Are the food and specimens you mentioned referring to those monsters from that other realm?]
Reading the message made me shiver.
Useless trash that was of no worth.
I felt an overwhelming urge to use them as food for our young instead.
“Your words are right. I’ve been thinking about using the monsters as food and specimens.”
I spoke openly once back in the room.
I wasn’t sure if it would even be possible to take photos of those creatures, which were managed strictly even in death.
If I were to succeed, I would have to worry more about my life than the photos.
[It might be difficult right now. But as you grow, if you grow more, there may be a difference.]
“How exactly?”
[Our relationship is not one-sided. Whenever it may be, if the legion were to gain a self-awareness, ask. Inquire how we perceive you as an existence. How we could repay the favor received during this time.]
“Wow, that’s quite reassuring.”
I scoffed, but I didn’t feel bad about it.
They acknowledged my efforts and expressed gratitude; who could dislike that?
[For that, we must continue to fight and devour. Now we head to the eighth level. After that are those monsters. The place where the spiders live, which have continuously blocked our reconnaissance.]
And at the same time, our new objective was updated.
