A Legion Grows From My Smartphone

Chapter 24

Owner of the 20th Stratum’s trunk, whose name and identity remain unknown, with a bizarre appearance.

However, regardless of what kind of creature it was, The Swarm had already judged it as a victory and attempted an attack.

Persistent reconnaissance and observation through Scouts.

[The Swarm wouldn’t have initiated a fight if they thought they’d lose from the start.]

‘They’ began to move.

Toward the flustered enemy, they grabbed the Venomous Pouch Toads in their hands and ‘threw’ them.

“Croooooaaa-”

The toads exploded with a splattering sound, dousing the creature’s body with strong acid.

A low, resonating cry echoed throughout the entire trunk.

As if to prove it wasn’t easy, the creature seemed to suffer little damage despite being drenched in acid.

[Its hide is tougher than expected. Then what about poison stingers and teeth?]

Beast-Type Swarm Soldiers continued to charge at the creature, which writhed violently.

Although they were naturally outmatched in strength, they could cover it with numbers.

Dozens of lizards clung to one of the creature’s arms, biting and holding on.

Flying Species descending from above attempted to find weaknesses such as its eyes, stabbing wildly with poison stingers.

[The creature had no eyes, ears, or nose. Weak points scarcely existed. But we still have one more method.]

“…Finally.”

As the creature’s movements were being restricted,

Those who had been waiting began to sprint.

No one knew how strong the swords they held would prove to be.

“Graaaaah!”

The creature screamed.

To attack the persistently annoying Flying Species, it stretched its neck and opened its mouth wide, and in that moment, one soldier leapt, thrusting and striking up with their sword straight into its gaping maw.

[A massive giant crumbles with just a small wound.]

“So its mouth was the weak point?”

The creature, staggering, collapsed, and The Swarm began to swarm over its body.

They had discovered that the creature’s mouth was its weak point.

Large Species with overwhelming strength began forcibly prying the creature’s mouth open.

“Ugh…”

The gruesome sight made me frown.

Through the forcibly opened mouth, the soldiers began crawling inside.

As long as it didn’t chew, its teeth couldn’t harm their carapaces.

The soldier that crawled deep into its throat began to slash and stab violently with their sword.

[Great Trunk Guardian Spirit: 4c0080]

“Guardian Spirit…”

From that point on, history ended, bringing me back to reality.

The name of the monster we defeated and absorbed was the Great Trunk Guardian Spirit.

[Look. It seems they are not singular entities.]

“…Just how vast is this place?”

In the meantime, The Swarm was already preparing for war again.

More of them kept appearing from other branches connected to this trunk.

Of course, to The Swarm, which had already experienced victory and gathered data, they were nothing more than nutrient-rich food.

[The developed intelligence and analytical prowess of The Swarm have discovered a singularity among the Guardian Spirits.]

“A singularity?”

[How did they immediately come upon the scene after hearing the death of their kin? It’s the power of communication. Now, we understand it.]

Among the organs of the Guardian Spirits, a structure emitting incomprehensible ultrasonic waves was discovered.

In the past, The Swarm might have overlooked what that organ signified, but not anymore.

Observing the consistent ultrasonic waves emitted, they had grown enough to infer that it was an organ for communication between kin.

“So ultimately, the brain has to keep evolving beyond its limits for overall analytical skills to improve. But why is The Swarm so interested in communication methods? Aren’t they already bound by the Collective Consciousness? Don’t tell me…”

[You’re correct. The Swarm is trying to communicate with external beings. Specifically, you.]

I got goosebumps while reading the text.

It acknowledged me. Finally, it did.

“Me, I…”

[To The Swarm, which is in the midst of growing its curiosity, you are the most fascinating subject. For a lifeform developing intelligence, the existence of a parent is naturally significant.]

“Then I should give them a reward. Whether they’ll think of it as a reward, I don’t know.”

Feeling pleased, I took pictures of the high-calorie foods I had bought with the money my younger sibling had given me and sent them.

Would they interpret this as a reward?

[Victory, and the sweet food that follows. The Swarm has reached the stage where it assigns meaning and reasons to actions that were previously repetitive.]

“Wow!”

At least now, they were not simply accepting without question.

Watching them rapidly absorb the items, I felt proud.

It was a sense of accomplishment beyond that of seeing a well-trained pet dog.

A parent. Though it wasn’t the perfect analogy, The Swarm was obviously not just a simple pet to me.

[There are no more enemies in the trunk. This place is ours now.]

The Swarm moved ceaselessly.

Scouts had already scattered in all directions, investigating all branches connected to this place and discovering a passage leading upward.

As always, they devoured every Lateral Branch without leaving a single lifeform alive and continued to ascend.

“Where we were… it’s more like a root than a branch, isn’t it?”

[Indeed. The place where The Swarm awakened is the Lowest Level of the Labyrinth. The deepest part of this place. Thus, this trunk also belongs to the lowest part of the trunk.]

“Does this cave even have an end?”

Anxiety crept in. Though it seemed like I was rushing, it was because I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

[There’s no need to worry too much. This cave is not some starting point. Also, your account level has increased to 4. Slots and capacity have expanded.]

“This is!”

[And with our progress to the lowest part of the trunk, The Swarm’s history has reached the end of Chapter 1 and entered Chapter 2.]

The screen changed.

Two new icons were added to the left.

“What are these?”

[If Chapter 1 was adaptation, Chapter 2 is the beginning. From now on, Units and Players will actively communicate. The String will be enhanced.]

For a moment, I felt a ticklish sensation in my chest.

Of course, this alone didn’t bring any noticeable change.

[The first icon. It is the Bestowed Item.]

I touched the first icon.

The camera turned on.

[Though I haven’t mentioned it since you never chose it, didn’t you notice something while sending the sample? When sending the sample, objects couldn’t be transferred.]

“…Now that you mention it.”

When I sent the termite, the rearing container remained.

When I sent goblins, their weapons stayed behind.

No, the very act of sending a specimen itself was an ability specialized for us.

[Think of the rats you’ve dealt with. The items they possessed. Those were all Bestowed Items. It is a basic function that every Player possesses.]

“Wait, does this mean everyone else moved to Chapter 2 much earlier, and I’m just now catching up?!”

As I pondered over it, I was horrified.

The rats—when had I encountered them?

[You are slow. But there was no other choice, and the reason is a kind of penalty.]

It remained calm.

Hearing there was no other choice, I let out a sigh.

[Bestowed Items have a time limit. Now, let’s move on to the second. The second is the Sacrifice. It is an offering that Units dedicate to their Player.]

“Don’t tell me it’s like the brand given by Oh Yoon-Ah’s Units? Come to think of it, you said real communication like that happens in Chapter 3!”

[No. Bestowed Items and Sacrifices are limited to objects. Skills and teachings are their abilities, unrelated to the system. If they are truly exceptional, they might even be able to deliver items through the faintest String at the early stages.]

“…”

The thought of the Exploration Stone Cha Jiyeon had flashed through my mind.

It didn’t seem like something Cha Jiyeon would have made.

How unfair.

I left the room and rummaged through the kitchen.

By chance, I found a thick, brand-new Chinese Cleaver.

My mother found it scary and didn’t use it, so now it could come in handy.

[The Swarm is reacting to your Bestowed Item.]

“You know what this is, right?”

The gleaming Chinese Cleaver dropped right in the middle of the Nest.

The Swarm moved immediately.

[The tentacles creeping towards it recognized the shape and composition of the Chinese Cleaver as metal already familiar to their memories. They knew what it was. They were simply analyzing its intent.]

“Oh…?”

Analyzing its intent. That one phrase was satisfying.

At the very least, it meant they weren’t mindlessly consuming everything.

“What, nothing for me?”

[The Swarm does not yet have the concept of Equivalent Exchange—giving something in return for receiving something. Hence, this is the conclusion they arrived at.]

After that, the Swarm never offered me a Sacrifice.

Not even a word of thanks!

All that happened was a single Goblin-type Swarm Soldier trudging over and grabbing the Chinese Cleaver with its hand.

[We grow stronger. ‘He’ wants us to grow stronger. So we grow stronger. That is the conclusion.]

The Swarm had only walked one path up until now.

It’s the only thing they know.

I had nothing to say.

After all, it was the path I wanted them to take.

“I’ll just… wait a little longer.”

[Having completely conquered what was thought to be just a Branch but turned out to be a Root, the Swarm now turned their sights Above. The second Trunk. The Scouts did not find any particularly threatening enemies.]

Still, the Swarm was steadily—no, more rapidly—growing stronger.

Before I knew it, they had extended their influence toward the next Trunk.

Mediocre beasts and factions could no longer defeat us.

Since encountering the rats, the units of another Player, no other rivals had appeared before us.