Chapter 36: Secrets of the World (2)

Chapter 36: Secrets of the World (2)

Deep within a shadowy lair, in its most secluded corner-the birthplace and command center of the legion-a momentous event was taking place.

A rhythmic thumping echoed at regular intervals, originating from a unique nest set aside. Within this nest, a life was dormant.nove(l)bi(n.)com

Until now, all legionnaires had been hatched from eggs. Only one being had ever emerged from this womb-like special nest. Strictly speaking, it wasn't born. This time, however, it was different. They had truly created and birthed it from start to finish, using their own abilities.

The nestis thick walls split open, and a substance similar to amniotic fluid gushed out. From the gap, something emerged.

A soft, white hand.

This hand clung to the walls, revealing its entire form.

[...The only human genes the legion currently possesses are hers. Therefore, everything we can create is identical to her.]

She, or rather fit', stepped onto the ground, naked and covered in mucus. Its expression was eerily vacant, but its face and all physical characteristics were identical to the only human it knew, Kang Do Yeon.

Kang Do Yeon was oblivious to this fact. The legion had controlled the information.

[Why are you doing this? We've gone to great lengths to create you. Arendt you satisfied?]

Yet, the Kang Do Yeon clone soon held a sword to its own throat.

[Are you puzzled by this? Does looking exactly like his sister not truly define you? You've matured significantly.]

Its hand shook, a clear indication that it was genuinely contemplating.

[But isn't it intriguing? Your identity is still in the making. You should think pragmatically. This body can be utilized elsewhere.]

"Ah, ah."

It opened its mouth and made a sound. The legion had not yet mastered human language. What it was voicing now was purely a mimicry of the muscle and nerve movements when Kang Do Yeon spoke, remembered and replicated by moving the vocal organs in the same manner.

"An.noy.ing."

[...Yes, I suppose so.]

The legion had copied the words Kang Do Yeon had spat out in annoyance at her screaming enemies. It didn't understand the words, but it at least knew their meaning. Its body twisted, its skeleton changed, and its appearance began to transform.

Ultimately, the form it took was similar to Kang Do Yeon, currently serving as a member of the legion. After a moment of hesitation, the legion added an extra feature.

[So you don't want to have the same face as her, even if you're about to die?]

Its face was covered by a carapace, akin to a mask. A red gleam flashed from the eyes of the mask.

[Go to her and learn. That's the only way to get closer to him.]

It began to move. Despite being an experimental body where the legion's desires were concentrated,

[This... will be recorded in history. The moment when the legion's ego evolved to the next level.]

Somewhere, the sound of flipping paper echoed.

"Hmm?"

Inside the temple on the 36th floor, where the sorcery was practiced, Kang Do Yeon was investigating the area. Suddenly, she flinched at an unfamiliar presence. Her connection to the legion's hive consciousness allowed her to sense it.

[But I know. We are not human. We learned from humans. But the moment we made that learning ours, it's no longer human. It's just a reference material.]

Kang Do Yeon had certainly taught the legion everything it was curious about, as much as she knew. But from the beginning, it was neither perfect nor filled with its own essence.

[What do you think about that?]

"...Kang Shin Woo."

The legion mumbled blankly. It had blindly accumulated knowledge and memorized it perfectly, but aligning what it knew with reality wasn't solved simply by having good hardware. The legion's ego was still like a baby. None of the emotions it learned from Kang Do Yeon could explain this.

*

"What's going on? What happened?"

[A scout discovered something on the 37th floor.]

"Well, it seems like we still have time."

My phone rang and I checked it immediately. The situation seemed dire. All the legionnaires, under the leadership of Kang Do Yeon, had sprung into action from their dormant state, meant to conserve energy.

"What on earth is happening?"

[Movement detected on the 37th floor. I'll show you the video record.]

The perspective shifted to the scout. It was evidently combing through the ruins. Suddenly, something emerged.

"A human?! No, anyway! Living? Is it dead?"

My excitement caused my words to tangle. But it was definitely exciting.

[Yes. Its appearance and demeanor are similar to those we encountered on the previous floors. However, it's not a long-dead corpse. There are no shamanic symbols drawn on the body. ]

"What on earth is it doing?"

I squinted, trying to get a better look. It appeared to be a woman. She seemed to be alive, yet she sat still, her head bowed as if she were lifeless.

[The scout approached, but there was no movement. However, she's definitely alive. The device on the scout detected faint breathing.]

The scout fluttered up and perched on her face. Yet, she remained silent even as a bug the size of a thumb crawled across her face.

"Is she asleep?"

[No.]

Suddenly, the scout was snatched up with lightning speed. The view spun around, then vanished between red mucous membranes and white teeth. A crunching sound followed.

"Did it... get eaten?"

[The biggest problem is not that. It's the next video.]

As I watched the video, I momentarily set aside the fact that the scout being devoured wasn't the main issue. The footage was a record from another scout, capturing the moment the first scout was swallowed whole by the monster.

"...That's insane."

The words escaped before I could restrain them. The woman had devoured the scout in a single, fluid motion. Its writhing body, wide-open eyes, drooling saliva, and guttural breaths depicted an entity far from ordinary. An intuition suggested this might be the reason they had opted to self-destruct and seal themselves away.