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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: The Wheel of Fate (3)
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A thunderous roar, a flash of light incomparable to the glow of the luminous stones.
And an overwhelming physical force.
Even if those nutria-sized rats fired together, the recoil would make their accuracy abysmal.
But my soldiers were too large to miss.
[Even with the hardest, sturdiest armor, it was not enough. The dark blue carapace of the shield-bearing legionnaire leading the charge shattered in an instant, its head exploding.]
"...So guns are pretty strong after all."
I bit my lip.
It seemed that even these cave creatures, who displayed abilities beyond common sense compared to Earth's organisms, were helpless before the gunpowder and bullets of modern Earth.
If that was the case, I had no answer. Every animal on Earth is powerless against firearms.
I had no idea who that Player was, but it seemed they lived in a country without gun control.
[But you, who know of the Legion, are not worried, are you?]
"I'm not worried. I'm just curious how they'll react."
I nodded.
Of course, I was surprised by the appearance of a currently overpowered weapon like a gun, but I knew a thing or two about firearms myself.
"Ten rounds at most? Nine?"
I didn't know the ammo capacity of that pistol, but it couldn't be more than ten rounds, could it?
They just had to endure it for a bit without getting scared, but the problem was, the Legion didn't know that.
What choice would it make?
Now that it had seen the power of the weapon it was curious about, would it retreat, or continue to advance?
[The Legion chose to advance. Even if it meant losing all the soldiers it had dispatched, it intended to see this through to the end.]
And the Legion chose to press the advance even harder.
[Gunshots rang out in succession as the large-sized units fell one by one. The formation broke, and the siege began to falter. The enemy's numbers were considerable, and their fortress was quite sturdy.]
"...The magazine has to be empty by now. Just tell them for me. If you know the Legion's thoughts, you should be able to relay my words, right!?"
[I am merely a guide and an observer. Even if I were to relay your words verbatim, they would not understand. Make them understand? I cannot intervene in such a way.]
"You useless..."
I sighed in frustration, but for now, all I could do was watch.
Despite the fierce resistance, the Legion did not stop its attack.
Instead... it doubled the number of its troops.
"Is this right?"
[Why could this be?]
Twice, no, three times... four times?
Far from dwindling, the number of soldiers crawling out of the nest was steadily increasing.
"W-What is this? Why are they acting like they're going for broke?"
[What is this tingling sensation? As we repeated the battle, facing their hot and fierce resistance, we felt something we had never experienced before. The cause is unknown. If we were to speculate, the advanced neural system, the Legion's brain, which has been steadily cultivated, might be one of the reasons.]
"What does that mean?"
[Do not want to lose. Want to kill. Want to eat. Want to fight.]
Perhaps they were flustered by the sheer numbers.
The front line now expanded to encompass the entire fortress.
Flying units, packing the air, attacked the enemy over the fortress walls, while large-sized units shoved their heads and armor into any opening.
[This is the moment it feels something other than the innate instinct of gluttony. Ah... this very moment will be recorded in history. The Legion was now beginning to learn the basics of what is called 'emotion.' This was something it was creating on its own. Not by eating, copying, and extracting, but purely by itself.]
The moment I read the text, a shiver ran down my spine without me realizing it.
For some reason, the soldiers looked different.
Countless individuals, numerous unit types.
But in essence, those soldiers were a single entity.
It seemed I could finally see it too.
A strange killing intent was beginning to seep into the teeth, claws, tails, and venomous stingers of the Legion's soldiers, who had until now been as dry and mechanical as machines.
[Do not disregard emotion. It may sometimes turn a blade upon itself, but in the end, it is a primitive and intense desire that allows one to overcome their limits.]
The war was just beginning.
Unable to achieve an overwhelming victory, the outcome would be decided by which side broke first.
If the Legion lost this battle, it would lack the energy to produce such a large army again.
However, it had the advantage of being able to rapidly replenish its consumed forces, thanks to its explosive production capacity.
But those rats, while having a lower replenishment rate than us, were fighting a defensive battle using various tools and facilities.
On top of that, the numbers they had amassed so far were on par with ours.
"...A stalemate?"
[Is that so? Look at each of their expressions. It's strange. Very strange. The confidence that filled them is now gradually fading. They must have been arrogant. They must have thought they would win. Having repelled our advances several times, it's understandable.]
I could see cracks starting to form in the rats' unity.
Both sides were clearly piling up corpses, so why was this happening?
"＠%*!!"
Some of them shrieked, squeaking desperately as they looked at the gun that no longer spat fire.
Of course. Guns with infinite ammunition only exist in video games.
[We are different. We are the Legion. We do not falter just because we hear a deafening roar for the first time, or because our strongest soldier is killed in a single blow. We simply kill, fight, and devour. Our soldiers move as one, without the slightest waver.]
They had certainly united and fought well in their own ways, but a clear difference existed.
We are a species capable of choice.
Though we may feel fighting spirit and rage, our ranks do not break and crumble in fear and terror when a goal is in sight.
But those rats are different.
[Once doubt is planted, fear immediately feeds on that doubt and grows. This is only natural for those who have emotions. The Legion would be the same, but the Legion has something they do not.]
The moment an opening appeared, it relentlessly dug into that spot.
Finally, on the enemy's wall, a soldier that had climbed over the body of a large-sized unit swung its tail, which had a sharp, blade-like carapace, and sliced a spear-wielding rat in half.
[We, who are many and one, have trust. An infinite trust in ourselves, in us. But what of them? The desire for survival... it is natural for any living being.]
"...I can agree with that."
The rats' formation collapsed.
The cause was the desertion of the cowed ones.
Ironically, their increased intelligence and diverse emotional range brought losses as well as gains.
The fear spreading through the crowd squared its power.
[The Legion began to tear and widen the enemy's wounds. It was certain of a de facto victory.]
At last, the Legion's ground units also breached the enemy's fortress.
A large-scale siege that would have been difficult to attempt a second time had it failed.
It was impossible to know if the Legion, which had just begun to understand emotion, had truly exploited the rats' fear, but it had won regardless.
[It is time for a massacre.]
Once their formation collapses and they fall into chaos, as long as there's a physical difference, we win.
Squeaking screams echoed ceaselessly across this vast stratum.
A brutal ecosystem where the vanquished are slaughtered without a trace.
Even amidst this, the Legion grows.
"Is there some kind of reward? I mean, this is our first PvP victory."
[If you 'exterminate' them and take them out completely, there will be a reward.]
"What?"
I'd asked without much thought, but my face hardened when I saw the answer.
I glanced at the back of my hand.
The unused Execution Ticket was still there.
I wonder what the opposing Player has.
It wouldn't matter if they had an Execution Ticket like mine.
"Think we can get the reward?"
[...The opponent has used a Species Preservation Right. Therefore, extermination is impossible. No reward will be given.]
"Damn it."
The bad-case scenario I'd somewhat expected had come to pass.
Running away like a coward.
"I'm completely drained."
I put down my phone.
It was already getting dark outside.
My neck was stiff and my eyes were dry.
I couldn't help it, having watched the hours-long war unfold.
"..."
In the darkened room, I listened quietly.
Kang Do-yeon had just come home.
The friends I'd asked all testified in one voice that nothing had happened today.
Based on the cross-referenced testimonies and the timeline, it seemed to be true, but I couldn't relax just yet.
[...I will give you one hint.]
"What? You?"
[Be prepared.]
Just then, a message popped up with a vibration.
I froze for a moment at its unexpected content.
[Once the game truly enters the mainstream, it will probably... be difficult to lead a normal daily life. There is no certainty that what happened today won't occur on Earth.]
The words that followed were shocking.
"What in the world does that mean?"
[Exactly what it says. It's a fact you can easily deduce. Players and, Units.]
"...Tell me now. Who are you? How do you know that?"
[I believe I told you. I am merely an observer.]
My hand trembled.
At the same time, the massive war I had just witnessed was replaying in my mind.
The possibility of that war unfolding on Earth... could I say it was impossible?
[This is a cruel game. So please, survive. Protect what you desire, and protect your people.]
"I don't have any power."
[I know.]
"But you said you could help me."
I picked up my phone.
A strong Player and a strong Unit can meet and make each other stronger.
But that wasn't me. In this situation, the only ones I could trust were these guys I was constantly watching.
"Is the part-time job... tough?"
It seemed I would have to keep a closer eye on things.
But first, I had to deal with my sister's situation.