A Legion Grows From My Smartphone

Chapter 36

In the dim center of the nest.

While someone initiated a firmly resolved action and another observed the nesting of the occupied area.

Even in this deepest part, the origin and brain of The Swarm, something was unfolding.

A rhythmic heartbeat echoed periodically.

The source of that heartbeat was a Special Nest prepared on one side.

Inside that Special Nest, a life lay dormant.

Until now, all Swarm Soldiers had been produced using eggs.

There had been only one entity born from a Special Nest resembling a womb.

[Strictly speaking, it wasn’t born. But yes, this time is different. From start to finish, we created and birthed it with our own abilities.]

The Flesh Wall split open, and secretion, which also acted as amniotic fluid, gushed out.

Following that, something abruptly emerged from the gap.

A soft, white hand.

That hand gripped the Flesh Wall and soon revealed its entire body.

[…The Swarm currently possesses only one human gene. That means everything we create mirrors her.]

Her—or rather, ‘it’—descended to the ground with a body still dripping with secretion.

Its expressionless face was chilling, but its features and every physical trait were identical to the only known human, Kang Do-Yeon.

Kang Do-Yeon was unaware of this fact.

The Swarm had controlled the information.

[Why the hesitation? After expending such massive energy to create it, you intend to discard it? Does it displease you?]

But soon, the copy of Kang Do-Yeon pointed a sword at its own neck.

[Are you wondering what this means? Do you think a form identical to his younger sibling cannot fully represent you? You’ve grown quite a bit.]

Its fingertips trembled.

A clear sign that it was genuinely contemplating.

[But isn’t it amusing? Your identity is still being constructed. You should think efficiently. Couldn’t this body be utilized in some way?]

“Ah, ah.”

It opened its mouth and emitted a sound.

The Swarm had not yet mastered human language.

The sounds it produced were merely reenactments, mimicking the muscular and neural reactions of Kang Do-Yeon when she spoke.

“Be. Quiet.”

[…I see. That’s understandable.]

The Swarm replicated the words Kang Do-Yeon had spat in annoyance at her enemies when she let out a shriek.

It wasn’t using the words knowingly.

But at least it grasped their meaning.

Its body twisted, its skeletal structure shifted, and its appearance began to transform.

Eventually, it took on a form closely resembling Kang Do-Yeon, who was currently active as part of The Swarm.

However, after a moment of hesitation, The Swarm added one final modification.

[Do you detest having a face identical to hers, even if it means dying?]

A Mask, almost like a carapace, covered its face.

From the eyes of the Mask, a Red Glow flickered.

[Go to her and learn. Only then can you come closer to him.]

It started to move.

Although it was essentially an Experiment Subject imbued with the Desire of the Swarm.

[This moment will be recorded in history. The moment the Consciousness of the Swarm achieved growth on another level.]

The sound of pages flipping echoed from somewhere.

“Hm?”

Inside the Enchanted Temple on the 36th Layer.

Kang Do-Yeon, who had been searching the area, flinched at the unfamiliar presence.

Connected to the Swarm’s Collective Consciousness, she could sense it.

“…What is this?”

Instinctively, she bristled at the presence of an unknown entity, even though she herself was Part of the Swarm.

Moreover, when that entity, even wearing a Mask, had a body shape, hairstyle, and even posture almost identical to hers.

“…”

However, it did not speak or move, only letting the Red Glow shine through the gaps of the Mask.

Kang Do-Yeon felt a chill. Though she had no pores to raise in goosebumps, she experienced that sensation all the same.

“You… You’re part of The Swarm.”

Despite having her information controlled, she deduced its identity through her sharp intuition and instincts.

Intuition and guesswork. Things that the species of The Swarm, who were made of reason and calculation, lacked—or, even if they possessed, rarely used.

[Can’t you feel it? The Swarm wishes to learn from you.]

“Learn? Learn what? You already know everything.”

[Things that cannot be understood through genetic analysis. The Swarm is transmitting some of the controlled information back to you. Your mission is temporarily halted.]

Kang Do-Yeon frowned and bit her lip.

The information flowing into her contained more than mere data.

“Understood.”

Eventually, as a part of The Swarm, she understood its intent and sighed.

“Shall we start with words? We know what learning is, don’t we?”

“Yes.”

For the first time since their encounter, it responded.

Hearing her own voice with her own ears, Kang Do-Yeon flinched and hesitated.

Of course, even that “Yes” was spoken after deducing its meaning from memory.

“You’re curious about the emotion I’m feeling right now? This is called being flustered.”

In the end, she began the lesson.

Pouring everything she knew onto the blank canvas that knew nothing.

Words, emotions, and even the most basic common sense—all of it.

“I understand.”

However, that canvas was a colossal hive mind equipped with incomprehensible hardware.

In less than a few hours, it completely assimilated the knowledge and experiences accumulated by the 17-year-old human girl, Kang Do-Yeon.

There were minor nuances during the process of interpreting what it learned, but nothing significant.

“…Really?”

“It’s easy. Compared to analyzing and calculating the genes of various lifeforms or deducing unfamiliar concepts and worlds from a handful of clues.”

It—The Swarm—turned its back.

“Kang Do-Yeon. The first Commander of the Swarm. The rest of the learning can wait. Proceed to the 37th Layer. There is another enemy.”

It pointed with its finger toward the passage leading to the 37th Layer.

Simultaneously, the scene The Swarm was observing was transmitted to Kang Do-Yeon’s brain.

“Fine, I’ll go!”

Her face pale, she hurriedly left the area.

However, it remained standing still.

[Do you understand now? What you feel, what you see and hear, what you think, and how it is expressed.]

“…”

[But I know. We are not human. We learned about humanity from humans. But the moment we made that learning our own, it ceased to be human. In the end, it is merely a reference.]

Kang Do-Yeon had taught The Swarm everything it was curious about, as much as she could.

However, it was neither perfect nor satisfactory to itself.

[What do you think about him?]

“…Kang Shin-Woo.”

It mumbled absentmindedly.

Though it had absorbed all the knowledge and mastered it perfectly, matching what it knew to reality was not something mere advanced hardware could resolve.

Right now, the Consciousness of the Swarm was akin to a newborn.

None of the emotions Kang Do-Yeon had taught it could explain this.

*

“What’s going on? What happened?”

[It was assumed that some kind of incident had occurred on the 37th Layer, where a Scout discovered something.]

“Well, it seems like we still have some time.”

Kang Shin-Woo checked the Notification on his Mobile Phone.

The situation appeared to be urgent.

The Swarm Soldiers under Kang Do-Yeon’s command, who had been in a dormant state to conserve Energy, were awakening and moving simultaneously.

“What on earth is it?”

[Movement detected on the 37th Layer. Here is the recorded footage.]

This time, the perspective switched to the Scout.

It was clearly in the middle of searching the ruins.

Then, at that moment, something came into view.

“A person?! No, wait. At least, something alive! Could it be dead?”

The excited voice stumbled over itself.

But the excitement was warranted.

[Correct. Its appearance and outward features resemble the Wraiths we encountered on previous Strata. However, it’s not a long-dead Corpse. There are no Cursed Marks drawn on its body.]

“What is this thing doing?”

Kang Shin-Woo furrowed his brows as he observed more closely.

It appeared to be a woman.

Judging by the tattered rags covering her body, it was hard to estimate how much time had passed.

She seemed alive, yet she sat motionless, her head hanging low as if she were dead.

[The Scout approached closer, but there was no movement. However, it is definitely alive. The Device Installed on Scout detected faint breathing.]

The Scout emitted a buzzing sound as it flew closer and perched right on her face.

Even as a Bug, larger than a thumb, crawled across her face, she remained silent.

“Could she be asleep?”

[No.]

At that moment.

With lightning speed, the Scout was caught.

The view spun wildly, and then it disappeared into the Red Mucous Membrane and White Fangs.

A crunching sound followed.

“Did it just… get eaten?”

[That’s not the biggest issue. Watch the next footage.]

The fact that the Scout had been eaten wasn’t the problem, apparently.

Kang Shin-Woo held his breath as he watched the next footage.

This footage was recorded by another Scout.

It had observed the moment the first Scout was devoured by the strange being.

“…What the hell.”

He couldn’t help but blurt out in shock.

The creature that had devoured the Scout stood up.

Its grotesquely twisting body, bulging eyes, drooling saliva, and growling breaths made it clear that this woman was far from normal.

A chilling thought crossed his mind—perhaps the reason for their downfall and Self-Sealing was this very thing.