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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Those of the Lowest Level (1)
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In this vast, immense cave of unknown age, a very subtle change had begun to take place.
Viewed from the scale of the entire cave, it was a change less significant than a speck of dust in one of its countless branches.
But that change was undeniably growing larger.
For now, in the quiet, those of this lowest level were slowly looking upward.
"Are reptiles the dominant type for now?"
[It is armed with rough, tough hide, and the tip of its whip-like tail is clad in hard armor.]
On the screen was a giant lizard.
The size of a large dog, this lizard stood atop a heaping pile of bat corpses, swinging its whip-like tail and cleaving one of our dispatched soldiers in two.
I was reminded once again that the creatures in this cave, though alien, were far too strong.
"Insect sizes won't cut it anymore."
[Correct. It means our species must now evolve to the next stage as a whole.]
We, too, increased our size.
Insects were no longer our base.
A higher, more evolved form.
No matter how sharp and flexible its tail-whip, the lizard couldn't defeat a multitude of our soldiers on its own—soldiers whose arms now possessed the powerful leg muscles of giant toads.
The soldiers, borrowing the jaw structure of ants, opened their mouths wide to the sides and sank their hard teeth in.
"It's the same in the end. Honestly, to stand against us, the enemy would need to be a legion of their own."
Despite the tension, the result was one-sided.
As long as there was no difference in physical specs, the enemy couldn't beat us, no matter their numbers.
It was just like how much larger creatures, like mantises or rats, are devastated by a swarm of ants.
To stop a collective, an equivalent 'collective' was needed.
[The 8th floor had already fallen into chaos, just as we intended, even before our entry. The native creatures of this floor couldn't even put up a proper resistance and were destined to become prey for our Legion.]
And so, we passed through the 8th floor, ravaged by bats, and entered the 9th.
[Look at them. The giant armored spiders that blocked our reconnaissance. But now, they too are nothing but our prey.]
In fact, conquering the 9th floor was even less of a challenge than I'd thought.
Those giant spiders, which once seemed like an insurmountable wall, now looked like insignificant creatures.
[Indeed, the Legion knows how strong we are. These units were produced with toads as their base. Based on past experience, they have been modified to enable ranged attacks.]
The new, sturdy-bodied soldiers crawled across the ground and took their positions.
They braced themselves firmly, much like a self-propelled gun planting its spades to fire.
Simultaneously, their skin tore open, revealing the sharp tips of bony spines.
[They can form spines from specific nutrients absorbed internally. And a unique muscle organ allows them to eject those spines out of their bodies under high pressure. The spines have now been fired. They are poison spines, laden with a potent toxin.]
The spines cut through the air and pierced the bodies of the unsuspecting spiders.
Even with their hard carapaces, the poison spines shattered their armor.
[It will still take some time to stabilize the 9th floor. However, separate from that, the Legion has decided to attempt reconnaissance to update the map.]
"Of course."
It was crude the first time, but we already understood the importance of scouting.
The Legion quickly had its scouts on standby.
[And congratulations. You have broken through the 10th floor and cleared the tutorial.]
"...I'd forgotten."
[After the tutorial comes Chapter 1. And as for the tutorial reward, you may choose.]
This thing, which had called it a tutorial but thrown me into real combat, made a sudden declaration. Different text began to appear on the screen.
Three rewards, splitting the screen into thirds.
[Reward 1: 1-time Target Execution Ticket]
[Reward 2: 1000 Gold]
[Reward 3: 1-time Species Preservation Ticket]
"Hey, I have no idea what any of these are."
I stared blankly at the words and rubbed my eyes.
I had expected some kind of food or specimen as a reward, but the contents were completely different.
[That is to be expected. All Players receive the same tutorial rewards. Therefore, a reward tailored only to our species will not appear.]
"What's an Execution Ticket? And what's gold? The shop function hasn't even opened."
[An Execution Ticket is exactly what it sounds like. For when you one day encounter a powerful enemy. You can designate that enemy and execute it without question.]
"...That's insane."
Just from the description, I could tell it was completely broken.
In that case, saving it was the right move.
The question was whether I should choose the Execution Ticket now.
"Is the gold for what I think it's for?"
[Since you ask, I shall tell you in advance. The shop function will open after Chapter 3 ends. You will be able to purchase a few items there.]
"The Species Preservation Ticket... is it some kind of escape pod?"
The explanations helped me grasp the basics.
Now, it was time to choose.
I didn't actually have to think about it for very long.
I didn't need gold that I couldn't use yet and whose value I didn't even know.
For us, capable of growing from a single cell, the Species Preservation Ticket could be a trump card.
But rather than worrying about a defeat that hadn't happened, I thought it was better to struggle for victory.
"I'll go with the Execution Ticket."
[The reward has been delivered to your inventory.]
"Ouch!"
At that moment, startled by a stinging sensation, I examined the back of my right hand.
On my hand, which had never had a tattoo in my life, a black mark was now etched.
[It would be wise to consume items judiciously. Our Legion, and you. Neither can survive without the other. That item must be used at the most necessary moment, whenever and wherever that may be.]
"...As if I'd ever need to use this in the real world."
I grumbled, rubbing the back of my hand.
A small part of me regretted it, thinking I should have chosen the gold to sell for some cash.
[While stabilizing the 8th and 9th floors, the Legion cleared away the spiderwebs and sent scouts up to the 10th floor. This marks the true beginning, after the tutorial.]
The droning background music shifted to something more sinister.
Perhaps because of that, I felt a little tense.
"It's huge."
[Map is updating. But it was enough to surprise the Legion. This was just one of the many branches of the cave. The ten floors the Legion had swallowed were, in fact, merely a side branch among countless others.]
I pressed the history tab.
Among the records of past days, a newly generated line caught my eye: *A world beyond the world.*
[It was a moment that expanded the Legion's definition of the world. They were shocked to learn that the territory they had conquered was, in truth, a mere speck of dust in this vast world.]
"Are they feeling intimidated?"
[Do you still not understand the Legion?]
I got an earful for my offhand comment.
The Legion's scouts explored the vast cavern.
This place was a wide-open area, like a sort of corridor, but they soon discovered a 'room' situated to its side.
[As before, vegetation is developing around a source of flowing water, but the scale is different.]
In the scene, faintly lit by glowing stones, the first thing I saw was a massive, two-headed lizard with gleaming eyes amidst a colony of large and varied mushrooms.
The lizard was tearing apart and eating a creature that looked something like a frog.
The problem was its size.
That lizard was about the size of a small car, and the frog being eaten was bigger than a large dog.
One of the two heads of the lizard, which was covered in blue scales, suddenly turned toward a scout flying in the sky.
And at that moment.
"Gah!"
A jet of blue flame filled the screen, which then promptly went black.
[Do you see? The lifeforms of this labyrinth are not to be taken lightly.]
"No way, how does it make sense for it to breathe fire?!"
It's not like it was a dragon or something, a lizard breathing fire.
Of course, thinking about it objectively, that flame was at best the level of a spray can.
But that wasn't the important part right now.
[Are you afraid?]
"Less afraid and more... at this rate, it feels like whatever I put in won't be of any help..."
[That is not a problem at all.]
Its calm demeanor made it seem like I was the one cowering before that lizard.
[Finding answers, thinking, modifying, and acting are all the Legion's work. Think about it. If a god were to exist, do you think it would be right for it to meddle and interfere in every little thing like an overbearing parent? Your job is simply to provide clues and variables.]
"Is that really all it takes?"
[Do not underestimate them. The Legion is pleased right now. It is excited once more. Those are prey, and they are nutrients. Devouring them will make us stronger.]
I realized it again.
The Legion doesn't stop, and it knows no fear.
For them, the concept of death does not exist.
If they die, they simply return to the Hive Mind as nutrients, are reborn, and fight again.
"My values on life, death, and the soul are being shaken."
[One day, you will become their values.]
I had only muttered a single phrase, but the words that appeared were profound.
One day. Was it referring to a time when they would come to understand my existence and my concepts?
[There is still sufficient energy on the 8th and 9th floors. With this stockpiled energy, the Legion prepared for war once more. The target is the fungal forest where the two-headed lizard was just discovered.]
The Legion prepared for war once more.