“Yoon Ah is currently in Chapter 2, expanding her influence after winning the tribal unification war. Her population is roughly around 10,000, right?"

“What exactly did she give to her people?"

“From what I've heard, things like food and weapons. Not guns, but hunter-grade weapons. But from what she told me, it seems like there's some benefit just from becoming a unit?"

“I suppose so."

I carefully listened to the information my sister asked about, being mindful of certain keywords.

The advantage of becoming a unit likely lies in the racial characteristics.

[Indeed. Racial characteristics are the fundamental power and benefit.]

“Seems like luck is the true skill."

Back in my room, I clicked my tongue in thought. Numerous races were interconnected, interacting as players and units. Thus, those who could communicate from the outset could advance swiftly.

I pondered over the rat-like creatures that the legion had nearly wiped out after their victory. Players who ended up with such creatures would inevitably lag behind.

[Well, is that so? No one knows the potential that a race holds.]

“Well, what we don't know, we don't know."

I shook my head, caught between agreement and disagreement. The harsh reality and nature wouldn't wait for indecisive growth.

[Look at the screen. It's the second stem now. The 21st floor, a place that can branch out into numerous others.]

“Are there guardians here too?"

I couldn't help but chuckle.

“Gargh!"

“Grrr..."

There were.

The guardians of the second stem, they gathered in groups, baring their terrifying teeth, sniffing the air, and their blue eyes were flashing.

“Thankfully, they don't seem to be grotesque monsters."

[It seems they had gathered in anticipation of our presence. They generally walk on all fours, and their bodies are covered in soft fur. Their sharp teeth...]

“Saber-toothed tigers!"

That single word encapsulated them perfectly. At last, in this mad cave world, a large mammal had appeared, apart from the bats and rats. These were the saber-toothed tigers that once roamed the Earth during the Cenozoic era.

If I were to describe them, their pale fur would likely earn them the title of white saber-toothed tigers. However, they seemed much larger.

[They've entered a battle stance. But don't worry. Fire has no effect on the legion that has already experienced it from below. They weren't even afraid.]

“I see."

Of course, the saber-toothed tigers that lived on Earth probably didn't spew flames like a flamethrower from their mouths.

The legion soldiers at the front, large lizards with blue armor on their head carapaces, were burned to death by the flames.[Legion soldiers hanging from the claws of large flying species fell from the sky, swooping down on them.]

The combined ground and air assault was a time-tested strategy, employed since the legion first took flight. The ground forces engaged the enemy, drawing their attention, while

the airborne species soared into the sky, dropping soldiers into the fray.

[The enemy was caught off guard. Their frontal kicks were robust and forceful, but after a single hit, the legion quickly deciphered their tactics.]

“I suppose so. After all, I did include cats in the mix."

[They evaded the kick, offering an arm to the enemy's mouth. In response, another legion soldier plunged their sword deep into the exposed flank of the enemy.]

These were intelligent, strategic, and formidable cats. But that was the extent of their capabilities. They were inadequate to halt our relentless advance. I declared our victory upon seeing other legion soldiers doggedly clinging to the wounded.

A glint caught my eye from the hand of a goblin-shaped legion soldier at the front. The Chinese knife I had given them was soaked in blood, being wielded with deadly efficiency.

I checked the time. Less than 30 minutes had passed.

[Great Stem Guardian: 4cl557]

“So, these guys are guardians too. What exactly are these guardian creatures?"

[Do you have a different thought about them?]

“I must. They appear to be a different species from other creatures."

After experiencing it twice, I couldn't help but harbor doubts. The cave creatures were bizarrely formed, but these were particularly so. The saber-toothed tigers seemed more appealing compared to the monster code 0080 we encountered on the first stem.

“Their behavior is strange too. I'm not an expert or anything, but they showed behavior patterns that are not typical of creatures. Could they be units too?"

[The legion felt the same discomfort you did. Unlike the instinct of survival being the top priority for creatures, they dared to confront us knowing they could die. And they were unusually strong.]

“There's definitely something about this cave."

I started to notice one or two things as I began to see the forest instead of just the trees in front of me.

For example, the probability of intelligent beings that can compete with humans living in this cave.

[The legion has reviewed all possibilities. And the conclusion is unknown. There's not enough data. Therefore, they will act according to priority. They will devour the 21st floor and all the branches attached to it.]

“That's easy."

I was fretting, but it seemed the legion had drawn all conclusions based on their transcendent computational power. Regardless of the fact that the conclusion they reached with that power was at a goblin's level, it appeared the legion's conclusion was correct for now. They would probably claim to have cleaned up everything by the time I woke up after sleeping tonight. At that point, I closed my phone.

“Ugh..."

The moment Shin Woo closed his phone and drifted off to sleep, a massacre was taking place in a stratum, a branch leading to the Stem. The dominant species here were hoofed animals, resembling pigs with robust shoulders and necks, and an extraordinarily sensitive sense of smell through their snouts. A legionnaire who had taken down one of these pigs nonchalantly slit its throat with a raised blade. The green blood gushing from the severed artery drenched the legionnaire's body. Unbeknownst to them, the squirming flesh walls and tentacles were enveloping this stratum, transforming it into a nest. The legion, imitating the reproduction method of mushrooms, could root and incorporate any place with nourishment into itself.

A tentacle approached and connected to the legionnaire's body. All soldiers' nourishment was directly provided by the nest responsible for digestion and absorption.

[Do you still harbor doubts?]

A curious voice resonated within the shared consciousness of the legion. It had been there for more than a day or two. Although the legion didn't understand its words initially, they now recognized that the voice was speaking to them.

[From the beginning, you have been thinking about him.]

The legionnaire, their Chinese knife smeared with blood, raised it to eye level and wiped it clean. The red gleam in their eyes mirrored on the gleaming blade. At that moment, the entire legion was captivated by this spectacle.

[I feel it. Emotions, deep suspicion and wariness, and interest.]Emotions. The entire legion was shaken. Since first awakening to this realization, the legion had been accumulating experiences, exploring and agonizing over what this tingling sensation was. Thanks to their growing brains, the range of these sensations had significantly widened compared to before. Euphoria, fighting spirit, arrogance, and more.

[Your curiosity will soon be satisfied. There are still many opportunities left.]

The voice cut off there. However, after that, the legion's actions became more aggressive and faster. The legion was now fast and strong enough to handle these radical movements. *

“Oh, Yoon Ah wants to meet?"

“Yeah. More precisely, the call came from Cha Ji Yeon."

“So, could it be?"

“It appears she's found new members for the alliance."

Kang Do Yeon visited my room early in the morning. Upon waking, I immediately checked my phone. The absence of notifications indicated nothing unusual had occurred.

“I'm not sure about other matters, but I believe we should attend this meeting."

“I'll go alone."

“Don't be absurd. If anyone should go alone, it should be me."

I dismissed my sister's nonsense. Eventually, we agreed to attend together.

“Mom's not home anyway. Let's go."

“...Is it okay to keep missing classes?"

“Are lectures really our priority right now?"

We hurriedly boarded the bus. As anticipated, Cha Ji Yeon wasn't alone at the rendezvous point.

“Meet Mr. Park Joon Seok."

“Hello?"

“And who might you all be?"

She introduced us to a young man. He gave us a peculiar glance before acknowledging us with a nod.

“Is everything confirmed?"

“Of course."

Cha Ji Yeon responded immediately to Oh Yoon Ah's question. The man known as Park Joon Seok shared his information. His units were impeccably positioned in a pristine third world.

“I have a proposal from my player for all of you."

However, today's agenda was more than a simple meeting. Cha Ji Yeon pulled out her phone.

“We've found the target."

The screen displayed an image of an ordinary middle-aged woman. According to Cha Ji Yeon, this woman had a unit in Sehansha, where her player was stationed.

“How did you manage to find her?"

“I'm not entirely sure, but my player has a variety of methods. I believe it might be backtracking."

The word ‘'backtracking' caused the players' expressions to harden. Even if they hadn't disclosed their information, if they captured a unit and extracted data, they could trace their past interactions. They had identified the target from that information.

“Yoon Ah... Did you reveal your secret to those people?!"

“Well, that's..."

Meanwhile, Oh Yoon Ah's face paled in the corner under her mother's harsh reprimand. She had indeed spilled the beans. It wasn't entirely surprising, considering how restless her mouth must have been. Both Kang Do Yeon and I let out soft sighs.