It said to take a picture. To take a picture, to send her... to the legion.

[If you trust us]

That single phrase barely kept my unraveling thoughts intact. I clenched my teeth, trembling uncontrollably. It had already happened. I had to control this.

“I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."

I lifted my shaking hands, struggling to steady them. I had to clutch one hand with the other to suppress the tremors. My breaths became increasingly ragged. This was all my fault. All because of me.

[Take the picture. We don't have much time. If her breathing stops and her brain is damaged, her memories may be lost.]

I squeezed my eyes shut. The price for incompetence was harsh. I finally activated the camera, the shutter clicking as I did.

[We'll handle the aftermath. Will you falter here? Will you only lose more and stand by watching again?]

"...No, I absolutely won't do that. Never."

[Then move. You must have a plan.]

Each word pierced my heart. I forced my trembling legs to move.

"Gate breach! Sudden gate breach!"

"Evacuate the patients!"

Almost simultaneously, the piercing wail of sirens and terrified screams filled the air outside the hospital. The end times weren't just idle gossip anymore. For those in the know, we were in the midst of a brutal war.

I hurried down the hospital corridor, supporting my mother who was dizzy and sobbing from the shock. Glass windows shattered around us as chaos ensued.

In a way, the timing was fortuitous. Amidst the pandemonium, a missing patient would naturally go unnoticed. *

[Do you sense his emotions clearly? Raging anger and hatred. We are learning this. There is no need to learn helplessness and guilt. Fuel the hatred. Anger is strength.]

A dark cavern. A figure wrapped in bandages suddenly appeared in a flash of light.

[Those emotions will become our strength. We will be more rational than anyone, yet hotter than anyone.]

Legionaries carefully moved to unwrap the bandages from Do Yeon Kang's mangled body. If left like this, she would soon perish.

At the same time, the legion's nest stirred. Tendrils stretched toward her.

[He sincerely wants his sister to live. We sense his grief. But grief is an unhelpful emotion. So now it's time we erased that grief.]

The tendrils slowly wrapped around her body. The viscous mucus secreted from the tendrils formed a fleshy cocoon that gradually enveloped her.

Outwardly, it looked no different than the legion's usual digestion and absorption. But the process happening inside was completely different.

[We will assimilate our cells into her body. Calmly, slowly. We will replace each of her cells with our own.]

The perfect analysis of the human genome was an added bonus. As a result, the legion could substitute and rebuild her flesh with its own cells.

[This will be a historical moment. For the first time, a legionnaire with an independent ego will be born, capable of autonomous action.]This was an extraordinary privilege. The legion, which had only engaged in predation, slaughter, breakdown, and analysis until now, couldn't fathom the emergence of another ego that could challenge its position.

This achievement was made possible by the strong desire transmitted through the direct string connection.

[Do not fear. I guarantee, Kang Do Yeon can become another weapon for us.]

Before long, she was entirely encased in the fleshy membrane. The large cocoon that held her in the nest's center resembled a human womb. She was fully submerged in the mucus, a product of the legion's ceaseless cell gathering. Her existing cells were disintegrated at a cellular level and flawlessly replaced with new ones in the same form.

[This works out well.]

The entire legion halted, surrounding the special cocoon that held Do Yeon, eagerly awaiting her rebirth.

[The enemies from the 35th floor are unique and powerful. Breaking through with our current tactics would be incredibly energy-inefficient. Therefore, reinforcing our forces is the only logical step.]

The legion was still uncertain about the exact nature of the 35th floor enemies. When it attempted to seize a corpse for analysis, the tattooed flames extinguished upon death, and the bodies crumbled into desiccated mummies. They were clearly not ordinary living beings, making analysis impossible.

[But next time, we will win.]

Despite this, the legion had fully scouted the enemy's capabilities. It was already confident of victory in the next encounter.

[Simultaneously, our mind will evolve further.]

The legion used this time to enhance other areas. It incorporated the portion of the cerebral cortex obtained from Do Yeon, a 17-year-old human girl. The perfectly analyzed human brain functions exponentially increased the legion's computational power, communication speed, and hive mind.

With a brain far superior to the pathetic orcs, the legion mimicked the structure and amplified the volume thousands of times, even if it was not fully understood yet.

[Now we will truly know. We haven't learned it yet, but if we do, we could even create vocal organs for speech.]

The massive brain now occupied an entire cavern alone. Although still a blank slate, establishing a core mind accelerated the overall legion's processing abilities and connection, evolving its hive consciousness.

They had evolved once more through this.

[Did you see?]

"...Yes."

[This is the legion's sincerity.]

"I believe it."

He watched the entire scene, nodding with a somber tone. His gaze remained fixed on the cocoon cradling his sister.

"I heard you contacted me. Um..."

"It's Kang Shin Woo."

"Right. Mr. Kang Shin Woo."

Late into the night, I hailed a taxi to Cha Ji Yeon. Collaborating with Ji Yeon had become a necessity for me. Without her, I could be hunted down at any moment.

Understanding that she knew my identity as Oh Yoon Ah's subordinate, her displeased expression was expected. After all, Yoon Ah had been largely inactive in alliance activities and was now in a coma following the day's incident.

To Ji Yeon, I must have seemed insignificant...

"I heard about your sister...her body taken by them too..."Unexpectedly, she squeezed my hand in sympathy, sighing deeply. I was genuinely surprised, my eyes widening, unable to find the right words.

The idea that someone as formidable and influential as her would show concern about this...

"Before I'm a unit, I was a hunter and a person."

Her bitter smile pierced my heart. Reflecting on it, I had failed to fully consider - as an entity with a distinct will unlike Legionnaires, she may or may not sympathize with her player.

"I appreciate the condolences. But I came for another matter today."

"Another matter?"

"I'll prove myself. So...please take me along for the next gate raids."

I expressed my determination, gritting my teeth.

Ji Yeon's eyes widened in surprise. But I was sincere.

I didn't feel guilty about recklessly endangering the legion. Because that's what they wanted too, I realized now.

"Prove yourself?"

"Give me a request to handle. I'll show what I can do."

"I see... My player also seems quite intrigued. Increasing our forces is always welcome."

Ji Yeon nodded after a moment. I wasn't fully confident either.

[Cut through the 35th floor and uncover the labyrinth's truths. Then, you will reach Chapter 3 and utilize additional functions to ensure safety.]

Only one step remained.

"You're only 23, quite young for such hardship."

"Oh, I thought you were 24, Hunter Cha."

"Well, yes, but..."

Initially, I was taken aback. She had seemed so mature, yet she was only a year older. She snickered, fiddling with her phone.

"Don't worry too much. For the mysterious units who harmed your sister and attacked Yoon Ah, my player already knows their identity and is confident of victory. We will absolutely, absolutely have revenge."

"Just who are they?"

"I'm not told much either. But we'll definitely find out."

She nodded reassuringly. For once, I decided to believe her. Revenge no longer mattered. No matter how long it took, the legion and I would handle it directly.

"Thank you."

I felt a sense of gratitude towards her. She cared deeply for someone like me, someone she could easily disregard.

[It's best to stay close. The enemies can track players.]

"But I wonder, did they really identify Yoon Ah as a player and snipe her?"

After parting ways with Ji Yeon, a thought crossed my mind as I rubbed my head. To target a player meant existing in the same world. However, the units I knew of Yoon Ah's were far from the high-tech suits seen on CCTV.

"Or maybe they're a group that kills opponents by proxy, like us. It's hard to say for sure."

With a click of my tongue, I got back into a taxi.