‘'What in the world../

The screams and shouts echoed relentlessly. ‘'When will this end../

The searing heat of the battlefield raged on.

In this battle, where both sides sought to end each other’s lives, the screams and shouts came from only one side. “Just what are you?!”

Drenched in sweat, Felix could no longer contain his cry.

There wasn’t even a hint of the screams one would expect.

Whether their throats were slit or their bodies stabbed, it was all the same.

Silently, the legion continued their relentless attacks without hesitation or sound. Their mechanical actions struck fear into Felix and his kinsmen, who gradually fell back. ‘'We absolutely will not lose. There is no retreat. If we are pushed back here, it is our defeat.’ But soon, he steeled his mind.

They had not endured and found hope only to die being pushed back here. “Narian...!”

An arrow grazed his face, piercing one of the enemy’s bodies.

Seeing her with the bow aimed, her body glowing with markings, he grit his teeth. “We will never back down!”

His shout spurred the other kinsmen, who desperately shook off their wavering minds. Their will and determination to overcome fear and anxiety bound them together. Their player aided them too, continuously using low-grade items. Even the inexperienced among them grabbed these items, shooting arrows and resisting.

fThis is our struggle with everything on the line.-*

After slitting an enemy’s throat with his dagger, Felix suddenly smiled. Despite the desperate situation, he was certain they had never been stronger. The sacred tree responded to him, its power resonating with them and amplifying dramatically.

The legion pulled their troops back. The expressions behind their masks were far from good, especially when the enemy cheered at their supposed victory. [They had put up a fierce resistance, inflicting significant damage. However, had we persisted with the assault, victory would have inevitably been ours.] “Efficiency.”

The legion-’s judgment was straightforward. Beyond the irritation and anger, the continued expenditure of troops at such a rate would render any victory meaningless due to the extreme losses.

[So, the solution is...] “Endless despair and agony.” Naturally, the legion already had a plan. The sole objective was the enemy’s annihilation. This retreat was merely a tactic towards that end.

“Through a war of attrition, hope persists. Yet, when true despair finally descends at the end, their will shall crumble.”

The legion had experienced this before. They had clashed with the cave rats, units under the control of another player. At that time, a crucial condition for victory was the selfdestruction of the rats, driven to despair and terror upon sensing their impending defeat.

The legion-’s mouth twitched slightly.The emotion of ‘'despair-’ that the legion had newly defined through self-exploration and contemplation came when one’s all-out attacks were overwhelmingly crushed, leaving powerlessness and futility.

Then it would transform into despair. [As commanded, the legionnaires charged at them again.] The legion had been through this before. They had battled the cave rats, units under the control of another player. During that conflict, the key to victory had been the selfdestruction of the rats, who were driven to despair and terror as they sensed their imminent defeat.

A slight twitch played at the corner of the legion’s mouth.

They had recently defined the emotion of ‘’despair-’ through self-reflection and contemplation. It was the feeling that came when one-’s all-out attacks were brutally crushed, leaving a sense of powerlessness and futility.

Their enemies would soon face despair. [The legionnaires charged at them again, as commanded.] The legion had previously slain them, and they were well aware of their status as units. However, the enemy seemed oblivious to this fact. No matter how many legionnaires they killed, the legion-’s forces remained undiminished.

“No...! They’re launching another attack!” “We can hold them off. We’ve got this!” Having just constructed a makeshift barricade, they unleashed another barrage of arrows at the advancing legionnaires. Despite their exhaustion and stress, they hadn’t yet given in to despair or hesitation. Instead, their defiance only grew stronger with each successful repulsion of the attacks through relentless combat.

“Ugh...guh...”

The legion released a gas. The gas was loaded with minute infectious cells based on destructive bacteria. However, the infection was currently powerless. There was nothing that a small amount of infectious cells could do to their bodies, which were being fortified by the maximum power extracted from the new tree.

“Ha...ha...we’ve won again!” “But look!”

They had successfully repelled the legion’s attack once more. But there was no time for celebration. The number of victims was steadily rising, and there was no time to mourn them.

“Ugh, uwah... Again! They’re coming again!” “How can this be.” “Everyone, ready your swords!”

Felix clenched his eyes shut and raised his sword once more. No matter how many attacks they blocked, there was no end. Apart from their defiant spirits, their weary minds and bodies found no respite.

“Steel your minds. The end will come!”

Felix rallied his comrades, worn down by the ceaseless onslaughts coming in waves.

As they fought desperately with all their might, they failed to notice the sacred tree’s leaves and branches gradually withering from the tips.

[Their power draws from that central tree. That is their formative force. Its might is certainly extraordinary. Incomparable even to the elves of the city. In fact, they are rapidly growing through repeated combat.]

“...Have they staked everything?”

The legion had a singular focus - the moment they staked everything, their lives and energy included. They planned to shatter it all in that moment, for it would allow them to bring their enemies down efficiently.

“It seems we can squeeze out more.”

The legion’s sight was filled with the vivid images of their comrades in battle. Each death fueled their rage, pushing them to squeeze out strength until their very limit.[As commanded, the legionnaires retreated once again. They shouted desperate cheers. They had successfully blocked all 32 invasions, killed 1369 legionnaires, and lost 43 of their own. ]

The exchange rate was close to 30 to 1. However, the value of each life was different. The legionnaires who died in this battle had already been restored in the nest. In contrast, the fallen Moonlight Elves were those who had been nurtured for decades. At least, they couldn’t be restored until they were killed in this battle.

Time was gradually approaching. The legion lured their enemies towards the trap they had set in advance. *

“What...what is this?” “You should know.” As they prepared the final blow against the Moonlight Elves, the legion forcibly immobilized Kang Do Yeon. “Damn...”

Her face drained of color. She already understood the legion’s intent. [...He is sleeping now] “Then it’s enough.”

The legion had meticulously tracked Shin Woo’s actions beforehand. Their current objective was to target his younger sister. They had no intention of killing her, but when he awoke and examined the scene, he would be clueless.

“I am...” “You’ll discover it yourself.” At the legion’s words, she fell silent.

“Compassion, sympathy, sorrow. All these emotions are detrimental to the legion. You know this. You’ve harbored such feelings for your prey.” “That’s...that’s not true.”

“No, it’s true. We are one. You are part of me, all of it... I can see.”

The legion quickly multiplied and divided the cells in its hand, instantaneously creating something on its palm. It was the black mask she had been wearing.

“I don’t want...”

“I’ll let you maintain your ego. In return, you’ll become the true sword of the legion.”

The legion was bolder and more aggressive than expected. After completing the calculations, it unhesitatingly placed the mask on Kang Do Yeon’s face without mercy. Despite knowing their intentions, she was powerless to resist.

“Ugh...”

Her skin began to merge with the mask, becoming one. The mask was not merely a facial cover. Under the legion’s control, Kang Do Yeon’s cells began to move, performing specific actions.

[Although it could have been manipulated forcibly without this process, the reason for putting a mask on her was that.] “Then it’s meaningless.”

The legion earnestly sought to incorporate her into its ranks. As it evolved and reflected, it required a variable that could ignite a spark of inspiration. This variable was another ego within the legion. However, it had to devise a method to preserve that ego while fully integrating it into the legion’s ideology and securing its loyalty.

“Go, kill them, legionnaire. The act of slaughter and predation will bring you pleasure. That’s our nature.”

Kang Do Yeon, writhing and clutching her masked face, gradually rose. The mask had fully merged with her body. Yet, the moment she entered into combat, the mask could surface at any time, imprinting its true duty onto her.

[The elves are slowly beginning to scout outside. They must mistakenly believe we’ve abandoned them. How foolish.] “Why are you siding with me, not him?” [...What do you mean?]

“You, who can see everything on both sides, could easily choose between the player and the unit if you wanted to.” As the newly transformed Kang Do Yeon and the legionnaires charged in, the legion posed a crucial question. [That’s none of your business.] “...Is that so?”

A line was drawn. But the legion had already sensed it. There was no voice after that, but the legion didn’t care. Either way, it wasn’t harmful to them. [They’ve noticed our intentions.] ‘'Crush all their hope.’

As Kang Do Yeon and the legionnaires encountered the enemies, the legion moved to show them the despair they had planned, against their attempts to break through with all their might and morale.