A Legion Grows From My Smartphone – Chapter 101

Chapter 101

Episode 101 – Evolution, Not Corruption (9)

‘We have been defeated, and we won’t even be able to endure.’

Darque’s eyes, which continued to cause magic explosions, sank. It contrasted with the mages gathering around him, holding onto hope.

The mana gained at the cost of a thousand lives was not invincible. The magic he was exploding now had its limits.

Yet, he could not kill any further. Ultimately, his capacity only went that far.

On the other hand, the enemies currently driving Menas to the brink of collapse were only ‘a handful’ of what was known.

“W-We must first overcome this crisis and unite properly to resist desperately!”

One of the conference leaders muttered while looking at the gradually diminishing enemies.

In reality, they barely overcame this crisis. The numerous flying species had now dwindled to almost none and began to retreat, turning their bodies away.

Those who saw it found hope. Hope that they could endure if they fought together like this.

“No. That is a false hope. A false hope that will devour us.”

However, Darque, the core force, shook his head decisively.

“C-Chairman?!”

“Let go of this! What is this..!”

In an instant, most of the high-ranking officials gathered on the field were subdued at once.

Those who revealed themselves were all units belonging to Darque.

Like Darque, they lived under their usual identities during peacetime but acted as his loyal units in secret.

Those who were subdued couldn’t believe it as they were restrained by their deputies, superiors, and colleagues they had trusted.

“The mana… the mana isn’t moving!”

“…Wouldn’t the head of the mages have prepared against magic?”

Watching those who were flustered by their sealed magic, Darque sighed bitterly. In fact, dealing with their kind was something they had planned for long ago, in case their identities were exposed.

They simply didn’t want to use it. Especially not in situations like this.

“Now, everyone, follow my words. First, survive this crisis, and I will teach you a new magic that will advance our magic to the next level. Blood magic, that is.”

Darque, who switched to a commanding tone, caused a stir among the mage group at the mention of the new magic, blood magic.

However, the commotion was brief, as everyone’s eyes widened when someone was dragged out, screaming desperately.

“What is this, Chairman! How dare you touch the guild’s conference leader!”

“Shut your mouth, Seidel. We will now proceed with a council vote. I will present the only solution to this situation, and we will proceed with a vote by raising hands.”

What Darque’s subordinate brought was none other than Marcus, the conference leader of the Ados Academy.

The guild mages flared up as if having seizures, but he didn’t pay them any attention.

“…Chairman.”

“Is your answer still the same? To open the gate to Redrium and pit the two monster factions against each other.”

Darque, now looking somewhat indifferent, smirked at Marcus, who glared at him.

“Of course not. Absolutely not.”

Marcus shook his head firmly and confidently. It was an unquestionable rule and his mission.

“What basis do you have? Pitting monsters against monsters? It will only double the number of monsters! Monsters that will devour mages!”

“Chairman, don’t tell me you are planning this!”

With Marcus’s shout, all the high-ranking mages captured on the scene were shocked.

The reaction of the elders was especially intense. Among them was Austin, who widened his eyes.

“This is madness, Chairman! Even more than what you’re doing now! Those lizards are a true disaster. Incarnations of fire, magic nemeses, and crawling death!”

“I never expected you to say such things, Austin Schultz. Haven’t you learned anything from the events so far? Are you saying the black beasts that ravaged this city until moments ago are less evil and horrifying than the lizards of Redrium?”

“T-That’s!”

Austin flinched at Darque’s sneering words.

Others had also experienced the horrors firsthand, but Austin had been fighting those monsters from the very beginning.

For a moment, the eyes within the mask, which met his gaze, flashed through Austin’s mind. The masked eyes with blonde hair flowing.

Naturally, Reina was nowhere to be found in this city. Not even her corpse.

From the start, no one cared, and even if they did, finding her would have been impossible.

“Think carefully. If there is a better method than my proposal, I will gladly accept it. As long as it is a way to defeat the Mad Abyss Legion!”

Darque shouted, glaring at the crowd, but from the moment Austin remained silent, no one else spoke up.

Satisfied with the sight, he immediately started the vote.

“Think carefully and raise your hands. With a single gesture, our glory and the lives of hundreds of millions are at stake.”

“This is absurd!”

Marcus convulsed. Almost all the councilors’ hands began to rise hesitantly.

The conference leaders and guild mages were horrified by the council’s tyranny but couldn’t openly oppose it.

“Absolutely impossible! Absolutely not! Permanently severing the connection with that dreadful place is our, my mission!”

The decision was made, but Marcus’s opposition did not subside. Even as others’ reactions grew cold, his resolve remained firm.

“Then the other guild members will have no choice but to cooperate.”

“K… Heh-heh-hah! Do you think that’s possible? All knowledge related to Redrium’s coordinates is exclusively with the conference leader! If I don’t cooperate, it’s absolutely impossible!”

As Darque, who approached with sparkling eyes, Marcus, trembling, burst into laughter.

However, Darque showed no change in expression. At that moment, when other mages thought it was over.

“W-What are you doing?!”

“I can do anything, and I have already done so. Marcus Leveltern. Do you think you’re that great?”

“This insane… Aaaagh!”

Darque grabbed Marcus by the hair and sank his fangs into his nape before he could resist.

“Ugh… Urrgh..”

Everything about Marcus began to be drained away.

The sight was so shocking that everyone’s thoughts stopped completely.

To them, the concept of vampires didn’t even exist, so the shock they received was beyond imagination.

“I will give you the coordinates.”

Wiping away the blood and throwing the now-dried corpse of Marcus, Darque coldly gleamed his eyes.

“Open the gate immediately.”

Darque’s heavy command dominated the scene, where everyone had lost their minds.

*

“Do you not intend to respond separately?”

When the sun was shining brightly in the sky at its highest point.

Another massive force was approaching Menas, now within sight.

A great army, blackening the entire vast plain visible to the eye, trampled and crushed everything in its path.

Unlike the flying species sent as the advance party, this was the real main unit, composed of various forms and unit types suited to those forms.

“Or is there some other scheme?”

‘Except for the grotesque magic possessed by the enemy units, I think they clearly have no other means.’

Reina answered Eve’s question as she commanded the legion soldiers from the nest.

Currently, Reina, who had returned from death, was not in the nest. This time, she was flying high in the sky with flying species and magic-type higher species under Eve’s command, slowly trailing the main unit.

‘Still, there’s no way they would simply choose to die. From what I’ve seen, that person named Darque is definitely not that kind of person.’

Through the collective consciousness, Kang Do-Yeon, who was now more than hundreds of kilometers away from the battlefield, observed the scene and shared her opinion.

‘I agree. Chairman Darque Yuta Kruger is someone who spares no means or methods for his goals.’

Reina agreed with Kang Do-Yeon’s opinion.

Eve’s thoughts were no different from theirs. Always wary of variables, calculating all possibilities, and preparing countermeasures to devise the most effective strategy was Eve’s nature.

“Having something more wouldn’t be bad.”

Of course, even if the opponent had hidden cards, it didn’t matter.

After all, only one would survive. For Eve, who had lived this way with a mindset entirely different from humans, it was the natural law and truth of the world.

No matter what enemy came, they were ultimately just targets to be defeated and devoured.

No matter how strong the opponent, she could grow stronger by fighting them.

‘Indeed. No matter how tainted we may be, we can perfectly purify this world. With the grace and glory of becoming one with the legion!’

“Are my actions like this when viewed through human perspectives?”

‘…Not at all.’

At Reina’s words, Kang Do-Yeon immediately denied it when Eve tilted her head in response.

‘And look at that. It doesn’t seem like it’s just a simple trick.’

Kang Do-Yeon redirected their attention. The airspace above the suburban area of Menas, where all the people had evacuated.

A massive flow of power was openly converging.

“Could that be.”

At that moment, Eve’s eyes sparkled. Slowly and violently, the spatial rift began to tear apart.

What she had so earnestly wished and longed for. Only the Ados Academy at The Center could create a new Gate.

Now, that Gate was being newly opened.

[He is also watching this situation now. The strange thing is, why on earth did they open the Gate there at this moment?]

“So, no matter what comes out of it, we will never lose.”

Despite the sudden appearance of the Gate, Eve remained unshaken.

Fight, the victor takes everything, and the loser dies. That is only natural.