Chapter 53: Legion VS Legion (7)
Destructive bacteria. A cmity that had infiltrated and annihted all living creatures hundreds of years ago, even in this subterranean world. The destructive bacteria trapped underground had evolved independently, transforming into the mutated destructive bacteria. They were formidable, their ability to mimic and replicate through potent infectivity, capable of consuming any animal, was a skill exclusive to the mutation formed by the assembly of several small colonies.
"Kruk.
Among these variants, one stood out. The first mutated destructive bacteria. It had ruled over its kin with its formidable power until now. However, the crisis it faced was undoubtedly more lethal than any it had encountered before.
Grrr...
One of the colossal variant creatures roared and hurled its body against the tightly sealed entrance. But the barricade held firm. They were disconcerted. They had never faced such a predicament in the countless battles they had fought. The idea of altering or copsing the terrain had never crossed their minds.
The Moonlight Elves had resisted and fought in such a manner, but that was due to the unknown power of Formative Force being harnessed. They never anticipated a creature capable of matching them in infection and physicalbat to possess such abilities.
They had no allies, no one pulling the strings behind the scenes, and no one to help them. The mutated destructive bacteria, which hadnt yet grasped this concept, found themselves in an impossible situation.
The colonys leader sensed the tension. They werent fools. If they couldnt descend, there was no alternative. They didnt choose to ascend because they knew what awaited them. The atmosphere shifted subtly. The mutated destructive bacteria under itsmand began to eye each other warily. They thought that if they consumed all their kin here, they coul<^ survive for hundreds more years after a period of intense hibernation.
The leader snarled, baring its teeth. The alliance between the colonies, stable until now, was on the verge of disintegration.
Kue...
But just then, something fell from a nearby wall with a rustling sound.
''The legionnaires havepleted their task. Now, if you target the weakest point, you can bring down the entire 45th floor, where their main force is situated. Understood.
Kang Do Yeon stood at the designated spot, ready for the next set of instructions. The legion had manipted the upper floors using its tunneling ability, effectively weakening the ground. They had already detected many on that floor using their sensing abilities. If they could bring down the entire floor, they could incapacitate them all at once. Even the most tenacious among them wouldnt be able to resist if their bodies were crushed.
Hoo.
She exhaled, raising her sword. Her power engines, now fully replenished, kicked into gear. The energy they emitted began to condense into the sword. The crimson energy burning on the sword surged. The most potent method for the legion to unleash its firepower was to concentrate all its energy on one point and trigger an explosion. She aimed her sword at the target point. Almost simultaneously, the energy condensed in the sword was released in the form of a beam.
Ugh! fEvacuate.
The moment the beam made contact, it triggered a massive explosion, and a huge shockwave shook the area. Her power was not that strongpared to the vast hive. However, it didnt end with a simple shockwave. Following the path the legionnaires had prepared based on the legions precise calctions, the shock began to cause a chain reaction.
The structures that had been acting as pirs were shattered or burst one after another. The ceiling rained down dirt and dust with cracking sounds, and the broken walls scattered debris.
[It would be the first time since the Moonlight Elves. A being that changed the terrain of thisbyrinth.] Kuk...
In a situation where the intense vibrations made jumping difficult, Kang Do Yeon, with her senses heightened to the maximum, managed to run without falling or stumbling. She threw her body forward with all her might. She thought she heard a scream, but it was the collective noise emanating from the copsing ceiling.
''The n is a sess.
Without needing to look, she could see it. How many mutated destructive bacteria were mixed in the rubble that was now copsing with a thunderous roar?
Ugh... Get up. Did youe yourself? It was an odd thing to say, considering all the legionnaires were essentially the legion. But she couldnt help but think that way. She rose, hands sped together, and recoiled at the gleaming gaze from behind the mask.
Our first formidable adversary, yet simultaneously, the one who can bestow upon us a tremendous gift.
The legion moved past Kang Do Yeon and headed for the ruins. In these ruins, where two stem floors had merged into one, mutated destructive bacteria still lived.
Ugh!
One of them emerged from the rubble, crawling out - the leader of the Mutated Destructive Bacteria Small Colony. Its body was unusuallyrge, bearing an uncanny resemnce to a human, perhaps even a woman. However, its flesh, reimagined in the style of destructive bacteria, was far from the appearance of a typical human.
Do you really believe the strongest form is human? The human form is too frail without Formative Force.
The legion sneered. It was a creature of the same breed, its aplishments far surpassing those of the legion currently struggling to ascend thebyrinth. Yet, while the legion
had surged forward, it had remained stagnant for centuries, ultimately leading to its downfall.
Being of the same species, they understood that without continuous growth and development, they would eventually be failures, discarded, and extinct.
Do you n to fight directly?!
Kang Do Yeon was filled with dread as she grasped the legions intent. It was out of character for them to propose directbat, considering they had been manipting each of their members up until now.
Yes.
However, this time, the legion took direct control of its body. They couldnt identify a reason for this change. They simply acted on their emotions.
Then, senior... Ill take everything from you.
As the legionnaires, poised for the attack, readied themselves, the main body also gathered its strength. Kruk?!
In the climactic battle between the surviving destructive bacteria and the legion, something charged in, burrowing deep into the colony leaders body before it could react.
The twisted creature tried to extract it, but this time it wasunched from the opposite side, embedding itself in its leg. Then, it skewered its back, neck, arm, waist, and so on. The moment it flinched, it found itself riddled with something resembling a ck, sharp awl. At the end of it, a sparkling red ore radiated light.
Is that...
[The legion has developed abat method using its body through its research.]
Kang Do Yeons eyes widened in surprise. The ck awls were all ejected at once. Under the desperate screams of the destructive bacteria, dozens of awls moved simultaneously. [Using the transcendentputational power that controls the legionnaires, they simultaneously execute dozens of attacks in an instant. Now its in the form of thorns, but theres a lot of potential for development.]
The legion remained motionless, with ck and red energy emanating from the soaring awls. They carved deeper holes into the leaders body. ''Why did I harbor such emotions?
The legion deftly dodged, evading the enemys swinging hook hand. Simultaneously, a flying awl pierced the enemys chest once again.
A powerful hand flew in, but it didnt even graze them. The oue was already sealed. The more the destructive bacteria struggled, the more wounds marred its body. A new emotion.
With one hand, the legion grabbed the enemys neck and mmed it into the ground, pinning it down. Their limbs morphed, securing the enemys body firmly in ce.
The eyes of the two monsters met. Simultaneously, a fierce battle of infection ignited at their points of contact. However, the result was different this time. The infectious power of the legion began to overpower the weary and wounded destructive bacteria.
Starting from the gripped neck, ck bloodlines spread through the enemys blood vessels. They had chosen this inefficient method for a reason. Their intent to finish off the destructive bacteria with their own infection and erosion was evident.
Gah...
Disappear, you useless, obsolete trash.
Watching the enemy sumb to the ck bloodlines, a smirk involuntarily curled at the corners of their mouth. The legion was awash with a profound sense of ecstasy.
Fighting, consuming, and evolving were the legions natural instincts. There was no logical reason for them to feel ecstasy, yet they did.
This is fun.
A ripple of excitement ran through the entire legion. Given that all their emotions had been derived from their primal instincts, this was an extraordinary urrence.
[...Todays events will be recorded in history. Have you found another reason to live now?]
The war had ended. The legion had won. Since themanding unit had been destroyed, the remaining mutated destructive bacteria were no longer a group.
We must devour everything and ascend, ascend.
The legion looked up, eyes aze with anticipation. The 45th floory in ruins, and the entrance to the 46th floor beckoned from above. They sensed there was more toe; the variants couldnt possibly be this limited.
The legion yearned for more battles against the mutated destructive bacteria, eager to evolve and grow stronger with each encounter. *
[The legion has emerged victorious. The power of the destructive bacteria, once our greatest threat, is now ours.] I need to... examine this more closely... [Theres no rush. We have time.]
The legions victory was a fortunate turn of events. My faith in them hadnt been misced. Now, the most crucial factor was me.
Mr. Robert.
Ivee to express my gratitude. Thanks to you, several of our young ones survived. Are you... continuing the mission? Absolutely.
Robert entered, his face shrouded in gloom. The heavy atmosphere left no room for words.
The attack by the Underworld Terrain Dogs had been so sudden and dire that my recollection of it was hazy at best.