"Commander!"

Hearing Lee Sang-ah's call for help, I immediately led my troops back to the ammunition battalion.

We couldn't abandon our expansion efforts in Chuncheon, so we only brought a limited number of troops. Thankfully, I had prepared a significant amount of combat rations in advance, so the operation there could continue on its own.

Travel between cities wasn't easy, but thanks to our secured subway route, we managed to return to the ammunition battalion after a few days of hard marching.

'It's changed quite a bit.'

Looking at the familiar scenery of the battalion, I noticed how different it had become. Originally, aside from the large grounds, the place had been just another worn-out military base. Now, massive walls that looked sturdy enough to withstand anything surrounded it.

'It's been weeks since the unit left to conquer the dungeon.'

Although not many combat-type Awakened had stayed behind, we did have a fair number of engineers and other support roles.

Engineers capable of superhuman feats of construction had worked tirelessly, and this was their result.

"What’s going on?"

I addressed the soldiers who had come to meet us. Despite the impressive fortifications, things looked deceptively peaceful.

"Well, it's better if you see for yourself."

Puzzled, I followed the soldiers inside the base.

"Commander? I’m sorry, we weren’t expecting you so soon."

We soon encountered the battalion’s overseer, [The Seamstress] Lee Sang-ah. She held a pair of oversized scissors—far larger than her usual dual-wielded weapons. These scissors looked more suited for trimming tree branches than for tailoring.

"…What are you doing?"

"Just as it appears."

Snip.

"I'm cutting trees."

She was snipping at trees with her giant scissors. More accurately, she was cutting through—

"The jungle…?"

The jungle covered not just the base but the entire mountain range behind it.

---

The ammunition battalion, ASP, stored various explosives, which meant buildings were spaced far apart to avoid chain reactions in case of detonation. The sheer size of the base was much larger than usual.

‘The rear ammunition storage areas are said to be several times the size of Seoul National University.’

The forward-deployed battalion might not have been that large, but it still had vast grounds that were hard to defend fully. Our forces occupied only a portion of the site.

"Two-thirds of the battalion's territory has been overtaken?"

"Yes... Unfortunately."

Most of the ammunition battalion's grounds, aside from what we actively used, had been consumed by that jungle.

"How did this happen?"

"Not ‘how’ exactly. It was just there one day."

I listened as I glanced around. Originally, the base’s boundaries ended at a line of low mountains. 

‘I knew something looked different.’

What used to be sparse, dry forest with visible paths had become a dense jungle teeming with enormous trees.

“If this had developed gradually, we’d have noticed. But it appeared overnight.”

“We sent word the very next day.”

The other soldiers nodded in disbelief. It was hard to fathom an entire jungle emerging overnight.

“Even if there were a monster capable of such a feat, there’s no way we wouldn’t have detected it approaching the base.”

The ammunition battalion had a functioning surveillance system, developed over time. Yet, this incident bypassed all of it.

“It wasn’t like it just dropped from the sky out of nowhere...”

Then a thought struck me:

[The enemy will only grow stronger with time. Be prepared.]

It was what the pope had said as a warning before he died. I had assumed he meant that existing monsters would become more powerful.

‘But then again, monsters did appear out of thin air, didn’t they?’

From the monsters that emerged on Doomsday to those that spawned when the Chuncheon dungeon closed, they all appeared as if they’d always been there.

‘Even now, it wouldn’t be surprising if monsters were still being summoned somewhere we can’t see.’

Perhaps that’s what this jungle was—a new, sudden threat. If so, it made sense that our surveillance system failed to catch it.

“We considered burning it, but the risk seemed too high.”

“Of course. If the jungle’s covering most of the base…”

“There’s a good chance the flames would spread to the nearby villages, causing massive damage.”

It had taken great effort to secure and stabilize the base and surrounding areas. Setting the jungle ablaze and risking the villages wasn’t an option.

“So, we’re doing this.”

Snip.

“We’re cutting back the growth as it approaches.”

Lee Sang-ah, with her [Scissor Proficiency], wielded massive shears to trim the encroaching trees. Looking around, I saw other soldiers using saws to chop back the advancing jungle.

“Do they attack?”

“Not unless we go deeper in.”

So, there was a boundary that triggered aggression. 

“That’s intense.”

I turned to my troops. “Help out.”

“Ah, yes.”

The soldiers I’d brought grimaced.

‘Oh.’

I knew what they were thinking. This job felt uncomfortably similar to one of the most hated tasks back in the barracks.

“We’re cutting weeds, huh…”

“We’re Awakened now. This should be easy—if only it were just weeds.”

Well, it was what it was. 

---

“Phew… This is tiring.”

Even the Awakened soldiers, who should have been far stronger, were sweating from the effort of clearing trees. Lee Sang-ah’s face glistened with sweat.

“Hold on.”

“Yes?”

I reached into my shadow and pulled out a special ingredient.

[The Cold Horn of Samiran]

It was one of the various monster parts I’d stored after the city Awakened brought them in. 

‘This one wasn’t a mage, but it could shoot ice.’

The horn was cold, emitting an eerie chill.

Crack.

I broke off a piece of the horn with my knife, filled a cup with water, and added the horn fragment and a bit of syrup.

[Cooking complete.]

[Mid-level chef’s refreshing Samiran drink.]

It had various effects—temperature regulation, enhanced cold affinity, reduced fatigue…

“Drink.”

“Oh, thank you…”

The most important feature, though, was its cooling, sweet taste.

“Ahh!”

I’d made it a few times back in Chuncheon. It wasn’t bad for recharging after sweating it out.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had one of your meals, Commander.”

“Not sure if it counts as a meal.”

After drinking it, she seemed refreshed. Now, aside from this jungle, I wanted to catch up on what I’d missed.

“Is that man still unconscious?”

“Yes. He’s reportedly much healthier but still hasn’t woken up.”

The man who’d escaped from the dungeon was still out cold. 

Plenty to ask him, but that would have to wait.

“The bunker and surrounding villages have grown, and more people are inquiring about joining the guild.”

“That’s good.”

I asked more questions about recent developments, and it seemed everything was running smoothly—at least until the jungle showed up.

“Ahem, are you still the same cook… or should I call you Commander now?”

While Lee Sang-ah and I talked, a familiar figure approached.

“Chul-wook, sir.”

“Haha, you can call me whatever’s comfortable.”

I remembered him well. He was the farmer Awakened who supplied our vegetables.

But something seemed different. His request to address me informally and his attire…

“Oh, I mentioned we had more people wanting to join, right? He’s one of them.”

“Oh, really?”

This was surprising. Joining our unit came with benefits, but most shied away because we were constantly on the front lines against monsters. People preferred paying a protection fee to stay safe. Chul-wook had been the same, but now…

“Living here changed my mind.”

He scratched his head.

“I was put off by the idea of military conscription, but over time, I noticed the soldiers’ faces weren’t that bad off. Besides, I’ll keep farming, so it shouldn’t be too dangerous.”

“What about your group? The people you led…”

“The village is stable now.”

Even without him, they were self-sufficient. His joining meant our unit’s image had improved significantly. That was positive.

But…

“Actually… I wanted to tell you something now that you’re here.”

This wasn’t just a social visit.

“That jungle—it’s not just any jungle.”

“Well, anyone can see that.”

“No, it’s more than meets the eye!”

What was he getting at?

“My instincts as a [Novice Farmer] are telling me something’s growing in there that would ignite a farmer’s soul!”

…That’s intriguing.

---

“Whew.”

“Be careful.”

One soldier cautiously stepped into the jungle.

Crash…!

“Argh!”

The roots that had been slowly spreading suddenly surged toward him. He barely pulled back in time, sweating and staring at the roots.

“We tried sending people inside, but… that’s what happens.”

“Hmmm.”

Cutting back the outer edges didn’t trigger a reaction, but any deeper and the jungle turned aggressive.

“Clearing trees as we go might let us advance, but I doubt those trees are the main body.”

“How do you know?”

“I didn’t get an experience notification.”

I see.

Chopping through trees would just tire our troops without yielding any real progress.

So…

“Hmm.”

I turned and walked back to a regular tree on base, snapping off a branch.

“Commander?”

“Hold on.”

I threw the branch into the jungle, adding a spin for distance.

“…”

“What are you doing…?”

No reaction.

So, not motion-based.

Next, I pulled a chunk of meat from my shadow.

Whoosh!

It was a waste of food

, but necessary.

As soon as the meat hit, roots swarmed.

I see.

Branches? No response. Meat? Aggressive response.

“Living or not, it doesn’t matter. It’s whether it’s plant-based.”

“Oh…!”

The troops seemed to understand now.

That’s how the jungle identified targets.

“But…”

“Does knowing this change anything?”

None of us were plants.

Fair enough. But it wasn’t entirely pointless.

‘If it’s not just motion-based, there’s a way.’

[Blue Droplet Jelly]

[Would you like to activate Absolute Taste’s second effect?]

[Temporary trait - Environmental Assimilation.]

“Oh!”

Lee Sang-ah gasped when she saw me pop the jelly in my mouth.

“You’re not planning something dangerous, are you…?!”

“Bingo.”

According to Chul-wook, something significant was inside. Likely the cause of all this.

Burning the jungle was a last resort. I had to check it out myself.

[Environmental Assimilation]

My body blended seamlessly with the surroundings, essentially camouflaging me. It wasn’t just for stealth; I was part of the environment now.

Step.

I moved my boot into the jungle.

The defensive roots didn’t react.

“C-Commander!? Wait! It’s too dangerous!”

Ignoring the worried calls, I advanced deeper into the jungle.

---

Rustle…

The trees might not attack, but moving through the dense growth was difficult.

‘Man… I want to just cut my way through.’

The jungle was far too thick, with no paths for humans. Pushing forward took its toll. 

Resting for a moment on a nearby branch, I surveyed the scenery.

“Impressive.”

Massive trees like ones you’d see in a documentary. It was surreal how quickly it had changed.

Still, it was beautiful, but…

‘To create this, what kind of monster must it be?’

After a brief break, I forced my way through the trees, heading for what I guessed was the center. That’s where I’d find the cause of all this.

After a long trek—

‘Smoke?’

Through the trees, I saw a faint, mist-like trail.

No, not smoke.

[Combat Power Gauge]

The magic aura monsters emitted, made visible. 

I froze as I realized what I was seeing.

“...Blue.”

The color of that aura was intense.