I Became a Hive Mind in the Game

Now that enough energy has been gathered to evolve from Hive Core to a higher Hive Mind, there’s something I must choose.

And that choice is none other than what type of Hive Mind to evolve into.

There are a total of 3 types to choose from. One is Hive Factory, another is Elder Hive Core, and the last one is Hive Brain.

All three are monsters evaluated as grade 4 medium-grade monsters, and the classification criterion is also “what are they specialized in?”

Hive Factory is a Hive Mind specialized in monster production, and Hive Brain is a Hive Mind specialized in psychic use.

In addition, Elder Hive Core is a balanced type with moderate investment in both sides, and the monster type chosen here has a big impact on when I evolve to grade 1 in the future.

Of course, regardless of what I evolved into at grade 4, most become Hive Queens, but still—

—Kishaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

Just as I was continuing my thoughts. Suddenly, a loud cry echoed through the cave, right inside the base where the main body was located.

Surprised by this situation that was enough to startle me, I hurriedly sensed the surroundings and found that a considerable number of monsters monitoring this area were dead, and at the same time, something was hanging from the ceiling near the entrance of the cave located on the cliff.

An appearance resembling a theropod dinosaur, with a body about 5 meters long. A blade at the end of its long tail, and front legs large enough for a theropod to enable quadrupedal locomotion.

There was no doubt. This monster was a grade 5 Hunter Raptor.

Why on earth is this thing here?!

While I was flustered by the sudden appearance of a medium-grade monster, naturally, the Hunter Raptor didn’t politely wait for me.

Kishaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

Crunch!

With a roar, it charged, instantly running along the ceiling while skillfully destroying the psychic amplifiers.

Tail, hind legs, front legs, and teeth. As it continuously swung the sharp claws and spikes at its extremities, there’s no way the psychic amplifiers with a structure similar to water balloons could withstand it.

But what I judged to be most important about this was just one thing: the fact that it was prioritizing the destruction of psychic amplifiers instead of aiming for the main body.

Psychic amplifiers not only amplify psychic energy but also play a role in supporting nearby monsters by sharing vision or acting as a medium for energy transfer.

Considering these things, it undoubtedly meant that it had fought a Hive Mind before, so I came to my senses and hurriedly began psychic attacks and monster summoning simultaneously.

‘Gather!’

[Psychokinesis (D) has been activated.]

I briefly considered activating Psychic Amplification (D), but since it seemed like a long battle was predicted, I gave up on that and went on the offensive directly.

I cast a psychic attack using the most familiar method of widely deploying psychokinesis and then instantly compressing it to simultaneously restrain and attack—but there was a problem.

Beeeep…

It was the phenomenon of psychokinesis touching the Hunter Raptor’s body suddenly turning into psychic energy and disappearing, and seeing this, I finally remembered the Hunter Raptor’s characteristic that I had forgotten.

That ‘trait’ that usually acts as a double-edged sword for players but is very annoying when monsters have it.

It was Anti-Psychic, the higher trait of Psychic Resistance.

‘…Shit, why does it have that?!’

Anti-Psychic, simply put, means possessing a unique constitution or property that literally repels psychics.

The moment an individual has this trait, they cannot use psychics themselves, and in high ranks, their mere existence can seal psychic phenomena in the surrounding area.

Very fortunately, the Hunter Raptor’s Anti-Psychic rank was about D rank numerically, only neutralizing psychics directly applied to itself… but in the current situation, this alone is enough of a hindrance.

‘Damn it… Activate!’

Therefore, I activated the Giant Armor that I had been saving, and then made the monsters that had just arrived charge at it to buy time.

And just as I was about to start the startup preparations by connecting to the monster inside the Giant Armor.

Crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch—

Pshh! Pook! Pshh!

Following my orders, the monsters were throwing themselves to buy time.

At first glance, it might seem irrational and stupid, but it was part of a rational strategy devised by a brain with an intelligence of 50, considering the characteristics of the Hunter Raptor.

The Hunter Raptor is a very orthodox beast-type monster. It has high endurance and excellent agility, high close combat ability, but low defense and no unique special skills.

In other words, it can be called a hunter-type monster designed to absolutely win in attrition battles against single individuals who are moderately weaker than itself, which is why there’s no way to quickly take down large numbers of small fry.

Meanwhile, most of the monsters I’ve gathered are still alive and mainly grade 8-9. In other words, if we keep pushing with these forces that aren’t too precious to sacrifice, even the high-endurance Hunter Raptor will reach its limit.

Cough, cough, cough, cough…

No matter how high its vitality is, with low defense, it’s natural to get tired after fighting enemies coming from all directions for 20 minutes.

Of course, a grade 5 monster was a grade 5 monster. The Hunter Raptor killed about half of the monsters under my control by itself and pushed them to the brink of annihilation, but this seemed to be its limit as it was hanging from the ceiling, gasping for breath.

‘Fire!’

Woong—Boom! Bang!

And towards the Hunter Raptor hanging from the ceiling, the giant steel monster—Giant Armor—that had been waiting quietly in the corner aimed its short-range energy cannons attached to its arms and fired.

Kieeeeeeeeek—!!!!

The Hunter Raptor hurriedly dodged the maximum output energy shell fired from the left barrel and then roared, looking at what had attacked it—and showed clear signs of bewilderment.

For a monster that had lived its whole life hunting beast-type monsters and occasionally eating Hive Minds, witnessing such a giant steel giant was enough to shock it.

Ratatatatatatat—!!!!

Boom boom boom boom boom—!!!!

And what flies towards the Hunter Raptor are low-output energy bullets fired in rapid succession from the right barrel and high-output lasers fired from the machine guns.

If the Hunter Raptor hadn’t been tired, it would have naturally dodged all the bullets pouring down here while mounting the Giant Armor and swinging its barrier-coated claws at vulnerable areas.

But it had been in intense combat for a full 20 minutes without a moment’s rest. Even though there were no direct injuries to its body, its movements were not normal due to issues like stamina.

Therefore, the Hunter Raptor, perhaps in a final struggle, gathered the barriers extracted from inside its body to thickly cover its body until it glowed blue to protect itself—and then charged straight at my main body!

‘—Damn it!’

The flying lasers and low-output energy bullets can’t penetrate the barrier. To pierce that barrier, at least a maximum output energy bullet would be needed, but there’s no way to hit a raptor moving that fast.

The 7-meter class Giant Armor clad in heavy armor is very sluggish, so before it could even aim, my main body, which is very vulnerable to physical attacks, would be torn apart.

So I had to squeeze out a solution somehow.

‘Amplify!’

[Psychokinesis (D) has been activated.]
[Psychic Amplification (D) has been activated.]
[Psychic Amplification (D) has been activated.]
[Psychic Amplification (D) has been activated.]

Although their numbers had decreased due to the raptor, I first raised the rank and power of psychokinesis using the psychic amplifiers that were still remaining.

[Psychokinesis (D->B) has been activated.]

And while extending this amplified psychokinetic energy towards the raptor, considering its Anti-Psychic, instead of attacking it directly—I attacked the barrier protecting its body.

Crack! Crackle!

With a sound like thin glass breaking, the barrier cracked and tore, and the pieces of the barrier that fell off the body lost control and scattered.

Ratatatatatatat!!!!

Boom boom boom boom boom!!!!

And as the barrier disintegrated and the raptor lost its shield, another barrage of fire poured down, starting to grind away at its body bit by bit.

The laser machine guns mounted on the 7-meter tall giant bipedal war machine were, despite being called machine guns, essentially no different from autocannons.

Three of these, plus energy shells, each hit potentially fatal, flying from energy cannons with barrels as big as my human-era body.

‘Keeee, keeeeeeek—!!!’

In the fire net formed in an instant, the raptor slowly began to disintegrate. When the shells made of pure energy detonate upon impact, softening the skin, the high-penetration lasers pierce through that part.

In an instant, the raptor’s tail and left hind leg were torn off, but even so, true to its tenacious nature as a monster, it was somehow still wriggling, demonstrating its vitality.

Boom—Bang!

Of course, the raptor, having lost its mobility, couldn’t dodge the incoming maximum output energy shell, nor could it withstand the attack, dying in one hit.

[Level has increased.]
[Level has increased.]
[Level has increased.]