Chapter 4: Endless Expansion (1)

Chapter 4: Endless Expansion (1)

[Cave Python: 1C1601]

[One-eyed lumping Spider: ld0080]

Even after ascending to the upper levels the legion devoured and annihilated everything in sights increasing the acquired gene pool. They thoroughly consumed the mushrooms and moss colonies, which had a semblance of life energy.

[Since you no longer provide energy, the legion, which had been freely emitting energy, began to worry about energy efficiency.]

"I should have done it earlier.

[If efficiency is prioritized, combat power inevitably decreases. The number of soldiers decreases, and expansion slows down.]

"We're not short on time.

If I were to thoughtlessly snap photos in places such as supermarkets and feed them whatever was available, the situation would be different. However, they had to find the answers themselves. Fortunately, despite their lack of a proper brain structure, these creatures were surprisingly intelligent.

[Of course. The size of our legion itself is our brain.]

"Why are you so smug?

I was sprawled out on the bed. Today was a day off. I was supposed to study, but I couldn't concentrate.

"What races did other players choose? Wolves? Rabbits or something like that?

[The variety is immense. There are even sentient beings.]

"...What?Follow current novels at novelhall.com)

I asked casually, but the answer was quite shocking. Sentient beings? Weren't we all raising animals?

[I said it was diverse. I meant it.]

"But isn't that unfair?

Some are raising cells, while others are raising civilizations.

[That, no one can definitively say.]

He was adamant. I honestly didn't understand, but I kept my mouth shut. Whining wouldn't change anything. In the end, I neatly folded my thoughts about other players.

[The legion has redefined efficiency.]

They kept thinking and experimenting. They set a new policy for the current problem they were facing. That's right. I wanted them to be as self-sufficient as possible.

[They find the optimal number by adjusting the number of soldiers and increasing the combat power per individual. Some nests that have already completed their growth have devised a way to save energy drastically by entering a dormant state.]

They were armed with new methods they found themselves. Of course, the conquest and predation did not stop. The second level was almost in our hands. Our territory was expanding on the updated map.

[The main creatures of the third level are vertebrates. We needed powerful soldiers to hunt them.]

I brought some cola and snacks to watch. It seemed more like a documentary than a game. I remembered the fun of ant farming when I was young.

[We can't produce results beyond the data we've obtained, but we can combine and manipulate it.]

The most terrifying thing was that compared to a mere beast, we were a swarm. The legion, which moved as a group with a single purpose, produced soldiers for 'war'. It was beyond hunting. With different types of soldiers for each role, I didn't think we would lose unless we were crushed by an overwhelmingly physical force like a bear breaking a beehive, even if we reduced the number.

We moved through thorough reconnaissance. The next level was a place where all the decent creatures lived, so gradually increasing the size was the optimal condition.

[Once again, it's time to hunt.]

I resolved to use my ability more assertively. The creature was particularly vexing to have in my house. As a cleanliness fanatic, the sight of a cockroach would have been unthinkable. However, this back mountain was a different story.

I picked up the camera, a frantic determination coursing through me. I believed that if I took enough pictures, something would stick. After all, we were in a position to catch any bug that fell our way.

[Hold on, that's not a good approach.]

"Huh?

[Don't just snap pictures randomly.]

lust as I was about to press the shutter, I was tackled.

[Your account level is still 1, so there are restrictions on ability usage.]

"I wasn't aware of that.

[There was no need to tell you.]

...This guy?

However, the restriction made sense. If I were a powerful aristocrat who ignored morality and laws to abuse my abilities, it would be ridiculously unfair, lust imagine the chaos if I immediately spent money to buy meat in warehouse quantities and sent it off.

"Tell me these things in advance. So, what can I do now?

[At level 1, you can provide up to 10 samples and can provide a maximum of 20kg of feed per day.]

"...I think I understand why you've always pursued high efficiency.

It was a quite realistic restriction. It made me understand why he despised wastefulness. It was best to exclude things that could be obtained locally, like water.

"Alright. So far, we have ants, flies, spiders, bees, dung beetles... butterflies and pigeons...

[You have 3 chances left.]

"Sigh.

Taking a single picture was hard. I turned on the flash and approached a fallen tree halfway up the back mountain. While many people were taking night walks along the perimeter path at the level of the mountain, I used the flash to closely examine the tree surface.

I was looking for termites, insects that feed on wood. I've seen people on YouTube just go to the mountains and catch them randomly.

"What? Why?

[It would be better to look for termites later. For now, just observe.]

An alarm rang. I had dismissed it lightly, but it was something I couldn't ignore.

[On the fourth floor, which we targeted, there was another swarm. These were creatures that our initial aerial reconnaissance failed to detect. They primarily inhabit underground and on the ground.]

"Ants?

The explanation alone suggested they were ants. On the screen, creatures were confronting our scouts, who resembled hornets and were clicking their jaws on the ground.

Despite their large size, their overall form-comprising a head, chest, and abdomen-was akin to ants.

[Don't underestimate them. Their legion is the ruler of the fourth floor.]

Suddenly, the white ant confronting us opened its jaws wide and spewed out a liquid like a cannon. The liquid struck the scout.

The part it hit instantly melted away in a puff of smoke, leaving me speechless with shock.