Ch.1414. Hive Factory

“······I’m ruined.”

After defeating the Raptor that suddenly invaded our base, I’m racking my brain over the devastating damage it inflicted on us.

Over 40% of our monsters—more than 3,700—have perished, and our internal facilities have been completely devastated by the Raptor and Giant Armor.

The floor is in shambles due to indiscriminately fired energy cannons, half of the psychic amplifiers are destroyed, and most facilities are in an overloaded state.

Therefore, I had to make a decision.

Whether to use part of the vast energy I’ve accumulated for evolution to repair the damage, or to evolve into a Rank 4 monster right now.

······Of course, the answer was predetermined from the beginning.

Now that it’s confirmed that the Jaga-tan’s molting effect is meaningless in some cases, I absolutely needed to develop countermeasures against intermediate-level monsters and above.

[Hive Core (Rank 7) has evolved into Hive Factory (Rank 4).]

That’s why I chose to evolve.

Specifically, I evolved into a Hive Mind specialized in monster production—a Hive Factory—so that I could quickly restore my monster legion with less energy.

※ ※ ※

The moment I chose to evolve, the first part to begin changing was, naturally, my main body.

Unlike my previous form, which resembled an overturned ripe persimmon, the Hive Factory transformed as that persimmon-like flesh split open to reveal a flower-like structure inside.

Additionally, the gene pool expanded to more than twice its original size, various facilities grew significantly, and above all, my status became much more powerful.

Name :: ???

Race :: Hive Factory

Rank :: 4

Level :: 41

Stats

Strength :: 0

Agility :: 0

Vitality :: 100

Intelligence :: 100

Resistance :: 500

Energy :: 500

Command :: 500

Traits (41/???)

Monster Gene (EX), Predator (B), Composure (A), Hive Mind (B), Versatile Psychic User (B), Subjugated Species Control (B)

*Expand

Skills (36/???)

*Expand

Basic traits and psychic skills that have risen to Rank B, overwhelming stats befitting a boss monster, and finally, my own ascension to Rank 4.

In other words, I’ve obtained specs that could officially classify me as a threat to humanity.

‘······Well then, let’s get started.’

Now that I’ve completed my evolution, I planned to break down the Raptor’s corpse to obtain genes and nutrients, then use those nutrients to create my first intermediate-level monster.

Creating an intermediate monster would require me to pour in all my nutrients, but if the monster I create can hunt other intermediate monsters, I could accept such a loss.

‘Alright, let’s begin.’

Using the nutrients obtained by pushing the accumulated lower-rank monster corpses into the digestive gland with the Giant Armor, I decided to create an intermediate monster using an original method.

In the game, Hive Mind’s intermediate monsters are classified into heavily armored types with thick plating and large builds, high-speed mobile types with small builds and tremendous speed, and special types that focus on abilities like psychic powers.

While the game defines them this way for balance and battlefield roles······in reality, there’s no need to be constrained by such classifications.

So my first intermediate monster will essentially be a living weapon made of cells that’s not much different from human weaponry, despite being called a “monster.”

The design is modeled after a turtle. This turtle, covered in thick armor and walking on four equally armored legs, would have weapons mounted on its shell.

A large-caliber Energy Blaster (C) that can fire in all directions, and over a dozen Laser Shooters (C) for dealing with mobs.

Due to capacity limitations, I had to expand its vessel to Rank 5 during production. This intermediate monster is called the Hive Tank.

Hive Tank

Rank :: 5

Level :: 41

Stats

Strength :: 205

Agility :: 65

Vitality :: 341

Intelligence :: 20

Resistance :: 255

Energy :: 100

Command :: 0

Traits

Monster Gene (E), Predator (C), Hive Mind (C), Subjugation (EX), Bio Core (C), Bio Heavy Armor (C), Psychic Resistance (C), Tireless Stamina (D), Monstrous Strength (D), Regeneration (D)

Skills

Rapid Regeneration (C), Endurance (C), Concentrated Fire (D)

Bio Weapons

Energy Blaster (C), Laser Shooter (C)

Over 5 meters in height, hundreds of weapons mounted on its shell, and internal space for troop transport.

It may be called a tank, but it’s closer to an infantry fighting vehicle or armored personnel carrier in function.

······Well, in reality, it’s just a copy of a monster I often saw in the game with various additions slapped on.

Anyway, this completed Hive Tank is ready for immediate deployment········or rather, not quite.

The more accurate role of this enthusiastically created monster is closer to a mobile fortress. Of course, it wouldn’t stand out too much in this mountainous region of Gangwon Province (presumably) with its dozens-of-meters-tall trees….

Even considering that, it’s too slow to be used for hunting, except perhaps in a full-scale battle.

Besides, there’s no passage to send it outside in the current situation.

‘······Sigh, can’t be helped.’

Therefore, I reluctantly disposed of the newly created monster by putting it in the digestive gland and began designing a monster specifically for hunting other monsters.

My target is a monster roughly the size of a Hunter Raptor. Taking the existing Raptor’s body structure, I began creating an agile hunter monster that embodied my ideal.

Since the monster I’m creating is a low-cost mass-production type for hunting, I lowered the nutrient consumption from Rank 5 to Rank 6, and completely twisted the body structure for overall flexible mobility to navigate between trees.

I equipped it with Armored Scales (D) to compensate for insufficient defense, removed Anti-Psychic (D) which would break the Hive Mind’s control, and added additional traits instead.

Finally, after filling in the orthodox hunter combination genes and inserting the bio-weapons provided by becoming a Hive Factory, it was complete.

Hive Raptor

Rank :: 6

Level :: 41

Stats

Strength :: 85

Agility :: 155

Vitality :: 127

Intelligence :: 45

Resistance :: 55

Energy :: 65

Command :: 50

Traits

Monster Gene (E), Predator (C), Hive Mind (C), Subjugation (EX), Bio Core (C), Born Hunter (C), Cooperative Hunting (D), Tireless Stamina (D), Energy Conductive Skeleton (D), Armored Scales (D)

Skills

Pursuit (C), Psychic Detection (D), Ambush (D)

Bio Weapons

Hunter Claw (C), Shock Lance (C)

The Hive Raptor was a versatile monster that downgraded the Hunter Raptor while compensating for several weaknesses.

Designed from the start to compensate for its lower-tier Rank 6 stats through cooperative tactics, it also featured a secret weapon the Hunter Raptor lacked—the bio-weapon Shock Lance (C).

The Shock Lance (C), added in Season 3 to counter the dominant slow-but-powerful builds in PVP, is a derivative of the Shock Cannon that fires shockwaves and serves as a close-range anti-tank weapon.

Typically shaped like a spear blade as its name suggests, it works by releasing a shockwave from the blade when thrust, dealing high penetration damage that ignores defense.

Though it seems disposable, it’s actually the psychic energy that explodes, not the blade itself, so it can be reused with recharging. The explosion can also be sealed to use it as a high-powered melee weapon.

The Hive Raptor’s setup was close to the orthodox player hunting build—keeping the Shock Lance (C) as a trump card while normally fighting with the Hunter Claw (C) on its legs.

‘I reduced the production cost as much as I could, but········four of them?’

I was surprised that I could produce four intermediate monsters from the nutrients of a single Hive Tank, despite lowering their performance for cost-effectiveness········but I’m not complaining.

Anyway, it didn’t take long for the Hive Raptors to be produced. The floor flesh swelled into fairly large cocoons, and it took only about 10 minutes for those cocoons to split open and reveal the Hive Raptors.

Crack!

Screech, screeech!

The raptors that emerged from the split cocoons observed their surroundings with low growls. As I watched them for a moment, about to order them to go outside and hunt—

‘······Oh.’

Through the Hive Mind, which had improved significantly after becoming a Rank 4 monster, a signal and information were transmitted to my main body’s consciousness.

[This place is still a living hell······.]

[Why are you getting all emotional? Let’s finish the job and get out of here.]

[Yes, understood.]

‘This is········.’

It was a pair of humans—hunters, by my estimation—armed with equipment and weapons made from monster materials, accidentally discovered by my Hive Scout on patrol.