The Dytiscus Larva loomed in the darkness, its mandibles clicking like shears. It was blind, relying on scent and vibration. Cell and Unit One froze, pressing their bellies into the soft silt of the pond floor.
The monster passed inches above them. The pressure wave of its passing made Cell's sensitive skin crawl. It paused, sensing... something. But the scent of the dead Unit Two was gone, consumed by Unit One. With a frustrated thrash, the beetle moved on to deeper waters.
"Close," Cell thought, his heart rate normalizing. "Too close. I need an army."
With the apex predator gone, Cell emerged from the mud. The fear was gone, replaced by a ravenous need for expansion.
"Hunt," he ordered.
The next hour was a blur of calculated violence.
Cell and Unit One moved through the algae beds like wolves. They found a cluster of four tadpoles hiding in the roots.
"Unit One, flush them out."
The Goliath Vassal charged. The tadpoles scattered in panic, right into Cell's waiting jaws.
He didn't kill them all. He needed soldiers.
Snap. Inject.
Snap. Inject.
[Parasitization Successful: Unit Two (Standard) Acquired.]
[Parasitization Successful: Unit Three (Standard) Acquired.]
The remaining two were shredded by his teeth and devoured.
[Energy +120]
[Energy +115]
Cell felt his Hive expanding. The mental strain was there like a dull headache at the back of his skull, but his mental health held firm. He now had three puppets circling him.
"But this is small fry," Cell grumbled, looking at his new recruits. "I need protein. Dense protein.
His sonar picked up a flash of silver.
A Minnow.
It was a small fish, barely larger than his current host, but it was a vertebrate. It had scales, fins, and speed that shamed a tadpole.
"Target acquired," Cell signaled. "Formation Delta."
The fish was darting around, pecking at insect larvae. It was fast, far faster than Cell's bulky body. But it was stupid.
Cell positioned himself in a thick patch of weeds, becoming invisible.
"Unit One, Unit Two, Unit Three... Chase."
The three vassals charged the fish from the open water. The Minnow panicked. It turned, its tail flicking effortlessly to outpace them. It darted toward the safety of the weeds.
Right into Cell's mouth.
"Gotcha."
Cell's jaws clamped down. The Minnow thrashed, its scales slick, but the teeth dug in.
CRUNCH.
Cell didn't let go. He injected his digestive enzymes, tearing the fish apart while it was still alive.
[Prey Slaughtered: Juvenile Minnow]
[Biomass Consumed: High Quality.]
[Energy +1,500]
[Mutation Points Acquired: +2]
As the warm energy flooded his system, a new chime rang out. It was different from the usual notifications. It was louder. Triumphant.
[SYSTEM UPDATE: EXPERIENCE THRESHOLD BREACHED]
"Experience?" Cell paused, a piece of fish fin hanging from his mouth. "Explain."
[Clarification: Energy is fuel for abilities and mutations. Experience (XP) is the accumulation of combat data and biological maturity.]
[XP determines Host Level. Host Level determines Stats and Classes.]
The interface expanded, showing a new bar filling up under his health.
[MAIN HOST STATUS]
Host: Big Tadpole
Level: 5 (Tank Class Active)
XP: 45 / 250
Effect:
Tank Class Bonus: +50% Max HP, +20% Defense.
"So I'm Level 5 because I unlocked the Class," Cell noted. "And the Class gives me the stats. Simple RPG logic."
Then, a notification pinged for Unit One.
The vassal had been with him the longest. It had fought, eaten, and hunted. It seemed the system recognized its efforts.
[Vassal Evolution Available: Unit One]
[Biomass Saturation reached. Assigning Class...]
[Class Acquired: Part-Time Assassin]
"Part-Time Assassin?" Cell nearly laughed. "What kind of joke is that?"
[Class Details: Part-Time Assassin]
Host: Tadpole.
Role: Burst Damage / Scout.
Passive: When attacking from 'Stealth' or 'Blind Spots', Damage is doubled.
Drawback: Host stamina is low. After a burst attack, Speed drops by 50% for 10 seconds. (Hence, "Part-Time").
Unit One shivered. Its tail elongated, becoming more transclucent. Its eyes darkened. It looked sleeker, dangerous.
"Useful," Cell admitted. "A glass cannon to complement my tank build."
He checked his Mutation Points.
[Current MP: 2]
[Next Threshold: 10 MP]
"I need 8 more points to unlock the next tier of genetic rewriting," Cell calculated. "That means four more fish."
Cell flexed his growing legs. They were getting stronger. The "nub" stage was passing; he could feel the muscles knitting together, preparing for the day he would walk on land.
[Current Status]
Main Body (Cell): Level 5 Tank Exp:45/250. MP: 2/10.
Unit One: Level 5 Part-Time Assassin Tadpole(legs developing) Exp: 5/250.
Unit Two/Three: Level 2/3 Standard Tadpoles Exp :30/100(150).
"System," Cell projected, eyeing the murky expanse of the pond. "This Hive is unbalanced. I have a Tank and an Assassin, but no infantry. No cavalry. To conquer the water, I need a legion."
The hunt began anew.
With Unit One acting as the stealthy sheepdog, they corralled a group of tadpoles grazing near the surface. It was almost too easy. Cell's massive bulk blocked their retreat, and Unit One terrified them into submission.
Strike. Infect. Subjugate.
Three more minds joined the chorus in Cell's head.
[Hive Expanded: Unit Four (Standard) Acquired.]
[Hive Expanded: Unit Five (Standard) Acquired.]
[Hive Expanded: Unit Six (Standard) Acquired.]
"Six infantry," Cell mused, feeling the mental load increase. The headache throbbed, a constant reminder of his growing dominion. "Level 3... weak, but numerous. Now, we need speed."
He turned his attention to the open water. The Minnows.
He had eaten one, but eating them was wasteful when he could weaponize them. Two silver flashes darted through the reeds, chasing a cloud of daphnia.
"Formation: Net," Cell commanded.
The strategy was simple. Units Two through Six formed a wide semi-circle, blocking the path to the deep water. They weren't fast enough to catch a fish, but they were big enough to be an obstacle.
Cell and Unit One hid in the dense weeds below.
As the minnows darted past, the "Net" of tadpoles surged forward, thrashing wildly. Confused by the sudden wall of flesh, the two fish braked and turned, diving straight down to avoid the surface trap.
"Now!"
Unit One shot out like a dart, slashing the gills of the smaller minnow. The fish spun out, disoriented.
Simultaneously, Cell launched his massive frame at the larger minnow. He didn't bite to kill; he slammed his body against it, stunning it with sheer mass, then clamped his jaws over its dorsal fin.
[Parasitize (Hivemind)]
[Target: Juvenile Minnow (Lvl 4)]
[Resistance: Medium]
The fish struggled, vibrating violently in Cell's jaw, but the connection snapped into place.
[Subject Acquired: Unit Seven.]
Meanwhile, the smaller minnow, bleeding and dazed by Unit One, was pinned against the mud by the rest of the tadpole swarm. Cell swam over and finished the job.
[Subject Acquired: Unit Eight.]
"Excellent," Cell thought, feeling the new sensory inputs. He could feel the water flow differently through the lateral lines of the fish. They were twitchy, fast, and fragile.
"Cavalry acquired."
But the commotion had attracted attention. A large Crayfish emerged from a rock crevice, claws clicking, eyeing the wounded group.
"Perfect," Cell grinned, baring his teeth. "EXP delivery."
"Kill."
The Hive descended. The fish darted in to nip at the Crayfish's eyestalks, blinding it. The tadpoles swarmed its legs. Unit One struck the soft joints of its armor. Cell delivered the crushing blow to the carapace.
They tore it apart, along with two other slow-moving tadpoles that had wandered too close to the battle.
[Biomass Consumed.]
[Energy +450]
[Mutation Points +2]
[EXP Thresholds Breached Across Hive.]
A cascade of notifications filled Cell's vision.
[Unit Two & Unit Three have reached Level 5.]
[Class Selection Available.]
"Assign," Cell ordered instantly. "Unit Two has aggression issues. Make him a Brawler. Unit Three took a hit from that Crayfish without flinching. Make him a Guardian."
[Class Assigned: Unit Two -> Brawler]
Passive: Attack Speed increases as HP decreases.
[Class Assigned: Unit Three -> Meat Shield]
Passive: 'Taunt'. Can release a pheromone that draws aggro from predators.
Cell felt the power surge through the network. His army was evolving.
"Status Report," Cell commanded. "Show me the Legion."
[HIVE STATUS]
[Main Body: Big Tadpole (Tank)]
Level: 7
EXP: 10 / 450
MP: 4 / 10
Notes: Legs fully functional for short bursts. Lungs developing.
[The Elites]
Unit One: Level 6 Part-Time Assassin. (EXP: 160/350).
[The Cavalry (Fish)]
Unit Seven (Minnow): Level 4. (EXP: 50/200).
Unit Eight (Minnow): Level 4. (EXP: 50/200).
[The Infantry]
Unit Two (Standard): Level 5 Brawler.
Unit Three (Standard): Level 5 Meat Shield.
Unit Four (Standard): Level 3. (EXP: 20/150).
Unit Five (Standard): Level 3. (EXP: 60/150).
Unit Six (Standard): Level 3. (EXP: 40/150).
"Level 7," Cell murmured, testing his weight on the pond floor. He could feel the ground beneath his feet now, not just his belly.
"And 4 Mutation Points. I need 6 more to reach the next evolutionary tier."
He looked at his two silver Minnows circling above, and his six tadpole soldiers forming a perimeter.
"The pond is shrinking," Cell declared to his subjects. "And we are still hungry."