Chương 4: Going Colonial

Andy woke (He wasn't really asleep so much as targeted disassociating) feeling much better. [CELLULAR WALL INTEGRITY 100%] The area around him was filled with organic structures and plenty of prey to try out his new pseudopods on. Andy began the Loop again: locate prey, attack, eat, when his energy was full he would divide.

He had long since lost count of how many times he'd used [DIVIDE] The only thing keeping him sane was talking aloud to his horn and naming attacks like an overexcited anime protagonist who had suffered catastrophic brain damage. Mostly dirty jokes.

"I call this one The Reach Around." Two pseudopods lashed out, wrapping around the unsuspecting cell before yanking it backward directly onto his horn. pop sploosh.

"Once more the horny eukaryote has perfect execution." As he pulled up seemingly well out of reach of the group of cells he claimed,"This one is The Long Stroke" and thrust several pseudopods out in each direction at once. They extended more than four times his body length and each stuck onto their targets.

"Oh, yeah. That's the good stuff." The prey panicked (mostly chemically since they didn't have brains to truly panic) writhing helplessly as Andy reeled them in one by one.

"And the finisher, "The Prince Albert" He announced as he shishkabobbed the organisms onto what he considered his head. Andy paused after absorbing the last of the nutrients.

"It just occurred to me that I might be losing my mind." [THE SYSTEM CONCURS] Andy startled. It had been a long time since the system responded to anything other than experience gains.

"System? System?" [XP: 97/200] By this time Andy had explored a long long way from where he'd been flung, but he felt like he was getting closer to the crinoid and then he was able to sense it. He'd made it back. He felt the familiar currents as each tentacle pulled organics into its center mouth. This time, Andy wouldn't be defeated so easily. Andy drifted casually over into the path of the crinoids closest tentacle. He allowed himself to be pulled up and into the ambulacral groove.

This time though Andy knew how to injure it. He thrust downward piercing the thin membrane, similar to before. He used his long, and sticky pseudo pods to drag himself down its length. The tentacle was writhing trying to get Andy off. [CELLULAR WALL INTEGRITY 95%] Still, Andy pulled himself forward ripping the tentacle arm open like a baked potato. Nutrients were spilling out into the water and attracting more organisms. He made it again to the center disc where the mouth lay.

Scar tissue had formed from their last encounter He braced himself with four sticky pseudopods and used a reverse technique of The Long Stroke. He extended the tentacles upwards while they remained anchored to the crinoid. And then he contracted his tentacles, horn aimed downward and accelerating very quickly toward the sensitive center flesh. All of the crinoids' tentacles, except the very damaged one, snapped inwards again just like in his first encounter. He was prepared for this.

Andy extended sharp pseudopods out around him like a porcupine so when the tentacle came down to squash him it also took damage. [CELLULAR WALL INTEGRITY 80%] The arms flung outward scattering all of the foreign objects away from itself. All, that is, except Andy who was holding on tightly. He used the opportunity to disengage and move thirty degrees around the center disc. The mouth was opening and closing trying to suck Andy inside. Tentacles were battering him.

[CELLULAR WALL INTEGRITY 60%] Andy knew it was getting weaker, he knew he could do it. Andy performed the Reverse Long Stroke again. As he was coming down to penetrate a crinoid tentacle moved between Andy and its face. Andy pierced deep into the tentacle instead. This, as it turned out, was exactly what the crinoid was hoping for. It flung its arm backwards and yanked Andy free from his position on its face and suplexed Andy into the ground.

[CELLULAR WALL INTEGRITY 30%] Andy lay stunned a moment and then he felt himself being lifted, up up up straight into the crinoids mouth. Tired, but determined Andy coughed(in his mind) and said (also in his mind) "This, this is what I call the Starfish" Andy entered the mouth of the crinoid and shot out six tentacles suspending Andy in the middle between all of them. He was pressing outward as hard as he could, preventing the crinoid from closing its mouth. [CELLULAR WALL INTEGRITY 20%] And this is The Jackhammer.

Andy contracted and extended pseudopods allowing his horn to pierce the inside of the crinoids' sensitive mouth over and over again. Finally, when the last of his stamina had depleted he realized that he had some notifications. [CRINOID DEFEATED] [XP GAINED: +100] Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. [SURVIVAL BONUS: +5 XP] [TIER 2 EVOLUTION AVAILABLE] [WARNING: YOU ARE ABOUT TO TRANSITION FROM A SINGLE-CELLED LIFEFORM INTO A MULTI-CELLULAR COLONY ORGANISM.] [YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS WILL REMAIN HOUSED WITHIN THE PRIMARY CELL.] [SECONDARY CELLS WILL FUNCTION AUTONOMOUSLY UNDER YOUR GENERAL DIRECTION.] [EVOLUTIONARY PATHS AVAILABLE:] [1. BEAST PATH COLONIAL RADIOLARIA] The path of flesh and instinct: Absorb surrounding organisms into a unified colonial structure. Specialized cells will emerge as your colony grows, allowing coordinated movement, predation, and primitive biological specialization. Many become one. Compatible with horn morphology.

Compatible with [RAPID PSEUDOPOD EXTENSION] [2. ELDRITCH PATH MYCOPHAGIC SPORE CLUSTER] The path of consumption and spread: Evolve into a predatory fungal network composed of translucent feeding threads and parasitic spore structures. Expand through infiltration, digestion, and distributed growth. Consume. Spread. Endure. Compatible with horn morphology. Compatible with [RAPID PSEUDOPOD EXTENSION] [3. SWARM PATH APEX MICROCOLONY] The path of excess and adaptation: Abandon singular form and become a shifting supercolony of coordinated microorganisms directed by a central node. Overwhelm through replication, adaptation, and sheer numbers. One becomes many. Many become inevitable. Not compatible with horn morphology. Compatible with [RAPID PSEUDOPOD EXTENSION]"System," Andy asked tentatively.

"If I choose a path that's not a beast path–does that mean I will never become an animal?" [CORRECT]" And there's no way to become human?" [CORRECT] [MYTHIC BEASTS CAN TAKE ON BIPEDAL FORMS]" How do I become a mythic beast?" [BEASTS THAT REACH THE END OF THEIR EVOLUTIONARY CHAIN BECOME MYTHICAL]"What about the other two paths?" [ELDRITCH PATHS LEAD TO HORRORS. SOME HAVE BIPEDAL FORMS. SWARM PATHS LEAD TO FUNGAL MONSTROSITIES, SOME ALSO HAVE BIPEDAL FORMS] Andy imagined sending a thumbs up to the system.

While being a monstrosity or a horror could be fun, Andy didn't feel like they fit who he was.

"Well it may be basic but let's go with the beast path." [BEAST PATH (COLONIAL RADIOLARIA): SELECTED] There was no warning. The System didn't ask if he was ready. The pond pulled towards him and he felt like he was walking down a hall that continued to stretch and get longer as it tilted in front of him. All of the organisms near him, dissolved compounds, living cells, dead matter floating in the thermal plume becoming closer and further away all at once.

"Hey wait." Andy projected at the System, which did not wait or answer. Cells arrived in streams, drawn into his membrane and dissolving giving him the distinct feeling of nausea. He had no mouth, and yet he must barf. This wasn't eating. It was forced assimilation. A dozen cells folded into him in seconds and then two dozen. Their biological machinery was integrating into new roles he hadn't assigned. Like your mother showing up and doing your laundry and dishes without asking.

[COLONY FORMATION INITIATED] [SECONDARY CELLS: INTEGRATING] [CELL SPECIALIZATION IN PROGRESS] The specialization turned out to be the strangest part. He felt a reorganization happening in every corner of his once single-celled body all at once. Some of the new cells became structural, some became metabolic, while others still became something he didn't have a word for. A new function sitting at the edge of his awareness he had no idea how to take advantage of or use. Then the lattice started forming.

It began at his horn. (Of course it began at his horn) Silica crystalized outward from the base of his calcium spike in fine threads, each one connecting to the next in a pattern that he could feel. His horn, the first and only constant in his second life had just been elected the structural backbone of his entire colonial being. The honeycombed lattice spread outward from it, a framework of cells and mineral that was simultaneously beautiful (he assumed as he had no eyes) and entirely his.

He was a horn and a body had been built from it.

"Huh," he said into the interior theatre of his mind. Even though other cells had become a part of him, he was still the only one in attendance. [COLONIAL FORMATION COMPLETE] [SPECIES: COLONIAL RADIOLARIA] [BODY PLAN: SPHERICAL COLONIAL MATRIX. SILICA LATTICE STRUCTURE. PRIMARY CELL: CENTRAL. SECONDARY CELLS: 47] Forty-seven. He'd grown 47x in a matter of, well, he had no idea. But it felt both very quick and like eternity. This was huge, right? He was no longer a single celled organism.

Maybe he'd have to change the name of his memoir now. Reincarnated As A Bundle Of Cells Led By A Horn didn't have the same ring though. He'd have to keep workshopping it. [NEW ABILITIES UNLOCKED] [SILICA LATTICE ARMOR]- Crystalline framework provides structural defence. Reduces piercing damage from organisms smaller than 50% of colony mass [COLONIAL COORDINATION]- Secondary cells respond to primary cell's intent. Efficiency scales with colony size.

[RAPID PSEUDOPOD EXTENSION ENHANCED] -Pseudopod range and adhesive force increased 20% [HORN MORPHOLOGY: ACTIVE. TIER 2 OF 6. TRAIT CHAIN: UNCOMMON. NOTE: PRIMARY HORN STRUCTURE INTEGRATED AS COLONY AXIS. LATTICE FORMATION ANCHORED TO HORN CORE AS BASE] He read that last notification several times. The trait chain the System had been casually mentioning and tracking had just become the core of his being. It was no longer just a weapon, it was the flagpole of his village.

His village of forty-seven cells who had joined him, none of whom he'd signed a lease with or done a background check on. He thought about the evolution screen. Three paths. Two had been compatible with horn morphology and one erased it entirely.

"System." He inquired.

"Are you steering me?" [THE SYSTEM DOES NOT STEER.]"You gave me three options, again. Two kept the horn and one erased it entirely." [YOU ARE FREE TO CHOOSE.]"But, am I? I mean the other two sounded cool and all but I feel like they were almost non-options." [YOU ARE FREE TO CHOOSE.]"So you mentioned. So you wouldn't have cared if I got rid of the horn for my next evolution?" A pause. [THE SYSTEM DOES NOT STEER.] He got the distinct feeling in what might be his gut that there was a lot more at play here but that he wouldn't get anywhere with the system right now. He turned his attention toward… himself, and discovered the 46 other semi-autonomous secondary cells had begun farming experience. He hadn't told them to farm. He hadn't told them to do anything. They had simply detected the nearest nutrient gradient and started absorbing it.

[XP: +3] [XP: 3/400] [NEXT MILESTONE: ABILITY SELECTION] Nutrients he hadn't personally absorbed. He was continuing to earn them even as he was standing (floating?) here being deeply disturbed by it. He had spent three chapters (Of his pretend memoir–of course) fighting alone, naming every move himself, narrating his nature documentary to an audience of zero. Now he had a staff and that staff had begun work without even attending orientation.

"Okay," he said.

"Fine." He oriented toward the nearest prey signature at the edge of his (now greatly enhanced) detection range. Forty-seven cells strong. Silica armored. Horn central. He cleared his proverbial throat.

"I'm calling this one," he announced to his forty-seven non-consenting participants, "Going colonial."