I Became a Hive Mind in the Game

November 4th. On a day that was a bit warm for the gradually cooling autumn.
“Why are these spider bastards invading again?!!!”
“Fuck! That’s what I’m saying!”
Ratatatatatatatatatatata—–!!!!
The Hive Mind that had made the Gangwon-do area its territory started a large-scale offensive again after several months.
Naturally, after the previous offensive had slightly decreased, the South Korean government had installed a fairly thick defense line on the border of Gangwon-do, but the problem was that this large-scale offensive differed in scale and quality from the previous ones.
The bomb spiders, which were previously just punching bags despite their large size except for their self-destructing nature, now shoot explosive fuel masses from hoses protruding from their backs using internal biofuel.
In the case of ordinary monsters that weren’t bomb spiders, as if they had obtained dragon genes from engaging with dragons, dragon traits were generally expressed, causing major changes in their appearance.
While they were previously close to typical Hive Mind monsters with a mix of arthropods and insects, at some point these monsters grew dragon wings or scales instead of exoskeletons, and internal skeletons appeared to replace the disappeared exoskeletons.
Also, perhaps due to the dragon species genes, these Hive Mind monsters became able to attack from a distance as if spraying breath from their mouths… and this ranged attack was none other than the monster’s bio-weapon.
When medium-grade monsters shoot energy produced from the particularly high-output dragon species’ bio-cores, it has power comparable to decent tank guns.
Despite this, the appearance frequency of these medium-grade monsters was overwhelmingly higher than that of other Hive Mind’s medium-grade monsters, which is why humanity was struggling quite a bit.
This was the case even with reinforced concrete walls over 20 meters high and easily exceeding 5 meters in thickness, densely placed cannon turrets on top, and psychic shields.
The endlessly swarming ‘bomb spider’ monsters were too numerous for an area that wasn’t so wide, so naturally, specific frontlines where the offensive was concentrated started to become overloaded.
The energy of the psychic shields protecting the walls was continuously decreasing, damage was accumulating on the walls, and the energy serving as ammunition for the cannons was gradually disappearing.
These defenders were slowly consuming resources and receiving supplies to somehow hold out, but the limit was clear.
These monsters, which had become stronger beyond imagination, attacked areas where the defenders had even one disadvantageous factor compared to other regions, as if they knew it by instinct, and as a result, a defense base in western Gangwon-do was currently driven to the brink of annihilation.
“When are those damn sparrows coming?!!!!”
[4… 3 minutes! They’ll be here within 3 minutes, so please hold on a little longer, Platoon Leader!]
Air support from the air force is said to arrive within 3 minutes, but in reality, even with that, there’s a high possibility that they won’t be able to hold out for even those 3 minutes.
Tens of thousands have swarmed this tiny base where only 200 people are stationed, so more than half of the personnel are casualties, and the energy of the psychic shield is on the verge of depletion.
The platoon leader, a B-rank lower (grade 4) level psychic user, is squeezing out psychic energy to supply it, but even with just one medium-grade, it takes a life-threatening effort to maintain it at the lowest level for 1 minute.
Bang! Rumble rumble rumble!
“Wh-what’s that sound?!!!”
“The, the… the wall is collapsing…”
“…Damn it! Damn it! Damn it all to hell!”
Of course, even that life-threatening level of effort becomes impossible if the wall containing the facility that forms the protective shield collapses.
Creak. Creeeeeak.
Grrrrrr…
Right after the concrete wall, damaged by an energy shell fired from the mouth of a large medium-grade monster, collapsed unable to withstand the impact, countless monsters climb over the wall and enter beyond it.
Since the secondary defense line behind is only at the level of barbed wire, at this rate, these monsters would undoubtedly invade human territory.
But they had no way left to stop this.
Therefore, at the moment when the platoon leader was looking at the monsters that started to pour in with a dumbfounded expression.
Flash!
“Wh-what’s that?”
“Light? Psychic?”
Suddenly, a flash of light blinked on the debris of the collapsed wall, dust rose, and then an explosion rang out as the dust started to clear.
Ratatatatatatatatata—–!!!!
Whoooosh—-Kaboooom!!!!
Whoooom—Thud! Whoooom—Thud!
Explosions rang out incessantly from all directions, and various monsters were being riddled with holes or hunted down by various weapons that came flying with those explosions.
And what appeared after the dust settled was—
“Those are… Nano-Tech’s…?”
Ten heavily armed humans wearing Nano-Tech equipment.
‘…No, are those human?’
But the moment the platoon leader looked at them again, he began to doubt whether those beings were human.
Semi-transparent bodies with faint smoke rising, massive figures at least 3 meters tall judging by the surrounding facilities, and even using teleportation – a psychic ability that humans absolutely cannot use.
To anyone looking, rather than humans, they seemed more like…
‘…Ghosts?’
Yes, they looked like beings close to ghosts.
‘No way… really?’
And as he recognized this and checked those 10 soldiers again, the platoon leader could see things he couldn’t confirm before.
The being presumed to be the commander has already fired over 20 shots at maximum charge with a magazine-type plasma pistol, but continues to fire bullets without a single reload.
The weapons and suits they’re equipped with are visibly old models with damage marks, equipment that Nano-Tech company released a year ago.
Strangely, while the attacks of these ghost-like beings (presumed) in suits certainly deal with the enemies, the monsters’ attacks don’t hit these beings well.
One of the 10 is equipped with a Seonggwang Group giant armor, which is clearly moving perfectly fine despite its power unit being completely destroyed.
In addition, their psychic abilities are not only too high in output to be used by humans, but their precision far exceeds limits, to the point where it could be considered calculated by a supercomputer.
It looks as if they have become something other than human.
“Pla-Platoon Leader… those people…?”
“…Are they really people?”
“Wh-what?”
The platoon leader stared blankly at those 10 and said that, then quietly instructed the confused adjutant.
“Well, it doesn’t matter either way… Adjutant.”
“Yes!”
“While they’re engaging, reorganize the facilities as much as possible, understood?”
“Understood!”
Right after the ordered adjutant left the command and control room, he quickly accessed the facility system controlled by the psychic system directly and started restoration.
And this phenomenon was not happening just here.

※ ※ ※

After a wave of the bomb spiders’ major offensive passed, that inexplicable rumor that started in various parts of the frontline began to spread rapidly.
It might sound nonsensical if you think about it rationally, but giant ghosts wearing Nano-Tech company equipment appeared in various parts of the frontline at critical moments and saved them…
The problem is that there were too many people who could be considered firsthand witnesses to these rumors.
These giant ghosts, officially sighted in units of 10 at a total of 374 frontlines, repeatedly appeared with a flash of light, silently helped with defense, and then disappeared.
They commonly have semi-transparent bodies with smoke leaking out like ghosts, and demonstrate strength that humans cannot show.
In addition, they all use quite damaged old Nano-Tech equipment, and even use the Nano-Tech guild’s formation from before it was changed.
To anyone looking, they seemed like ghost soldiers who had come back from death to help humanity, and as interest in them was expanding…

The moment various countries’ satellites officially acknowledged capturing footage of them appearing and sweeping away monsters even inside Gangwon-do, their existence was officially recognized.
Therefore, all that remains now is to clearly reveal what their identity is, but here lies the problem.
These ghosts (presumed) are very difficult to track as they resolve both appearance and disappearance with teleportation accompanied by light, and the only byproducts they left on the battlefield were psychic residues.
At best, through the psychic energy generated during the teleportation process, it was revealed that they appeared here through some realm that is not reality, a psychic dimension, but this rather became a kind of proof.
With the addition of research results showing that psychic energy containing the consciousness or memories of deceased psychic users exists in the psychic dimension, it became a virtual fait accompli that they were ghosts of deceased hunters.
Therefore, South Korea, and beyond that, the whole world idolized these great warriors who came forth to protect humanity even after death—
‘What… the…’
The Hive Mind, which had only intended to give the special forces some combat experience in dealing with Hive Minds, was at a loss for words at the thought that the idea it had put out just for adequate disguise was receiving better evaluation than expected.