Building Unit

After half an hour of genetic modulation.

Overmind rose to his feet, his eyes half-lidded, stiffly holding a strange-looking little bird. With the motion of tossing a paper airplane, he flung it into the air.

Like a bird that had only just learned to fly, it wobbled in the air for a while before finally finding its balance and flapping toward the rising sun.

This unknown little bird from another world, named Sparrow One, now bore Overmind's will.

There were not many growths or tumors on the bird, and overall it still looked like a bird—except its head was considerably larger. Though a bird's brain structure was far more advanced than an insect's, its body was too small for Overmind to control it with precision without extensive modification. At the same time, the increased weight and nutritional demands of its more developed brain meant that its locomotive and circulatory systems required major alterations as well...

In short, after all the modifications, Sparrow One was not in much better condition than a Mutated Combat Form. Its body would collapse in five days at most.

Thus, a small flesh sac hung beneath its beak. It contained a tiny drop of virus-rich Creep tissue, allowing it to infect other birds before the end of its lifespan.

The experience of flying was truly wondrous.

Using his will to decide whether to rise or fall brought a sense of freedom, as though he had cast off all restraints. No wonder people enjoyed extreme sports like skydiving; no wonder the ancients regarded soaring through the void as the ability of immortals; no wonder people sometimes felt like they were "flying" in moments of intense exhilaration...

The stray thoughts lasted only an instant. The next moment, gravity and a gust of turbulent air dragged Overmind back to reality. The little bird tumbled twice through the air before regaining its balance.

It was all an illusion. Better flap honestly.

The high skies naturally offered a far broader view. After flying for only a short while, Overmind spotted a white ribbon winding through the jungle.

Compared with arid regions, riverbanks undoubtedly supported richer ecosystems and environments better suited to the development of civilization.

Overmind adjusted his posture and began flying along the river.

After flying with interest for a while, the monotonous scenery lost Overmind's attention. He returned control of the body to the little bird, though he did not completely sever their sensory link. Like a television casually switched on during lunch—it was playing, but not necessarily being watched.

A little less than half a day later.

Overmind finally turned his attention back to the bird.

The uniform forest gradually thinned out, and the winding river suddenly opened up before him. A vast wetland came into view.

A shimmering lake, swamp trees surrounded by twisting, writhing aerial roots, endless choruses of frogs, and... an enormous number of birds of all kinds.

Overmind's gaze was immediately drawn to a white figure marked with gray stripes.

It was a waterbird slightly smaller than a duck.

It circled in the air, its eyes fixed firmly on the water's surface. Suddenly, it folded its wings and thrust its head forward, plunging into the water like a torpedo and throwing up a high spray.

When it surfaced again, a lively little fish was already clenched in its beak.

Overmind was tempted.

The few birds and bird eggs he had infected so far were all sparrow-sized. They were fine for flying around the forest, but they had virtually no capacity for long-range scouting.

This gull-like bird was much more suitable. It could even possess a certain level of attack power—if its beak were lengthened and replaced with Zerg bone, the impact of a full-speed dive would be no weaker than an arrow.

Flapping its wings, Overmind controlled Sparrow One toward the gray-striped waterbird.

Just as humans would be wary of a Chihuahua suddenly lunging at them, the gray-striped waterbird became alert despite the enormous disparity in size between itself and Sparrow One.

But Sparrow One did not fly too close. The instant the two birds' eyes met, Sparrow One suddenly let out a mournful cry. Blood spilled from its eyes and beak, and it swayed as it fell into the water.

Using Sparrow One as a springboard, Overmind's consciousness brutally forced its way into the gray-striped waterbird's brain. While seizing control of its consciousness, he also pulled its mind into the Hive Mind.

Overmind did not control the waterbird through infection. Instead, he directly used psionic energy to control its mind.

Of course, without matching physical modifications, a connection to the Hive Mind through the mind alone could easily break. It required constant attention from Overmind or a Zerg psionic unit.

Sparrow One's brain had suffered severe damage from Overmind's brutal operation, leaving it unable to move. But birds were naturally light, and with the air trapped in its feathers, it was still floating on the water.

Overmind ordered the gray-striped waterbird to swim forward a few meters and retrieve it.

Looking at the Creep-wrapped flesh sac beneath Sparrow One's beak, Overmind knew that the large amount of virus it contained could modify a small animal within minutes. But the gray-striped waterbird was already under his control, so there was no need to waste the virus.

Through the gray-striped waterbird's senses, Overmind locked onto a gravid female waterbird of the same species. Whether these birds did not normally live in pairs or the male had happened to be away, it stood alone on a crooked tree...

Half an hour later.

The two waterbirds stood on the left and right armrests of Overmind's chair.

Overmind casually pointed, and the female bird flew to an open patch nearby, where layers of Creep wrapped around it. Next, its digestive, locomotive, and nervous systems would gradually degenerate, while only its reproductive system would remain and undergo thorough modification and enhancement.

Such extensive reshaping would naturally disrupt the balance of its body in every respect, but the Creep would take over its body, using mycelia to forcibly supply nutrients to every cell. As long as the cells' genetic chains did not collapse, no imbalance would occur.

It would become a Zerg unit—a building unit.

By raising the female bird's reproductive capacity to the absolute limit its genetic chain could bear through modification, Overmind estimated that establishing a dozen or so waterbird production structures would ensure an endless output of waterbirds.

As for the gray-striped waterbird that still carried a portion of Overmind's consciousness, it did not undergo overly complex modifications in order to preserve its lifespan. After some simple adjustments, it was released to fly toward the direction opposite the setting sun.

It would undertake long-range exploration, searching for traces of civilization that might exist in this world.

Unfortunately, its brain was still too small. It still lacked the ability to make independent judgments and required Overmind's consciousness to remain attached for assessment.

Hmm...

"Agatha, keep an eye on it while you're at it."

"Y-yes, Overmind..." Agatha's response was somewhat sluggish, as most of her brain was occupied processing information from throughout the Creep.

Perhaps he should study how to make the Creep differentiate brain tissue to ease some of Agatha's burden...