I Became a Hive Mind in the Game

“Kiririririri (Haaaaah)…”
A Dolphinman sighed while looking out from a watchtower built using thick seaweed stems as pillars for the purpose of guarding the surroundings.
The name of this Dolphinman, a resident of the 4th city and an elite low-grade warrior (grade 7 Dolphinman) in charge of the 4th city’s security, was Ppubuku. He was originally of the worker class but became an elite low-grade warrior through hard work.
As an elite low-grade warrior is realistically the highest position a commoner class can reach, he is in a position that any Dolphinman would consider successful, but even for Ppubuku, it doesn’t mean he has no worries.
‘Ppururi ppupubu… Ppikirikki ppubabu (Surely but… they won’t invade, right)?’
What he’s been worrying about recently is the group of monsters that suddenly appeared and started rampaging nearby.
It’s obvious that the upper echelons are trying to hide this, but still, through unreturned dispatched units or occasionally flowing water mixed with blood, most can notice what’s going on.
Even the whole city is obviously strengthening its defenses, and warriors who should go hunting are constantly stationed in the city, and some simple laborers are even being hastily conscripted, so almost all Dolphinmen have probably noticed that the situation is not normal.
But… what can they do about it?
Ppubuku is just an elite low-grade warrior who only commands infantry, not a special branch, and his subordinates are just 10 low-grade warriors stationed in this watchtower, making him a ten-man squad leader.
So even though he knows something is amiss, the preparation he can make is at best to worry deeply in his heart and personally maintain his weapons and equipment.
He maintained his armor made of steel salmon fish skin and man-eating crab shells, which he bought by spending half of his entire fortune, removing stuck meat residues, and then laid out his well-worn weapons on the table.
He sharpened the blade of the trident made from the tail of a sea scorpion he hunted himself, and also sharpened two short swords and a small shield made from the sea scorpion’s pincers.
As he was originally a worker in a weapon factory, he thinks it’s good that he doesn’t have to spend money on maintenance.
And after diligently maintaining his weapons with quite some time left in his shift, Ppubuku took out hard seaweed and shell fragments he had prepared in advance and started making a harpoon to use as a sub-weapon.
Using an expensive knife he bought, he carefully carved shell fragments, then similarly carved hard seaweed to adjust it to a thickness and length that’s just right for use.
Feeling pleased that the resistance from the shell feels slightly stronger than usual, just as he was about to connect the tip of the completed harpoon with the shaft part—
Whoooosh—BOOOOOM!!!!
Suddenly, something came flying, making a sound of cutting through the wind, and finally collided with the watchtower, causing a grand explosion that completely blew away the lower part of the watchtower.
“…Ppigi (…Damn it!)”
Of course, what was destroyed was only the lower part of the watchtower with no special facilities, and the upper part including the living space was safe.
But naturally, as the lower part fixing the upper part of the watchtower was destroyed, the upper part started to move along with the ocean currents flowing underwater, so the Dolphinman warriors staying inside hurriedly came out.
The warriors are wearing gambesons (quilted armor) made of very tough seaweed on their bodies, and in their hands, they basically hold tridents, and rarely, if purchased individually, shields made of monster shells.
As trained in advance, they moved to spaces cleverly hidden in the thickly grown seaweed around the watchtower, concealing themselves while guarding the surroundings.
No one opens their mouth, observing the surroundings in a very tense state. And at that very moment, a low-grade warrior discovered something and shouted.
“Kikkippiiiiiii (They’re comiiiing)!!!”
“Ppi kkittippibibi (What are you doing)?! Kkirir ttik… tti (Now num… ber)?”
Ppubuku, who was about to scold the warrior who suddenly shouted while hiding, immediately abandoned such thoughts the moment he directly confirmed what caused the low-grade warrior to shout.
Because the monsters now in front of their eyes look so powerful that such thoughts disappeared instantly.
‘Ppichichi ppeu… tturuttu ka ppichuki (Why does Ppichichi… have Tturuttu’s shell)?’
As he thought, the life form—monster—that appeared in front of the Dolphinman warriors now was a giant monster resembling a monster black tuna (Ppichichi) wearing armor similar to that of a man-eating crab (Tturuttu).
Moreover, the armor this monster is wearing looks incomparably thicker than that of a man-eating crab, and there’s a large, magnificent horn protruding from its crown.
Even at a glance, it looks like a monster that would require bringing medium-grade warriors to deal with, but… well, what can they do now that their position has been revealed by the shout?
“Ppiru, kkikkappi (Everyone, charge)!”
“”””””””Ppi (Yes)!!!!””””””””
Believing that there exists even a sliver of possibility of victory and resisting to the end, praying for even one to survive, is the only thing they can do.
So they gathered together, then formed a battle formation by thrusting forward their standard weapon, the trident, and similarly tried to increase their survival probability even a little by covering their bodies with shields, but…
Woooong—BOOOM!
That effort was easily nullified by a single energy bullet fired from the horn of that giant monster.
The energy mass exploded the moment it touched the low-grade warrior standing at the very front, and 6 Dolphinmen caught in the explosion disappeared into pieces of flesh without even being able to scream.
Even if they weren’t directly exposed to the explosion range, it’s impossible to survive such an explosion happening right in front of them—so the remaining 3 low-grade warriors also had their bodies turned to mush.
And in this terrible situation, Ppubuku’s survival was nothing short of a miracle resulting from several coincidences.
Thanks to 9 heavily armed low-grade warriors serving as meat shields, and his own armor and shell shield completely vaporizing instead of protecting his body… but.
“Kuhek, khek, kuuu… kuk!”
He just barely didn’t die, but Ppubuku became severely injured and helplessly floated in the water.
All his ribs were shattered, and both legs and tail were bent in directions they absolutely shouldn’t bend.
His left arm holding the shield not only vaporized with the shield but also caused severe damage to the left side of his body, resulting in his left eye being completely crushed.
Ppubuku, literally barely clinging to life, blankly stared at the monster that had attacked him, and in his eyes—despair was visible.

The monster that had attacked him earlier is endlessly pouring in. Just from what’s visible, it’s easily over 200… no, 300, maybe reaching 1,000 in number.
“Ki, kikikikikikkikiki… (Ha, hahahahahahaha…)”
According to what he heard during indoctrination time, the Emperor has over 10,000 medium-grade or higher warriors. But… not only is it doubtful if there really are that many, what difference would it make anyway?
While these warriors are dispersed throughout the Dolphinmen’s wide territory to protect it, those monsters, estimated to be medium-grade warrior level, are moving in groups of 1,000.
So he squeezed out the last bit of strength left in his life to laugh dejectedly while watching the monster approaching him, and then closed his eyes.
The pain lasted only for a moment.

※ ※ ※

The Hive Mind’s corps, with sturdy Hive Tunas at the front line, advanced quickly.
They defeated scattered small units of Dolphinmen sent without properly grasping the situation, and annihilated Dolphinman breeders who were bringing tamed monsters.
Advancing steadily with a strategy utilizing overwhelming numerical violence, the corps was able to reach the Green Land—the Dolphinmen’s city—before long.
Of course, the resistance of the Dolphinmen living in that city was also strong.
“Kkippippi (Attack)!”
“Ppukkutteupeu peupeueu (Stand against the enemy)!!!”
Perhaps because it’s underwater, there are no city walls, but instead, they had finished preparing for urban warfare along the seaweed buildings complexly structured like a maze of skyscrapers.
In addition, perhaps due to their warrior culture, all Dolphinmen were prepared to die and bravely engaged in battle, but—
‘Start mass fire. Erase the city.’
Unfortunately, reality was cold.
The corps, which had no intention of recklessly entering the urban area in the first place, formed a wall like front-line infantry and poured energy bullets towards the city using Energy Horns and Great Energy Horns.
A total of 3,000 Hive Tunas, over 50,000 Hive Piranhas, and 500 Hive Octopuses positioned at the rear.
In the face of long-range firepower that could topple even the latest safe apartment complexes of this era built with reinforced concrete and monster by-products, buildings made of mere seaweed had no chance of withstanding.
Energy bullets easily penetrated the buildings and put holes in the bodies of monsters—mostly close combat-oriented creatures that make up most of the Dolphinmen’s forces—who were approaching using the buildings as shields.
And exactly 1 hour, 36 minutes, and 14 seconds after continuing the long-range attack.
As the last survivor of the city, a Dolphinman hiding in the debris of collapsed buildings, was penetrated along with the building debris, the Dolphinmen’s 4th city, which had been maintained for as long as 67 years, disappeared into history.
…Though I’m not sure if any Dolphinmen will survive to record that history.