Chapter 4
Eukaryotic cells are more advanced cells.
But in the end, they're still single-celled. No matter how large one grows, it's just one cell.
To become a complex life-form, they have to come together. They must cluster, divide up their roles, and ultimately become one body.
That's multicellularity.
Fish, cats, and humans all fall into this category.
At last.
[The individual has successfully evolved.]
“Well done, Little Squirmy! You've finally taken your first step toward multicellularity.”
Little Squirmy had become a cell colony.
It was only a small clump of cells for now, but by dividing up its roles and evolving further, it would gradually become a more complex life-form.
Fish.
Primates.
Our Little Squirmy was standing at a crossroads where it could become a complex life-form like that.
“Now, how should I mold you?”
The important part started now.
It was still at the stage where single cells had physically clumped together.
To form tissues, I needed to divide the colony into groups and assign them roles.
In the game, all you did was slap on a predetermined gene and see the result, but…
“Heh heh heh. Behold the power of all that studying I did overnight.”
A gamer who'd studied up, too.
That's me.
I'd even built a spacefaring civilization.
Even if the game had become reality, the difficulty had only gone up a little.
No problem for me.
*
[Accelerated 15 days.]
[Successfully subdivided the colony into groups.]
After Little Squirmy became a colony,
I gave it a useful trait.
Namely…
[Successfully guided the colony into a specific arrangement.]
[The colony's mana sensitivity has increased significantly.]
[Mana passes through the cell walls with ease.]
[210pt of World Power has been consumed.]
Mana-affinity cells.
It was a trait I'd discovered after repeating extinction dozens of times.
The game was so unhelpful that I tried all sorts of things, and it unlocked much later.
“Was this how dragon cells worked?”
It had the effect of acclimating them to mana from the cellular stage.
I wasn't planning to evolve them into dragons, but it was a good trait to have regardless.
High mana affinity made it easier to develop powerful mutation traits, and also made it easier for heroes in the role of prophets or shamans to be born.
That greatly accelerated the species' development.
No, it made the species itself stronger.
I had opened that path for them.
Behold.
[The colony is reacting sensitively to mana.]
[The mana-synthesizing organelle is forming due to the induced mana-synthesis trait.]
Everything was going according to plan.
As the small colony took on a specific shape and its mana sensitivity increased, the mana-synthesis trait I'd planted back when it was single-celled blossomed.
“Mmm~ Our Little Squirmy has such a lovely color.”
Fwoosh!~
A blue glow shimmered around Little Squirmy.
It had begun synthesizing mana on its own, just as I'd guided it to.
It was similar to photosynthesis.
It just synthesized mana instead.
“Once I figured this out, the tribal-society stage got much easier.”
It had been tough back then.
The game kept revealing more and more the deeper I dug, even though I'd thought it was nothing special.
I must've experimented and researched endlessly.
I used to burn whole days on it.
Honestly, it was pathetic, but I had no regrets.
I'd raised such a splendid cell, after all.
“I wonder how you'll grow from here~”
Heheh~
I hummed to myself.
There was no need to hide my emotions here.
I watched Little Squirmy for a while, and only returned to reality once night had fallen again.
*
“This is soooooo fun!!~”
Flop.
I yelled and sprawled across the bed.
It had been fun as a game, too, but there was no way it wouldn't be fun when I could see and touch it myself.
It wasn't because it made me feel like a god.
It was that I could pour my affection into it without a care.
I liked that.
Watching the one I'd been rooting for grow.
“It's such a wonderful thing.”
I chuckled.
This was more precious than Awakening as a Hunter and showing off my abilities to other people.
I was satisfied.
I'll live like this.
Even if my appearance had changed, there was no one to show it to, and I could do what I loved.
That was enough.
Grrr.
“Ugh.”
But my stomach growling brought me back to reality.
Living like this was nice, but I couldn't live like this every day.
Because I had no money.
I was unemployed and living in a rented room.
Ever since I got hooked on Milky Way, I hadn't earned any money, and my bank balance had dried up.
“I should… make some money, right?”
I couldn't rely on miraculous luck like the pocket money I'd gotten from that drunk woman yesterday.
I had to spend a lot of time in Yeoulrim, so it'd be hard to make money playing games like before, too.
I'd have to earn money myself.
How could I make money?
It'd be hard to work part-time in this body.
But becoming a Hunter…
I can't.
This body is way too weak.
I'm weaker than I was before.
“I wish I could use my abilities in reality just like in Yeoulrim, like this.”
Swish.
I stretched one hand upward.
Thinking of Yeoulrim's omnipotent senses, I looked ahead of me in reality.
In Yeoulrim, I could cause natural disasters with a feeling like this. I could smash that ceiling without even touching it.
Those were the kind of omnipotent senses I had.
Just like I'd really become a god.
Ding!
[Would you like to consume World Power to create telekinesis?]
[World Power efficiency on Earth is extremely poor. World Power consumption will be multiplied by 100.]
[1,000pt of World Power is required.]
“Huh?”
Blink, blink.
Just as I thought it might somehow be possible, a system message appeared.
After staring blankly for about three seconds…
“How is this actually possible!?”
I sprang to my feet and shouted.
I'd naturally assumed it wouldn't work, but even a system message had kindly popped up.
It was telling me I could cause natural disasters on Earth, too.
I was incredibly excited, but…
“Good grief, it's ridiculously expensive.”
The cost was a hundred times higher.
I had no idea how to replenish World Power, either.
If I used it carelessly, our Little Squirmy, left all alone in Yeoulrim, would never be able to evolve for the rest of its life.
But…
“I can feel it… how to use and control this power efficiently.”
Let's think it over.
Whether or not I should use my ability.
If I did, how should I use it?
What could I do, and how could I make money from it?
*
“The plan is perfect.”
Before I knew it, it was dawn.
I'd finished figuring out how to make money.
The smallest unit of World Power was 1pt.
With just that, I could generate wind or a pulling force, and even on Earth, where the cost was multiplied by a hundred, it would only take 100pt.
That was plenty for pocket money.
Though it meant I'd have to go out again today.
Rustle, rustle.
I straightened my clothes and headed outside, still wearing shoes that were too big.
It was a dark dawn, but the fewer people there were, the better for me.
Once again, I made my way through the neighborhood alleys.
First, I had to get to the busy area.
“Ugh, where did it go, my money….”
“Hm?”
A woman appeared by the roadside.
It was the drunk woman I'd met yesterday.
She didn't seem drunk today, but she still didn't look entirely in her right mind.
Probably because…
“I must've been crazy. Why did I throw that kind of money away… Sob.”
It was because of the pocket money she'd given me.
She didn't seem to remember throwing money around yesterday.
The proof was how she was searching the alley with a deeply regretful expression.
Hmm.
A twinge of guilt suddenly welled up.
If she lived around here, she probably had a hard life, just like me.
‘I know how that feels, too. How empty it is to lose money you worked hard to earn.’
I'd worked at a company for a little while, too.
I tried stocks once back then and lost 500,000 won in a single day. I thought my heart would break.
I never touched them again after that.
I could only regret it, thinking, I must've been crazy.
Maybe that woman felt the same way.
Haa~
It can't be helped.
“Are you okay?”
“Hm?… A little kid? No, why are you out alone this late at night?”
I walked up to the woman and spoke to her.
She ignored my concern and instead worried about me, asking why I was alone. I must have looked strange to her, a child out at dawn.
But I was an adult originally.
I brushed off her concern and got to the point.
“I just heard what you said. You lost some money, right?”
“Ah, n-no, it's nothing! I was just talking nonsense.”
“Actually, I found some money here yesterday. I think it might be yours, so I'll give it back.”
“Huh?”
I took the bills from my pocket.
Three bills with Shin Saimdang on them.
I was supposed to return all five, but I'd already spent two, so I counted those as compensation for her pinching my cheek without asking and offered her the remaining 150,000 won.
“D-did you really find it here?”
“Yes.”
“You're giving it to me?”
“Yes.”
Did she find it hard to believe?
She blinked, looking back and forth between the money and my face.
Then she sighed.
“No, it's okay. I lost more than that. That isn't my money, so you should keep it.”
She shook her head firmly, as if trying to let go of her regret.
It was nice to see her being so conscientious, but she seemed unlikely to take it like this.
Then I'd feel even more uneasy.
Ah, whatever.
“Actually, I spent two of them. I found five bills to begin with.”
“Huh?….”
I confessed honestly.
I was in a child's body anyway.
Heh heh.
What could you do, now that you knew the truth? Surely you wouldn't hit a child, would you?
Just take the money quietly!
“Is that true?”
“Yes. This is yours, right?”
“I think it probably is….”
She looked awkward.
How would she react now?
If she suddenly changed her tune, scolded me, or asked where my parents were, I'd boldly answer that I didn't have any.
Come on, bring it on.
Whatever you do, I'm ready.
“Thank you so much!! If you hadn't told me the truth, I would've had such a hard time. I owe you big time.”
Hug!!
“Oh.”
Suddenly, she pulled me into a hug.
My petite frame fit snugly in her embrace, pressed close so I couldn't escape.
Huh.
I hadn't expected to be hugged.
No, a woman was hugging me?
“Ah, um, p-please stop….”
Embarrassment and confusion.
Her body heat felt strangely nice.
I stiffened and waited for her to let go. I'd been completely caught off guard by an unexpected attack.
“Here, this is a token of my gratitude. Since you were honest and returned it, use this to buy yourself something tasty!”
Rub, rub.
The woman ruffled my hair without asking and took only two of the Shin Saimdang bills.
“But… I've already spent 100,000 won.”
“An honest kid like you deserves it. Use it to buy yourself something tasty again.”
The woman smiled warmly.
She showed no sign of scolding me.
That meant I'd ended up keeping 150,000 won.
What a woman.
She was way too kind….
I should've returned all of it.
In the end, I felt even more guilty.
“Then get home safely~ Thanks so much for today.”
The woman left without a second thought.
Seeing her walk away looking relieved made me feel like I was the only bad person here.
Hmm.
I didn't like it, but let's move on.
There was something more important.
“Phew. Now, shall I go make some money?”
I had some legitimate starting capital now, too.
Tonight, I'll rake in the cash.
First up: the claw machines!