"Reincarnated" As An Overmind

CH:12//Takeover/Buffer

There is of course only one thing to do against a heavily fortified and protected location. If there were only hostiles, I'd opt for designing an artillery unit, one that doesn't fly, but there are unfortunately civilians. While I could theoretically make a virus that targets only some people thanks to hivemind influence, that's boring. The whole reason I even did that silly ritual back on earth was to get away from boredom!

Instead, I'll do it the fun way! That's to say I'm going to recycle every single unit I have so far, except Gyakusatsus, Odozgos, Kysliks, Flamespitters, spy roaches, and Jisu. Shog are also exempt from self-destruct order.

That nets me a total Biomass of 620298 to mass-produce a mid-range combat unit from, preferably a fairly versatile one. 

I immediately get some ideas, for example, I can make a floating brain with eyes and tentacles. The fear factor is incredibly important. That idea is quickly scrapped when I remember how strong the armor is on the kyslik and Flamespitter.

Despite not having access to metal yet, I somehow made it capable of resisting the blast of the mix the Flamespitters shoot, as well as any shrapnel that throws around, and the answer as to why is so painfully obvious: These are simple chitin plates, those are more like bone than anything resembling chitin, while still retaining the material flexibility of chitin. 

If I do add metal to it, it's like blocking a toddler armed with nothing but a butter knife with full plate steel armor, a tower shield, and several defense buff spells.

So I won't. Things have been too easy so far, so I'm upping the difficulty. 

I make my new units nearly human. that's how weak I'm making them. The only thing they have is a shield made from chitin-bone-metal hybrid material, roughly the size of a heater shield, and a crossbow on their other arm, ammunition has already been dictated not to be a problem since I can cast through my drones, and after testing I can even prevent the enemy from fueling any magical device by simply taking the mana from it, which is a lot less intensive on the mental load of controlling several thousand units at once, even if most of them are literally bugs.

I tested it with the many magical devices that were left in the medium villages, I've also asked Sys to stop showing me my inventory every time I open my status.

Right, they cost 150 Biomass each, and they can make use of the clothes left behind in the barracks for the guards of each village, which are essentially just studded leather armor with several different symbols on them, presumably the village's own little logo.

I remove them. No identifying symbols, or features among my new Troopers. I might fuck around and give one sentience sometime, might be fun to see if the obedience remains through the identity or if my puppeteering leaves no lasting impact on the brain. Not that the average Trooper has enough brain to ever be sentient.

In any case, I also take any banners that the villages might have had and take those. I wash them clean of any paint, then paint them black. It's surprisingly easy to make a pretty dark black paint.

Why am I doing all of this you ask?

Simple, I'm confusing the enemy. I will learn mass teleportation magic to teleport 3 thousand Troopers right at the city's gates, only to watch them panic as the apparently-crossbows I gave my Troopers can shoot a tungsten-tipped steel bolt through most of their non-stone pieces of cover.

Plus, I can cast through them, which means I can make them seem like rogue Empire forces by casting the same spells. I'm sure they won't worry about my tactics too much. 

I did essentially make just normal human troops, but I don't doubt humans are good at killing other humans.

Oh, right, on a side note, I found out what happened to my parents in this world.