“What is this?”

It was an ordinary day, no different from any other. I was casually browsing through my phone when I stumbled upon something peculiar. A strange app had mysteriously installed

itself among the others. It bore no name, and its icon was a mere black square.

Initially, I dismissed it as a glitch, but a sudden chill ran down my spine. With the recent spike in scams and hacking incidents involving smartphones, I couldn’t shake off the thought that I might be the next victim. Could someone be hacking my camera for blackmail? In a state of panic, I dropped my phone.

I racked my brain, trying to remember if I had done anything that could have led to this, but drew a blank. I had never clicked on suspicious links or visited dubious websites,

let alone downloaded anything from them.

“This is absurd.”

However, what happened next left me stunned. The enigmatic app on my phone launched itself. It was as if my phone was possessed, operating on its own. In disbelief, I watched for a moment before snapping back to reality and hastily pressing the power button.

[It’s useless.]

I held my breath at that moment. The four words that materialized on the black screen froze me in place, leaving me breathless.

[Even a repair center can’t fix this. Listen carefully, this is an opportunity for you.]

lust as I was about to wrap my phone in a handkerchief and stash it in my bag, new words emerged on the screen, as if it had anticipated my thoughts.

“What the hell...”

[If you reject the game, I’ll distribute your internet usage history, locked files, and screenshots to your acquaintances.]

“Who the hell are you?”

Understanding that creating a fuss wouldn’t help, I calmly adjusted my posture, covered the camera lens, and placed my phone back down.

A new screen appeared on the phone, where previously only white letters had been visible against a black background.

“Account...link?”

[Didn’t I say it’s a game? You installed this app, so why are you reacting like this?]

The screen displayed a feature common in games: email account linking.

I swallowed hard.

If I linked my account now, I could be hacked... but then again, I was already completely exposed, so it didn’t matter. More importantly, what was this nonsense about me installing the app myself? I’ve always been cautious with my phone.

[Link it. I’ll explain more later.]

“Shit...”

I had no other option.

This unknown hacker mentioned a game, but how could this possibly be a game? This maniac was communicating with me in real time, possibly even eavesdropping and spying on me. Faced with the threat of social ruin and the anxiety of what this insane hacker might do next, I reluctantly entered one of my throwaway email addresses.

“It’s not working?”

[Participants in this game don’t link with something as trivial as an email.]

While I was still puzzled, a camera flash suddenly went off without warning, capturing my picture.

[Your soul is the price.]

The moment the shutter clicked, a gut feeling washed over me. Some might dismiss it as nonsense, but the icy sensation that swept through me was undeniable. My heart hammered in my chest, and a cold sweat trickled down my skin. This was real.

[Start the game.]

Despite my shock, the screen transitioned automatically. The new environment displayed graphics that could rival a live-action movie.

“A cave.”

[Behold. You have obtained the entirety of a species in exchange for your soul.]

The location was a cave. The walls were embedded with faintly glowing stones, providing just enough light to see. Following the message that popped up on the screen, I shifted my gaze. That’s when I saw 'if.

“What the hell is this...”

No matter how I looked, all I could see was a pool of black liquid on the cave floor.[Ah, quite a tricky situation.]

“What are you talking about?”

[A species that matches your mediocre soul, yet holds sufficient potential. Its growth could swing between extremes.]

I couldn’t help but laugh at the sheer absurdity.

Isn’t this basically a failure? You could have warned me in advance.

[If you want more detailed information, try touching it.]

Looking at it this way, it was a rather friendly tutorial guide.

I followed its suggestion and touched the screen.

“It’s a cell.”

[Correct. But it’s not a simple cell.]

The screen magnified, revealing cells dividing at an astonishing speed, extending roots to each other. To a certain extent, I could even observe the pool’s growth with my naked eye.

[To simplify, I’ll display their racial characteristics. Racial characteristics are unique attributes inherent to each species.]

[Hive Consciousness] [Genetic Manipulation] [Rapid Growth]

These three functions were presented before me. Upon seeing these keywords, I understood the characteristics of these cells.

“Are they like amoebas?”

[Similar, but different. They can proliferate explosively and literally become anything, but the process is as arduous as carving a beach out of a rock.]

Speak plainly, will you?

I returned the screen to its original state.

So, what am I supposed to do with a screen that doesn’t even have a fancy UI like a game and just shows me the screen?

[Now I will proceed with the tutorial.]

And the progression was at its own discretion, not mine.

[They lack power. The limitless explosive proliferation is an advantage, but it also has the drawback of energy depletion.]

“So, what do you want me to do?”

[Right now, provide samples and energy to them, who are currently at the cellular level.]

It issued a command to me.

Samples and energy.

I understood the part about energy, but what did they mean by samples?

[Samples from which you can obtain genetic material. At their current growth stage, they can’t replicate a life form that’s too large.]

“I understand what you’re saying.”

I rose from my seat. I had already comprehended the nature of the creatures I was supposed to care for. They consume, duplicate, combine, and grow stronger. To do so, they required a variety of samples.

“What about these little guys?”

As soon as I stepped outside my house, I found what I was searching for. A tiny ant was busily scurrying up and down the wall.

[Given their current state, it’s possible. Capture it.]

The app activated autonomously, and the camera flickered to life. My heart pounded as I aimed the camera at the ant and snapped a picture.

“...It disappeared.”

[Look. Your children have seen a ray of light. This moment will be recorded in the history of the species.]

Once again, the screen displayed the pool.

The ant I had just captured was transported there and dropped into the pool.Devouring and disassembling.

I watched as the ant was surrounded by countless cells and disassembled at the cellular level, furrowing my brows.

[You need a macroscopic roadmap. What kind of species do you want to grow these beings with these abilities into?]

“You’re suddenly asking something grand.”

I returned to my room and scratched my head.

Why should I, who should be worrying about midterms and reports, be worrying about this?

But according to it, to survive, they had to keep getting stronger.

If what was happening wasn’t all a dream, I couldn’t just ignore it.

“Listening to you, it seems like racial characteristics are the most powerful weapon, so I should go in the direction that can best utilize them.”

The three characteristics were what they had gained in return for starting at the cellular level.

So, I thought I should move in a way that could best utilize those.

[Then, to achieve that goal, you need to consistently acquire energy and samples. For now, prepare for war. There’s an intruder.]

“Huh?”

An unexpected event occurred.

I quickly zoomed in on the screen and sure enough, there was an intruder.

They were... spores of something I couldn’t identify.

[They’re a type of fungus that lives in this cave. The spores of the fungus, carried by the wind, have come into contact with your children.]

Although it was called a fungus, it seemed a bit different from the mold I knew.

At first glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

But when I touched it to enlarge it, the scene of a fierce battle unfolded before my eyes.

[Fungi have strength and fur as weapons. And they are much larger than your children. But your children have already acquired their own weapons.]

Among the cells, there were some peculiar ones.

They had protrusions that resembled the jaws of ants.

Those creatures swarmed and began to tear the fungus apart.

[The complacent fungus began to be torn apart brutally. It started to be broken down piece by piece. We achieved our first victory. This too will be recorded in the history of the species.]

An icon appeared on one side of the screen.

It was obviously meant to represent the history of the species that it had mentioned.

[And we have obtained the genetic information of the fungus. Check it.]

Another icon appeared below.

I clicked on the icon as it told me.

[Cave Glow Mushroom: 1A1237]

The information about the lifeform we just fought was written down.

It was said to be a fungus, and it indeed looked like a subtly glowing mushroom.

“What is this..?”

[It’s imitating the absorbed fungus]

Some of the cells began to divide again at an incredible speed.

Its appearance was similar to the fungus we had just devoured.

It wasn’t accelerating, but the mushroom was truly growing rapidly.

One peculiar point was that the absorbed glow mushroom was white, but the mushroom I was looking at now was black.

[It’s imitating the reproduction method of the mushroom to expand its power beyond this place. It’s trying to spread wider by riding on spores]

I was slightly surprised to hear the reason.

This unidentified race was smarter than I thought.