[Entering biological editor, main consciousness restrictions lifted]

"I'm back!"

[...]

"Still no response, 8051."

"Never mind, I'll ignore you."

"I need to think carefully this time, things are getting increasingly complex."

"By the way, 8051, why are the nutrient consumption rates of the electrified cells so much higher?"

[This is similar to when you were human and you felt hungrier after intense exercise. It's not just the electrified cells, other cells experience the same, but it's more pronounced in the electrified ones. System 8051 replies.]

"Oh, I see. I should pay more attention to reduce unnecessary nutrient consumption."

"But with the small cell's current level of thinking, as soon as it starts moving, reducing nutrient consumption is easier said than done."

Powerless—

"These large clusters are getting more common, and even the previously docile single cells are starting to become somewhat aggressive."

"The cells nowadays aren’t as pure as they once were."

"Seriously."

"My simultaneous control capacity has only reached four, and I can't increase it for now. The group's size is no longer sufficient to meet our predatory needs, and reducing numbers would be suicidal. Besides, evolving into multicellular life would be even harder then. Although the electrode component has high attack power, it has cooldown intervals, and many electrified cells get taken out during the recharge period."

"Multicellular organisms."

"Multicellular."

"The key to evolution should be in 'multicellular'. It can be understood as many cells coming together, right?"

"Then, since cells are clustering in large numbers, is this how multicellular organisms form?"

"But why hasn’t my small cell group evolved despite clustering for so long?"

"I should have remembered my old studies."

"Cluster, gather."

"Do cells need to be physically together? It can't be that simple, right?"

"Well, thinking back. When I led the attack on that medium-sized cluster, although my control seemed slightly improved, individual small cells still rushed in like bandits. I had to exert a lot of effort to barely complete a simple encirclement attack, and still lost about a dozen, roughly a ninth of the group."

"Wait. If we think of the current situation like ancient melee combat, my small cell group would be at bandit level, right? Haha."

"Sigh—self-deprecation."

"Even if the enemy isn’t better than bandits, driven purely by instincts, without my main consciousness, my side isn’t much stronger."

"I mean, formal military forces are surely better than bandits, right? So what's the difference between them?"

"Discipline, execution of orders?"

"If only my control was stronger. Right now though..."

"Wait, hierarchical control, if that could be realized."

"Uh, not until they develop intelligence."

"Ah—I'm on the verge of giving up. Frustrating."

"Forget it, I’ll just try imitating a multicellular organism to form a formation. Aren't human inventions often unintentional mimicry of other life forms?"

Shaking his amorphous consciousness group, Gale imagined the composition of multicellular structures.

"Then, by connecting the few dozen remaining electrified cells into a network, and have other cells with spikes face outward, clustering around the electrified cells, forming an outer defense."

"Like skin, so any attacker would have to contend with the wall of spikes, hehe."

"Not bad, this idea is actually pretty good."

Gale suddenly felt pleased with his idea.

"Yes, yes, if I keep improving it. Now that there's defense, there needs to be an offense."

"With the limited thinking capacity of the small cell, even temporarily changing the formation is unrealistic; organizing this simple formation after I leave would be impressive enough."

"Next, I'll add an attacking mouth. An opening to engulf enemy cells, then close it, allowing the spikes and electrodes inside to attack the engulfed cells, doing quick damage with 'chewing' and electric shocks, before moving to the next batch. This reduces the chance of attracting photosensitive multicells, given the shorter distance light travels inside."

"Yes, perfect."

"But if I wait until everything's over to clean the field, time consumption will be excessive."

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"Indeed, a digestive channel should appear. Form a channel behind the mouth with cells lined with cilia pointing outward to guide debris. Keep a slight separation between the mouth and the channel to prevent unprocessed cells from escaping into the channel, replicating the Sun Wukong incident."

"Debris flows through this channel, pushed by cilia, to be consumed at the cell's mouth hook."

"Then, cells that eat can produce nutrient-rich intercellular fluid, flowing through tiny gaps to other cells, preventing the formation's collapse due to individual feeding, and the tight formation minimizes nutrient waste."

"May seem unappealing to humans, but now I’m a small cell, humph."

Thinking this, the consciousness group swayed triumphantly.

"And for waste?"

"Uh, it obviously can't go out the same way it came in; there are organisms like that, but I can't bear it. So the waste should flow down the channel and out a small exit at the back."

"Sweat."

"Wait, is this the legendary 'straight shooter'?"

"Whatever, ignore that. Let's move on."

"Now this setup has 'skin', 'mouth', 'digestive tract', and an electrode-assisted sensory network resembling a pseudo-nervous system. Even a waste exit. This might just be what multicellular organisms are like."

"I'm a genius, ahahaha."

Simulating the formation in his mind, Gale was excited by the balanced attack-defense setup. Yet, the elliptical formation felt incomplete.

"As per the formation, everything should be correct. Though I haven’t learned combat formations, for the small cells now, this should suffice, right?"

This time, Gale didn’t habitually overlook the issue but reconsidered carefully—it was crucial for evolution.

"Right, this formation assumes human perspectives; with cells clustering tightly, only the 'digestive tract' cilia can move, making movement impossible."

"I refuse to drift aimlessly, waiting for food. So, a propulsion and steering mechanism is essential."

"Turning can be managed by cellular contraction, but ideally, solve it in one fell swoop. If cilia extend out of the 'skin', they’d be attack points, nullifying the spiked defense."

Gale recalled the multicellular organism encountered earlier, its massive flagellum thicker than a small cell. So, in Gale’s mind, the oval structure gained a long, spiky flagellum at one end.

Examining the nearly complete model, Gale felt a sudden irritation.

"Why does it look like a tadpole! So annoying."

Thus, a flagellum was added to both ends of the oval shape.

"Okay, this solves agile turning. Waving these spiked flagella can be an attack, but against multicells, the spikes would likely fail."

Content with the mental formation model, Gale optimistically thought it might reflect his future multicellular appearance.

"Calculating, with three flagellum-based mobile teams and a mouth team, I’d mostly control these four parts. No need for simultaneous control, just maintain formation integrity, then focus on the main parts."

"Are there other issues? Let’s perfect this pseudo-multicellular setup, hehe. Experience multi-life before becoming one."

"Hmm—" Scrutinizing the formation model, Gale sought issues.

“8051, can I remove components from the small cell? Some are redundant or obstructive in this formation.”

[Yes. The system allows for downgrades and lateral mutations. During single-cell alterations, modifications at the same nutrient cost are lateral mutations; those reducing cost are downgrades. Lateral mutation division needs regular nutrient costs; downgrades need one point. System 8051 responds.]

"So that's possible."

"Let’s see, those dozen unevolved cells, some could downgrade to three-spike 'skin' cells; others remove spikes, downgrading to four-mouth and four-cilia 'digestive cells'—never mind looking like monsters. The numerous electrode cells form an inner layer, some can become 'mouth' cells."

"Also, select multi-ocelli cells for 'sensory organs’. Though a few directly controlled cells aren’t many, isolate the main cell for protection; single units are almost negligible now."

"Great, suddenly, I'm motivated."

"For survival, for evolution, for leaving the single-cell world, let’s begin!"