The sheer volume of Monster Cells stacked in those boxes far exceeded anything Jack had imagined.
That Slime Octopus—just a Tiger-level middle-management flunky—hoarded THIS much?
The answer was obvious. He'd been skimming portions meant for lower-level monsters. Pocketing the difference. Stockpiling for his own evolution.
Jack reached out. Grabbed a chunk.
It squirmed in his grip—slick, pulsating, alive. A potent life aura radiated from it, tangled with chaotic will. It wanted to burrow into him. Assimilate. Consume.
His body screamed for it. Every cell demanded. The craving was almost unbearable.
Jack forced himself calm.
This is... the will of Monster King Orochi.
For ordinary monsters? Russian roulette. Near-certain death.
For Jack?
[ Detected large quantity of unowned life force. Convert to Origin Points? (Yes/No) ]
The system chimed. Perfect timing.
Jack's eyes blazed.
SYSTEM IS GOD.
"YES."
Buzz—!
Invisible power descended. The Monster Cell in his hand convulsed violently.
Pfft—!
A brief whimper. The red glow dimmed—fast. In seconds, the twisted flesh withered. Carbonized. Crumbled to gray-black dust, slipping through his fingers.
Simultaneously—a pure, vast current of warm energy surged into him. Flooded his core. Settled into the system.
[ Conversion successful! Origin Points +100! ]
"HOLY—!"
Jack's jaw dropped beneath his faceplate. His mouth curved wildly.
One hundred. From ONE Cell.
He whipped around. Stared at the remaining boxes.
His eyes burned.
Jackpot. ABSOLUTE JACKPOT.
No hesitation. He attacked the boxes.
One by one—pulled out. Converted. Repeated.
Pfft—!
Pfft—!
Pfft—!
Rhythmic. Relentless. Fresh, pulsing flesh reduced to ash in his grip.
The Origin Points counter skyrocketed.
[ Origin Points +100! ]
[ Origin Points +100! ]
[ Origin Points +100! ]
...
Minutes later. All Cells converted.
Jack opened the system panel. Stared at the number.
[ ——No Longer Human System—— ]
[ Host: Jack ]
[ Current Race: Monster (Unknown Insectoid Mutation) ]
[ Threat Level: Tiger (Upper) ]
[ ——Ability List—— ]
[ Innate: 1 ]
[ 1. 「Hard Carapace (N)」 Lv3 ]
[ Ability Slots: 5/10 ]
[ 1. 「Overgrowth (SSR)」 Lv1 ]
[ 2. 「Scorching Heat Bullet (SSR)」 Lv1 ]
[ 3. 「Fierce Beast Body (SSR)」 Lv1 ]
[ 4. 「Beast Instinct (SSR)」 Lv1 ]
[ 5. 「Basic Regeneration (N)」 Lv3 ]
[ Origin Points: 12,629 ]
[ ————E N D———— ]
Twelve thousand.
Slime Octopus's hoard had made him rich.
With this? Even SSR abilities—those upgrade-guzzling monsters—could jump multiple levels.
His strength was about to explode.
Jack forced himself to pause. Breathe. Think.
Priorities.
Consolidate Rover relationship. Take over Slime Octopus's territory. Maintain order.
If chaos erupts, attention comes. Higher-ups. Demon-level enforcers. Problems.
Order first. Power second.
A sound interrupted his thoughts.
Puji... puji... puji...
Vibrating. Approaching from the passage depths.
Jack's expression sharpened. He turned.
Emerging from darkness—a pinkish-red meatball. Human-head sized. Two tiny wings flapping.
Six deformed tentacles. Each ending in two-fingered "hands." And dominating its body—
One enormous eye. Rolling. Watching.
The gaze was chilling.
Jack recognized it instantly.
Any fan of the source material would. This thing was everywhere in the Monster Association—the ubiquitous surveillance orb, the eyes and ears of the deep underground.
A clone of the Dragon-level monster "Gyoro Gyoro." Unofficial name: Little Eye.
"Oh ho ho ho ho~~ What a fortunate newcomer!"
Little Eye hovered in the air, no mouth visible, yet that piercing laugh—eerily reminiscent of a certain vampire posing arrogantly—emanated clearly from within the pinkish-purple meatball.
A psychic wave accompanied it. Telepathic. The medium and carrier of the sound.
Its massive single eye roved over Jack—up, down, through—as if peeling back his dark carapace to examine his very soul.
"To earn little Rover's favor... and it seems you've turned calamity into fortune. Awakened quite a formidable new power, hmm?"
The tone was classic villain. Sticky. Uncomfortable. Amused.
"Oh ho ho ho... Good potential. Very good. I have high hopes for you~~~"
Alarm bells screamed in Jack's mind.
His face—what little was visible—remained calm.
Gyoro Gyoro. The "strategist." The puppet.
The real mastermind was someone else. Psykos. The esper who could go toe-to-toe with Tatsumaki herself.
And these meatball clones? They were everywhere. His fight with Slime Octopus. His conversion of the Monster Cells. All of it—probably watched.
Jack's spine iced over.
The system. My biggest trump card. Must NOT be exposed.
But... the other party's words suggested they attributed everything to a common monster phenomenon. Power burst under lethal pressure. Beneficial mutation. Monsters evolved in unpredictable ways all the time.
Thank God. My secret's safe.
Still. Psykos was ambitious. Cunning. Dangerous. He couldn't drop his guard for an instant.
Thoughts raced. Decision crystallized.
Play along. Ride the wave.
"Merely survived by chance, Gyoro Gyoro-sama."
Jack's voice was low. Respectful. Measured.
Little Eye circled him once—slow, deliberate. Its single eye gleamed with calculation. Malice lurked beneath the amusement.
"Oh ho ho ho... Unexpectedly humble. But in our Monster Association, power is everything."
The tone shifted. Sharpened.
"Since you eliminated Slime Octopus, his territory and logistical duties now fall to you."
A pause. Weighted.
"Think you can handle it? Don't... disappoint me."
"Oh ho ho ho ho~~"
The laugh echoed. Chilling. Expectant.
The massive eye fixed on Jack. Waiting.
Jack's heart hammered.
But beneath the carapace, behind the mask—
A grin.
Opportunity.
It's here.