The battle concluded. Jack surveyed the six Demon-level Monsters of the Evil Ghost Clan, piled like a small mountain. He clicked his tongue.
The ingredients are too large. Transporting them will be troublesome.
No subordinates to command at the moment. He couldn't exactly carry this group of ingredients to Lord Pochi himself, could he?
Then he remembered the new function of his battle armor. He raised his hand toward the scattered Demon-level Monsters.
The formidable black gauntlet on his arm softened without warning—flowing like liquid. Then, according to Jack's will, it extended, stretched, transformed into several tough ropes that shot out, binding Red Devil King and the others tightly.
The upgraded Shadow Armor's new deformation function.
Perfect. Now I can just drag them.
Everything settled. Jack's gaze swept toward the darkness in the distance.
In that darkness, a large group of Demon-level Monsters stood frozen—silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to breathe. Cold sweat poured down their faces. They made no sound.
These Monsters had originally intended to cheer their King on. Before they could even start, the battle was already over.
They watched Jack drag a large pile of corpses disappear at the passage's end.
An elderly red-skinned Demon-level Monster—leaning on a crutch—tremblingly wiped sweat from his brow.
"Go quickly. Report to Great Eyes. Bug God…"
His voice cracked.
"…captured our Lord Red Devil King!!"
＼("ロ゛)／
Deep Underground
"Woof, woof woof~~" (You dead ghost—why are you only coming back now~~)
From a distance, Jack saw a giant figure sitting at a crossroads. Six eyes locked onto him.
Lord Pochi had smelled the familiar scent in advance. Left his territory. Waited here.
A warmth inexplicably filled Jack's chest. He quickened his pace.
"Sorry, Lord Pochi. I'm late."
"Woof woof, woof?" (It's fine. What are these?)
Lord Pochi lowered his massive head, curiously sniffing the Red Devil Clan members Jack had dragged over.
"These?" Jack tossed the six Evil Ghost Monsters in front of Lord Pochi. "These are the new flavors we talked about earlier. Want to try some?"
The response was immediate: Lord Pochi's joyful tail-wagging, his urgent urging.
"Woof! Woof woof!" (Of course! Hurry up!)
"Alright!"
Jack was about to start cooking when he realized Lord Pochi seemed a bit too excited…
*BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM—!! *
A tail thicker than a bucket swung wildly. Each swing was like a giant siege hammer crashing against walls and ground. The sturdy rock structure groaned under the immense force, fragile as paper.
With a violent tremor, the ground cracked into hideous fissures.
"Uh oh. This is bad…"
*RUMBLE—!! *
Deafening roars reverberated endlessly. The stratum where Jack and Lord Pochi stood underwent a large-scale collapse. Hundreds of tons of shattered rock poured down. Sky collapsed. Earth split. Dust filled the air.
In the blink of an eye, one person and one beast stood in the ruins of the lower level.
For Jack and Lord Pochi, this level of commotion was nothing.
For ordinary Monsters? Buried alive. Dead or severely injured.
The Red Devil Clan members Jack had brought? Except for Red Devil King and the Tiger-level squad leader—kept alive for freshness—the few Wolf-level Monsters were all dead.
Lord Pochi shook his massive head, easily breaking through the huge rocks pressing down on him. A shake of his body shed the gravel clinging to his fur.
At his feet, Red Devil King—pinned by several massive rocks—spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with internal organ fragments. His eyes slowly focused.
His gaze immediately found Jack standing not far away. The incomplete corpses of his clansmen Jack was dragging out from under the ruins.
"Bug God!!" Red Devil King's eyes bulged, bloodshot. "How dare you attack this King without reason and kill my subordinates! You just wait—I'm going to report you to Great Eyes—"
He stopped.
"Uh. What is this?"
A warm liquid suddenly fell from above. Drenched half his body—from head to toe.
He instinctively wiped his face.
Sticky. It's… saliva.
He looked up.
His heart stopped.
Above his head—six giant, lantern-sized eyes stared unblinkingly.
At him.
"…AH!!!"
Red Devil King finally registered the terrifying, suffocating Dragon-level pressure permeating the entire space.
His consciousness went blank.
"D-Dragon-level executive… Lord Pochi?!"
Jack tossed the remaining corpses and Red Devil King's half-dead subordinates at his feet. He clapped his hands.
"That's right."
A casual glance.
"Lord Pochi is about to dine. You should prepare yourself too."
Prepare? Prepare for what?
Red Devil King's confusion lasted only an instant.
His entire vision filled with blinding white light. Like the sun.
"NO—!!!"
*BOOM—!!!! *
Earth shook again. Red Devil King's terrified scream drowned completely beneath the explosion of the energy bullet.
Jack had deliberately controlled the Scorching Heat Bullet's power—to achieve Lord Pochi's preferred texture: crispy outside, tender inside. Red Devil King stubbornly survived. Like a cockroach.
Sometimes living is more despairing than dying.
Red Devil King—charred black, one breath remaining—opened his mouth to beg for mercy.
He never got the chance.
A fist encased in black armor—carrying a violent gust of wind—slammed down.
*BANG— *
Dull thud. Horn shattered. Skull cracked. The hideous Demon head smashed like a watermelon.
[Killed Demon-level Monster 'Red Devil King' | Gained Origin Points × 751!]
[Killed Tiger-level Monster 'Red Flame Ghost' | Gained Origin Points × 68!]
"Lord Pochi." Jack stepped back. Looked up at the giant dog—long drooling, tail wagging like a windmill. "You can start eating now."
"Woof woof woof~~!" (Dinner time!)
Lord Pochi's massive tongue flicked out. Rolled Red Devil King's huge, headless corpse into his mouth. Began feasting.
Crunching bones. Satisfied chewing. The sounds echoed through the ruins.
Jack felt a little hungry himself.
After the extra meal, Lord Pochi burped contentedly. He lay lazily on the ground, rubbed his furry head against Jack, six eyes blinking expectantly.
Post-meal entertainment.
Jack smiled. "Lord Pochi—how about we go somewhere else? Full set. Bath, back scrub, essential oil SPA. The complete package."
"Woof!" (Good, good!)
Jack leaped onto Lord Pochi's head with practiced ease.
The Dragon-level Knight merged once more.
The giant black beast stepped over the collapsed ruins—gone in the blink of an eye.