The sheer volume of Monster Cells piled in the crates far surpassed Hansen's expectations.
"That Slime Octopus... a low-ranking tiger-level leader, and it was hoarding this much?"
It had clearly been stealing supplies, pocketing what should have gone to lower-tier monsters. All are to build a secret stockpile, probably with the aim of consuming enough Monster Cells to attempt a higher evolution.
Hansen reached into the crate and picked one up. The fleshy lump was slick and sticky, squirming slightly in his grasp. It pulsed with a thick sense of life, radiating a chaotic will that writhed against his palm, almost as if it were trying to worm its way into his body and devour him from within.
He took a steadying breath, forcing himself to remain composed, even as the deep, ravenous hunger in each cell screamed to be consumed.
"This... this Will must've come from Orochi, the Monster King."
For an average monster, swallowing one of these things would be a gamble with death, an almost guaranteed one. But for Hansen…
Right then, the system chimed in with perfect timing.
[Large amount of unclaimed life force detected. Convert to Origin Points? (Yes/No)]
Just what he was hoping for! A flicker of excitement lit up Hansen's eyes. This could actually work! The system was crazy!
"Yes!"
He answered without hesitation.
HUM!!
A silent pulse vibrated through the air, like an invisible force descending from above. The Monster Cell in his hand began convulsing, its form twitching with unnatural spasms.
Spurt!
The twisted chunk of meat released a sharp, sickening squeal as the faint red light along its surface dimmed rapidly, fading before his eyes.
In mere seconds, the pulsing, fleshy mass shriveled up, blackened, and collapsed into a crumbling pile of ash-gray dust that sifted between his fingers and scattered across the floor.
At the same time, a rush of immense, pure energy surged into his body. The system absorbed it instantly and translated it into cold, hard data.
[Conversion successful! Gained 100 Origin Points!]
"Holy hell!"
Hansen couldn't suppress the exclamation. Beneath his pitch-black helmet, his mouth curled into a wide grin, manic joy flashing in his eyes.
One Monster Cell had given him 100 Origin Points.
He snapped his head toward the rest of the unopened crates. His gaze burned hot with greed and anticipation.
This wasn't just a stash, it was a goddamn treasure vault.
Without pausing, Hansen began yanking out Monster Cells one after another, feeding them into the system like fuel for a roaring fire.
Splurt!
Splurt!
Splurt!
Each grotesque, squirming lump disintegrated in his hands, breaking down into dust and vanishing into the air. Meanwhile, his Origin Points tally on the system panel kept climbing in a frenzy.
[Gained 100 Origin Points!]
[Gained 100 Origin Points!]
[Gained 100 Origin Points!]
…
A few minutes later, Hansen had finished converting every last Monster Cell Slime Octopus had hoarded.
Satisfied, he opened his system panel. His lips curled into an unstoppable grin as the updated stats came into view.
===
Non-Human System
Host: Hansen
Current Race: Monster (Unknown Insect-Type Mutation)]
Disaster Level: Tiger (Upper)
Abilities:
Innate Ability: 1
"Hardened Carapace (N)" Lv3
Ability Slots: 5/10
"Excessive Growth (SSR)" Lv1 "Scorching Blast (SSR)" Lv1 "Beast Physique (SSR)" Lv1 "Beast Instinct (SSR)" Lv1 "Basic Regeneration (N)" Lv3
Origin Points: 12,629
===
Over twelve thousand points!
The "gold drop" from the Slime Octopus had paid off massively. Hansen was now stacked with resources. Even upgrading SSR-tier abilities, which usually demanded outrageous costs, would be easy. He had enough to power through several levels effortlessly.
His strength was on the verge of skyrocketing.
He suppressed the impulse to start allocating points right away. Instead, he centered himself and began outlining his next steps.
"First, I need to secure my position with Rover. Once that's set, I'll absorb the Slime Octopus's subordinates."
"Leaders can fall, but structure has to remain."
"If things get chaotic, the higher-ups might send another tiger-class leader, or worse, a demon-level combatant. That would be a real problem."
Just then, a disturbing squelching noise, soft but rhythmic, echoed from the far end of the tunnel. The sound grew steadily closer.
Hansen's senses snapped into high alert. He turned to look.
A pale pinkish flesh ball, about the size of a human head, drifted out from the shadows, its gelatinous body fluttering with the help of two tiny, flapping wings. It had malformed tentacles ending in stubby fingers and a single enormous eyeball that dominated its body. The massive eye spun erratically, releasing a creepy, invasive aura that made Hansen's skin crawl.
He recognized it instantly.
It was a surveillance drone of the Monster Association, spawned from the dragon-level monster smol Gyoro Gyoro.
The infamous Gyoro Gyoro.
"Ohohohoho~~ What a lucky fellow we have here!"
Despite having no mouth, a loud, melodramatic voice rang out from the pink flesh orb. It sounded smug, grating, and drenched in villain energy like something straight out of Dio's playbook.
(AN: Yup, same voice actor.)
The voice didn't come through physical sound, but through a wave of telepathic energy that resonated directly in his mind.
Its oversized eye twitched, then locked onto Hansen, scanning him with eerie focus, as though peeling back the layers of his dark armor to glimpse the essence underneath.
"To think you've caught little Rover's attention... and even awakened a most curious power after brushing against death..."
The flesh ball giggled again, its voice slithering with an unsettling charisma. "Ohohoho... not bad, not bad. I see great potential in you~"
Inside, Hansen's alarm bells went haywire. Every instinct he had screamed caution, but outwardly, he remained perfectly calm.
As a transmigrator, Hansen knew the truth behind the so-called strategist of the Monster Association. The dragon-level "Gyoro Gyoro" was a puppet, nothing more than a front to mislead others.
The real mastermind operating from the shadows, the true founder and controller of the entire organization, was none other than Psykos, an immensely powerful esper capable of rivaling even S-Class Rank 2, Tatsumaki.
On the left: Tatsumaki. On the right: Psykos.
These fleshball-type clones were likely scattered throughout the Monster Association's base, acting as her eyes and ears. The battle he'd just fought and his absorption of the Monster Cells had almost certainly been observed by that woman deep underground.
A cold shiver ran down Hansen's spine.
The system was his greatest trump card. It absolutely had to remain hidden.
Fortunately, based on what the Gyoro Gyoro had said, it seemed to have interpreted his changes as a typical monster evolution, one triggered by surviving a brush with death. That was good. Monster mutations were chaotic by nature. Even the most bizarre power-ups could be explained away as natural.
For now, his secret was likely safe. But Psykos was no fool. She was cunning, patient, and endlessly ambitious. He couldn't afford a single mistake while she was involved.
His thoughts spun like a hurricane, calculating rapidly. In the end, Hansen made his decision.
He'd play along.
Lowering his voice, he replied with measured calm, "I was lucky to survive, Lord Gyoro Gyoro."
The small Gyoro Gyoro floated in a slow circle around him. Its giant pupil narrowed, flashing with something cold and probing, an analytical gleam tinged with a faint, unmistakable malice.
"Ohohohohoho, how unexpectedly humble... But in the Monster Association, power is everything."
The tone of its voice sharpened without warning, growing more frigid.
"Since you've taken down Slime Octopus, the territory he managed and the logistics he oversaw are now your responsibility. Well? Think you can handle it? Don't let me down…"
Its huge, unblinking eye locked onto Hansen, boring into him, waiting for an answer.
This was it.
His opportunity had arrived.
===
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