Pochi's massive head bobbed enthusiastically, his tail thrashing with such vigor that it carved fresh gashes into the corridor walls. Debris rained down in steady streams.
Jack's taut nerves finally released.
Exhaustion crashed over him like a tidal wave, nearly buckling his knees.
But he was alive.
Temporarily.
Hallelujah.
And apparently promoted to Dragon-level executive chef.
"Got it! The next dishes will definitely satisfy you!"
Radiation Fish: ???
One-Ear: ???
Two pairs of terrified eyes locked onto Jack's glowing red gaze. The surviving Wolf-level monsters—fish and rodent—trembled violently, cold sweat pouring like waterfalls.
"D-Don't come any closer—!!!" x2
[ Killed Wolf-level Monster 「Radiation Fish」. Origin Points +1. ]
[ Killed Wolf-level Monster 「One-Ear」. Origin Points +1. ]
Perhaps it was the novelty of a cooked meal. Perhaps it was simply satisfaction. Either way, Rover's tail wagged happily throughout the buffet.
When finished, the great beast lowered his head. His massive nose sniffed close to Jack—then a massive tongue slurped across him, coating him in sticky saliva.
Jack's heart stopped.
But Rover wasn't adding him to the menu. He was marking. Leaving his scent. Claiming ownership.
"Awo! Awo, awoo~~" (Sleep now! Tomorrow—more roasted snacks~~)
Jack wiped the drool from his face, a genuine smile spreading beneath his dark carapace: "You got it!"
Rumble. Rumble. Rumble...
The heavy footsteps faded. The mountain-like silhouette vanished into darkness.
"Phew—!"
Jack exhaled long and deep.
Alive.
More than alive—thriving.
If not for that cursed death-mission to deliver food to Rover, he'd never have touched a peak Dragon-level monster. Never copied four SSR abilities in one go.
He looked down at his clawed hands—hideous black carapace gleaming faintly. Felt the torrent of magma-like energy raging within.
Every movement sent explosive power singing through his nerves. He could feel it—the strength to crush steel with a thought.
Upper Tiger-level.
From Wolf-level nobody to Upper Tiger in moments. A rocket launch of power.
In the One-Punch Man world, sure, there were freakier power surges. But right now?
Jack was thrilled.
Survived. Upgraded. And marked by a Dragon-level pet.
Hellish start? More like heavenly glow-up.
No.
He forced the swelling pride down.
Not yet. Can't get cocky.
Inside the Monster Association, Dragon-levels roamed freely. Demon-levels were a dime a dozen. This was just the beginning.
He steadied his breathing and summoned the system panel.
[ ——No Longer Human System—— ]
[ Host: Jack ]
[ Current Race: Monster (Unknown Insectoid Mutation) ]
[ Threat Level: Tiger (Upper) ]
[ ——Ability List—— ]
[ Innate Abilities: 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)」 Lv1 ]
[ Origin Points: 4 ]
[ ————E N D———— ]
Four golden SSR icons. Glorious. Dazzling.
Jack's heart hammered.
「Overgrowth」 — Surging energy. Vibrant vitality. The foundation of limitless growth.
「Scorching Heat Bullet」 — Terrifying long-range destruction. One-shot kills against same level foes.
「Fierce Beast Body」 — Superhuman defense. A physique far beyond ordinary Tiger-level.
「Beast Instinct」 — Combat intuition. Crisis perception. And a rage-boost for when things got desperate.
Four abilities. Perfect synergy. Any single one could transform an ordinary monster. All four together?
Chef's kiss.
Sure, at Lv1, they were still limited by his Tiger-level frame. Nowhere near Rover's world-ending power.
But the potential...
The future shimmered.
The only odd one out sat in slot five: 「Basic Regeneration (N)」. Copied from the Mutated Cockroach. A white ability among gold.
Not useless—regeneration was always a life-saver. But compared to the golden lineup, it looked... plain. And it occupied a precious slot.
Jack frowned thoughtfully.
Maybe it's time for an upgrade.
Fortunately, the threat level increase had expanded his ability slots to ten—enough breathing room for now.
Jack's gaze dropped to the Origin Points counter.
Three kills. Mutated Cockroach (Wolf-Lower), Radiation Fish (Wolf-Shame), One-Ear (Wolf-Shame). Total haul: 4 points.
One Wolf-Lower equals two Wolf-Shame. Drop rate's pretty stingy.
He clicked his tongue. Still—every mosquito had meat, however thin.
His attention returned to the ability list. Anticipation flickered as he tapped Rover's core ability.
[ Upgrade 「Overgrowth (SSR)」 Lv1 → Lv2 requires 1000 Origin Points. ]
...
Jack's eye twitched violently. He nearly choked on air.
One thousand.
That was one thousand of the weakest Wolf-Shame mooks. A small army of cannon fodder.
The difficulty was absurd.
But...
He exhaled slowly. Think.
These were Dragon-level abilities. Top-tier rarity. Power he had no business accessing at his current level.
Of course the upgrade cost was insane. That was... actually pretty reasonable.
Short term? Grind or luck. No shortcuts.
He shelved the SSR dreams and turned to his innate ability.
[ Upgrade 「Hard Carapace (N)」 Lv3 → Lv4 requires 4 Origin Points. ]
Affordable. Common rarity, but it was his—born from his own mutation. Upgrading it meant genuine durability increase.
But Jack didn't commit yet. His eyes slid to the fifth slot.
[ Upgrade 「Basic Regeneration (N)」 Lv1 → Lv2 requires 1 Origin Point. ]
Same rarity. Lower level. Cheaper cost.
He weighed the options.
With 「Overgrowth」 and 「Fierce Beast Body」, his HP and defense already punched above his weight class. Top-tier among Tiger-levels, easily.
Compared to a marginal hardness boost from 「Hard Carapace」, regeneration offered something else: survivability. Recovery. The ability to bounce back.
More cost-effective. Hands down.
"System. Upgrade."
[ Consumed 1 Origin Point. 「Basic Regeneration (N)」 Lv1 → Lv2. ]
A faint warmth bloomed within him—gentle, continuous. Like a small stream trickling through his limbs, his bones, his core.
His body's recovery rate ticked upward. The residual strain from forcing 「Scorching Heat Bullet」? The lingering fatigue? Smoothed out. Faster now.
Small change. But immediate.
"Not bad."
Satisfaction flickered in Jack's eyes.
Three points left. One more level possible.
Keep going.
[ Consumed 2 Origin Points. 「Basic Regeneration (N)」 Lv2 → Lv3. ]
The warmth surged—stronger now. A steady current, flowing through every cell.
Where it passed, his very essence seemed to hum. Approval. Vitality.
In plain terms: HP regen up. MP regen up. Both noticeably improved.
[ Origin Points: 1 ]
One point left. Not enough for another upgrade. Park it for now.
Jack flexed his clawed hands, feeling the real changes within.
Much better.
Survival just got a little easier.
Small gains, sure. But every point spent meant tangible growth.
That instant feedback loop? Addictive.
Jack stretched experimentally, rolling his shoulders, flexing his claws. The surge of power still felt foreign—borrowed, almost. But his body was adapting. The new abilities settling into his very cells.
He closed the system panel. Took a breath. Think.
First priority: get out of this hellhole. Away from Rover's drying saliva and the stench of burnt cockroach.
Back to the task assignment area.
According to his predecessor's fragmented memories, completing the delivery mission meant claiming a reward. And that reward was the very thing that had turned them into monsters in the first place—
Monster Cells.
Harvested from the flesh and blood of the Monster Association's apex predator. The Monster King. Orochi.
Cultivated, multiplied, shaped into pulsating lumps of flesh. Each one beating like a fresh heart.
Consuming one could trigger unpredictable mutations. Secondary. Even tertiary. Luck meant skyrocketing power.
More likely? The strange energy within would tear you apart from the inside.
But monsters didn't care about death. They'd abandoned humanity. Embraced violence. Death was just another Tuesday.
Jack wasn't eager to die. But his thirst for power? Just as sharp as any monster's.
No matter what—I'm getting those cells.
The system might help. Mitigate risks. Convert that chaotic energy into controlled growth.
Besides, he needed intel.
The manga showed the Monster Association through fragmented panels—mostly high-level fights. The underlying structure? Power divisions? Exact numbers? All vague.
And more urgently—the timeline.
Was Garou already active? Had he started his monsterification?
If so, this seemingly impregnable fortress could become a battlefield any day. The Hero Association would come knocking.
And where heroes gathered...
That bald guy might show up.
Or that flat-chested green-haired gremlin.
Either way? Dimension-shattering trouble.
Somewhere in Z-City:
"ACHOO—!!" x2
Saitama rubbed his nose, confused. Tatsumaki scowled, glancing around suspiciously.
"Who's cursing me?!" x2
Jack shook off the phantom sneezes. Focus.
First: get out. Second: claim reward. Third: figure out where the hell he was in this broken timeline.
Survival depended on it.