[ Killed Tiger-level monster 「Slime Octopus」. Origin Points +28. ]
The system's chime was crisp. Satisfying.
Twenty-eight. More than ten times a Wolf-level cockroach.
Stronger the prey, better the payout.
Smoke cleared. Steam dispersed.
The figure at the crater's center stood motionless—tall, dark, grotesquely beautiful in his armored menace.
Jack flicked blue blood and brain matter from his claws. Casual. Dismissive. Like swatting a fly.
His gaze swept the cavern.
Silence.
Absolute.
The chaos of moments ago had evaporated. Survivors prostrated themselves—trembling, breath held, daring not to move. Eyes fixed on the ground. On anything but him.
In those few who dared to look? Only awe. Only primal fear.
Even the other Tiger-levels—sweating, heads bowed, docile as lambs.
One combo. Instant kill. The monster they'd feared for so long, erased like trash.
Jack's satisfaction ran deep.
Establish dominance hard. Saves trouble later.
He stepped toward the crater's center. The ground beneath had become glass—charred, black, fused by heat.
At the bottom? Remains. Carbonized fragments. Slime Octopus's last trace in this world.
Jack hooked a claw under the largest piece—half a meter of tentacle, still smoking, still sizzling. Recognizable, barely.
He hefted it. Turned. Faced the frozen crowd.
"Anyone know where this guy's room is?"
Silence. Then—
"Whoever takes me there gets this."
The death-grip on the atmosphere loosened. Just slightly.
Eyes flickered. Fear warred with greed.
Slime Octopus was dead. But Tiger-level flesh? Still potent. Still valuable. A feast for any Wolf-level daring enough to claim it.
"Me! Me, me, me! Sir—!"
A rat monster scrambled forward—small, scrawny, fur matted and grey. His claw shot up, voice trembling with excitement and terror.
"I know! That scoundrel's room—I can take you right now!"
His eyes never left the charred remains in Jack's hand.
Greed. Pure and simple.
Jack's expression didn't change. "Lead the way."
The rat scrambled ahead, practically vibrating with barely-contained glee.
Jack followed—past the prostrate masses, past the averted gazes, into the mouth of an inconspicuous side passage.
The darkness swallowed them both.
Only when the terrifying figure had fully disappeared did the underground space exhale.
The oppressive weight lifted—just slightly.
But no one spoke. No one moved.
They just... waited. Listened to their own hearts pounding.
And wondered what kind of monster had just been born among them.
But beneath the surface, something else ignited—fiercer, more dangerous than fear.
Envy.
Greed.
"That damn bug..."
"Killed Boss Octopus and took the spoils?!"
"Shh! You want to die?! Didn't you see how Boss Octopus died?"
"Instant kill. This guy... he's not simple."
Murmurs flickered and died. Fear smothered them all.
Right. Slime Octopus—the strongest here—was gone. No corpse. No remains worth mentioning. Even with a hundred guts, who'd dare provoke that killer now?
The passage twisted. Dark. Damp. Jack followed the rat monster deeper into the warren.
Finally—a door. Secluded. Sturdy.
"Here, Sir!"
The rat wiped sweat from his brow, eager to please. "My ability's tunneling—I know every tunnel around here! Saw Slime Octopus enter this passage myself. This has to be his room."
Jack nodded.
Raised his fist.
BOOM—!!
Pure physical force. The shockwave sent the rat tumbling. The iron door? Twisted. Split. Useless.
Jack stepped through.
Slime Octopus's lair was exactly what he expected.
Spacious. Grotto-like. The floor uneven, slick, sticky—squelching underfoot. Cave walls glistened with translucent slime, dripping slowly.
In one corner? Piled bones. Broken human junk. Half-decomposed monster corpses—snack reserves.
Jack's gaze locked onto the wooden boxes.
His instincts hummed.
That's it.
Slime Octopus handled feeding missions. Embezzled rewards from lower-level monsters regularly. If anyone had stockpiled Monster Cells, it was him.
He tossed the charred octopus remains to the trembling rat behind him.
"Your reward."
"Thank you, Sir! Thank you, Sir!"
The rat clutched the burnt meat like treasure—ignoring the heat, sinking sharp fangs in immediately. A satisfied gulp echoed.
Only then did he remember Jack was watching. Froze. Sweat poured.
Jack's voice was casual. "What's your name?"
"Sh-Sharp Fang, Sir!"
"Got it. Take your food and go."
Jack waved without turning. "Don't die."
"Yes, Sir! Thank you, Sir! Thank you for the reward, Sir!"
Sharp Fang scrambled—literally dug into the rock wall, octopus corpse clutched tight. Moments later, the wall was refilled. Seamless.
Jack's enhanced perception tracked every move.
Smart one. Sensible. Might be useful later.
He turned back to the boxes.
Kicked the rotten lid.
Inside—stacked to the brim—dark red chunks. Covered in veins. Granulated. Pulsing eerily. Strongly.
Like hearts freshly ripped from chests.
Monster Cells.