The math hit him like a truck.
N-rank evolution costs 1000. Ten times the first upgrade. So by that logic...
His eyes narrowed.
SSR evolution would cost... one million Origin Points?
HISS—!
He barely suppressed a full-body flinch. One million. The grind just went from mountain to celestial.
Crafting UR red abilities from scratch? Out of the question. Only hope is stumbling across pre-existing ones to copy...
He paused.
Yeah. Even less likely.
Forget it. Let's see what evolution actually does.
Two maxed N-abilities. One evolution's worth of points left.
Choose.
"System. Evolve Hard Carapace."
[ Consumed 1000 Origin Points. Ability evolving... ]
[ 「Hard Carapace (N)」 LvMAX → 「Spike Armor (R)」 Lv1! ]
BUZZ—!!
Strange energy rippled across his entire shell. The thick, jet-black armor cracked—fine hairline fractures spreading along the crimson magma patterns.
The cracks deepened. Widened. New material filled the voids—solidifying instantly.
Reshaping. Rebirth.
CRACK. CRACK. CRACK.
Bone spikes erupted from every joint—prominent, ferocious, lethal. His already intimidating shell now looked like a weapon itself. Spikes of varying lengths gleamed like tempered blades, hungry to tear steel.
[ 「Spike Armor (R)」 Lv1: Mutated armor with greatly enhanced defense. Absorbs partial damage on hit. Automatically counterattacks with piercing damage to enemies. ]
Damage reflection armor. Nice.
Jack flexed. Felt the new function. The weight. The security.
Even weak abilities can keep up, if you feed them enough.
Cost is brutal, though. Gotta choose wisely.
But my predecessor's parting gift? Not bad at all.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
Heavy footsteps. Mountain-like. Suffocating.
The underground space—still tense from Slime Octopus's death—froze. Every monster turned, stiff-necked, toward the passage.
Fear flooded in.
BOOM—!!!
The passage's hard rock roof shattered like tofu. Debris flew. Smoke billowed.
A figure emerged.
Three meters tall. Covered in ferocious black spike armor. Crimson patterns pulsing beneath the bone-white thorns.
BOOM—!!!
Pressure erupted—tangible, crushing.
The overhead lights screamed. Sparks flew. The ground trembled. Tiny stones skittered away from an invisible shockwave.
Demon-level aura. Undisguised. Absolute.
The air itself solidified.
THUD. THUD. THUD.
Wolf-level monsters collapsed—eyes rolling, foam forming. Fainted from sheer terror.
The remaining few? Shaking like leaves.
Even the Tiger-levels paled.
"Demon... Demon-level?! HOW?!"
A Mantis monster's mind screamed. His body? Frozen. Unresponsive.
How much time had passed?! One entry. One exit. And this killer's aura had become... this?
It felt like the Dragon-level cadres at the Great Assembly. Completely other-dimensional.
They weren't wrong.
The system's "Demon-level" rating was Jack's baseline. His paper stats.
Fully unleashed—with four SSR abilities fused from Rover himself? Even peak Demon-levels might fall.
That's the value of a stat monster.
Among the trembling crowd, Sharp Fang stood apart.
The rat monster who'd eaten the octopus corpse. His fur had transformed—from mottled gray-white to sleek, glossy sheen. Power radiated from him now. He'd gained much from Slime Octopus's remains.
But his gaze at Jack?
Not fear anymore.
Worship.
Fanatic. Absolute. Devotion.
This is power. Unreasonable strength.
Jack's gaze swept across them all.
Slow. Deliberate. Like death itself, taking inventory.
Wherever his gaze fell, monsters buried their heads deeper. Trembling. Submitting.
"From today, this territory is mine."
His voice—quiet, calm—carried undeniable weight. Every monster heard. Every monster understood.
A pause. His gaze settled on the trembling rat.
"Sharp Fang."
"H-here! Here! My... my Lord! This humble one is here!"
Sharp Fang shot out from the corner—instinct, pure terror and eagerness—and prostrated himself. Face to the ground. Posture absolute humility.
"You'll serve as my deputy. For now."
Jack's tone was flat. Matter-of-fact.
"Manage the small fries. Inventory supplies. Relay my orders. Understood?"
He was asking Sharp Fang.
But his chilling gaze swept across every Tiger-level present.
They weren't smart. But they weren't that stupid. The threat? A blade at their throats. Blatant. Unmistakable.
Sweat poured. Soaked the ground beneath them.
One wrong move. One moment of hesitation. And they'd follow Slime Octopus—obliterated by a casual energy blast.
"U-understood! This humble one understands!"
Sharp Fang's terror shattered—replaced by explosive ecstasy. His rat head bobbed like a piston.
"My Lord, rest assured! Even if this humble one must sacrifice his life—be utterly shattered—I will handle everything properly! Never betray your trust!"
Jack nodded, satisfied.
Smart rat. Knows which way the wind blows.
With this one running errands, he wouldn't have to micromanage. Handle Psykos's assignments. Free up time for what mattered.
Growth.
He recalled his earlier thoughts. Asked—voice low, probing:
"Any new movements in the Association lately?"
A pause. Weighted.
"And... what do you know about the Dragon-level cadres?"