With a single thought, Jack summoned the system panel.
Time to convert that massive, untouched fortune into immediate combat power.
After maxing out Monsterification, he still had a hefty 130,000 Source Points remaining.
Overgrowth, now more than halfway through its upgrade path, demanded increasingly steep costs per level. But the effect was simple and brutal: direct enhancement of all bodily functions. The higher the level, the more terrifying the amplification.
Necessary expenditure. No room for hesitation.
"System. Add points."
[Source Points consumed x 32,000 | Overgrowth level increased! Lv6 → Lv7]
[Source Points consumed x 64,000 | Overgrowth level increased! Lv7 → Lv8]
[Source Points: 39,691]
Command given. Points allocated.
In the blink of an eye, nearly 100,000 Source Points refined into pure power.
An indescribable surge of energy erupted silently within him—vast, rapid, overwhelming. But Jack, now accustomed to this process, firmly suppressed it. Contained it. His formidable physique, already surpassing standard disaster-level metrics, absorbed the sudden influx without his human-form transformation even flickering.
Strength. Speed. Cellular vitality and resilience. Everything skyrocketed at an astonishing rate.
Finally—an invisible energy aftershock rippled silently from his body. Spread outward like water disturbed.
Inside the moving train carriage, the lights flickered violently. The train itself emitted a faint metallic groan—slightly more pronounced than usual—then quickly returned to normal.
Jack's eyebrow lifted slightly.
Even with significant enhancements in human form, energy leakage is still unavoidable. Need to be more restrained in crowded places.
In the control room, several train attendants jolted at the alarm. They stared at the dashboard—pointers momentarily chaotic, then smoothly normal. Exchanged glances.
"What was that? The tremor just now…"
"Data shows normal. Probably a minor issue at a track joint."
"Keep observing. If nothing else, manually clear the alarm."
A pause.
"M City's almost here. Everyone, stay alert."
They would never know that the "minor anomaly" had originated from a passenger in Car 3, currently undergoing non-human evolution.
Jack slowly opened his eyes. A sharp glint flickered within.
Two point allocations. Nearly 100,000 Source Points expended. The result?
His Monster main body—normal state—had firmly stepped into Demon-level Peak. One step closer to the Dragon-level threshold.
His human form had risen with the tide. Theoretical strength now hovered between strong Demon-level mid and weak Demon-level upper. Enough to suppress ordinary Demon-level Monsters with one hand—even without transforming.
But that was it for now.
Overgrowth Lv9 demanded a staggering 128,000 Source Points. Even with Psykos funding him, he'd need to save for a while.
Next: UR abilities.
Megaton Split and Fusion Combination—complementary abilities with infinite potential. Core trump cards for the future.
[Source Points consumed x 10,000 | Megaton Split level increased! Lv1 → Lv2]
[Source Points consumed x 10,000 | Fusion Combination level increased! Lv1 → Lv2]
[Source Points: 19,691]
Another 20,000 Source Points refined.
Each only increased by one level—but Jack could feel the difference. Cells within him grew more active. More eager. The urge to split. The desire to fuse. Base strength of split bodies improved. Upper limit of cell storage expanded. Power amplification and stability after fusion—significantly enhanced.
With Source Points dwindling, Jack considered his next move.
As his strength increased, the R-level Spike Armor was showing signs of obsolescence. It only remained viable because he possessed the terrifyingly durable Fierce Beast Body beneath it. Otherwise, the fragile armor would have long been exposed as a weakness.
But this was his only innate ability. The one tied to this body from the beginning. Jack wanted to see if hidden potential lurked within.
If I could turn this carapace armor into a removable battlesuit—like those superheroes and Kamen Riders next door—with some cool particle effects… perfect.
While mentally cycling through classic armor designs from his memory, Jack completed the commands.
[Source Points consumed x 2,560 | Spike Armor level increased! Lv9 → LvMax]
[Source Points consumed x 10,000 | Ability evolution complete!]
[Spike Armor (R) LvMax → Shadow Armor (SR) Lv1]
[Source Points: 7,131]
In an instant—a completely different sense of power surged through him.
The originally solid, alloy-like carapace armor seemed to come alive. Transforming into a flowing, liquid substance. Malleable. Responsive. Usable even in human form.
Jack's lips curved upward.
Now we're talking.
[Shadow Armor (SR) Lv1: A special battlesuit that has undergone multiple variations shaped by its owner's will. The shadow material composing the battlesuit resembles liquid memory metal, possessing the following functions: 'Solid Defense', 'Damage Absorption', 'Automatic Counter-Damage', and 'Form Transformation'.
]**
"Ah… this—it actually worked!"
Surprise flickered in Jack's eyes, quickly replaced by genuine delight.
He could feel it. Those thoughts about cool battlesuits that had flashed through his mind before the evolution—the images, the concepts, the aesthetic—they'd actually influenced the outcome. Guided the direction.
The original Spike Armor had transformed. Not just upgraded—evolved. The core 'Form Transformation' function had been added. The material itself had shifted from bio-composed insect carapace to something else entirely. Something that felt almost… sci-fi.
Shadow material.
According to the natural feedback the ability provided, this newly born Shadow Armor was formed from Jack's own biomass. Powered directly by energy drawn from his body. It could manifest locally—like a second skin over specific areas—to provide protection. It could attach to existing clothing, enhancing defense and adding self-repair functions. Or it could fully cover his entire body as a complete battlesuit, providing all-around offensive and defensive bonuses.
As Jack willed it—below his palm, where no surveillance could record—a flowing black substance seeped out from beneath his skin.
First, it condensed into a sharp spike. Then quickly transformed. Small knife. Shield. Hammer. Even tentacles as fine as human hair.
"The freedom's almost maxed out, isn't it?" A satisfied smile. "Not bad."
If he had to compare, his current innate ability felt like a fusion of the Venom symbiote and nanotech armor—minus the chattering alien will, minus the high-level AI worth a few small nations.
He suppressed the body's instinctive urge to immediately experience a full Henshin moment. Let the cool liquid sensation flow over his skin. And in that sensation, he understood something profound.
Copied abilities were powerful. Undeniably. But they always felt… separated. Like external plugins bolted onto his existing framework.
But this—the Shadow Armor, descended from the original Hardened Shell, his very first inherent ability—this felt like him. A part of himself. Possessing infinite possibilities.
So the potential for directional evolution—shaped by my own will and desires—only applies to my unique innate ability?
No wonder.
If that was the case, the next stage of evolution was even more worth anticipating.
Unfortunately.
The SR-level Shadow Armor still contained a strong Monster aura. Easily detectable by the widely deployed Monster detection machines. And its dark coloration? Completely villainous. Even if Jack wore it in human form, any observer would immediately classify it as some evil product of Monster experimentation.
He analyzed the pros and cons.
At this stage, disguising his Monster armor as a hero battlesuit was nearly impossible. The Hero Association's analysts weren't fools. Their black-tech detection instruments weren't just for show.
It seems there are still many optimization options to consider for the next upgrade.
But that was a problem for later.
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