Jack paused mid-step, his muttering dying in his throat.
A flurry of footsteps and rough chatter echoed from the corner ahead. Moments later, five burly, one-horned Monsters strode arrogantly into view, their maces uniform, their waists wrapped in matching beast-skin skirts. A patrol squad.
"Hmm?"
The lead Monster—exuding a Tiger-level aura—finally noticed the silent, dark figure standing in the middle of the passage. Its bell-like eyes narrowed, then blazed with ferocity.
"Where did this darky come from, daring to trespass into our Red Devil King's territory?!" The voice boomed. "Are you tired of living?!"
"…Darky?"
Jack's jaw tightened. His Monster body was indeed dark—but this was the first time any Monster had been so bold as to give him a nickname.
Very well. He has chosen death.
His gaze swept the surrounding rock walls. Crude totems carved everywhere—primitive, bloody. He'd inadvertently trespassed into a Ghost Clan Monster tribe's dominion.
But this "Red Devil King"? He'd never heard the name. Not one of the Monster Association's Dragon-level cadres.
Then it's fine.
"Hey, darky! This master, Red Flame Ghost, is talking to you! Don't be too arrogant—"
*AH!! *
A dark figure struck like lightning.
Red Flame Ghost's vision blurred. His arrogant shout died in his throat.
An iron fist—encased in dark Shadow Armor—magnified in his horrified gaze. It struck his face with immense force. Precise. Brutal.
*THUD. *
His head deformed instantly. Caved in. Like a watermelon hit by a high-speed train.
His body flew backward in a parabola. Crashed through a distant wall. Embedded deep within. Then—silence.
The remaining Wolf-level Monsters barely had time to register fear before their conscious minds plunged into darkness. Jack dispatched them cleanly, one by one, stacking them into a small pile.
"Done."
He pulled the Tiger-level squad leader out of the wall like a radish. Tied it up with its subordinates. Clapped his hands in satisfaction.
"New flavor of dessert. Here it is."
It wasn't that he'd forgotten to bring a souvenir for Pochi. Just that he'd been in a hurry. Didn't encounter suitable ingredients.
Well—actually, he'd just forgotten.
(Pochi: (❍ ❍ ❍ ᴥ ❍ ❍ ❍ ʋ)?)
But these Ghost Clan Monsters should suffice for now.
A roar—filled with rage and pressure—erupted from deep within the passage. The underground space trembled.
"WHO IS IT? WHO DARES PRESUME IN MY TERRITORY—!!"
Strong vibrations. From far to near. The ground beneath Jack's feet shook.
A massive crimson figure emerged from the darkness.
Over five meters tall. Deep red skin covering a body of rock-hard muscles. A hideous single horn sprouted from its head. Three eyes burned with fury. A three-meter-long giant mace rested on its shoulder.
The leader of this domain.
Red Devil King.
"It's you!"
The three eyes fixed on Jack—then on the five unconscious clan members at his feet. Rage blazed.
"I recognize you. You're the newcomer Great Eyes mentioned. The new Bug God—who killed his predecessor to take his place."
The massive form loomed.
"Bug God. Are you… trying to start a war with me?!"
The roar made the entire passage hum. Hideous face. Massive body. Overwhelming presence.
Across the passage, Jack—significantly smaller—stood unmoved.
His eyes lit up.
He'd only intended to grab a few small desserts for Pochi. But this?
This size. This aura. These large chunks of muscle…
"Very good." A grin spread across his face. "Then you'll be the main course."
Red Devil King: ???
Its three eyes widened. Veins bulged across tensed muscles. It looked ready to laugh from sheer fury.
"Brat. What did you say?!"
"Nothing. You just said war, right?" Jack twisted his neck. Smiled grimly. "Then let's fight."
Red Devil King: !!!
Its expression froze.
Bro. This isn't right. We're both Demon-level Monsters ruling our own territories. You're not even going to haggle?
"Wait—!"
"Can't wait."
"Damn brat—you're looking for death!"
A blurry black figure closed the distance in an instant.
Jack appeared beside Red Devil King like a ghost. The battle suit on his arm expanded, hardened—transforming into a heavy arm guard. It intercepted the powerful mace strike.
*CLANG—! *
Amidst the metallic clash, an iron fist—encased in dark armor—slammed into Red Devil King's waist.
*CRACK—! *
A teeth-grating sound of bone cracking echoed through the passage. Red Devil King grunted. A section of his waist visibly caved inward.
The intense pain made him drop his mace. Battle instinct took over—he spread his massive arms and lunged forward, trying to grab his target.
"Die! You! Die! Hmm…?"
Red Devil King's confused hum died in his throat.
Jack spread his hands, blocking the two giant arms that sought to crush him into paste. The dark face mask—still retaining the characteristics of an Insect—split into a grin.
A scorching, dazzling ball of light ignited in his mouth.
"It's over."
"…WHAT?!"
Red Devil King's internal alarm screamed. He tried to break free—found that the opponent's strength far exceeded his imagination. Those seemingly ordinary arms were like iron clamps. Immovable.
The fully formed Scorching Heat Bullet blasted a torrent of energy—a person's height in diameter—diagonally upward. It pierced the passage's darkness with a sun-like glare.
Smoke cleared.
Red Devil King lay fallen. Half-charred. Carbonized wounds cratered his shoulder and neck—flesh and blood seemingly peeled away. His already hideous Demon head was unrecognizable.
Down. Unable to rise.
Yet Jack received no system prompt. No Source Points.
He avoided the vital points at the critical moment. Jack exhaled. Strong will to survive.
He checked Red Devil King's ability information.
Two SR abilities: Ghost King's Body and Ghost King's Descent. The former enhanced physical attributes, offense, defense. The latter was a two-stage transformation ability.
If this guy went all out, he could even fight the First Generation Bug God in his normal state.
(First Generation Bug God: Just like that… reduced to a power level unit?)
Unlucky. Red Devil King had encountered the cheat-wielding Jack. That was a different outcome entirely.