The SSR-tier speed ability, Swift Wind, and the transformation skill, Monsterization, both lie before Hansen now. His current monster body lacked both. The forr could massively enhance his speed, elevating both mobility and explosive force to another tier. But the latter, though slightly lower in rarity, carried a far deeper significance.
Because it gave him one vital opportunity, the chance to shed this monster shell and beco human again.
For Hansen, regaining a human appearance wasn't just a superficial change. It unlocked a thousand doors. At the very least, he wouldn't have to sink along with the dood Monster Association. He could continue farming experience and rewards from the inside while preparing an escape route under the radar.
From that perspective, Monsterization, despite being only SR-tier, was easily equal in value to any SSR.
It was like soone handing you a pillow just when you started getting sleepy.
As for the other two abilities, both technical skills, Hansen dismissed them without much thought.
Speed-o'-Sound Sonic had mastered all kinds of assassination techniques too, and look where that got him. The mont he ran into Saitama, he practically got promoted to enuch. That alone said everything about the value of finesse when stacked against overwhelming raw power.
In this world, speed and strength ruled. Fragile assassin types with high attack and zero defense were nothing more than sacrificial offerings once a real powerhouse entered the field.
Shaking off his thoughts, Hansen stepped forward, letting his Demon-level aura flare to full intensity.
"This area has been claid by Lord Rover. Outsiders, leave imdiately."
Hearing that, Gale Wind actually felt a bit of relief.
So this guy was just a subordinate using a Dragon-level na to flex. Though… a subordinate who could ride on the head of a Dragon-level monster? That was still pretty damn weird.
Still, being ordered around by soone weaker, especially a Demon-level monster, irked Gale Wind deep down.
He'd once been a top-tier human assassin, feared in the underworld. But reality was cruel. Strength was law, and that black-furred hellhound behind the insectoid… it was stretching, yawning lazily, and wagging its tail like a dog ready for a nap.
But despite that relaxed posture, it radiated despair.
That was the true thing—a predator at the Dragon level, top of the food chain. He definitely wouldn't risk angering a creature like that just to boost his ego.
"Got it."
Swallowing his frustration, Gale Wind nodded without resistance and prepared to leave. There were plenty of other training spots around. No need to tangle with a living natural disaster and tempt fate.
"Wait."
Just as he turned, Hansen's voice rang out again.
Gale Wind halted mid-step, muscles tensing once more. He turned his head slowly, green eyes narrowing with caution. His hands edged subtly toward the twin blades strapped across his back.
I already backed down. What more does this guy want?
But instead of provocation, Hansen spoke in a calm, almost casual tone.
"Judging by your look, you're new to the Association, right?"
"...Huh?" Gale Wind blinked, caught off guard.
Before he could formulate a reply, Hansen lifted one clawed hand and pulled out a piece of dark red flesh from a seam in his armor. It still throbbed faintly with life.
"This area's probably going to be a regular spot for Lord Rover in the future," Hansen said as he extended the monster cell. His tone was steady, that of soone used to giving orders. "Consider it a welco gift. Just watch your step next ti. Running into Lord Rover by accident could get ssy."
Gale Wind stared at the monster cell in stunned silence.
Since joining the Monster Association, he had planned to create his own sub-faction. The monster cells were a key part of that; he wanted to forge a specialized army of ninja-monster hybrids. He'd been searching for exactly this kind of resource.
And now, here was this intimidating insectoid monster just handing one over without a second thought.
The guy's tone still had a bit of arrogance to it, but the gesture itself felt oddly... professional like it was part of so unspoken code between monsters.
Maybe this one wasn't as unreasonable as he'd first thought.
His opinion of Hansen shifted, if only slightly. What he didn't know was that Hansen, who had literally just crossed into this world, was a far greener recruit than he was.
But Gale Wind didn't overthink it. He stepped forward, accepted the monster cell, and gave a short nod.
"Thanks for the warning."
Without wasting another second, he turned and vanished. His body blurred, leaving behind a green afterimage as he disappeared into the dark tunnel at blinding speed.
Hansen watched him go. Beneath the shadowed black faceplate, the corner of his mouth curled upward in a subtle, satisfied smirk.
The mont their hands made contact,
[Alert! Target with replicable ability detected!]
[Successfully copied SSR Ability: "Swift Wind" Lv1!]
[Successfully copied SR Ability: "Monsterization" Lv1!]
[Current ability slots occupied: 6/15.]
An invisible vortex suddenly exploded beneath Hansen's feet, sending dust and gravel skittering across the stone bridge.
His hulking body, once heavy and slow, instantly felt far more agile. His senses sharpened. He could feel the movent of air currents, trace their patterns, and read them like a map.
And then ca sothing more. His armor, usually stiff and lifeless like cold tal, began to thrum with vitality. It no longer felt like a shell, but an extension of his own body, a living suit that could compress, shift, or even retract entirely into him.
He'd done it.
Hansen spotted two new icons blinking gold and purple in his system interface. The copied abilities had already taken root, seamlessly integrated into his build. All it had cost him was a single Monster Cell.
That thought alone lifted his mood.
"Decent ability. But the second it's in range, it's mine."
There was sothing strangely satisfying about this brand of theft. No grand effort, no risk, just clean, silent absorption.
A long howl suddenly echoed from nearby, pulling him out of his thoughts.
"Awoo~~!"
Hansen turned his head just in ti to see Rover leap forward with unrestrained glee. The massive beast vaulted high, sailing in a wide arc through the air before vanishing over the edge of the stone bridge into the darkness below.
A long pause followed, then,
Thud.
The muffled impact finally reached him, the delay making one thing clear: the abyss was over a thousand ters deep. Back when he was just a low-tier Wolf-class grunt, the idea of a fall like that would've made his knees lock.
Now?
A sharp cyclone ignited beneath his feet, and the air scread past as he launched into the void. His body, newly infused with wind-enhancing abilities, cut through the chasm like a spear.
Monts later, the river far below erupted in a towering explosion of spray. The force behind his descent triggered a surge like a deep-sea blast.
Even Rover, busy flailing in the current, stopped and looked up with alarm. When he saw Hansen casually erging from the churning water, the black-furred monster barked a few short howls.
"Awoo! Awoo~~!" (Tch, it's just you! Gave a heart attack for nothing~~)
Hansen skimd the surface, weightless atop the currents, each step guided by the wind. In seconds, he reached Rover's side, a blur of dark motion wrapped in sheer force.
"Sorry to keep you waiting..." he said, his voice calm and unhurried as the air surged gently around him.
===
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