After eliminating Bug God yesterday, Hansen glanced at his now overflowing pool of over 30,000 Origin Points and decided to indulge in a bit of casual spending, nothing too reckless, just enough to scratch the itch.
Upgrading UR-level abilities was no joke. Just one level costs a staggering 10,000 points. The option to level them was certainly there, but there was no urgency. He understood all too well how quickly a fortune like this could vanish, so instead of diving headfirst into maxing out any single skill, he chose a smarter path.
A balanced allocation plan.
One level to each SSR ability, targeted upgrades to boost his main combat stats while still reinforcing his overall performance. That was how he could get the most value per point.
[Spent Origin Points ×16,000: "Overgrowth" upgraded! Lv5 → Lv6!]
[Spent Origin Points ×4,000: "Beastly Body" upgraded! Lv3 → Lv4!]
(AN: Beastly Body was previously called Savage Beast Body. I shortened it.)
Just like that, over half of his hard-earned points disappeared.
With the remaining stash, he focused on preparing for the next inevitable storm: "Monsterization." Every leftover fragnt was tossed into his innate abilities.
[Spent Origin Points ×1,000: Ability Evolution Complete!]
["Basic Regeneration (N)" LvMax → "Rapid Regeneration (R)" Lv1!]
His regenerative capabilities jumped significantly with the new R-rank upgrade. Wounds would close faster, and even severed limbs could be regrown at remarkable speed.
[Spent Origin Points ×2,550: "Spiked Armor" upgraded! Lv1 → Lv9!]
He pushed "Spiked Armor" to its limits, stopping just short of a full evolution. After this whirlwind of upgrades, he glanced at his balance.
Down to the single digits.
Burned out.
Origin Points… completely torched.
===
[—Non-Human System—]
Host: Hansen
Current Species: Monster (Unidentified Insect-Type Mutation)
Disaster Level: Demon (Upper)
Abilities:
Innate Abilities: 2
Spiked Armor (R) Lv9 Rapid Regeneration (R) Lv1
[Ability Slots: 10/15]
Trillion-Level Division (UR) Lv1 Fusion Combination (UR) Lv1 Overgrowth (SSR) Lv6 Beastly Body (SSR) Lv4 Scorching Blast (SSR) Lv2 Beast Instinct (SSR) Lv2 Swift Wind (SSR) Lv2 Cell Mimicry (SSR) Lv2 Monsterization (SR) Lv6 Cell Explosion (SR) Lv1
[Remaining Origin Points: 7]
===
(AN: From now on, I will try to be consistent with the nas of skills. Nope, it wasn't who was changing, but OG.)
Looking at the system panel now, and recalling yesterday's upgrade spree, Hansen couldn't help but feel a little underwheld.
This lousy system—why had it already hit its limit after just a few taps?
(System: "Bruh.")
Still, not a single point had gone to waste.
Hansen's overall power had now risen to the upper tier of Demon-level, a significant jump after his clash with Bug God.
He was only a single step away from completing the Demon stage. No, from reaching peak Demon-class!
"Awwooo~~!!" (Harder, oh yeah~!!)
"Ah—sorry, zoned out for a second, Lord Rover."
Pulled from his thoughts by Rover's dissatisfied howl, Hansen gave a small laugh and nodded. The red-hot rune marks ignited across his skin once again as he fully released his upper-Demon-class might.
Rover's defense far exceeded the Dragon level, so Hansen didn't need to hold anything back. He could go all in, hamring away without worry.
"Is this strength more to your liking?"
"Awoo~" (Harder daddy~)
"…So be it."
In the cold depths of the underground river, surrounded by gloom and stone, man and beast once again unleashed their unorthodox yet cheerful rhythm of harmony.
…
After completing his daily feeding session and giving Rover his usual round of affectionate petting, Hansen turned to leave. The dog was still wagging its tail expectantly, clearly not satisfied, but Hansen didn't linger. Like always, he made his way back alone through the cavernous underground.
His mind, however, was far from calm. Taking out low-tier monsters was routine, but this ti was different since he had killed the Bug God. That wasn't sothing Gyoro Gyoro would ignore. The consequences of such an act would undoubtedly co knocking soon.
As for the weaker monsters that had tagged along to carry supplies? They didn't even warrant a thought. Every one of them had ended up roasted alive, crisped on the outside and tender on the inside. Pathetic cannon fodder. Most of them had even been familiar faces.
He hadn't gotten far when it happened. A ripple of psychic energy quietly spread across the area, faint but unmistakable.
'He' was here.
Hansen's pulse skipped. He halted for a brief mont, raising his eyes toward the rocky terrain ahead. Floating in midair just above a jagged boulder was a grotesque creature: one-eyed, shaded in pink and purple, its warped body bristling with deford tentacles. A surveillance puppet, one of Gyoro Gyoro's many avatars, used for scouting, ssaging, and remote communication.
Smol Gyoro Gyoro.
The avatar floated in silence, unmoving, its single cold eye locked firmly onto Hansen. There was no anger or agitation in its gaze, only the frigid neutrality of a predator analyzing its prey.
Without needing an explanation, Hansen stepped forward with asured composure and offered a bow. "Lord Gyoro Gyoro."
For a few heartbeats, nothing happened. Then, a voice, not spoken aloud but sent straight into his thoughts, cut through the quiet like a cold blade.
"Bug God is dead?"
"I killed him," Hansen replied, his tone flat, matter-of-fact, with not even a hint of regret. He didn't bother justifying himself. There was no need.
Another pause. A longer one.
Behind the blank stare of the puppet's eye, Hansen could feel that Psykos's will probing through the avatar, assessing him, judging whether he was a threat or an asset worth keeping.
"Why?"
The psychic voice that echoed into his mind was no longer neutral. It was warped, laced with tension and distortion.
"Bug God was one of the Monster Association's key combatants. You eliminated him. I want a reason."
Hansen stood tall, arms relaxed at his sides, completely unshaken. Though his black mask concealed his face, it didn't hide his absolute conviction.
"A reason? Because I'm stronger. That's why he died." His tone sharpened. "Lord Gyoro Gyoro, in my eyes, failures have no right to serve you."
There was no response, but that silence said enough. In the Monster Association, failure often ended in one of two ways: death or digestion by Orochi. Bug God had simply chosen the quicker route.
"You told to choose a proper monster na before, didn't you?"
This ti, Hansen took a deliberate step forward. He let his aura rise. It was not wild, but focused and pointed like a blade drawn with purpose. He was no longer hiding. He was declaring.
"I've decided. 'Bug God' fits well." He didn't pause. "That trash lost his na by losing his life. So from this mont forward…"
Hansen raised his right hand, the glint of spiked armor catching the dull underground light. His claw pointed firmly at his own chest.
"I am the Bug God."
Though softly spoken, his words rang out clearly, reverberating through the tunnel walls like a quiet vow carved in stone.
In the darkness behind the puppet's eye, Psykos sat observing from afar. Even with her calculating, ever-composed deanor, the corners of her lips twitched involuntarily.
This guy... He really just stole the na because he couldn't think of one himself, didn't he?
But annoyance was fleeting. What truly captured her attention wasn't the shaless rebranding; it was Hansen's power, his terrifying growth curve, and how fast he was evolving. In a single week, this once-worthless Wolf-class lackey had climbed high enough to crush a peak Demon-class monster without breaking stride.
That kind of explosive potential... it reminded her of soone else.
In the gleam of his black armor and the proud set of his stance, she caught a faint glimpse of her finest creation: Monster King Orochi.
To , Demon-class monsters are nothing more than tools. Disposable, interchangeable. If one tool breaks, and I gain a sharper, more efficient one in return... then that's a net gain.
"Very well. Since you've proven your worth…" Her voice returned, warped and unsettling, but now tinged with interest. "From this day forward, you are the new 'Bug God' of the Monster Association."
Sowhere in the void beyond death, the original Bug God let out a furious scream.
'Damn it… even my na got stolen!'
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