Though larger monsters often end up as disposable fodder in the background, that increase in size usually brings a corresponding leap in raw power.
Inside Hansen's body, his vitality and energy capacity had exploded. Compared to when he started, his reserves had multiplied more than tenfold. For a moment, he felt almost untouchable, like true immortality was within reach.
His new general-class form wasn't bulky like a brute, but tall and streamlined, built for speed and power. Every bone, every tendon, every fiber of muscle felt like it was pumping molten steel instead of blood.
"So this is the joy of being a stat monster, huh?"
Only after the violent surge of energy began to subside did Hansen regain a sense of stillness. He stood slowly, adjusting to his increased height, the world below him now feeling small and distant, like looking down at a colony of ants.
He curled his fingers into a fist. A simple squeeze sent a blast of air spiraling outward. His knuckles cracked like colliding steel, and even that minimal motion rippled with enough force to make the atmosphere itself wince.
It felt unbelievably good.
He instinctively checked the system's prompt to see the cost of the next upgrade.
[To upgrade "Overgrowth (SSR)" from Lv4 to Lv5, you need to spend: 8000 Origin Points.]
"Tch."
The excitement blazing in his eyes cooled just a bit.
SSR abilities were monsters in their own right, gluttons for resources. He had already burned through 7000 Origin Points leveling Overgrowth, and more than half of the "gold coins" dropped by the Slime Octopus were gone. Painful? Sure. But oh, was it worth it.
Hansen glanced at his remaining balance: 5609 Origin Points. He clicked his tongue and shoved the idea of pushing Overgrowth further down the priority list.
No need to burn it all at once. One step at a time.
His eyes swept back to the list of available skills, zeroing in on the remaining three golden SSR abilities.
Overgrowth had done its job well, maxing out his raw health and energy pool. But even in gaming, having tons of HP isn't enough. If you don't have defense and resistances to match, that inflated bar is just a longer death animation.
Especially in a world where a stray punch could wipe out a mountain, survival had to come first.
That's why "Beast Body," an ability that bolstered both physical stats and durability, shot to the top of his priority list.
(AN: Earlier, it was called Behemoth Physique. Now it is Beast Body. Why? Because it is easier to write.)
Might as well get that HP up to 40. No shame in stacking health.
Before that, though, Hansen decided to clear out two cheap white-tier N-rank abilities: "Hardened Carapace" and "Basic Regeneration."
Low-rank skills had their own advantages, mainly, the dirt-cheap cost.
Sure, they were weak at first. But according to the system, once an ability hits level 10, it permanently fuses with his body and frees up its slot. And once fused, it's no longer limited by its original rarity.
Hansen hadn't tested this before, but now that he had enough Origin Points to burn, he was eager to see what it felt like to finally free up an ability slot.
A quick mental calculation told him that upgrading a white-tier skill from Lv3 to Lv10 required: 4 + 8 + 16 + 32 + 64 + 128 + 256 = 508 Origin Points.
Without hesitation, he waved his hand like some fat-cat boss from a gacha game.
"System, max out 'Basic Regeneration'!"
[Spent 508 Origin Points. "Basic Regeneration" upgraded from Lv3 to Lv10 (MAX)!]
[Alert! Copied ability "Basic Regeneration" has reached max level. Fused with host. Slot freed!]
[Current ability slots in use: 4/15.]
Now that he had officially stepped into stat monster territory, the sheer vitality surging inside him was overwhelming. Even though "Basic Regeneration" had become several times stronger at max level, all it really did was speed up his natural recovery rate a little.
But Hansen didn't feel disappointed. It was a white-rank skill, this was simply its ceiling.
Still, in the ability list, the Lv10 "Basic Regeneration" now shimmered gold under the innate ability category, gleaming like a notification icon begging for attention.
Hansen ignored it and turned his focus to the second N-rank ability: "Hardened Carapace."
[Spent 508 Origin Points. "Hardened Carapace" upgraded from Lv3 to Lv10 (MAX)!]
Clack clack clack!
The menacing black armor covering Hansen's body let out a series of subtle, grinding noises as it thickened and fused more seamlessly with his form. Its surface darkened into a deep obsidian sheen, quietly radiating unshakable hardness.
He rapped his knuckles against his breastplate. TANG, TANG, a low, metallic sound echoed from his chest, weighty and solid, like striking a steel vault.
His already formidable defense had climbed another tier. In a world as lethal as this one, where death could come from anywhere at any time, that added durability translated directly into a sense of control, of security.
After maxing those two low-rank abilities, Hansen still had 4593 Origin Points left.
Without pausing, he poured points into "Beast Body," steadily pushing his physique toward the level of a true powerhouse, something comparable to Rover, a genuine dragon-class monster.
[Consumed 1000 Origin Points. " Beast Body" upgraded! Lv1 → Lv2]
[Consumed 2000 Origin Points. "Beast Body" upgraded! Lv2 → Lv3]
A powerful surge ripped through him like a bursting dam. Every cell lit up. Strength bloomed in his bones, swelled in his muscles, surged in his tendons. His entire body felt denser, heavier, more grounded, as if even gravity had to work harder to keep up with him.
A deep, unshakable stability rooted itself in his core. Hansen could feel it: his skeleton had turned harder than stone, his muscles thicker than high-tension cables, and his skin tougher than reinforced plating.
After giving himself a moment to adjust to the terrifying transformation, he opened the system panel again.
The layout looked mostly the same, but when compared to his starting point, his growth was nothing short of monstrous.
===
Non-Human System
Host: Hansen
Current Species: Monster (Unknown Insect-type Mutation)
Disaster Level: Demon (Low)
Abilities:
Innate Abilities: 2
"Hardened Carapace (N)" LvMax (Can Evolve!)
"Basic Regeneration (N)" LvMax (Can Evolve!)
[Ability Slots: 4/15]
"Overgrowth (SSR)" Lv4 "Scorching Blast (SSR)" Lv1 "Savage Beast Body (SSR)" Lv3 "Beast Instinct (SSR)" Lv1
Origin Points: 1613
===
Disaster Level: Demon.
That bold, flashing word burned into his retina.
Hansen's massive, three-meter frame trembled slightly.
A terrifying aura, leagues beyond what his body once contained, spilled out without restraint. The air inside the monster nest grew stifling, pressing down like a storm cloud moments before lightning struck.
So this was what real power felt like.
Turns out grinding and looting really did pay off. Just by hunting down one sluggish, oversized octopus monster, he had skipped past weeks of effort. The entire early-game grind had been crushed underfoot.
In a single day, Hansen had rocketed up the food chain, strong-arming his way into the demon-class monster tier.
And demon-class monsters were no joke. They were the equivalents of S-class heroes, top of the top, the kind of beings that could reshape a battlefield single-handedly. At this point, Hansen had finally earned his place in this savage world.
Arigatou, Pleasant Goat-san
No. That wasn't right.
Arigatou, Slime Octopus-san!
Once the thrill in his chest finally simmered down, Hansen focused on the two blinking entries on his system panel. Both of his maxed white-tier abilities had begun to flicker in a different hue, an evolution prompt.
[Alert! Evolvable ability detected. Consume 1000 Origin Points to evolve "Hardened Carapace (N)"? (Yes/No)]
[Alert! Evolvable ability detected. Consume 1000 Origin Points to evolve "Basic Regeneration (N)"? (Yes/No)]
Hansen narrowed his eyes at the message, falling into thoughtful silence.
===
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