Hans's eyes gleamed.
He knew this wasn't just an assignment from Psykos; it was a test.
But for him, it also meant something else: a clear, immediate path to power.
He'd been a corporate grunt in his past life, so handling "new job orientations" like this was second nature.
He immediately lowered his head, keeping his tone respectful.
"Thank you for your trust, lord. I'm confident I won't disappoint."
"It's an honor to serve the Association. It's just that…"
The Little Eye of the floating creature pulsed with blue psychic ripples.
"Just what?"
Hans stood tall, his posture unwavering.
"It's just that I might need… a little help from you, my lord."
"Oh?"
Somewhere deep beneath the Monster Association HQ, Psykos, the real mind behind the eyeball, perked up with interest.
The blue-haired psychic beauty swirled the red wine in her glass, her delicate fingers and mature curves reflected in the liquid.
Her elegant dress barely contained her voluptuous figure; every movement exuded dangerous allure.
For Psykos, subordinates with ambition were always interesting.
The thing standing before her was just another "failed experiment," but if it kept evolving, she wouldn't mind feeding that ambition.
"How amusing," she said softly, her voice echoing through the eyeball. "Tell me, what kind of help do you need?"
Hans raised his head, eyes burning beneath his black armor.
"My lord, I need Monster Cells, a lot of them."
The giant eye blinked in surprise.
"Monster Cells?"
To Psykos, that wasn't anything rare.
She could have them manufactured in bulk; there was practically no limit.
Monster Cells could transform humans into monsters or trigger mutations in lesser ones.
But after the first transformation, they became dangerously unstable. Most who tried to consume more simply exploded.
Unless…
This insect-like monster of hers had awakened some sort of devouring ability?'
Now that was interesting.
Psykos, seeing through the eyeball, reassessed Hans's potential.
A being capable of safely absorbing monster cell energy, this was rare, even among thousands of Association members.
Maybe he was worth keeping as an experimental subject.
A few seconds later, the eye creature gave its familiar, screeching laugh.
"Hohohoho… I see. Quite the appetite you have."
"I can grant your request, but everything comes with a price."
It flapped its small wings, tone almost teasing.
"For now, you're not strong enough to be of use to me. But I'll have your supplies delivered regularly. When the time comes for you to return the favor, don't disappoint me."
Hans bowed his head again, voice deep and steady.
"Understood, my lord. I won't let you down."
"Good."
The floating eyeball seemed pleased, circling him once.
"The job here isn't complicated. Just make sure little Pochi gets fed on time. Oh, and one more thing…"
It paused, as if remembering something.
"Pick a name for yourself. A strong monster should have a name worthy of it."
"I expect to hear that name making waves soon."
"Ciao~~"
With that, the eyeball flapped away down the tunnel, vanishing into the dark.
Hans slowly straightened, watching it disappear.
"A name, huh…"
The faint reflection in his armor mask looked thoughtful.
His monstrous body was his biggest disguise.
No matter how clever Psykos was, she would never imagine that inside this so-called "failed monster experiment" beat the soul of a man from another world.
Still, working with someone like her was walking a fine line between danger and opportunity.
She was right about one thing,
In this twisted world, power is everything.
Only by holding overwhelming strength could he seize his own fate.
And now, he had a steady income of "source points"…
All thanks to his top-ranked sugar mommy, Psykos.
Time to cash in those rewards and turn them into real strength.
He focused, calling up the system panel.
His eyes locked on his first golden-tier skill, [Overgrowth (SSR)]
He didn't need a tutorial to know how powerful it was.
It wasn't a direct attack or defense ability, but it was the core of Pochi's entire power system.
Like how Hashirama's Wood Release wasn't terrifying because of the jutsu, but because of the body behind it.
Overgrowth worked the same way; it was limitless biological evolution.
That's what gave Pochi its terrifying vitality and near-endless energy reserves.
Leveling it up was the foundation for becoming a true powerhouse.
Hans's gaze sharpened.
"System, show me your limits."
"Add points!"
[Consumed 1000 Source Points, Overgrowth Lv1 → Lv2]
A thunderous hum exploded through his body.
Energy surged from his core like a volcano erupting.
"Ungh!!"
His muscles tightened, bones crackling as if being reforged.
The black armor over his body trembled from the internal pressure.
A molten red glow pulsed beneath his shell, his power swelling by more than half in seconds!
His height shot past two meters, red veins glowing like molten iron beneath his armor.
"Haah… haaah…"
Steam hissed from his mouth, hot enough to scorch stone.
And still, it wasn't enough.
"Keep going! Max it out!"
[Consumed 2000 Origin Points , Lv2 → Lv3]
[Consumed 4000 Origin Points , Lv3 → Lv4]
[Disaster Level Increased!]
[Ability Slot +5]
The numbers kept rising.
The earth cracked beneath him as energy flooded every cell.
"AAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
The black shell on his body shattered, revealing glowing, regenerating flesh beneath.
His size ballooned, two meters, two and a half, three,
Until he finally stabilized, his power raging like a living inferno.
Hans stood amidst the wreckage, chest heaving.
Steam and red light poured from the cracks in his armor.
A new monster was born.