The remaining source points on the panel were enough to evolve one of his abilities, but that wasn't what Hans cared about most.
What caught his attention was, "If evolving an N-rank ability costs a thousand times more than its first upgrade, then that means…"
He did the mental math, elementary-school level, really, and his eyes widened.
"Wouldn't that mean evolving an SSR ability needs… one million source points!?"
"Hiss!"
He sucked in a sharp breath, almost crushed by the sheer despair of that revelation.
One million!
The grind just went from hard to nightmare!
"At this rate, crafting a UR-grade red ability by hand is just a dream. The only way to get one is if a ready-made UR ability falls right into my lap for copying, which…"
He paused. "…yeah, that's even less likely. Forget it, let's just see what ability evolution actually does first."
Shaking off the distractions, Hans focused again, staring at his two maxed-out abilities.
"System, evolve my innate ability, Hardened Carapace!"
[Consumed Source Points ×1000. Ability evolution complete!]
["Hardened Carapace (N)" LvMax → "Spiked Carapace (R)" Lv1!]
Buzz!
A strange pulse of energy rippled through his body armor.
The once-solid black shell began to glow with crimson magma-like veins, spreading across the surface as fine cracks appeared, each hair-thin fissure quickly widening, deepening, and then sealing again as a new carapace formed and hardened.
It was both reformation and rebirth!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
With the grating sound of bones shifting, vicious spikes erupted from his joints, short, long, uneven, like forged blades glinting with a ghostly sheen sharp enough to rend steel.
["Spiked Carapace (R)" Lv1: Mutated carapace reinforced with spines. Greatly boosts defense and partially absorbs impact damage while automatically counterattacking with piercing retaliation.]
"Got it. From just tanking hits… to a counter-damage armor!"
Feeling the new weight and sense of security, Hans nodded in satisfaction.
"So as long as I keep evolving, even the weakest skills can keep up with the times."
"The price is steep, though. Gotta be careful what I pick."
He smirked faintly.
"Seems my old body's innate ability wasn't so bad after all."
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Heavy, mountain-like footsteps echoed from deep within the passage, radiating an oppressive pressure that made the air itself tremble.
In the underground cavern, ever since the death of the Slime Octopus, every monster had been on edge. Now, one by one, they turned stiffly toward the approaching sound.
Terror surged through them like a rising tide.
The next instant, with a deafening crash, the rock ceiling of the tunnel shattered like tofu.
Stones flew. Dust billowed.
And from within the rubble stepped out a towering figure, three meters tall, wrapped in a spiked black war armor so fearsome it could make nightmares flinch.
BOOM!!!
A crushing wave of raw pressure exploded outward from him like a tangible shockwave.
The overhead lights flickered violently, sparks bursting with crackling pops as they struggled to stay lit. The ground trembled, and tiny stones were blown aside by invisible air currents.
It was the aura of a Demon-class monster, freezing the entire cavern in an instant.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Several Wolf-class monsters couldn't take it anymore; they fainted outright, foaming at the mouth.
Even the Tiger-class monsters were trembling uncontrollably, faces pale with horror.
"D-Demon level!? How is that possible!?'
One mantis-like Tiger-level monster screamed, but his body refused to move, paralyzed by fear.
'How long had it even been!?'
'How could that terrifying aura grow this absurdly powerful in just one short trip!?'
It was like standing before one of the Dragon-level officers, a being from another dimension of strength!
And they weren't wrong. The system's "Demon (Low)" tag only reflected Hans's base or normal-state power.
Having fused four of Pochi's SSR abilities, once Hans unleashed his full might, he could easily rival even peak Demon-level monsters.
Now that was the true weight of a stat monster.
Among the crowd was the rat monster Fang, who had just finished gnawing on the octopus corpse. Its fur, once dull and gray, now gleamed like satin. It had clearly gained power, feeding off the Tiger-class carcasses had paid off.
Now, when it looked at Hans, fear had turned to fanatic devotion.
This was power.
The kind of strength that defied all logic.
Hans's gaze swept across the cavern, cold, merciless.
Wherever his eyes passed, monsters bowed their heads lower, trembling in submission.
"From this moment on, this area is under my control."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried absolute authority, echoing through every monster's mind.
He paused, eyes locking onto the trembling rat.
"Fang."
"Y–Yes! Yes, my lord! I'm here!"
The rat flinched and scrambled forward, pressing itself flat to the floor in total obedience.
"From now on, you'll be my lieutenant," Hans said calmly. "You'll manage these small fry, take stock of resources, and deliver my orders. Understood?"
He asked Fang, but his cold gaze swept the Tiger-class monsters too.
They weren't bright, but they weren't stupid either. The threat hanging over their necks was plain as day.
They nodded frantically, drenched in sweat, terrified they'd share the Slime Octopus's fate, blasted into pulp by a casual energy shot.
"U–Understood! I understand completely!"
Fang's eyes shone with excitement; fear melted into pure ecstasy. He felt like his life had peaked.
He bowed so fast his head thudded like a hammer.
"Rest assured, my lord! Even if I die and shatter into pieces, I'll make sure everything's done perfectly! I won't fail your trust!"
Hans gave a small nod, satisfied with the rat's quick wit.
A useful errand boy meant less work for him, more time to focus on what really mattered: growing stronger.
With that thought, he spoke again.
"Tell me… has the Association made any new moves lately? And also…"
"What do you know about the Dragon-level officers?"