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Translator: penny
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Became a Tentacle Monster (2)
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'Just how far does this forest go?'
Slither...
It had already been five days since I arrived in this world.
I had no choice but to finally accept it. That I had truly become a tentacle monster.
I kept telling myself it was a dream, just a dream, day after day. But in the end, I came to painfully realize that this was no dream—it was reality.
'That damn goddess. She drags a young guy fresh out of the military, just starting to enjoy his freedom, and dumps him in some unknown world, turning him into a monster...!?'
I'd had the perfect plan: take a short break, reenroll in university, and spend some sweet time with the fresh-faced junior girls.
But then that goddess popped out of nowhere and ruined everything.
'Ugh.'
The memory was still vivid in my mind. The face of that goddess who said, "If I say strip, you strip," pinned me down, and turned me into this tentacle monster.
My insides boiled with rage.
That goddess was probably up there in the sky right now, giggling as she watched me wriggling around.
'I'll get revenge... I swear I'll get revenge!'
I vowed it to myself.
Three days ago, I was so miserable about turning into this monster that I spent the whole day sobbing my heart out.
I'm not usually that emotional, but while munching on grass tufts, the post-nut clarity hit me hard.
Why did I have to end up like this?
Of course, this tentacle monster body of mine didn't have tear ducts, so I wasn't actually crying. I was just wailing internally. Anyway, that's how sad it was.
But whether I bawled my eyes out or cursed the heavens, nothing changed.
In the end, I had become this tentacle monster, and I had to live on as one. That fact wasn't going anywhere.
All I could do was accept the situation and make the best of it.
'Still, if I keep leveling up, maybe someday I can turn back into something more human-like.'
That was my only hope.
From what I'd figured out so far, the more I leveled up, the more new skills I seemed to gain.
But there was a problem.
The problem was...
'Damn it. My level hasn't budged since yesterday.'
My early progress had completely stalled.
I stopped wriggling and summoned my status in my mind.
Letters assembled in the air before me.
⚔ STATUS ⚔
⚫ Basic Information
True Name: Cheon Yu-jin Race: Tentacle Monster Level: 8
⚫ Physical Ability Evaluation: F+
Strength: 7Agility: 8Stamina: 8Endurance: 6Sensing: 8
⚫ Magical Ability Evaluation: F
Efficiency: 4Capacity: 5Circuit: 3Affinity: 3
⚫ Skills
• Fluid Body and Core • Evolving Tentacles (3 types: Digestion Tentacle, Detection Tentacle, Blunt Tentacle)
'At least my stats have gone up. That's a definite plus.'
In five days of diligently chowing down on grass tufts, I'd raised my level to 8.
Each level-up seemed to make my body grow, and now I was about as thick as an adult man's forearm. My stats had climbed enough to bump my physical and magical evaluations from F- to F+ and F, respectively.
'Still stuck at F ranks, though.'
The fact that they'd increased at all was good news.
When I hit level 2, all my stats went up by 1, so I thought every level-up would give a fixed boost across the board. Nope.
Some stats rose, others didn't. It felt random.
Either way, I'd learned that leveling up boosted stats, so I knew I had to keep at it. But it wasn't as easy as I'd hoped.
I shot up to levels 3 and 4 quickly. But from level 5, growth slowed dramatically.
Especially level 8—I spent the entire previous day wriggling around and eating grass tufts to barely reach it.
'The higher the level, the harder it gets to level up.'
Classic RPG rules.
Higher levels require more EXP, slowing progress. So players move to higher-level hunting grounds for better EXP yields.
And it looked like I was hitting that wall now.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[You've grown tired of grass tufts.] [Consume something that provides more nutrients.]
The night I reached level 8, these messages filled my vision.
I ignored them at first, but with nothing but grass tufts around, I kept eating them from yesterday until lunchtime today.
Better than starving, right?
But the system was spot on—since yesterday, I hadn't felt any real growth.
Before level 8, grass tufts fueled my progress. Now, they were just sustenance; they barely helped with EXP.
'Looks like I need to hunt insects... or maybe animals.'
I muttered to myself.
Animals especially—I had a feeling they'd give a ton of EXP if I could catch one.
But you can't hunt what you can't see.
In five days of pushing through the forest, I'd spotted animals only twice.
Day two: something deer-like. The other was a lizard-like thing at dawn the day before yesterday.
I was too busy eating grass then to think about hunting it.
I'd seen plenty of insects, though. Should've grabbed some yesterday.
'Ugh... Some fruit would be nice too.'
The tall trees were leafy but fruitless.
I'd found mushrooms here and there, but they seemed risky.
Too worried about poison to try them.
Slither...
No choice—time to hunt insects. I munched grass tufts while pressing on through the endless forest, searching for something new.
Slither, sluuurp...
That's when it happened.
Twitch-!
'Hm?'
A strange sensation rippled through my Detection Tentacle.
'What's this...?'
The Detection Tentacle was what I'd gained when my Evolving Tentacles skill upgraded at level 5.
One tentacle extended like an antenna, picking up sounds, smells, and even enhancing my vision.
The fun part? The longer I stretched it, the wider the detection range.
Before level 5, I navigated by touch alone. Now, I could scout normally.
At level 8, I could extend it about as far as a man's waist length, catching faint sounds and scents a human would miss.
And right now, it was reacting.
'Where?'
I tilted the tentacle like an ear, and a savory aroma hit me, along with what sounded like voices talking.
"Oppa, didn't we pack too many lunchboxes?"
"Huh... You think so?"
"Yeah! How are we supposed to eat all this?"
"Haha, your sister was supposed to come too, remember? So I made ten servings to be safe."
Faint but clear—voices of a man and a woman conversing, caught by the Detection Tentacle.
'Wait. People?'
Five days in this godforsaken forest, and I hadn't seen a soul, let alone animals more than twice.
Thrilled, I moved fast.
Slither...
Toward the voices and smell.
"Hmph, are you picking on my sister for eating a lot?"
"Huh? N-No! That's not it!"
"Ahaha, kidding. I insisted on packing extra anyway. And adventurers eat a ton—sister included."
Crashing through the underbrush, the voices grew louder.
'Oh yeah.'
The smell thickened too.
'That's... sniff. Soup? Like creamy mushroom soup. And bread too...'
The scents conjured memories of Earth's mushroom soup and bread.
Dipping warm bread into steamy soup.
'Holy crap.'
Just imagining it sent shivers through my whole body.
After five days of grass tufts, I was starving for real food.
I focused on the sensations from the Detection Tentacle.
"Haha. I was gonna bring just three servings, but better safe. We'll store the leftovers in the inn later."
"Yeah, good idea."
'Gotcha.'
Parting the bushes, I finally reached the source.
Peeking the Detection Tentacle through, I saw a sunny clearing unlike the dense forest—a man and woman picnicking on a mat, cooking.
'Whoa, real people!'
Seeing them cook like humans made my core tremble.
I'd been lost in trees too long.
Not a hint of humanity anywhere; I'd even wondered if I was alone in this world. But no—proof right here.
'Man, that soup looks amazing. Sandwiches too. And the girl's cute.'
Peeking with the tentacle, I scoped her out.
Exotic looks: orange hair, freckles, Western features. Big chest and hips, about 165 cm tall.
And a really pretty face.
I was etching her into my memory when—
"Kyaa! M-M-Monster!?"
"Huh? Where...!? Gah!"
She spotted my wriggling Detection Tentacle, freaked out, and shook the guy's shoulder. He followed her gaze to me and paled.
'Ah.'
Seeing their reaction, I cursed inwardly.
Right.
I wasn't human anymore. I was a tentacle monster.
I thought I'd accepted reality, but their horror stung anyway.
I was thrilled to see humans, but they weren't.
To them, I was just a monster.
"Is that... a slime? Never seen one like this."
"Eek, gross! D-Do slimes have tentacles...?"
"Dunno. Hoo... S-Stay put. I'll handle it!"
The guy grabbed what looked like a kitchen knife, blade gleaming, and stepped toward me.
"You monster...! Stay right there!"
"O-Oppa, you okay? Shouldn't we run?"
"Heh heh... Nah... Slimes are fine. Just stay calm, they said. We took that monster safety class, right? I-I can take it. It's not like goblins that hunt in packs..."
His voice trembled like he'd barely encountered monsters. He closed in, radiating killing intent. The distance shrank to under 5 meters.
Grrrrumble...
Then I extended my new Blunt Tentacle from level 8, waving it threateningly at him.
My fluid body jiggled, making weird noises.
And inwardly, I cursed again.
'Fuck... Am I insane right now?'
Originally, I'd planned to bolt if spotted.
Survival first. Securing my life was priority one.
Fight a human? No way.
I didn't even want to hurt one.
I used to be human; my mind still was. Even as a tentacle monster, I wanted peace.
But...
Thump thump...
'I want to fight.'
Something surged inside me.
It felt alien.
I wasn't aggressive by nature.
Tentacle monster instincts? No heart, yet it pounded like one.
Adrenaline flooded me.
Seeing him posture with killing intent sparked a primal urge: this puny human daring to challenge me, a creation of the goddess, a tentacle monster? Rip him apart, devour him.
Just moments ago, I'd cursed the goddess and longed for human life. Now, that savage thought dominated my mind.
I wouldn't lose. My instincts screamed it.
You're stronger than that human. You're the predator.
I wanted to stop, but the impulse was unstoppable.
'Damn it, I don't wanna fight.'
Yet my body moved anyway.
I sprang high like a spring, charging him and swinging my heavy tentacle.
Whoosh—
'Ah, fuck you, you bitch goddess—.'
Muttering curses inside, I smashed his cheek with the Blunt Tentacle as he panicked.
Smack—!