M City.
The chance to stretch my legs has arrived.
The moment Great Eyes finished speaking, Jack's heart leaped. But his expression remained carefully composed—troubled, even.
"Lord Great Eyes." He inclined his head respectfully. "It would be my honor to serve the Association. It's just…"
"Just what?"
Deep underground, Psykos's true body felt her eye twitch. Through Great Eyes, her impatience bled into the distorted voice. The massive single eye narrowed.
"It's just that… after this period of tempering and accumulation, this subordinate vaguely feels…" Jack paused, letting the weight settle. "I seem to have touched the threshold of Dragon-level. A breakthrough could come at any moment."
The unspoken meaning hung in the air like smoke.
Wind of Cyclone is too busy to move? What a coincidence. I'm also on the verge of a breakthrough. Inconvenient to travel.
Psykos: …
Her intelligence was more than sufficient to decode this roundabout demand. Dragon-level threshold. Breakthrough at any time. Translated: Give me more resources and I'll consider moving.
She weighed it quickly. If Jack genuinely broke through to Dragon-level—became a true top-tier combatant—that would significantly strengthen the Association's hand for future operations. The investment might be worth it.
Through Great Eyes, her irritated voice cut through.
"What do you want? Speak."
As if he'd been waiting for those exact words, Jack's answer came instantly. Clear. Precise.
"I need more money."
Psykos: …
In her hidden chamber, the corner of the domineering older sister's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.
This guy… is his skin thicker than his own carapace?
"There's no problem with undertaking the mission, of course." Jack's tone shifted smoothly, his eyes now radiating loyalty and mission-focused responsibility. "But to ensure absolute success—and to prevent the possibility that this subordinate might touch the Dragon-level breakthrough during the journey without sufficient resources to stabilize it…"
He spread his hands, the picture of reasonableness.
"Lord Great Eyes, might the Monster Cells for the mission period be issued in advance? And perhaps—to increase the breakthrough success rate—a slightly increased allocation?"
Psykos: …
The sheer audacity left her briefly silent.
On one hand, the deceased first-generation Bug God had been an obedient, useful tool. But its potential was exhausted. Demon-level peak was its ceiling.
This second-generation Bug God, however… his potential was astonishing. That special constitution—devouring Monster Cells in bulk with zero side effects—was exceedingly rare. He had genuine hope of surpassing his predecessor. Becoming an even sharper blade.
A Dragon-level blade.
Under that lens, Jack's almost greedy hunger for Monster Cells became… acceptable. Even desirable. A subordinate with desires was easier to control. A powerful subordinate without them would be far more concerning.
Hmph. Quite an appetite. Let's see what your limit truly is.
The calculation took less than a heartbeat.
"Fine."
Great Eyes's voice returned to its previous calm, sarcastic register.
"Mission is one week. I'll give you ten days' worth. One thousand Monster Cells." The massive eye gleamed. "That should be enough for you to squander, yes?"
A thousand.
One thousand Monster Cells. One hundred thousand Origin Points.
Jack's entire frame trembled—just slightly—with unconcealed joy.
The squeaky wheel gets the grease indeed.
"Thank you for your generosity, Lord Great Eyes! This subordinate guarantees mission success!"
Seeing genuine excitement from Jack for the first time, Great Eyes's single eye flickered with satisfaction. A hint of playfulness.
Found his weakness. Psykos's mood improved by a microscopic fraction.
Then Jack spoke again.
"Oh, right, my Lord." As if suddenly remembering something trivial. "The new recruit will also need a Monster Cell to complete Monsterification, won't they? This…"
Psykos: …
The air in the chamber seemed to distort. From sheer audacity.
Deep underground, Psykos felt her forehead throb violently.
This bastard—he's trying to squeeze out the recruit's allocation too?!
The greed is off the charts!
The massive, bloodshot eye stared at Jack's eager, expectant expression. Psykos suppressed the overwhelming urge to simply crush this inch-taker with Psychokinesis on the spot.
Through gritted mental teeth:
"…I'll give you eleven days' worth. Now—immediately—"
"—Get out and execute the mission!"
Before the words had fully faded, a bulging cloth bag—man-sized, straining at the seams—hurtled through the air. Wrapped in invisible azure Psychokinesis, it slammed onto the ground at Jack's feet with a solid *THUD. *
"Thank you for your generosity, my Lord! This subordinate will prepare immediately and depart at once!"
Three sentences. One hundred and ten thousand Origin Points, neatly extracted.
A gleam flashed behind Jack's dark faceplate. He hoisted the heavy sack onto his shoulder with practiced ease. The weight was satisfying. Even through the fabric, he could sense the bizarre, mind-warping fluctuations within—the residual will of Orochi, embedded in the deformed flesh of the Monster Cells.
He bowed. The posture of a perfect employee. Respectful. Grateful. Ready to serve.
Then he turned to leave.
Psykos watched him go. Watched the smug set of his shoulders, the air of a man who'd just extracted maximum value while maintaining plausible innocence. The emotions flickering through her puppet's single eye were… complicated.
Damn it.
She wanted to hit him. She had no good reason to. The feeling was—
Infuriating.
Then Jack stopped after two steps. Turned back.
Her blood pressure spiked instantly.
"…What now?"
"Lord Great Eyes." Jack's gaze drifted past the throne, toward the boundless darkness beyond—from which terrifying fluctuations faintly emanated. "This subordinate has heard that Monster King Orochi resides on this very floor?"
A reasonable question. Great Eyes's nominal identity was Orochi's strategist. The secretary working beside the leader. Perfectly natural curiosity.
"That is correct." Great Eyes's single eyelid twitched—almost imperceptibly. The distorted voice carried a note of warning. "What of it, Bug God? Do you wish an audience with His Majesty?"
Jack's dark faceplate betrayed nothing. But he nodded without hesitation, his gaze sharpening with unmistakable fervor.
"Of course. Which Monster in the Association wouldn't wish to witness His Majesty Orochi's powerful and magnificent form?"
The flattery was exaggerated. Transparently so.
But it landed.
Monster King Orochi was Psykos's greatest creation. The strongest Monster she had forged, poured countless resources into, nurtured from nothing into a living god of destruction. Her most successful work.
Jack's tone—that unmistakable longing, that genuine fervor—erased her previous irritation like water on a hot stone.
"Oh ho ho ho ho~~"
Great Eyes's sinister laugh echoed through the chamber, warm with genuine satisfaction.
"I can arrange an introduction." A pause. "But you've consumed a great many Monster Cells. That kind of power… is very much to Lord Orochi's taste."
The voice shifted. Took on a meaningful, almost bantering quality.
"His Majesty hasn't enjoyed high-quality Demon-level nourishment in some time. If you end up treated as a nutritional supplement instead of granted an audience…" A dramatic pause. "I won't be able to help you, you know~~"
Jack: …
Patreon Rene_chan for extra chapters