...How long had it been since that monster left?
It seemed he hadn’t heard there was a bath in the basement, because even after two hours, there was still no sign of him coming back.
So then, why was this part-timer still here?
It was simply to say goodbye to the convenience store he had grown attached to over the past three days.
At this point, he’d have to find another part-time job all over again.
The convenience store, now literally torn to pieces, looked like a glimpse of a future far too cruel to face.
...As the part-timer clutched his head at that bleak future already taking shape,
rustle
rrrrustle
bububububub...
whoooosh!!
“...I-I almost died... you damn bas—!”
With a weak, ragged groan, something rose from among the monster’s remaining flesh fragments.
The reason the man had become the monster Okrageitopus, and at the same time the source of his power.
The monster, Gestopus.
Disaster Level: Demon.
Once, he had been a fairly well-known monster.
Back then, his strength had easily been top-tier among Demon-level monsters.
C- and B-Class heroes had been nothing but extras.
There had been a time when only an A-Class hero was enough to make him feel like he was getting a proper fight.
Of course, in his current state, that was a thing of the past.
He had been defeated by Flashy Flash.
That was why the human he had possessed this time had been a stepping stone for his recovery from near death.
Now that he had replenished enough nutrients, if he could just secure a good host to parasitize, he could grow strong again at any time.
“...Oh? I can feel some pretty decent potential energy right over there!”
Wriggle, wriggle.
While the other man wasn’t looking, he crawled up the wall.
Just the sight of Gestopus, with his fluid, slime-monster appearance, climbing toward the ceiling was enough to inspire disgust.
Of course, the part-timer had no idea.
Little by little.
Quietly.
Just as he was closing in to strike the head—
“...Oh, there was a convenience store here too.”
“Ah, who are you? This store already closed for the day...”
Someone walked in.
“Ah, I’m just someone who does hero work as a hobby. I heard a strong monster showed up in City A, so I came to check it out, but it was a wasted trip and I’m on my way back.”
...A face he’d never seen before.
But he didn’t look strong.
Just a run-of-the-mill nobody.
His bald head and dazed expression only made him look ridiculous.
He wouldn’t be any trouble.
All that was left was to pounce on this one and parasitize him.
“Kwahahahaha! Be honored, human! I, Gesto—”
“What is this?”
Boom.
“Kra... aaah... ah... wh... why. Why would a monster... attack another monster...!”
“........”
He would have been happier if he just stayed quiet.
He didn’t like noisy food.
squelch
With a sharp claw, he gently pierced the monster’s head.
Its body’s durability was pathetic, so the claw crushed straight through the skull without any real resistance.
That alone wasn’t enough.
He stirred it around until the contents inside were impossible to make out.
The monster he had subdued by cutting off its limbs was a monkey monster with assassination-specialized abilities, and it seemed to be characterized by its quiet, stealthy footsteps.
Though the fact that it could still live after having its brain ripped apart was even more impressive.
“Kkeeeeeeaaaaaah!!!”
Well, it was still alive, at least.
He had crushed the brain and stirred the contents around, so it wouldn’t be able to think anything anymore.
Even if he had used a trap, perhaps because he had grown stronger, it was still the easiest to catch compared to the monsters he had hunted last time.
Or maybe this monster was just weak.
...So shut up already.
Why was a vegetable that couldn’t feel or think making so much noise?
slash
After hacking at it a few times and separating the monster’s shredded neck from its body, the remaining torso began to tremble violently, as if convulsing.
But that didn’t last long, and soon it went limp.
“Kiiiiiik! Uuuhhhuuukiiiaaaah—”
snap
crunch
crack
chomp
rattle-rattle-rattle...
gulp
...Even though that shouldn’t have been possible, it felt like his stomach was rumbling.
Maybe he shouldn’t have eaten the head.
The taste was good, but it had been the noisiest one yet.
It had been alone, yet it kept babbling to itself, then got caught neatly in the trap he’d set.
Right after that, it started screaming, and the volume was downright unpleasant.
...But the torso had no mouth left to scream with.
And the head was probably already being digested.
So, at his leisure, he shoved the remaining torso into his mouth and started chewing and swallowing it down.
crunch-crunch-crunch
thud-crack
munch
Yes.
It was still tasty.
The meat wasn’t as chewy as the things he’d eaten so far.
But it was soft, like chicken breast, and perfectly edible.
The blood was sweet as always.
And the internal organs were pleasantly springy.
But what he enjoyed most, surprisingly, was the bone.
The bones had low durability, so they broke with a single bite.
That made them satisfyingly crunchy.
Still, the amount was definitely lacking.
After a few bites and a swallow, there was nothing left.
At least his stomach was full enough for now, so he checked his status to see what new skill might have been added.
[Name: 'Truly' Ordinary Lizard Monster]
[Disaster Level: Wolf (promotion conditions not met)]
[HP: 90/90]
[ST: 30/30]
[AP: 30/30]
[SP: 30/30]
[MP: 0/0]
[Allocatable Points: 0 (+10)]
[Skills (6/10): [Super Instinct] LV4, [Sharp Claws] LV1, [Super Regeneration] LV1, [Tough Teeth] LV1, [Dust Bomb] LV1, [Quiet Footsteps] LV1 (NEW)]
It had been two days since he encountered a monster at the convenience store.
And the fourth day since he became a monster.
This was the result of hunting five monsters.
The crocodile monster had given 18 allocatable points.
The fish-headed monster that had tried to attack a human had given 7.
The monster with tentacles on its head had given 20.
The moth monster had given 10.
And the monkey monster he had just eaten had given 5.
On top of that, the Main Quest reward had given 40.
For a total of 100 allocatable stat points.
He had already invested 95 of them.
His stamina had doubled, and his strength, speed, and endurance had tripled.
He didn’t plan on becoming a tank, but having high stamina was definitely better.
Most of the monsters he had hunted so far would have been left half-dead if they had landed even one hit on him.
Of course, the last two he’d hunted were exceptions.
Still, the moth monster’s ability had been a nuisance.
It had only given 10 points, too.
...Come to think of it.
At first, he had been flustered because he didn’t know how to use allocatable points.
It turned out to be surprisingly simple, which was disappointing.
All he had to do was think of allocation in his head and add the numbers.
Give me back the seven hours I wasted on such a pointless worry.
...Anyway, he turned his attention back to the skills.
[Skills (6/10): [Super Instinct] LV4, [Sharp Claws] LV1, [Super Regeneration] LV1, [Tough Teeth] LV1, [Dust Bomb] LV1, [Quiet Footsteps] LV1 (NEW)]
[Dust Bomb] had been obtained by eating the moth monster he had encountered yesterday.
It had been the worst-tasting one so far.
There was meat, since it had been a human in a moth costume, but the bitterness was overwhelming, probably because of the dust.
So he had forced it down, stuffing it into his mouth and chewing and swallowing it anyway.
It was lucky the thing had been small, because there wasn’t much of it.
And as for [Quiet Footsteps]...
The monkey monster’s footsteps had indeed been extremely quiet.
As expected of a monster specialized in assassination, this skill would be useful.
Of course.
It would also be useful to him from now on.
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