Jack took a slow, steadying breath, forcing down the turmoil churning in his chest.
"All this good protein, going to waste." The tone had been unmistakable—like someone wistfully eyeing a missed meal.
He knew Black Sperm, though capricious and infamous for his razor-sharp tongue in battle, was strictly speaking one of the few genuinely intelligent Monsters in the Association. In the original work, even after the Monster Association's total annihilation, Black Sperm had escaped certain death. He'd even hitched a ride with Pochi and ended up as Saitama's de facto pet. That kind of survival instinct said everything.
High-IQ Monsters like this were dangerous, yes—but at least they could be reasoned with. And for Great Eyes' sake, if nothing else, he probably wouldn't go out of his way to kill Jack unprompted.
Another deep breath. Then Jack recalled his recent interactions with Pochi. Seeing Black Sperm still wearing that vaguely underfed expression, he immediately arranged his features into one of earnest deference.
"My apologies for disturbing your rest, Black Sperm-sama." He gestured smoothly toward his five Tiger-level subordinates. "How about this? These useless fellows are quite hearty. They could serve as an after-dinner snack, if it pleases you."
Tiger-level Monsters: ??? × 5
The color drained from their faces in an instant. Eyes wide with disbelief, despair, and naked terror, they stared at their boss—the Monster who had just casually offered them up as protein.
"Oh? Really?"
When it came to appetite, Black Sperm was never picky. Back when he was weaker, he'd burrowed through soil to dig up earthworms just to survive. Now, a high-protein meal was practically being delivered to his doorstep. There was no reason to refuse.
His tiny, lecherous eyes swept over the five frozen Monsters. A slow chuckle escaped him, revealing a mouthful of needle-sharp fangs.
"Well, then. I won't be polite."
In the next instant, the stubby, crude-looking figure moved with deceptive speed, lightly leaping onto Jack's shoulder. One stubby hand grabbed a protruding spike of Jack's carapace for balance. The other swung out—
*BOOM—! *
His dark right arm expanded dozens of times its original size in a fraction of a second, like a balloon grotesquely inflating. The massive appendage swept the five Tiger-level Monsters into its grasp and, in one fluid motion, stuffed them into a mouth that had suddenly grown cavernous.
A satisfied belch echoed through the cave.
*BURP. * "Eh… taste was so-so."
In the span of a few seconds, Black Sperm clumsily hopped down from Jack's shoulder. He patted Jack's shin—the part of the black-carapaced leg he could actually reach—with an air of satisfaction.
"You're not a bad kid, though. Say hi to Pochi for me. That guy's been putting on weight lately, hasn't he? Maybe I'll drop by and play with him when I have time." He tilted his head, squinting up at Jack, who stood absolutely motionless. "Hey? Why aren't you moving, kid? Hey, hey, hey…?"
Jack wasn't moving because Jack couldn't move.
Not because of fear. Not because Black Sperm had just devoured five of his subordinates in a single bite.
But because the system notifications had exploded across his vision—and at the very top, gleaming in ominous crimson letters, were the first—no, the first two—UR abilities he had ever seen.
[Ding! Contact with replicable target!]
[Monster: Black Sperm]
[Disaster Level: Dragon (Peak)
]**
[Ability 1: "Megaton Split (UR)"
]** : By absorbing external energy or biomass, the user gains a nearly infinite capacity for splitting and proliferation. Can divide into any number of independent "Selves." Among all Selves, the main body retains highest authority and can enable or disable a shared sensory network at will. The main body's strength determines the comprehensive quality level of each individual's power, speed, endurance, and reaction capabilities. Every individual shares all abilities of the main body. As long as internal biomass or cell reserves are sufficient, no matter how many times the user splits, individual combat power is not diminished.]
[Ability 2: "Fusion Combination (UR)"
]** : Any number of split individuals can perform nearly unlimited combinations. The more split individuals that merge, the stronger the resulting entity—power increases exponentially! Combination forms include:
Normal Form: Continuous splitting and proliferation through protein absorption. Can release stacked internal cells to cause partial or complete gigantification, greatly enhancing raw power.
Multicellular Form: Merges multiple cells into a single high-density individual. Comprehensive enhancement of strength, speed, and defense.
Golden Form: Over 10 trillion cells highly compressed. Manifests a tall, robust physique with perfect muscles reflecting a golden gleam. Drastically enhances speed and strength.
Platinum Form: Merges all split bodies through "Elimination Fusion." An irreversible ultimate combination. Silvery-white body; density and velocity break all previous limits. Exclusive moves: Sub-Light Speed Assault, Platinum Pierce, Perfect Defense, Unreasonable Counter-Technique.]
[Ability 3: "Cellular Mimicry (SSR)"
]** : Cells possess mimicry abilities including deformation, camouflage, gigantification, and shrinking. Can mimic rocks, dust, or other environmental features to escape tracking.]
[Ability 4: "Cell Self-Destruction (SR)"
]** : Sacrifices a portion of cells to trigger an explosion. Power is directly proportional to the number of cells sacrificed.]
There was nothing to deliberate. Jack's finger stabbed the copy command at light speed.
[Successfully copied UR Ability: "Megaton Split" Lv1!]
[Successfully copied UR Ability: "Fusion Combination" Lv1!]
[Successfully copied SSR Ability: "Cell Mimicry" Lv1!]
[Successfully copied SR Ability: "Cell Self-Destruction" Lv1!]
[Current occupied ability slots: 10/15.
]**
In a single instant, he'd burned through a third of his total capacity. But Jack knew that Black Sperm's unique Dragon-level abilities formed a complete, self-contained system. Since he was copying them, he was damn well copying all of them.
I want them all
"Tch. So you're alive after all."
Seeing Jack move again, Black Sperm wiped his mouth with an air of profound disappointment. "Weird kid. Boring. I'm leaving."
Before the words fully left his mouth, his crude little figure seemed to merge with the shadows, silently dissolving into the darkness of the mine shaft's depths.
Jack: …
My sincerest apologies for denying you the pleasure of my fresh protein.
But as Black Sperm's presence faded, a strange, tingling sensation erupted from deep within Jack's body.
It was as if countless microscopic "selves" were stirring at the cellular level, each one clamoring to split apart. This was, quite literally, splitting. At the same time, a complementary impulse rose unbidden—the urge to fuse, to gather a sufficient number of selves and achieve a qualitative transformation.
Through the innate understanding that accompanied the system's successful copying, Jack already knew what was happening.
The changes rippling through him were the direct result of his immense life force responding to the newly acquired UR abilities. His hyper-active body was being comprehensively restructured, silently completing tens of thousands of proliferations and divisions in a matter of moments.
*Hoo— *
It wasn't until Black Sperm's aura had completely vanished into the darkness that Jack finally released a long, searing exhale.
His evolution speed was rapid—blindingly so—but compared to the entrenched powerhouses of the Monster Association? Still nothing.
[Origin Points: 15246]
He glanced at his balance. Enough to upgrade a single UR ability by one level. Or sink a few more clicks into an SSR.
Make money. Must make money.
The conviction burned itself deeper into his psyche. As if in response, the drastic cellular changes within him abruptly slowed, as if they'd temporarily reached a ceiling.
[Individual Cell Reserve: 1 million]
The system prompt appeared, and with it came the natural understanding that accompanied mastered abilities. Even having copied Black Sperm's UR skills, the accumulation of Cell reserves was a process he'd have to complete on his own. Its upper limit was positively correlated with his current strength and various other factors. Of course, he could always accelerate the process the same way Black Sperm had—by extensive, indiscriminate devouring of external protein.
But Lv1 "Megaton Split" had only granted him an initial reserve of 1 million cells. Not even a rounding error compared to Black Sperm's reserves, calculated in the trillions.
Jack wasn't anxious. His strength was ultimately linked to Origin Points. And Origin Points ultimately meant—
Make. Money.
Still mulling over faster income streams that didn't involve Monster Cells, Jack strolled back toward his lair.
The moment he crossed the threshold, his perception screamed a warning.
A subtle anomaly in the darkness. A presence that shouldn't be there.
Someone was here.