"Where did a human come from in this godforsaken place?"
Eater Eel twisted its slimy, tens-of-meters-long body, letting out a chilling, hissing laugh.
"But… who cares? It'll make a perfect appetizer—looks tastier than those old fishermen!"
"Wait a moment—so this guy was cooking fish?" Death Electric Eel connected the boiling seawater at the island's edge and the large number of dead fish floating belly-up to Jack. It licked its lips, its entire body lighting up with crackling electricity. "Heheheh—then to avenge the fish, next up, I'll cook you!!"
Clearly, these three Demon-level Monsters completely disregarded this seemingly tiny, fragile human. They had no idea of the seriousness of the situation. In their deeply ingrained perception, humans were just fragile, delicious food—nothing more.
"You two bastards, stop talking nonsense and go eat those dead fish. This human is MINE!"
Great White Shark roared and launched the first attack. Its strong, powerful legs pushed off the sea surface, and its massive body shot out like a cannonball, riding the waves onto the small island. Its gaping maw suddenly opened to its limit—carrying a nauseating stench of blood and thick water vapor—rushing straight toward Jack as if intending to swallow him whole.
"Mine!"
"It's MINE!"
The other two Demon-level Sea People were not to be outdone, roaring as they pounced simultaneously from left and right. Eater Eel moved like a slippery black shadow, attempting to coil and strangle. Death Electric Eel's body glowed with intense electricity—dazzling currents drawing long trails in the water, forming a massive electric net.
Jack stood motionless, his mind wandering.
How happy would Pochi be if I dragged back such a huge seafood feast for him?
"It's decided… today, the dog's extra meal will be a luxurious seafood feast!"
As Jack muttered to himself, three massive shadows furiously rushed closer.
"THIS HUMAN IS MINE!!"
Great White Shark, charging at the very front, opened its huge mouth and bit down fiercely. Its teeth—sharp enough to crush steel—stopped abruptly less than half a meter from Jack's head. It was as if it had hit an invisible wall, making a clack sound that sent a tingling sensation through all its teeth.
—What… what's going on?
Inside its giant mouth—which its shark eyes, positioned on either side of its head, couldn't observe—faint cyan Psychokinesis light undulated and shimmered. An invisible force field, incredibly solid, blocked its advance. No matter how much it exerted force, it couldn't move another inch.
"Just in time—to test my physical strength after the breakthrough."
Just as Great White Shark's mind filled with doubt and surprise, Jack moved.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
Great White Shark's pupils contracted. It watched in disbelief as the tiny human below lightly leaped toward its head and threw three consecutive straight punches—toward itself and its companions.
Starting with it, the massive shark body suddenly stiffened. Its eyes, shrunk to the size of soybeans, filled with unbelievable terror. A fine crack appeared on its brow, instantly spreading throughout its entire body.
The two Demon-level Monsters following close behind soon realized something was wrong—but it was too late.
"NO…!!" ×2
Amidst their screams, an irresistible, terrifying force—like a bomb detonating within their bodies—exploded outward with violent punch force. The two Demons, along with Great White Shark, instantly swelled and burst apart. Flesh and blood fragments mixed with foul-smelling bodily fluids splattered everywhere.
[Killed Demon-level Monster 'Great White Shark' | Gained Source Points × 691!]
[Killed Demon-level Monster 'Eater Eel' | Gained Source Points × 658!]
[Killed Demon-level Monster 'Death Electric Eel' | Gained Source Points × 686!]
In the blink of an eye, the three Demon-level Sea People Monsters had turned into three half-destroyed corpses.
"Very good—even in my suppressed human form, I can unleash destructive power comparable to an ordinary Dragon."
Feeling the terrifying, extraordinary power in his body that had broken through its limits, Jack satisfactorily unclenched his fist. Then he paused in surprise.
"Oh dear… I accidentally smashed most of the ingredients. But this amount should be enough for Pochi to eat, right?"
A shadowy clone smoothly split from Jack's body, rapidly undergoing a mimetic transformation. In the blink of an eye, it turned into another Jack.
Jack casually pointed to the three mountain-like corpses.
"Here—quickly deliver these to Pochi. Seafood is best eaten fresh."
"Understood, Boss!"
Jack's clone raised both hands. The three massive seafood corpses were immediately enveloped in faint cyan Psychokinesis light, floating up with him.
"What a pity—with such top-grade ingredients, the taste would definitely be better if they were chilled! Boss, next time remember to get an ice-type ability. Otherwise, it won't do justice to my professional delivery service!"
"Got it. Remember to change your appearance when you enter the Monster Association. They don't welcome humans there—not even handsome ones."
"Is that so…"
The clone, about to make a run for it, paused, then quickly transformed as its entire body was enveloped in dark shadowy matter.
The next moment, a red-shelled rhinoceros beetle-headed insect Monster appeared in mid-air. Its large blue compound eyes were sharp. With a sudden air of coolness, it raised a hand to the sky.
"Kabuto Delivery Company at your service! Have a good day!"
"Clock Up!!"
Watching the suddenly accelerating clone—carrying the ingredients—run across the sky as if transcending time, disappearing into the distance in the blink of an eye, Jack retracted his gaze. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
If things don't work out in the future, opening a delivery company might not be a bad option.
(Parallel universe Dr. Genus, who sells takoyaki: Exactly.)
Then Jack pushed off the ground. His body, enveloped in faint cyan light, shot straight into the sky.
*CRACK. CRACK. CRACK— *
The desolate island—already unable to bear the strain—instantly broke into pieces. A wave swept over it, making it disappear into the sea.
About half an hour after Jack left, a slender black shadow—like an arrow shot from a bow—broke through the water, appearing in the combat area from earlier.
This was a sea snake-shaped Monster, its body covered in fine green scales, its triangular eyes flickering with cautious light. It was the Sea Serpent Scout—responsible for patrol and reconnaissance among the Sea People.
The brief but extremely terrifying energy fluctuation just now—and the sudden disappearance of the life forces of the three "General" adults—had made it rush over immediately.
But the scene before its eyes made it blink.
"Strange—wasn't this spot originally a desolate island?"
Above the sea, the former island had vanished without a trace. The surface was covered with a large number of cooked fish carcasses. The air was filled with a lingering, strong smell of blood—and a terrifying residual aura that sent shivers down its spine.
"Th-This is… Great White Shark-sama's crushed bones… Eater Eel-sama's mucus… and Death Electric Eel-sama's scales…"
The Sea Serpent Scout was professional after all, quickly finding subtle remains in the nearby sea. Each discovery made its heart pound madly.
The three Sea People Generals…
They were all dead?!