Novapolis Slums (6): The Slum Lord's Demonic Mutation
The conversation with the boss had just ended, and for a moment, he looked utterly bewildered. For the head of a crime syndicate ruling the slums, he cut a pretty pathetic figure.
'Doesn't seem all that strong either.'
I'd built up some real expectations since it had been ages since I last tangled with a superhuman, but honestly? A letdown. He was an energy manipulator type, but nothing special in terms of control or raw power. Just your garden-variety superhuman. That's it.
'Oh, wait—not human. Elf.'
Anyway, even before I got this power, with a bit of luck, I could've taken him down. So snagging a superhuman didn't exactly put me in a great mood. Fine for keeping my edge sharp in a scrap, but for serious skill-ups? The boss fell way short on every front.
If only he had a little more going for him...
I was mulling that over as I approached the downed bastard for some "interrogation" when—
-Bzzz.
A vibration buzzed from my pocket. I pulled out my phone—Lien calling. Picked up right away.
"Hello? That you, Lien?"
"Yes! Kyle! Everything here's wrapped up—I'll be there soon!"
"Good. Their main force headed your way, right? That what you mean?"
"Those androids... yeah, that was them. It was tough, but I took care of 'em all."
Just as I'd figured. No idea what she thinks of herself, but objectively, Lien's no weakling. Among superhumans overall, she's solidly strong. The only reason she might seem weak is her moral hang-ups and guilty conscience—not any lack of skill.
In life-or-death fights, mindset is more than half the battle. With hers all messed up, no wonder her full potential never showed.
Anyway, looks like she'd grown a fair bit, right on cue.
"Nice work. You know the direction I headed? Come straight here."
"......"
"Lien?"
"...Ah, yes! On my way! See you soon!"
-Click.
'What's her deal? Nervous? Whatever.'
I pocketed the phone and shifted my gaze forward. The boss, who'd overheard our chat while slumped on the ground, wore a blank, shell-shocked expression. Like he couldn't believe what he'd just heard.
"The main force... wiped out?"
"That's right. Matches what I said, huh?"
I stopped in front of him. Extended my tentacles, binding his limbs tight. The wire-thick, condensed tendrils squeezed his arms and legs. No chance of escape.
"Time to talk."
I hadn't cared much before, but now I had questions piling up. How'd he score combat androids straight out of the Neocraft Federation? Why were they here? What were the smuggled goods and their purpose? Backers? And so on.
I locked eyes with him and spoke.
"Combat androids. Neocraft Federation tech, right? Running 'em in the slums? Who's your backer?"
He gritted his teeth, glaring daggers. No intention of spilling.
I tightened the tentacles harder.
-Crunch.
"Guh!"
"Ears clogged? Why are androids here? Answer me."
His face twisted in agony, but he held his silence to the end. More than just trust in his client or the money—something deeper.
'Just kill him now? Wouldn't matter.'
I could check the cargo myself to ID the smuggled goods. Backers weren't my top priority anyway.
The moment I glanced toward the bag—
-Whirr.
A faint glow seeped from his body.
"!"
My senses screamed. Get back—now.
I released the tentacles and leaped away.
—KABOOM!
Light erupted from him in a massive explosion.
"Tch!"
Smoke from the blast blinded me. I shoved through it, eyes forward.
His skin was charred and peeling, blood pouring—caught some blowback himself. Panting, he crawled backward toward the bag.
Reaching it, he tore it open. Pulled out a syringe-like device filled with thick, deep purple liquid. Bad news at first glance.
He snatched it up and, spotting me closing in, jammed it straight into his neck without hesitation. The fluid injected in seconds.
And then—
-Grinddd!
His body warped. Bones twisted, muscles swelled unnaturally. Skin split, black something oozing out to envelop him. Flesh bulged from his back, sprouting a tail. Crimson-black horns grew from his head, eyes rolled back, pupils slit vertical.
"Grraa... Grrruuuh..."
Finally, he mutated into a full-on monster, shrouded in black.
The air itself shifted. That prickling displeasure they call demonic energy—stinging the skin.
"...That thing."
I'd seen it before. No one in this world hasn't. Demon beast. Hostile to all life, spilling from rifts—mysterious creatures.
One stood before me now.
—RAAAAAWR!!!
It bellowed. No reason left. Talking? Off the table.
Looks like he had some juice left after all.
"Good. This is more like it."
I rolled my shoulders, facing it down.
That instant—
-Boom!
The floor shattered like an explosion; it vanished from sight. Next moment, right in front. A fist rocketed at blinding speed.
I jerked my head back, dodging. Slammed my fist into its side.
-Thud!
Dull impact rippled through my knuckles. Tough bastard. Another fist whistled in. I raised my arm to block. The force shoved me back, scraping concrete.
Serious power. Physical stats skyrocketed.
'Speed's up too. Durability's no joke.'
—RAAAAWR!!
It charged again. Fist incoming. I dodged once—then it kept swinging those front limbs, more paws than hands.
I narrowed my eyes, parrying.
-Whoosh! Wham! Slash!
Fast moves, but big wind-ups, clear tells. No way I'd eat these.
Ducked a wide swing, coiled tentacles around my fist, smashed its jaw.
-Crack!
Teeth shattered. It staggered in pain; I closed in, hammering fists relentlessly. Reeling from the barrage, it flailed wildly. Ducked low, tentacle-fist to the gut. It flew back.
Fired tentacles, gouged its left eye.
-Splurt!
—SKREEEEEE!!!
One-eyed and berserk, it swung; I evaded. Spun, whipped its heavy tail. Recalled tentacles, stabbed them into the ground, launched airborne to dodge again.
Upside-down view: traced its spine to the nape.
Target locked. Fused five right-arm tentacles into one massive, spear-thick drill.
"Hup—!"
Slammed it down.
-Crunch!!
Pierced the hide; black blood gushed.
It thrashed in agony, smashing everything. I got flung off. Braked, regained balance, looked ahead.
-Thud! Boom! Crack!
Slum shacks crumbled under its rampage.
'Lucky no one's around. Still...'
-Grrrowl... RAAWR!!!
After wrecking the area, it calmed a bit, shook its head, fixed on me. Hatred maxed—reckless now. Perfect for me. Nothing easier than an enemy lost to rage.
Glanced around, backed against a building. It charged again. I twisted like a bullfighter; momentum smashed its head into the structure. Already shaky, it collapsed fully.
-Rumbleee!!
Debris buried it. It struggled free. While it wrestled rubble, I circled, grabbed a fallen rebar.
Time for a new idea. I'd been using tentacles only from my right arm—like second nature. But they sprout from forearm or palm sometimes. No rule saying right arm only, just where they first emerged.
-Boom!
It cleared the debris, rose, turned to me. I stood a short distance away, facing it.
-Grrawl... Grrrrr...
Black blood dripped from its tentacle-gouged left eye. Harsh breaths, one-eyed glare burning with fury.
It charged.
The demon beast lunged at Seongjin, swinging its forelimb. Claws brimming with rage and malice to rip him apart. An ordinary person would've frozen in terror.
But Seongjin dodged. No fear in him, not even a blink.
Furious at the man who'd reduced it to this, the beast saw nothing else. As it raised its arm to pulverize him again—
-Spluuurt!
-Grrk?!
Black tentacles burst from the ground, coiling its legs. They surged up, wrapping body, arms, neck in an instant. Bound tight.
Bewildered, it stared ahead. Seongjin's reflection in its monstrous eyes.
He was smiling.
He thrust the rebar in his hand. Aiming for the right eye. It pierced clean.
—SKREEEEEEEK!!!
Earsplitting screech; blind now, it writhed. Seongjin recalled his foot-planted tentacles, leaped onto its back.
One hand plunged below its neck like water; the other gripped the skull. Yanked the arm, twisted his body at an angle, locked it firm. Muscles tensed full; he wrenched spine and neck.
-Grind.
Blood spurted from the wounded nape. Neck twisted slowly from there.
-Snap.
Ominous cracks from its neck grew louder. Teeth clenched, he poured more force into the bindings.
-Grrrrrind.
—Grr... Grrk...!
"Nngh... Haaah!!"
-RIP!!
Seongjin's torso sprang up; the head tore free savagely. Nerves severed at once, black blood sprayed hot across his face and chest. Below the severed head, ragged esophagus and spinal cords dangled.
The headless bulk spewed blood like a fountain, then slumped a beat later.
"Hoo..."
Seongjin caught his breath, rose slowly, dropped the head from his hand.
Then, a message popped in his vision. Something he never expected.
You have met the level-up conditions for Demonic Body lv.1.
Level up?
"...What the hell is this?"