Ugly Flesh (2) - I've Become a Tentacle Monster!
If I'd had the same ordinary emotions as everyone else at that moment, I might've torn out my nonexistent hair in agony, wailing, "I can't believe I've become this kind of monster." But I was already walking on air. Becoming such an awesome tentacle monster! Was this really me, the thing that'd been little more than an earthworm just a little while ago? My chest swelled with pride.
How many sleepless nights has it been?
After passing out like I'd lost my mind, I'd apparently molted and regenerated over and over without realizing it, bulking up my body. Now even the tree that'd loomed like a skyscraper felt small. I could easily swallow a whole person, no problem. In terms of size, I rivaled the biggest snakes in our world—no contest. Except I'd spread out sideways into more of a sack-like shape. Probably optimized for "shoving prey inside and devouring it." No teeth, of course. I could probably secrete some vicious digestive juices, but do I really need to explain tentacle monster predation? Heh... hohoho!
If I could just capture a cutie like that "Tia" with her lifesaving huge ass... paradise!
I already had two tentacles to my name.
Pretty basic tentacles—kinda disappointing, but I could increase the number and variety later. Compared to my bulk, I still had too few. The texture was the same dull grayish-white as my outer skin. If I flipped one inside out with a "shlorp" and pulled it back into my body, the inner pink flesh would become the outer layer, turning it into a pink tentacle. If I could just snag one pretty girl, I could aim for explosive growth...
But not yet.
No one in their right mind would think I could restrain a woman in this state. And honestly, things might get really dangerous from here on out.
I've gotten too big.
I couldn't hide this body. Couldn't run. If I got spotted, it was game over. All I had were these two plain tentacles. And... young, pretty women patrolling the woods with iron maces? That meant this was a world where that was normal. If I ran into hunters, I'd be totally fucked. As a tentacle monster, my senses were hypersensitive—pain was the last thing I wanted.
Tch...
I flattened my body like folded paper and slithered along, munching on dirt grains and grass.
My vision's sharper too.
Growth had sharpened my Tentacle Sense. Figuring out what was around me was a breeze now. But...
[Nutrition + 0]
[Nutrition + 0]
......
I focused on nutrient-rich wild crops, but no dice—they weren't registering as nutrition. Even yanking them up whole and shoving them in didn't help. My body was too big now; this stuff didn't even count. No way was I eating scattered animal shit on the ground. Time to graduate from that. I sure as hell didn't become a tentacle monster to eat crap. Back when I was a baby, it was the best option, that's all.
So... hunting? Catch an animal with my tentacles and chow down?
A deer wandered by, eyeing me curiously.
Oh, ooh. It's a deer.
I was way bigger, but I'd shrunk back in fear, and it seemed to snicker as it passed.
How the hell do I eat that...
Even as a tentacle monster, killing a live animal and chomping it raw felt off. This situation made it clear: even I, who'd desperately wanted to become one, was still held back by memories of being human.
It won't be easy, but I'll adapt slowly.
Why'd the goddess leave my memories intact? Sure, they let me enjoy this joy, but...
I slithered along the ground, seeking sweet scents for fruit. All thanks to my Tentacle Sense. A little focus, and sniffing out distant fruit was nothing.
Good. Just like this... nice and steady.
Couldn't let predators spot me. Never fought with tentacles before—couldn't guarantee I'd beat a feral cat.
[Nutrition + 0.5]
[Nutrition + 0.5]
Isn't this way too salty? I'd eaten like a truckload of fruit, but no noticeable effect. Sweets that would've given baby-me 30k nutrition tasted like nothing. Did that mean only women could really make me grow?
Where do I even find a woman?
Even my almighty Tentacle Sense struggled in this endless forest to pinpoint a person—let alone a young woman. Exhaustion dulled my focus; I just dragged myself along. Ten straight hours of "eating," and the stress of empty gains was unimaginable. Living like a herbivore wasn't tentacle monster ecology.
That's when it happened.
Drawn by wild strawberry scent, I arrived... at a woman.
"Hm-hm~."
Her defenseless back, pale nape. Squatting with her ass thrust out hugely. A slim arm held a basket as she gathered herbs and fruit.
A woman!!
What did women here eat to grow tits like that? Racial differences? Her gentle green eyes and brown hair, body ripe for mating—it drove me wild. She looked so damn delicious! Perfect chance!
"Huh...?"
Just as I moved, we both noticed each other.
I learned then how fast blood could drain from a human face.
"H-Hii, hiii, eeeek!"
Shit, you scared me! No way I'm letting you run—tentacle attack!
I whipped a tentacle around her ankle, yanking her down.
"Nooo!!"
Dammit! Should've gagged her first. She flailed on the dirt, face pale as a ghost—pitiful, but I was desperate too. If I didn't eat you, I'd starve!
"Please spare me!!"
Fuck! Thought I'd wrapped her tight, but her struggles were fierce. Didn't expect screams that loud—I panicked too.
"Ugh, haa, haah...!"
I pursued frantically. Backed against a tree, she barely took steps before hyperventilating and collapsing.
"Hic, hi, spare, spare me... please spare me..."
No escape! Time for the ero★creature's pussy conquest!
"Please...!"
What was she thinking? Begging a speechless monster by touching it.
"I won't come here again. Please... please...!"
Desperate plea for life. Not assuming I'd understand—just pure terror spilling from her heart. For some reason, I couldn't extend my tentacles anymore. My head knew I had to, but they wouldn't move... not an inch!!
"Hic!"
She bolted while I hesitated.
Couldn't... catch her.
First failure, and strength drained from my whole body. My body knew, even if I tried not to think: enjoying tentacle stuff was worlds apart from being the tentacle monster. Was this really the life I wanted? I'd boasted no regrets.
Truth was, I'd regretted it a bit when I started craving animal flesh, desperately turning away from those thoughts. Humans are sly like that. Even with a monster body, it didn't change. After wringing everything from the goddess, here I was regretting on my own terms.
No, too early for regrets.
Just... my mind wasn't simple enough to flip from "glad I was human yesterday" to "tentacle monster life rocks" overnight. Lacked the guts to cross that final line and fully become a monster.
Realizing that, I shuddered at being dropped alone into an unknown world. Couldn't budge. Exhaustion played a part, but more than that... I felt it bone-deep: this was no game.
That night...
"Search over there!"
Villagers came to kill me.
Focusing my Tentacle Sense, I heard people moving nearby. And... torches. Torchlight floated like midnight ghosts, glinting off sharp metal weapons.
Gasp.
I jolted up and slithered away.
"Heard something there!"
"Praga's basket's here too."
"Search every inch!"
"Yes!"
Run! No chance with just two basic tentacles!
"Dad! Over there!"
A familiar voice. Praga. The long brown-haired girl with soft green eyes pointed at me, flanked by village men.
"It's there. Kill it. Quick! Kill it now!"
Praga's eyes held no fear or relief—just disgust. Pure loathing for me.
"Get the spears!"
"What an ugly worm."
"Make it go away!"
"Leave the rest to us and fall back."
No! I tried escaping but crashed into trees, helplessly surrounded. They started hacking me apart. My tentacles flailed uselessly.
Watching my body tear open was horrifying, terrifying. Red blood sprayed. Burning pain clamped down. Aaah! Aaaah! It hurts so much! Stop, stop!! I'm dying!
"Good, it's convulsing. It's working!"
"Keep stabbing!"
I squeezed out strength to flee, but they doggedly pursued and stabbed.
"Still moving!"
"Fuck, this ugly thing!"
Stop, stop it!! Aaah, goddess, please help. Now I got those eyes' meaning. "You want to be born a monster?" She might've known. My fate.
Human men, united in noble duty to slaughter hideous monsters, never paused their killing hands. They sliced my rigid tentacles to bits with swords, stabbed my guts with spears over and over, burned me with torches, spilled my blood. So much blood I didn't know I had— they were drenched but looked proud, fulfilled.
"Praga, don't worry. We'll finish it proper."
"Yes! Rangl..."
"Gotta toss the clothes. Blood reeks."
"Dead yet?"
"Think that's enough, Frindel?"
The man called Frindel stared down silently.
"Heard these regenerate late or lay eggs."
"Post a request? Adventurers know this stuff."
"It's still twitching."
"...Dad."
Praga clutched her dad's sleeve anxiously.
"Chop it more first. Late—bag the rest, burn tomorrow."
"Yes!"
Stabbed, slashed, chopped, burned, trampled. Humans' wishes—pressed hard, that filthy things like me shouldn't breathe this earth—rained on my body...
By the time my Tentacle Sense eyes dimmed and surroundings blurred...
Unexpectedly, rain saved me from the pain.
"Getting soaked. Head back."
"Whew, tough bastard."
"Still wriggling. Gonna haunt my dreams."
Torrents poured. Only a 5cm tentacle tip obeyed me now. As I awaited death, something approached.
Who...
Couldn't see past legs, but I knew. Against the gore-soaked ground, those beautifully extended legs were too precious. Goddess... Goddess... Maybe here to save me.
Before that thought, shame surged. Exposing blatant failure before my mother... shame.
Premium didn't mock or scold my small, pathetic form. No comfort. Just stood in the rain, waiting silently for my pain to ebb. That was comfort beyond words. And guilt...
I extended a tentacle to her toe. The same tentacles that'd terrified her—she let me climb unperturbed.
Then the golden-haired holy goddess looking down spoke.
"Can't blame me if you hate me."
No. I've never hated you.
"That's what being born a monster means."
Can't convey with Tentacle Sense? This feeling. Gratitude overflowing from my heart.
"Hope next time you get born a pretty, cute human kid."
No. Don't want that. Make me a tentacle monster. I wished the same. Squeezed every ounce to send thanks.
"......"
Did it reach? If no survival... at least before dying, thank you for tentacle monster birth. I was never meant human. Lived human life, but never got it. Hiding twisted urges under skin—broken human. That was me.
Don't wanna die. Hate dying!
"Gonna live ugly?"
Yes.
"Accept a life trampling and ruining everything?"
Yes.
"Then, I'll bestow flesh."
Whoosh. Light burst. Dying embers flared; Tentacle Sense lit surroundings. Premium extended a hand—there, wriggling ugly flesh unfit for her.