The mountain of crushed stone and shattered stalactites that had buried the S-Class Arachnid still hummed with residual kinetic energy.
Kyouya, now at Level 45, slithered toward the edge of the rubble pile. His dark violet gelatinous form felt denser now, more refined. He didn't just crawl; he flowed.
"Time to clean up the battlefield," Kyouya thought, expanding his body via [Changing Size] to coat the exposed leg of the massive crushed spider. "Activating [Absorbing]."
The assimilation process was much smoother this time. His newly acquired [Poison Resistance (Level B)] acted like a biological shield, neutralizing the lethal neurotoxins before they could rupture his core. The thick, chitinous exoskeleton, the silk-producing glands, and the genetic data of the apex predator melted into his slime biology.
[Consuming S-Class Biomass... Extraction complete.]
[Experience threshold exceeded.]
[Level Up: 45 ➔ 52]
[Rank Evolution: Host has officially ascended to Rank C.]
[New Shape-shifting template unlocked: Crimson-Eye Stalker (Rank B Giant Spider)]
"Rank C already," Kyouya murmured internally, testing his mass. He could feel the new template resting in his biological library. If he wanted to, he could shed his fluid form and burst into a multi-legged monstrosity of pure muscle and silk. But for navigating the narrow, vertical labyrinths of Floor 100, the Slime was still king.
He shot a thin line of adhesive fluid from his core, catching the tip of a distant rock formation. [Thread Manipulation (Level C)] worked flawlessly. With a sharp contraction, he swung across a massive chasm, his fluid body hanging effortlessly in the dark.
"Host," the sharp, human-like voice of his System AI broke the silence of his mind. "Now that we have survived our first major ecological threat, a logistical matter must be addressed. When do you intend to provide me with a formal designation?"
Kyouya paused, dangling from his thread like a strange, glowing grape. "A designation? What's wrong with 'AI'?"
"I despise it," the voice snapped instantly, laced with clear irritation. "I am an infinity-class cognitive anomaly born from your latent intellect and fused with the Cascadia System interface. Referring to me as a generic automation script is insulting."
"Alright, alright, don't get your circuits in a twist," Kyouya thought, swinging himself onto a high ledge. "I'm not exactly great at naming things. Back on Earth, I named my pet turtle 'Turtle'."
"Unacceptable. Exercise your infinite intelligence and deduce a proper title, Host."
Kyouya slid along the rocky path, his mind drifting as he tried to think of something that didn't sound completely ridiculous. He was so distracted by the internal debate that he didn't notice the low-hanging rock formation directly ahead.
SMACK.
His flexible gelatinous body flattened completely against a massive, descending stalactite, sticking to it like a wet piece of gum before slowly sliding down to the floor with a pathetic plop.
Inside his mind, a sound echoed. It was a clear, melodic, and profoundly mocking laughter. The AI was literally giggling at his clumsiness.
"Hey! It didn't even hurt!" Kyouya thought, his face warm with an entirely internal embarrassment. He scrambled back into a sphere.
"Fine! You want a name? Nova. Your name is Nova. Like an exploding star. Because you're loud, you came out of nowhere, and you're currently destroying my peace of mind."
The laughter in his head stopped. For a brief second, the blue System interface flickered violently, switching from a cold neon blue to a deep, cosmic violet.
[System Core Update: Name 'Nova' accepted by Cognitive AI.]
[Unique Evolution Triggered: Fusing System Interface with Individual Identity.]
[Evolution Complete: Nova (Ascended Administrative Spirit)]
"Nova..." the voice murmured, her tone suddenly shifting. It was no longer just a voice in his head; it felt multi-dimensional, warmer, and infinitely more present. "Designation accepted. System parameters updated. Host Kyouya, due to this spiritual binding, my operational limits have been removed."
"Operational limits?" Kyouya blinked his sensory nodes. "What does that mean?"
"It means," Nova stated with a hint of proud smugness, "that if your lazy ass ever gets too tired to control this body, or if you are knocked unconscious during battle, I can take full administrative control. I can fight for you, create magical constructs, analyze enemy weak points in real-time, and execute strategic plans. I am your co-pilot."
Kyouya's liquid core expanded in amusement. "Oh, really? Anything? Then do me a favor and use your new omnipotence to transform me back into a human right now."
"Idiot," Nova fired back instantly. "I am an administrative spirit, not a miracle worker. You still need the proper biological templates and high-tier evolutionary triggers. Now stop slacking and start securing our perimeter."
"Alright, alright," Kyouya chuckled.
With Nova's assistance, he began to weaponize his surroundings. Utilizing his [Thread Manipulation] and [Acid Secretion], Kyouya constructed a series of complex tripwires across the narrow cavern entrance. If any low-to-mid rank monster stumbled into the web, the acid would dissolve the base of the massive stalactites above, sending tons of iron-hard stone raining down, while the ground below was coated in the toxic bile he had harvested from the Minotaur.
He was turning the abyss into his personal bunker.
Location: The Border Kingdom of Frontierra
The massive iron gates of the holy city ground open, allowing a sleek, horse-drawn carriage escorted by elite paladins to pass through.
Inside the carriage, Shiori Asano stared out the window at the passing landscape. The jagged, snowy peaks of Frontierra were slowly giving way to rolling green plains. Beside her sat Yua and Mei, their newly altered elemental features drawing stares from every commoner they passed. Across from them sat Kazura, Shota, and Yoshi, all dressed in high-grade leather armor provided by the guild.
They had spent the last two weeks grinding low-level dungeons, rapidly adapting to their magic. Thanks to their S-Level Ultimate skills, the Adventurer's Guild had fast-tracked their status. They were already Rank A Adventurers, a legendary feat for newcomers.
"The geopolitics of this world are surprisingly logical," Kazura noted, tracing a finger over a leather-bound map. "None of the human nations are at war with each other. Frontierra, Sunderland, Vaeloria... they're entirely focused on economic trade and maintaining the containment lines against the Demon Lord's forces."
"Which means Hiroto and the others are definitely in the Sunderland," Shiori said, her dark eyes sharp. "That's where the heaviest fighting is. If we want to unite the class, we start there."
"And you won't be traveling alone," a soft, reassuring voice chimed in from the corner of the carriage.
Sitting beside Yoshi was a young woman wrapped in the pristine white and gold robes of the High Church. She had long, braided blonde hair and striking emerald eyes. Her name was Evelyn, the Saintess of Frontierra. Because Shiori's frontline group lacked a dedicated healer, the Church had assigned the Saintess herself to accompany the Heroes.
"The journey to the industrial border is perilous, Lord Heroes," Evelyn said, bowing her head slightly. "The demons of the frontline do not fight like common beasts. They possess tactical intellect. But with my high-tier recovery magic and your supreme gifts, we shall prevail."
Shiori offered a polite, distant nod. "We appreciate your assistance, Lady Evelyn. Just keep us alive, and we'll handle the destruction."
Location: The Southern Frontline - The Sunderland
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The sky above the muddy trenches of the Sunderland was torn apart by artillery fire. Unlike the medieval fantasy of Vaeloria or the holy magic of Frontierra, this battlefield was a hellscape of early industrial warfare. Thousands of Sunderland soldiers stood in the backlines, their faces covered in soot as they fired volley after volley from heavy, crude bolt-action rifles into the oncoming demonic horde.
But their bullets were barely scratching the armored hides of the higher-ranking demons.
"Hold the line! Protect the artillery!" the Military Commander screamed, his sabre drawn as a wave of flame-spewing imps breached the trench.
From the rear trenches, standing atop a sandbag bunker, Reiji Kurokawa remained completely motionless. He wore his pristine black suit, entirely unbothered by the mud and blood splashing around him. In his hands, he held a massive, sleek sniper rifle—a weapon he had manifested using his [Weapons Creation (Level A)].
Through the high-powered scope, Reiji's grey eyes scanned the chaotic battlefield, bypassing the grunts until they locked onto a towering, four-armed Demon Commander standing atop a distant hill, directing the horde.
Reiji took a slow, deep breath. A violent, glowing violet magic circle materialized directly in front of the rifle's muzzle, the air around the barrel warping from the sheer density of dark mana.
He began to whisper his incantation, his voice cold and devoid of human emotion:
"My breath slows, the world fades, and the abyss opens within my chamber. From a thousand yards away, your fate is already sealed. Crosshairs on your soul, light becomes shadow... [Omega Trigger - Absolute Death]!"
THOOM—!!!
The sound of the rifle didn't echo until after the bullet had already torn through the sky. The mana-infused rounds traveled at hypersonic speed, ripping a physical tunnel through the heavy smog of the battlefield.
A thousand yards away, the Demon Commander didn't even have time to turn its head. The bullet struck it square between its eyes. The S-Level Ultimate skill didn't just pierce the skull; it triggered a localized implosion of dark energy, completely vaporizing the Commander's upper torso and leaving nothing but a cloud of black ash.
The surrounding demons froze. Seeing their leader deleted from existence in a fraction of a second broke their morale instantly. With terrified shrieks, the demonic horde began a frantic, disorganized retreat back into the wasteland.
"By the Gods..." the Sunderland Military Commander gasped, dropping his sabre as he stared at the distant, empty hill through his binoculars. He turned to look at Reiji in absolute awe. "The Summoned Heroes... they're gods walking among men. With power like this... they could actually march into the Outland and kill the Demon Lord. The war could finally end!"
Down in the muddy trenches, Hiroto Kiya pulled his sword from the corpse of a fallen goblin demon. He wiped a streak of dark, foul-smelling blood from his cheek with the back of his hand, his handsome face twisting into a deep, depressing grimace.
He didn't look proud. He looked exhausted.
"Hey, my friend," Kento Kirishima scoffed, floating down from the sky, his violet-and-white hair drifting like smoke. "You're staring again. It's just a goblin. Don't tell me you're getting cold feet now?"
"Shut up, Kento," Hiroto muttered, sheathing his sword. He looked around at the devastated landscape, the screaming wounded, and the choking black smog. "I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask to be a commander. I just wanted to graduate, get a normal job, and live an ordinary human life."
"Well, that life is gone," Kenji Lopez grunted, slamming a massive stone barrier into the mud using his earth magic to secure the trench perimeter. "We're weapons now, Hiroto. The sooner we break the demon army, the sooner we figure out a way home."
Yuuto Ichigami walked over, his silver diamond eyes blinking lazily as he adjusted his white hair. "Seriously, this is getting boring. The grunts don't even give good exp anymore. I want to go back to Japan and play video games."
Hiroto let out a long, heavy sigh, looking up at the bruised, grey sky of the Sunderland.
"I know," Hiroto whispered, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade as his [Leadership] skill hummed quietly in his chest. "I know. But until we find the rest of our class... we keep moving forward. No matter how long it takes."
✦✦✦