After the old man passed, Francis began feeding at once. There was no reason to dwell on anything else.
[DING!]
[Human Liver 2/10]
The notification flashed, and a strange sensation swept through him. His rat's muscles twitched violently, trembling as the transformation seized control.
Roughly a minute later, things began to cool down.
His size remained unchanged, but beneath his skin, muscles, bones and organs had condensed into dense, efficient bundles.
'I'll test my bite force first,'
Darting into the kitchen, he found a chipped fragment of granite near the sink. The stone felt heavy in his mouth, but his jaws clamped down effortlessly.
crack!
Granite crumbled between his teeth. Encouraged by the strength of his bite, he wondered what else his body could do.
'Good. What about my maximum speed?'
Crouching low, he dashed across the apartment.
His claws found balance on the hardwood, propelling him faster than any rat could move.
The couch was blocking his way, but he leaped over it effortlessly, his jumping ability rivaling that of a cat.
Momentum carried him straight at the drywall, and he didn't hesitate—tucking his head and crashing into it at full speed.
thud!
A dent formed, and dust rained down.
Francis shook his head, expecting pain, dizziness. But there was none of that.
This made him more curious : how tough was his own body?
He bit into his foreleg, teeth sinking into the flesh. It resisted like thick, hardened rubber, but his jaws pressed relentlessly.
A wound appeared, tiny compared to the effort he had poured into it.
'This is impressive. I've only eaten two livers, and the improvement is already clear. I wonder what will happen once I evolve to Category 2.'
'She'll discover the bones eventually. Better to silence her before she starts
Now that he received an upgrade, his confidence grew in dealing with the other targets.
Just as he stepped forward, a shrill siren pierced the air outside, making him freeze mid-motion.
He heard similar tones during emergency broadcasts—warnings for tsunamis or other imminent dangers.
Static crackled through speakers embedded in the building's walls. The sound quality was poor, distorted, but he caught every word.
-Warning. Warning. Warning.-
-Category 3 Beast detected in vicinity. All residents lock windows and doors immediately. Repeat—Category 3 Beast near the vicinity.-
The words hit him like a bucket of cold water.
'Category 3 Beast.'
So monsters like him weren't secrets in this world. They were classified, categorized, treated like natural disasters requiring emergency protocols.
The hunting would have to wait. If authorities were mobilizing, they would have equipment, procedures, and trained personnel.
'Monster energy signatures. Biological scanners. Who knows what kind of tech they've developed.'
BOOOM!
The whole building shuddered, and debris rained down. He dove behind a planter just in time as the ceiling gave way.
'What is that thing?'
A four-legged monstrosity tumbled through the debris—roughly six feet tall, its body covered in glistening fish-like scales.
It shook its massive dog head, growling, saliva dripping from teeth sharp enough to slice a human in half.
'So that's a category 3. I hope it doesn't see me.'
The monster looked around briefly before running down the hallway, leaving him unharmed.
However, the others weren't so lucky; screams echoed as it ripped through everything in its path. The sound of their squeaks and cries alone was horrifying.
Francis long mouth curved into a grin. What spelled disaster for others was pure opportunity for him
From his hiding place, he crawled forward, guided by the smell of blood.
The first corpse lay twisted near the stairwell. A woman, probably heading to her room.
Her ribcage remained intact, despite massive puncture wounds across her chest that had taken one breast and part of her shoulder.
She was the mother from before, and for a moment he felt a hint of pity for her children. Sadly, there was nothing he could do. Their survival depended on luck alone.
He ate through her muscle and cartilage. The liver was warm, rich with blood, practically melting on his tongue.
'Much better than the previous two.'
His first target was a drunkard, and the second was an old man, so they both tasted like shit compared to her.
'Never imagined I would get picky after turning into a monster. Huh… learned something today.'
Down the hall, another body waited. A middle-aged man clutching a baseball bat. Brave but stupid.
The beast removed the head entirely, but everything below the neck was still intact.
Carving open the abdomen, his feast began.
'Two down.'
More screams echoed. The creature was hunting freely, still creating openings for him.
A crash from above—probably the college students' apartment. Considering how high they were, he was sure neither had survived.
They probably thought they were hallucinating when they saw the monster, hugging it like a long-lost brother and even offering a joint.
'Should check that floor next.'
Just as he reached for the next floor, a familiar head jutted through the collapsed floor, as if deliberately placed.
The landlord.
Her cats had scattered during the attack, abandoning their mistress to save themselves. Smart animals. Survival instinct trumps loyalty every time.
Wasting no chance, he took his fifth liver and ignored whatever change his body was going through.
BOOOM!
The building shuddered again. Something heavy crashed through multiple floors simultaneously.
Either the monster fell, or it was bringing down the structure.
Both scenario worked in his favor. Collapsed buildings meant buried evidence and more dead people for him to eat.
It was a perfect cover story.
'Time to work faster.'
With no time to waste, he devoured liver after liver.
[Human Liver 8/10]
'Two more…'
Looking around, it seemed he needed to head straight for the dominatrix room to complete the mission.
Crack!
The window shattered. Figures in skin-tight black suits stormed in.
Guns. Pistols. Swords and daggers glinting in their hands. He didn't dare move, planting himself inside the corpse's belly.
"Neutralize the target and secure the perimeter. We can't let it escape this building," ordered by a woman carrying a silver blade.