'I also need to learn how to use my new talents—and there's no better way than through real combat.'
He needed a target—an enemy that could challenge him just enough without putting his life at a large risk. Hunting small monsters to infect would serve that purpose too.
'After I secure one, I can start adjusting my strategy.'
Beasts already possessed strong base attributes. Starting from them gave him an immediate advantage.
Even if he began killing humans in the open, escaping would still be an option. He could abandon the host, slip into another body, and disappear without a trace.
By the time anyone investigated, the blame would already fall on a discarded corpse.
Eventually, the Defense Force won't focused on some tiny creature eating livers anymore.
The problem was, he didn't know what kind of resistance he would face. There were too many unknowns.
'A Category one or two beast should be enough. Just to test the waters without risking too much.'
With that in mind, he made sure the area was clear, slipped through the vents, and made his way outside.
An ant crawled across his vision. An idea formed, and he tried to infect it.
[DING]
[Target too small.]
'Well… at least I tried.'
He moved on and soon found a cockroach. This time, he managed to enter its body, but it suddenly convulsed.
The shell cracked as the body burst from the inside, leaving the corpse twitching on the ground. The organism simply couldn't handle him.
In the end, he was forced to roll out of the vent in his round parasite form before searching for a new host.
Soon, he spotted a small ground bird with long legs and brown-striped feathers. He quickly slipped inside and took control.
Instead of flying off immediately, Francis landed in one of the electrical poles and observed the Defense Force agents outside.
Roughly twenty minutes later, a van arrived. From its roof, a device slowly emerged—something that looked like a radar.
Its blue neon glow matched their weapons, and when it began vibrating, Francis got a bad feeling. He quickly flew farther away.
'Whatever that thing is, it's bad news.'
His warning wasn't just instinct—his muscles reacted earlier as if a tiny spark of electricity had run through them. Not enough to hurt, but enough to make him feel… itchy.
The only upside? The Defense Force agents stayed composed, hinting that the scanner's reach was limited.
'Now, where to first?' he muttered, soaring ahead.
His mind raced, and he recalled the sewer worms. They were classified as beasts, which meant there could be more types lurking underground.
'But wandering through a random sewer system would waste time. There had to be places where beasts were more likely to exist.'
Just as the thought crossed his mind, he spotted a factory to his right. It was only a hunch, but areas filled with chemicals often bred abnormalities in movies.
His reasoning was shaky, but what else could he do? Monsters simply didn't exist in his old world.
He flew closer, then switched body again, slipping into a rat before heading down.
As he entered the sewer, a sharp, bitter stench filled the air. The water below shimmered with unnatural colors, thin layers of oil drifting across the surface.
He didn't mind. The rat's nose was already accustomed to it, so it barely registered anymore.
Looking around, rusted pipes leaked thick, slimy oil that dripped steadily into the sluggish water beneath his tiny limbs.
The liquid was so strange and dense, he half-wondered if he would grow another set of legs after staying in it too long.
The tunnel looked stable enough, wide enough for him to move freely. He followed the flow of dirty water and stopped at the edge of what appeared to be a whirlpool.
If his guess was right, it would lead to a deeper sewer or drainage system—carrying water and anything floating in it further underground, possibly toward an abandoned section or hidden reservoir.
'First… protect myself.'
He coated his body first, reshaping his muscles to protect himself, before diving into the swirling water.
The current pulled at him immediately, tugging his small body with force. He adjusted, letting his reshaped muscles absorb the pressure, twisting and flexing to stay steady.
Shadows danced along the walls as the whirlpool spun him deeper, and the murky water made it impossible to see more than a few inches ahead.
As he went deeper, the sewer widened into a vast underground channel.
Pipes hung overhead, dripping dark liquid into the water, and faint glimmers of chemical residue caught the dim light.
'I know it.' A grin spread across his long mouth.
Sewer worms came into view—these ones were on a whole new level compared to the ones he devoured.
Their bodies were bluer, slimmer, and longer, stretching nearly two feet. Faster, too.
Like hungry predators, they crawled toward him, their numbers staggeringly high.
However, he didn't panic. Compared to humans, these stupid things were easy to deal with.
'Time to test my new talents.'
His tail elongated, twisting and snapping into the shape of a whip.
Crack!
The strike hit perfectly, and two worms exploded on the spot.
He didn't stop there. Anything dumb enough to block his path got shredded without mercy.
Fortunately, using his talent barely drained his energy. Plus, once his Parasite Shift settled into a fixed shape, it stopped consuming energy entirely.
Still, he didn't forget to check his energy level, fully aware of the consequences if it ever dropped to zero.
Soon, the number of sewer worms thinned out, but a new problem emerged.
A different variant appeared—massive, nearly four feet long, and far more menacing than the previous ones.
Scales covered its body, reminiscent of a fish, yet it retained the round mouth lined with countless sharp teeth.
Rather than backing away, Francis expanded his body, doubling his size. His whip lengthened, and sharp thorns formed along its surface.
The energy consumption of this transformation was high, but it was worth it. Mass, after all, was a key factor—it directly scaled up attack strength.
'Come.' He waited until the first one leapt into the air.
Crack!
His whip-tail struck, sending it flying to the side—but not hard enough to kill. He swung again, bringing the tail down in a crushing strike to its skull.
'One down.'
The next three charged from different directions.
He formed an eye on the back of his head, hitting two of them as he turned, while dodging the last and striking it in midair with perfect aim.
Without slowing down, he slammed his tail onto the still-distracted beast's head—its weakest spot.
More came rushing at him, but he took them all down.
Only one was left—the biggest, standing five feet tall.
Instead of smashing its head, he wrapped his tail around it, spun it through the air, and slammed it into the wall.
'Now.'