"I'm still hungry," Jojo hissed, his voice sounding like two kitchen knives scraping together. He felt cool. He felt edgy. He felt like the protagonist of a dark, brooding anime.
Then, the first [Shadow-Lurker Scout] screeched.
It was a Level 120 creature—a hairless, six-legged monkey with teeth made of obsidian and eyes that glowed like flashlights. And there were twelve of them.
Wait, Jojo's internal voice suddenly squeaked. Twelve? I... I've never even been in a fistfight. I once apologized to a vending machine for kicking it!
The "cool" violet glow in his core flickered and turned a nervous, pale lavender.
[Threat Detected!]
[Distance: 5 Meters.]
[Recommended Action: Combat Maneuver #1—]
"I DON'T KNOW MANEUVERS!" Jojo screamed (internally).
The lead Lurker lunged, its claws extended like switchblades. Jojo didn't strike. He didn't use a "Glass Blade." He did the only thing a terrified teenager knows how to do.
He ducked.
WHIFF!
The monkey-monster sailed over his head, snapping its jaws at empty air. Jojo didn't stop there. He began to bounce. Because he was made of hardened glass-slime, every time he panicked and jumped, he hit the ground and boinged like a supernatural rubber ball.
"Aaaah! Stay away! Personal space!" Jojo yelled as three more Lurkers dived at him.
[Skill Activated: Prism-Glass Carapace.]
[Action: Panic-Dodge.]
Jojo was a blur of black diamond, bouncing off walls, sliding under legs, and accidentally somersaulting over tails. To the Lurkers, it looked like a master level martial arts display of "Drunken Slime Style." To Jojo, he was just trying not to get his new face bitten off.
"Stop moving! Why are you all so fast?!"
One Lurker got frustrated and tried to tackle Jojo mid air. Jojo, mid-bounce, panicked and instinctively hardened his entire body into a sharp, jagged spike.
CRUNCH.
The Lurker didn't tackle Jojo. It basically ran full speed into a stationary obsidian spear. It skewered itself instantly, its Level 120 life bar dropping to zero in a single, tragic thud.
The other eleven Lurkers stopped. They looked at their dead comrade. They looked at Jojo, who was currently stuck upside down in a crack in the floor, wiggling his slime nub legs.
"Uh... oops?" Jojo bubbled.
The Lurkers didn't care about revenge. They saw a "Monster" that could kill their fastest scout while looking like it wasn't even trying.
SCREECH! The remaining eleven turned tail and bolted into the darkness, their many legs clicking frantically against the stone.
"Wait! Come back! I didn't mean it!" Jojo called out, finally wiggling himself free from the crack. He landed on the floor with a heavy clink.
He looked at the dead Lurker. The hunger returned, louder than his fear.
[Target: Shadow Lurker Scout (Level 120)]
[Status: Accidental Fatality.]
[Would you like to use 'Void Consumption'?]
"Well," Jojo sighed, his violet glow returning to a confident shade. "Free food is free food."
He flowed over the corpse.
[Absorption Successful.]
[Level Up! Level 52 -> Level 58]
[Skill Acquired: 'Elastic Shadow-Snap' (Rank D)]
[Description: You can now stretch your body like a rubber band and snap back with 2x force. Great for mobility... or hitting yourself in the face by accident.]
Jojo stretched one of his "arms." It snapped back and hit his own core with a loud TWANG.
"Ow. Okay. We need to work on that."