Chapter 37: Level Up
[You have leveled up to level 13]
[Choose an upgrade:]
Poison Injection
Cell Storage Level 3
Poison Resistance
[Level up achieved!]
STR: 34 → 36
DEX: 35 → 37
MAG: 0
Hiro examined his level-up notification, wondering what had caused him to gain three levels so quickly. Was it because he had new hosts? He finally realized that cultivating affinity with his hosts contributed to his leveling process.
For this level-up, he had the options of Poison Injection, Poison Resistance, and Cell Storage Level 3. Hiro immediately dismissed the poison-related upgrades—especially resistance, which seemed useless to him. What he truly needed was Cell Storage, a core trait of his parasitic nature. Expanding his cell storage would allow him to extend more tentacles, so he chose it without hesitation.
Then, Hiro checked his next upgrade.
---
[You have leveled up to level 14]
[Level up achieved!]
STR: 36 → 37
DEX: 37 → 38
MAG: 0
[Choose an upgrade:]
Self-Growth Level 1
Poison Resistance
Potion Synthesis
The Self-Growth upgrade would increase Hiro's stats each time he leveled up, similar to the Growth Enhancement ability he used on his hosts. He was tempted to pick it, but after asking what Potion Synthesis would do, he decided to pick it. It allowed him to craft a potion that could cure health and poisons.
Hiro considered this a game-changer and quickly selected it. However, after closer inspection, he realized the skill required gathering specific ingredients to craft potions—and they weren't common.
"What a scam…" Hiro muttered internally after reviewing the skill's details. His potion-making skills were good, but he had no way to collect ingredients.
In this world, there were three types of poisons:
Paralysis Poison
Temporary Poison
Permanent Poison
Curses and other debuffs weren't included in this classification. The lethality of poisons also varied, and they were categorized into three levels:
Weak Poison (requires Low Potion)
Intermediate Poison (requires Normal Potion)
Strong Poison (requires High Potion)
Of course, a High Potion could cure weaker poisons as well, but its ingredients were much rarer. Surprisingly, all of the recipes were included in his skills.
Paralysis Poison is a type of toxin that can disable either a single limb or the entire body for a set duration, depending on lethality and resistance. However, if someone without resistance receives a strong enough dose all at once, it could prove fatal due to cardiac arrest.
Temporary Poison and Permanent Poison function similarly in that both cause damage over time. However, as the name suggests, Temporary Poison only lasts for a limited duration. If the victim can endure the poison until its effect wears off, they will recover naturally.
In contrast, Permanent Poison continues to damage the victim indefinitely, and their body will not heal on its own. To recover, they must take the appropriate antidote or potion.
Hiro sighed as he examined the required ingredients for potion synthesis. The list included various flowers and minerals—many of which he wasn't familiar with. While he had the ability to analyze rocks and minerals, his skill didn't extend to living organisms.
After realizing he had made a poor gamble by selecting potion-making, Hiro turned his attention to his final level-up upgrade.
[You have leveled up to level 15]
[Level up achieved!]
STR: 36 → 38
DEX: 37 → 38
MAG: 0
[Choose an upgrade:]
Appraisal
Dimensional Storage Level 1
Metamorphic Tentacle → Organic Synthesis
"Why do the best upgrades always come last?!! Why do I have to choose just one of them?! I want all of these instead of the useless ones before!!" Hiro ranted inside Cecile's womb, causing vibrations that sent Cecile trembling.
At the moment, Cecile was stationed at the village gate, casually watching the pedestrians and scanning the surrounding forest. Her duty for the day was to stand guard and be ready for any potential monster attacks. The sudden moan and trembling gathered some stares from nearby soldiers.
Hiro sighed and apologized to Cecile internally, doing his best to calm himself down.
There was nothing he could do about the System's cruel design. All he could do now was choose one skill and hope that his next level-up would allow him to pick the ones he missed today.
The first option, Appraisal, would allow Hiro to analyze anything. This skill would be extremely useful for potion-making, as it could help him identify ingredients. Additionally, it could appraise enemies, providing valuable insight into whether his girls were facing opponents beyond their capability. It was undoubtedly a versatile and essential skill.
The second option, Dimensional Storage, was essentially an item box, capable of storing anything. This would be invaluable if Cecile and her group chose to adventure into dungeons again. Hiro wanted this badly. The storage would enable him to keep entire corpses or raw minerals, rather than being forced to break them down before storing them.
The third and final option was Organic Synthesis, the next level of Metamorphic Tentacle. Unlike the previous version, which only allowed Hiro to create bones and wood, this upgrade would let him craft various organic materials such as:
Skin
Scales
Hair
Exotic organs (e.g., poison sacs)
Plant-based materials (e.g., leaves, flowers, and fruit)
With this skill, Hiro could create real hands for Elysia, finally giving her the appearance of a normal human. More importantly, it would enhance his combat capabilities significantly. He could fortify his hosts by covering them in scales or hardened armor rather than relying on a simple flesh suit for protection.
After much deliberation, Hiro chose Organic Synthesis.
While Appraisal and Item Storage were undeniably useful, they could wait. Strengthening his girls and unlocking new abilities had to be his top priority.
Satisfied with his decision, Hiro checked his updated status screen.
[Name: Hiro
Race: Parasitic Tentacle
Class: none
Level: 15/20
STR:38 (up 4)
Dex:38 (up 3)
Mag:0
Skill:
Sense sharing
Parasitism
Nutrients efficiency Lvl1
Aphrodisiac injection
Enhanced Host Growth
Adrenaline injection
Amphetamine injection
Anaesthesia injection
Cell storage 3(450/1000) (up 1)
Organic synthesis (new)
Potion synthesis (new)
Oxygen storage (100/100)
Gas Analysis
Air compressor
Cell Manipulation
Weakness to flame
Weakness to holy magic
Mitosis
Nutrients storage (10/100)
Flesh Mending
material analysis
autophagy
Hiro's stats were still underwhelming, but stats weren't everything for him. His true strength lay in the vast array of support skills he possessed to assist his hosts. Hiro never intended to fight alone or directly—his primary role was to empower and protect his girls.
However, life in the safety of Quantora meant they were unlikely to encounter any monsters, which worried Hiro. If his girls weren't fighting, they wouldn't grow stronger. Deep down, Hiro secretly wished for another dungeon to appear nearby.
"Hiro…" Marissa mumbled sleepily, resting in a chair made of Hiro's flesh. After a long day of work, Hiro gently massaged her shoulders, helping her relax. Soon, he formed a soft cushion for her, and Marissa leaned into it with a sigh.
"This is no good… I'm going to be completely spoiled at this rate…" she murmured.
As Marissa relaxed, Hiro turned his attention to a deerskin carpet nearby. He decided to test his new skill on it.
[Wild Deer Fur]
Requirements: Nutrients
Encouraged by the result, Hiro experimented on Marissa's toenails and the skin around them. The analysis worked perfectly.
[Human Nail]
Requirement: Calcium, Nutrients
[Human Skin]
Requirement: Nutrients
With this, Hiro realized he might be able to create dragon scales. Excited, he tried analyzing dragon scales, but, of course, things were never that easy.
*[Dragon Scale]*
Requirement: Mana, Orichalcum, Calcium, Fire Magic, Fire Essence
The pangolin scales, on the other hand, were worthless. To create them, Hiro needed iron, not just nutrients. This was problematic—after all, Marissa only collected pangolin scales because they could extract iron from them. It was a paradox.
"Is it ready?" An official came in and asked.
"Yes. That box has been emptied. You may take the ingots now," Marissa nodded.
At that moment, a messenger entered the room.
"Lady Marissa, Elysia reports that dungeons have emerged nearby. We have deployed scouts and confirmed two cave-like structures appearing from the ground. Should we dispatch our soldiers?"
Marissa considered the situation.
"Hmm… I think we should send Cecile and her company. Their levels are still too low to serve as my personal knights now that I've been formally recognized as a noble, rather than just a village chief. We need to remain cautious, especially with our proximity to the border."
A minister, seated at a corner table in Marissa's office, nodded in agreement.
"Yes. Monsters flourish in places where many have died. The fallen refugees will likely attract another horde. If the next horde heads our way instead of toward Latvin, we must be prepared."
Marissa was irritated by the minister who sat beside her, but she was also grateful. Thanks to his presence, she could focus on her work. Without him, she might have spent the entire day indulging herself with Hiro. Her role now encompassed the governance of a small city rather than just a village, and with that came greater responsibility.
"Yes, ma'am. I will notify The three Symbiote knights immediately."
"No. Send Elysia too. She is a lich that can summon skeletons. If anything happens, she should be able to cover for Cecile and the others."
"But… what if she loses control?" The minister frowned.
"Don't worry, Hiro has her monster core. If she loses control, he can simply destroy it, and she will perish. Elysia has already explained her anatomy to me."
"...Very well. We will inform them immediately." The soldiers saluted and left.
Meanwhile, Hiro slithered out from Cecile, Nana, Elysia, and Rebecca, signaling them to rendezvous at the gate. Shortly after, the messenger arrived.
"Ehhh!? Clearing two dungeons by ourselves?" Cecile was astonished.
"It would be unthinkable for low-level adventurers like us to be given such a task. However, we have Hiro. In the worst-case scenario, we can have Elysia sacrifice her undead and retreat. I understand why Marissa wants us to raise our levels. We're too low-leveled to be proper knights," Rebecca said with a nod.
"But…"
"Let's go, Cecile." Nana agreed without hesitation.
The dungeon was only a two-hour walk away, so they packed minimal supplies—just enough food for two days. As they neared the forest, they found themselves surrounded by rabbits.
"Watch out. These are Shark Rabbits. They're dangerous in numbers," Rebecca warned. "Elysia, summon ten undead. Make sure they protect our flanks."
"Alright! I will summon my undead." Mana swirled around Elysia as five skeletal knights rose from the ground.
Hiro chuckled, initially amused by their wariness toward mere rabbits. However, his amusement quickly vanished when the creatures opened their mouths, revealing rows of serrated teeth. Just as their name suggested, their jaws resembled those of sharks.
"Fireball!" Rebecca cast her spell, forcing the rabbits to scatter. Nana swiftly fired arrows at the fleeing creatures.
One rabbit lunged at Rebecca, jaws wide open, aiming for her throat. Cecile intercepted it just in time, her blue sword flashing as she sliced the creature in two. However, by doing so, she left Nana unprotected. Just as Nana reached for her dagger, a skeleton stepped in, blocking an attack from another rabbit.
Hiro slithered over one of the rabbit corpses. Its white fur was incredibly soft, and he wondered if Marissa might appreciate it later.
He continued observing the battle, assessing the situation. Since there was no immediate danger, he remained passive. He considered stepping in but decided against it. Even if he could handle the rabbits alone, it would cost him too much cell storage. These creatures were too quick and aggressive, capable of tearing off chunks of his tentacle while providing little in return.
Three hours later, the team emerged victorious, and the entrance to the cave came into full view.
It was time to venture into the dungeon.