Chapter 5: I’m Hungry—So I Eat the Monster!
1228 Words
Hunger was not something Shidō Kagenori had expected to feel so soon.
After the fall of the giant skeleton and the surge of power that followed, his body had been restored completely. His HP was full. His MP overflowed with energy. His muscles felt stronger than they ever had in his life.
And yet—
His stomach twisted.
A dull, gnawing sensation spread through his abdomen, growing sharper with every step he took toward the door leading to the next floor.
“So the system restores wounds,” Shidō muttered quietly, “but not hunger.”
The realization amused him.
Pain could be erased with numbers. Death could be delayed with EXP. But hunger—basic, animal hunger—remained.
The door to Floor 3 opened with a slow, echoing groan.
The moment Shidō stepped inside, he felt it.
Pressure.
This floor was different from the first two.
The ceiling was lower, the corridors wider and more complex, branching like a maze carved from black stone. Faint crimson veins ran through the walls, pulsing slowly as if the tower itself were alive. The air smelled dry and sharp—like scorched earth.
And enemies.
Many of them.
Shidō’s Shadow Sense flared almost immediately.
Dozens of hostile presences flickered at the edge of his awareness.
“Higher density,” he murmured. “Stronger too.”
The system responded.
[ FLOOR 3 INITIALIZED ]
Threat Level: Moderate–High
Enemy Count: Unknown
Boss Room: Locked
Shidō exhaled slowly and drew his katana.
The hunger gnawed again—stronger now.
His lips curled faintly.
“Well,” he said to the empty corridor, “guess we’ll solve that too.”
The first monster appeared without warning.
A massive Scorpion-type creature crawled out from behind a broken wall, its body the size of a motorcycle. Its exoskeleton was dark red, thick and layered like armor plates. Its tail arched overhead, the stinger dripping with green venom.
Its mandibles clicked aggressively as it locked onto Shidō.
Then another appeared.
And another.
Three scorpions.
Shidō didn’t retreat.
He stepped forward.
The first scorpion lunged, tail whipping down in a lethal arc. Shidō ducked under it, rolling sideways and slashing at the creature’s leg joints. The katana sliced cleanly through chitin, sending the severed limb skidding across the stone floor.
The scorpion screeched.
Shidō followed up immediately, activating Precision Strike, driving the blade straight through the gap beneath its head.
The creature collapsed.
[ ENEMY DEFEATED ]
EXP +120
The second scorpion charged.
Shidō flicked his wrist, channeling mana for the first time since unlocking magic.
A small burst of blue fire ignited at his fingertips.
“Let’s see,” he said quietly.
He snapped his hand forward.
The flame shot out and struck the scorpion’s side, detonating on impact. The exoskeleton cracked, molten lines spreading across its body.
The monster thrashed violently.
Shidō closed the distance and ended it with a clean decapitation.
[ ENEMY DEFEATED ]
EXP +130
The third scorpion hesitated.
It turned—trying to flee.
Shidō didn’t allow it.
He appeared behind it in a blur of movement and drove his katana straight down through its back, pinning it to the floor.
The tail twitched once.
Then went still.
[ ENEMY DEFEATED ]
EXP +140
Three kills.
Not bad.
But the hunger remained.
Shidō stared down at the scorpion corpses.
The thought came unbidden.
Meat.
He crouched beside one of the bodies and examined it carefully. The exoskeleton was thick, but beneath it, there was flesh—dense, muscular, still steaming slightly from residual mana.
“…Edible,” he concluded.
The system chimed.
[ INFO ]
Monster Meat Detected
Edibility: Conditional
Recommended Preparation: Heat Treatment
Shidō laughed softly.
“Of course.”
He dragged one of the scorpion bodies to a relatively clear section of the corridor and sat down on a broken slab of stone. Drawing a deep breath, he extended his hand again and focused.
Mana flowed.
Blue fire ignited—stronger this time, steadier.
He directed the flame carefully, letting it wash over the scorpion’s body. The exoskeleton blackened and cracked, popping loudly as heat built up inside. The smell that followed was… unexpected.
Not rotten.
Not foul.
It smelled rich.
Savory.
His stomach growled loudly.
“Hm,” Shidō said, watching the fire dance across the monster’s shell. “Guess desperation really does lower standards.”
When the exoskeleton cracked completely, he used the katana to pry it open, revealing cooked meat beneath—white and firm, slightly glistening.
He hesitated for only a second.
Then he tore off a piece and took a bite.
…
It wasn’t bad.
Tough. Chewy. Slightly bitter.
But it filled the void.
Shidō leaned back against the wall, chewing slowly as the hunger finally began to fade. The warmth from the cooked meat spread through his body, mixing with mana in a strange but satisfying way.
The system responded.
[ CONSUMED: Grilled Scorpion Meat ]
HP +5 (Over Time)
Stamina Recovery: Moderate
“Interesting,” he murmured.
So monster meat could restore stamina.
That changed things.
Shidō continued eating, methodically stripping the scorpion down to usable portions. When he finished, he stood and wiped his hands on his cloak.
No nausea.
No rejection.
His body accepted it.
He continued forward.
Floor 3 turned into a slaughter ground.
Scorpions crawled from walls and ceilings—larger ones, faster ones, some with elemental variations. Shidō fought relentlessly, using katana and fire magic in tandem.
Slice.
Burn.
Kill.
Eat.
[ LEVEL UP ]
Level: 14
His stats climbed steadily.
Strength: 34
Agility: 38
Defense: 28
Perception: 36
Intelligence: 31
Magic: 4
He farmed without mercy.
Hours passed.
Shidō moved deeper into the floor, leaving behind piles of scorched chitin and bloodstains. He rested only briefly—sitting on the floor, grilling more scorpion meat, eating calmly as if this were nothing more than a campsite.
At one point, he spoke aloud.
“To think… if this tower exists,” he said between bites, “then the outside world must be just as twisted.”
His eyes darkened.
“There must be people who hunt monsters for a living.”
He imagined it easily.
Guilds.
Ranks.
Power hierarchies.
“Rank F hunters,” he mused. “Barely trained. Cannon fodder.”
“Rank E… D… C… skilled but replaceable.”
He paused, chewing slowly.
“Rank B and A,” he continued, voice calm. “Elites. Veterans. The ones who survive.”
His purple eyes narrowed.
“And Rank S…”
He smiled faintly.
“Monsters pretending to be human.”
People like that would dominate the outside world. They would rule. Kill. Control.
“…If I get out of this tower,” Shidō said quietly, “I wonder which rank they’d put me in.”
He stood up, katana resting on his shoulder.
“Doesn’t matter.”
He looked toward the sealed boss door at the end of Floor 3.
“I’ll surpass all of them anyway.”
The system chimed softly.
[ FLOOR 3 BOSS ROOM LOCATED ]
Clear Condition: Ready
Shidō finished the last piece of grilled scorpion meat and let the fire die out.
He wiped his blade clean.
Hunger satisfied.
Power growing.
Mind sharp.
“This tower,” he said softly, stepping forward, “is turning me into something better.”
And worse.
He pushed open the boss door.
- Writer
