A pure white giant spider slowly descended along its silk thread, its front two limbs holding a stack of clothes.

It lowered itself before Liu Zheng, their eight eyes and four eyes staring each other down.

......

......

The giant spider impatiently threw the clothes on the ground and quickly scurried away.

"Hey, that's some terrible service attitude."

Liu Zheng waved his tentacle, nearly smacking the spider's rear.

"Supply handlers having bad attitudes is normal. But you, kid, your temper's really grown."

Bullhorse remarked.

"Can't help it, I've got Irritable Temper now."

He shrugged.

"I'd advise you to show more restraint. The restaurant's different from outside."

"I'll try."

Liu Zheng nodded.

He picked up the new uniform and pulled it on.

The new uniform was a cloak with side openings to accommodate his tentacles.

Its generous size perfectly concealed his form.

"You look just like those cultists from the old district."

Bullhorse teased.

"Really? I think it looks decent."

He sat cross-legged on the floor, placing his notebook on a folding stool to practice calligraphy.

Liu Zheng's face remained stern, like a startled deep-sea fish.

His slender tentacle tips coiled around the pen, winding round and round as if strangling prey.

"Heaven."

He wrote the first character.

Unsurprisingly crooked - fountain pens weren't designed for octopuses or jellyfish.

"Earth."

Liu Zheng wrote the second character.

Straighter lines this time, though every sharp angle became rounded.

"Where righteousness dwells, it manifests in myriad forms. Below as rivers and mountains, above as sun and stars..."

Ignoring the bizarre shapes of his characters, he continued writing until completing the entire passage.

"Isn't it strange for a faceless monster to be copying 'Song of Righteousness'?"

Liu Zheng asked himself.

"Don't know what that is, but everything you write looks weird now."

Bullhorse added salt to the wound.

"Fair point."

Staring at Bullhorse's large face, he suddenly asked:

"Boss, have you ever eaten humans?"

"Kid, think becoming non-human makes you tough? Want to test me?"

Bullhorse sneered, rising to its feet.

Its muscles bulged visibly, fur gleaming with metallic sheen.

"Even the executive chef and head waiter don't dare raise their voices at me. Yeah I've eaten people - men, women, old, young. Got a problem?"

Bullhorse stomped, leaving a shallow crater.

Flying debris cut Liu Zheng's tentacle, but the wound healed before blood could seep.

Bullhorse snorted. Just an immortal punching bag.

"Your fur must be high-maintenance."

"No shit. Monthly grooming costs a third of my salary."

Bullhorse smoothed its fur with visible pain.

"Then you wouldn't want this stinking up your coat?"

Liu Zheng produced the Fossil of Frenzied Feces Worm.

"Tch, I'll just take extra baths."

Bullhorse's pupils contracted slightly but it remained defiant.

"How about adding this to the equation?"

He produced a lighter.

"Fuck!"

Bullhorse shuddered violently.

While the explosion might not kill it, the flames would definitely scorch its precious fur.

"Are you fucking insane? What did I do to deserve this deathmatch?"

Bullhorse demanded, half-shocked, half-furious.

"Because I'm sick."

"You are sick."

Bullhorse nodded.

"I mean literally - Irritable Temper."

Liu Zheng said seriously.

"I just want to survive, but got beaten half-dead immediately, surrounded by man-eating monsters where wrong words mean death flags, forced to eat inedible delivery food, hearing weird Gospel, and becoming a monster myself. The most ridiculous part..."

"After all that struggle, I still don't get paid."

"Bullhorse, shouldn't I be angry?"

He stared at the tuft of hair on Bullhorse's head.

"Payday's end of month, no?"

Bullhorse asked confused.

"What did you say?"

A flame flickered to life.

"Angry! Definitely angry! Anyone not angry is a coward!"

Bullhorse immediately corrected.

"Good. Now lean your head here."

"What for?"

Bullhorse eyed him suspiciously.

"Scared? It's not like this can kill you."

Liu Zheng said.

"Hmph, let's see your trick."

Bullhorse resolved that if Liu Zheng tried anything, it would kill him even at the cost of going bald.

Bullhorse's massive head approached as Liu Zheng rummaged through his pockets.

Producing... a pack of cigarettes.

"Smoke, boss?"

He asked smiling.

"???"

Bullhorse's face darkened.

"Yeah."

It opened its mouth.

Liu Zheng stuffed three cigarettes between Bullhorse's lips and lit one for himself.

Smoke swirled, soon filling the breakroom with cloying sweetness.

"Jiaxin Gold 1916? Where'd you get these?"

Bullhorse blew two smoke rings from its nostrils.

"Same as the lighter - confiscated from Heavenly Villa's security."

Liu Zheng inhaled, savoring the throat burn.

Previously, this would have triggered violent coughing fits.

Though Flesh Mutation didn't cure his illness, it rebuilt his atrophied respiratory muscles.

"Hmph."

Bullhorse lifted its chin proudly. For original chapters go to novel⟡fire.net

Liu Zheng ignored it.

Bullhorse flicked its tail irritably.

"This world's about eating or being eaten. Not just humans - I've eaten Bullhorses too."

It took a deep drag.

"But I've never actively hunted humans. Those dead couriers weren't my doing."

"Just smoke."

Liu Zheng said flatly.

Man and Bullhorse smoked in silence until the pack was finished.

"Besides Ascension Moss, what else can you get for drinks?"

He tossed the empty pack up and smacked it away.

"You want to bargain with that tree?"

"You know it?"

"Duh, you just got here."

Bullhorse scoffed.

"Boss is mighty."

Liu Zheng offered mild flattery.

"Stop. Your compliments make my fur stand - feels like you're plotting my death."

Bullhorse waved its hooves defensively.

"I can get premium stuff - worth half that tree's assets."

It pondered.

"But the deal was for Ascension Moss. Changing terms depends on the reward's value."

"Fine."

Liu Zheng nodded, taking out his phone.

He clamped it between his knees, four tentacles poised for action.

"Begin."

He tapped Continue.

Level 21 - Gluttonous Snake's speed increased dramatically with more obstacles.

Yet Liu Zheng found it easier.

Between his four eyes and four limbs, the stats boost from Flesh Mutation nearly doubled his reflexes and dynamic vision.

Soon he reached Level 25 - the final stage.

"How did the last guy reach Level 24?"

He panted slightly.

Later stages' difficulty grew exponentially - without becoming inhuman, he'd have stalled at Level 22.

"Never said it was a human."

Bullhorse shrugged.

"Heh."

Liu Zheng rolled his eyes.

Bullhorse ignored him.

"Save."

He produced the Bronze Finger.

The item dissolved, gilding the "Next Level" button onscreen.

"Whew."

Liu Zheng exhaled deeply and pressed Confirm.