Leveling Up By Surviving Alone - L.U.B.S.A Chapter 71

Peep…

Duari reluctantly stepped forward, trying to calm the other Ari siblings while preparing to rescue Hanari.

But this time was different.

Hanari had a plan.

After diving underwater, they resurfaced and began spraying seawater from their beak like a water gun.

The seeds hit by the water screeched and retreated.

Some flailed too late and were swept away by the waves, biting their tongues in agony before dying.

Hanari had done it!

Even Duari had to admit—this time, Hanari had pulled off something impressive.

Peep!

Once Duari moved, the others followed.

The four Ari siblings joining Hanari had also filled their beaks with seawater.

Pew-pew-pew-pew-PEW!

SCREEEEE—!

The tide had turned.

The seeds shrieked as they retreated.

Some, slowed by the concentrated spray, were dragged into the waves.

Peep-yaaak!

They even linked wings, forming a peep-line to push the waves forward.

Every time they did, one or two seeds were inevitably swept away and killed.

But despite their efforts, the numbers were overwhelming.

Dozens had now become hundreds.

Something was happening above—more and more seeds kept raining down.

Peep…!

Hanari sensed the danger.

Their leadership(?) had kept them safe so far, but they were reaching their limit.

So they made a suggestion.

Follow my lead.

Didn’t they remember Big Brother’s secret technique?

Peep!

Peep-peep!

As if on cue, they all moved in sync.

Floating on the water, they ducked their heads and camouflaged themselves as pebbles.

Whether it worked or not, the seeds stopped attacking.

…

To be fair, the seeds couldn’t cross the water anyway, so hiding wasn’t strictly necessary. But that didn’t diminish the sincerity of the Ari siblings’ dedicated stealth.

…

Splash. Splash.

Silence.

It took a long time before the Ari siblings dared to peek out.

All the seeds had frozen.

Even those not swept away had stiffened.

Like puppets whose strings had been cut, lifeless and scattered.

Hanari’s eyes sparkled with mischief.

Courage surged.

Peep-yaaaak!

Golden Child Hanari charged—

—only for Duari to sigh and scold them while the others quickly dragged them back.

Soon, the paralyzed seeds began melting away.

Thankfully, they didn’t stink as badly as last time.

***

At the same time.

Ji Yeonwoo stared at the root sweet potato—no, the nerve cluster that had swallowed the root sweet potato.

Buried within was the combat sweet potato’s eye.

The remaining vines watched blankly.

Even the piled-up seeds only clicked their teeth occasionally, not daring to attack Ji Yeonwoo or Kim Kkokko.

As if waiting for something.

And that something was almost certainly the result of the combat sweet potato’s implantation.

Would the throne truly be inherited?

Was it even possible?

How much time passed under the vines’ skeptical gazes?

Then—the tangled nerve roots twitched.

Simultaneously, the popcorn-like seeds froze before melting into the soil.

The surrounding vines visibly thinned and shortened.

In exchange, something grew.

The nerve vines encasing the combat sweet potato.

They swelled to the size of the original main body—even taking on a square shape.

The bundled nerves straightened, turning white as they formed an eye.

A square eye.

Identical to the root octopus’ original main body.

BUZZZZ—!

All the vines trembled before bowing deeply, exposing the backs of their necks.

A gesture of submission to their new master.

The throne had been inherited.

The square-pupiled eye calmly surveyed them before finally settling on Ji Yeonwoo’s smiling face.

*“So, how does it feel to be king?”*

But his smile didn’t last.

Another system notification followed.

– The combat sweet potato’s identity has changed, severing the master-servant relationship.

Their bond hadn’t been based on affection but hierarchy.

Now that the combat sweet potato had ascended to kingship, even its species had changed—breaking their pet relationship entirely.

Ji Yeonwoo and the new root octopus were now strangers.

Roll… roll…

The sound of rolling eyeballs grew louder.

The vines instinctively sensed the severed bond—and their gazes turned hostile.

Enemy… kill.

Orders… give orders!

Kim Kkokko and Ji Yeonwoo tensed. If fighting resumed now, they’d be at a disadvantage.

But the new root octopus’ eye bulged in rage.

A wildfire of fury—

—directed not at Ji Yeonwoo, but at its own vines.

Who… dares…

Kill… whom…?

The already shrunken vines trembled under their master’s wrath.

Apologize… NOW!

Apology…

Apology…!

Once again, the vines bowed deeply.

The crisis seemed resolved.

The root octopus lowered its head to Ji Yeonwoo.

Subordinates… mistake.

Sorry, Master… deepest apologies…

The moment it called him Master, another notification chimed.

– Your affinity with the root octopus is high.

– Would you like to register it as a pet?

Last time, it was registered as a pet due to the superior-subordinate relationship.

Now, reborn as a higher existence, it sought to become his pet again.

Ji Yeonwoo felt both gratitude and guilt.

Their start hadn’t been ideal.

The combat sweet potato that began it all was gone.

Now, a proud root octopus sought to reconnect.

Ji Yeonwoo nodded warmly.

– You have registered the root octopus as a pet.

– Would you like to name it?

*“Combat…”*

It wasn’t the combat sweet potato anymore.

But giving it a completely new name might cause confusion.

So instead—

– Companion pet, Great King Root Octopus, has been acquired.

He simply added Great King to its name.

A fitting title for the new monarch—and a wish that it wouldn’t share its predecessor’s fate.

Ji Yeonwoo patted the Great King Root Octopus’ square head.

“Nice to meet you again. I look forward to working with you in the future.”

Master… serve.

Support forever…!

As their transcendent bond formed—

– You have shared a defining trait with your tamed monster.

A new skill appeared.

– Skill, Assimilation (F) (Passive), has been acquired.

*“Huh?”*

Ji Yeonwoo tilted his head.

Assimilation?

Did it mean merging with something? Or dissolving? Or was it like a fairy tale?

No way to know.

Just like Enhancement, gained after bonding with Kim Kkokko, its true nature would only reveal itself in crisis.

For now, he was content with the acquisition.

But what about Special Enhancement, the evolved form of Enhancement?

‘I’ve never even heard of skills evolving.’

No point overthinking it.

The system never gave straight answers anyway.

Right now, something else mattered more.

The Great King Root Octopus’ blinking eyes.

*“You sleepy?”*

Denial… weak denial.

Pfft.

Not a strong denial?

Seemed becoming an octopus had tweaked its speech patterns.

*“So you are sleepy?”*

Weak denial…

Like a rookie soldier insisting “I’m not tired, sir!” while barely keeping their eyes open.

The way its nerve roots twitched with drowsiness was downright adorable.

Of course—it had just taken over a new body. Even after halving its size to absorb nutrients, it was still running low.

As if confirming his thoughts, the surrounding vines also dozed off, eyes half-closed.

‘Ah, I’ve been inconsiderate.’

Ji Yeonwoo grinned and climbed onto Kim Kkokko’s back.

*“I should head back for dinner too. Congrats on the throne—let’s work together.”*

Master… then… goodbye…

The Great King Root Octopus’ eyelids finally slid shut—

—only to flutter open one last time.

Master… request…

Small request…

*“What is it? Just say it!”*

The square eye turned toward something.

The deflated, discarded remains of the original root octopus.

Now just an empty husk.

The Great King Root Octopus eyed it warily.

That… absorption… impossible.

Rather… troublesome.

The essence of the original root octopus was concentrated there. Absorbing it wasn’t just impossible—it would harm the weakened Great King.