Brooklyn watched on as Puffball slowly drained the man that had found them, Puffball had stretched a tendril undulating tendril deep into the man's head as laid on the ground asleep slowly turning paler and paler by the second as the blood was drained out of the man's body. Puffball then stabbed another tendril into the mans leg, then another in the chest, then another, and another, and another…

Gothalyn didn’t know what to do about the terrifying monster in front of her draining the poor man in front of her. She was too captivated by that very same monster as her skipped a beat; as she felt Puffballs unnatural sight fall upon her; a skill she gained through years of thievery and assassination was the ability to know that someone was watching you, similar to a sixth sense.

Puffball tendrils exited the man; leaving him little more than a gray husk that looked like it could’ve been blown away by a slight gust of wind. Puffball then shifted its attention to the man next to them, stabbing it’s tendrils into the head, clearly determined to drain the other dry as well.

Brooklyn had no idea that such a creature could be so cute, squishy, and yet unforgiving. It was amazing to think that such a creature existed in the same world as her. Nothing made sense about any of this, but she was okay with that. She didn't know why she was, but she felt almost pressured that she should just be happy with Puffball and ask no further questions.

She didn’t want to lose the joy the creature brought her.

====

[You have reached level 20]

[You have maxed out your biomass]

[You have maxed out your biomass]

[You have maxed out your biomass]

[You have maxed out your biomass]

[You have maxed out your biomass]

…

My body was filled with pure ecstasy as I drained both of their bodies to little more than husks, however, I was stopped from enjoying my meal when this message appeared. No matter how hard I tried my body couldn’t accept any more food. If I was human, I would've tried filling myself to the point my stomach would look distended but I couldn’t do that as a monster, there was a limit.

I CAN EAT MORE! I CAN! THERE IS STILL SOME JUICE LEFT IN THEM! I WON’T LET IT GO TO WASTE! I WON’T LET THE SYSTEM STOP ME FROM ENJOYING MY MEAL!

MY SAVORY, SUCCULENT...MEAL! IT’S AMAZING! BETTER THAN MEAL I HAVE EVER EATEN! LIKE CHICKEN EXCEPT SOOOOOOOOO MUCHHHH BETTER!!!!

ANYONE WOULD KILL TO TASTE THIS! PEOPLE HAVE KILLED EACHOTHER FOR LESS! IMAGINE KILLING SOMEONE AND NOT DRAINING THEIR CORPSE FOR EVERY LOST DROP! I CAN’T!!!!!

THAT WOULD BE INSANE WHO WOULD PASS ON THIS RICH AND DELICIOUS FLAVOR; THAT DRIPS DOWN MY TENDRIL CARESSING ME WITH THE FLAVOR THAT COULD ONLY HAVE BEEN BLESSED BY THE GODS THAT MADE THIS WORLD!!!!! THE FLAVOR IS SOOOO INTOXICATING!

[You have maxed out your biomass]

I CAN EAT MORE!!!!!

“I wonder if the alcohol in their blood system had an effect on overall flavor? You seem to be trying to do the impossible, trying to bypass your limit on biomass. Do you mind eating a human that wasn’t drunk,” GagOs says.

THAT’S RIGHT! GLADOS! I WANT TO UPGRADE SOMETHING! ANYTHING! SPEND ALL MY BIOMASS ON IT!

[Confirmed, Randomizing options. Option chosen is Suction Cups. Upgrading Anti-Gravity (Strong) to (Max). You may either choose a new upgrade or advance an existing one, or randomize]

[Advance or Gain Upgrade]

JUST CHOOSE WHATEVER! I NEED TO EAT THIS AS FAST AS POSSIBLE BEFORE IT GETS COLD!!!!

[Randomizing options. Option chosen is ‘Gain Upgrade’]

[Drilling Suction Cups- Drills into the ground to allow for greater grip.]

[Silent Suction Cups- Consumes Stamina but allows your steps to be silent.]

[Magnetic Suction Cups- Suction Cups can pull metal toward them.]

[Anti-Roll Suction Cups- Much harder to knock you off moving objects.]

[Hardened Suction Cups- Makes your suction cups more solid to allow for blunt attacks.]

[Heat Resistant Suction Cups- Allows you to more easily and safely stick on hot ground.]

[Freeze Resistant Suction Cups- Allows you to more easily and safely stick on freezing ground.]

[Toxic Resistant Suction Cups- Allows you to more easily and safely stick on toxic ground.]

[Gravity- The opposite of Anti-Gravity causing the body to be pushed downward; can harm the individual]

[Efficiency- Stamina usage for movement will be reduced.]

[Randomizing Option. Confirmed, option chosen is Efficiency.]

Huh? What happened? The world went blank? Why is the flavor gone! It was so good!

“Well, you upgraded something. So, you no longer have access to your body. Welcome to my plane of existence. You should have some more coherent thoughts now, as you may or may not have noticed; I know I sure did. Also, how do you feel about being a murderer now?,” GagOs asks from the shadows of my mind.

I feel fine? Is that wrong? Yes, it is wrong. But why do I feel this way. Was the taste really that good? Yes, it was, but I feel something else, it’s as if a wrong that I didn’t even know existed has been put to rest. As if everything is in its natural order, monsters above — humans beneath, the way it should be. Their deaths would not morally just to a human, but to a monster with the instinct to devour all of humanity. What could be more just to a monster than satisfying that urge to kill and slaughter for nobody but myself.

No, that’s only a part of it, I even as a past-human feel slight just in my decision to kill him. My brainwashing failed. That man was dead the moment that screen popped up. If I didn’t kill him, Brooklyn would have. Atleast, I was able to satisfy myself with his death instead of it being meaningless. That’s right. I did the best I could to save him, and he was going to die either way, since he saw us, and I had no control over him, he would’ve exposed us to the world and doomed me, Cake, Kiwi, and Cinnamon to lab rat experiments. At least I was able to satisfy my body in his death, looking at the bright side of your decisions always makes me happier with them. All decisions have a bright side, so why would you want to focus on the dark part of it. It was completely rational to devour him.

“...”

Somehow, I could feel GagOs’s sinister smile even though she was little more than a voice in my mind. An annoying yet helpful one.

==============

A minute or two later and I was awoken to the taste of human flesh once again. I quickly gave in to the temptation and finished off the other body; this one clearly giving more biomass since the brain parasite didn’t steal half of it. Humans give a surprisingly large amount of biomass, I wonder if they give more if they have powers? I went from 0 biomass to over my max of 250 just from two normal humans. Humans are by far the most efficient creatures to eat in terms of biomass gain.

[You have maxed out your biomass]

The last few drops of blood from the corpse left the body and entered mine, giving me pure ecstasy as it caressed the taste buds inside of my tendrils. After a few minutes of sitting and calming down from the taste; nearly convincing myself to go and try and kill Gothalyn for her meat however I was able to compose myself just barely and I... I quickly decided that it would be best to leave this area since other humans might be nearby searching for these ones. Or might come in the near future, I need to be wary of Death Detective and his ability to use dead bodies to gain knowledge. I still haven’t told Gothalyn about her being found out due to him, I’ll tell her now, maybe she will know what to do.

‘Everyone come back to me. We are leaving. Also Cake I need you tell Gothalyn something.’

‘Yes, Meister.’

‘Stomach. Full. Maifear. Cinnamon. Slow.’

‘Right away Maistear, I’ll go get Cinnamon,’ Kiwi said as she quickly sped away along the ground to grab Cinnamon.

====

“Death Detective suspects that you caused the sewage explosion and murdered someone. Is there any way we can prevent him from finding these bodies?” Cake repeats my mental thoughts as words to Gothalyn.

“What?! This. Bad.” Gothalyn's face shifts to worry, which causes me to worry more than she was simply for the fact that I have never seen her so worried about something before.

“Bury. The. Bodies. Near. Base. I. Need. To. Go.” Gothalyn utters from under her bandana as she quickly ran away, leaving me all alone with Cake and two bodies that need to be somehow buried.

‘Cake, stuff them in your shell while we wait for Cinnamon and Kiwi to return.’

‘Yes, Meister,’ Cake said as she grabbed the two husks.

Do I really not feel remorse for killing them?

Maybe I really am a monster.

It has its benefits, I guess.

"How to not be guilty of murder for dumb cephalopods. Step one..."

Mute.

Except you, you are a disadvantage.

Most of the time.