Kaiju No.8: Devour and Evolve

"Not bad, kid. Your words are impressive." Kafka slapped Drake Myers on the shoulder with a grin.

Having worked in the cleanup company for years, Kafka's cheerful personality made him the group's unofficial favorite. It was a quality that couldn't be easily measured—natural charisma that made everyone feel at ease.

Drake Myers, an intern assigned to the Monster Cleanup Company, was in a similar position to Leno Ichikawa from the series. However, while Leno dreamed of joining the Defense Force, Drake was here simply to earn a decent living.

The original Drake—an orphan and unfortunate soul—lived for survival. This worked well for him, as any changes in personality wouldn't raise suspicions. Given his background, Kafka had always looked out for him, often stepping in to resolve trouble on his behalf.

Such an understanding leader could only exist in fiction.

"Thank you for looking after me all this time, Kafka. From now on, I'll work even harder!" Drake said sincerely.

As someone from Dragon Country, he understood the principle of repaying kindness a hundredfold. No matter what, Kafka had done a lot for the original owner of this body. Besides, Drake needed proximity to monsters to activate his abilities and grow stronger.

For ordinary people, transformation was their only shot at survival. However, not everyone even had the chance to mutate. Given his powerful system, it didn't matter if this was a multiverse world—Drake knew his potential.

Kafka looked seriously at his younger colleague. Losing both parents at a young age, Drake had every reason to be rebellious, especially since his family was destroyed by monsters. Yet, Kafka now saw determination in him—a change that truly moved him.

"Good. Don't let us—or yourself—down. In the end, the only one you can truly rely on is yourself." Kafka's voice was steady and full of conviction.

"Understood! Thank you!" Drake replied with a bright smile.

The Monster Cleanup Company gathered and set out. Their task today was clear: clean up after the Defense Force's battle with a beast.

On the way, they crossed paths with the Third Division. At the front was Captain Mina Ashiro, a young prodigy with an impressive liberation rate of 96%. Standing beside her was her vice-captain, Soshiro Hoshina, with his signature narrow-eyed look and long sword.

Drake recognized other members of the division but didn't have strong impressions of them yet. He knew that Mina's specialty was gunfire, and she was considered the backbone of the team. However, this knowledge was largely theoretical for now; as a cleanup crew member, he wouldn't have much contact with them.

For the time being, his role was simpler: handle post-battle cleanup by dissecting the monstrous remains. This was an essential but thankless task.

As the Third Division exited the scene, Kafka watched Mina leave with a composed expression. Though he deeply desired to stand beside her, his focus now was on his current duties.

"Let me guess—you want to join the Defense Force too? To become a real warrior?" Drake asked suddenly.

Kafka chuckled bitterly. "It's just a dream from my youth."

Despite his words, Drake knew Kafka wasn't the type to give up easily. Beneath his casual demeanor lay a burning spirit.

"Believe in yourself. You'll succeed someday," Drake replied calmly. Of course, this would only happen after Kafka's transformation into a kaiju. For now, his physical limits made his aspirations unrealistic.

"Thanks for the encouragement!" Kafka grinned. "Today, we're dealing with a canine-type monster, a Class 4. It took the Third Division three attempts to fully bring it down. This one's got a sharp sense of danger, so stay alert."

Drake listened carefully. This task provided him with more insight into this world. Compared to the original series, the monsters here weren't merely mindless beasts—they showed signs of evolution.

The creature they approached was a mutated Tibetan mastiff. Standing over ten meters tall, its black-and-white fur was mottled with debris from its rampage. Its massive fangs, over a meter and a half long, could easily pierce a human, and its claws had already shredded countless structures.

Yet, in the face of the Defense Force, even such a beast had been reduced to a lifeless husk.

"Drake, saw off its fangs. We can sell them to Izumo Tech," Kafka instructed from atop the beast's head.

Drake nodded and began using an electric saw to cut through the massive teeth. As soon as the blade touched the monster's fangs, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind:

The cleanup continued, but Drake's mind buzzed with possibilities.

This world might seem familiar, but its challenges—and opportunities—were far greater than he had imagined.

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