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Chapter 13 - Chapter 13: Experimentation and New Ideas

The C-Grade Loot

The headless corpse of the Parasyte crashes heavily to the ground. Its severed "head" shrivels like a squid on a hot plate. In its final moments, the monster questions in anguish:

"Why... why was a worthless creature... that didn't even... eat the brain... so powerful...?"

As Zhao Xuan marvels at his left hand's lethality, the system notification sounds:

"Ding! Congratulations to the Host for killing one Parasyte! Obtained loot [Parasyte Component] (Grade C-) one piece!"

C-?

Zhao Xuan realizes the truth: the opponent was only C-grade! "A-grade versus C-grade! A difference of two major tiers—of course, it was an instant kill!" He likens it to an "Honor King" player smurfing in a low-rank game.

He equips the new [Parasyte Component] (Grade C-) onto his right hand, and it successfully transforms, splitting open into writhing tentacles.

Zhao Xuan tests the two hands:

He swings his right hand (C-grade) at a nearby wall, leaving a deep cut.

He swings his left hand (A-grade) at the wall, and the tentacle cuts straight through and pierces it.

He notes that the A-grade component is superior not just in power but also in precision, easily hitting his target line on the wall, while the C-grade was slightly off. "A-grade completely dominates C-grade!"

Loot Synthesis Risks

Zhao Xuan then checks the [Loot Synthesizer], placing both the A-grade and C-grade components inside. A warning pops up:

Five items of the same type are needed to guarantee a 100% success rate.

Choosing to synthesize will consume the existing loot. Failure results in no new item.

Synthesizing A-grade and C-grade items has a high probability of yielding a B-grade item. The higher the grade of the component used, the higher the chance of a higher-grade result.

"Do you wish to synthesize?"

"Synthesize? Absolutely not!" Zhao Xuan cancels the operation immediately. With only a 40% chance of success and the result likely being B-grade, the risk is too high.

He realizes he needs to kill at least four more A-grade Parasytes to guarantee a better result. This forces him to consider facing the strongest Parasytes: Reiko Tamura (likely A+ or higher) or the final boss, Gotō (likely S-grade). He quickly dismisses this as suicidal.

Target: Mr. A

Zhao Xuan redirects his thoughts to Mr. A (A先生), who worked alongside Shimada under Tamura. He deduces that Mr. A's strength must be comparable to Shimada's—likely A-grade.

He recalls Mr. A's plot points from the movie:

Mr. A was initially defeated by Izumi's sneak attack during a fight with Migi (similar to Shimada's death).

Mr. A, severely injured, took over the body of Izumi's mother, Nobuko Izumi.

Later, A-controlled-Nobuko attacked Izumi at his home, piercing his heart, though Izumi survived thanks to Migi's cellular repair.

Zhao Xuan now understands the true source of Izumi's grief and his zeal to hunt.

He re-evaluates his previously rejected request to partner with Izumi. He wanted to use the "kill-stealing" tactic he used on Shimada: wait for Izumi and a stronger Parasyte to battle, then deliver the final blow.

He explains why he didn't reveal his Parasyte ability to Izumi:

He can't explain the component's origin.

Migi would have sensed Shimada's presence on his left hand and likely attacked him, fearing the revival of an enemy.

Returning to Mr. A, Zhao Xuan concludes that he cannot defeat an A-grade Parasyte alone due to his lack of combat experience. He knows A-grade Parasytes are extremely cunning and powerful, recalling that A-controlled-Nobuko, having learned from previous mistakes, attacked Izumi's body first.

Zhao Xuan realizes that a frontal attack, even with his A-grade component, is too risky. A plan to fight with his left hand while sneaking an attack with his right hand would likely fail as A would be wary of the host body.

Therefore, Zhao Xuan decides on the only viable strategy: The "Kill-Steal"

He will track Shinichi Izumi and wait until Izumi defeats Mr. A. Then, just like with Shimada, he will move in for the final, decisive blow.

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