"Hiss——"
He could clearly feel his stomach walls tearing and restructuring; every contraction brought lung-tearing, heart-splitting agony.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as Su Chen clenched his teeth, enduring this inhuman torture.
His stomach alternated between feeling as cold as an ice cellar and as searingly hot as roasting charcoal. Amidst this extre pain, he could feel his stomach's structure reorganizing, becoming tougher and more powerful.
【Assumption of the Glutton profession successful. Obtained professional ability — Gluttony: Prematurely consu massive amounts of food and convert it into stored nutritional reserves, which can be rapidly released in a short period to replenish the body's needs.】
"It's done..." Su Chen let out a long sigh of relief, hot currents rolling through his body. Experiencing the bodily changes, he could distinctly feel that his stomach had beco extrely powerful, akin to a grinder.
Furthermore, there was a strange, vacant sensation, sowhat akin to hunger.
"I reckon I could even digest rocks right now."
The ability description on the panel was rely a simplification; the specific details required him to personally experience them.
"Ming Lin said that after assuming it, I can only eat conventional food and not drink nutrient fluids..." Su Chen walked out of the gravity room to the adjacent potion storage room, picked out a vial of nutrient fluid, and chugged it down.
The mont it entered his stomach, he could clearly feel the stomach walls writhing, rapidly storing the highly concentrated nutrients within the compressed nutrient fluid.
That vacant sensation akin to hunger diminished considerably.
"Just as I thought. Ming Lin probably only completed about 60% of the assumption requirents. The completion degree of the profession is too low, so the ability was significantly weakened. I can absolutely absorb compressed nutrient fluids." Su Chen wasn't surprised, though he couldn't help but be amazed:
"This is a 3rd-tier nutrient fluid. Normally, drinking one vial can sustain my training for the better part of a day."
He poured about four more vials down his throat before that bizarre vacant sensation vanished, replaced by a sense of satisfaction.
"Let test the specific effects..." Su Chen began training until he was completely exhausted, lying flat on the floor.
He attempted to release the 'nutritional reserves' stored in his physical stomach. The effect was extraordinarily obvious. His thoroughly drained cells felt as if they were subrged in a hot spring. His entire body felt warm and toasty, rapidly recovering to a peak state.
"It skipped the absorption phase, recovering in an absolutely unreasonable manner." Su Chen stood up, clenching his fists in sheer amazent.
He then continued testing it carefully, discovering that the stored nutrients could support his recovery at most three tis.
"The loss rate is around 80%. Under normal circumstances, five vials of nutrient fluid could sustain my training for at least four days."
"Not bad at all..." Su Chen was already highly satisfied. "Just thinking about what it'll be like after assuming Origin Reverser feels amazing."
Coming out of the gravity room, Su Chen heard so commotion outside. Pushing open the door, a cold wind hit his face.
"The temperature is dropping lower and lower. Is this deep winter?"
Su Chen exhaled a breath of hot air and glanced up at the artificial sun in the sky, feeling even more speechless.
Red banners hung from the streetlamps at the entrance, and even the patrolling Adjudicators on the streets had a layer of red paint sprayed onto the shoulders of their armor.
There were more smiles on people's faces than usual. The relatively somber Adjudication Court was brimming with a rare, lively atmosphere.
"Is this... the Yuanqing Festival?" Su Chen paused, finally realizing.
It was already ti for this festival. This was Yingfeng's grand festival, commorating the ti of its founding. Every year, all of Yingfeng, along with its subordinate lower-tier cities, would celebrate extravagantly.
Simultaneously, after the Yuanqing Festival, the calendar would update; the thirteen months would end, and the first month would arrive.
"It seems every place likes to use red to celebrate major festivals." Su Chen felt a sense of familiarity. Looking around at the fluttering red everywhere, he couldn't help but sigh. "It's already been over half a year since I arrived in Yingfeng."
With the hustle and bustle before his eyes, Su Chen shook his head and turned back into his residence. The white, cold light in the living room was very bright.
"Zero..." He called out from the sofa.
"Master..." Zero loyally walked over.
"Never mind." Su Chen shook his head. Zero wasn't confused, rely waiting loyally for his master's command.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Knocking suddenly resounded from the door. Zero went to open it.
"Old Bai?" Su Chen looked in surprise at Bai Fengxi as she walked in. The howling cold wind whipped up her hair. She was holding two well-packaged, slender wine bottles in her hands.
"You really are alone." Bai Fengxi nimbly kicked the door shut and walked straight to the dining table. "I was getting bored myself, and it's too noisy outside, so I figured I'd just co find you."
"Have a drink?" she offered.
"Co on." Su Chen took a seat at the dining table. Bai Fengxi said, "I took these from my teacher's wine cellar. I saw them tucked all the way in the back, so they should be pretty good."
"Just drinking straight?" Su Chen had Zero contact the cafeteria, only to learn to his astonishnt that they were on holiday today.
"To think there's actually a day off." He was speechless.
Right at that mont, the knocking sounded again, but this ti, the person barged right in, bellowing, "Junior Brother, Junior Brother..."
Before he could yell a third ti, he saw the two people sitting at the dining table. He raised an eyebrow, "Hey, you've got company."
The newcor was precisely Bu Siqi, holding two large bags in his hands.
"Wait, you two are just drinking straight?" Bu Siqi tossed the bags aside and took out packed containers of food, still steaming hot.
"Senior Brother has great foresight." Su Chen gave a thumbs up. Bu Siqi wiggled his eyebrows smugly and plopped down. Spotting the two bottles of wine on the table, he said in astonishnt, "Holy crap, is this 'Golden Quicksand'?"
"Junior Brother, you're so formidable now that soone's actually gifting you this stuff?"
"Old Bai brought it," Su Chen clarified. The wine seed to be quite precious.
"Those few senior brothers each took a bottle, so I took two," Bai Fengxi said offhandedly.
"Yuan Poshan's private collection... makes sense, he's the only one who could get his hands on this." Bu Siqi realized, a strange expression forming on his face. He rubbed his hands together and grinned, "I'm riding on Junior Brother's coattails today."
The food was simple, but none of them minded. When the Golden Quicksand was poured into the glasses, it truly resembled golden flowing sand, emitting a rich and extraordinary aroma.
The three downed a glass together. Su Chen felt a wave of heat surge in his stomach, accompanied by a burning, spicy sensation. One must know his stomach had already transford into a Glutton's stomach.
This wine was very potent.
"I wonder how Little Pigeon is doing." Bai Fengxi suddenly felt a bit lancholic.
"Teacher Yuan is looking after her..." Su Chen exhaled a breath of hot air. Before he could finish his sentence, there was a clatter, and Bai Fengxi collapsed face-first onto the dining table.
Su Chen was dumbfounded.
"Hah..." Bu Siqi grinned. "This little girl is interesting. I thought she ca here to get you drunk, but she collapsed after one sip."
"This Golden Quicksand knocks out a 3rd-tier with one sip. Still, you're the formidable one, Junior Brother, actually managing to withstand it."
Su Chen was speechless. Looking at Old Bai, who had passed out before the drinking even started, he turned to Bu Siqi, "Let's go visit Senior Brother Teng."
Bu Siqi paused, "In past Yuanqing Festivals, I always drank with that dullard Old Teng. I originally planned to go see him after drinking with you guys this year. This works out; let the little girl sleep."
"Let's go, let's go. We haven't even taken a few bites of the food; bring it along."
Su Chen pondered for a mont. He picked up the opened but unfinished bottle of Golden Quicksand, left the unopened one behind, instructed Zero to look after Bai Fengxi, and the two headed out.
There were people on duty at the Judgnt Departnt, and they didn't stop them from visiting Teng Liang.
"This place is quite eerie..."
Walking into the prison, the cells on both sides were empty. The tal bars were carved with certain symbols. This place was only for temporary detention. If you were truly caught by the Judgnt Departnt, you would end up dead or crippled; there was very rarely any genuine imprisonnt.
"That's a given. Did you see those surveillance caras? They're specially made. They can capture the movents of even a 4th-tier professional." Bu Siqi pointed at the surveillance equipnt above; they were unusually large, about the size of a washbasin.
Teng Liang's cell was at the very deepest part. His emaciated body lay on an iron bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"Senior Brother," Bu Siqi called out.
Hearing the shout, Teng Liang turned his head, his stiff cheeks twitching. "It's you guys."
"Co, co..." Bu Siqi gestured, taking out the food and the Golden Quicksand. "Co have a taste. Good stuff."
Teng Liang shuffled over. He looked down and said in surprise, "Golden Quicksand. Where did you get this?"
Xia Hanshi didn't like drinking, so Bu Siqi wouldn't have this kind of resource.
"Yuan Poshan's private collection..." Bu Siqi answered. "That little girl who has a good relationship with Junior Brother brought it over."
Teng Liang's eyes shifted, and he sighed. "Junior Brother, you've been tricked by Little Bu."
Su Chen blanked, and Teng Liang explained, "He just couldn't stand seeing you with a girl, so he deliberately called you away."
"Old Teng, stop talking nonsense!" Bu Siqi said angrily. "Am I the kind of person who can't stand seeing others do well? Junior Brother brought it up himself. I originally wanted to wait until they slept before coming by myself."
"Turned over a new leaf?" Teng Liang asked in astonishnt.
Bu Siqi instantly 'flew into a rage out of humiliation': "You dullard! Normally you can't even squeeze out a fart with a stick, why are you actively explaining things today?"
Teng Liang's eyebrow twitched. Bu Siqi jumped back in fright, then scoffed, "Don't try to scare . Your strength is sealed by the lock chains; you don't even have ten percent of your power left."
He poured three glasses of wine, and the three clinked glasses.
"Tsk, tsk, impressive." Bu Siqi stared at Su Chen, unable to hide his amazent. "Two sips, and you're actually still holding up."
After a few rounds of drinks, even Su Chen felt dizzy. This stuff was indeed extraordinary; if it were in the past, he would have collapsed long ago.
"...I wonder how Yu Hao, Zhi Peng, and Ling Yue are doing." The flushed Bu Siqi suddenly brought up three nas. The silent Teng Liang frowned slightly and glanced at Su Chen.
Su Chen knew these three nas. They were the three guys Old Xia had accepted as students before him.
Su Chen already knew the ins and outs of the situation, so he didn't avoid the topic, his expression remaining normal.
Teng Liang released an internal sigh of relief and said, "Junior Brother, you should head back first and take care of that little girl."
"No way, no way." Bu Siqi suddenly reacted instinctively, revealing his true colors as he reached for Su Chen. "If Junior Brother goes back, he's walking right into the tiger's den..."
Su Chen's eyelid twitched. He saw Teng Liang extend his thin, bony arm, clamp a hand onto Bu Siqi's head, and forcefully smash it against the iron bars.
Bang!
The muffled sound of the impact made even Su Chen's scalp tingle.
Bu Siqi was filled with sheer terror, his face squished against the bars. "You're not fking sealed! Your strength is still there! The Judgnt Departnt are all bastards, fk..."
"Go on back," Teng Liang forced a smile at him.
"Alright." Su Chen swallowed hard, then bid farewell and left.
Outside the prison, the cold wind hit his face, and he sobered up considerably. Thinking back to what just happened, he couldn't help but chuckle.
Rubbing his face, he returned to his residence. He left Old Bai passed out on the sofa, rubbed his head, and went upstairs to sleep.
The next day, it was unclear who woke up first. When Su Chen went downstairs, Old Bai had already left. Perhaps feeling awkward, she hadn't even left a ssage for him.
The Golden Quicksand was still on the table.
"Master, I have recorded the scene when Ms. Bai Fengxi woke up. Would you like to view it?" Zero, standing in the corner, suddenly spoke up.
"What the heck?" Su Chen failed to maintain a straight face. "How on earth did you analyze from my usual behavior that I would want to watch sothing like that?"
"I rely thought you would be quite curious," Zero explained.
Too lazy to bother with him, Su Chen prepared to head to the gravity room to continue fulfilling the [Origin Reverser] requirents.
After assuming the Glutton profession, he could train continuously in short bursts, saving a lot of recovery ti.
However, right at the start of the new year, a few days later, unexpected news shattered the lively atmosphere of the Adjudication Court.
Bu Siqi ca looking for him in a hurry, his expression looking quite bad. Right after closing the door, he said, "Wei Yinshuo is back."
"He's back?" Su Chen was astonished. Three months had passed since they lost contact with this Chief Inquisitor. Many people had assud he was already dead.
Even Su Chen thought so.
Bu Siqi nodded. "Yeah. Earlier today, he was discovered 300 kiloters outside Yingfeng City. He was covered in wounds and almost devoid of vitality. He's already been sent to the dical Departnt."
He looked rather displeased. "This old bastard actually didn't die. He ignored Teacher's warnings and got two cities killed, yet he still has the face to live."
Su Chen was also a bit disappointed; his impression of Wei Yinshuo was very poor as well.
Speaking, Bu Siqi showed a hint of schadenfreude. "However, he still doesn't know the news of Chu Xuan's death. I hope it'll piss him off to death."
(End of this chapter)
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