In the room.
Sunlight spilled in through the window, past the peeling white paint of the walls, casting several crooked patches of light on the floor.
The living room was quiet. Lu Chao sat at the side of the dining table, his eyes shut tight.
The very instant his Potential Progress reached completion, an invisible force pulled his consciousness into the depths of his mind.
VMM!!
In an instant, his vision changed.
Lu Chao once again saw the vast, endless, gloomy world, and with it, the spectral giant shrouded in gray mist.
It seemed to be formed from the fusion of countless stars, its skeleton and sinews trailing shimmering particles of light.
Its translucent body stood imposingly tall and straight, with its hands hanging at its sides. Its transparent face remained a blur, impossible to make out.
'So this is the *Glutton*...'
Having awakened an innate talent before, Lu Chao knew this spectral giant was him—or rather, it was also the true *Glutton*!
The thought flashed through his mind, and he continued to examine the spectral giant.
A flame burned in its heart, emitting the resilient light of Rock Gold.
A hexagonal Rock Gold Badge appeared on the left side of its body, shining with an unquenchable light. It seemed to be engraved within the mist itself, making it incredibly conspicuous.
'Primary Resilience.'
Without a doubt, Lu Chao knew that the Rock Gold Badge was the innate talent he had awakened last time.
His gaze then shifted to the giant's lower abdomen.
A new wisp of flame ignited, glowing like a flash of pale silver light.
Bathed in its light, the misty ripples below the giant's legs parted, forming a new hexagonal badge.
In but a moment, a pale silver insignia took shape, shining brightly.
[Innate Talent: Predatory Growth!]
[Quality: Primary — Foraging Dimension!]
[Effect 1: Your digestive system will undergo a transformation, granting you digestive capabilities twice as strong as a normal person's. This expands the range of foods you can tolerate and grants you greater efficiency in breaking down, absorbing, and converting nutrients!]
[Effect 2: Your sensitivity to Biological Energy will be doubled. Furthermore, upon close contact with an object, there is a chance you will have an intuitive flash, allowing you to obtain key information!]
All this information was displayed within the pale silver insignia. A flicker of surprise crossed Lu Chao's face.
'Foraging Dimension, Predatory Growth?'
He committed the name of this innate talent to memory.
As for its effects...
'The first one is easy enough to understand. It enhances my digestive abilities and increases the efficiency of nutrient intake and conversion.'
'But this second effect...'
A look of confusion in his eyes, Lu Chao didn't fully understand it.
But in the next instant, before he could ponder it further...
VMM!
A wave of intense pain suddenly surged forth, pulling his consciousness back into his body.
'Shit!'
'Not again!'
Cursing inwardly, Lu Chao's expression changed. Sitting there in the chair, he was once again subjected to that wave of excruciating, gut-wrenching pain.
While reaching a full Potential Progress bar did activate a new innate talent and grant him a transformative rebirth...
...the corresponding agony was an unavoidable side effect.
"Hnngh..."
Instantly, the searing pain spread, flooding every corner of his body.
Lu Chao's body trembled, his face flushing crimson.
Beads of sweat streamed down his skin, soaking his clothes and running over his entire body.
In a daze, he felt as if the blood in his veins was boiling, threatening to scorch him from the inside out and forcing every inch of his flesh and blood to transform.
The pain originating from within his body rapidly intensified, as if countless ants were burrowing inside him, gnawing on his internal organs.
From his stomach, intestines, and liver, to his glands and esophagus.
From his very flesh and blood to every bone in his body...
Tearing, savage, violent pain swept through him; every second was an agony.
Lu Chao's hands clenched into fists, and he forced himself to remain seated as veins bulged on his face.
He gritted his teeth so hard his face trembled, and beads of sweat dripped to the floor.
The sound of his harsh, ragged breathing filled the living room, continuous and unrelenting.
One minute, three minutes, five minutes...
Gradually, just as Lu Chao's consciousness grew hazy and he felt he couldn't hold on any longer...
VMM!
All the pain vanished in an instant, like a receding tide.
"HUFF... HUFF... HUFF!"
Lu Chao gasped for air, his chest heaving violently.
His black t-shirt was soaked through with sweat, clinging unpleasantly to his skin.
After a moment, he managed to recover somewhat.
He slowly unclenched his fists and leaned on the edge of the table, steadying his body.
'It's finally over...'
A look of relief washed over his face as Lu Chao finally dared to let go, exhaling the breath he'd been desperately holding in.
The pain of the talent transformation was an agony, like raw iron being hammered and tempered a thousand times in a baptism of fire.
'Thank goodness...'
Pushing aside his stray thoughts, he gradually felt his strength return. At the same time, he noticed his body seemed to have undergone some subtle changes.
It was as if all his internal organs had been tempered, making them tougher and more robust.
His very cells seemed to send out a greedy, biological signal of instinct.
'So hungry...'
Lu Chao was suddenly struck by an intense hunger. On instinct, he rushed into the kitchen and took the remaining food out of the refrigerator.
A moment later...
[Buckwheat Bread]
[Quality: Inferior]
[Edible Effect: Main components are carbohydrates and a small amount of plant fiber. Nutritional value is extremely low. Can only provide the carbohydrates and basic Biological Energy required by carbon-based humans. Has no effect on increasing Life Energy...]
The sudden information appeared on a panel, and Lu Chao, who was just about to tear open the bread's packaging, froze.
'This...'
Shaking himself out of his stupor, he quickly shifted his gaze to the milk.
[Beast Milk — Black-Horned Ox]
[Quality: Second-rate (Incomplete)]
[Edible Effect 1: Contains a small amount of bioactive protein and bionutrients. Long-term consumption can sustain the Life Energy development of those below the Fighting Level...]
[Edible Effect 2: If consumed together with Spirit Spring Water, this ingredient's Life Energy enhancement effect will increase by 40%. This bonus effect will be halved with each subsequent use, becoming completely null after three uses!]
As the new information appeared, it finally dawned on Lu Chao.
'So this is the second effect of *Predatory Growth*... an intuitive sense?'
His gaze paused as he looked at the panel.
'Close contact with food triggers an intuitive sense, letting me know if it's edible and what its specific effects are.'
'Wait, it seems there's more to it...'
Looking at the second effect for the Black-Horned Ox's Beast Milk on the panel, Lu Chao quickly spotted the key detail. 'Spirit Spring Water? Consuming it with the Beast Milk increases its nutritional effect...'
'What is that?'
Still a bit dazed, Lu Chao quickly tapped his watch and looked up the information online.
[Spirit Spring Water: A special type of spring water naturally produced by a planet's environment, rich in nutrient particles!]
The description was simple. Limited by his citizen clearance, Lu Chao couldn't view any more detailed information.
Even so...
...he was still shaken, having discovered just how special his intuitive sense was.
'I didn't know Spirit Spring Water existed before, and I certainly didn't know that mixing it with the Black-Horned Ox's Beast Milk had an enhancing effect.'
'But my intuitive sense told me anyway?'
His eyes gradually brightened. Lu Chao instantly understood the importance of this effect and what "key information" truly meant.
It might not seem that useful on the surface.
But in Ring City, and even the entire Alliance Country, most Superpower Knowledge was controlled by mega-corporations and powerful government departments.
This was especially true for the more advanced parts, which were completely inaccessible to ordinary people. Take the *Life Energy Development Theory*, for example. Only the content covering up to the Fighting Level was publicly available for free; anything beyond that was nearly impossible to look up.
And clearly, his intuitive sense had just shown him a new path.
This ability was essentially an insurance policy for everything he ate. He wouldn't have to be at the mercy of others on this front, or worry about being poisoned or sabotaged.
Moreover, it gave him a free channel for acquiring knowledge on how to absorb nutrients most efficiently.
'Excellent.'
Nodding firmly, Lu Chao's eyes shone with unusual brightness. He was exceptionally satisfied with what his intuitive sense could do.
Beyond that...
he thought of his other talent effect—enhanced digestion.
Lu Chao no longer suppressed the powerful, instinctual hunger. He immediately tore open the bag, grabbed the bread, and began to wolf it down.