《I Shall Eat Everything》 00. The End of Wait A young man stared at the numerous stars scattered throughout the night sky through the window from his bed. If he could, he would have liked to go outside to get a clearer view but outside was an unreachable realm for him. The illness that plagued him all his life left him bedridden. ¡°Young master.¡± The voice of his young nurse brought him out of his reverie. ¡°Your uncle and aunt are here to visit you.¡± He let out a gentle sigh. It was this again. ¡°Tell them I am resting.¡± He didn¡¯t want to see them. His parents had passed away in a car crash three years ago, leaving him with a huge fortune. Moreover, he was down with an incurable disease that could take him to the Yellow Spring at any moment. In fact, doctors had told him that he would not live past his eighteenth birthday. And he was already twenty years old now! The only thing that was holding him back was his perseverance. His mother used to constantly tell him ¨C there were miracles in this world, one just needed to have enough patience to believe in it and wait. ¡°Young master, they said they had something very important to discuss with you,¡± the nurse said with a little hesitation in her voice. He knew how insistent they could get; he had seen that from the few instances they had met. ¡°I don¡¯t want to meet them,¡± he said, his voice was firm. This so-called ¡®uncle¡¯ and ¡®aunt¡¯ had an estranged relationship with his parents before the accident. They had never bothered with him until two years ago. They were essentially strangers to him. It didn¡¯t take a certified genius to figure out their motives; they wanted his properties. It was as simple as that. The nurse made a troubled face and left the room. He felt a little bad for putting her through this predicament but there was no way around it.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. His phone buzzed. It was an e-mail from his lawyer. He had written to say that all the process to donate his properties to the charity had been completed. The scans of the documents were also attached with the mail. Truly professional. What kind of face would my ¡®uncle¡¯ and ¡®aunt¡¯ make when they learn of this? The young man wondered. It would make for quite an interesting scene. But alas! He wouldn¡¯t be able to see it. They were already well off ¨C having his property wouldn¡¯t change their lives much. Still, they tried everything they could to get their hands on it. Human greed was an unfathomable thing. The young man knew, the only reason he was able to let go of all his wealth easily was because his end was nigh. He wanted to make a difference in the world before he returned to the folds of the Earth. Just then, something singular happened. You have accrued a huge amount of good karma! +2 Fate You have broken through the First Shackle of Fate as an ordinary mortal! A miracle has been granted to you. Strange characters appeared at the bottom right corner of his vision. The strangest thing was, he could understand them! The young man wondered if he was hallucinating. But that thought was soon pushed aside when the next set of lines appeared before him. You are about to reincarnate! Prepare your heart. You are about to reincarnate. You are about to reincarnate. You are about to reincarnate. This line kept ringing in his head again and again. It struck a certain chord somewhere in the deepest recess of his heart. ¡°Ye-yes!¡± he mumbled. Not that there was any need for him to reply. He would like to reincarnate! That was his honest thought, even if everything that was happening at the present moment was something his messy head had conjured up. He desperately needed a new lease of life. I hope I get a strong body that can eat anything and do everything in my next life, he thought. If he ended up with a weak body, it would be the repeat of the life he had lived till now. That would suck. Beginning the reincarnation¡­ His consciousness grew hazy all of a sudden. It¡¯s beginning. The man who was about to be reincarnated felt a slight trace of fear but he was mostly filled with anticipation. That was until he belatedly realized something. Wait a minute! Will I be able to retain my memories? But before he could make any sort of protest, his consciousness was invaded by darkness. You have gained the trait [Innards of Primordial Taotie]! These words appeared briefly in the darkness but soon faded away, unread. 01. Innards of Primordial Taotie When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying down on the floor of a dimly lit underground cave. The only source of light was the rays that slipped through the fissure above his head. From what he could make out from the limited sight, the cave was quite big. But that was not the important thing. Did I really reincarnate? The memory of that evening in his hospital room, for some reason, felt hazy and faraway; it was like it happened in some very distant past. He propped himself up into a sitting position. Barely had he done it when a notification appeared before his eyes. Integration of your soul with the body has been completed! You have successfully reincarnated in Grand Shang! Please choose a name for yourself. He took a deep breath to calm his raging heart. There was still a part of him that believed everything that was happening to be a sham, something his weak mind had fabricated. But for most part, he accepted it as his reality. The insane vividness and attention to detail he was experiencing was something an imagination would never be able to match, that¡¯s what he felt. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like there were no precedents. He had read about similar incidents in books before, although they were all fiction. ¡°Su Ren,¡± he muttered. It was a random name that occurred to him. At first, he thought about using his previous name but later changed his mind. This was a new life. He didn¡¯t want it to be marred by the misfortune of his previous one. The name ¡®Su Ren¡¯ has been added to your profile. You can now view your status. Taking cue from the novels he read, he yelled, ¡°Status!¡± He was not disappointed. The texts in front of his eyes disappeared and a panel displaying his stats appeared instead. Name: Su Ren Age: 10 years old Race: Hybrid Cultivation Realm: None Lifeforce: 10/10 (Regeneration: 0.01% per second) Qi: 0/0 (Regeneration: 0.01% per second) Occupations: None Cultivation Techniques: None Attributes: Physique: 1 Movement: 1 Soul: 2 Fate: 11 Traits: Myriad Physique (Innate) Innards of Primordial Taotie (Innate) ¡°Oh!¡± A little murmur of surprise escaped his throat. Collecting his thoughts, Su Ren, as he had baptized himself, went through his status screen and tried to comprehend it. Physique: The physical strength and the physical toughness of your body. With increase of 1 stat point in Physique, your lifeforce will increase by 10. Movement: The overall bodily speed of your body. Soul: The mental faculty and learning capacity you possess. With increase of 1 stat point in Soul, your Qi will increase by 10. Fate: The fortune you possess. But that was all the information he got. Why was he ten years old? Why was his race a hybrid? And why was his maximum Qi limit zero when it should be twenty? There was no explanation provided for these queries. Absolutely none. He could vaguely understand the stats due to the few role-playing games he played and the few cultivation novels he read. But what he wanted was concrete knowledge on how everything worked exactly. Where was his help menu? Where was his chatty AI? Or for that matter, where was his know-it-all grandpa in the ring? Fortunately, he was able to check the details of his two traits that confounded him the most. Myriad Physique: You can train all of the Immortal Physiques. Innards of Primordial Taotie: You can eat anything in the universe, as long as it is tangible. You have chances of acquiring traits from what you have consumed ¨C higher the level, higher the chances. Sweet! He grinned. In his previous life, he had always desired for a strong body and the free will to eat anything he wished. In this life, he had been given two traits that made sure he had both of them. Also, he liked the sound of getting more traits. With more traits, he would have more options. As far as the starting points went, Su Ren couldn¡¯t have asked for more! His stomach rumbled, bringing him out of his reverie. Time to look for something to eat. His bare body caught his attention. There was not even a single thread of cloth on it. And something to wear while I am on it, he thought. The ceiling of the cave was not that high. With some effort, Su Ren managed to climb up to the fissure and squeeze his tiny body out through it.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. The first thing that greeted him when he came outside was the endless trees and vegetation that stretched before his eyes. It wasn¡¯t just in front of him. When he looked around, he found that it was the same everywhere around him. He was in the middle of a huge forest! He had seen such scenes on television footages before but seeing the real thing personally was a different experience altogether. It was daunting, to say the least. He took several deep breaths to calm his nerves. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Steeling his heart, he moved his feet forward. It was the start of his hunt for food. But after searching for more than thirty minutes, he came up with nothing. He had thought that such a huge forest would have no shortage of animals in it. He was betting on running across some small animals that would pose no threat to him. But so far, he had seen no sign of life in this forest, apart from the plants and the trees. Not even bugs and insects! It was unnatural. It was eerie. Su Ren couldn¡¯t help but feel creeped out. The urge to turn back to the cave he woke up in and seek refuge in it increased with every passing second. The thought of eating the plants around him occurred many times to his mind. But he was not able to identify the edible ones from the inedible ones. Although the description for [Innards of Primordial Taotie] said that he could eat anything, he wasn¡¯t sure whether that gave him immunity to poisons and other effects. He didn¡¯t want to risk it if it was possible, so he left eating plants as the final resort. Besides, he preferred meat! His empty stomach lurched. Over the course of his search, it had happened many times and it was growing more frequent. He upped the pace of his search. But before long, he was forced to stop. A transparent barrier that looked like glass blocked his advance. From the way it looked, it enclosed the whole area around him, including the underground cave and the huge forest that surrounded it. Su Ren had the inexplicable feeling that the barrier was beckoning him. Before he knew it, he had stretched his right hand and touched it. Crack! A tiny crack appeared where his hand had touched it. The crack grew and spread everywhere over the barrier like a web within a few moments. Before Su Ren could collect himself, the barrier shattered and disappeared, as if it had never existed in the first place. You have broken an ancient barrier formation! +1 Soul It was a baffling incident indeed. But it was just another one; Su Ren had already experienced many inconceivable things since he woke up. He was surprised but that was all. He pushed this matter to the back of his mind and crossed the area where the barrier used to be. There were other urgent matters at hand than to mull over something he wouldn¡¯t understand no matter how hard he thought over it. As he stepped onto what could have been considered the other side before, Su Ren couldn¡¯t help but feel as if he had walked over into a different world. Visually, there were no changes to his surrounding. But the sounds ¨C although he had yet to see them, he could hear the cries of all sorts of animals, birds and insects. A few moments later, Su Ren saw the very first live being since he had crossed over to Grand Shang. And he was left gaping! Humongous! That was the only word he could think of that described the creature adequately. Appearance-wise, the creature resembled a hawk. But the size was all wrong. It was at least twenty meters tall and fifty meters long. The giant hawk soared in the sky without a care in the world. The scene was both shocking and moving. Just what kind of world did I end up in? Although the creature was nowhere near him, Su Ren found a thick thicket and hid himself in it. The presence alone made him cower. He didn¡¯t dare to come out from his hiding place until the giant frame disappeared beyond the horizon. This little episode taught him a valuable lesson. Dangers were everywhere in this forest. If he didn¡¯t tread carefully, he would lose his little life before he knew what hit him. Su Ren decided to give up on his dream of eating meat for now. It wasn¡¯t worth the risk. Through a miracle, he had got this second chance at life; he didn¡¯t want to waste it. But when he was about to turn back, he heard some small sounds coming from his right side. It didn¡¯t seem like a big animal. He crouched down and crept towards it, making as little noise as possible. He gently parted the shrubs to see a small clearing. A rabbit was nibbling on some grass there. He gave a celebratory pose inside. There were small animals here, after all. It had been an oversight on his part. After seeing the hawk that was extraordinarily huge, he had thought misguidedly that all the life forms in the forest would be huge. His dream of eating meat was revived. He wanted to wait for an opportune moment and catch the rabbit by surprise. But for some baffling reason, Su Ren found himself on all fours like some sort of savage animal, his saliva dripping nonstop down his mouth. A deep guttural growl came out of his throat. What the hell is happening? He tried to rein in his body but ¨C Your soul is not strong enough to control the instinct of your body! It was of no avail. An indistinct grinning face with a huge mouth momentarily appeared in his mind. But when Su Ren tried to catch more details, it was gone, making him half-believe that it was all simply a part of his imagination. The rabbit gave a startled look in his direction. When it saw him, it got on all fours and ran. Fast! In the span of one second, the rabbit had travelled more than fifty meters. Su Ren gave chase. Or rather, his body or whatever that was controlling it chased after the rabbit. But it was already too slow. Before long, the rabbit disappeared into the darkness of the forest. An unwilling growl came out of his throat and Su Ren regained the control of his body. What was that? But he didn¡¯t have time to ponder over it. His stomach gave a huge rumble. His hunger had been slowly building over time. That last stunt had broken some sort of dam, he was ravenous all of a sudden. Su Ren had the sensation that if he didn¡¯t eat something soon to ease it, he would be devoured from inside out. There was no other way. He grabbed whatever plants came into his hands and stuffed them into his mouth. He froze. Delicious! The plants were simply too delicious. Su Ren chose a different plant this time and ate it. Then, he went for the next one. Then next. Then next. Over the course of the following few minutes, he tried out all the plants around him. Leaves. Stems. Roots. Everything. The final verdict ¨C all of them were delicious. He had experience of eating vegetables before. It shouldn¡¯t be this delicious. That meant only two things, either the plants in this world were different or his taste bud was broken. Leaving that to ponder later, he continued eating. After an hour or so of ceaseless eating, his hunger was alleviated somewhat. His stomach was no more revolting. Another hour later, his stomach could be considered to have returned back to normal. Another hour passed. Then another. Then another¡­ Su Ren watched as the sun slowly sank down the horizon. He decided to head back to the cave. It didn¡¯t feel safe to be in the wilderness, especially during night. He rubbed his stomach in dissatisfaction. It was an insatiable bottomless pit. Even after several hours of eating, it showed no sign of becoming full. In fact, he had the feeling that it was not even halfway there. He made his way towards the underground cave. Although it was not at the level of photographic memory, his retention power had increased drastically after he had reincarnated into this world. He had no problem remembering his way back. On the way, he grabbed whatever plants he could get his hands on and kept eating. In his previous life, he had all the wealth to afford anything he wanted to eat but he was unable to eat due to his body constitution. This life, he had the ability to eat anything but the things that he wanted to eat were beyond his reach. What an irony! 02. The Great Sword Su Ren was startled out of his sleep by the sudden shaking of the ground. Earthquake? That didn¡¯t seem right. He had experienced earthquakes before on Earth and this wasn¡¯t how it was supposed to be. The shaking continued incessantly, showing no sign of stopping. In fact, it was growing stronger over time. And closer! There was a possibility of cave-in occurring. Now, that would be bad! The cave was dark. The tiny amount of moonlight coming from above didn¡¯t provide enough light for him to see properly. But soon, his eyes adjusted to the darkness and he was barely able to make out the outline of the cave. He cautiously climbed to the fissure and peeked outside. The crescent moon and the stars didn¡¯t provide much in the way of illumination. Su Ren was not able to see everything clearly. But what he saw left him appalled. It was enough to send shivers running everywhere in his body. Rows upon rows of beasts of all shapes, it seemed countless in his eyes, were rushing towards his direction. There were none as large as the hawk-like bird he had seen the previous day but they were plenty big. Any one of them could send some of the largest animals on Earth cowering into their burrows or wherever it was they hid themselves. The beast horde, if it could be termed that, was just hundred or so meters away. It shouldn¡¯t be long before they reached him. Su Ren withdrew his head as swiftly as he could. Did they see me? There was nothing he could do but wait. Yes, wait with bated breath for the beasts to find him and send him to his death. Many scenarios of how it would play out appeared in his head, each one grimmer than the previous one. But nothing happened. The trampling of the beasts neared him and then it pushed onward, past his cave. The rushing of the beasts continued endlessly. The ground trembled underneath their feet due to their stomping feet, hooves, paws and other assorted parts. But no beast came into his cave. For now, he seemed to be safe. His taut mind came loose. He felt exhausted all of a sudden. I hope the roof is able to hold itself up without collapsing, he thought as his consciousness drifted away from him.
The rumbling of his stomach shook him awake. When Su Ren opened his eyes, he found the cave was noticeably brighter. It should already be daytime. Also, the ground was no longer shaking. The beast horde seemed to have passed. Still, he told himself to act with prudence. There could be some stray beasts for all he knew. Even a single one of them was enough to take his little life. He climbed up to the fissure and peeked outside, exposing as little of his head as possible. None. None of the countless beasts that swamped the area before were in his surrounding. He let out a sigh in relief. With nothing to obstruct him, he got out of the cave. It was about time he set out and took care of his daily necessities ¨C namely, feeding that abyss-like stomach of his. He also needed to do something about his clothes. He had only been able to focus on his hunger yesterday but today, he planned to be more productive. He could hear some faint clamors coming from somewhere behind him. There were many roars and cries. It must be those beasts, he thought as he headed in the opposite direction. He wasn¡¯t sure what was happening exactly but it had nothing to do with him. He decided to push this matter to the back of his mind. Then he froze in his track. A certain possibility appeared in his head. If most of the beasts were concentrated in that one place, wouldn¡¯t the part of the forest ahead of him be devoid of those beasts then? The previous day, he had stopped his exploration due to his fear of encountering those dangerous beasts. But now that they were gone, wouldn¡¯t it safe for him? Of course he couldn¡¯t discount the fact that some of the beasts could have remained behind. But still ¨C A sharp glint appeared in his eyes. This was an opportunity for him. If he didn¡¯t take it now, he might not have one in the future. Besides, he couldn¡¯t always remain in his cave, cowering every time something occurred. If he wanted to survive in this savage forest, he needed to become strong and for that he needed to face forward bravely. Clenching his fists, he went deeper into the forest. I hope there are some small animals. When he had checked the beast horde previously, he hadn¡¯t seen any of the small animals. But the larger beasts could have covered them or they could have joined the horde later. Su Ren grabbed onto any plants he could get his hands on and munched them as he walked. Time was tight. He couldn¡¯t afford to waste even a second. His conjecture seemed to be more or less correct. He had come a long way into the deep folds of the forest and he had yet to see any sign of those huge beasts. On the other hand, he had come across many small animals. As for catching one for his meal, that was another matter altogether. Every single time, his instinct would take over his body and pounce on them after letting out a growl. But every time, the prey would get away using their superior speed.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. No, that wasn¡¯t right. Su Ren shook his head. They couldn¡¯t be considered prey ¨C they were far stronger than he had given them credit for. If he had given it more thought before, it should have occurred to him. They lived among the giant beasts and they were doing just fine. How could they be weak? He had made the mistake of judging them by their appearance. The only reason he survived those encounters, he realized, was because those small beasts didn¡¯t want to confront him for reasons unknown to him. He was at the bottom rung of the food chain, just above plants and trees in this forest. He was incredibly weak. This trip through the forest had driven that point home hard into his head. ¡°I need to get stronger,¡± he told himself. There was another thing he learnt. As soon as he deemed those small beasts as strong and dangerous, his instinct stopped its antic of taking over his body and rushing forward to take them down. Apparently, the way he perceived things seemed to influence how his instinct reacted to them.
Su Ren was about to end this exploratory trip when he came across a huge majestic cave with a large nest. There was only a single egg. But it was huge! It was at least three meters tall. In his eyes, at that moment in time, that egg became the most beautiful thing in the whole world! Its pearly white shell seemed to beckon him towards it. Logic dictated that whatever being it was that laid this egg, it was sure to be enormous, even by the standard of this forest. Su Ren knew mothers were often very protective of their young ones; they would normally hover around them. Therefore, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if the mother of the egg was somewhere close. Unfortunately, rational reasoning did not apply to his instinct. Instinct didn¡¯t look into possibilities; it only looked at what was before it and the egg in front of it was no threat. Just as he expected, Su Ren felt his body lunged towards the egg with a growl. His teeth bit onto the giant egg. The shell was much thicker than he expected but his teeth easily sank into them. The possible appearance of the egg¡¯s parent nagged his mind. But as soon as his tongue touched the inside of the egg, all his rationality and restraint fled to some tiny corner. It was the most delicious thing he had ever eaten! Before he knew it, he had became one with his instinct and was gorging on the egg like a savage beast with no mind. Within a few minutes, the egg was completely gone, shell and all. Not even a drop of juice was wasted. Su Ren patted his stomach. It was the first time he had ever felt full. He had never imagined that it would be this blissful. It felt like he had lived all his life, make that two lives, just for this moment. Even if he died after this, he would have no regret. You have gained +1 Physique, +1 Soul! You have acquired the trait [Eyes of Garuda]! Oh! Smiling happily to himself, he checked the details of his new trait. Eyes of Garuda: You can view objects in the far distance as if it is in front of you. Range: 1 Kilometer. Cool. The information on how to use it flowed into his head. It wasn¡¯t complicated; it was just like using one of his limbs. He tried it out. He thought it would be like using a telescope or binoculars but he was mistaken. He was given a bird eye view of the area in front of him within the radius of one kilometer. When he focused on a particular point, that point became magnified and appeared as if it was right before his eyes. It wasn¡¯t as godly as he expected it to be. If his view was obstructed, that was as far he could see. His gaze was unable to penetrate further. In a place like this forest, the roof of the trees often covered what lay underneath them. But still, this trait was plenty useful. It upped his survivability by a few notches. That was good enough. Eyes of Garuda, what a domineering name! He thought. He had read about Garuda when he was on Earth. It was a mythological bird that was the archenemy of all serpents. When he recalled its description, the image of the hawk-like bird he had seen on the first day overlapped with it. ¡°It couldn¡¯t be, right?¡± he said to himself. But his shaking voice didn¡¯t sound convincing at all. Did he just provoke a calamity? Panic was starting to build up inside him. No. He calmed himself. As long as he wasn¡¯t found out, everything would be fine. That¡¯s right! His surveyed the area around him with his newly acquired trait [Eyes of Garuda]. No sign of the big bird, at least one kilometer around him. He had to make a run for it. If that huge bird caught him, he would be unable to bear its wrath. He would be killed for sure. He still hadn¡¯t been able to find something to wear. But that could wait. He rushed to his cave as fast as he could.
The Garuda returned to its nest after a frustrating trip. The ancient barrier formation that covered a certain region of the forest was suddenly broken. It was unknown when it happened or for that matter, how it happened. But that was not important. The important thing was ¨C it was broken and the area that was inaccessible before was finally accessible. She had often wondered what was inside. She wasn¡¯t sure how long the formation had existed but it was a very long time; that, she was sure of. As soon as she had learnt of the broken formation, she had flown towards the forbidden region to sate her curiosity. But she was left disappointed. Oh, there was good stuff there but they were nothing exceptional in the eyes of a lofty descendant of an ancient beast like her. She let the other beasts fight over them. The only thing that caught her attention was the mighty sword that was stabbed into the ground. Even by her standard, it was a great item. What was more, it had even developed spirituality! She had tried to gain the approval of the sword but no matter what she tried, the sword refused to acknowledge her as its master. She felt she sensed traces of disdain from it. In the end, she could only give up. As soon as she entered her cave, she noticed something missing. Her egg was gone! Rage built up in her. Who dared? She was the overlord of this forest. No beast here was stronger than her. No beast here possessed higher bloodline than her. Who would dare to take her egg? No, rather, who could take her egg? The prestige of a Garuda, the aura her egg emitted, should have deterred all the beasts from coming to her cave. That was also the reason why she was able to leave her egg without worry. The more she thought, the more she couldn¡¯t understand. She screeched in frustration. Where could her egg be? The one who took it shouldn¡¯t have gone far. With the additional burden of the egg, the movement speed of the thief should be reduced considerably. She flapped her wings and flew into the air. It never occurred to her that her egg could have been eaten. According to the logic she knew, it was impossible.
Su Ren''s Updated Status: Name: Su Ren Age: 10 years old Race: Hybrid Cultivation Realm: None Lifeforce: 20/20 (Regeneration: 0.01% per second) Qi: 0/0 (Regeneration: 0.01% per second) Occupations: None Cultivation Techniques: None Attributes: Physique: 2 Movement: 1 Soul: 4 Fate: 11 Traits: Myriad Physique (Innate) Innards of Primordial Taotie (Innate) Eyes of Garuda (Acquired) 03. Be Careful of What You Eat The culprit who stole the egg, Su Ren, reached the cave safely. Let¡¯s rest, he thought. He had an eventful day, after all. But before he could, a loud screech rang throughout the forest, blowing all thoughts of resting away. It was the Garuda. She had found out about her egg! Su Ren panicked for a brief moment but quickly collected himself. He knew about the [Eyes of Garuda]. It could give a bird-eye view but unless focused, one wouldn¡¯t be able to make out the details. Moreover, it could be hindered if there were any obstacles before it. It was powerful but it was not omniscient. He moved to a corner, as far away as possible from the fissure. For extra security, he curled himself on the floor, making his figure as small as possible. More rage-filled screeches of the Garuda rang out. He unconsciously flinched. He couldn¡¯t help but fear. Although he was sure [Eyes of Garuda] was neutralized, who was to say that she had no other means to find the culprit who ate her egg? This was a strange world ¨C anything seemed possible. Fortunately, none of his fears came to pass. Even after several hours, the Garuda had yet to come close to him. He was safe. He couldn¡¯t help but celebrate his good fortune in happiness. But that didn¡¯t last long. The next day, when he woke up, there were no more screeches. Emboldened, he moved near the fissure and peeked outside. But to his distress, he saw the giant figure of the Garuda soaring in the sky, continuing her survey in silence. He hastily withdrew himself to the corner. ¡°Damn that bird!¡± Su Ren cursed under his breath. Does it need to get this serious about an egg? Don¡¯t chickens get their eggs taken away from them all the time? She could just lay another one and get it done with. What was with this overreaction? Su Ren was no longer fearful. The Garuda didn¡¯t seem to possess the means to find him. Still, he was confined to the underground cave. He would be easily spotted if he stepped outside. The Garuda might be able to figure out that he was the egg thief if she saw him. That would be disastrous. I must avoid her as much as possible, he decided. With nothing to do, he explored the underground cave. Although it was quite wide, it only stretched for about fifty or so meters. There was nothing edible inside. In fact, there was nothing inside, apart from a few rocks. The third day came. The Garuda had yet to give up on her search. His stomach that was happy and contented for the past two days began to lurch. It was protesting that it had nothing new ever since it had the egg. All the nutrients from the egg were gone by now. It wanted more food. And fast. Su Ren had the feeling that if he didn¡¯t do something, he would be eaten from inside. But he was helpless. The only thing he could do was wait. The Garuda stopped her search later in the afternoon. He watched as the huge frame of the big bird disappeared into the horizon. A sigh escaped unbidden from his throat. Finally. Finally, he could go outside and look for something to eat. He felt great excitement bubbling inside his heart. It felt as if a huge burden had been taken off his shoulder. He climbed out of the cave and activated his trait [Eyes of Garuda] to survey the area around him. He was weak. He had to tread carefully if he wanted to keep his life in this forest that was filled with dangers in every part of it. A little less than one kilometer away, towards where the beast horde had gone towards, he found two beasts ¨C an ape and a wolf. Needless to say, they were much bigger than their counterparts on Earth. The two beasts were clashing against each other. There were no fancy moves involved. The wolf, taking advantage of its superior speed, pounced around the ape and tried to bite onto the vitals of the ape. Meanwhile, the ape swung its arm and tried to swat the wolf. Both of the beasts had yet to inflict any heavy damage on the other. From the looks of things, it would take a long while for them to decide the winner. The two beasts would look towards a certain direction from time to time. Curious, Su Ren focused on the area and a red fruit about the size of an apple appeared before his eyes. They must be fighting over the fruit. It looked ordinary but since the two beasts were fighting with their lives on the line over it, there must be something special about the fruit. His eyes lit up with greed. But he hesitated. Against the two beasts, he stood no chance. The only way to acquire the fruit was to sneak in and steal it. But if he were discovered, his fate wouldn¡¯t be good. He would become beast food for sure. But he soon found a gap he could exploit. As it went on, the fight between the two beasts became fiercer. And when it did, Su Ren noticed ¨C the amount of attention the two beasts paid to the fruit became less and less. If he timed it properly, he just might be able to steal the fruit, leaving them none the wiser. Should I or should I not? That was the question. He looked at the horizon. The sun was already setting down. In an hour or so, dusk would set in and the night would fall. He didn¡¯t fancy being out in the dark that offered only limited visibility with nocturnal predators for company. That left him with very limited time to fill his stomach. Consuming plants would not suffice; he would need to look for food with more energy content.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. That left him with only few options. He steeled his heart ¨C he had to proceed forward. He plotted a safe route using his ocular trait and rushed towards the fruit. That was when he noticed the effect of his increased physique stat, although it had only seen an increment of one stat point. He ran all the way at his maximum speed and he wasn¡¯t even breathless! The two beasts had strayed further from the fruit and their confrontation was so fierce that they were unable to spare any attention to the fruit. It was ideal for Su Ren. Keeping himself hidden in the shrub, away from the eyes of the two fighting beasts, he quietly plucked the fruit. He was afraid his animalistic instinct would kick in and cause commotion, which would alert the ape and wolf of his presence. Fortunately, his instinct was quiet for once. With the red fruit in his hand, he dashed to the safety of his cave. Barely had he sighed in relief when his instinct took over his body. Su Ren could only helplessly relinquish his hold on his body. Besides, his goal and the goal of his instinct aligned ¨C they both wanted to eat the red fruit. With a crunch, his teeth sank into it. Super sweet and juicy. It was nature at its best. No words could describe the surreal taste. Otherworldly. That¡¯s the only word he could think of to describe the taste. Su Ren wanted to savor the taste of the fruit slowly. It felt like a waste not to do so. But unfortunately, he had no say in it. The fruit was gobbled up quickly in its entirety in a few seconds. After a contented growl escaped his throat, he regained control of his body. Then he had the weirdest experience ever. And quite a frightening one at that! His stomach started to churn and a huge amount of energy began to spread all over his body. His body began to inflate like a balloon. At one point, it became as round as a ball and threatened to burst. There was nothing he could do but pray ¨C fearful and helpless. His body, on the other hand, absorbed the rampant energy frantically. And slowly, to his relief, the out of control energy was absorbed in its entirety. His inflated body shrank and returned to its normal size, thank the heavens above. The most surprising thing was, his insatiable stomach was also full. No. It was more than full. The surprising thing was ¨C it had only taken a single fruit the size of a normal apple to do that. You have consumed Clear Spirit Fruit. +2 Soul This incident left Su Ren feeling complicated. It also taught him a valuable lesson. He had to be careful about what he ate. But did he really have any choice in this matter? He was in a world filled with many unknown things and he had an insatiable stomach that could only be satisfied with things that had elements of danger attached with them. For now, he decided to be happy with what he got. There was no use worrying. His stats had increased and his stomach was full, what more could he as for? One step at a time, he told himself.
Ma Jun opened his eyes. Traces of frustration and disappointment could be seen in them. ¡°It¡¯s just a step, no, it¡¯s just half a step yet this step is a huge chasm that is impossible to cross,¡± he sighed. His cultivation was at the peak of the Astral Soul stage. There was only a tiny barrier that stopped him from breaking through to Astral Transformation stage. Yet that tiny barrier had stopped him from advancing for more than hundred years. He sensed a presence at his door with his spiritual sense. ¡°Grand Elder Sho, I have woken up from my mediation. Please enter,¡± he said. The door was pushed open and an old man entered the room. ¡°I am sorry for disturbing Sect Master as soon as you woke up from your cultivation. But there is an urgent matter at hand.¡± ¡°It is nothing to apologize for, Grand Master Sho. Please be seated.¡± Although Ma Jun was the Sect Master of the sect, a Grand Elder held as much prestige as the Sect Master, if not more. Moreover, Grand Elder Sho was his senior. Custom dictated that he be courteous to the old man. ¡°I have some Green Spirit Leaf. Let me brew tea for you.¡± The old man sat on one of the mats and waved his hands. ¡°Maybe, later,¡± he said. Ma Jun, who was about to stand up, settled himself back on the meditating mat and looked seriously at Grand Elder Sho. The old man was known for his fondness for tea, especially, Green Spirit Leaf tea. For him to say something like ¡®Maybe, later¡¯ to it was unprecedented. The matter he came for must be huge. Seeing Ma Jun settled down, Grand Elder Sho spoke, ¡°Sect Master, the ancient barrier formation in Fallen God Forest has disappeared.¡± It took a while for this information to sink in. ¡°You mean¡­ you mean that impregnable formation no living being could cross? Is that really true?¡± Sect Master Ma¡¯s voice was filled with disbelief and bewilderment. He found it hard to believe. It was the ancient formation, after all. According to the sect record he read, the formation dated back to ancient times. Over the course of centuries, it had shown no sign of degradation. And now, it was suddenly broken¡­ How could it be? ¡°Yes. It is that formation,¡± Grand Elder Sho confirmed. ¡°How?¡± Due to his shock, he was not able to phrase his question properly. He wanted to ask how Grand Elder Sho knew about it. ¡°It was Elder Bu Feng.¡± The old man seemed to have understood Sect Master Ma Jun¡¯s question. ¡°He was in Fallen God Forest looking for medicinal herbs when he came across the area where the barrier used to be. Presence of beasts, including those in Astral Soul stage was everywhere. He didn¡¯t dare to go and explore the area beyond the barrier.¡± Ma Jun thought over it. Should he send some elders to explore the region? The sect was already weak as it was but if he lost some elders, the sect would be weakened further. Today¡¯s Yang Sword Sect was no more the glorious Yang Sword Sect of before. It had declined. He didn¡¯t want to make the matter worse by making some irrelevant decisions. ¡°Sect Master, do you remember what was written about that area in our sect record?¡± The old man¡¯s voice jolted Ma Jun out of his thought. No, to be more specific, it was the content of what the old man had said that shook him. In his worry and need to act cautiously, he had forgotten about an important fact. If it weren¡¯t for the old man, he would have been unable to recall it. Remain of a fallen Celestial God was inside the ancient barrier formation! That was what was written in the sect record. If they were able get their hands on it ¨C It doesn¡¯t have to be the full remain, even if it was a drop of blood, that would be more than enough for their sect to rise again. ¡°Grand Elder Sho, can you please call Grand Elder Yang and other elders, We need to discuss this matter carefully and make preparations,¡± he said in a solemn voice. ¡°I have already done that. They should be here soon.¡± Sect Master Ma nodded. He unconsciously clenched his fists. A chance for both him and his sect had appeared.
The serpent opened its slit eyes. It wondered how long it had been asleep. A tantalizing scent hit its nostril. It made its blood boil. High-level bloodline and what was more, it was young. It could feel it ¨C if it consumed it, its bloodline would be upgraded to the next level. Saliva started to accumulate in its mouth. It flicked its forked tongue in anticipation. But it had to be careful of that accursed Garuda. The long body of the serpent slithered under the ground, closing on its unsuspecting prey.
Su Ren¡¯s updated Status Name: Su Ren Age: 10 years old Race: Hybrid Cultivation Realm: None Lifeforce: 20/20 (Regeneration: 0.01% per second) Qi: 0/0 (Regeneration: 0.01% per second) Occupations: None Cultivation Techniques: None Attributes: Physique: 2 Movement: 1 Soul: 6 Fate: 11 Traits Myriad Physique (Innate) Innards of Primordial Taotie (Innate) Eyes of Garuda (Acquired) 04. Life is a Struggle Su Ren looked at the sun that was shining down from the sky. His stomach was contented. There was no crazy screeching bird after him. He didn¡¯t have to snatch food from the jaws of some ferocious beasts. For the first time ever since he crossed over to this world, he could relax with none of the urgency he had to deal with before ¨C he could take his own sweet time to do stuff. It was a new day. Ah! What a beautiful day! With that said, he must not forget to be cautious. Dangers were lurking at every corner of this forest. A simple misstep on his part could lead to disastrous consequences. He activated [Eyes of Garuda] and examined his surrounding. He focused more on the area he was planning to go. The examination couldn¡¯t be considered perfect. In certain regions, his view was obstructed due to heavy foliage. But for most part, it got the job done. The area around him seemed relatively safe. Humming quietly to himself, Su Ren walked into the forest. His top agenda for the day was to get something to cover his body. He had wanted to find something to wear since the very first day he woke up in this world but for one reason or another, it was pushed back and he had to go bare for a long while. His plan for now was to string together some leaves. Well, there were no other alternatives available to him. The leaves in this world were bigger, stronger and durable. He picked the ones that seemed suitable and ate the ones that weren¡¯t. It was killing two birds with a stone. Although his stomach was in a satisfied state now, it couldn¡¯t be considered full. Su Ren wanted to maintain this state at the very least at all times, if not full. He found some thin tenacious vines ¨C he used them to thread the leaves together. After several hours of many trials and errors (and also, eating), he was finally able to finish a minimal viable product. As soon as he did, he put them on. He couldn¡¯t help but give a self-satisfied smile. His new clothes, if they could be called that, didn¡¯t offer him much protection against wind, rain, heat or cold. But that was not important. His new body was resilient enough to the elements. What he wanted was something to do cover his bare body. It didn¡¯t have anything to do with logic but rather with his human aesthetics. It just didn¡¯t feel right to be naked. For now, his new clothes were fulfilling their purpose quite nicely. ¡°Should I go back now?¡± he asked himself in a mumble. He looked at the sun that was barely past its peak. There were still some hours before it set in and the night fell but it didn¡¯t feel bad to be leisurely for once. He had been rushed around too much lately, so it made for a nice change of pace. He retraced his steps back slowly. It was when he was about to reach his cave. He felt a sudden chill in the air. A bad premonition rose in his heart. But before he could do anything, a giant pair of eyes appeared in his mind. An unreasonable primal fear struck his heart. He didn¡¯t know what was happening. But his instinct told him. He had to get away. And fast. But to his horror, he realized ¨C he was unable to move. He was petrified! The ground a few meters in front of him cracked open and the head of a huge snake, the likes of one he had never seen in his life, followed by its long body rose up from it. The cold yellow slit-like eyes that were really similar to the ones that appeared in his head looked at him with greed and hunger. He was its prey! However, for some unfathomable reason, Su Ren didn¡¯t feel any fear. It was like everything that was happening was a natural course of event, something he shouldn¡¯t stop. The serpent leisurely made its way towards him and opened its big mouth. And swallowed him whole! You have been swallowed by a basilisk! ¨C 0.1 lifeforce per second. It was only then did terror struck him. What happened? His mind was in a bewildered state. Everything happened so fast that he was left in a befuddled state. He was unable to get a proper grasp of the events. The only thing that stuck in his head was ¨C he was in the belly of a snake and he was being digested! Calm down! He forced his panicking mind to cool down. If he wanted to get out of this predicament, it was imperative that his head be clear and logical. That was the most important thing. It took a while but his mind was finally calm ¨C well, as calm as it could be under this sudden duress. He tried to move his body. But apart from his head that could move slightly, the rest of his body was struck. Immobile. He opened his status window. Over the past few days, he had learnt that he didn¡¯t need to shout ¡°Status!¡± like he did when he viewed his status for the first time. When he thought about it, it would appear. He ran a quick calculation. He had 20 lifeforce. If 0.1 lifeforce was depleting every second, he had about 200 seconds, which was a little more than 3 minutes. His 0.01% per second regeneration rate generated 0.002 per seconds. In 200 seconds, 0.4 lifeforce would be regenerated, that would earn him 4 extra seconds.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. He had 204 seconds to think of a solution. No. 19 seconds had already passed; most of the time had been wasted trying to get his panicking head under control. That left him with only 185 seconds. His 6 stat points in soul stat was showing its effect. If it weren¡¯t for it, it would be impossible to run the calculation this fast. Even with the assistance of a calculator, it would have taken much longer. The scarce air and the strong stench of the digestive fluid were proving to be quite a distraction. Su Ren tried his best to ignore them and think of viable solution. What should he do? An idea suddenly struck him. Or rather, it was the only option available to him. He opened his mouth and sank his teeth into the membrane that surrounded him. Although he was in no mood to savor the taste, he couldn¡¯t ignore the sensation his tongue felt. It was delicious! With a gulp, he swallowed. You have consumed the meat of an Astral Soul stage beast. +1 Physique Yes! With this, his time was extended by 100 seconds. But more than that, it presented him hope. He still had the chance to salvage the situation. His instinct took over his body. Su Ren gladly let go of his hold. When it came to eating, his instinct was really fast. And fast was what he desperately needed at the moment. He began to consume of the inside of the giant snake ravenously. The snake on its part thrashed around but Su Ren didn¡¯t relent. He could do nothing to this beast outside. But now that he was inside its body, there was nothing it could do to him. You have consumed the meat of an Astral Soul stage beast. +1 Physique You have consumed the meat of an Astral Soul stage beast. +1 Physique You have consumed the heart of an Astral Soul stage beast. +1 Soul Several notifications appeared before his eyes. With a thought, he made them disappear. He didn¡¯t have time for them. He would check them later after everything was over. Then he noticed something. He was about to tear a hole through the snake. With one more bite, it would be done. Not good! Outside was the domain of the serpent. If he really stepped out, he would be at the mercy of the beast. It definitely wouldn¡¯t let him go. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it tortured him before killing him for inflicting this suffering on it. Eat the inside first before stepping outside, he urged his body. Whether it was due to the urgency of the situation or due to his stronger soul, his mouth steered away from the thin skin and turned its attention to the inner organs. Su Ren sighed in relief inwardly. You have consumed the meat of an Astral Soul stage beast. +1 Physique You have consumed the meat of an Astral Soul stage beast. +1 Physique You have consumed the brain of an Astral Soul stage beast. +1 Soul As time passed, the struggle of the snake became less and finally, stopped altogether. Moments later, it stopped moving altogether. It was dead! You have accomplished a difficult feat! +1 Fate You have slain an Astral Soul stage basilisk! +342 Qi Essence Please exercise your cultivation technique to absorb it. Su Ren felt some sort of energy flow into him ¨C No cultivation technique exercised. Qi Essence will dissipate. And he felt it flow out of him. Although the basilisk was dead, Su Ren didn¡¯t relent and kept on eating ¨C or rather, his instinct was not done eating. You have consumed the meat of an Astral Soul stage beast. +1 Physique You have consumed the meat of an Astral Soul stage beast. +1 Physique Soon, the huge snake disappeared in its entirety. You have acquired the trait [Basilisk¡¯s Eye] Before he could check the detail, another notification hit him. You have two ocular traits. Would you like to fuse them? The abilities of the previous traits will be retained. There is a chance of acquiring an all-new ability. It didn¡¯t sound like a bad deal. But that would have to wait. First, he needed to get away from here. The serpent created quite a commotion when it thrashed around. It might bring other beasts to this area. As he was now, it would be an impossible task to take care of them. No. Even if he were in his peak condition, it would be impossible for him. He had been lucky in this encounter; it wouldn¡¯t be same every time. The underground cave was not very far. He dragged his fatigued body towards it. It was slow but he was able to reach the fold of his cave safely. He laid himself down on the floor. The floor felt cold against his bare skin. The clothes that he made after several hours of diligent work were all gone. The strong digestive fluid of the basilisk had dissolved it, leaving no trace of it behind. I will make another one tomorrow, he told himself. With the experience that he gained from making the first one, the second one should be easy and less time consuming. Moving on, he brought the notification about the fusion of his two traits before him and read it once again. You have two ocular traits. Would you like to fuse them? The abilities of the previous traits will be retained. There is a chance of acquiring an all-new ability. No matter how he thought about, it seemed to be a good thing. Fuse, I thought. [Eyes of Garuda] and [Basilisk¡¯s Eye] are fusing together. A conflict has arisen! The two traits are of incompatible origin. Resolving the conflict will take a while. Please wait. What now? Hardly had that thought appeared in his head when he was hit by a headache that threatened to split his head apart. He squirmed on the floor, while letting out groans of pain. He had just been through a tough ordeal and yet, he was thrown into another one soon after. What was with this? After what felt like eternity, the terrible headache finally receded. Fusion completed! [Eyes of Garuda] and [Basilisk¡¯s Eye] has evolved to [Kaleidoscope Eye]! All the abilities of [Eyes of Garuda] and [Basilisk¡¯s Eye] have been retained. Two new abilities have been added to [Kaleidoscope Eye]! Su Ren had no strength to examine the changes to his traits. I will do it tomorrow, he thought and fainted due to exhaustion.
Su Ren¡¯s updated Status Name: Su Ren Age: 10 years old Race: Hybrid Cultivation Realm: None Lifeforce: 32/90 (Regeneration: 0.01% per second) Qi: 0/0 (Regeneration: 0.01% per second) Occupations: None Cultivation Techniques: None Attributes: Physique: 9 Movement: 1 Soul: 8 Fate: 12 Traits Myriad Physique (Innate) Innards of Primordial Taotie (Innate) Kaleidoscope Eye (Acquired) Update! Sort Of... I have been debating with myself whether I should write this post for the past few months. But I thought I at least owed an explanation to you guys who had been supporting me and this story. Long story short, I have been struggling with anxiety and depression for a while. A lot of stuff happened in my personal life and it all came crushing down on me at once. And let me tell you, it is not a pleasant experience. And panic attacks are the worst! Thankfully, things are starting to look forward.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I am NOT abandoning this story. I will return to this story some day soon, so give me some time to regain my form. In the mean time, I might write an all new story in another account. I desperately need new stuff to occupy my thoughts for now. So I will see you guys when I see you.