Bizarre Survival: I Can Devour Thousands of Talents

Chapter 2 002: Gluttony

The campfire, radiating warmth, flickered on its own.

This place is now deserted.

Ling Xiao held a torch in his left hand and gripped a machete tightly in his right, moving forward with light steps.

He looked back but didn't turn around; he saw that the path he had come from had been obscured by the gray fog once again.

At this moment, all directions are obstructions and illusions.

Lingxiao, walking through it, felt as if he had been abandoned by the whole world.

Loneliness, solitude, and the fear of being unknown to others weighed heavily on his heart.

However, this reckless act earned the "brave" a reward from heaven.

This torch, stained with the embers of the gods, retains the function of dispelling the fog, though its effect is weak, as it can only clear the fog about three meters away.

At first, Ling Xiao kept looking back, afraid that he would never be able to return once he entered the fog. Fortunately, the torch and the campfire had some kind of connection, and he could still sense his location in the dark after leaving.

The torches also had countdown timers.

Once separated from the campfire, it can only provide light for half an hour.

However, exploring just 100 meters should be enough...

When vision is obstructed, hearing becomes much more useful.

As they moved forward slowly, Ling Xiao began to catch some slight noises with his ears.

Well known.

Those who are blessed with good fortune can hear all sorts of voices.

Unfortunately, Ling Xiao, the test-taker, knew nothing and could only hear that as he moved further away from the campfire, the sounds in the surrounding mist became more frequent and louder.

"One hundred meters, how do you calculate that... when will it be finished...?"

The unknown situation, combined with the imagination, made a real chill creep up and down the legs of the pants.

Ling Xiao was very scared.

But I don't regret it.

They didn't even think about sneaking back before they got too far.

The best way to overcome fear is to face it!

Running away from the problem a thousand times won't solve it; the only way is to confront it head-on and fight it to the death!

Either get it all in one go! Or get it straight to your stomach!

Therefore, Ling Xiao's toes always pointed in the same direction. Although he still couldn't avoid deviating, he could still go further than if he stayed in one place and suffered.

What is exploration? There is no precise definition.

The task prompt is so clumsy, you can't even fart properly!

A few beads of cold sweat had appeared on Ling Xiao's forehead, and his palms, which were gripping the machete, were also sticky, but he simply continued walking with complete focus.

The fog swirled and reluctantly relinquished the space it had been occupying.

The faint light was not constant.

Thus, the "safe zone" it formed trembled incessantly under the pressure of the gray fog, as if countless ferocious monsters outside were trying to break through the protection of the light.

His breathing gradually became heavy.

Ling Xiao tried his best to calm his racing heartbeat, but it was all in vain.

As he walked through the gray fog, he felt that his random thoughts were becoming more and more frequent. The more he tried to suppress them, the more easily all sorts of strange thoughts would take advantage of his vulnerability.

His mental state is deteriorating.

But we're already here.

Sensing the location of the campfire, Ling Xiao roughly estimated that he had moved at least fifty meters.

If you go astray along the way, the journey will only become longer.

Giving up now would be truly abandoning halfway.

Keep going, victory is definitely in sight!

The fervent thoughts that filled my mind unconsciously pushed away the feelings of confusion and depression.

Holding a torch, they continued their exploration.

As Ling Xiao got used to this mode of travel, his speed gradually increased.

The bright firelight, incongruous with the surrounding darkness, acts as the bow of a ship cutting through the waves, resolutely dispelling the malevolent gray fog ahead.

Before long, the 100 meters were covered.

While Ling Xiao was still on guard nearby, a golden light quietly appeared in the task bar.

"So fast!?"

Overjoyed, he immediately opened the panel.

[Trial Mission (Completed)]

[Your innate talent has been awakened, and the starting gift has been unlocked]

[Brave explorer! As the eighth survivor in the region to pass the trial, your innate talent quality cap has been increased to [Epic]!]

The completion of the trial mission caused both the attribute bar and the inventory bar to flash.

Let's first take a look at what our innate talent is all about!

【LV0 (0%): Lingxiao】

【Talent: Gluttony [Main] (Inferior/Epic)】

【property:】

【肉体[力量3/敏捷4/体质3]——体力值[100/100]】

【魂灵[灵性4/感知4/精神4]——灵力值[120/120]】

[The Heart of Gluttony: After a target perishes within its absorption range, one of its talents can be plundered. The success rate is affected by the difference in talent quality (including current quality and future potential). Talents of the same type can be stacked, different types can be devoured, and talents with similar attributes can be fused. The maximum number of derived talents is limited by the level, while the quality cap remains unchanged and cannot exceed the current quality of the Heart of Gluttony.]

"A heart capable of gluttony... Just looking at the description, its potential is terrifyingly immense!"

Gamers should all know how terrifying it is to have all kinds of buffs stacked up!

Whether positive or negative, the ability to handle the cumulative effect of several lines or pages of special effects is itself proof of great strength!

Moreover, the buffs from the Heart of Gluttony are not temporary, but a talent that will be permanently retained on Ling Xiao!

Most importantly, derivative talents can be changed, merged, and upgraded!

With enough materials, you can create one, or even several, complementary talent trees to maximize their power!

However, amidst his elation, Ling Xiao also noticed a problem.

Regardless of potential or future prospects, one's innate talent is undoubtedly excellent.

But what he lacks most right now is the ability to protect himself, and the Gluttonous Heart clearly needs time to develop before it can unleash its true power.

The latest novel is first published here!

It wasn't that he was short-sighted, but rather that the malice emanating from his surroundings was too real and terrifying!

"grass!"

It's not an illusion!

A sense of foreboding arose in Ling Xiao's mind as a dark shadow flashed in the corner of his eye.

In his shock, he only had time to lean back slightly to avoid the powerful impact!

blah-

Amidst the rapid tearing sound of fabric, the unidentified creature's claws "casually" slashed a gash across Ling Xiao's chest. The searing pain immediately awakened the most primal wildness of the terrifying upright ape!

The panel does not have a time stop function.

Moreover, these monsters in the gray fog have absolutely no sense of martial ethics!

Seeing the dark figure pause, then suddenly stretch out and spring back towards him, Ling Xiao felt a surge of anger and malice.

There's no set method to using a machete; just find the right angle and chop straight down!

"Crunch...squeak!"

The monster, which had been launched like a ball, let out a miserable cry and froze. The combined speed of itself and the blade managed to slice off half of Ling Xiao's head.

The knife in his hand was almost knocked away.

Ling Xiao gripped the knife handle tightly with his aching fingers again, seizing the opportunity when the monster collapsed and convulsed, he pounced on it and began hacking away wildly!

Those who frequently commit murder know this.

Even without practice, it's difficult for someone to cut vegetables evenly, let alone chop up and kill live animals.

Two consecutive slashes came down, but both were twisted away by the frantically struggling monster, and in the end only the fur was cut, leaving two dark red gashes.

In a moment of desperation, Ling Xiao threw the torch aside and gripped the knife tightly with both hands, staring intently at one spot.

The neck should be below the head; let's cut that area open first!

puff!

One slash, and blood splatters!

Two or three strikes later, the monster's activity level decreased dramatically.

Four cuts, five cuts...

Having broken free from a certain state, Lingxiao's "turbid" five senses suddenly became clear.

The panting breaths that reached my ears, the strange, fishy stench that filled my nostrils, the supple feel of the blade against my skin, and the brutal, bloody scene before my eyes.

Until then.

Ling Xiao realized that he had forgotten to activate his skills while fighting the monster. He calmed himself down and was about to use his Eye of Appraisal to see what kind of thing it was when the monster's corpse began to undergo mysterious changes first.

A golden light emerged from the corpse, condensed, and then quickly flew up and entered his chest.

In addition, there was a wisp of pale blue light that shot directly into Ling Xiao's forehead before he could even react.

Congratulations on successfully defeating the 'Mutant - Nightshade Rabbit'!

[Congratulations on completing the hidden quest [Bloody Awakening]! As you are the third explorer in the area to slay the strange creature, your kill experience has increased! Further hidden quests are now available!]

[Your experience level has reached the upgrade requirement!]

[Level upgraded to LV1! +1 free attribute point!]

"Seven people ahead of me completed the trial, two of whom also encountered monsters and, like me, fought back and killed them..."

"It's also possible... some have already..."

Ling Xiao, who only saw a part of the whole picture, was somewhat surprised.

It seems there are quite a few "pro players" among the survivors!

Whether they were reckless fools like me or experts who quickly adapted to the current strange environment, they have all reached LV1 by now, and their innate talents have at least epic potential, and maybe even higher!

Fortunately for Ling Xiao, this extremely dangerous encounter also brought an unexpected surprise.

[Talent plundering in progress... Current success rate 98.3%...]

[Plunder successful! Talent - [Night Walk (Inferior)] equipped!]

[The Heart of Gluttony] absorbs trace amounts of nutrients, resulting in a slight improvement in quality!

Hey everyone, if you think it's passable, please consider adding it to your favorites!

Please, everyone, please, please read this!

I'm testing the waters with 50,000 words. There are already few readers clicking in, so if you all keep reading, I'll be in real trouble!

Please, everyone, nurture this seedling! I have a lot of drafts saved up, but they only become popular after they're published. Please, everyone, give me a chance to follow and help me advance my level!

(End of this chapter)