"What good news?"
Ye Fei was slightly taken aback.
"We’re going out to hunt tomorrow! Everyone’s Power has shot up this time, so we can hunt stronger monsters. The meat from stronger monsters... one piece is better than six!"
Luo Zai continued to explain, "You and I both did pretty well, especially you. As a talented newcomer, you’re bound to get some extra resources thrown your way. Then we can finally eat less of that nasty meat."
"Once you become a Neo-Human, there’s no more free meat. You have to participate in battles."
"Of course, you’re an exception. You can make contributions even without leaving the Shelter, so you should be able to get a fixed share of meat."
"So, like I said, good news is coming your way. You can get meat without taking any risks. It might be a little less, but don’t worry, I’m super powerful."
After hearing Luo Zai’s explanation, it dawned on Ye Fei. ’So all this time, we rookies have been eating the worst-quality meat. Not only is it less effective, but the taste is probably the worst too.’
’No wonder the others didn’t look like they were in so much pain during their Cultivation. I thought they had just gotten used to it. Turns out our rewards were completely different!’
"Is the Cultivation efficiency of good meat really that high?"
Ye Fei was immediately tempted. From what Luo Zai said, it was distribution based on contribution. If he went, couldn’t he also get more meat? Even if he didn’t eat it himself, it might be beneficial for the mushroom.
"Right, if the meat has more Spiritual Power, then according to the theory of Spiritual Power altering living beings, the monster must be stronger too, right?"
Ye Fei asked.
Luo Zai nodded. "Of course they’re stronger. The last time we got meat like this, one of our Elites died. I was lucky I could run fast, or I would’ve been torn in two. That Mutant Beast wasn’t just terrifyingly powerful; the most troublesome part is that it runs away if it can’t win. Some of those Mutated Wolves have no honor, either—they’ll even call for backup."
"Don’t even think about going since your eyes haven’t recovered. I suggest you talk to the captain and use this opportunity to take on the task of preparing the mushroom soup for everyone. That way, you can get an extra share of meat. It’s better than all that fighting and killing. You were a tech engineer, right? It wouldn’t be a stretch to switch careers and become an Alchemist now."
’That dangerous!’
Ye Fei immediately dismissed the idea of joining them.
’I can get stronger just by growing my mushrooms. Why would I risk my life just to speed up my Cultivation a little?’
’Besides, the more diligently I cultivate, the more meat I’ll consume. The more I consume, the more Mutant Beasts I’ll have to hunt. But if you walk by the river often enough, you’re bound to get your shoes wet. That’s basically gambling with my life.’
For others, it was the only way to get stronger. For Ye Fei, it was a terrible deal.
’Good thing I was cautious and chose to feign blindness from the start...’ Ye Fei couldn’t help but feel a little fortunate.
"Thanks, Handsome Guy. I appreciate the advice. I’m off to cook mushrooms for people now."
Ye Fei said sincerely.
Luo Zai was excited.
"I said, thanks. I appreciate the advice."
Ye Fei repeated.
"No, you missed two words. Come on, say it louder. Say those two words."
"...Dickhead."
"Agh! Damn you!"
Luo Zai watched the retreating Ye Fei with a gloomy expression. ’All I want is for someone to call me Handsome Guy a few times. Is that so wrong? Am I really not handsome enough? No, that can’t be right... I’m a Superpower User now. After all I’ve been through, I should have gotten more handsome...’ Involuntarily, Luo Zai took out a mirror and was lost in thought.
As Ye Fei walked toward the ventilation shaft of Pit Section 1, he carefully mulled over Luo Zai’s advice.
He had to admit, it was excellent advice. Although he was "blind," he wasn’t useless. Just for his ability to precisely prepare the ’Hallucinogen,’ no one could replace him. This Ability could indeed be used as a bargaining chip with the others, but... as leverage, it wasn’t quite enough.
However, Ye Fei could bluff, creating leverage out of thin air.
Immediately, with a thought, he made the mushrooms that the Superpower User was about to cook start secreting more Hallucinogen.
The pot of soup they were making would have an overdose of Hallucinogen.
This was one of Ye Fei’s Intelligent Particle tactics. He had effectively monopolized the ’mushroom soup’ in the entire Shelter. Other than him, no one could cook a pot of mushroom soup with the right dose of Hallucinogen!
....
That night, after showering, Ye Fei lay down on his bed. He prepared to satisfy the mushroom’s feeling of emptiness by choosing a type of flesh for it to devour.
He had prepared the flesh during the day: rabbit meat, Mutated Two-headed Monster Bird, Mutated Wolf, and earthworm.
To avoid being discovered, he had thrown all the flesh into the trash can by his door. This way, he could observe and record the changes with his own eyes while it was being devoured.
’I wonder what changes the mushroom will undergo after devouring flesh?’
But there was one thing Ye Fei was sure of: the birth of a new Ability would definitely be related to this choice.
Just then, a knock came from the door, followed by Liu Ru’s gentle voice. "Ye Fei, are you asleep?"
"Not yet."
Liu Ru then pushed the door open and walked in, carrying a medical bag on her back.
Ye Fei asked in confusion, "Sister Liu, are you here for a physical check-up this late?" This chapter is updated first at g.com.
Looking at Ye Fei sitting on the bed with his vacant eyes, Liu Ru felt a pang of guilt. She spoke gently, "I heard the hunting party is setting out with everyone tomorrow, so I have something to give you."
"I remember mentioning it to you before, but if you came to get it tomorrow morning, I wouldn’t be up that early."
As she spoke, she rummaged through her medical kit and pulled out a pale yellow syringe, placing it in Ye Fei’s hand.
"This is adrenaline. It’s normally used during surgery to prevent patients from going into shock, but your constitution is very good, so you can also use it directly in an emergency battle. It lasts for ten minutes. For those ten minutes, you won’t feel any pain, and your heart rate will be at least 190."
"Keep it on you. It can save your life at a critical moment."
"But only use it in a crisis. Remember, it’s just to save your life; it won’t make you overwhelmingly powerful."
Looking at the syringe being offered to him, Ye Fei fell silent. This was something any Superpower User could use. As a life-saving drug, it was an enormous favor.
"Sister Liu, I’m not going out tomorrow."
Ye Fei reached out and felt for her hand. As soon as he touched it, he politely let go and placed the syringe back in her hand.
"The captain took my eye problem into consideration, so I don’t need to go out with them."
’He doesn’t have to go?’
Liu Ru was stunned. "But if that’s the case, you won’t be able to acquire any Cultivation Resources."
"Don’t worry, Sister Liu. With my Superpower, I can accurately judge the Hallucinogen content, so everyone likes to ask me to cook the mushroom soup."
"A technical skill like this can also be exchanged for resources."
"Besides, my Talent is pretty good. Even Captain Qin was shocked by my Talent, so I’m sure I’ll get some preferential treatment when it comes to resources."
Seeing Ye Fei so optimistic, Liu Ru felt a mix of admiration and worry. The more hopeful Ye Fei was, the more disappointed he would be later if he found out his eyes couldn’t be cured at all, right?
As a doctor, she knew all too well how devastating it was for a person to be plunged into eternal darkness. Many would become depressed, their personalities would change drastically, and some would even commit suicide...
That’s why she didn’t dare directly tell Ye Fei she wanted to check his eyes. She couldn’t bear to lie to him again, but she was also afraid that telling the truth would crush him.
"You’re amazing, Ye Fei!"
So, she could only praise him while secretly taking out a flashlight. She leaned in close to him and shone the light into his pupils.
Watching Liu Ru’s cautious movements, Ye Fei was both amused and a little touched.
But he had to admit, Liu Ru’s figure was top-notch. She was wearing a loose short-sleeved shirt, but it couldn’t hide her great body, especially not when she leaned forward, causing the collar to droop. All he could say was that in this situation, the best views were from the most precarious places.