Chapter 76: Changes in the Body!
A sliver of morning sunlight pierced through the pink curtains into the hall of the Fragrance of Night, a high-end inn frequented by powerful adventurers and wealthy merchants.
At this hour, they were usually resting in bed, exhausted, as the inn's beautiful maids had drained their energy, and of course, their wallets, the night before. These maids, all from the imperial capital, were gorgeous and experienced, proficient in various 'skills'.
Felix sat quietly in a corner of the hall, his milk finished, but the wheat porridge untouched.
He noticed an issue, not too severe, that he seemed to be developing an aversion to vegetarian food. He couldn’t muster any appetite for food lacking in fat and energy. Previously, he hadn’t noticed this because he had been eating bear meat, but now, facing the attractive wheat porridge, his craving for meat seemed stronger than ever. The once-appealing porridge couldn’t stir even a hint of hunger in him.
“Could it be the increased metabolism requires more energy? Is that why I'm repelling food that doesn’t provide much energy?” Felix thought, tasting a spoonful of the bland porridge and instantly losing interest.
In contrast, the roasted lamb legs at a distance, golden and crispy, dripping with fat, aroused his appetite. The sight of the greasy juices and the tantalizing aroma wafting from the butter on the fire made Felix feel a strong sense of hunger.
Drawing his fine steel dagger, he sliced off a tender piece from the fattiest part of the lamb leg, seasoned it, and took a bite. The taste was rich, smooth, tender, and the warm fat created a comforting sensation in his bloodstream. These greasy meats, often considered sinful indulgences by the affluent, now seemed incredibly delicious to Felix.
A preference for meat?
Felix ate quickly, under the amazed gaze of the charming innkeeper. He swiftly cut half of the roasted lamb into dozens of pieces.
Ignoring the heat, the stimulated hunger made Felix uncomfortable. His eating pace quickened, and soon he was devouring the meat without even bothering to season it, chewing and swallowing in quick succession.
After eating two-thirds of the half lamb, about twenty pounds, the innkeeper’s eyes were wide with disbelief. She looked at Felix's unbulging stomach, wondering if he was some legendary humanoid monster...
“The need for food has decreased, but maybe hot food provides more energy.”
If Felix remembered correctly, the creature with the strongest regenerative ability in this world was a low-level magical beast, widely known and often abused by novices – the Slime!
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Slimes were easygoing creatures that preferred warm, cool, and damp environments, ideally among dead branches and fallen leaves, so they didn’t have to seek food. They were more common in the south of the continent; less so in the colder climate of the Titans Empire.
Although called magical beasts, slimes were relatively weak. Aside from their innate skill of “Spitting Acid,” they had almost no offensive capabilities.
Slimes were known to have the strongest regenerative abilities discovered to date. Even if they were eaten by other creatures, as long as their brain remained intact, they could fully recover overnight!
Few knew that slimes spent 80% of their lives eating. They consumed anything they could swallow, be it rocks, sand, or dead wood and leaves.
The slimes' extraordinary dissolving ability allows them to digest any food, then liquefying it to replenish their bodily consumption. Slimes spend their days casting three spells before sleeping, mating before splitting when casting two spells, with the rest of their time dedicated to eating and digesting food.
Their non-stop eating and digesting is the fundamental reason for their incredible regenerative powers.
Felix now suspects that his body requires a vast amount of energy daily, which he can't derive from magical elements. He hasn't yet entered the Golden Dominion and can't absorb trace elements from the air into his body to replenish his energy.
Thus, he must replenish this energy from food, likely explaining his skyrocketing appetite. Meat clearly has more energy than vegetables, which is probably why he prefers it.
As the food digests, his hunger fades, and Felix feels a warm sensation in his stomach, spreading to his heart and then throughout his veins. He picks up a glass of after-dinner wine, leaning back in his chair, sipping slowly. He believes his deduction is correct; it's the most reasonable explanation for now.
Felix looks up at the plump and attractive innkeeper, whose face still shows surprise. Her incredulous gaze seems to view him as some ogre-like monster!
Felix smirks. The most powerful ogres in legends could eat three grown men in one meal! He's only eaten less than twenty pounds of meat— is it really that exaggerated?
Checking the time, it's a quarter past eight in the magical morning. Felix pulls out a high-quality ruby from the Blue Crystal and tosses it in front of the stunned innkeeper, Meiyun. His gold coins were taken by the angelic sister on his way here, leaving him not even a silver coin. Fortunately, he has some gems for making magical tools, valuable enough to sustain him until he returns to the imperial city.
"Thank you for your care during this time," Felix says to the dazed Meiyun, showing a gentle smile. Then, he picks up a wide, black cloak from the chair and drapes it over himself.
This ruby, of excellent quality, is worth at least three hundred Caesar gold coins—enough to buy this inn, let alone pay some room rent. Felix's rune sword bears traces of death script. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he decides to don the cloak and temporarily disguise himself as a solitary ranger.
Rangers, often proud swordsmen, lean towards justice and righteousness in their professional ethics, frequently undertaking tasks to punish the wicked. They enjoy a good reputation everywhere.
After leaving the Fragrance of Night, Felix immediately stops a merchant about to set off on a journey. After a brief negotiation, he trades a small piece of red agate for a decent horse from the merchant. In such a small town, buying a horse is impossible, and walking on foot isn't appealing. To acquire a horse, Felix must resort to passing merchants.
Having secured a horse, Felix doesn't linger. After a quick purchase of a tent and some meat, he heads non-stop towards the imperial city.