[Devour successful]
[D-Rank ability acquired: Hard Skin.]
[Hard Skin: Consumes energy to form a rock-textured layer of keratinized skin on the body, greatly increasing defense.]
At that moment, only three words filled Luo Bai's mind: Fight! So satisfying!
It had also been a long time since Bai Chen had thrown himself into a fight so freely. After all, the Slimes in his forest had hardly been a challenge.
And aside from Slimes, the only other Devil Creatures that passed through were powerful ones several centuries old, which he was in no position to challenge.
And today,
on his very first day in the human world, Bai Chen had gained an S-Rank Life Skill and a D-Rank Life Skill!
From now on, it could not only be an ordinary Slime, but also become a Rock Slime with exceptionally high defense and an Ice Slime capable of controlling frost!
Although Hard Skin was only D-Rank,
combined with the S-Rank Shadow Hand, it was also a powerful means of fighting enemies in ordinary combat!
Bai Chen nodded in satisfaction, then sank into his consciousness to check his latest status.
[Host: Bai Chen]
[Attribute: Shadow System]
[Species: Devouring Demon God (wields the authority of Devour; can acquire the abilities of different Devil Creatures by devouring them)]
[Abilities currently acquired: Shadow Tentacles (S-Rank), Moon Ice Domain (S-Rank), Hard Skin (D-Rank) (progress: 30/100%)]
[Maximum number of abilities reached. Break through to the Second Tier to unlock another ability slot.]
[Level: 10 (21%)]
[Master: Lin Luoluo]
Very good.
Bai Chen swept his gaze over the list of abilities.
As for the C-Rank Source Crystal from that Scorpion, he naturally hadn't wasted it either.
After devouring [Hard Skin], he had swallowed the Source Crystal glowing with a dark purple light without hesitation.
This time, however, he hadn't done it to acquire an ability, but purely to use it as nourishment.
That was his most terrifying talent as the [Devouring Demon God].
Not only could he acquire other Devil Creatures' abilities through Devour, he could even use other Source Crystals as energy to raise the rank and proficiency of abilities he already possessed, forcibly breaking through their originally fixed rank limits.
The energy contained in a single C-Rank Source Crystal had sent the progress bar for the D-Rank ability [Hard Skin] soaring from zero to 30%.
As long as he had enough Source Crystals, he could forcibly raise a D-Rank ability all the way to S-Rank.
Just as he was about to get another feel for the power his new ability brought, a somewhat panicked call suddenly drifted faintly from the nearby house.
It's Luoluo!
Bai Chen abandoned his plan to test his new ability and hurriedly crawled into the house.
Meanwhile, deep in the sewers.
It was dark and damp, filled with the stench of rot and decay.
Bai Chen had dumped two corpses here, and the blood of one had already melted. The thick smell of blood drew the hungry inhabitants of this underground world like a beacon in the night.
Rustle, rustle...
Rustle, rustle...
Countless shadows of all sizes poured out of the pipes from every direction. They lunged madly at the two corpses, their sharp teeth and claws easily tearing through the humans' fragile skin and muscle.
The sounds of chewing, tearing, and swallowing echoed through the narrow sewer.
The corpses were disappearing before the naked eye. Soon, not even a scrap of bone would remain.
Beside this chaotic, bloody feast, a black walkie-talkie, half-covered by a scrap of clothing that had fallen from a corpse, flashed a faint red light in an unnoticed corner.
A line of small text appeared clearly on its screen.
[Message sent...]
"Xiao Bai... Xiao Bai, where did you go?!"
On the soft, large bed, Lin Luoluo jolted awake from her dream and sat up.
She wore a loose set of cartoon pajamas. As she sat up, the soft fabric slid over her smooth skin, revealing half of one rounded, fair shoulder, as well as her full chest and a large expanse of delicate skin.
But Lin Luoluo had no mind to pay attention to any of that now.
She looked around the empty room in a daze, her heart pounding wildly with panic.
Yesterday, she had formed a contract with an unknown, mysterious Contract Spirit. It could even defeat an S-Rank Cold Moon Fox.
It could also let her move around freely like her wheelchair, and had fed her bite by bite at the dining table.
But now Xiao Bai was gone.
She was terrified.
She feared that when she woke up, she would find that the adorable Devil Creature called Xiao Bai, with his black tentacles, and that miraculous contract had all been nothing more than a beautiful dream she had imagined because she longed for them so much.
The moment the thought arose, a tremendous sense of loss welled up in her heart, leaving her almost unable to breathe.
Tears quickly filled her eyes, blurring her vision.
"Xiao Bai... sob..."
Her voice thick with tears, she called softly again, her voice full of helplessness.
Now the dream was over.
Reality was still the same cold, cruel reality.
She could no longer hold back her tears. They slid down her cheeks and fell onto the quilt, spreading into small dark patches.
Just as she hugged her knees, on the verge of sinking into despairing sorrow,
a familiar, icy touch gently brushed her cheek.
Lin Luoluo's sobbing faltered.
She raised her head in disbelief and looked ahead through tear-filled eyes.
A black figure had somehow climbed onto her bed and was resting quietly in front of her.
His tentacle, smooth as obsidian, was carefully wiping the tears from her face.
It's Xiao Bai!
He's back!
It wasn't a dream! None of this was a dream!
A tremendous rush of surprise swept over her, instantly washing away all the unease in Lin Luoluo's heart.
Unable to hold back any longer, she pulled Bai Chen into her arms and held him tight.
"Waaah—! Xiao Bai! Where did you run off to?! I thought... I thought you didn't want me anymore!"
The girl hugged him so tightly that it was as if she wanted to press him into her own body.
Warm tears soaked Bai Chen's body. He could clearly feel the girl trembling in his arms, as well as her undisguised dependence on him.
Bai Chen didn't move.
He let Lin Luoluo hold him, while extending a tentacle to pat her gently on the back.
Don't be afraid. I won't disappear. I'll always be with you.
He hadn't expected that simply going out to take care of some trash and level up along the way, for no more than a dozen or so minutes in all, would scare Xiao Luoluo so badly.
It seemed he would have to be more careful from now on.
At the very least, he had to tell her before going out.
Bai Chen thought this to himself.