Second Form

In the room, the redness in Chen Chong's eyes slowly faded, just like the stars outside the window.

But he hadn't noticed the change in the sky at all. He was quietly reflecting on everything he had just received.

Second Form, [Gluttony].

As he absorbed the form he had just acquired, a strange expression crossed Chen Chong's face.

He felt stronger than ever before.

The new form had enhanced him in three ways.

The first was a direct enhancement to his body.

He had grown another two centimeters, bringing his height to 1.77 meters. His skin was taut and resilient, and his features had become almost perfectly symmetrical. He still couldn't be called handsome, but he looked more balanced now, with a certain appeal that grew on you.

But the changes to his appearance were only superficial. The improvements within were what really mattered.

His muscle fibers had become denser, his bones stronger, and his blood, organs, tissues, and everything else had been enhanced. In other words, compared to before, his entire body had undergone a comprehensive evolution.

It was almost like breaking through a realm, but he clearly hadn't. And although the boost was relatively small, it affected every part of him, making the overall improvement astonishing. A ten percent increase across the entire body would raise his combat power by far more than ten percent.

Moreover, this was his body's most fundamental attribute.

In other words, it was like improving his very foundation. In the long run, it broadened his potential as a whole. Every increase in his basic physical attributes would multiply the gains he made later on his path as a fighter.

The second was his innate ability.

His capacity to digest and absorb food, and convert it into energy, had improved again. He could now convert more than 90 percent of ordinary food, and his conversion of high-energy food had increased by a similar proportion.

At the same time, he had acquired an ability corresponding to this form: [Gluttony].

As the name suggested, when activated, this ability let him eat without regard for the consequences for a short time. His capacity to digest and convert food would skyrocket, turning his stomach into a real, bottomless abyss. Unless the food was completely beyond Chen Chong's limits, there was little difference between it entering his stomach and being thrown into a pool of strong acid.

The excess energy he took in would be stored temporarily for when his body needed it—above all, to fuel his Second Form.

The third part was the Second Form itself.

This was a form he had to activate deliberately.

While it was active, Chen Chong's physical attributes would receive a comprehensive boost of 30 to 100 percent. The maximum depended on the evolution of his innate ability and his energy reserves, while he could control the boost's intensity and duration at will.

There were two ways to activate it. One was to consume his stored energy. The other came into play when he didn't have enough energy reserves.

With the second method, Chen Chong could still activate the form, but it would consume the evolution of his innate ability instead. His evolution level could drop to zero, but it wouldn't regress to a lower grade. He would simply need extra energy afterward to replenish it.

Using this Second Form came at a considerable cost, but its effects were extremely powerful.

A 30 percent boost across the board was like breaking through a barrier. With a 100 percent boost, Chen Chong could take on ten people at the same realm.

It was a powerful trump card, and a last resort to stake his life on. At a critical moment, it could turn the tide completely.

"Second Form... Not bad."

Chen Chong was very satisfied with his improvement.

With his foundation improved once again, his build still wasn't particularly large, but it was perfectly balanced. Judging by his physique alone, he could be considered a promising fighter.

As for his punching power, it had probably surpassed 500 kilograms.

Fighters with good natural attributes could break through that barrier when they came close to entering a realm. Before, his punching power had been around 400 kilograms, more or less the same as Pei Li's and Li Jun's.

Now that he had acquired the Second Form, Chen Chong was truly only a hair's breadth away from entering a realm. He had reached the limit of what was possible at his current stage.

In truth, he didn't even know what he was lacking. His comprehension and physical condition should both have been adequate. Did he really need Earth Dragon Meat to advance?

Chen Chong had a vague feeling that wasn't the case.

High-energy food would certainly help him break through, but surely something like the First Realm didn't require such a supplement.

"If it's not a lack of talent, then it must be the method."

Chen Chong suspected the problem lay with the Breathing Method.

The Breathing Method Yu Feng had taught him was probably like the Combat Drill—just the most basic stuff. It wasn't quite enough to break through a realm.

That made sense. If they taught them an advanced Breathing Method that let them break through without Earth Dragon Meat, how could The Park keep them under control?

It seemed he should take part, whether to break through or to join the operation the Security Department was planning.

Now that he had the Second Form, he probably wouldn't be outmatched by those who had just entered a realm. He ought to be able to protect himself in a situation like this.

He might even be able to lie low and look for a chance to escape.

He had been away for a long time. His aunt and the others must be terribly worried.

Chen Chong's gaze wavered for a moment, then settled.

Dawn had broken in the east, while the west was still dark.

Chen Chong looked west through the window. Beneath the stars lay the direction of home.

The town in the early morning light had yet to wake, but luxury cars were already passing along the asphalt roads in the heart of the Settlement, driving past the gardens lining the streets and into a compound.

Although this was still No. 97 Settlement, trees lined the roads, the streets were smooth, and the garden shrubs and flowers, though withered, would surely bloom again come spring. The compound itself was austere and immaculate, utterly unlike the rest of the town. It was a world apart.

One luxury car after another drove through the compound's iron gates, passed the fountain, and stopped in front of a square meeting hall.

The hall wasn't particularly tall, only about three stories, but marble pillars supported its broad, arched dome. Stretching dozens of meters across, it gave the building a majestic, solemn air. There was nowhere else like it in the town.

This was where the Town Committee was based.

One by one, imposing or fearsome figures climbed out of the luxury cars. They sized one another up, but few exchanged greetings. They entered the hall, followed attendants in white shirts into the large conference room, and took their usual seats.

When most of the attendees had arrived, the door at the other end of the conference room opened. A middle-aged man in a crisp black suit walked in and went straight to the seat of honor.

"Good morning, Mayor."

"Good morning, Commissioner Zhou."

"Boss, morning. What did you call us here for?"

Zhou Hao was unquestionably the ruler of No. 97 Settlement, but he didn't seem particularly imposing. Yet every gesture he made was polished—or rather, carried a certain air of authority, wholly unlike the local bigwigs seated around him, whose manners were those of either nouveau riche or street thugs. The difference between them was like the difference between the Town Committee's meeting hall and the rest of the town. They seemed like people from entirely different worlds.

Zhou Hao clasped his hands on the table with practiced ease. Only after his inscrutable, square face had swept over everyone present did he speak slowly:

"I'm sorry to have summoned you all so suddenly, so early in the morning."

"Please, Mayor, there's no need to apologize."

"Hey, Boss, you're too polite. I've always listened to you. If you tell me to go east, I wouldn't even look west."

Only after everyone had had their say did Zhou Hao nod.

"There are several matters I'd like to discuss with you this morning.

"But before we get to that, I'd like to ask: did any of you see the clouds disperse overhead last night? We haven't seen a night sky like that here in No. 97 Settlement for a long time."