Second Form

In the room, the blood-red hue in Chen Chong's eyes slowly faded, receding along with the starry sky outside the window.

However, he paid no mind to the shifting celestial phenomena, silently ruminating on everything he had just received.

Second Form, [Gluttony].

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

He felt unprecedentedly powerful.

The enhancements brought by this new form could still be categorized into three parts.

The first was the direct enhancement of his physical body.

His height had increased by another two centimeters, reaching 1.77 meters. Simultaneously, his skin had become taut and resilient, and his facial features had shifted toward perfect symmetry. While he still couldn't be called handsome, he looked more balanced, possessing a certain appeal.

But external changes were merely superficial; the internal improvements were the essence.

His muscle fibers had become denser, his bone density had increased, and his blood, internal organs, tissues, and so on, had all been reinforced. In other words, he had undergone a comprehensive evolution compared to before.

This was almost equivalent to breaking through a realm, yet he clearly hadn't. Moreover, although the magnitude of this gain was relatively small, it enhanced his entire being; when tallied up, the result was staggering. If his body saw a ten percent overall improvement, his combat power would increase by far more than ten percent.

Furthermore, this was the most fundamental quality of his body.

In other words, this was equivalent to raising his innate potential, broadening his entire ceiling in the long run. Every point of increase in basic physique would multiply with his future achievements on the path of combat.

The second part was his innate ability.

His digestion, absorption, and energy conversion capabilities had improved once again. The conversion rate for ordinary food could now reach over 90%, and high-energy food saw a proportional increase.

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

As the name suggests, if this ability were activated, he could consume food recklessly for a short period. His digestion and conversion capabilities would skyrocket, turning his stomach into a literal bottomless abyss. As long as the food did not completely exceed Chen Chong's capacity, it would be no different from being dropped into a pool of strong acid once it entered his stomach.

This excess energy intake would be stored temporarily to meet his body's needs, primarily those of the Second Form.

The third part was the Second Form itself.

This was a form that required active activation.

While the form was active, Chen Chong's physical attributes would receive a comprehensive boost of 30% to 100%. The upper limit of this boost depended on his innate evolution level and energy reserves, while the magnitude and duration of the activation depended on Chen Chong's will.

There were two ways to activate it: one was by consuming energy reserves, and the other was for when his energy reserves were insufficient.

In the second method, Chen Chong could still activate the form, but it would consume his innate evolution level. The evolution level could drop to zero, but it would not decrease his rank; it would simply require additional energy later to replenish it.

Using this Second Form came at a steep price, but the effects were incredibly powerful.

A 30% overall boost was equivalent to breaking through a realm; with a 100% boost, Chen Chong could take on ten people of the same level.

This was a useful trump card, as well as a desperate final resort that could turn the tide at critical moments.

"Second Form... very good."

Chen Chong was very satisfied with his improvement.

Due to the further enhancement of his innate potential, although he wasn't massive, he was incredibly balanced; even based on his physique alone, he could be considered a prodigy for combat.

And his punching power had, in all likelihood, broken through 500 kilograms.

Combatants with good foundations were capable of breaking through this threshold when they were very close to entering a realm. Previously, his punching power had been around 400-plus kilograms, and Pei Li, Li Jun, and the others were much the same.

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

In fact, he didn't even know what he was lacking. His comprehension and physical conditions should have been sufficient. Could it be that he really could only advance by relying on Earth Dragon Meat?

Chen Chong vaguely felt that wasn't the case.

High-energy food was certainly helpful for breakthroughs, but for a mere first realm, such supplementation shouldn't be a necessity.

"If it's not a lack of aptitude, then it must be a problem with the technique."

Chen Chong felt it was still an issue with the Breathing Method.

The Breathing Method taught by Yu Feng was, for the most part, just like the Combat Drill—merely the most basic of things. Relying solely on this to break through the realm was still lacking.

It made sense; if they were taught advanced Breathing Methods directly and could break through without Earth Dragon Meat, how would the compound manage to control them?

It seemed that whether for the sake of breaking through or for... the operation the Security Department was planning, he should participate.

It just so happened that with the Second Form, his strength shouldn't lose to those who had just entered the realm, and he should have some self-preservation power in such a situation.

He might even be able to lie low and wait for an opportunity to escape.

He had been away for a long time; he didn't know how worried his aunt and the others must be.

Chen Chong's eyes flickered, then calmed.

The morning light had already appeared in the east, while the west remained in the darkness of night.

Chen Chong looked toward the west through the window; under the starry sky should be the direction of home.

The small town in the morning mist had not yet awakened, but in the very center of the settlement, luxury cars continuously drove along the asphalt road, passed by the roadside gardens, and entered a large compound.

Although this was still the 97th Settlement, the trees along the road stood tall, the roads were smooth, and although the shrubs and flower branches in the gardens had withered, they would surely be blooming again come spring. That large compound was even more minimalist and solemn, spotless, and completely a different world from the rest of the town.

Car after car drove into the iron gates of the compound, circled the fountain, and stopped in front of a square auditorium.

The auditorium was not particularly tall, standing only about three stories high, but marble pillars supported a wide, arched dome. Its horizontal span of several dozen meters gave the hall a majestic and solemn air; certainly, no other place in this town could compare.

This was the seat of the Town Committee.

One after another, figures exuding either an imposing aura or a murderous chill stepped out of luxury sedans. They cast glances at one another, yet few offered greetings. They walked into the auditorium, were led by waiters in white shirts into the main conference room, and took their usual seats.

When most had arrived, the door on the other side of the conference room opened. A middle-aged man in a crisp black suit walked in and sat straight down at the head of the table.

"Good morning, Mayor."

"Good morning, Commissioner Zhou Hao."

"Boss, morning. What's the matter, calling us in so early?"

As the undisputed ruler of Settlement 97, Zhou Hao did not appear to have any particularly aggressive presence. Yet, his every gesture was refined—or rather, full of poise—standing in stark contrast to the town's other bigwigs, who carried themselves like nouveau riche or street thugs. The difference between them was as vast as the difference between this auditorium and the rest of the town; they did not seem like people from the same world.

Zhou Hao naturally rested his hands on the table and clasped them together. His stoic, square-jawed face swept across everyone present before he spoke slowly:

"I apologize for calling you all here so suddenly at such an early hour."

"You're too polite, Mayor."

"Hey, Boss, no need for that. I've always listened to you. If you tell me to go east, I wouldn't even dare glance to the west."

Only after everyone had expressed their stance did Zhou Hao nod:

"There are a few topics I mainly wanted to discuss with you all this morning.

"But before that, I would like to ask: did you see the clouds clear above our heads last night? It has been a long time since Settlement 97 has seen a night sky like that."