Living Corrosive Mucus

Perhaps it was the slime's peculiar life form, or perhaps some other reason.

This gelatinous substance was tremendously effective at enhancing Metamorphic Growth—more than twice as effective as insect flesh of the same amount—and even if he consumed it in large quantities, the effect would not diminish.

Beyond that, the gelatinous substance had an even greater effect on Metamorphic Growth.

System could feel that as he ate the gelatinous substance, its nutrients not only strengthened the power of metamorphosis in his bloodline, but also continuously battered at the shackles binding his talent, Metamorphic Growth.

A grasshopper's talent, Metamorphic Growth, maxed out at level 13, but level 13 was not necessarily the limit of Metamorphic Growth, just as his Insect Adaptation maxed out at level 21.

If he continued eating foods like this gelatinous substance, it would not be impossible for his Metamorphic Growth to break through its talent cap and reach level 14.

If the talent cap of Metamorphic Growth continued to rise, there might even be a fourth or fifth metamorphosis after the third.

By then, his lifespan would surely increase even further.

By consuming the slime's gelatinous substance, System had undoubtedly found a way forward for his future—a direction for extending his lifespan.

As System continued devouring the gelatinous substance, he discovered more traits of slime gelatin.

Not all gelatinous substance could help break through Metamorphic Growth's talent cap. Only fresh, living gelatinous substance was useful.

Though scattered bits of gelatinous substance on the ground that had lost their vitality could still enhance Metamorphic Growth, they did not have the effect of battering against the talent level cap.

Looking at several small slimes nearby that had formed through aggregation, an idea came to System—

Could he raise these little slimes like livestock?

Slimes could survive simply by devouring rotten branches and fallen leaves, so they should not be too difficult to cultivate.

But System quickly rejected the idea.

If he were currently about the same size as a human, raising these little slimes would not be a problem. But he was now only a large grasshopper; cultivating them was clearly unrealistic.

The best thing he could do now was eat all this still-living gelatinous substance as quickly as possible.

From the ant nest to the mud where the slimes currently were, there were six clumps of gathered gelatinous substance along the route. The largest was six centimeters in diameter, while the smallest was three centimeters.

Because the ants in the nest had suffered grievous losses, no ants should come disturb him while he ate this gelatinous substance.

The only limitation was that his mind needed to rest at regular intervals.

System estimated that fully digesting all the gelatinous substance would take at least an entire day.

But System could shorten that time somewhat. With the derived ability [Hunger Resistance], his stomach could actually hold food twice his body weight.

He simply had never completely filled his stomach in order to maintain his body's agility.

If he made full use of the space in his stomach, System reckoned he could eat all this gelatinous substance in twelve hours.

If he kept going for twelve straight hours, his mind would be exhausted, but he could still endure it.

Of the six clumps of gelatinous substance, the three larger ones were comparatively active. Worried that these larger clumps would escape, System continuously mashed the three active large clumps with his legs, swallowing a little each time he mashed them apart.

However, as he continuously mashed and consumed the large clumps, System discovered that the smallest clump gradually stopped trembling, as though it was about to lose its vitality.

To make the fullest possible use of the gelatinous substance, System began by eating the smaller clumps first.

As time passed, the sun gradually sank and the sky turned pitch-black. While darting back and forth within a ten-meter radius, System ultimately lost track of one medium-sized clump of gelatinous substance around four centimeters across.

After night fell, several clumps of gelatinous substance suddenly became unusually active. One stable medium-sized clump somehow suddenly bounced away, and System had not noticed anything amiss.

However, after one clump escaped, the remaining clumps were close together, making things much more convenient for System. Once his stomach digested for another five hours or so, he could swallow the remaining three and a half clumps of gelatinous substance.

As he consumed the gelatinous substance, System felt the glands in his throat gradually grow very itchy. It seemed that special nutrients were surging from his stomach, nourishing the glands in his throat that could secrete corrosive mucus.

System guessed that once he reached level 10, his [Corrosive Mucus] would certainly level up again.

Yet just as this thought arose in System's mind, the itch in his throat glands abruptly intensified severalfold...

The itch was unbearable!

System even stopped eating the gelatinous substance and tried to scratch his throat with his forelegs, but his forelegs were too thick to fit inside at all.

System decided to find a blade of grass and poke at his unbearably itchy throat.

But while searching for a grass stem, System suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his throat. The glands in his throat began to wriggle uncontrollably.

The gelatinous substance in his stomach was digested and absorbed at an extraordinary speed, while a special energy flowed into the glands in his throat, transforming them.

His [Corrosive Mucus] (9/13) had leveled up, becoming [Corrosive Mucus] (10/15).

This was the first time System's ability had improved outside of the usual leveling period. Moreover, this time not only had [Corrosive Mucus] increased in level, its level cap had risen as well.

The glands in his throat became more developed, and the mucus they secreted became thicker, like glue. Even if he pulled it several centimeters apart with his legs, the mucus would not immediately break.

Although the corrosiveness of [Corrosive Mucus] had not noticeably increased, System developed a strange sensation toward the mucus he spat out.

This expelled mucus seemed to have gained life just like a slime's gelatinous substance. System could sense the mucus faintly trembling atop the dead leaves on the ground.

And when System swallowed the mucus back down to reclaim it, he could even sense it giving off the joyful emotion of returning to its mother body.

"Could these mucus secretions gain life as [Corrosive Mucus] rises in level?"

Feeling the mucus within his throat glands tremble from time to time, System murmured inwardly.

If this mucus could be freely controlled, then this living Corrosive Mucus would undoubtedly become a powerful trump card for him.

This glue-like mucus could spring up from the ground at unexpected angles, writhing like maggots clinging to bone as it corroded an enemy's vulnerable joints and restricted their movement.

System could even imagine using this mucus to take down spiders—and even birds, his natural enemies.

System's foraging this time lasted more than twenty hours straight, leaving him mentally exhausted.

Fortunately, because of [Corrosive Mucus]'s upgrade, the jelly-like substance in System's stomach was being consumed at an extremely rapid rate. He estimated that in another hour or two, he would be able to finish eating all the remaining jelly.

After that, he could drag his swollen abdomen to the pile of rocks near the pitcher plant and rest.

As he ate the jelly, System had already begun planning for tomorrow—how he could obtain more jelly from the slimes...