Chapter 28

At lunch, Abel transformed his energy into a ravenous appetite, devouring the array of food before him as if he were battling an enemy. He took mere moments to chew before swallowing the food, which his purple talent rapidly digested and stored as energy within him.

Law, who had trained all morning, struggled to finish the large plate of roast meat in front of him and was left speechless from the effort. He was seriously beginning to question if Abel and he were even the same species. Why else would he be slower at learning and eat less than Abel?

Even Buffalo, whose body was filled with fat, was defeated by Abel when it came to eating. It was utterly ludicrous!

Watching as the heaps of food on the table disappeared at an alarming rate, Jora, who hadn't even finished half of her steak, couldn't bear it any longer.

"This is absolutely rude!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha, it's just food. There's nothing to be angry about. Notify the kitchen to prepare another tableful just like this one, and from now on, prepare twice as much," said Doflamingo, not caring in the slightest.

"Yes, young master."

With Doflamingo not bothered, Jora had no outlet for her annoyance. All she could do was glare resentfully at Abel.

Abel, however, acted as though he hadn't noticed and continued to focus on his food. Nothing could stop him from enjoying his meal!

The intensity of his daily training and his continuous extra workouts required proper nutrition. Moreover, in order to maintain the vitality of the gourmet cells in his body, he had to consume a large quantity of high-calorie food every day. Without the endless supply of food from the Donquixote family, he would probably have starved himself to death!

"Considering all the meat I've consumed from your household, I'll make sure to give you a dignified end in the future," Abel declared, flashing a seemingly innocent smile at Doflamingo.

You see, what a good boy he is! Easily pacified with small favors.

Doflamingo was absolutely delighted, oblivious to the fact that this 'good boy' was already scheming on how to replace him.

As time passed day by day, Abel was leading a fulfilling life. Unless they had to go out, Diamante, Lao G, and Gladius would spare time to teach them swordsmanship, body techniques, and firearms.

Additionally, Doflamingo himself would occasionally take time out to personally instruct Abel and Law in tactical knowledge. This level of attention was something even Baby-5 and Buffalo, who had joined the family earlier, didn't receive!

Through this, Abel finally understood how Law had transformed from a reckless individual into a sharp-minded tactician.

In the blink of an eye, more than half a month had passed. During this time, Abel had been diligently laying a solid foundation and steadily improving his strength. For reasons unknown, Diamante had suddenly changed his attitude, no longer causing trouble for him and Law, which was undoubtedly good news.

On the other hand, his 'golden finger' hadn't brought him much. With Baby-5's assistance, he had managed to fulfill six "Wish Orders", earning four two-star reviews and two three-star reviews, totaling 520 trading points and a few miscellaneous items of little use. This experience made Abel realize the importance of aiming for four or even five-star ratings to secure better rewards.

However, acquiring a four or five-star rating wasn't an easy task, even though he was now affiliated with the Donquixote family. As an ordinary member, he had no say in the family affairs and couldn't leverage its resources. He was still stuck at a smaller scale.

Furthermore, the system's store underwent two refreshes during this period. Most of the items were of no use to him, so he only bought one.

Product: [Pufferfish Venom] (Blue)

One-time consumable

Description: Venom extracted from the poison sac of a black pufferfish.

Effect: Deadly poison

Price: 300 trading points

Quantity: 1 (10 milliliters)

PS: Fancy a taste? You could be the next half-god of the shinobi world!

Abel hadn't forgotten that his "Otherworldly Heart" talent required at least three types of lethal toxins for evolution, and the "Pufferfish Venom" perfectly fit the bill. However, he didn't dare inject it into his heart recklessly, as it could result in his ultimate demise with no chances of revival. Therefore, he bought this toxin as a precaution, planning to use it when the time was right.The next refresh of the system's store was due soon, and if he remembered correctly, a monthly limited-time discounted item should be available. His accumulated trading points were eagerly waiting to be used.

However, before the store refreshed, Baby-5 came running in a frantic rush. "Abel, it's terrible! Corazon has taken Law away!"

"Calm down, tell me slowly."

Soon enough, Abel had a basic understanding of the situation.

The issue had arisen while the three of them were chatting. After spending over half a month together, with no deep-seated hatred and a similar age group, they had naturally grown quite close through their daily training routines. The result of which being the unexpected situation they were in now.

Even Law and Buffalo, who initially couldn't see eye to eye, had developed a camaraderie.

It turns out Buffalo had been keeping a secret for Law.

As a result, the three of them started discussing their respective backgrounds, and under Buffalo's persistent questioning, they each revealed their full names.

Just then, Corazon happened to pass by and overheard their conversation. Without a word, he took Law away and left a note warning Baby-5 and Buffalo not to mention the full name that Law had just spoken.

"I understand. Don't worry, Law will be fine."

Upon hearing the situation, Abel immediately reassured them, advising Baby-5 and Buffalo to act as if they knew nothing.

While initially, Abel indeed had plans to use Law as a foothold in this world, by this point, he hoped that Law could find the relief and redemption he did in the original story.

These were things he, someone who empathized with Law's plight, couldn't provide!

"Your move, Corazon. Don't let me down."

What Corazon said to Law, no one knew.

However, from that day forward, Corazon's attitude towards Law noticeably changed, although Law still maintained his aloof demeanor.

At the beginning of the month, the system store finally refreshed.

Abel clicked in eagerly to check. Apart from the ever-present "Red Heart," there were now four more items.

Item: "Aurora Slash" (Purple)

Skill-based item

Description: Concentrates one's will, spirit, and perception into the blade, a powerful sword technique.

Effect: Unleashes a crescent-shaped aurora-colored sword aura to attack enemies from a distance.

Price: 2800 trading points (crossed out)

Limited time discount for the beginning of the month: 200 trading points!

Quantity:

Time limit: 23 hours 59 minutes

PS: Lucky brat!

Item: "Asura Mark" (Purple)

Single-use consumable

Description: A stone imbued with strange power.

Effect: Can enhance and upgrade specific types of skills.

Price: 1000 trading points

Quantity:

PS: Don't complain about the price, if you can't afford it, turn left on your way out!

Item: "Green Arrow Chewing Gum" (White)

Single-use consumable

Description: For fresh breath, use Green Arrow.

Effect: Freshens breath, slightly improves mental resistance during usage.

Price: 5 trading points

Quantity:

PS: How much did you get for the ad? I'll outbid it tenfold!

Item: "Snap Fire Oil" (White)

Single-use consumable

Description: An inexplicable item created by an inexplicable person.

Effect: Apply it on your hands, and a flame will ignite at your fingertips when you snap your fingers.

Price: 30 trading points

Quantity: 1 bottle

PS: Wow, which boy could resist such a cool thing?! Buy it, buy it!