Chapter 74
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By the time Abel and Baby-5 returned, the sorrow-filled Sea Year 1506 had silently passed for him and Ro, unbeknownst to them.
A new year had arrived.
At this moment, Abel was alone in his room, taking a fragrant bath.
Of course, he was not doing this because of any 'New Year's' celebration, but because it was once again the day the system's store refreshed, and there would be the monthly limited-time discounted items waiting for a quick purchase.
Speaking of which, last month's limited-time discounted item was quite ordinary - it was a 'Large Forge Material Gift Pack'.
The package contained a fist-sized piece of each: tungsten, Hikari alloy, rose gold, orangutan cinnabar iron, and orangutan cinnabar ore.
Even though he didn't need them at the moment, he bought the 'Large Forge Material Gift Pack' for 100 trade points because it was on sale. Who knew, it might come in handy someday.
Aside from this, he also bought a few items he found useful or valuable during the previous system store refreshes.
Item: "Facehugger Plushie" (White)
Single-use consumable
Description: A hundred percent replica of the original, absolutely realistic!
Effect: After activation, it will automatically seek the nearest creature and tightly hug their face, spraying an unidentified liquid into their mouth.
Price: 50 trade points
Quantity:
PS: Trust me, most people will be scared to death!
....
Item: "Spider Mine" (White)
Single-use consumable
Description: A top product from a certain tech company.
Effect: Automatically seeks enemies, adapts to most terrains, explosion power is average.
Price: 10 trade points
Quantity:
PS: This little thing is great for fireworks.
....
Item: "Black Lotus" (Blue)
Single-use consumable
Description: A rare, highly poisonous plant, colorless, odorless, easily dissolvable in water.
Effect: Fatal slow poison.
Price: 100 trade points
Quantity:
PS: White stem, red cap, lie down together after eating.
....
After deducting the 350 points spent recently, the total number of trade points Abel has, including the rewards from the completed "Wish Orders", is 1850.
He seemed to have a premonition that on the first day of the new year, some good things would definitely appear in the system store!
And sure enough, he got a surprise when he opened the system store!
Item: "Heart of the Ice Dragon" (Orange)
Single-use consumable
Description: The Ice Dragon has a huge body and a thick, sturdy ice crystal armor on the outside, making it a very dangerous legendary creature. The heart is the source of its power.
Effect: Can be eaten, forged, or offered in sacrifice. Broadly useful.
Price: 3800 trade points (crossed out)
Limited time discount for the beginning of the month: 300 trade points!
Quantity:
Time limit: 23 hours and 59 minutes
PS: Hunting an adult Ice Dragon and taking out its heart is almost an impossible task for you right now.
....
Item: "Armored Tiger Fish" (Blue)
Single-use consumable
Description: A creature with an external armor, its head...
Like a tiger, this is a fish with lethal poison.
Effect: Can be eaten after special treatment.
Price: 200 trade points
Quantity:
PS: The last giant who chose to eat it without treatment has kicked the bucket.
....
Item: "Primary Skill Upgrade Card" (Blue)
Single-use consumable
Description: System product, definitely top-notch!
Effect: It can upgrade a skill of LV3 or below by one level.
Price: 300 trade points
Quantity:
PS: Got it?
....
Item: "Four-star Rating Card" (Initial)
Single-use consumable
Description: System product, definitely top-notch!
Effect: When used during order submission, the order evaluation will be fixed as a four-star rating.
Price: 500 trade points
Quantity:
PS: Only for initial wish orders.
....
An orange quality item worth 3800 trade points and with broad applications!
Without hesitation, Abel purchased it right away.
Whether he used it for eating or something else later on, it was a surefire win.
Moreover, the first refresh of the new year did indeed bring some great items.
Not only the "Primary Skill Upgrade Card" but even the coveted "Four-star Rating Card" had shown up!
What a stroke of luck!
Without a second thought, he purchased everything, including the "Armored Tiger Fish".
After pondering for a bit, Abel spent 200 more trade points to buy two "Red Hearts", adding two years to his lifespan, which made him feel more at ease.
The trade points he had accumulated over the past month instantly reduced by 1500, leaving him with 350 for emergencies.
He immediately used the "Primary Skill Upgrade Card", upgrading his "Clothes Burst" skill to LV3.
Now all three of his skills had reached the level of LV3.
The "Four-star Rating Card" (Initial) would be saved for a more challenging "Wish Order", or one with better rewards.
However, it was vital to remember that this card had to be used before he advanced to the intermediate trading level, otherwise, it would be a waste.
Next, Abel checked his current system inventory, including the three lethal toxins he got as a freebie from a wealthy and generous pretty lady during the last food festival.
He realized he was only two lethal toxins short for the evolution opportunity of his talent: "Heart of the Wight" (Purple).
However, he wasn't in a rush. He decided to have his family's intelligence department keep a close eye for him in the next few days.
That eager underling Gaby wanted to climb the ranks, didn't he? Abel could give him that opportunity.
After all, no matter what, he was a genuine family member recruited by Doflamingo himself, and his status was simply not comparable to those peripheral cannon fodders!
Next, it was time to deal with this "Heart of the Ice Dragon".
Abel didn't ponder for too long before he quickly made a decision.
Rather than using it elsewhere, he thought it better to consume it to enhance himself.
Recently, he could vaguely sense that the gourmet cells in his body were reaching a critical point, and this "Heart of the Ice Dragon" might just be the opportunity for another evolution!
Moreover, he might even be able to snag another reward from gourmet hunter Ah Lu.
So, he didn't hesitate and directly took out the "Shokugeki Restaurant Voucher".
"It's all up to you now, Comrade Medicine King! Do your best!"
Abel nervously sent the "Heart of the Ice Dragon" as an ingredient. To avoid errors, he didn't even attempt to mix in any other ingredients.
Also, he wasn't sure if Comrade Medicine King could handle such a high-end ingredient.
After all, a creature like a dragon probably didn't exist in his world.
Waiting this time seemed a bit long. It was a full ten minutes before Abel received a system prompt.
While last time, it only took about 3 minutes to complete ten bento boxes.
"Based on the ingredients provided by the host, the Shokugeki Restaurant has prepared a 'Ice Dragon Dumpling', which has been automatically stored in the package. Please check it yourself."
Abel immediately perked up and took out the so-called "Ice Dragon Dumpling" from the system package.
"Ice Dragon Dumpling" (Orange)
Single-use consumable
Description: A superb dish diligently prepared by the Shokugeki Restaurant.
Effect: After the initial consumption, it will strengthen and modify the human body, with a chance to awaken related talents. If gourmet cells are present in the body, the effect will be maximized, with a certain chance of evolution.
....
As soon as he opened the lid, instead of the steam from the steaming basket, he was greeted with a refreshing chill?!
Then what came into his sight were twelve miniature ice dragons that seemed ready to fly and incredibly lifelike.
Although the staff of Shokugeki Restaurant had never seen a real Ice Dragon, the image they reconstructed based on their imagination was remarkably accurate and impressive.
Abel was unsure how they achieved this or what ingredients they used for the combination.
However, that wasn't the focus, the most important thing was the taste.
If he guessed right, the real "Heart of the Ice Dragon" should be inside these miniature ice dragons.
Hence, he promptly grabbed an ice dragon dumpling and put it in his mouth.
Due to the sudden chill, Abel initially thought that the ice dragon dumplings would be cold, but the moment he took a bite, it overturned his assumption.
"It's actually hot?!"
As this thought appeared in his mind, he bit down.
An indescribable taste bomb exploded in his mouth, assaulting his taste buds as if it were infinite.
Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, the meat was springy and firm, with a rich juice bursting out now and then.
Most importantly, a fresh aroma inside balanced all of this, making one feel refreshed and comfortable, as if one's whole body had become transparent instantly.
When Abel exhaled satisfactorily, the air from his mouth was actually a bone-chilling coldness, covering the entire table with frost, just like the breath of the legendary Ice Dragon!
Yet, his mouth did not feel any coldness, only the residual warmth and freshness reflected each other, making everything seem so harmonious.
At the same time, the gourmet cells in his body instantly became extremely restless.
And they kept conveying a message to him: Not enough, we need more!
Abel knew this was a sign that the gourmet cells in his body were about to cross the threshold and begin the second evolution!
Thus, he immediately put the remaining ice dragon dumplings into his mouth one after another.
As the number of ice dragon dumplings he consumed increased, a frightening cold aura began to emanate from his body.
Even his skin gradually turned ice-like, and through its translucent quality, one could already see the crystal-clear bones underneath.
This scene was rather bizarre and horrifying, luckily no one else was around to see it.
Not until the sixth Ice Dragon Dumpling was quickly digested and transformed into energy...
Finally, the critical point was broken!
The gourmet cells began their second comprehensive evolution!
If the first evolution induced by drinking the "Century Soup" was to expel all the impurities in his body, heal all injuries and hidden wounds, endowing him with potential equal to anyone else's, then the second evolution triggered by eating the "Ice Dragon Dumplings" was indeed breaking the limits of humanity and embarking on a new evolutionary path!
Each cell in his body was rapidly strengthening, ceaselessly devouring energy.
At this time, Abel also entered a state of deep meditation, introspecting and actively controlling the cells in his body for more efficient energy absorption.
Only when all the cells started to resonate did he, following the principle of not wasting, shift the excess biological energy into the 'dantian' for storage.
Just this process alone surpassed his one or two years of intensive cultivation!
The most important part was that there was no wastage.
Indeed, choosing to learn "Combat Bao Fist" was the right decision!
Then, following this, the gourmet cells finally completed their second evolution and slowly calmed down.
"Obtained the Orange Talent - Legacy of the Ice Dragon"
"Explanation: Talent gained from the evolution of the gourmet cells after consuming the Ice Dragon's heart, inheriting a part of the Ice Dragon's power."
"Effect: The biological energy in the body can be converted into a unique ice power through gourmet cells, and the individual becomes permanently immune to all ice-related damage."
Abel clenched his fist firmly, then hopped twice, feeling the fundamental changes in his body.
"Seems like I've grown a bit taller, and my weight has increased quite a bit."
He knew this was a result inevitably caused by the change in his bone density.
Of course, the muscles on his body also began to be particularly noticeable.
The strength of his body was probably more than five times the original, and his power had at least tripled. As for other specific changes, they would only be known after testing.
Even though he often spoke of multiplying his strength by several times, the real reason was that his base was low, and his initial foundation was poor.
After all, even after another two or three months, when his birthday passes, he would only be 11 years old, or 12 by East Asian age reckoning.
But now, just with his physical fitness alone, he's already outstripping all his peers.
No, comparing him with his peers was simply bullying them.
"The new Orange Talent, Legacy of the Ice Dragon, let's see."
Abel thought, immediately controlling the gourmet cells to convert the biological energy in his body into the so-called power of ice.
In an instant, the temperature in the room began to plummet.
He didn't know what he could do with this ice power, he was just releasing it by instinct.
When he came back to his senses, he found that he was actually covered in a thick layer of ice armor!
He immediately stood in front of the mirror to carefully examine his current appearance.