Eye Enhancement

"Grip the hammer with both hands and strike with all your might. Do not be afraid, and do not hesitate. They are no longer human, but monsters."

Simon guided Lily Grace, aware that smashing the head of a corpse beast posed a psychological barrier. Her lack of strength made the task even more challenging.

"The first one is always the hardest. Once you overcome it, the rest will become progressively easier."

Under Simon's guidance, Lily Grace finally mustered the courage. She gripped the hammer tightly and swung it down towards the corpse beast's head, instinctively closing her eyes.

The first strike missed.

The hammer hit the ground, the jolt causing her hands to go numb, and her face contorted in pain.

Simon sighed and stepped in. He grasped Lily Grace's arms from behind, helping her hold the hammer firmly. Lifting her arms, he forcefully guided them downward, releasing his grip halfway.

This time, the hammer struck the back of the corpse beast's head, but with insufficient force to shatter it.

"Again!" Simon lifted her arms once more, assisting her.

Through repeated attempts, Lily Grace finally dared to keep her eyes open. With a resounding "thud," the corpse beast's skull was ultimately crushed.

The vital weakness of the corpse beasts lies in their heads. Even if their hearts are pulverized, they won't die. But once the head is destroyed, death is instantaneous.

A spiritual core emerged, merging into Lily Grace's forehead.

She displayed a hint of surprise, evidently feeling the new information manifesting in her mind.

Having obtained her first spiritual core, her entire body began to change, her strength notably increasing.

Simon recalled that with the initial absorption of spiritual cores, each one significantly boosted strength, and Lily Grace was no exception.

With her first experience and newfound strength, dispatching the second corpse beast became less challenging. Lily Grace struck the second beast three times, finally vanquishing it.

Upon acquiring the second spiritual core, Lily Grace's strength increased by at least a hundred pounds.

With her growing power, the subsequent tasks became progressively easier.

Soon, Lily Grace had slain five corpse beasts, amassing five spiritual cores.

As she absorbed the five spiritual cores, she successfully advanced to a "Level 1 Spiritual Being."

She then proceeded to kill the final corpse beast.

"Girl, remember to choose to enhance your stomach," Matthew Long called out loudly, seeing that Lily Grace had dispatched all six corpse beasts.

Simon said, "It's better to enhance your lungs first. With all the water outside, increasing our ability to survive underwater should be our priority."

Strengthening the lungs could enhance lung capacity. For now, food was still sufficient, and they hadn't reached the point of needing to drink outside water or eat monster corpses.

Matthew Long nodded, "You have a point. Enhancing the lungs first is sensible. We can focus on the stomach next time."

Lily Grace hesitated and said, "But… there's no option to enhance my lungs or stomach."

Matthew Long was taken aback, "What?"

Simon, intrigued, asked, "Then what does the information in your mind suggest you enhance?"

Lily Grace replied, "Eyes or ears."

"Hmm," Simon mused. "It seems the enhancement options vary with each advancement and might differ for everyone."

Matthew Long chuckled, "Eyes and ears, one improves vision and the other enhances hearing. Both are crucial. It's up to you, Lily."

Simon agreed with Matthew Long. Both vision and hearing were vital, so either choice would be beneficial.

Lily Grace glanced at Simon and whispered, "I chose to enhance my eyes."

Matthew Long chuckled, "Enhancing your eyes is a good choice."

As he spoke, he glanced towards the window at the end of the corridor. "It's getting late, the sun is about to set. I need to prepare dinner. Tonight is the main event."

"What should we do with these corpses?" Simon asked.

"Just leave them here for now; we'll deal with them later."

"We still have some leftover rice from lunch, so tonight we can have fried rice with eggs and sausages."

Matthew Long's culinary skills were impressive. The fried rice he prepared was visually appealing, with each grain of rice coated in a golden hue, and it smelled incredibly enticing.

"Brother Long, your cooking is truly exceptional. I must confess, the only thing I can make is instant noodles," Simon remarked, taking a deep breath of the aroma, feeling his appetite whetted.

Flattered by Simon's compliment, Matthew Long chuckled. "Well, after my divorce, I lived alone. Ordering takeout every day wasn't nutritious or healthy, so I gradually learned to cook for myself."

"You got divorced?" Simon asked, slightly surprised.

Matthew Long took out three clean bowls and placed them on the side. He filled one to the brim and handed it to Lily Grace. She quickly waved her hands, indicating that it was too much for her. Her appetite was small, and a full bowl was more than she could handle.

Matthew Long chided gently, "You're at the age where you need to eat more to grow."

Addressing Simon's earlier question, he continued, "Yes, I've been divorced for several years. I have a daughter named Han, she's thirteen now. Since I didn't have a stable job, custody was awarded to my ex-wife."

A trace of bitterness flickered across Matthew Long's face as he glanced at Lily Grace with a tender look in his eyes. "My daughter is about your age. If you ever meet, I'm sure you two would become great friends."

Simon now understood why Matthew Long took such special care of Lily Grace, showering her with affection. He saw in her the image of his own daughter, Han.

Lily Grace blinked her large eyes, seemingly wanting to say something, but her gaze shifted to Simon.

Noticing she was holding her bowl but not eating, Simon's face darkened, "Eat your food."

Startled, Lily Grace quickly lowered her head and began to eat hurriedly, only to choke.

Matthew Long shot Simon a reproachful look, "Why are you scaring her?" He promptly patted Lily Grace's back and handed her some water, embodying the image of a doting father.

Simon, half-amused and half-exasperated, said, "I've noticed she doesn't care much for proper meals and prefers snacking. Too many snacks are unhealthy."

Matthew Long's expression immediately turned stern. "That's true. Young lady, you're still growing and need proper nutrition. Remember to eat fewer snacks; they have no nutritional value."

Lily Grace murmured a soft "Oh," lowered her head, and slowly nibbled at her food, saying no more.

Observing her pace, Simon thought to himself that at this rate, it would take her an hour to finish that bowl of fried rice.

By the time Simon and Matthew Long had finished their meals, Lily Grace had barely eaten a third of her portion.