The dim light shone on Tang Ling's face in the most secluded corner.
The dim light from the oil lamp shone on Tang Ling's side profile. Together with his agitated expression and Su Yao's calm expression beside him with a mysterious smile, the scene looked like an oil painting with rich colors and a dark background. The characters were vivid, but the theme was unclear.
The bar owner looked at the scene with a deep gaze. He then pulled his hat down and lowered his head. He crossed his arms and leaned against the counter to take a nap.
"Sit down," Su Yao growled at Tang Ling.
Tang Ling took a deep breath and sat down.
"Since I've told you, I'll be more direct. The seed in your body is a precious gift. You don't have to fuss about it. You should even accept it calmly and emotionally.
"You can think of it as a loyal hound of a hunter. Which hunter would reject a hound that grew up with him?" Su Yao did not ask for more wine. Instead, he spoke in a deep and distant tone that somehow carried the meaning of time.
It felt like 'a long, long time ago, you received a gift …'
Tang Ling somehow calmed down. Almost instinctively, he pressed his hand on his chest.
A loyal hound that grew up with me? No, it should be more intimate. It's a symbiotic relationship with me!
But, who could have given this gift to him? Tang Ling even thought of the owner of the Mysterious Store, Kun. He had vaguely mentioned that the 'it' in his chest was something interesting.
Even Kun noticed it, so it must be something precious, right?
"Don't ask me about who gave it to you. I'm only responsible for answering the seed's questions. I'm not responsible for satisfying your curiosity." Su Yao did not even bat an eyelid. He lowered his head and spoke bluntly as if he had seen through Tang Ling.
"Uncle …" Tang Ling called out before he helplessly said, "Fine."
Tang Ling understood Su Yao. If he did not say anything, he would not reveal anything.
"Then, you mentioned me before. You didn't care about my slow growth …" Since Tang Ling knew it was a seed, it was necessary for him to know more about it. The other side of symbiotic relationship was that they lived together as a community.
How could he not know anything about 'it'?
"Not everyone can afford such a precious gift. It was like a precious weapon that could not be given to a child. That will only harm him. "Su Yao then called out to the bar owner.
The boss stood up unhurriedly and brought over another glass of vodka with a bad attitude.
Maybe because he found his conscience, he even served Tang Ling a glass of apple juice.
"I don't want it. I can't afford it," Tang Ling rejected.
"It's a gift," the boss said and left.
"What a weirdo." Tang Ling grumbled. Su Yao chuckled and said, "It's never a bad thing for you to eat and drink more. To put it bluntly, no matter what you eat or drink, most of the energy that can be converted into your body will be given to the seed. Do you understand now? "
Pfft! Tang Ling choked on the juice with his head down. He coughed repeatedly and looked at Su Yao, trying to say something, but nothing came out at the moment.
"You're really slow. Can't you feel it? Coupled with the eating technique that I taught you, your growth speed is still limited. Your Precise Instinct has the ability to observe and calculate. Although it's still young and can't observe the subtle changes in your body, you can still feel it, can't you? "Su Yao's gaze was mischievous.
"I can feel it. I know 'it' can eat, but I really don't know that it's … not exactly snatching, but … "Tang Ling did not know how to describe it.
"To raise a good hound, you need to provide it with the right conditions to grow. Your seed shares the same principle, but what it needs is the same as what you need. If you're not perfect but have average talent, this gift will be a tragedy for you, "Su Yao said slowly.
"What do you mean?"
"It's simple. In its infancy, it only knows how to devour, just like a human baby who cries for milk to grow up. It doesn't know or understand that its parents are poor. A person with average talent will only have a mediocre rate of energy absorption, so it will snatch everything away. If it's not satisfied, it will even suck the host dry.
"The best-case scenario is that the host won't grow or improve for the rest of his life. The worst-case scenario is that the host will be sucked dry and 'it' will die. Don't you think it's a tragedy? "Su Yao casually described the extremely dangerous situation, but Tang Ling was drenched in cold sweat.
He could not help but ask Su Yao, "What if I …" As he spoke, Tang Ling glanced at the bar owner, but he was speechless when he realized that the owner allowed him and Su Yao to stay in the bar. The owner himself was nowhere to be found.
Tang Ling heaved a breath of relief as he said, "What if I don't have the Perfect Genetic Chain? What should I do? Uncle, are you sure I have the Perfect Genetic Chain from the start? You knew the seed was there from the start! "
"Don't deny it. I'm sure."
"Seriously, it's not a good thing to be too smart." Su Yao shook his head. "I'm not that omniscient. Without any equipment, I can't confirm your talent. All I can say is that your talent isn't bad.
The only thing I can rely on is the conclusion I got when I brought you to measure your growth rate. However, the conclusion wasn't accurate because your seed had just woken up back then. "
"Just woken up?" Tang Ling was trying to figure out what it meant.
"Yes, just woken up. After you were stimulated by something strong, you just woke up! Before that, it was in the hatching stage and was in deep sleep, so it only needed a small amount of energy.
"There are only two scenarios for it to wake up. First, the host is in a life-threatening situation. However, its power is limited at that time, and if you're in life-threatening situations again and again, you might exhaust it to death.
Second, it's hungry and needs energy to continue sleeping, so it'll ask you for food. Do you understand now? "Su Yao seemed to understand the seed very well, so he explained it to Tang Ling in detail.
Of course, Tang Ling understood it. He had been in a life-threatening situation once before when he was surrounded by black-toothed rats in the settlement.
Tang Ling knew hunger better than anyone else. Living in the settlement was tough, so he would turn into a devouring monster after a certain period of time.
However, compared to the current situation, there was a difference.
Now, he had to consume a certain amount of food every day to satisfy his needs. Was this the so-called 'awakening'?
"Did you notice the difference after you woke up?" Su Yao sounded like he was taking pleasure in Tang Ling's misfortune.
Tang Ling did not care about Su Yao at all. Instead, he returned to his previous question, "Uncle, you haven't answered my question."
"Fine, the answer is that I wasn't 100% confident about your Genetic Chain Talent. I've prepared myself. If you don't have a seven-star talent or above, I'll find a way to extract 'it' from your heart. "Su Yao sounded casual as if he was joking.
However, Tang Ling did not think that Su Yao was joking. He would really do it. However, if he were to extract a seed from his heart, would he still be alive?
"Actually, the truth is, I don't trust the machines in Safety Sector No. 17. My plan was to bring you out of here if the results aren't ideal. First, I'll find a reliable machine and test it again. After your test, I already planned to do that, but you told me about the abnormalities. You surprised me by telling me that you have the Perfect Genetic Chain.
Second, if I find a reliable machine and the results aren't ideal, I'll bring you to a place that has a way to extract the seed. Of course, I won't have to do it myself. "
That was close. Tang Ling heaved a long sigh. Fortunately, he did not have to be cut open and the seed was still there.
However, in the next second, Tang Ling thought of something. "Uncle, where did you bring me back then?"
It was purely the curiosity of a teenager. Who would not want to see the big world outside?
"Why are you asking about something that didn't happen?" Su Yao rolled his eyes at Tang Ling. "Instead of being curious about that, why don't you worry about your current problem? You have to make sure that your growth isn't too slow and that the seed is growing.
This is the test that life has given you. You have to deal with it. " Su Yao was being serious. Then, he stuck his tongue out at Tang Ling and said, "You know what? You're a monster, a monster that consumes resources. "
Tang Ling's face turned ugly. He could not refute Su Yao's words. Indeed, the amount of resources that he consumed was astonishing and it was increasing by the day.
"But it's not all good news." Su Yao was delighted. He caressed Tang Ling's head and said, "The effort and the reward are proportional. When the seed grows, it will bring you great power. Just like you, it will grow stronger and change. It won't stay the same. "
"I got it." Tang Ling purposely did not let Su Yao get all smug. In fact, all he knew was that the seed would grow stronger, just like the amplification effect.
"How boring." Su Yao hated mature children. It was hard for him to feel any sense of accomplishment from them.
Nevertheless, Su Yao decided to turn the tables. He looked at Tang Ling and said, "Then, do you know that the seed is only in its first form? Does its first form determine your form? "
"What?" This was a fresh discovery. What he meant was that when Tang Ling transformed, he was in the form of a muscular man.
As the seed grew, he might not be a muscular man anymore. Tang Ling was concerned about that because he was a thrifty kid. Was it not a waste to consume a whole set of clothes every time he went berserk?
"Hmm, I'm just telling you that it's true. You'll have to figure it out yourself. "Su Yao smiled in delight.
As a matter of fact, it was still too early to tell Tang Ling more about the seed's form.
The previous owner of the seed once said that it had all these changes, but whether or not it could grow to this stage was something that he could only try his best.
The biggest possibility was that it would stay in its first form forever because as it grew, the resources it required would increase exponentially.
In the later stages, the quality of the resources it required would be even higher, and the quantity alone could no longer make up for the quality.
Hence, its growth would be very slow.
That person … was always right. He was so annoying back then, but now, he was so nostalgic.
Su Yao could not help but fall into his memories again.
He pretended like he did not hear the series of questions that Tang Ling asked in his ears.
"Uncle, what other forms will it take?"
"If it's going to evolve, will there be any signs?"
"Will its evolution be just in form? What about intelligence? Will it grow intelligence? When that happens, will I have to talk to it all the time? "
"Uncle, don't be so stingy. Tell me, how can I establish a 100% connection with it at this stage?"
Tang Ling was like a noisy parrot, talking non-stop. He started to get excited about the seed. From the moment he accepted its existence, he instantly had deep feelings for it.
Maybe Su Yao's hound analogy was too successful, or maybe it was because they had grown up together for so many years.
Su Yao's side profile was heavy. His melancholic eyes reflected Tang Ling's figure, but his lips curled up into a comforting smile.
He felt like the current Tang Ling was the real Tang Ling. The depressed teenager in the settlement was not Tang Ling, and neither was the rascal teenager in the Hope Barrier that he heard about after he came back.
Everything he did now was driven by hatred. He forced himself to come up with a plan and put on a mask.
Life had shaped him.
The real Tang Ling was just a smart, normal teenager. He hoped that he could spend some time with Su Yao that was not so tiring and could be himself.
Even if it was only one day a month?
How long could such a day last? Regardless of whether Su Yao thought of him as the smart, normal teenager, he was still Tang Ling or …
**
In the best restaurant in Safety Sector No. 17.
Tang Ling patted his stomach in satisfaction. In front of him was a big pile of meat and bones.
He had eaten half of a Level 2 mutated beast, not the small one but a cow mutated beast. He had turned the restaurant with a lot of nobles into his personal show.
The nobles around him were all astonished. Even the owner of the restaurant could not help but poke his head out from the kitchen to watch the devouring monster.
However, Tang Ling did not care, neither did Su Yao.
After Tang Ling had his fill, Su Yao picked his teeth and swaggered out of the restaurant with Tang Ling.
Who dared to provoke them? The madman, Su Yao, and the miraculous teenager who put up an amazing fight.
"Uncle, I'm going back. I can't use the eating technique in public. It's too much of a waste. I have to hurry and find a place, "Tang Ling said to Su Yao at a secret entrance that led to the Hope Barrier.
"Get lost!"
"Don't you miss me even a little?"
"Oh, this meal cost me 570 credits."
"Uncle, I'm going back. What did you say just now? The wind was too strong, so I didn't hear you. "Tang Ling ran away like a wisp of smoke and entered the slightly dilapidated building with the hidden entrance.
Looking at Tang Ling's back, Su Yao's smile slowly faded away and was replaced by a serious frown. Safety Sector No. 17 is in chaos.
Will there be a storm next? Or would it create an even bigger storm?
。 m.
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