Of course, Gary Smith didn't awaken any special play because he saw that the Soul-Devouring Dark Cloud Sub-organisms had so many hands.
His experience was pretty ordinary... perhaps...
That's not important!
For most people, the fastest way to gain power is through training and combat.
Because in this Beastmaster world, while you need to rapidly enhance your spiritual power, you also need a solid foundation and a strong will, otherwise, you risk being backlashed by your power and end up on the path of abnormality.
However, Gary didn't have these concerns. Being the master of the "Gate Key", he held part of a taboo position, enough to suppress spirit energy pollution. Moreover, as a "Secret Food Creator", he had a great method, which was...
Material!