[April 15th, 2024]
Rey entered his house to find his mother cooking in the kitchen with Emmy's assistance. The sight filled him with happiness, and he wished for the joy to persist.
He announced his intention to change out of his clothes and freshen up. Ascending to his room, he placed his bag in its spot and began selecting new clothes.
However, before he could change, his clothes began to wriggle and engulfed the entire outfit, startling him.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Rey exclaimed as Zero formed a smiling face from the liquid.
"Kid, you've forgotten her ability, which you've utilized to escape several times today," Aiden reminded him, prompting Rey's realization.
[Yes, just relax and let me handle this.] She communicated as his clothes transformed, adopting the form of the ones she had just consumed.
While this was happening, the final one appeared and looked at the trio who were in their own world.
"Well, look at that, the greatest weapon of the universe has now been reduced to a roadside cloth closet, huh?" Victor, who had been silent all day, finally spoke, and his words were quite biting for everyone.
"Huh," Aiden muttered as he stepped back slightly, looking at Zero, who had just finished changing Rey's clothes. Rey's outfit now resembled a hybrid of his school uniform and his casual home attire.
[It looks like you've forgotten who I am, huh?] Zero remarked as a liquid began to flow into Rey's navel and entered his body, causing him to cry out.
"Ouch," he shouted, clutching his stomach, yet he felt nothing. Suddenly, the pain returned, but it was not Rey who was suffering—it was Victor. He screamed in agony, grasping his entire body as the substance of Zero, which had entered Rey's body, began to constrict Victor's real body, squeezing it incrementally.
Even Aiden, witnessing this, felt a surge of fear, as it seemed she had inflicted some cruel deed upon him in the past.
"So what happened to him?" Rey inquired, glancing at Victor who was still writhing in pain.
"Don't ask me," Aiden muttered, then fell silent.
"So, do you think this cloth closet is worthy now?" Zero asked with a smug grin.
"Yes, just let me go. Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" Victor screamed, and only then did Zero leave his real body, allowing the matter beside it to revolve as if it were Saturn with its rings.
[Don't you dare call me anything like that,] Zero warned, and Victor could only nod and listen like an obedient child.
"Let's put an end to this drama, and I'll tell him something important we found in..." Aiden was interrupted before he could reveal more, as Emmy appeared at his door, asking him to come and eat.
"Coming," Rey responded, hastily requesting Zero to completely change his clothes.
She nodded and began the transformation, and within a few seconds, it was complete.
"I'll listen later, Aiden. Just let me grab something to eat; I'm really hungry," he said as he hurried out of the room for dinner.
He dashed downstairs and took his usual seat at the table.
"Wow, is there a festival today or something? There are so many dishes, and some are even my favorites," Rey exclaimed as he surveyed the array of dishes laid out before him.
"I prepared your favorite dishes to celebrate your last day of school. I assumed you'd bring your friends home like you did last year, but you returned alone, and now it seems we might have too much food," Jasmine remarked, recalling how last year, on joyous occasions, her son would often bring friends home, prompting her to cook extra.
This time she had prepared in advance, but her son had come home without his friends.
"Rey, where are your friends?" Jasmine inquired, causing Rey to pause in his tracks.
"Ah, well, the thing is... Mom, my friend Evan moved to another kingdom a few days ago. We only found out today after visiting his house, where his caretaker aunt informed us that he had already left with his parents, who found him a while back. James and I were happy for him, so we had a small celebration before I headed straight home. But Mom, did something happen? You seem concerned," Rey narrated, blending truth with lies.
He concealed the truth about the thugs because he didn't think his mother would react well to the news.
"Oh, okay. I asked because you usually bring them home on special occasions, and I was prepared for that today. You caught me by surprise... I've made a lot of food for everyone, and now it might go to waste," Jasmine said, which made Rey understand.
"Now I get it. Don't worry, Mom. If we can't finish it, I'll give it to a beggar or someone in need," Rey suggested, and both his mother and sister agreed. Jasmine felt happy, believing her son was on the right path by helping others.
"Alright, let's start eating before it gets too cold," she said, and they began their meal.
Rey was about to take his third bite when he suddenly stopped, shocked by what appeared before him.
His stats screen displayed something astonishing, halting him mid-action.
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[Note: The host has consumed the item, {Devouring Body}, initiating its effect. The item's effect is amplified tenfold.]
[The item's level is too low to produce any effects. Please consume a higher-tier item to receive the enhanced effects.]
[Detection indicates that the consumed food contains chemical substances that may harm or contaminate the host's body. The impact is being mitigated by {Godly Adapter}.]
[Resistance to the chemical is increasing. Please continue consumption to build up the necessary resistance and achieve immunity.]
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Those words were heavenly for him because Victor's abilities were now coming into play, likely as passives, and the food he consumed, which might produce waste in his body, was being resisted.
"Son, did something happen?" Jasmine asked as she saw him staring into the air.
"No, nothing. Just got dazzled by the flavors," he replied as he snapped out of it.
"Oh, it's not that great, just the usual regular food. What are you talking about?" she said, trying to downplay it, but her face was brimming with happiness.
He resumed eating, and the system screen started popping up again after every fourth or fifth bite. After he finished his plate, he received a message that his immunity was complete, and he had developed resistance to the harmful chemicals mixed in vegetables, spices, and many more.
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The host has developed complete resistance to the harmful chemical but has not acquired the resistance skill due to its low level.
[System note: Do not be dismayed, host, as the skill level is not high, and its effect is not displayed on the screen due to its insignificance.]
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He was somewhat sad that he hadn't acquired the skill, but upon receiving the note, he was pleased to see the effect was present, albeit not included. He realized that if such a minor skill cluttered his screen, then the system would need to expand it to ten screens.
Little did he know that this could actually happen to him, or that even more screens might be displayed to him in the future—or perhaps not.
"Mom, may I have a second serving?" Rey asked, which surprised her since she had never seen him request seconds before. Today, she speculated that perhaps he particularly enjoyed the meal or simply wanted to finish it all.
She consented and stood up to fill his plate a second time.