Chapter Nine: Extreme Hunger

Saliva started to flood his mouth, an intense hunger overwhelming him, so fierce that he felt dizzy for a moment.

Suddenly, a realization struck him.

"Of course—gene evolution requires enormous energy. I haven't eaten all day, and now I've run out completely!"

In just a matter of seconds, Fang Mu felt his legs grow weak. The hunger hit him so suddenly and powerfully, it was almost frightening.

He staggered to his feet, unsteady, and as he did so, knocked over yesterday’s water glass from the table. His vision swam with black spots.

"I have to eat something, or I’ll starve to death!"

A terrifying thought flashed through his mind. Suddenly recalling something, he stumbled toward his backpack, opened it, and found the three corpses of the Black Jade Beetles lying inside.

He couldn't wait. Grabbing one beetle, the sight of its grotesque body suddenly seemed inexplicably delicious to him. He was tempted to sink his teeth into it at once!

With immense willpower, he restrained that urge, turned to fetch his tactical knife, and plunged it into the beetle's shell.

The hunger was so intense it defied all logic! When he’d just woken up, he hadn’t felt a thing—why was this so overwhelming all of a sudden? Could it be related to the cultivation technique? Was this a side effect?

As he pondered, his eyes grew redder, the hunger threatening to consume him. His hands began to tremble.

Yet, through sheer force of will, he managed to pry open the beetle’s shell.

Inside, the insect’s flesh was revealed—an unappetizing, foul-looking black meat. Fang Mu knew the meat of the Black Jade Beetle was edible, though usually it had to be roasted first.

But at that moment, as the shell came off, a rich, mouthwatering aroma filled his nose, and his last shred of rationality vanished.

Who cared if it was cooked or not?

He reached in, grabbed a fistful of the dark meat, and shoved it into his mouth.

He barely chewed before swallowing.

Immediately, he felt his stomach transform into a meat grinder, churning violently as soon as the insect flesh entered, its powerful contractions shockingly distinct.

In the blink of an eye, he could sense a large chunk of beetle meat being digested.

At the same time, a gentle warmth began to spread through his body.

Fang Mu no longer cared about the disgust—he devoured the meat in great mouthfuls.

In less than a minute, the first beetle was nothing but an empty shell.

He hastily grabbed the second one…

The Black Jade Beetles were larger than basketballs, the meat dense and firm due to their Black Iron rank—each one weighed more than ten pounds. Fang Mu had eaten this meat before, but half a pound had always filled him completely.

This time, not until every last beetle was reduced to a hollow shell did his ferocious hunger ease, and even then, only by a fraction.

It was merely alleviated!

Far from satisfied!

"No, I need more!"

His eyes bloodshot, he dashed out the door without hesitation…

…

Half an hour later, in a twenty-four-hour restaurant downstairs.

Fang Mu let out a long breath, finally pausing in his feast.

The table before him was piled with at least a dozen large bowls.

Nearby diners stared at him, astonished.

"Holy crap, how much did this guy eat? And it's all Black Iron grade meat…"

"How does his stomach even hold that? Not even a Gold rank could eat so much!"

"Man, a real eating champion!"

Their chatter buzzed around him, shocked eyes fixed on Fang Mu.

At last, he felt alive again, his eyes returning to their normal color, the emptiness and weakness gone.

Strength surged back into his limbs—stronger, it seemed, than before.

He steadied himself, uncomfortable at being the center of whispered attention, then said, "Check, please."

The owner hurried over, beaming, "Did you enjoy your meal, friend?"

Fang Mu nodded, "The food was good."

"Haha, glad to hear it! Only the freshest Black Iron ingredients for you. Let's see, you had thirteen bowls in total… that's 4,800 star coins. I'll give you a discount—4,500."

Fang Mu was stunned. "Four thousand eight hundred?"

Star coins were powerful currency—a single meal for 4,800 was staggering.

"That's right, you ordered only evolutionary ingredients. Ordinary dishes wouldn't cost nearly as much," the owner explained.

Fang Mu could only smile wryly. He knew the man spoke the truth. Driven mad by hunger, he’d ordered only Black Iron fare, far more filling than regular food.

Still, spending 4,800 was hard to swallow—his usual meal cost only forty-eight.

"Sure enough, after evolution, the wealth required for resources multiplies again and again…"

He sighed inwardly. But then, remembering he’d already acquired the cultivation method—those extra hundred thousand star coins were practically a windfall—his heart ached less.

He simply said, "I'll transfer the payment."

He scanned the code, paid, and left.

Outside the restaurant, he looked up to see the sky just brightening.

Though the Level One Battlefield wasn’t on Earth, its time was synchronized. Dawn had broken, painting the eastern sky with rosy brilliance.

"Did I cultivate all night?"

He instinctively pulled out his communicator to check the time.

It was already half past six.

He glanced at it, about to put it away, when something made him pause. He looked again, carefully—this time, at the date.

September thirteenth…

If he remembered right, he’d returned on September eighth.

"Five days?!"

"I've been cultivating that technique for five entire days?!"

This realization left Fang Mu utterly dazed.

It was half a day before he murmured, "I’ve heard that high-ranking evolvers can cultivate source energy techniques for months, even years, without stopping—never understood it before. But now…"

He was amazed. But then, his eyes lit up.

"The longer I can cultivate, the better. This proves the technique I acquired is truly extraordinary!"

Excitement surged through him.

But suddenly, he jolted.

"The cultivation manual!"

In his mad hunger, he’d rushed out, leaving the memory crystal card of the "Source Energy Spirit Refining Manual" plugged into his computer. And his apartment door—

Had he even closed it?

The thought filled him with dread. He spun and dashed away at once.

He knew all too well: if that thing were exposed, he would face consequences beyond imagining…