"What a wonderful smell..." the Little Sea Siren murmured, her bright blue eyes fixed on the bag.
Before anyone present could react, Dale had already rushed forward at an astonishing speed, grabbing the bag and tearing open its seal forcefully.
"Dale! Don’t!" Lilia exclaimed, hurrying forward to stop her.
But Dale had already pulled out a lump of decaying Slime Monster from the bag and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing greedily.
"Oh my God! That might be poisonous!"
Ailan’s vines shook violently, displaying words of terror on the leaves.
She extended her vines intending to hang Dale upside down to induce vomiting.
"Wait!" Ron had already activated "Extraordinary Recognition," observing the changes within Dale.
Surprisingly, Dale showed no symptoms of poisoning.
Instead, she wore a look of ecstasy, continuing to pull more decaying Slime Monster remnants from the bag and devour them eagerly.
His "Extraordinary Recognition" captured an astonishing scene:
As the Slime Monster remnants entered Dale’s body, the residual Bloodline Energy didn’t dissipate or cause harm; instead, it was absorbed and transformed by some special mechanism inside her.
Various Bloodline Energies were dismantled, purified, recombined, and then merged into Dale’s own Sea Siren bloodline, making it stronger.
"Stop! Don’t stop her!"
Ron reached out to block Lilia and Ailan, who were about to forcibly intervene: "She’s fine, on the contrary, this seems beneficial for her!"
The two stopped in amazement, watching speechlessly as Dale cleaned out all the Slime Monster remnants from the bag and finally licked her fingers with satisfaction.
"Master～ is there more? It’s really delicious!"
Dale looked up, her eyes shining with anticipation.
Her voice was much clearer than before, like a polished silver bell.
The three nearby glanced at each other, and then Ron suddenly understood:
"Big Eater... is this the true power of this talent?"
Through continued observation, Ron confirmed his speculation.
Dale’s "Big Eater" talent was far more than just being able to eat a lot or grow quickly.
Its core ability was efficiently extracting the beneficial parts of substances containing Extraordinary Energy and converting them into nutrients for her growth.
And this time, the devoured Slime Monster, though decayed, still contained residues of various Bloodline Energies, becoming an excellent catalyst for Dale’s growth.
"Look! She’s changing!" Lilia pointed at Dale in surprise.
The Little Sea Siren’s body was visibly changing:
Her height increased by about five centimeters, and her long silver hair became smoother and shinier;
Small scales faintly emerged on her skin, shimmering with rainbow light in the light;
Most noticeably were her eyes, the original plain blue now mixed with a hint of purple and red, like mysterious gems from the deep sea.
Ron continued using "Extraordinary Recognition" to observe all this, collecting data on every subtle change:
[Sea Siren Dale
Bloodline Purity: Increased from Silver Ring 95% to Silver Ring 98% (approaching Golden Ring threshold)
Elemental Affinity: Water (primary), Wind (weak), Fire (very weak)
Special Ability: Enhanced Water Element Control, slight Multi-element Resistance
Body State: Extremely healthy, growth speed further increased]
"Remarkable..." Ron murmured to himself:
"This is the expected level of a second-tier talent, not simply eating more and growing more, but being able to extract essences from various extraordinary substances rapidly to strengthen oneself."
Lilia curiously observed Dale up close: "This ability... in the arena, isn’t it..."
Though she didn’t finish her sentence, Ron immediately understood what she meant.
In the Bloody Gladiatorial Games, life or death among Combat Slaves doesn’t matter.
If Dale could devour defeated opponents, she could instantly gain power and become increasingly stronger in continuous matches.
"Indeed." Ron nodded:
"In fact, in formal slave gladiators, there are some Gourmet-type Combat Slaves. But they devour opponents’ corpses more to increase their ferocity and create a terrifying atmosphere, whereas our Dale can truly benefit from it."
Lilia contemplated:
"Teacher, since Dale can grow by devouring bloodline substances, can we prepare some specific ’ingredients’ for her? Like biological tissues containing purer Elemental Energy?"
"That’s a good idea." Ron’s eyes lit up:
"Through a carefully designed ’menu,’ we can guide her bloodline to develop in a specific direction."
He squatted down and asked softly, "Dale, how did you find the taste of what you just ate?"
The Little Sea Siren blinked her now more animated eyes: "Super delicious! More delicious than anything I usually eat! And..."
She paused, seemingly searching for the right words:
"I feel so much new energy flowing inside, like... like drinking a big bowl of hot bone broth!"
Ron smiled and patted her small head:
"Then, are you willing to try more foods like this? I can specifically prepare some special ingredients that are beneficial for you based on your situation."
"Of course, I am!"
Dale jumped up excitedly, her silver hair drawing a beautiful arc in the air:
"Master, I want to become stronger! So I can help you in the future!"
Watching Dale’s energetic appearance, Ron felt a sense of accomplishment surge in his heart.
"We’ll grow stronger together," he promised softly, while Lilia and Ailan exchanged smiles beside him.
Ron stood up, his thoughts already stretching into the distance:
"The next step, I need to apply the theory of Bloodline Modulation into practice. Design a complete bloodline cultivation plan for Dale, while also preparing thoroughly for the Candidate Wizard Assessment meeting in a few days."
......
At the break of dawn, Ron’s workshop was already brightly lit.
Lilia sat at the long table, fully focused on concocting a complex Healing Potion.
Her brows were furrowed, mentally exhausted, yet her hands remained steady as a rock, without the slightest tremor.
Ron stood not far away, quietly observing the diligent girl.
It had been roughly a month since Lilia came to the workshop. Though her progress wasn’t as visually apparent as Dale’s, it possessed a unique stability.
With each practice, her Potion modulation skills improved slightly from the previous day;
With each daily summary, her mastery of Magic Potion knowledge became more comprehensive;
And each week, her Spiritual Control quietly climbed.
This progress seemed slow but never ceased, like a steady stream silently amassing into an undeniable force.
The effect of the "Diligence Can Make Up for Incompetence" talent was fully manifesting in Lilia.
"Teacher, I finished." Lilia looked up, showing Ron the Potion she had just concocted.
It was a bottle of liquid shimmering with amber light, far exceeding the purity and stability level expected from a beginner.
"Let me see." Ron took the bottle and examined it carefully.
The potion’s color was even, without any impurities or bubbles;
When shaken, its flow was just right, neither too viscous nor too thin;
Opening the stopper, a refreshing herbal fragrance wafted over, without any harsh odor.
This was a near-perfect Healing Potion. Although it was still a basic Potion, it belonged to the upper-quality level within its category in the market.
"Very good." Ron praised sincerely:
"Your progress exceeded my expectations. A month ago, you were struggling with basic ratios, but now you can independently complete such a complex formula."
Lilia’s cheeks reddened, her eyes gleaming with joy and pride: "It’s all thanks to your excellent teaching, teacher."
Ron shook his head slightly: "Teaching only points the direction, true progress comes from your own efforts and talent."
Just then, Ron felt a familiar flow of energy welling up from the depth of his heart.