Chapter 742: The Depriver (Thank You, Mr. Aurora, for the Silver Alliance Donation)

"'Glutton'?" Lu Mi said with clear approval. "Very apt."

Ludwig ignored his hidden sarcasm and proceeded with a brief introduction:

"In this Sequence, hunger truly becomes part of our bodies, driving countless adaptations."

"What kinds of adaptations?" Lu Mi asked, worried Ludwig would give only one sentence about the 'Glutton' as he had about the 'Hobo,' and pressed for details.

Ludwig paused for several seconds to swallow the food in his mouth.

Then he shoved another small piece of lemon cake in and mumbled his reply:

"Organs better suited for digesting food and absorbing energy, harder and stronger teeth, bite force and appetite far beyond normal limits…"

"This helps us extract different powers from food more efficiently, without being harmed by toxins, viruses, or bacteria inherent in the food."

"So even if it's highly poisonous, as long as you swallow it as food, you won't die from poisoning?" Lu Mi suddenly thought Ludwig would make an excellent assistant for 'Pharmacists.'

Ludwig took a sip of milk and shook his head:

"It can't exceed a certain limit—many 'Gluttons' die because they eat anything."

Didn't you eat anything? Lu Mi sneered inwardly.

At the same time, he silently marveled:

This guy is surprisingly honest—he really does act like a child sometimes, even forgetting to protest my extra questions.

Ludwig put down the glass bottle of milk and picked up a box of cookies.

Amid crunching sounds, he continued:

"The corresponding Sequence 7 is 'Gourmet.'"

"At this level, we gain stronger digestion and ingestion abilities, able to distinguish which ingredients are edible, which aren't, which bring special changes, and which need pairing."

Lu Mi thought carefully and said:

"Extracting corresponding information from consumed food is one of the 'Gourmet's' abilities?"

This ability had helped Lu Mi many times.

"Mm." Ludwig, wearing a yellow thick cotton sleep cap, nodded obediently.

He did not elaborate on the specific ability.

"Although the 'Gourmet' is useful, it still feels like you lack sufficient combat ability at this Sequence—well, perhaps the 'Hobo' grants some street-fighting skills," Lu Mi offered his own assessment.

Ludwig didn't bother to argue—he was too lazy to argue. What mattered was the food in his mouth and the food coming next.

He peeled a round candy and popped it into his mouth, his expression showing clear delight:

"Above that—what you call Sequence 6—is 'Chef.'"

"I thought it was 'Mixologist,'" Lu Mi joked.

Ludwig thought seriously and said:

"'Chef' covers a broader range—it's not just about making cocktails."

Lu Mi nodded thoughtfully:

"The 'Chef's' ability is to use special ingredients to prepare dishes, pastries, drinks, and cocktails with magical effects?"

This was a power Ludwig had demonstrated many times.

Ludwig unconsciously wore a proud expression:

"Yes. Each 'Chef' has different traits and abilities depending on the ingredients they've obtained and the foods they've prepared."

"The common trait among 'Chefs' is exceptional ingredient-handling skill—including how to find weak points and techniques like cutting, chopping, and slicing."

Only at this Sequence does the 'Gourmet' path gain true combat capability… but like the 'Contracted One,' actual combat power depends entirely on personal combinations—high potential, but also very low floor… Recalling the 'Contracted One,' Lu Mi asked curiously:

"Is there a limit to the number of permanent effects a 'Chef' can gain from different magical foods?"

As for negative effects, Lu Mi had firsthand experience after eating 'Ice Lemon Fish Slices':

Depending on the ingredients and final product, magical dishes or cocktails bring different negative effects, but overall they're significantly weaker than those of the 'Contracted One.'

"No." Ludwig shook his head quickly. "As long as you fully accept hunger, accept greed, there's no upper limit."

This… the upper limit is terrifyingly high… but it also means the number of negative effects has no limit either—even if each one is far weaker than those from the 'Contracted One,' stacking them will eventually cause a qualitative shift… Lu Mi pondered for a while, then looked at Ludwig, who had nearly finished his meal, and said:

"When we first met—when I saw you eating that rat—were you a 'Glutton' or a 'Gourmet'?"

Ludwig didn't hide it:

"'Gourmet.'"

Indeed—he'd been critiquing every dish I served him since… Lu Mi thought and asked:

"When you ate that Bating Black Worm, you returned to the 'Chef' level?"

Ludwig grunted:

"I was already just one step away. Eating one Bating Black Worm was enough."

"What's the next Sequence?" Lu Mi steered the topic back on track.

Ludwig carefully dug through his memories:

"It's 'The Depriver.'"

"'The Depriver'?" Lu Mi immediately thought of the 'Depriver Bullet' he'd obtained from Ye Busi.

Was this from a cult of the 'Gourmet' path's Xieshen?

Ludwig assumed Lu Mi wanted him to explain 'The Depriver's' ability and recalled:

"'The Depriver' can strip one to three abilities from a target for a limited time. If you later consume part of the target's flesh, you permanently gain one of those abilities, while the target permanently loses it—unless they drink another potion or kill me, no, kill the corresponding 'Depriver.'"

"At 'The Depriver' level, our diet expands greatly—many things we couldn't eat before, we can now eat; things we couldn't even conceive of as food, we now have ways to consume."

"Give an example?" Lu Mi wasn't sure if his own associations matched what Ludwig truly meant.

Ludwig looked at him and gave two examples:

"Moderate contamination, and energy forms like fireballs and lightning."

He could now consume more dangerous things—and even parts that shouldn't be food… Lu Mi recalled an enemy he'd met in the 'Inn,' and also what Ludwig had just mentioned, and confirmed: "Does your ingredient-handling ability now include these as well?"

"Yes." Ludwig was utterly candid.

Lu Mi reached into his 'Traveler's Satchel' and pulled out the matte 'Depriver Bullet,' placing it on the table:

"This came from a 'Depriver'?"

Ludwig's eyes instantly brightened:

Ludwig's eyes flashed bright at once:

He eagerly said:

"Can I have it as a reward? I'll give up the Numinous Essence!"

"I think the Numinous Essence is more valuable," Lu Mi deliberately probed.

Ludwig's expression turned sad, reluctant: "But I can only choose one."

"I can't actually eat Numinous Essence right now—I can only use it to make food."

Ah… Lu Mi studied Ludwig, choosing his words carefully: "How much more do you need to eat to return to 'The Depriver'?"

"The higher the Sequence, the harder it gets—it's not just about quantity anymore. You need more suitable, higher-energy food." Ludwig pointed at the 'Depriver Bullet.' "I'd need to eat at least two hundred of these bullets to return to 'The Depriver.'"

Lu Mi laughed, whispering like a demon: "What if you just ate the 'Depriver' who made this bullet?"

"I'd restore immediately!" Ludwig's eyes blazed with intensity.

Lu Mi smiled wider: "You don't seem to have strong offensive capabilities yet. I can help you acquire such items—capture the corresponding Numinous Beings—but you must obey me, follow my commands, and build sufficient rapport until I become a Demigod."

"This is my promise. Will you accept this deal?"

After a long hesitation, Ludwig reluctantly nodded: "Deal."

Phew… stay calm… this is only the beginning of 'taming,' not the end—there's still a long road ahead… Lu Mi suppressed his smile and asked curiously:

"Who did you originally follow?"

"Don't tell me the honorific name—just use any term to refer to them, like 'Great Mother.'"

"This is my promise—will you complete this deal?"

His expression shifted several times, then suddenly tears streamed down his face as he wailed like a child:

"I—I don't remember!"

Whoosh, calm down… this is only the beginning of "taming," not the end; there's still a long process ahead… Lu Mi suppressed his smile and asked curiously:

Hearing his cries, Lu Jianuo pulled on a thick coat and stepped out of the guest room.

The 'Physician' saw Lu Mi at once, bewildered and puzzled: "Why is he crying?"

Is this really the terrifying cannibal from the 'Dream Festival'?

Lu Mi smiled: "I showed him food but didn't let him eat it."

"Alright…" Lu Jianuo glanced between the two, then wisely retreated back to his room.

Because of his brief appearance, Lu Mi remembered one item—and developed a dangerous idea.

He pulled from his 'Traveler's Satchel' the remnants of Oumibela's umbilical cord and 'consulted' the now-sobbing Ludwig:

The "physician" immediately spotted Lu Mi and asked, bewildered and puzzled:

"Why is he crying?"

Is this really the terrifying cannibal from the Dream Festival?

Lu Mi smiled:

"I showed him delicious food but didn't let him eat it."

"Alright..." Lu Jianuo glanced back and forth between the two, then wisely retreated to his room.

Because of his brief appearance, Lu Mi remembered an item and developed a dangerous thought.

He took out Eumibera's umbilical cord remnant from "The Traveler's Satchel" and "consulted" Ludwig, whose sobs were gradually subsiding.

What dishes and cocktails can it be used to make?

The remnants of the "Great Mother" Son's umbilical cord were originally thought to serve only as a material for spellcasting or as an auxiliary component in crafting talismanic potions, magical items, and extraordinary weapons; now, Lu Mi thought the "Gourmet" might have a different view.

Ludwig stared at the remnants of Eumibela's umbilical cord, licked his lips, and said:

"It can be used to make three foods with different magical effects.

"One food can completely cure infertility."

"I don't need that," Lu Mi asked with amusement. "What are the other two effects?"

Ludwig said professionally:

"One can grant you strong self-healing abilities, though still not as potent as a Vampire's.

"And another…"

PS: Thank you, Mr. Aurora Society, for your again sponsoring the Silver Alliance~

(End of Chapter)