After a long, depressing moment, Tu Xiao'an had no choice but to crack the egg open. 'If I can't swallow it, can't I at least slurp it down?'
At this moment...!
"Ding... As a snake, you must eat. How can you do so without a decent set of teeth? Granting Host one pair of sharp fangs. As a venomous snake destined to become the Snake King, if you don't even have a good set of teeth, what's the difference between you and a salted fish?"
'Fangs?'
Snakes are divided into two types: non-venomous and venomous.
Whether a snake was formidable, whether it could strike fear into the hearts of men, all depended on the lethality of its venom.
As the system's voice faded, Tu Xiao'an was shocked to discover two new things in his mouth. It was a pair of teeth filled with venom, and the moment they appeared, they completely fused with his body.
At that moment, Tu Xiao'an found that he could seemingly control the release of the venom in his fangs with a single thought.
'I wonder how potent my venom is.' As a former Snake Catcher, Tu Xiao'an had dealt exclusively with venomous snakes. In the eyes of Snake Catchers, they were divided into three categories.
Common venomous snakes, rare venomous snakes, and exceptionally rare venomous snakes.
The venom of a common venomous snake could easily kill mice and other small animals. The venom of a rare one could easily kill a human—snakes like the King Cobra or the Seven-step Snake. As for the exceptionally rare Snake Species, their venom was terrifying. Even an elephant would die in an instant if touched by it.
Exceptionally rare venomous Snake Species were one in ten thousand. The appearance of even one would get it classified by the state as a First Rank protected animal.
They were incredibly precious, worth over a million.
Tu Xiao'an didn't know how potent the venom from his system-granted fangs was, but they were definitely sharp. A light tap on the egg instantly pierced a small hole in its shell.
The rich smell of egg instantly invigorated Tu Xiao'an.
The warm yolk flowed out, and Tu Xiao'an began to slurp it up greedily.
Raw eggs had a slightly fishy taste, but whether it was because he was truly starving or because his sense of taste had changed after becoming a snake, Tu Xiao'an didn't feel the slightest bit of revulsion. In fact, he found it delicious.
Eggs were rich in high-quality protein, perfect for a small 50cm snake like him.
As he frantically slurped up the egg from the bowl, Tu Xiao'an felt his strength increase slightly. He was no longer so frail, and a comfortable sensation spread through his body.
The moment the first egg was completely consumed, the system's voice rang out.
"Host has successfully Devoured one free-range egg, gaining 1 point of Energy Value!"
'Gaining Energy Value from devouring anything... Not bad.'
After finishing off the first egg, Tu Xiao'an locked his cold gaze onto the second.
A short while later, all five free-range eggs in the large iron bowl had been finished off by the little snake.
Ah, satisfying!
Tu Xiao'an felt a wave of happiness. For a reincarnated snake, enjoying free-range eggs was like getting a steak dinner at a fine restaurant.
Data updated.
Host: Tu Xiao'an!
Identity: House Snake Level: LV1 (50cm in size!)
Evolutionary Energy Value: 005/200.
Talent 1: Devouring (Can devour all kinds of creatures to evolve)
Talent 2: dominance ability (Can rule over Snake Race of a lower Level than oneself)
Note: "Host's Level is too low. You must reach Level 2 within one day. Devour. You can devour any creature in this world. Mission failure will result in the cancellation of your qualification to inherit the system."
'What's that supposed to mean? If I don't reach Level 2, you're just going to abandon me?'
Tu Xiao'an asked timidly, "Can I devour humans, too?"
System: "You can!"
Tu Xiao'an: "..."
'My bite isn't even that good. As a tiny little snake, what creatures could I possibly devour?'
'Even devouring eggs was a struggle.'
He didn't know if it was instinct or if the food was being converted directly into Energy, but after devouring five eggs, Tu Xiao'an felt like he'd barely eaten anything at all. It hardly made a dent.
'He even felt like he could swallow the whole world.'
'Those were the only five eggs in the house, and I stole them. I wonder how Mom will react when she finds out.'
'In any case, she'd never guess they were eaten by her dead son.'
'I can't keep raiding the food at home. I need to find something else to eat.'
BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ...!
Just then, a mosquito started circling the little snake in the darkness, ready to land at any moment for a mouthful of fresh Snake Blood.
'Hmph, you little mosquito. What, you think I'm desperate enough to devour you?' Tu Xiao'an's gaze was filled with disdain.
'I'm not so pathetic that I have to resort to devouring mosquitos. That wouldn't even be enough to fill a gap in my teeth.'
"Ding... Creature detected. Passive Skill triggered. Activating Conscious Insight!"
The system's emotionless voice echoed in Tu Xiao'an's mind.
'Conscious Insight?!'
Tu Xiao'an's eyes lit up as he stared at the annoying mosquito hovering in front of him.
"Ding... Insight successful. Mosquito, Level 0, a minuscule insect. Life Force lasts three to seven days. Possesses a biting ability. Proboscis contains a weak toxin, a bite from which will cause redness and swelling!"
Whoa.
'The data from the Insight scan is so clear. It's practically telling me its entire family history.'
'A tiny creature, insignificant as dust. It doesn't even have a Level.'
'Even if I weren't disgusted by the idea, I bet devouring it would be a complete waste of time.'
"The Mosquito's Life Index is low. It can be forcibly placed in the Pet Box. Do you wish to collect it?"
'Huh? There's such a game-breaking feature?'
Tu Xiao'an was stunned. 'This Devouring System is so badass!'
'Whatever, I'll give it a try first.'
"Yes!"
Tu Xiao'an confirmed without hesitation.
With his confirmation, the mosquito hovering near the glistening white snake bizarrely vanished.
"Ding... Host has successfully subdued his first creature, gaining 0.1 Energy Value!"
0.1?
'Is this charity?' Tu Xiao'an was speechless for a moment. 'Wait, on second thought, for a tiny mosquito with no Level, getting 0.1 Energy isn't half bad.'
'Still, what use do I have for a mosquito?' Tu Xiao'an wondered gloomily.
Evolutionary Energy Value: 5.1/200.
'No, that's the wrong way to think about it. Every little bit counts. One mosquito is 0.1 Energy Value. It's summer, and we live at the foot of a mountain. If there's one thing we have, it's an endless supply of bugs. Catch ten of them, and that's one full point of Energy.'
'It all adds up.'
'Besides, mosquitos at night are a real pain. They bite you, and you waste money on mosquito coils. If I could subdue all the mosquitos in the house...'
'...not only would I increase my Energy Value, but I'd also be helping out Mom and Sis.'
'They could sleep peacefully without being pestered by bugs.'
Realizing this, Tu Xiao'an's cold Snake Pupils lit up.
'Since I subdued it, I should be able to summon it, right?'
As the thought crossed his mind, he focused his will. The mosquito from the system's Pet Box suddenly materialized before his eyes, buzzing in the air.
'Haha, interesting, very interesting! Having a system is just badass!'
'Come to think of it, not only am I, a dead man, alive again, but I've also been given such a powerful system. So what if I'm a snake? I can still rise to the top.'
'Looking at it this way, becoming a snake was definitely a blessing in disguise!'
'Otherwise, I'd be in the Underworld right now, waiting in line to be reincarnated.'