His eyes blazed with excitement. Truly, when you seek something with great effort, it often falls into your lap when you least expect it! So many discarded god remains—were they not a gift just for him? A divine blessing! He really was the chosen one!
Qin Siyang glanced around; no one was approaching. Unlike the familiar beef and mutton he ate daily, the god remains stirred a twinge of reluctance in him. But the thought of verifying his Blood Feast skill—of growing stronger endlessly through god remains—filled him with anticipation.
He clenched his fists, forcing down his physical discomfort. He'd made up his mind to try. In the face of intense desire, all instincts faded into the background. "No quests to complete, no sacrifices to make—just eating scraps of gods. What's there to complain about?"
He remembered reading on Godslayer Camp that humans who ate god remains felt no effects. They were substances beyond human biological comprehension—indigestible and unabsorbable, even for those with Awakened Sequence Abilities. If he could truly digest them, he was the luckiest man alive!
Closing his eyes, he took a bite and swallowed the god remains whole. To his surprise, though the remains looked repulsive, they tasted surprisingly good—no worse than the cafeteria food. He couldn't tell if the god flesh was genuinely decent, or if the cafeteria cook was just that bad.
"I was bracing myself to choke down something terrible, wondering how much I could stomach. But since it's actually flavorful, I won't hold back!" Qin Siyang opened his eyes and exhaled deeply. His mental status panel appeared:
[Sequence: God-Eater]
[Grow stronger by digesting gods]
[Current Sequence Level: 1, Glutton]
[Skill: Blood Feast. Description: Can digest raw gods.]
"Why isn't there any change?!"
Just then, a gurgling sound erupted from his chest—like a spring bursting through gravel after being trapped for ages, surging with pent-up water. The sensation spread rapidly throughout his body, followed by sharp, throbbing pain. It felt as if a torrential current was rushing through his narrow blood vessels, threatening to tear his muscles apart. His body twitched uncontrollably, muscles spasming wildly.
After about a minute, the pain faded. He felt his arm muscles twitch twice before settling. "What was that?" Curious whether the change was good or bad, he took off his coat and inspected his arm. Though it looked nearly the same, Qin Siyang—intimately familiar with his own body—noticed his muscles had grown slightly bulkier. He also felt more energetic overall, and even his food-stuffed schoolbag felt lighter.
"This…" He checked his status panel again, but it remained unchanged. Yet his body screamed that something inexplicable had shifted. A reasonable explanation quickly dawned on him: "The God-Eater description wasn't lying. I really did get stronger after eating the god remains. It's just that this small boost isn't enough to show up on the panel."
From the forum, he'd learned that Sequence Ability users experienced significant physical enhancements after taking Sequence Potions—exactly what he was feeling now. The effect confirmed it: his experiment to verify the God-Eater's growth method had succeeded. A good start was half the battle!
Qin Siyang grinned greedily, rubbing his hands as he stared at the remaining god remains. Unable to wait, he grabbed another piece and swallowed it in one bite. The torrential sensation surged through him again. Moments later, he examined his body excitedly—the signs of increased strength were even more obvious. "I'm stronger now, and more alert!"
A smile tugged at his lips. He didn't hesitate, diving into the feast. Were these god remains in a trash can? No—they were his first pot of gold! Still, he didn't get carried away. He ate carefully, keeping his clothes clean. Stained with blood, he'd attract unwanted attention on the way home, and he had no way to explain it.
At the same time, he kept a wary eye on his surroundings, fearing someone might spot his bizarre behavior. "Strength comes with secrecy. I must guard the secret of my Sequence Ability." His past life as a worker had taught him the cruelty of human nature—even if you meant no harm, jealousy could drive others to betray you behind your back. With such a unique ability, he had to be cautious, never revealing it lightly.
Qin Siyang gorged himself, savoring the throbbing sensation that spread through his body with each bite. What started as unbearable pain gradually softened, even becoming somewhat addictive. "Damn it—am I into pain?!" He cursed silently, warning himself not to get lost in the twisted pleasure.
Then he noticed a problem: despite eating so much, he felt no fullness. "That's strange. I've eaten a ton, but I'm not full… In fact, I'm still a little hungry?!" It confirmed his earlier guess: eating gods only boosted his strength, not his physical hunger. No wonder the skill said "digest" instead of "absorb"—they were entirely different.
The disappearance of the god remains from the trash might attract attention. The priority was to convert them into strength as quickly as possible to avoid trouble. Qin Siyang quickened his pace, gobbling down the remains by the trash can. After over an hour, he'd eaten all thirty-odd pieces. His strength and overall condition had undergone a qualitative change.
But he didn't linger to savor his newfound power. He found a puddle nearby, washing the blood off his hands and face, then hurried home without hesitation. The physical improvements were stark: he covered the two-hour journey in just one hour, feeling no fatigue at all. Yet despite cutting the time in half, his anxiety made the walk feel endless—as if an entire day had passed.
By the time he reached home, he was mentally drained, as if he'd worked a full day. Slumping onto his cardboard-box sofa, he finally relaxed. It was night, and his stomach growled with hunger. As soon as he closed the door, he opened his schoolbag and grabbed a portion of six-eyed long fish rice to eat.
The moment he took a bite, he frowned in disgust. "The cafeteria's consistency is impressive—still terrible." He complained but finished the meal anyway, tossing the box into the sink. Normally, he'd wash it, but since it was the weekend and he didn't need to take it to school, he allowed himself to be lazy.
Qin Siyang burped, pouring himself a glass of hot water to aid digestion. As he set the kettle down, it slipped from his hand, tumbling toward the floor. In his eyes, the kettle's fall slowed to a crawl—he could clearly track its entire descent, even the way water droplets抖动 and fell mid-air. He reached out, catching it effortlessly.
"I seem much faster! My senses have improved too!" He placed the kettle back on the table, then froze—there was a deep hand print etched into its surface. "Did I do that?! My strength has increased too?" He squeezed the kettle gently; it didn't deform. But when he focused on bending it, the metal warped in his grip. "And I can control my strength at will?!"
He remembered the forum mentioning that he could visit the Sequence Ability Administration for information, but only if he could prove he was an Ability user. He had no plans to reveal his powers anytime soon—at least not until he understood them better. So Godslayer Camp remained his only source of information.
But accessing the forum required an internet-connected computer or phone—luxuries he couldn't afford. His only option was the internet café, and even ten copper coins for half an hour was a fortune. In the impoverished edge of the safe zone, adults fought over every job opening; there were no part-time positions for students.
His only income came from part-time work at the school library—ten copper coins a week. Fortunately, Teacher Zhu at the library knew about his situation and took special care of him, reserving the only librarian position for him. Next week, when school resumed, he'd go back to organizing books.
Qin Siyang walked to the window, staring at the endless night outside and the countless gods wandering the sky. A smile played on his lips. "If I could eat all of them, I can't even imagine how strong I'd become!" Today had been fulfilling, giving the reborn Qin Siyang hope. He began to believe—he really was the chosen one in this world.
He washed his dusty coat, took a cold shower, and went to bed. The next morning, he woke up, staring at his toned arms and legs with a wide smile. "What should I do today? Go back to that trash can for more god remains?" The thought crossed his mind but was quickly dismissed.
The disappearance of the remains from Exit 114514's trash might have attracted attention—trouble he didn't need. Yet he had no clue how to hunt gods outside the safe zone. If he couldn't defeat them and ended up as prey instead of predator, there'd be no one to blame.
After thinking for a moment, he slapped his forehead. "Hit and run—if one trash can's empty, just find another!"