Chapter 87: Weapon Undergoing Enhancement

On his way toward the Star City Shelter, Feng Qi pressed forward with determined strides.

Despite the subtle changes to the surroundings caused by the butterfly effect, he managed to orient himself using the crimson moon in the sky and distant landmarks to guide his way, ensuring he didn't lose his path.

At that moment, the narrator's voice echoed in his mind:

[Your weapon is feeling extremely hungry and demands sustenance to replenish its energy. Otherwise, it might go on strike.]

The narrator's comment gave him pause. Then, he remembered the three spiritual plants he had tucked into his chest cavity earlier, still unused. As for the fiery red fruit, it had disappeared during his chaotic escape from Little Black, likely lost somewhere along the way.

Retrieving the three spiritual plants wedged in his chest, Feng Qi offered them to Suction Cup, perched on his left arm.

Suction Cup instinctively twitched her nose, sniffing the plants, before opening her mouth to devour them.

"Is it tasty?" he asked with a smile as she chomped down on the plants.

Suction Cup ignored him, her cheeks puffing as she chewed. The Q-bounce of her face was almost comical. Within moments, she had swallowed all three plants.

Her powerful digestive system instantly pulverized the consumed plants, converting them into energy that spread throughout her body. The rune crystal embedded in her left arm glowed brightly.

Seeing this, Feng Qi's guess was confirmed.

Inheriting Mu Qing's abilities, Suction Cup could use food to repair her body and strengthen herself. If he continued to find energy-rich materials for her, her injuries would heal quickly.

The thought led him to a new hypothesis, and he quickly asked, "Narrator, do you think Suction Cup eating domain creatures would have the same effect as eating spiritual plants?"

[As long as her digestive system can handle it, even consuming spiritual energy-infused ores would allow her to extract energy.]

The narrator's answer sparked another idea.

Rather than focusing solely on finding spiritual plants, he could hunt domain creatures with Suction Cup. He could finish them off to absorb their blood energy and gain new abilities, while Suction Cup could consume their bodies to repair herself.

The only issue was Suction Cup's habit of dealing a killing blow. Once she attacked, it was nearly impossible to leave the final strike for him.

"Suction Cup, can you understand me? When we hunt domain creatures, could you leave them at low health for me to finish? Got it?"

Suction Cup rested her head on his arm and closed her eyes.

[Translation: 'That's a great suggestion, but I didn't hear a word you said.']

Feng Qi: …

He looked up at the blood moon and resumed his journey.

Little Black and the ram-headed demon were likely still locked in combat, buying him some time to strengthen Suction Cup further.

The closer he got to the Star City Shelter, the fewer domain creatures he encountered. To lure them out, he began singing at the top of his lungs, hoping his voice would attract their attention.

With Suction Cup by his side, he felt invincible.

For the first time since entering the future dream world, he was bold enough to act so recklessly.

[This is classic 'dog relying on human power.' You're becoming more and more like that mutt A Huang from a thousand years ago. Seems like the effects of Meng Po Soup are wearing off, and your true self is waking up.]

Feng Qi: …

"You just wait. One day, I'll pull you out of my body and flick your forehead a thousand times."

[Feel free to fantasize.]

"Super counter-flick!"

[Idiot.]

Ignoring the narrator, Feng Qi continued his loud singing as he walked.

[Five meters ahead on your right, there's a yellow object.]

Hearing the narrator's sudden alert, Feng Qi's irritation faded. He turned his gaze toward the yellow mass and walked toward it.

Squatting down to examine it, he asked, "What is this?"

[Sniff it. Maybe it's to your taste.]

Realizing the setup, Feng Qi's expression darkened. He had been ready to trust the narrator, only to realize he was being trolled again.

"Come out right now! We're settling this today!"

[Let's settle it with a verbal duel. I excel at arguing, but I'm not great at fighting. Use your strengths wisely.]

Feng Qi: …

Before he could retort, the grass ahead of him began rustling, signaling the approach of something large.

Without hesitation, Feng Qi lifted Suction Cup to shield himself.

[Defensive Suction Cup deployed. Preparing for combat mode!]

The narrator's commentary came just as a two-meter-tall arthropod leapt from the grass, lunging at Feng Qi.

The creature resembled a mantis, its body glowing with a faint green hue. Its massive forelimbs gleamed like twin scythes, sharp and deadly, while its back was covered in a layer of grayish material. It looked both majestic and terrifying.

Before it even reached him, the gust from its charge hit his face. Its scythe-like forelimbs swung toward Feng Qi's head, radiating a chilling light.

At that moment, Suction Cup's eyes snapped open. A faint light flickered in her gaze, quickly transforming into a swirl of stars. Her eyes resembled a galaxy in motion, emitting a dazzling brilliance.

Without hesitation, Feng Qi hurled Suction Cup at the mantis-like domain creature.

A crystalline sheen enveloped Suction Cup as she spun through the air. The mantis's scythes struck her mid-flight but failed to leave a mark on her pristine surface.

However, the sheer force of the mantis's attack sent Suction Cup flying.

As Suction Cup hit the ground, it was as if she had springs in her feet. She rebounded instantly and launched herself at the mantis-like domain creature with startling speed. Grabbing its right hind leg, she executed a ferocious over-the-shoulder throw.

Boom!

The ground quaked as the mantis creature's body slammed into it, trembling violently. The savage gleam in its eyes quickly turned into a dazed confusion.

"Suction Cup! Leave it alive for me!" Feng Qi shouted, already retreating several steps to avoid getting caught in the chaos.

After all, he wasn't confident he could withstand a slash from the mantis creature. Even spectating too closely could result in losing his head in one careless instant. Life was precious, and his value of 880,000 made him all the more cautious.

[Coward!]

"Shut up. If you're so brave, you take over!"

Ahead, Suction Cup showed no intention of giving the mantis a chance to retaliate. With a glowing jade-like fist, she slammed down, piercing straight through the creature's back. Green blood splattered everywhere.

The mantis creature seemed to realize it had picked the wrong fight. It screeched desperately, flailing as it tried to escape. But Suction Cup was relentless. Her second punch followed swiftly, this time smashing through its chest and embedding the creature into the ground.

Seeing the mantis's movements grow feeble, Feng Qi rushed forward, shouting, "Suction Cup, stop! Leave it barely alive!"

Suction Cup didn't respond. Instead, her third punch came down decisively, aimed at the creature's head.

Crack!

The sound of shattering echoed as white and green fluids splashed out in all directions. The mantis creature's body twitched one final time before going still.

By the time Feng Qi reached Suction Cup's side, she was already feasting on the mantis creature's remains. He sighed in frustration.

"You couldn't leave me even a little piece?"

[If you head back about 300 meters, that lovely yellow lump is still waiting for you.]

Feng Qi: …

As if sensing Feng Qi's exasperation, Suction Cup paused her feasting to glance at him. Then, she detached one of the mantis's massive scythe-like forelimbs and held it above her head, offering it to Feng Qi.

"You eat it. I can't." He waved her off with a helpless smile.

Suction Cup held the limb aloft for a moment, confused by his refusal. She then bit into it with a crunch, demonstrating its edibility with a few vigorous chews before swallowing.

The grinding sound of her teeth echoed loudly, making Feng Qi marvel at her strength.

When she swallowed her mouthful, Suction Cup held the limb out to him again, as if earnestly wanting to share her "delicacy."

Feng Qi: …

[Eat it. If you don't, Suction Cup might think you're disrespecting her. Weapons have feelings too, you know.]

"Why don't you eat it? You're the one with so much to say," he muttered, rolling his eyes.

The limb seemed harder than steel—probably impossible for him to consume. Only Suction Cup, with her abilities inherited from Mu Qing, could handle such a task.

When Feng Qi didn't take the limb, Suction Cup gave up on offering it and promptly devoured it herself. Within moments, she was back to tearing into the mantis's remains, feasting with gusto.

As Suction Cup ate, the fractured rune crystal on her left arm began glowing. Her entire body radiated with an enhanced crystalline sheen.

For some reason, watching her eat filled Feng Qi with a sense of satisfaction. It was like seeing his "weapon" gradually becoming stronger right before his eyes.

[Weapon is absorbing nutrients: Strength +1, Defense +1, Durability +1, Stamina +1, Recovery +1. Transformation progressing steadily.]

The narrator's voice added to his sense of accomplishment, as though Suction Cup's progress were being quantified in real time.

It didn't take long—within five minutes, Suction Cup had completely consumed the two-meter-tall mantis creature. All that remained was a single rune crystal.

With a final leap, Suction Cup returned to Feng Qi's left arm, nestling securely in place.

[Weapon upgrade complete. Throwing mechanism loaded and ready!]

Feng Qi: …

Glancing at her now flat stomach, he marveled again at Suction Cup's terrifying digestion abilities.

He couldn't help but wonder about one thing: what kind of domain creature did the rune crystal embedded in Mu Qing's body come from? Its abilities were undeniably extraordinary.

As long as she kept eating, Mu Qing's power had seemed limitless.

Back when Mu Qing first joined Star City Academy, she had entered a phase of rapid growth. Free access to resources and food had served as the foundation for her unstoppable rise.

While others labored tirelessly to cultivate their strength, Mu Qing simply ate heartily and conducted adaptive training in the Body Refining Room.

It was like she had been born with a cheat code.

Yet the Star City Database listed the origin of Mu Qing's rune crystal as classified information, leaving Feng Qi unable to uncover any details.

Perhaps even Mu Qing herself hadn't known the truth behind the mysterious crystal embedded in her left arm.

Continuing their journey, Feng Qi encountered two more domain creatures along the way.

But against Suction Cup's overwhelming strength, the creatures were little more than playthings. She dispatched them in two punches—one to weaken, the other to finish them off.

Feng Qi barely had the chance to deliver the final blow himself.

While he felt a bit frustrated, he couldn't help but admire Suction Cup's terrifying power.

At this stage, other than Little Black, he hadn't come across any domain creatures that could match her strength.

If not for Little Black's seemingly invincible ability to nullify all damage, even he might not have been a match for Suction Cup.

Following the route etched in his memory, Feng Qi eventually left the abandoned city and entered an area littered with skeletal remains.

Here, he was in his element. Placing Suction Cup securely at his chest, he launched into action—punching Zombie, kicking death worms, and clearing his way forward with sheer brutality.

Every time a battle began, Suction Cup's eyes would snap open, ready to assist. But Feng Qi knew he needed to act quickly.

If he didn't finish his enemies fast enough, Suction Cup would step in and steal the kill with a single punch.