novelraw Chapter 180
Chapter 180
“Mm.” Leon nodded. When it came to Starfruit, you could never take it too seriously. He was the type to take good advice to heart.
“Then hurry up and go. After you eat it, tell me if you feel any changes—and what it tastes like,” Krobus urged.
“You’ve never eaten Starfruit before?” Leon asked curiously.
“Although I believe in Yoba, Starfruit does not favor us. We cannot gain power from it, so such precious fruit is little more than a collectible in our hands,” Krobus explained.
“Starfruit only has special effects when eaten by humans?” Leon pressed.
“Yes. After all, humans are Yoba’s favorite race, blessed with natural advantages in every aspect,” Krobus confirmed.
“Alright, then I’ll head off. Once I’ve eaten it, I’ll come back to you. I still have some business to discuss,” Leon said before leaving the sewer and heading straight for Rasmodius’s Wizard’s Tower.
Knock, knock, knock.
The sharp knocking made Rasmodius open the tower door with a dark look. His tone was less than friendly. “If you can’t give me a good reason for disturbing my experiments, I’ll make you my next test subject.”
“I bought a Starfruit from Krobus and wanted to ask if it’s safe to eat,” Leon quickly explained.“Starfruit, huh? I see. That’s a good enough reason. Come in,” Rasmodius said, eyes lighting up before stepping aside and gesturing Leon inside.
Once Leon entered, Rasmodius pulled a stool toward him with a wave, sat in his own chair, and asked, “This is your first time trying Starfruit, so there are a few things you should know.”
“I’m listening, Master Wizard.” Leon sat obediently, ready to receive the lecture.
“First, once you eat your first Starfruit, you will no longer be considered an ordinary human,” Rasmodius said, glancing at Leon and clearly expecting him to ask.
Sure enough, Leon asked, “What do you mean?”
“It means you’ll move beyond the level of ordinary humans, evolving into a higher form. Your lifespan and physical strength will undergo a transformation,” Rasmodius explained.
“Uh… in that case, can I still get married and have children?” Leon asked after a pause, his tone serious.
…
A long silence. Rasmodius’s expression shifted through several stages. He had anticipated many possible questions and prepared answers for them, but Leon’s unique thought process caught him completely off guard.
After a while, Rasmodius convinced himself—out of respect for Leon as an old acquaintance—not to crack open his skull to check for mutations. “Yes. You’re still human in essence, just stronger and longer-lived.”
Leon let out a sigh of relief, then followed up with, “So does that mean I can marry more wives?”
“Get out. Now!”
This time Rasmodius couldn’t contain his anger. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled Leon out the door—and in the same motion, used teleportation magic to send him to someone else who could answer his questions.
That someone was Linus, reading outside his tent.
“Leon? How did you end up being thrown here by Rasmodius?” Linus asked, looking at Leon, who had landed on his backside. “What did you do to make him lose his temper like that?”
“Nothing much, just asked a few questions about Starfruit,” Leon said, rubbing his sore rear before brushing the dirt off and continuing, “Old man, I think Rasmodius can’t really answer my doubts. You’re my last hope.”
Linus smiled. “So you’ve got your hands on Starfruit? That’s good. I knew you’d walk this path eventually, though I didn’t think it would be so soon.”
He fetched a small stool for Leon and gestured for him to sit. “What questions do you have about Starfruit? I’ll do my best to answer.”
“Have you eaten Starfruit yourself?”
This time Leon avoided the kind of question that might irritate his listener.
“Of course. A fruit that represents miracles—missing the chance to taste it would be one of life’s greatest regrets,” Linus said with a smile.
“How many have you eaten?” Leon asked.
“That’s a good question. I’ve eaten five,” Linus said approvingly, then added a reminder.
“That’s my limit. Any more and the strengthening effect would be negligible. Everyone’s tolerance for Starfruit’s power is different. That peculiar force is both a blessing and a burden. Depending on your talent, there’s a limit to how much you can accept. If you ignore your body’s warnings and force yourself to eat beyond your limit, the result could be tragic.”
“Will it kill you?” Leon asked.
“Yes. Even with the protection of Forest Magic, you would die. Power that can’t be absorbed will consume you, turning you to nothing—perhaps even erasing your soul,” Linus said gravely.
“How many do you think I can eat?” Leon asked again.
“I don’t know. Only you can find that out. When you eat the last Starfruit your body can absorb, you’ll know where your limit lies,” Linus replied with a shake of his head.
“How many can an average person eat?”
“Those with ordinary talent can only handle one. Those with exceptional talent can take two or three. Better ones can manage four or five. More than that… I haven’t seen it often,” Linus said.
Leon thought for a moment before asking, “Do you know how many Rasmodius and Marlon have eaten?”
“Rasmodius is like me. As for Marlon… I think around three, but I’m not certain. I’m not that close to him. Still, judging by the strength I sense from him, that’s about right,” Linus replied.
“Oh.” Leon nodded. If the number of Starfruit eaten represented talent, then clearly Linus and Rasmodius were big shots—both starting at five—while Marlon had only three.
But even with just three Starfruit, Leon had seen Marlon instantly take down a Shadow Assassin. That made him realize that those who could eat three were far from ordinary.
So maybe using Starfruit consumption to measure combat strength wasn’t perfect… but it wasn’t entirely wrong either. Perhaps he should make a habit of asking people how many they’d eaten before deciding how to deal with them.
Happy Children’s Day, everyone! Even if many of us are “big kids” now, that childlike heart doesn’t vanish with age. And don’t worry—I won’t be asking for gifts. It’s a genuine wish from me to you: may you be happy every day.