【001】The Light Eater
【Brain Storage】
...The Fruit, a legendary divine fruit from the abyss.
Anyone who consumes it can gain the power they've always dreamed of, but will also pay an equal price.
Since the Fruit's appearance, human society has undergone earth-shattering changes. Some who have consumed the Fruit have brought blessings to humanity, while others have caused millennia of harm.
Those who have obtained the Fruit have caused immense damage to human civilization, forcing people to build high walls and live in fortress after fortress.
Because most beings are unable to resist the Fruit, they will devour it on the spot upon discovery, making it essentially as unattainable as a myth for most.
However, the various extraordinary powers derived from the Fruit are not difficult to obtain.
...
Silver City.
An old building.
Wearing a mask and carrying a briefcase, Yu Xian took the pen and inscription from the black market owner and asked, "Boss, which generation is this?"
"The third generation. But I must warn you, although those who directly inscribe themselves as Ghosts can also become Ghosts, they will be unregistered, essentially wild Ghosts. Once the clan discovers your existence, you will face the hostility of the entire clan and relentless pursuit by the Cleansers!" the black market owner said slowly, looking at Yu Xian.
Hundreds of years ago, the clan's progenitor transformed from a human into a Ghost by consuming a fruit. Now, the clan is an extremely powerful force in human society.
Only humans who pass the clan's trials and tests are qualified to receive the Embrace and transform into Ghosts.
These Ghosts will receive the acceptance and protection of the entire clan, but they must also contribute their strength to the clan.
In the past, some have assassinated Ghosts and then used them to transform themselves into Ghosts, seeking immortality. But without exception, these people were ultimately killed by the Cleansers sent by the clan.
The problem was that Yu Xian couldn't wait that long, nor did he have the patience to undergo the clan's trials.
He was just a high school student who had recently taken over a small factory from his deceased father and had a little money.
If nothing unexpected happened, he would manage the factory like his father after graduation, and then hand it over to his son when he got old.
Unfortunately, an accident occurred.
A year ago, he was also diagnosed with ALS!
It was rumored that his father had died of ALS.
This terrifying terminal illness could only be cured in the supernatural world, but most treatments were extremely expensive.
For example, a cure from a healing superpower would cost 100 million.
Even if he sold the factory, he could only raise about 20 million, not enough to hire such a person. Other treatments, even the cheapest ones, cost at least 60 to 70 million and often had strange side effects.
Finally, after spending a lot of money on investigation and consultation, he found this so-called "black shop" that claimed to be able to buy anything.
After selling his factory and a shop, he scraped together the money to buy the "Ghost Eater" (a magical substance), finally gaining a glimmer of hope for survival.
If he could infuse himself with the Ghost Eater's essence, transforming himself into a Ghost Eater, his ALS would naturally be cured without further medication. The downside was that he would have to feed on it for survival afterward and would also be afraid of silver.
"This is the final payment."
Yu Xian took out a silver ring and used it to verify the authenticity of the pen-sized invoice.
After confirming that the invoice contained the Ghost Eater's essence, he placed his briefcase on the table and immediately left.
Back in his room, Yu Xian quickly drew all the curtains and sat down in his bedroom.
Removing his mask, Yu Xian carefully took out the pen-sized invoice. Looking at what was inside, he couldn't help but feel ecstatic; he wouldn't die.
You see, the moment he was diagnosed with ALS, he felt like the sky was falling.
He spent a month in a daze before finally mustering the courage to accept his impending death and trying everything he could to save himself.
In fact, his hands often felt weak, and occasionally he would even lose sensation.
He knew he was getting closer and closer to death.
Thankfully, it wasn't too late!
Yu Xian took the medicine, and after calming his racing heart, he slowly poured the medicine into himself. Soon, he felt a chill emanating from his bones, followed by a drowsy state, an irresistible sleepiness.
He obediently lay down and slowly closed his eyes.
In his final moments, he could feel his heartbeat slowing down, slower and slower…
A day and a night passed in the blink of an eye.
In the darkness, Yu Xian turned over.
He suddenly realized something, jerked his eyes open, and sat up in bed.
"I've succeeded?" he murmured to himself, then quickly pressed his hand to his mouth.
About a minute later, a smile appeared on his face. Sure enough, his heart had stopped beating, meaning he had been transformed into a ghost-devourer by the Ghost-Absorbing Technique.
A Ghost-Absorbing Technique's heart only beats once a year.
It's said that every ten jumps grant a minor talent, and every hundred jumps grant a major talent.
Therefore, the longer a Ghost-Absorber lives, the stronger it becomes!
Furthermore, with ample food, a Ghost-Absorber can even maintain a heartbeat only once every six months, leading to faster power increases. This is why all Ghost-Absorbers absorb even when they don't need to.
"Newly transformed Ghost-Absorbers all possess an initial talent."
Yu Xian recalled the information he had gathered, then carefully examined the changes.
First, he could rule out his primary ability. Primary abilities are like eating; they're easy to use, and anyone with a sound mind can master them.
Since it wasn't an ability he needed to actively unleash, it must be a passive ability.
This was more troublesome.
Because passive abilities often only become apparent after they've been unleashed.
"A bit...thankfully, I prepared in advance!"
Yu Xian didn't perceive his own ability, but rather...
He got out of bed, habitually turned on the light, and then froze in place.
Absorbing!
Wait a minute! He was, in fact, devouring the lamp.
How could this be?
While ordinary lamps might not harm ghost-devourers, they actually dislike light, and even experience slight discomfort under strong light.
Yet, he not only didn't find it difficult, but even felt somewhat comfortable.
"Could my first talent be...devouring?"
Yu Xian looked up at the incandescent light bulb, his face gradually shifting from surprise and doubt to wild joy.
He immediately went to the window. After deciding to become a ghost-devourer, he had changed all the curtains to blackout curtains, but he knew very well that it was definitely daytime outside.
"My intuition is correct. Even through the curtains, the light is shining on them, and I can feel the warmth emanating from them."
"But... I don't seem to feel any difficulty at all!"
"Even..."
Yu Xian grabbed the curtain with one hand, took a deep breath, and then abruptly pulled it open.
The light instantly dispelled the darkness, and the morning sun shone in, bathing Yu Xian in its glow. He could clearly see it vanishing rapidly; he was indeed eating, and his food was...
He was an anomaly among ghost-devourers.
He believed he was food.
He was a eater!