CHAPTER 40: MIND-BLOWING INFORMATION (2)

Those words hit him like a freight train.

He sat back hard, staring at nothing.

He’d already been told there were other universes. And now the system had just confirmed that if he encountered a creature in one of those worlds—no matter how impossible it seemed by Earth’s science—he could extract its traits and make them his own.

That meant... magic.

Was science magic? In a way, yes. There’s a saying that goes, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

Liam swallowed, a nervous tingle running up his spine, but a slow grin began to creep across his face.

System... does this ability work on magical creatures?

[Yes, Host.]

His eyes widened, disbelief melting into pure, unfiltered excitement. He grinned so wide it almost hurt.

"This is ridiculous... This is so ridiculous," he muttered.

How had this escalated so fast? Yesterday he’d been thinking about an enhancement to handle a knowledge package without frying his brain, and now... now he was one step away from becoming something out of a fantasy novel.

So many questions bubbled up at once. There was no telling what kind of worlds and species existed beyond Earth, and the system had just told him they were all potential... donors.

Scientifically, the concept was insane. Evolution compressed into minutes? Genetic barriers shattered without consequence. The merging of traits from entirely different species should cause catastrophic rejection on a cellular level. But the nanites weren’t just brute-forcing DNA splicing—they could restructure every single cell so the new trait didn’t just "fit," it became part of him as naturally as the color of his eyes.

And that was the dangerous part.

It wouldn’t be obvious. No scars. No mechanical implants. No grotesque mutations. It would all be seamless, tailored, perfect.

If he gained the raw strength of a silverback gorilla, he could still look like a lean, athletic man—but carry enough force to bend steel in his hands. If he absorbed the venom of a king cobra, there wouldn’t be obvious fangs—unless he wanted them.

It was the ultimate hidden weapon.

He could blend into any crowd, appear completely human... until he decided not to.

He sat there for minutes, breathing slowly, letting it all settle. The more he thought about it, the more thrilling and dangerous it seemed. This wasn’t just a personal upgrade. It was the kind of ability that could turn a person into a legend—if they survived long enough to use it.

And in a universe where travel to other worlds was eventually possible... myths were just manuals waiting to be copied.

The thought alone was intoxicating. Dragons. Phoenixes. Leviathans. Creatures with powers so vast they blurred the line between biology and divinity.

A shiver ran through him. Just imagining himself with wings of living flame, or scales that could shrug off cannon fire, made him feel high.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Liam let out a low whistle and leaned back in his chair, a slow, wicked grin spreading across his face.

"My future just got a hell of a lot more interesting."

He could already see it: a version of himself that could walk on any planet, breathe any atmosphere, survive in space, and wield powers no human in history had ever possessed.

A man who could soar above cities, dive to the darkest ocean floors, disappear into shadows, and strike with the force of a god.

He wasn’t there yet. But the path was in front of him now, clear and tempting.

Still, all of that was for later. The current Liam had no intention of hunting for traits just yet. First, he needed to build himself up, cement his name, and lay a foundation strong enough to handle the kind of insane adventures this ability promised.

Even so... he wouldn’t deny it. The idea of acquiring traits made his blood run hotter, his fingers itch. Part of him wanted to try it right now, just to see.

He was still lost in that thought when Evelyn and the other maids arrived, wheeling in trays laden with food.

"Dinner is served, Mr. Liam," Evelyn announced softly, setting the first steaming plate on the long dining table.

The rich aromas hit him instantly—roast chicken glazed with herbs, buttered vegetables, fluffy mashed potatoes, and a basket of fresh bread. Clara followed with another plate, then another, until the table was nearly full.

Liam didn’t waste a second. He picked up his fork and dug in.

The first mouthful barely hit his tongue before he was already lifting the next. The rhythm became mechanical—cut, chew, swallow, repeat—until one plate was empty, then the next, then the next.

Evelyn, Clara, and Mira exchanged silent glances as they moved about the dining room. They’d expected him to be hungry after skipping lunch, but not like this. This wasn’t hunger—it was devouring.

By the time he polished off the last plate, the number of servings stood at six full adult meals. And yet... his stomach wasn’t bulging, not even slightly.

It was unsettling. Where was all that food going?

Liam leaned back slightly, wiping his mouth with the cloth napkin. Finally—finally—the gnawing void in his gut was gone. But instead of the heavy, sluggish feeling that usually came with overeating, he felt... light. Energized.

He stood, chair sliding back with a faint scrape.

"That was perfect," he said simply, before turning and heading for the stairs.

The maids remained still for a moment, watching him leave.

Clara leaned closer to Evelyn, whispering, "Where does he put all that food?"

Evelyn shook her head faintly. "Don’t ask questions you’re not ready to hear the answers to."

Upstairs, Liam moved at a relaxed pace, one hand brushing along the smooth banister.

It wasn’t hard to figure out what was going on. His body’s metabolism wasn’t "fast" or "slow" anymore—it was optimized. Every calorie was being converted into exactly what his body needed with near-perfect efficiency.

The reason he’d eaten so much tonight was obvious. The nanites were still fully syncing with his system, repairing microscopic flaws, fortifying tissues, running final calibrations. That kind of overhaul needed fuel.

By tomorrow? He’d probably be back to eating normally. Maybe even less than before.

Or maybe... more. Who knew?

Either way, there was no point worrying about it now.

He reached his room and stepped inside, the plush carpet muting his footsteps. With a sigh of quiet satisfaction, he headed straight for the bed.

The moment he sank into the mattress, the tension in his body began to melt away. The silk sheets were cool against his skin, the pillow perfectly cradling his head.

A smile ghosted across his face as he lay there, staring up at the faint shadow patterns on the ceiling.

His life had changed so much in such a short time. And it was going to change even more.

The system had started as a lifeline—a miracle that saved him from a life he hated. Now it was a ladder stretching higher than he’d ever imagined, each rung promising something stranger, more impossible, more dangerous.

And Liam wasn’t afraid of the climb.

Not anymore.

With a quiet exhale, he closed his eyes, letting the thoughts of dragons, phoenixes, and impossible futures drift into the edges of his mind.