Chapter 76: Monster Power Talent, Chicken-Headed Men

Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Monster Power Talent, Chicken-Headed Men

That’s right. Seraphina Sullivan was going to use a Power Apple to strengthen Sean Chandler.

Every apple had to be used where it mattered most.

The power boost she received from the Power Apples had already reached its limit; eating more would be nothing but a waste, only satisfying her palate.

Every one of the twelve remaining in her Space had to be used where it mattered most.

She had already fed two to her symbiotic plant, Flora, causing the power of its vines to surge. Now, a casual lash could easily shatter rock, making it one of her powerful trump cards.

Now, she decided to invest in her puppet, Sean Chandler.

A stronger cannon fodder—scratch that... a more powerful teammate would always be more useful.

"Eat it." Seraphina handed the apple to Sean Chandler.

Although Sean Chandler was her puppet, he still had his own emotions. He glanced at Seraphina, and without the slightest hesitation, opened his mouth.

"CRUNCH!"

The crisp sound echoed clearly in the silent room. A sweet, fruity fragrance immediately filled the air, a stark contrast to the room’s scent of rust and disinfectant.

He devoured the apple in just a few bites, leaving not even the core behind.

After he finished eating, Sean Chandler showed no outward change, maintaining his usual silent, taciturn demeanor.

Seraphina habitually scanned him with her Eye of Identification.

She just wanted to see how much his base Strength Attribute had increased. She also harbored a sliver of hope—a one-in-a-million chance, really—that the guy might get ridiculously lucky and gain a Special Ability.

After all, she’d eaten five herself and gotten jack squat, so she didn’t dare get her hopes up.

However, when Sean Chandler’s stats appeared clearly in her mind, Seraphina was utterly stunned.

[Name: Sean Chandler]

[Gender: Male]

[Professional Skills:

Talent·Beastification: Can switch between Werewolf and Wolf Form. Possesses extremely high Recovery Power and Power.

Talent·Monster Strength (New): Greatly increases Power and burst potential. Attacks have a low chance to cause "Knockback" or "Armor Break" effects.]

[Weaknesses: Extreme fear of spicy food]

Seraphina: "???"

She stared at the description for the "Monster Strength" talent, which Sean Chandler hadn’t had before, and fell silent for a full three seconds.

’No way?’

’Seriously?’

’Are you messing with me right now?’

"I ate five! Five! And besides a boost to my Power, I got jack squat!"

"You ate just one! *One!* And you get a ’One-shot Soul’ right off the bat, scoring a new Talent?!"

Seraphina felt the corners of her eyes and mouth twitching uncontrollably.

An indescribable mix of jealousy and absurdity washed over her.

’What was this supposed to be?’

’The stark difference between a King of Fortune and an unlucky soul?’

’Or did this stupid apple just really hit it off with Sean Chandler?’

She took several deep breaths to suppress the urge to take Sean Chandler apart and see how he was built.

’When it came to luck, comparisons were just infuriating.’

Luckily, Sean Chandler was her puppet now, so his increase in strength was her increase in strength. Otherwise, Seraphina would have been frustrated enough to punch a wall.

’Forget it, forget it. At least the benefits are staying in-house...’ she thought, taking a deep breath to console herself. But her gaze couldn’t help but drift back to the "Monster Strength" talent.

’Tsk. Looks like from now on, if anything comes down to luck, I should have him test the waters first.’

A strange thought popped into her head.

Seraphina didn’t have Sean Chandler eat any more Power Apples.

She knew that eating too many would put a strain on his body.

"I’ll power you up more when we get back to the real world. For now, pulling a One-shot Soul to get the Monster Strength talent is more than enough."

"Go back for now. We’ll wait for tomorrow’s competition."

Sean Chandler left Seraphina’s room.

The next day, the third day at the Animal Slaughterhouse began!

Just as they had the past two days, Seraphina and Ash were about to head to the familiar slaughter room to start their day’s "work" when Kieran Hogan, who had been waiting in the hallway, stopped them.

"Halt!" Kieran Hogan’s shrill voice was uncharacteristically serious.

"The slaughterhouse has a special situation today. All temps, with me!"

A thought struck Seraphina, and she immediately glanced over at Dustin Sullivan and Lily Underwood, who weren’t far away.

They were looking back at her. The moment their eyes met, they knew what the other was thinking.

They blended into the crowd, following Kieran Hogan in a direction they’d never taken before.

Amid the chaos of the procession, the few of them who were working together quickly and naturally closed ranks, forming their own small group.

"Is it starting?"

Lily Underwood’s voice was a low whisper, tinged with tense excitement.

A sharp glint flashed in Dustin Sullivan’s eyes. He gave a slight nod. "Most likely. Get ready."

Sean Chandler stood guard silently on one side of Seraphina, while Ash, looking somewhat nervous, stuck close to her other side.

Soon, they were led to a vast plaza.

The plaza was surrounded by rough stone walls set with torches. The dancing flames cast flickering shadows across the space, creating a grim and foreboding atmosphere.

Many "people" had already gathered in the plaza.

Numerous Hogmen, similar in appearance to Kieran Hogan, stood in small groups. Behind each Hogman was a batch of human temps, their faces a mask of terror or numbness.

At a rough glance, there were nearly a hundred in total.

"Quick, look over there!" Lily Underwood gestured with her eyes toward the other side of the plaza.

Seraphina had already noticed something unusual over there.

At the far end of the plaza stood not Hogmen, but a group of... Chickenmen!

That’s right. Chickenmen.

They, too, retained avian features, with colorful combs and sharp beaks. Their eyes glinted with a mix of belligerence and cunning.

Behind them, too, was a group of human temps.

"Could those Chickenmen be the ones from the ’Chicken Slaughterhouse’ we’re supposed to compete with?" Lily Underwood asked in a low voice.

Seraphina didn’t answer. Her gaze was already fixed on the two figures standing on a high platform in the center of the plaza.

One was Wessuri, a familiar face. She still wore the same well-tailored suit, her black hair and red lips accentuating her cold, sharp aura.

Across from her stood another woman, equally stunning but with a completely different style.

The woman wore a vibrant red gown and had exaggerated makeup. Her dark green, winged eyeshadow was particularly striking, giving her a demonic, bewitching look, like a poisonous poppy.

Seraphina’s Eye of Resume automatically provided the information:

[Name: Leon Gilmore]

[Gender: Female] (Demon)

[Professional Skills: Glare: Weakens the strength of the target it sees.]

[Weaknesses: Vulnerable to delicious food]

Leon Gilmore lightly covered her mouth with an exquisite feather fan, letting out a soft giggle.

Her voice, though coquettish, was laced with piercing mockery. "Wessuri, I’m surprised you still have the guts to compete with me. Wasn’t your last loss humiliating enough? The ’product’ from your pigsty can’t hold a candle to my tender little chicks."

A terrifying red light flashed in Wessuri’s dark eyes, and the atmospheric pressure around her plummeted.

She let out a cold laugh, her voice chilling to the bone. "Heh. Leon Gilmore, if a certain *wild pheasant* hadn’t cheated last time, the outcome would have been far from certain. What is it this time? Have you prepared some new underhanded tricks?"