Chapter 108 - 107: Taking Blessings for Granted

Hearing that one of these daggers was meant for him, Firestone’s initial shyness vanished in a burst of excitement. He immediately leaned over and opened one of the boxes.

Inside lay a small, exquisite dagger. Its very shape immediately captivated him.

The sheath was wrapped in dark brown Snake Skin, adorned with red, black, and yellow ring-like patterns. It felt icy to the touch, and a gentle rub revealed the fine, grainy texture of its scales.

The end of the hilt was inlaid with a smoothly polished Snake Fang tip serving as a counterweight. When held, its center of gravity felt perfectly balanced.

Firestone pulled the dagger from its sheath with a firm tug. A faint blue, icy glint flashed from the scabbard, and he couldn’t resist performing several continuous slashing motions.

The eerie blue light danced along with his movements, weaving into a visible net before his eyes.

He paused, lowering his hand to study the blade more closely.

Crafted from a polished Snake Fang, the blade itself possessed a translucent, bone-like quality. Faint, dark red blood-like veins could be seen flowing within.

The edge was incredibly thin, shimmering with a pale purple luster reminiscent of venom, looking as though a mere touch could slice through the air itself.

Fine snake scale patterns were carved into the crossguard, while the grip featured an entanglement of non-slip black strings.

As Firestone gripped it, he could feel a surge of cold, eerie Energy creeping up his arm. It was as if the soul of this Mutant Snake hadn’t fully dissipated and was eagerly waiting for the moment it could drink blood.

Watching Firestone hold the hilt so steadily, Mr. Fuller’s eyes widened in surprise. "Oh? Could this child possess the Fire Attribute?"

"How do you know?" Sev Steele almost blurted out, but her quick reflexes kicked in, and she swallowed the words just in time.

As an ordinary person, she shouldn’t have known he had the Fire Attribute before his Ability awakened.

In truth, she only knew the Ability attributes of the four children because she had read about them in the original novel, which stated that her second son, Firestone, possessed the Fire Element.

Mr. Fuller continued, "This Snake Tooth Dagger still harbors the residual Ability of the Mutant Coral Snake. A snake’s nature is dark and freezing; any ordinary person would shiver with cold the first time they hold it.

"Yet this boy’s grip is perfectly steady. From this, we can deduce that he possesses the Fire Attribute, and a remarkably high one at that.

"Speaking from an old man’s experience, he is bound to awaken a Fire Ability in the future. As his mother, you must not skimp on his nutrition, or you’ll delay the timing of his awakening."

Mr. Fuller’s words made Firestone feel as if he had been struck by a lucky star.

While every child dreamed of awakening an Ability, not even one in ten actually succeeded.

Now, Mr. Fuller had just told his mother that he would awaken an Ability in the future—and a Fire Ability at that!

The mere thought of being able to raise his hand and conjure a Fireball made him so thrilled he wanted to scream at the top of his lungs.

Hearing Mr. Fuller’s advice, Sev Steele hurriedly asked, "Master Fuller, I’m just an ignorant, ordinary person. Could I ask for your guidance on what kinds of food I should feed him to properly supplement his nutrition?"

Seeing her humble and eager attitude, Mr. Fuller could tell she genuinely cared about the child.

He then glanced at the new clothes Firestone was wearing. Though the style was plain and the price likely cheap, they were considered top-tier for Scavengers living in The Slums.

Furthermore, she hadn’t sold the Snake Fang for money. Instead, she had specifically saved it to forge a dagger for her son. A mother like this was highly unlikely to sell off her prematurely awakened child to the safe zone for a quick profit.

"Why don’t you follow me to the kitchen, and I’ll point them out for you," Mr. Fuller suggested.

"Thank you so much!" Sev Steele smiled, her eyes curving into happy crescents.

Ever since arriving in this world, she had never stepped foot in someone else’s kitchen. She was deeply curious to see what new varieties of ingredients existed beyond the ones she already knew.

The mother and son followed Mr. Fuller into the kitchen. Sev Steele took one glance around and couldn’t help but frown.

Several ingredients were haphazardly piled on the counters. The cupboards were wide open; while the shelves holding the dishes were somewhat tidy, the lower shelves meant for food storage were a complete disaster.

Mr. Fuller pointed to the ingredients on the counter, introducing them one by one. "This is mutant alfalfa, this is leaf-eater grass, and this is purslane.

"The nutritional value of these wild vegetables is vastly superior to others. Keep an eye out for them when you’re scavenging outside. If you gather any, absolutely do not sell them—save them for the boy.

"These are mutant walnuts. They offer the best nutrition, but unfortunately, they’re quite rare. I traded for these with a mercenary who needed a weapon forged.

"And this here is mutant spirulina. A mercenary out on a mission happened to scoop it up from a freshwater lake."

As Mr. Fuller rattled off the names, Sev Steele opened the notes app on her watch and meticulously jotted everything down.

Though she wasn’t a neat freak, Sev Steele loved cooking and couldn’t stand the sight of a messy kitchen.

While Mr. Fuller continued his explanations, she absentmindedly reached out, gathering the dirty dishes from the counter and washing them in the sink. She also tidied up the ingredients on the stove, sorting them into various clean vegetable basins.

As she organized the space, Firestone noticed a pile of uneven, jagged firewood stacked haphazardly beneath the counter.

Having taken on almost all the wood-chopping duties at home lately, he naturally picked up a small hatchet nearby. He split the wood into uniform sticks and stacked them into a neat pile.

Looking at the cleaned-up space, Sev Steele finally felt a sense of satisfaction.

Mr. Fuller remained impassive as the mother and son worked. He neither stopped them nor offered any thanks.

Walking over to the cupboards, he continued his lecture. "These jars are filled with various non-toxic mutant insect eggs. Compared to those vegetables, their nutritional value is far superior.

"Take this one, for example. These are the eggs of the mutant ironclad beetle, which can be found on certain bushes on the outskirts of The Murkwood.

"Roast them over a low fire until dry, crush them into a powder, and boil them into a paste along with wild vegetables and a Nutrition Block. It’s the most nourishing meal a child can eat, and it builds great strength.

"The only downside is the overwhelming fishy stench. I have to force my brat to eat it every single time."

At this, he turned and glared at Shannon Fuller. The young girl didn’t back down, rolling her eyes right back at him. "That stuff smells so bad it makes me want to throw up! It’s not because I’m a picky eater!"

"Hmph! You still have the nerve to talk back? You haven’t even touched your milk today. Are you trying to rebel?" Mr. Fuller demanded, pointing to a glass on the counter.

"The milk is fishy and greasy, and you force me to drink it every day! You’re clearly trying to murder your own granddaughter!" Shannon’s little face scrunched up like a bitter melon.

Firestone’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief.

That was milk! It was such an expensive, precious commodity that he and his brothers couldn’t bear to drink theirs, even planning to beg their mother to cancel the subscription next month.

"She really doesn’t know how lucky she is!" he thought, but accidentally mumbled the words aloud.

Realizing he had voiced his inner thoughts, he slapped a hand over his mouth in panic.

Seizing the opportunity, Mr. Fuller pointed at his granddaughter and scolded her. "Did you hear that? Even a child this young understands this principle, yet you remain completely clueless.

"I say you just need a good bout of starvation. If you keep disobeying me, I’ll send you straight to the youth training camp so you can finally taste some real hardship!"

"Fine by me! Go ahead and send me! It’d be best if I just died in the jaws of a Mutant Beast. Then we’ll see who’s left to cook your meals!" Shannon retorted carelessly.

Mr. Fuller was instantly left speechless. His son and daughter-in-law had both perished in a massive Beast Tide initiated by High Tier Mutant Beasts, leaving this precious granddaughter as his only remaining kin.

He was merely venting his frustrations; how could he ever bear to send her somewhere genuinely dangerous?

Avoiding her grandfather’s gaze, Shannon shot a fierce glare at Firestone. She aggressively shook her fist at him and mouthed, "You’re dead, you little brat!"