I Can See Experience Points

"Gourmet Kitchen?" Lei Yang muttered. He had finally learned the name of the organization behind the slightly deranged Liang Kun.

"Oh dear! To think I’d carelessly leak the organization’s name." Liang Kun covered his mouth, feigning shock as if he’d just witnessed something unbelievable. Then, he broke into another smile. "But what does it matter? All of you are going to die in the final sacrifice anyway, aren’t you?"

Hearing this, everyone suspected he had mentioned the name "Gourmet Kitchen" intentionally, just to provoke them.

"I lost my mother when I was young. My father was both a drunk and a gambling addict. After racking up a mountain of debt, he just took off, leaving me and my grandmother to fend for ourselves. I vaguely remember that back then, the whole school knew about it.

And then, a group of kids started bullying me. I didn’t dare fight back. After all, I didn’t have any parents to stand up for me, right? I lost all interest in my studies, and my grades plummeted. My teacher, who had always seemed so caring, suddenly started to despise me.

Xiaoyang went to my school. He’d often bring his cronies over to show off in front of me, trying to look tough. He pulled every prank imaginable on me.

Have you ever had to streak in front of the entire school? I have. Those guys somehow found out I had a crush on a girl in our class. They convinced her to lure me into the utility room.

They stripped me naked and left, laughing their heads off. They weren’t the least bit afraid of me. I just hid in there. In the dead of winter, can you imagine the pain of the wind cutting you like a knife? Can you imagine the despair of the entire school laughing at you?"

’Th-this... That’s horrible!’

At this point, Liang Kun pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He took one out, lit it, and took a long, hard drag.

He exhaled a long plume of smoke. As if lost in memory, or perhaps talking in his sleep, he continued.

"I never expected it. I thought I had put those unbearable memories behind me and could dedicate myself to serving the people. But what happened? Xiaoyang showed up. Do you really believe a piece of scum like that is capable of protecting anyone?

Except for the few operational squads that were always on missions, and a couple of directors and team leaders, almost every Cleaner in the city knew about my past—all my humiliating stories. So I swore an oath. I would tear Xiaoyang limb from limb.

Oh, right. Those two members who died horribly in the apartment complex? I had the Mirror Spirit do that. After Xiaoyang, they were the ones who gossiped about me the most viciously. Well, now I’ve made sure they can never speak again."

As he finished speaking, he stubbed out his cigarette and glanced at Li Wencai, who was still hacking away furiously at He Xiaotian.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

But it was useless. No matter how hard the old man tried, he couldn’t leave so much as a white scratch on his body.

"That’s enough. Stop wasting your energy. This guy is a prodigy, a trinity of strength, defense, and fire. How could that piece-of-junk blade of yours ever hurt him? If I hadn’t used Zheng Peng to freeze his hands, he would’ve smashed you to a pulp with a single blow ages ago."

Li Wencai shuddered violently upon hearing this.

’So you knew all along I couldn’t hurt him. You just let me vent my frustration?’

"Liang Kun, I can’t figure it out," Lei Yang began, "how did you people team up with the Mirror Spirit? I’m sure your two sides must have been negotiating for a long time. But while you had opportunities to enter the Medical University, you definitely wouldn’t have had time for any talks."

Lei Yang was probing for information. If he could make it back alive, this intelligence would be priceless.

"Heh heh. It seems Captain Lei is still clinging to a sliver of hope. Fine. We were once comrades who fought side-by-side through life and death. Tonight, I’ll let you die knowing the truth. The mastermind behind the Gourmet Kitchen made contact with the Realm Master in the Netherworld.

It helps us capture gifted individuals for the sacrifice to summon a projection of the Gluttonous King into our world. In return, we have to help the Realm Master destroy the seal at the Medical University. The Dream Eye... that’s what I installed during my time there.

Honestly, the human modification technology of the Netherworld is far beyond anything our world could ever hope to achieve. After I joined the Gourmet Kitchen, not only were my own abilities enhanced, but I can now activate the Dream Eye at will and trap my enemies in an Illusion Technique.

Honestly, this feeling of power... it’s intoxicating. Inside the organization, no one laughs at me. They’re all very kind. The leader, the Food King, is a hundred times more competent than any director of the Cleaners."

’K-k... Kind?! An evil organization that sacrifices people, and he has the gall to call them kind.

Ma Dan, he’s been completely brainwashed!’

He Xiaotian thought, sizing up the smiling Liang Kun.

At first, he had felt sorry for him, hearing his story.

An irresponsible father, a cruel teacher, the bully Xiaoyang and his cronies, and even his own teammates and the rookies inside the Cleaners.

And then the so-called Food King appeared, offering him warmth and helping him develop his powers.

He Xiaotian could feel it firsthand—Liang Kun’s sealing technique was impeccable.

’Hasn’t my own Inner Strength been completely sealed away?’

’Why wasn’t an ability like this taken seriously!’

"Alright, you now know everything you should—and shouldn’t. I trust that now you and Captain Lei can go to hell with no regrets, right?" Liang Kun then turned to He Xiaotian and added, "Don’t worry, you’re not going to die. In fact, you’ll have the great honor of becoming a member of the Gourmet Kitchen. The Food King gave special orders to his people hiding in Shanghai: capturing you alive would be the best possible outcome.

He’s very interested in your body, which combines three different abilities. Of course, if you don’t appreciate the offer, I’m afraid you’ll just end up as a dish on the dinner table."

"You eat people?!"

He Xiaotian’s eyes widened. Anyone who wasn’t a complete idiot could understand the implication.

"What’s the matter? Aren’t humans just another type of animal?"

’Holy shit!’

In He Xiaotian’s mind, those two words were the only thing that could possibly describe how he felt right now.

’This guy is a lost cause!’

"Don’t look at me like that. Once you join us, you’ll realize there’s no food in this world more delicious than human flesh. Especially the flesh of an Awakened.

The texture of their meat, the energy within their bodies... you could also call it Spiritual Qi. When prepared by the chefs of the Gourmet Kitchen, it creates a delicacy I guarantee you’ll never forget."

From the blissful expression on Liang Kun’s face, it was obvious what he had done.

"Gan Liniang!"

’How many of the world’s most evil criminals have ever resorted to eating human flesh?’

’Once you cross that line, you can’t even be called human anymore.’

’Maybe it would be more fitting to call them demons?’

In short, He Xiaotian felt the fury in his chest erupt like a volcano.

And the only outlet for that eruption was violence!