Chapter 37: Discovery
The grasshopper’s abilities were impressive, especially its powerful hind legs. Unfortunately, it was highly alert. Luo Wen barely rustled the grass before it leaped away. Though it didn’t jump far, the lush vegetation severely hampered his “eagle eye” ability in this environment.
No matter how sharp his vision was, it wasn’t x-ray capable; he couldn’t see through the dense underbrush. With his greatest advantage on the surface nullified, moving underground once more seemed safer.
The ground near the lake was moist, and Luo Wen soon sensed movement. Approaching cautiously, he found a worm.
This worm was different from the foul-smelling, ambush-prone one he’d encountered before. Its dark-red body was less grotesque and lacked the repulsive stench.
It wriggled through the soil with rhythmic undulations. To Luo Wen, such a chance meeting was fate. He decided to take a bite.
The more genetic fragments he added to his gene pool, the better. Who knew when they might come in handy? The foul-smelling worm’s ability to extract nutrition from dirt had been invaluable in a crisis, even if the experience of consuming it was unpleasant.
Encountering a new species of worm presented an opportunity to gain another useful trait. Perhaps by collecting and combining different worms’ abilities, Luo Wen could eventually achieve the ultimate dirt-eating efficiency—without any digestive side effects.
Grabbing one end of the worm, Luo Wen unceremoniously shoved its dirt-covered body into his mouth. This worm was unimpressive, offering no resistance to his attack.
Perhaps due to his prior experience with far worse flavors, the earthy taste and faint stench of this worm were relatively tolerable.