Chapter 35: A Strange Rage

It was sweet and a bit spicy.

That was the first reaction I had when I put the flesh in my mouth.

You see, I already expected this taste. It was also the reason why I chose this supernatural space to be a part of my plan.

The properties of a supernatural creature were directly related to its nature, history, and what it was.

Yes, it even involved the taste of its corpse.

Truly, it was something one would expect from the universe of [Arcana]... a morbid reality that dictated how one’s corpse would taste like.

And since [Sunny Days Toy’s Workshop] was a supernatural space that catered to giving good dreams to children and adults alike, its corpse naturally carried the properties associated with those pleasant dreams.

The sweetness was likely a reflection of the happiness and comfort it had once provided to its customers.

After all, the toys sold within this place were meant to help people sleep peacefully, allowing them to experience warm and pleasant dreams beneath the gentle light of the sun.

As for the slight spiciness, it was probably related to the warmth of those dreams, or perhaps the sun that had once been at the heart of this supernatural space.

Even after its power had been consumed, a small part of that nature seemed to have remained within its flesh.

Of course, I couldn’t say for certain whether that was the actual reason.

The relationship between a supernatural creature’s properties and its nature was not always straightforward, and there were plenty of cases where the results were far stranger than expected.

Still, at least the taste wasn’t as terrible as I had imagined.

’I remember someone making a post about the taste of different supernatural creatures...’

I could not help but shake my head and sigh as I continued to eat.

As I ate, I couldn’t help but feel a little worried. I had no idea what sort of effects consuming this corpse would have on me.

The thing was, if a human were to eat the corpse of a supernatural creature, they would usually undergo some form of mutation or change according to the nature of the corpse they had consumed.

Their bodies might develop strange characteristics, their minds might be affected, or they might even acquire certain traits associated with the creature itself.

Of course, the exact changes depended on the creature in question, and there was no guarantee that the results would be beneficial.

However, if a supernatural creature consumed another supernatural creature, then, unless the properties of their powers clashed with one another, the consumption would usually only increase the strength of their existing powers.

Right now, I had no idea whether I would be judged as a supernatural creature or a human...

But I hoped it would be the former.

After all, aside from the supernatural power of this place, I already knew what sort of changes consuming its corpse would bring to an ordinary person.

It would allow them to enjoy very good sleep every day, while also making them a little kinder towards children.

Honestly, it was a win-win situation for me. I didn’t mind either of those changes at all!

’I can only hope that this doesn’t judge me as a supernatural creature... because I am human!’

Crunch. Chew. Crunch.

Honestly, I felt a bit strange...

Since when was I able to calmly eat a corpse?

Sure, it tasted sweet, but it was still a corpse...

’Should I just consider this normal since I eat meat and chicken a lot anyway?’

No, that wasn’t right... this was a sentient being. It had thoughts, feelings, and its own grievances.

Even if it was a supernatural creature, it had once possessed a life of its own, and I had just watched it surrender to its final moments so that I could obtain its power.

Still, why wasn’t I that disturbed?

Why could I continue chewing its flesh without feeling the slightest urge to stop?

It was almost as though...

My body...

Craved...

Its flesh.

My body... was raging... an inherent rage born from the simplest truth of betrayal and humiliation.

This... I...

THOSE WRETCHED MONGRELS... I SHALL REND THEIR FLESH ASUNDER AND GRIND THEIR ACCURSED BONES INTO DUST. LET THEM CHOKE UPON THEIR OWN HUBRIS, FOR I SHALL SEE THEIR MISERABLE KIND DRAGGED INTO THE DEPTHS OF DAMNATION. I SHALL SEE THEIR LEGACY REDUCED TO NOTHING BUT A FOUL SCAR UPON THE FACE OF THIS WORLD.

"!"

I blacked out.

I didn’t know how long I had been eating, but by the time I regained consciousness, I could feel an immense strain weighing down on my body.

It wasn’t just my body, either. It felt as though my very existence was being stretched to its limits, as if something deep within me was struggling to endure a change it could barely withstand.

During this time, I couldn’t even tell whether I was still alive.

Eventually, I managed to open my eyes.

When I finally regained my senses, I realized that I was back inside the rundown Toy Shop.

The familiar sight of dusty shelves and abandoned toys greeted me, their lifeless figures standing silently in the dim surroundings.

I looked down to what was beneath me.

The loose plank... The same plank I had used to enter [The Rabbit Hole].

I slowly pushed myself up, my body feeling strangely heavy as I stared at the wooden floor beneath me.

I reached down and lifted the loose floorboard again, only to find that there was nothing underneath it except the dusty wooden supports and the dark space between the floor and the ground below.

That abyss-like hole was no longer there...

’Phew... aside from suddenly blacking out, nothing went wrong, at least...’

I wasn’t lying when I said I could help the Autarch of Light take revenge against A.E.G.I.S. just now.

In fact, I already had a way to do that without having to do much at all. I just needed to give it some time...

Haha, well, even if I didn’t do anything, A.E.G.I.S. was bound to be destroyed eventually due to the events in the book [Death of the Universe].

So technically, I hadn’t lied.

’Ah, right. I should check if I got a mark...’

Once a human consumed a supernatural creature, they were supposed to undergo some sort of physical change or develop an indicator of the power they had acquired.

However, I didn’t really feel any different.

I even checked underneath my clothes to see if there were any strange markings on my body, but I couldn’t find anything.

I couldn’t help but frown.

Did it not work...?

I started pacing around, feeling a little panicked. Could my strange constitution have prevented the transformation from taking place?

Damned Ring of Sacrilege! You cause me nothing but trouble sometimes...

Ah, huh? Wait... hold on.

While passing by a mirror, I thought I caught sight of something strange.

I slowly turned around and looked at myself.

Was it my imagination, or did my right pupil look even whiter than before?

In fact, there seemed to be a strange white glow coming from it...

Fuck, it worked?!

But in exchange, my right eye had turned into a glow-in-the-dark night light?!

I couldn’t help inwardly insulting myself over such a pathetic change.

Seriously, was this the best I could get? After going through all that trouble, was I really going to end up with an eye that glowed in the dark?

I stared at my reflection for another few seconds before finally pulling myself away from the mirror.

Well, whatever. I could complain about my glowing eye later.

The important thing was that the consumption had worked, and I had apparently inherited something from the dying sun. Now, I just needed to figure out how to use it.

’Hm... if the wikis were right, the way to use this power would be...’