"I wanted to ask this earlier, but, is this safe to eat?"
Eliza asked with a lightly skeptical tone, but Evan only laughed and affirmed that it was before cutting up the yellow sphere and taking a bite.
The moment he did, a burst of flavours erupted within his mouth, akin to an otherworldly symphony unfolding.
The initial contact on his tongue unveiled an ethereal sweetness as if the nectar of celestial fruits had been captured within.
For a fraction of a second, Evan was almost willing to admit that there existed something that tasted better than the strawberries he loved so much.
The flavour resonated within his very being, infusing his sense with a pristine essence that banished any lingering 'contaminations' in his body.
A soft, soothing sensation permeated his being, coursing through his energy circuit like a gentle stream, carrying away all remnants of stress and tension.
As for Eliza and the rest, it was as if a gentle hand was delicately brushing away layers of heaviness on their bodies that they didn't even know were there, unveiling a renewed sense of lightness and clarity.
It was like a cathartic liberation, akin to stepping into a pristine pool of crystal-clear water and feeling its invigorating coolness envelop them.
Newfound vitality pulsed through their veins, with all unnecessary substances within their energy cores gently expelled and replaced with clear luminous energy that radiated all around.
It was almost as if they could taste the cleansing processes occurring within their bodies, whisking away all foreign substances with each delectable bite.
The female automation snapped their fingers and a wave of light washed over their bodies once more, while Evan pulled out his Polaroid camera and began taking photos of the surroundings.
"This…what…how…"
Eliza was lost for words as she finished the first sphere, the plate rotating slightly and pushing in the next one for her to eat.
The spirit trio on the other hand were more amazed by the changes as they could tell that their energies had been purified and the quality of said energies, regardless of the type had been tripled.
And this effect was also going to apply to whatever energies they gained possessed in the future.
Basically, if they used 5 units of energy to cast a spell, then that spell would be three times more powerful than normal.
If someone else needed to use 3 units of energy in a spell that dealt 10 units of damage, they could use 1 unit of energy and still achieve the same amount of damage.
Achieving this normally required one to go through a process of circulating their energy and spreading it throughout their entire energy circuit. Then quickly retracting it to their energy cores to not let any bit leak out.
This made the energy denser due to it being tenser in the process of spreading and retraction, allowing them to compress it and improve its quality.
By compressing it and reducing the volume it occupies, they would be freeing up space for further energy growth.
It was a tedious process that was harder the more energy one possessed, and yet they had achieved such an effect by just eating one of these spheres.
Plus, it should be mentioned that the party had indeed done this, so their energies were already denser and higher in quality than normal existences with their levels.
After all, there had to be a reason their attacks dealt so much damage to the powerful Silverwing, enough to break its durability.
Now with this, they had all become even more powerful.
While they were checking out the differences and Evan was going on a photographing spree, Eliza was feeling a bit dizzy and had a hard time trying to keep her eyes open.
Her energy core was currently undergoing a remarkable transformation, and a surge of indescribable power began coursing through her energy circuit.
With each passing moment, she felt her consciousness expand, her existential boundaries being merged with a new form of energy that filled the surroundings.
Her whole body was being transformed, into a conduit that would allow her to harness and shape this energy.
And then…
**BOOM!!
A burst of energy spread out from her body, but thanks to the automations, it did not knock the table or the plates over.
The Female Automation instantly appeared at her back and placed two hands on her body, using he own energies to guide Eliza's energy flow and help her reattune herself.
Eliza felt her heartbeats grow louder and louder, and she entered a heightened state of connection with the ambient energy in the surroundings.
The energy rapidly rushed into her body, filling up the newly opened space in her expanded energy core to the brim within a few minutes.
Seeing this, a small smile appeared on Evan's face as he watched Eliza's wish get granted.
"…this…"
"Congratulations, Lady Eliza."
The Female Automation spoke with a light smile but Eliza was still dumbfounded at how easy it was for her to acquire the thing she had just been wishing for earlier in the day.
She flicked her fingers and roused her energy, the strands of ether responding to her command, swirling and dancing at her will, as if eager to fulfil her every intention.
Evan chuckled upon seeing the dumbfounded look on her face, taking his seat opposite her as he spoke.
"If you're already shocked out of your wits at this, then wait till you finish the remaining two."
It was then that it occurred to her that she had indeed only taken one of the three spheres on the table.
Without hesitation, she and the spirits followed Evan in taking a bite of the second one, an ethereal taste that could not be explained with words exploding on their tongue.
Upon finishing this one, a surge of euphoria coursed through their entire bodies and a radiant aura enveloped their bodies.
At first, they were unclear about the effects of the second one, but when Eliza moved her hand to grasp the wineglass and take a sip, she instantly began noticing it.
"My grip feels…stronger?"
"Sure, it just 'feels' stronger?"
Seeing the impish grin on Evan's face as he asked that, Eliza opened up her status and discovered it wasn't just her 'feeling'.
Her strength stat now had a magnificent 'A' sitting in place of the previous 'A-'. Her other stats too had also seen increases, and it did not take her long to note the effects of the second one.
"All my stats, increased by one Sub Rank!!"
Such was the effect of the second sphere, increasing the stats of those consuming them by one whole Sub rank.
A-Negative become A-neutral and A-neutral becomes A-Positive.
If Eliza had any A-Positive stats, then she might have seen her first S-Negative stat while still being Level 374.
One should note that gaining A-positive stats was usually supposed to start at Level 366. And yet Eliza already had five A-positive stats with stat levels around 50!
A normal Level 374 usually had at least one stat still being A-neutral and their A-positive stats were usually at around stat level 10-15 range.
This showed how much of a boon this was to Eliza. And from what Evan could see, her Energy stat was now inkling closer to S-Negative, and she was sure to get it before she reached Level 390 at most.
'And we have lots of 'Experience' waiting for us outside the Cave. She'd be leaving Duscon with the power of an S-rank adventurer.'
Evan felt happy as he predicted Eliza's growth, turning to his own status board and noting that he had gained similar stat increases.
'If we fought the Eighth Finger again now, we'd beat the shit out of him with ease. Of course, with the assistance of Blessing of Destruction. (BoD).'
Although Evan's stat levels increased slower than normal, that 'slower' was still as fast as the average person's.
He came to Duscon with A-negative stats across the board and was leaving with stats that were two sub-ranks higher.
Pulling out his Polaroid camera, he held it up in front of the group and told them to pose for a photo. After printing it out and shaking it, he was momentarily surprised to see the two automations behind the group, forming peace signs with their fingers.
When he turned to them with a questioning gaze, they only looked away while whistling suspiciously.
"Why are you taking a lot of photos anyway though?"
"The Oak Avenue Manor needs more photos of us in it. That's what these are for.
Besides, this place is somewhere I've been wanting to go for years now so I'm a tad bit excited."
Evan replied as he put the camera down and picked up his fork, pointing to the remaining red sphere on his plate and asking the others.
"You guys ready for another surprise?"
[if the first one increased our energy quality and the second increased our stats, what's the third gonna do?]
In response to Milena's question, the Female Automation only just told her to try and find out.
Without even waiting for anyone, Kayla stabbed the sphere with her fork and threw the whole thing into her mouth, surprising all the others as they stared at her with widened eyes.
[Wot? Whyish everwone looshing at me funnie?]
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