The night was already dark.
The diners had all left, leaving only a few drunks still chatting and talking.
Kelly went to the bar and relieved her father.
Mom stir-fried the remaining meat and vegetables with macaroni, filling a large pot for the couple's work meal.
"Alan, would you like some more?" Mom asked her son.
"Sure."
Alan sat back down at the table and accepted the fragrant plate of macaroni from Mom.
When family members eat together, presentation isn't a big deal.
Mom managed to make the macaroni taste like stir-fried beef noodles. It looked delicious! Dad took a sip of his homemade beer and said to his son seriously, "Kelly already told me about the circus."
"I asked regulars, and that 'Amazing Circus' left town overnight. I heard they boarded a ship at the harbor."
"You're in such a hurry to leave? You must have done something bad and feel guilty!"
Mom joined in, nagging her son.
"From now on, you have to be accompanied by an adult when you go to the circus, otherwise you might get kidnapped!"
"There are so many bad people out there! Didn't six children go missing from Molasses Island last year?"
Alan listened silently to his parents' nagging, his head buried in his food.
After finishing a large plate of macaroni, he stared blankly at the empty plate.
Why didn't he feel full after two dinners in a row?
Before his time travel, his appetite was quite average.
After crossing over, it became clear that the original owner of this body, Alan Panthers, was indeed a foodie, with a much larger appetite than his peers.
But he was only twelve years old, after all. Eating enough food to feed three adults and still feeling only about 30% full was absurd.
He thought of the "Gluttony System."
In the world before crossing over, "Gluttony" referred to an ancient beast known for its gluttony, devouring anything and never feeling full.
Perhaps it was the "Gluttony System" that had transformed him into a voracious eater.
There was a more plausible explanation.
Besides maintaining his own physiological needs, the remaining nutrients from the food he consumed were probably converted into energy to keep the "Gluttony System" running.
…
The next day.
Alan continued the habits he'd developed in his previous life, waking up at 5:30 a.m., washing, packing his schoolbag, and heading downstairs to the kitchen.
Last night, he'd planned to take full advantage of his family's tavern to collect a variety of poisonous mushrooms and enrich his food collection!
At the back door of the kitchen, his mother was haggling with the vegetable vendor.
Alan walked over nonchalantly and looked through the large basket of fresh vegetables, fruits, and mushrooms.
The vegetable vendor was disappointing!
He'd collected such a large basket of fungi, and only managed to find two poisonous mushrooms!
Alan curled his lips in disappointment, took the two mushrooms out, and slipped them into his pocket.
Snap!
His mother slapped him on the back, startling him.
"Stop being naughty and get dinner!" his mother said angrily.
Fortunately...
Alan breathed a sigh of relief.
Mom hadn't noticed his little act of collecting poisonous mushrooms.
After quickly finishing breakfast, Alan, backpack on his back, headed out the door.
It was barely dawn, and the streets were deserted.
Not far from the tavern was a dark alley.
The dark walls were stained with the remains of a drunkard's vomit.
Alan turned into the alley and glanced back.
Making sure his parents and sister couldn't see him, he pulled mushrooms from his pocket and started trying the less toxic "fly spot mushroom."
Level 1 poison resistance: It can resist the toxins contained in this mushroom.
He took a bite, and sure enough, he felt nothing.
He checked his poison resistance bar: it had only increased a tiny bit.
It was about the same as yesterday when he ate the tiger amanita.
Next, Allen tried the even more toxic "Green-Faced Mushroom."
This mushroom turns a bluish-green color when touched.
It's delicious when cooked, but eating it raw can cause poisoning, and it's a rather potent Level 2 poison!
Chewing a small piece of Green-Faced Mushroom, Allen waited quietly.
This time, his poison resistance was finally breached!
His vision gradually blurred.
A multicolored light appeared before his eyes, as if he were observing a strange world through a kaleidoscope, and his mind began to blur...
Level 1 poison resistance doesn't completely protect against Level 2 poison, but it can greatly reduce its damage.
The hallucination lasted only a minute before he regained consciousness.
"Oh my god! This poison is so potent!"
Alan muttered to himself, clutching his burning forehead.
Upon opening the system, a new entry was added to the ingredient catalog:
Green Mushroom (Level 2 Toxic/Hallucinogenic)!
Looking at the poison resistance bar again, it had clearly increased significantly!
Not bad, not bad!
Alan closed the system page with satisfaction.
It seemed that if he consumed a few more Level 2 poisons, he would soon be able to raise his poison resistance to Level 2.
It was a pity that each poison would be useless after just one consumption.
Even a small amount of Level 2 poison could be fatal to an ordinary person, and it wasn't easy to obtain.
Casually tucking the remaining mushrooms into his pocket, Alan walked thoughtfully deeper into the alley.
Through this alley, he could take a shortcut to the school.
Just then, a hand suddenly reached out from the alley, holding a wet handkerchief, and covered his face without a word!
Huh?!
Alan was startled and instinctively struggled, but he was pinned down by his attacker, unable to escape.
To make matters worse, the damp handkerchief covering his face emitted a pungent odor, making him feel dizzy and his consciousness gradually blurred...
At this moment, a system notification echoed in his mind.
"Mandragine (Level 2 Toxin/Anesthetic) Detected!" Thanks to his toxin resistance, Allen didn't completely pass out, but he felt dizzy and weak, unable to muster any strength.
He squinted his eyes, feigning a semi-conscious state, and fell limply backward.
The kidnapper quickly grabbed his arm, half-dragging, half-supporting him, and forced him out of the alley.
Taking advantage of the deserted streets, they quickly headed towards the dock.
The anesthetic hadn't worn off yet, and Allen was unable to break free from the kidnapper's grip, but he was still conscious.
He could smell a strong scent of perfume on her.
The kidnapper was a woman?! About ten minutes later, the woman took Allen to the second floor of a small hotel near the harbor.
Bang! The door closed, and the woman let go.
Allen collapsed limply on the floor, his eyes closed, seemingly unconscious.
"Huh... I'm so tired! "
The woman complained, taking off her hat and windbreaker and casually hanging them on the hanger.
Alan observed through his narrowed eyes.
The kidnapper was a voluptuous young woman with a beautiful face that looked familiar.
After a brief recollection, Alan remembered.
Yesterday at the circus, this woman had performed on stage as a magician's assistant. Her revealing attire had left a deep impression on him.