System wasn't sure if it was because of some peculiar aspect of slimes, or maybe for some other unknown reason, but eating this slime had a huge effect on [Molting and Growth]. The ability improved more than twice as fast as when he ate an equal amount of insect meat, and even after he'd consumed a rge amount of slime, its effectiveness at improving [Molting and Growth] didn't decrease.

  In addition, slime had an even greater effect on [Molting and Growth] than simply increasing its level. As he ate the slime, he could feel that its nutrients weren't only making the metamorphosis power in his blood stronger, they were also constantly impacting the shackles binding [Molting and Growth]'s level.

  The maximum level of a grasshopper's [Molting and Growth] talent was 13, but level 13 may not be [Molting and Growth]'s true limit, just like the maximum level of System's [Insect Adaptability] was 21.

  If he continued eating foods like this slime, it might be possible for [Molting and Growth] to break through the talent's limit and reach level 14.

  If the talent ceiling of [Molting and Growth] continued to increase, there may even be a fourth or fifth metamorphosis after the third. By then, his lifespan would definitely increase further.

  By eating this clump of slime, System had undoubtedly found a potential path for his future development and a new method of extending his lifespan.

  As he ate more slime, he discovered more about the slime's characteristics.

  Not all slime was effective for breaking through the talent ceiling of [Molting and Growth]. Only fresh slime was useful.

  Although the scattered slime on the ground that seemed to have lost any signs of life could still help [Molting and Growth] level up, it didn't help break through the talent's level ceiling.

  System looked at the several small slimes that had combined back together nearby, and an idea popped into his head.

  'Can these little slimes be raised like livestock?'

  Slimes could survive by consuming tree branches and leaves, so it shouldn't be difficult to cultivate them.

  However, System quickly rejected this idea.

  If he was the same size as a human, raising a few slimes wouldn't be a problem. However, he was just a big grasshopper now, so the idea obviously wasn't very realistic.

  For now, the best option he had was to eat all of the little slimes that were still alive as quickly as possible.

  ...

  Along the path the slime had taken between the ant nest and the mud puddle it was currently sitting in, there were a total of six clumps of slime ranging from three to six centimeters in diameter.

  Because the ant colony had suffered so many losses, they most likely wouldn't come out and disturb System while he ate these little slimes. The only factor that would slow down his eating speed was needing to rest occasionally.

  He estimated that it would take at least an entire day to completely digest all of these slimes.

  However, he could shorten that time a bit. With his Derived Skill [Hunger Resistant Physique], his stomach could actually contain food equal to twice the size of the rest of his body.

  In order to keep his body flexible, he never filled his stomach completely. If he made full use of his stomach's ability to stretch, though, System estimated that he could finish eating the slime within twelve hours.

  If he ate for twelve hours straight without resting, he would be exhausted, but he should still be able to hold on.

  ...

  Among the six slime balls, the three rgest were the most active. System was worried that these rge slime balls would hop away, so he frequently used his legs to crush them. With each crush, he would bite off a big mouthful of slime.

  However, while he was constantly crushing and swallowing the rge slime balls, he noticed that the smallest slime ball had stopped trembling at some point. It seemed to have lost all signs of life.

  In order to make the most of these slime balls, he decided to eat the smaller ones first.

  As time went by, the sun gradually set, and the sky became dark. System, who was shuttling back and forth within a ten meter area, finally lost a medium-sized slime ball about four centimeters wide.

  After dark, several of the slimes had suddenly become extremely active. One of the most stable medium-sized slimes had bounced away at some point while System wasn't paying attention.

  However, although one slime ran away, the remaining slimes were all very close to each other, making it much easier for System to move between them. As long as his stomach digested for another five hours, he would have enough room to swallow the remaining three and a half slimes.

  As he ate the slimes, System felt the gnds in his throat gradually start to itch, as if special nutrients were pouring out of his stomach and nourishing the gnds in his throat that secreted [Corrosive Mucus]. He specuted that when he reached level 10, his [Corrosive Mucus] would definitely upgrade again.

  However, just as System came up with this idea, the itchiness in his throat gnds suddenly increased several times over...

  It was extremely itchy!

  He even stopped eating slime and tried to use his forelegs to scratch his throat, but they were too thick to fit inside his mouth. He quickly hopped off to find something that he could use to scratch his extremely itchy throat.

  While searching, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his throat, and the gnds that secreted [Corrosive Mucus] began to wriggle uncontrolbly.

  At the same time, his stomach started digesting the slime inside at an unusually fast speed. As the slime digested, a special energy was transmitted into the gnds in his throat, causing them to undergo a transformation.

  His [Corrosive Mucus] (9/13) upgraded to [Corrosive Mucus] (10/15). Not only did the level of his [Corrosive Mucus] increase, the upper limit of the skill went up as well.

  The gnds in his throat became more developed, and the mucus they secreted grew more viscous, like glue. Even if he used his forelegs to stretch the mucus out by a few centimeters, it wouldn't break.

  Although the corrosiveness of his mucus didn't increase significantly, System had a strange new feeling about it.

  Simir to the slime he'd eaten, his mucus now seemed to have a life of its own. He could feel a slight vibration from the mucus when he spat it out onto some dead leaves.

  As System swallowed and recycled the mucus, he even sensed a joyous emotion from it, like it was celebrating its return to its host's body. He felt the mucus trembling from time to time inside the gnds of his throat.

  'As the level of [Corrosive Mucus] increases, does the mucus actually become a living creature?'

  If System could freely control his mucus after spitting it out, then this living skill would undoubtedly become a powerful killer weapon.

  The glue-like mucus could bounce up from the ground at unexpected angles, or wriggle like a thorn into the enemy's flesh to corrode their weak joints and restrict their movement.

  He could picture himself using this mucus to kill spiders or even his natural enemies, birds.

  ...

  System's slime-eating session sted for more than twenty hours and resulted in him becoming mentally exhausted.

  Fortunately, due to the upgrade of [Corrosive Mucus], the slime in System's stomach now digested at a very fast speed. He estimated that he would be able to finish eating all of the remaining slime in another hour or two.

  After that, he would drag his swollen abdomen to the pile of rocks near the pitcher pnt to rest.

  System, who was almost finished eating the slime, had already started making pns for the next day. How could he get more slime chunks from that big slime?