Cthulhu Panel: One organ mutates every day

When the male bartender saw Wayne and Ethan sit down, he quickly came over to bring them water and drinks.

Ethan, like a regular customer, ordered two ground beef sandwiches, meatloaf with mashed potatoes, pickled cucumbers, and a "Bee's Knee" cocktail.

The bartender seemed to know Ethan's purpose in advance, and nodded repeatedly with some trepidation before going back to prepare to serve the dishes.

"New high-rise buildings are encroaching on our land."

"Once the high-rise buildings are erected, the area will be occupied by upscale residential communities, and our land will continue to shrink until the East District becomes a backyard for the rich."

The speech on the tavern stage continued.

"You know this place very well?" Wayne placed the scroll beside him.

"Not really, I've only heard of a few local dishes." Ethan gazed thoughtfully at the middle-aged man on the stage.

The applause and the sound of the speech continued unabated.

"Skyscrapers are sinful. They bring pollution, destroy homes, cause urban ills that can take away your parents, bring wealth that can take away your wife, and ultimately bring despair that can ruin your life."

"So you must join me and work together to take down the Eastern New Town!"

"Our goal is to restore the East District to its original state; that's our home..."

Wayne stopped listening to the lecture and began to ponder alone.

It's time to think about how to use that 1 point of old-time points.

A thought flashed through his mind, and the twisted threads before his eyes converged:

【physique】

Breathing Lv.1 - Empty Breath - Progress 5.42%

Empty breathing: Abnormal expansion and contraction of the chest cavity, resulting in the formation of abnormal sacs that can suck out all the air from the body.

Sports Lv.——

Feeding Lv.1 - Digestion - Progress 23.4%

Digestion: The lining of the throat, esophagus, and stomach undergoes abnormal deformation and folding, with the proliferation of peristaltic membranes forming a blood-and-flesh cavity. Foreign substances entering the stomach are completely absorbed, leaving no residue.

【Spirit】

Knowledge Level 1

Perception Lv.1·Microscopic Observation—Progress 21.6%

Microscopic observation: The redundant and aberrant synapses of the ocular nerve can perceive the finest details.

Charm Lv.——

[Features] (Locked)

[Old Points: 1.01]

"The remaining options for allocating points are: Sports, Knowledge, and Charisma."

"Literally speaking, adding exercise might improve physical fitness, making it easier to fight. Adding knowledge might increase learning and experience, making it easier to think. Adding charm might increase personal charisma, making it easier to communicate with others."

"We'll just have to improvise and see which ability comes in handy. It's best to avoid a fight."

Wei En hesitated and decided to leave it at that.

A short while later, the bartender served the lunch and drinks and quietly left.

"That feels good, let's eat. We need to be well-fed to get things done." Ethan felt no pressure whatsoever; all he could see was the meal.

While eating, Wayne secretly observed Ethan and analyzed the situation.

"Ethan is very confident; he should be able to handle the current situation. Maybe I don't need to exercise."

"Besides, if Ethan can't handle it, my exercise won't help either; Lv.1 exercise is unlikely to solve the current situation."

We'll have to see how things develop.

[Perception Lv.1 - Observation of the Microscopic] Progress 22.0%

[Eating Lv.1 - Digestion] Progress: 24.2%, 25.3%, 26.1%

Not long after, Wayne and Ethan had finished their meal and drinks.

The speech on the stage in the tavern lobby has also ended.

The previously excited atmosphere quickly cooled down, and all the tough guys turned around, intentionally or unintentionally warning Wayne and Ethan.

The hall fell into dead silence.

The air was thick with the smell of alcohol, and the atmosphere was tense.

It felt like a fierce battle could break out at any moment, the kind that would be one-sided.

Joseph, with a smile on his face, strolled over leisurely from the stage.

This gave Wayne a chance to examine Joseph closely.

He was a middle-aged man who looked weathered and worn out, wearing a dark brown suit without a tie, and appeared somewhat lazy. His eyes held a mixture of cunning and kindness, and even a hint of eerie goodwill, which was quite intimidating.

[Perception Lv.1 - Observation of the Microscopic] Progress 22.4%

This is an extremely shrewd and calculating person.

Joseph arrived in a few steps.

He glanced at Wayne, a hint of surprise in his eyes, before greeting Ethan familiarly:

"Long time no see, Ethan."

Ethan tapped his fingers lightly on the wooden table, his tone casual:

"It's been a long time indeed. Why are you acting so strangely?"

Joseph sat down next to Ethan with a smile, chuckled, and leaned closer to whisper:

"Sigh, it's not easy to make a living these days. The poor people at the bottom need a god. I sell faith, but I don't believe in it myself. It's just a business."

Ethan remained unmoved by Joseph's attempts to ingratiate himself, his tone curt:

"You know why I came here, right?"

Joseph's gaze grew cold as he saw that Ethan had no intention of continuing their reminiscing.

"Of course I know. There's nothing wrong with my tavern; you're welcome to check it out."

Ethan gently touched the black handbag beside him, a broad smile on his face:

"Heh, you let me investigate? How could I possibly find any problems?"

Joseph reached out and touched Ethan's black briefcase, feeling the outline of the large-caliber shotgun inside, with great interest:

"Interesting. Where did the old Ethan go? Back then, the name 'Phoenix' was so renowned. He was a legend in any gang in any city, and I respected him as a big shot. How come the current Ethan has become a dog kept by the Special Affairs Bureau?"

Ethan's smile vanished, and he grabbed the black handbag from the table.

Wayne thought to himself, "The Phoenix? The original owner seemed to have heard of such a person. He's said to be a fearsome figure in the Federation's underworld. Is Ethan the legendary Phoenix?"

Ethan sneered at Joseph:

"What I become is none of your business. But you, do you really think you can get away with this as easily as you usually do?"

Joseph, not to be outdone, mimicked Ethan and lightly tapped his fingers on the wooden table:

"You think you can just surround my tavern whenever you want? What do you take this place for? Back in Sin City, you single-handedly wiped out an entire gang, which was impressive, but do you really think you can do that now?"

Ethan abruptly pulled open his shirt, pulled out two black submachine guns, held them horizontally in front of him, and gave a mocking look:

"Then let's give it a try. If we really fight, it would be too embarrassing if I wiped you all out by myself."

In the hall, all the gang members simultaneously pulled out their guns, pointed them at Ethan, and were poised to strike, their killing intent palpable.

Wayne watched quietly from the sidelines. When he saw that the two were about to start fighting after only a few words, and that Ethan even boasted that he would wipe out the other side's forty or fifty people, his facial muscles twitched involuntarily.

Are you kidding me?

Just now outside the pub, didn't Ethan say that since everyone here is an adult, it would be difficult for a fight to break out?

Why did she become so hostile towards Joseph?

Joseph was giving a perfectly good speech on stage, but when he saw Ethan, he acted like he was under stress.

[Perception Lv.1 - Observation of the Microscopic] Progress 22.7%

No matter how strong Ethan is, now is not the time to fight.

Even if we were to fight, we would have to wait for the right moment. How could we open fire directly under such a tense standoff?

Who can physically withstand the dense barrage of fire from forty or fifty enemy soldiers?

Unless Ethan's characteristics are related to this.

No, no, these two will only get more and more aggressive. If the hard approach doesn't work, we'll have to try the soft approach.

"Sports, knowledge, charm."

"Effective exercise can't solve the current crisis, nor can knowledge; only charisma has a chance."

Wayne immediately made up his mind and added 1 point of his old-time points to Charisma.

[Charm Lv.1 - Affinity] Progress: 30.0%

【Affinity: Beneath the surface of the skin, a mutation has spread, revealing a dense, soft downy growth that continuously exudes a mysterious and gentle aura, causing all mortal beings to instinctively feel close to it.】

"The progress of charm improvement is related to achievements in interpersonal relationships. It seems that my interpersonal relationships have been quite good recently, and I have directly reached 30%."

Wei En felt a fine, itchy sensation spreading across his entire body. Before he could even process the change, he started a new topic:

"Mr. Joseph, your speech just now was very moving. I feel that you really care about the people living on this land."

Joseph re-examined Wayne, finding some appreciation in Wayne's youth and composure, and then narrowed his eyes slightly as he said:

"Oh? Go on."