Yes, although the space was originally composed of air, this newly appeared gas carried an indescribable aura of vitality. Compared to the ordinary air from before, it was like one was clear water, and the other was a crystal-clear gem resembling water—the two were simply not the same thing at all.

　　“First-grade spiritual energy fused, 1. Use it?”

　　In his exhaustion, a thought suddenly flashed through Grace Bennett's mind once again.

　　It made his whole body freeze up once more.

　　It wasn’t an illusion!

　　All of this was actually real—food could talk, could disappear into thin air, and, even more inexplicably, he could sense and see a strange floating space. And what was this spiritual energy?

　　The sudden changes in just a few minutes had completely overturned everything Grace Bennett had ever known.

　　But he had no idea whether these changes were good or bad. He could only sit dumbfounded at the head of the bed. While he was in a daze, that thought surfaced again, this time reminding him that this first-grade spiritual energy could be fused into almost anything, including himself.

　　It wasn’t until he had sat there in a daze for quite a while that Grace Bennett suddenly snapped back to his senses. Then, a faint, indifferent smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. At this point, he was already at the end of his rope—what could possibly be worse than this?

　　Thinking of this, Grace Bennett gradually relaxed. He even suddenly stood up and grabbed another youtiao. Although the thought surfaced again this time, Grace Bennett didn’t follow it to fuse the energy. He just frowned slightly, pretended not to hear it, and took a bite.

　　Very quickly, he finished off several youtiao. After eating his fill, he finally felt a slight recovery from his original fatigue and exhaustion.

　　“Stamina? What exactly is stamina?”

　　Although he was already somewhat indifferent to the changes, Grace Bennett was still a bit curious about what the “stamina” in that thought meant. While he was puzzled, the thought in his mind surfaced again, explaining the meaning of stamina more clearly: it was a person’s physical strength and mental state.

　　At the same time, the thought told Grace Bennett even more clearly that he originally had 3 stamina, but now his stamina value was 2. Stamina could be restored through rest, that is, by sleeping.

　　“Weird, what on earth is going on?” He had only casually wondered, yet received such a clear answer, which shocked him once again. But then, he gently shook his head and stopped thinking about it.

　　No matter whether these changes were good or bad, the decision he had made in his heart would not change.

　　Although he was still somewhat weak, Grace Bennett soon checked out of his room and headed toward Ning City’s central bus station. On the way, after thinking for a moment, he bought a new phone at a mall near the bus station. Yesterday, he had been too impulsive—after all, a phone was almost indispensable.

　　Feeling a bit frustrated, Grace Bennett then continued on his way to the station.

　　Although it was late September and the sun was still scorching hot, there were still plenty of people on the streets. Ning City, though not the capital of Huai Jiang Province, had once been the capital of several dynasties and boasted many beautiful sights. With convenient water and land transportation, it was also quite prosperous and thriving.

　　In terms of scale and economy, it was not inferior to the provincial capital of Huai Jiang.

　　As Grace Bennett slowly walked with the crowd, he suddenly paused. Then, a strange look flashed in his eyes as he looked ahead.

　　A few meters in front of him, a young man in a gray short-sleeved shirt, looking quite proper from behind, stretched out a slender, fair left hand, took a subtle step, and reached under the left shoulder of a woman walking ahead with her head down.

　　There was an orange shoulder bag.

　　“A thief.” Seeing this, the thought immediately popped into Grace Bennett’s mind. He then watched as that slender left hand, with incredible dexterity, as graceful as a dancing butterfly, quickly and skillfully unzipped a corner of the shoulder bag, reached in, and pulled out a delicate wallet.

　　All of this happened in just a few seconds. From the moment the young man reached out, unzipped the bag, to pulling out the wallet and withdrawing his hand, it took no more than three breaths. The whole process was as smooth as flowing water, almost pleasing to watch.

　　At that moment, Grace Bennett’s eyes widened. This was the first time he had ever witnessed someone stealing in person, and yet it was so smooth and fluid. It was as if the young man wasn’t stealing, but creating a work of art.

　　For a split second, he was a bit dazed. But just then, deep in Grace Bennett’s mind, there was a sudden, inexplicable stirring.

　　“Fuse?”

　　A familiar thought suddenly flashed through his mind as he felt that stirring.

　　The appearance of this thought startled Grace Bennett, snapping him out of his amazement at the thief’s nearly perfect sleight of hand. He had originally intended to choose “no” in response to the thought, since he still only half-understood this strange new ability and had no idea how to fuse or what could be fused. But as his thoughts surged, he found himself, as if compelled by some unseen force, choosing “yes.”

　　“Begin fusion!”

　　As soon as Grace Bennett chose “yes,” the thought surfaced again. Then, he felt the spiritual energy that had been hiding in a corner of that strange space in his mind suddenly vanish, and his head was instantly filled with a wave of warmth.