With Henry Bennett’s cooking skills, the dishes he made himself wouldn’t be much better than instant food. It was unlikely they would satisfy Achilles’s “taste.” He thought for a moment—no matter what, he’d satisfy him this time, see exactly what it was, and then decide what to do next. Although it might cost quite a bit, for the sake of his future, Henry Bennett decided to take a gamble.

He called the pharmacy where he worked part-time and took a day off. Then, carrying the little savings left by his parents, he took the public rail car to another district. This was a dedicated commercial area, with almost no residential facilities—everything was commercial blocks.

Ordinary people handled all three meals at home, and those living in government relief communities were even less likely to eat out. So, in the area where Henry Bennett lived, there were hardly any restaurants. Even if there were, Henry Bennett was sure they wouldn’t match Achilles’s “taste.”

Henry Bennett found a restaurant, stood at the entrance and sniffed for a while. When that annoying voice in his head didn’t appear, he knew this place still didn’t meet Achilles’s “taste.”

He tried a slightly fancier place, but Achilles still didn’t show up. After trying several more, Henry Bennett was already sweating as he looked at the menu prices on the bio-electric screens outside the restaurants, but that damned Achilles still didn’t appear.

Finally, when Henry Bennett stood at the entrance of a two-star hotel restaurant, that wicked voice jumped out: “Aha, now this is the treatment Achilles deserves. Hurry up, hurry up, I haven’t had a feast in thousands of years—today I must eat my fill!”

Henry Bennett was so worried about whether the Federation dollars he brought would be enough to pay for the meal that he forgot to ask how, when humans had only been researching evolutionary armor for less than five hundred years, it had been thousands of years since it had eaten or drunk anything.

Henry Bennett’s parents had left him two thousand Federation dollars. Federation middle schools didn’t charge tuition, and the relief apartment where Henry Bennett lived didn’t require rent. He had planned to save those two thousand Federation dollars for the first year’s tuition at a Federation higher education institution—assuming he could get in.

However, when Henry Bennett saw the menu with dishes costing hundreds each, cold sweat started to bead on his forehead.

……

Actually, Henry Bennett didn’t eat much, but after this meal, the table was piled high with bowls and plates, even stacked up—one could imagine Achilles’s “achievement.”

A string of satisfied burps sounded in Henry Bennett’s mind, making his teeth itch with anger. So much food had gone down, but Henry Bennett didn’t feel a thing, because Achilles had unceremoniously borrowed his taste system, savoring all the deliciousness himself, while poor Henry Bennett had to keep chewing and working.

When it came time to pay, Henry Bennett was actually quite nervous, because there were a few dishes he hadn’t managed to stop Achilles from ordering, and he might have gone over budget.

The waiter brought over a tray with the bill: “Sir, the total is two thousand three hundred Federation dollars. Our manager has given you a ten percent discount, so it’s two thousand and seventy Federation dollars. Rounding down, just give two thousand Federation dollars. Thank you for your patronage!”

Henry Bennett secretly wiped his sweat, thinking, that was close!

He painfully handed over all his savings to the waiter, while in his mind Achilles’s smug voice rang out: “See, I brought you good luck. Otherwise, you’d definitely have been detained here today…”

Henry Bennett swore that if Achilles couldn’t show him satisfactory strength, he would curse this gluttonous and noisy guy with the most vicious words he could think of in his mind every single day!

Leaving the hotel with empty pockets, he could only take the free public transportation, transferring several times before finally returning to his relief community. After closing the door, Henry Bennett couldn’t wait to begin the summoning.

“Hey, Achilles, you have to keep your word. Hurry up and show me your strength.”

This time, Achilles didn’t make things difficult for him: “I’ve already shown you—didn’t you see?” Henry Bennett looked down, and sure enough, his right palm and most of his forearm were covered in a layer of dark golden armor—the coverage area was even larger than Sophia’s!

The material of this evolutionary armor was neither gold nor iron; a gorgeous, dazzling light flowed within it. As the light moved, Henry Bennett could clearly feel a surge of almost uncontrollable, powerful energy!

“So beautiful!” Henry Bennett exclaimed sincerely. Achilles’s conceited voice sounded in his mind again: “Of course! I, Achilles, am known for perfection, said to perfect the essence of the universe, promote material cycles, enhance lifeforms…” “Alright, alright, you’re getting carried away.” Henry Bennett interrupted impatiently.

Achilles said, “Now that you’re out of money, hurry up and find a way to earn some. Don’t forget, next time you want my help, you’ll need to treat me to another feast.” Henry Bennett was anxious: “Two thousand Federation dollars, just for a look—you’re more expensive than the most famous celebrities in the Federation!”

Achilles seemed a bit embarrassed too: “Alright then, I’ll throw in one more for free. If you need anything, just shout ‘Achilles, heartthrob of thousands of girls,’ and I’ll come out to help.”