Ron closed his eyes, using his aura to carefully sense the changes occurring within his body. In the area around his left chest—where his heart should be—his original heart was still there, but something else had appeared alongside it, something that was also beating.
"A second heart!"
With each pulse of the second heart, Ron could feel that some subtle transformation was taking place throughout his body. His muscles, bones, skin, and internal organs were all being reinforced, becoming tougher and more resilient with every beat.
"Ron?" Alice noticed that Ron had suddenly paused and called out to him in curiosity.
Ron quickly came back to his senses. "It's nothing. It's just... this food is too good. I've never eaten anything this delicious before."
"Thank you, Granny."
Linne smiled gently. "If you like it, then eat as much as you want."
"Okay."
Ron continued eating as he silently monitored the changes within his body. From the moment he obtained the ability "Gourmet Cells," he knew it would be of immense benefit to him—especially considering the heavy price it had cost. Built with the background of Toriko and absorbed through the framework of the Hunter Exam, it had taken a great deal of effort and resources for Ron to create the figure of Toriko and offer him in exchange for his other ability.
Nen was a power system where the more one invested, the more they could gain—similar in some ways to alchemy, operating under the principle of equivalent exchange. The Toriko he had painstakingly created was sacrificed, and in return, Ron received two major enhancements: one was a boost to his physical constitution and aura reserves, and the other was the acquisition of the "Gourmet Cells" ability. By eating gourmet food, he could now enhance his physical body.
"The second heart is strange... it seems to exist, but also doesn't. Its appearance and function are identical to a real heart, but it's far tougher."
"It does not seem to be made of ordinary flesh and blood."
A sudden thought struck Ron.
"What would happen if I stopped my original heart from beating?"
Without hesitation, he began the experiment. Gathering a sphere of aura, he directed it to his heart, sealing both the inlet and outlet of blood flow. This would prevent blood from circulating through the organ. For an ordinary person, such an action would be extremely dangerous. But Ron was a Nen user; short-term manipulation like this wouldn't endanger his life.
In the next instant, Ron's heart stopped beating.
However, he clearly sensed that the blood in his body continued to circulate as if unaffected. It was being redirected—flowing through the second heart. The second heart had perfectly taken over the original heart's function. Ron was completely unharmed, and this realization made his eyes shine.
"This means even if my heart were severely injured, I'd still be fine because the second heart exists to sustain me. It's like I've eliminated a vital weak point."
Every creature has vital points—areas that are hard to defend and, when struck, can cause fatal harm. For humans, the heart is one of the most obvious. But now, Ron no longer had that vulnerability.
"I need to test what kind of attacks could damage the second heart. Only then can I use it more effectively. And I'll know how best to protect it in the future."
His thoughts began to drift. Before long, most of the dishes on the table had been emptied. Linne herself had only sampled a few bites; most of the food had gone to Ron and Alice, especially Ron.
"How was the taste?"
"Excellent," Ron replied. "Among all the meals I've ever had, this was the best."
"In the future, you'll have the chance to eat food even more delicious than this."
Hearing Linne say that, Alice blinked in surprise. "Granny, is there really someone out there whose cooking is better than yours?"
Linne looked at Alice and smiled as she shook her head. "I meant you, Alice."
Alice's face turned red. "I'm still far from your level."
"I believe that one day, my little Alice will reach that height," Linne said as she reached out to gently ruffle Alice's hair. Then her gaze shifted to Ron.
"Ron, stay in Gourmet Paradise for a few more days. I'll open a Gourmet Secret Realm for you and Alice. I still have the authority for that much. It should help you both."
Ron didn't refuse. "Then I'll thank you in advance, Granny."
It truly was a valuable opportunity. As night approached, Ron returned to the garden shared by Menchi and Buhara. After joining Gourmet Paradise and after Alice became a Council Member, Ron was granted his own personal residence, provided unconditionally by Gourmet Paradise. However, since he had been staying at Menchi and Buhara's residence for quite a while, he hadn't yet moved into his own. Next time he visited, he could go there directly.
"Captain."
Misty and the others had been waiting at the door for a long time. The moment they heard footsteps, they rushed out to greet him. Menchi and Buhara were there too.
Ron took out a small box. "This is for all of you."
A delicious aroma wafted through the air. Menchi sniffed, her eyes lighting up. "Wait, is this food prepared personally by Lady Linne?"
"Yes."
What Ron brought back were desserts—deliberately set aside by Linne. Knowing that Ron had teammates, she made sure to let them have a taste as well.
"This is truly rare. It's been a very long time since Senior Linne cooked herself, let alone for others. Up to now, I've only had the chance to taste her cooking once."
"Ron, we're really lucky thanks to you."
The group moved to the lounge. Menchi opened the food box, and a selection of desserts came into view—just enough for one small serving each. Menchi, Buhara, Misty, Shizuku, and Sally all took one.
"This is amazing."
"It's beyond description."
"So this is the skill of a true culinary master."
"How can food taste this good? It's unimaginable."
"It's like stepping into an entirely new world."
"What have we even been eating until now?"
Everyone expressed their awe. Shizuku pulled out her notebook and began writing again.
Ron glanced at the crystal orb in front of him. The progress bar had reached ninety-nine percent—just one percent away.
"It's almost done. That last one percent... it could come from anywhere."
"Not to mention, Senior Linne is arranging a Gourmet Secret Realm for Alice and me."
Gourmet Secret Realms were also part of Gourmet Paradise.
Riiing.
A phone rang. Ron pulled out his device and checked the screen. The call was from Illumi.
Ron stepped out of the lounge and onto the balcony.
"Cousin Illumi."