This unique pleasure traveled from his taste buds straight to his brain, filling him with a deep sense of satisfaction and delight.
In that moment, Larry was reminded of his time in the Gordeau Desert, where he had savored dishes prepared by Menchi, including sandworm meat with a special marine sauce.
This current experience felt just like that one.
Although Sami's cooking wasn't quite on Menchi's level, he was still one of the best chefs across the six continents.
The main difference came down to the ingredients.
Sami's dish was far more delicious because it used produce from the Dark Continent, which was completely different from those found in the six continents.
This was a true clash of flavors between the desert and the sea.
The sandworm meat was tender and aromatic, while the seafood sauce was sweet and refreshing.
Together, they created a heavenly combination that offered endless delight.
It was clear that ingredients from the Dark Continent stood apart, not only in taste but also in their ability to enhance strength.
After just one bite, Larry felt his long-dormant power begin to stir and loosen within him.
Fueled by both hunger and renewed aura, he quickly devoured his dinner.
With each bite, it felt like every cell in his body was celebrating, much like a parched land soaking up life-giving rain.
He greedily absorbed the aura from the food, turning it into newfound strength.
At the same time, he could feel his power rising steadily.
Everyone else was just as captivated by the food's flavor, reluctant to stop eating.
Unlike Larry, they didn't have Snorlax's special abilities, so their enjoyment was mostly about taste.
While the meal did help boost their strength to some degree, it was nothing compared to Larry's dramatic increase.
For them, the meal mainly restored physical stamina and slightly improved mental sharpness and overall fitness.
For a while, the entire cyberspace was wrapped in a peaceful, almost strange silence, broken only by the soft sounds of chewing.
Everyone relaxed, savoring these hard-earned delicacies with contentment written on their faces.
And it was all thanks to being inside cyberspace that they could enjoy this moment to the fullest.
If they were out in the open world, they probably wouldn't dare to enjoy their food with such abandon.
After a long while, Larry was the first to snap out of the pleasure brought by the meal.
He ate the fastest and the most, feeling the surge of aura coursing through his body.
A small smile appeared on his lips.
Even though he was still at the S+ level, he had made significant progress.
Before, relying solely on his own strength, he could only stand toe-to-toe with the ant king before it evolved.
But after this meal, Larry was confident he could defeat the ant king before it evolved.
That said, defeating it was one thing; killing it was still a different story.
And this assessment didn't even factor in his fusion with the shedinja.
That was purely based on his own power.
Although the shedinja wasn't particularly strong, its skills were incredibly helpful to Larry.
Beyond its offensive abilities, the transformation skills it offered were even more valuable, things like defense, upgrades, and rapid movement.
Plus, the shedinja's blood lock ability was a huge advantage, allowing Larry to engage in a give-and-take style of combat.
And these improvements were just the beginning.
This was only the first day of his gains.
There would be more meals to come, and the entire Dark Continent would become his personal backyard, a wellspring of nourishment to fuel his growth.
The next morning, after a night's rest, everyone's complexions had visibly improved.
They all stared intently at the large screens in cyberspace, which displayed live images from all around the outside world.
Since they were about to step foot onto this unknown and dangerous continent again, it was crucial to know what awaited them.
Otherwise, they risked being ambushed the moment they set out.
Thankfully, cyberspace gave them a clear view of the outside world.
Larry and Ging had even used it to watch the battle between the ant king and Netero.
The screens showed no signs of creatures in the sky, on the ground, or even in the distance.
"At the moment, there's no danger outside. Of course, that's just what we can see on the surface," Miru said as he studied the images carefully.
"Alright, get ready to move out!" Beyond nodded.
"Watch your step, there might be creatures lurking beneath the sand!" he called out loudly.
Drawing from their past experiences, they knew the importance of staying alert and watching their steps carefully.
Suddenly, a bright passage appeared before them, large enough for several people to pass through at once.
One by one, they stepped through, and in an instant, the surroundings transformed into a vast desert landscape.
Along with the change in scenery, everyone's expressions turned serious, their senses sharpening.
Their aura became solid
and firm, like armor protecting a knight in battle.
Seeing no immediate danger, they pressed on in the preplanned direction.
Upon entering the Dark Continent, they quickly realized that their compass-like navigation devices were useless, the needles spun wildly without settling.
Beyond wasn't surprised; he had encountered the same issue before.
The magnetic field in this region was chaotic, making conventional positioning impossible.
So instead, they relied on basic astrology to identify the cardinal points: east, south, west, and north.
They also used a special tool called the Direction Flower, a flower with four petals colored red, yellow, blue, and green, each corresponding to a specific direction (for instance, red points east and yellow points south).
When held correctly, the petals would align with their respective directions.
But if the flower wasn't oriented properly, its petals would tremble slightly before slowly withering away.
People found a way to turn this effect into a device much like a compass, called the "direction flower," and the effect stayed the same.
Although nowadays it's not as essential since they can rely on the distant purple forest to find their way, the direction flower will definitely come in handy later, especially when navigating through dense, massive forests where it's easy to get lost.
After walking for a bit, Larry heard the familiar "Ding!" notification that a Pokemon had been bred.
Instantly, he focused on the new Pokemon.
It had two dragon-like feet and resembled a hammerhead shark.
Most of its body was dark blue, while its belly was red, stretching all the way up to its lower jaw.
At the end of its belly was a golden, diamond-shaped structure, and golden cross patterns decorated its snout.
Two protrusions stuck out from its head, with an inverted five-pointed yellow star marking the tip of its nose.
Its wings grew from its forearms, much like a shark's pectoral fins, shaped like sickles that could easily slice through many things.
At first glance, it looked like a large shark in human form.