Chapter 50: The Life Waterfall Basin
Kenji and the Battle Wolf, Lotta, arrived at the checkpoint on Zepel Island a day early.
"Lord Kenji, although this may be your first time entering the Gourmet World, since you are a Biotope 0 member selected by the President himself, I won't waste your time advising you to think twice," Elbo said, puffing on his pipe as he handed Kenji's ID back to him.
"The Gourmet World is truly a wild place, but its volatile climate has also become a graveyard for many Gourmet Hunters," Kenji said, a brow raised, an expectant smile on his handsome face.
All of Acacia's Full Course Menu items were discovered in the Gourmet World. Besides those legendary ingredients, there were countless others worth pursuing. The unexplored lands of the Gourmet World were vast, meaning there were many ingredients unknown to the common man, which was why it was also called the "Paradise of Food." Many Gourmet Hunters, with "Paradise" as their goal, had resolutely stepped into it, never to return. The mortality rate was so high that even first-class Gourmet Hunters could end up buried there.
Seventy percent of the Earth's surface was the vast Gourmet World. Due to abnormal weather and special magnetic fields, even satellites had difficulty capturing clear images of it. Therefore, before entering, most Gourmet Hunters knew nothing about what lay ahead.
In the seas bordering the Human World, flowed the "Poison Tide," a deadly current. And at the boundary of the sky, was a wall formed by a massive low-pressure cyclone.
"Although the beasts of the Gourmet World are powerful, many who enter end up dying in the extreme climate. The Human World is a paradise in comparison," Elbo said with a laugh.
"The law of the jungle is even more pronounced in the Gourmet World than in the Human World. If you can't adapt, you'll die before you can even begin your journey," Kenji said. He had heard about the Gourmet World's environment from Jiro, but this was his first time entering. He couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and trepidation.
"Every year, hundreds of people enter through the 18 checkpoints. In the end, none of them return. They all die inside. You'll casually encounter beasts with Capture Levels in the hundreds, and on top of that, the environment is dangerously fatal. The Gourmet World is full of unknowns and dangers."
"But the ingredients of the Gourmet World still attract many fearless Gourmet Hunters. I try to persuade them every time, but they still jump in as if they're rushing to their deaths," Elbo said, shaking his head. These checkpoints were established by President Ichiryu to isolate the Human World from the Gourmet World, and they were indeed effective. This route was relatively safe; not many beasts from the Gourmet World came this way. Each checkpoint was staffed by first-class Gourmet Hunters, whose main job was to intercept any beasts that tried to cross into the Human World. If a beast from the Gourmet World were to escape, even if it wasn't in the thousands, its Capture Level would be in the hundreds, and the destruction it could wreak on the Human World would be immense, like the Four-Beasts.
"If you've already made the decision, then you're not afraid of death."
"Well then—"
"We're off."
Kenji waved, sitting on Lotta's back. Perhaps smelling the air of the Gourmet World, a glint of excitement flashed in the Battle Wolf's eyes.
Kenji applied his flight ability to Lotta, and the two of them floated down at a leisurely pace.
Elbo was a little surprised by this method of entry. The previous adventurers had at least brought parachutes or hang gliders. But Kenji, dressed in a white shirt and black capri pants, had no equipment at all. Elbo wasn't worried, though. Anyone selected for Biotope 0 was capable of entering the Gourmet World.
BOOM!
During their descent, an air cannonball was suddenly fired at them, but they easily dodged it. It crashed into the cliff face behind them, creating a crater dozens of meters in diameter.
The one who had fired the air cannonball was a distant, long-necked, dragon-like creature, a Breath Dragon, with a Capture Level of 219. It could fire super-powerful air cannonballs from its nostrils. When Toriko first entered the Gourmet World, he had received a "baptism" (a severe beating) from one of these. Kenji was not at the same level as Toriko was back then, who had been sent flying, coughing up blood, and had nearly died.
Kenji glanced back at the cliff face. It was dotted with many circular craters, and in the middle of each was a human-shaped hole.
...
After descending twenty thousand meters, they arrived in the Angra Forest of the Gourmet World. Kenji could feel that the gravity here was several times that of the Human World, and his movements became a little sluggish. However, his physical fitness was formidable, and with the help of his Gourmet Cells, he quickly adapted to the gravity.
The Battle Wolf, Lotta, felt no discomfort at all. As a top-tier beast of the Gourmet World, the laws of survival here were etched into her DNA.
Remaining vigilant, Kenji began to observe the Angra Forest. The thick, gnarled tree trunks were covered in a layer of green moss.
"...Previous Gourmet Hunters?"
In some corners, Kenji saw scraps of clothing, tattered and stained with long-dried blood. He had no idea how long ago they had entered. The people who died here had either fallen to their deaths or been eaten by the beasts. Those who could successfully navigate this forest were not weak.
This confirmed what Elbo had said: these people were destined never to return to the Human World. Some might have been shot dead against the cliff face by a Breath Dragon's nostril blast.
Kenji found a spot to set up camp and rest for a bit. He would see which Biotope 0 member was coming, and then he would explore the area a little so he wouldn't miss the rendezvous.
Kch-kch...
Three red scorpions, each four meters long, appeared. Their carapaces were like red armor, and the stingers on their tails glinted menacingly. Their large pincers were as sharp as guillotines, capable of easily cutting a person in half.
"Oh? Is my Gourmet Luck kicking in?"
"Home delivery. I won't be polite then."
"Angra Red Scorpion, Capture Level 81," Kenji said, using the Gourmet Scanner the IGO had given him to scan the creature.
Their red carapaces contained a special metal. The Angra Red Scorpions lived in caves rich in metal ore, so their shells were extremely hard and could easily withstand cannon fire. The poison in their stingers was a mixed, deadly neurotoxin, extremely potent. A single drop could corrode a hole in the ground.
Even so, in the Angra Forest, they were at the bottom of the food chain. There were many creatures stronger than them. The meat of these red scorpions should be extremely delicious, especially the pincers, which were like those of a large lobster. He could only imagine how plump the meat inside would be.
"Let's just grill them," he decided.
High-end ingredients often only required the most primitive cooking methods.
Kenji controlled the heat, and a nearly transparent flame enveloped the red scorpions. Even a special scorpion like this showed a fear of fire. The slowly rising temperature gradually immobilized them, and a fragrant aroma began to waft from the flames. Because they were protected by their shells, he didn't have to worry about the meat inside being burned.
Using the scorpion's own shell to cook its meat... nothing would be wasted.
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We cross the 1600 power stone goal and as promise here the bonus chapter
Next goal 1700 power stone, good luck guys.
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