Chapter 52: Atashino
Kenji looked down at the woman and immediately recognized who she was among the members of Biotope 0.
Atashino—a gourmet surgeon and chef.
Her bright, intelligent eyes looked much more beautiful than in the manga or anime. The author, Shimabukuro, was notoriously average when it came to drawing female characters, so her design in the manga wasn't particularly stunning. But in person, it was a different story. She was much prettier. Even with the mask on, he could tell she was an attractive woman.
Although being a Gourmet Hunter wasn't her main profession, Atashino's own strength was greater than that of most, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to enter the Gourmet World. For her cooking skills to be recognized by Ichiryu, they had to be top-tier.
"My name is Atashino. Are you my future partner, Kenji?"
Atashino looked at Kenji with some surprise. She had also heard from President Ichiryu that she would be getting a partner, but she hadn't expected him to be so young. He looked a few years younger than her, yet he was already able to enter the Gourmet World. She had thought he would be waiting for her on the surface, twenty thousand meters above. But to be able to enter this place meant Kenji was strong enough.
"I guess so. The old man just told me to pick someone up; he didn't mention anything about a partner."
Kenji scratched his head. He hadn't known that the person he was picking up would be his future partner. But having a beautiful woman as a partner was much more pleasant than a guy-guy combo. He hadn't expected the chef partner arranged by Grandmaster Ichiryu to be her. Atashino was said to be a genius doctor and one of the top powerhouses in the Human World. She must know how to cook many ingredients from the Gourmet World and have a lot of experience.
"I'm sorry. These Bird-Beak Toads are very troublesome. I couldn't deal with them in a short time," Atashino said apologetically.
The number of Bird-Beak Toads had grown even larger, completely surrounding the two of them and the Battle Wolf, baring their dense, sharp teeth, a chilling sight. They weren't just on the ground; a huge swarm was also swooping down from the sky, cutting off all escape routes. Although the Battle Wolf was a threat, the Bird-Beak Toads were not afraid. Their honey-badger-like nature was to fight anything that challenged them.
Encountering one Bird-Beak Toad meant encountering countless more. They were a swarming beast.
Kenji glanced at them, his expression calm, and a relaxed smile on his face. He took out two Knocking Guns. This kind of beast was his specialty; he could deal with them with Knocking. Jiro's rescue scene in the Gourmet World had been very cool. Today, he would replicate it.
It's show time—
"Daijoubu. Leave it to me."
"Knocking Rifle—Assault Mode!"
"Haaa—"
"Swish, swish, swish..."
Kenji took a deep breath and pulled the triggers of his Knocking Rifles. Countless anesthetic needles shot out in all directions, accurately hitting the Bird-Beak Toads and performing Knocking on them.
In the process, Kenji moved like a master dancer, with a grace reminiscent of Jiro. From the ground to the air, his movements were elegant and fluid. Not a single needle missed its mark.
"Haaa... warm-up's over."
"Let's continue the dance!"
Swish, swish, swish—
Exhaling, Kenji seamlessly reloaded and began to dance again, countless anesthetic needles shooting out like a torrential rain.
Every single Bird-Beak Toad in the area was Knocked, frozen in place.
"That Knocking Gun is... the Flying-Needle Model Knocking Rifle. I remember that not many people can handle the high-difficulty Assault Mode so easily. He didn't miss a single one."
"What an amazing technique."
The scene was so stunning that Atashino broke out in a cold sweat. Even the members of Biotope 0 probably couldn't do that.
"My technique is a bit rusty. Not as skilled as my master."
"Hmph."
Kenji muttered to himself, looking at the still-smoking Knocking Rifles. He blew on them gently. Elegance never goes out of style. It was the first time he had dealt with so many beasts at once. He could guarantee the accuracy, but he wasn't as effortlessly elegant as Jiro.
Hearing this, Atashino thought Kenji was being a bit of a show-off. These Bird-Beak Toads weren't some low-level beasts.
"Thank you, Kenji. My future partner," Atashino said with a smile. This partner seemed very reliable.
"You're welcome. You said it yourself, you're my future partner, so this is just part of the job," Kenji waved it off.
He had no objection to a partner like this. He had been planning to find a chef partner anyway. He was too lazy to learn himself, and he didn't want to always eat grilled or raw food, so finding a chef was a must. Atashino was much prettier than in the manga; having a beautiful chef around would be easy on the eyes. The author, Shimabukuro, was really perfunctory when it came to drawing female characters. Besides, this was President Ichiryu's arrangement, so he couldn't refuse.
Erina's cooking skills were decent, but her physical fitness was too poor compared to the chefs of this world. If her strength couldn't keep up in the future, then he wouldn't choose her as a partner. They could just be friends in the chat group.
"Atashino, you know how to cook Bird-Beak Toads, right?" Kenji asked. He wanted to see her cooking skills.
There were Knocked Bird-Beak Toads everywhere. They could just pick a few. Even if they didn't taste great, the energy they contained was abundant, and Lotta also needed to replenish her energy with ingredients from here. Not all ingredients from the Gourmet World were more delicious than those from the Human World, but most of them contained more energy.
"Yes, leave it to me."
Atashino nodded and took out her kitchen knife. It wasn't a particularly famous blade, but it was much better than Komatsu's. After all, Komatsu's knife was the first one he had bought with his own savings, so its value was definitely not high. But Atashino was a member of Biotope 0; she was not short on money.
However, Kenji was a little puzzled. Melk was also a member of Biotope 0. Why didn't she ask him to sharpen a better knife for her? Oh, right, the first Melk was probably busy forging the knife that could cook AIR, so he probably didn't have time to make one for Atashino, or she just hadn't asked him.
Entering her cooking state, Atashino's expression became incredibly serious. She exuded an aura of intense focus. Her knife cut into the Bird-Beak Toad at its weakest point. The toad had tough skin; a direct, forceful cut would chip the blade. To dissect it precisely required keen observation.
Kenji was slightly surprised by Atashino's knife skills. As expected of a chef who could enter Biotope 0, she must have cooked many ingredients from the Gourmet World; otherwise, she wouldn't be so skilled.
When the Bird-Beak Toad was dismembered, a reddish-white meat was revealed. It didn't look fatty; it seemed like it could be eaten raw.
"Kenji, did you bring a pot?" Atashino thought for a moment and turned to Kenji. She had only brought her knife and other tools. She hadn't expected to have to cook before leaving the Gourmet World.
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We cross the 1700 power stone goal and as promise here the bonus chapter
Next goal 1800 power stone, good luck guys.
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