Chapter 53: Eating the Bird-Beak Toad
Clang, clang—
She had only asked casually, but she hadn't expected Kenji to actually pull out a full set of pots and pans. Atashino stared in a daze. To pull so many things out of his pocket... was it some kind of 4D pocket?
Wait, is that even possible?
Noticing Atashino's confusion, Kenji explained, "I used my abilities to create a small space where I can store some items."
The Star Forger had power over space, and combined with the power of creation, creating a small, stable storage space was a piece of cake for him. When he went out, he could put everything he needed in this small space, leaving his hands free so it wouldn't interfere with battle.
"What a convenient ability," Atashino said. Besides being incredibly strong, this partner of hers was full of surprises.
With a full set of kitchen utensils, Atashino began to cook. She had brought some of her own seasonings.
Flames rose from the pot, and a pungent aroma filled the air.
"What a powerful smell. Did you use some kind of chili pepper?" Kenji's nose twitched, and he asked curiously.
"The Yavana Pepper, a special-preparation ingredient. If you use the wrong amount, you'll be numb from the spiciness for a whole year," Atashino explained. "Can you handle spicy food?" she asked.
"I can."
"Atashino, how did you and Grandmaster Ichiryu meet?" Kenji asked.
"Grandmaster?"
Atashino was a little surprised by the term. She had never heard that President Ichiryu had such a young grand-disciple.
"Jiro is my master, and he's Ichiryu's junior disciple. It's not a problem for me to call him Grandmaster," Kenji explained simply.
"So that's the relationship."
Atashino understood now. No wonder Kenji had such a masterful grasp of Knocking. He was the disciple of that man.
"President Ichiryu thought my talents were quite good, so he invited me to join Biotope 0." She also had some medical skills. She could treat various illnesses and injuries with just a knife.
"Atashino, anyone who can join Biotope 0 is a top-tier talent," Kenji said, feeling that she was being a bit humble.
While Atashino was cooking, Kenji went to check the chat group.
[Star Forger]: "Daigo, have you run into any more kaiju lately?"
[Crash-Test Pilot]: "We have. There are reports of a monster on Kylos Island, but our fighter jets haven't been modified yet."
After receiving the intelligence, they had just started modifying the jets. It would still take some time.
[Star Forger]: "The monster on Kylos Island is called Gakuma. It eats rocks. Because humans started quarrying on the island, its food supply decreased, which angered it and caused it to attack the workers."
In the end, it was a conflict between man and nature. Put yourself in its shoes, Kenji thought. That's your home. Strangers come, destroy your house, and take all your food. Anyone would be angry.
[Crash-Test Pilot]: "Is that what happened? Is this the consequence of humanity's destruction of nature?"
Daigo fell into thought. Mining was a common sight all over the world. As humanity developed, conflict with nature was inevitable. Of course, there were also people who destroyed the environment purely for profit, not for development.
[Ghost of the Uchiha]: "A monster is a monster for life. Since it has harmed humans, it is an enemy."
Kenji was speechless. Hajike-Madara, you...
[Miss Pink Elf♪]: "Since this monster isn't inherently evil, is there no chance for peaceful coexistence?"
Although Elysia loved humanity, she also held a friendly view of other benevolent species.
[God's Tongue]: "I don't think you can say it's just one side's fault. Humans destroyed the environment, and although Gakuma harmed humans out of anger, it still killed people."
[Dian Mei Ruan]: "If you don't mind, you can pack up Gakuma and send it to me."
Ruan Mei was very curious about kaiju.
[Star Forger]: "Daigo, here are a few suggestions. Whether you take them or not is up to you."
"First: Try to communicate with Gakuma. Its beam can petrify organic matter. You could try sending some trash over for it to petrify into rocks for food."
"Second: Turn into Tiga and find Gakuma a new home, a place where it won't be disturbed by humans for a long time. As for Ruan Mei's suggestion, whether you send it to her is up to you."
"By the way, there's more than one Gakuma on that island."
[Crash-Test Pilot]: "...I think I know what to do now. Thanks."
"It's ready. Have a taste."
The Bird-Beak Toad meat, stir-fried with extra-spicy chili peppers, was a fiery red, as if to say, "I'm hot, kid."
"Hiss..."
"What a kick..."
"Exciting~"
The moment the red, oily meat entered his mouth, a torrent of spiciness shot straight to his scalp. Kenji's eyes widened slightly.
Invigorating!
"Chomp, chomp—"
"The meat of the Bird-Beak Toad is average. It's a bit tough. As expected... not all ingredients from the Gourmet World are more delicious than those from the Human World," Kenji said, chewing with a slight frown.
To be honest, the texture of the Bird-Beak Toad meat wasn't as good as the Angra Red Scorpion from before. It was just average. However, it did contain a lot of energy, which was the only thing that justified its Capture Level of around 100.
Atashino's cooking skills were excellent. As expected of a chef from Biotope 0. Kenji estimated that she could probably rank in the top 100 of the world's chef rankings.
"Although this is the Gourmet World, not everything is delicious," Atashino said.
Kenji nodded. Although there were many delicacies in this world, not all ingredients were delicious. For example, the meat of a Troll-Kong was full of sinews, difficult to cook, and had a poor texture. Of course, the delicious ones were definitely in the majority.
"I'll be in your care from now on, Kenji," Atashino said softly. Although she didn't know this partner of hers very well, she would give it a try.
"Likewise. I'll be counting on you for the cooking," Kenji said.
Now that his partner was confirmed, they would go on ingredient-capturing trips together. Erina couldn't always be free, and her strength was still too weak. The Gourmet World had many "super special preparation ingredients" that required a certain level of strength.
"Don't worry. Besides cooking, I also have some skills as a Gourmet Reviver," Atashino said.
"Kenji, have you ever been to the Second Continent before? Isn't that where the Battle Wolves live?" Atashino asked curiously.
As a member of Biotope 0, she naturally knew which continent each of the famous Eight Kings was distributed on.
The Bird-Beak Toads had been Knocked by Kenji. The Battle Wolf was now eating them one by one, a satisfying crunch with each bite. They tasted like chicken, and the protein was N times that of beef. Although the skin of the Bird-Beak Toad was tough, it was nothing to the Battle Wolf's bite force.
"Her name is Lotta. She's not a Battle Wolf from the Gourmet World. She was cloned by the IGO from Battle Wolf DNA. She was born in the Human World," Kenji explained.
He was in no hurry to leave. He would let Lotta eat her fill first. The energy from the Bird-Beak Toads would allow her to grow stronger quickly. With such an all-you-can-eat buffet, Lotta could eat to her heart's content.
"I see. I didn't expect the IGO to even be able to clone a Battle Wolf," Atashino said in surprise. She hadn't heard about it, but then again, the Battle Wolf had only been cloned recently. "I can sense that this Battle Wolf's body is a little weak."
Kenji explained, "It's because of the cloning, not eating much, and giving birth."
"Wait, you mean this Battle Wolf gave birth on its own?" Atashino was shocked. Cloning was one thing, but giving birth to a pup? What the hell?
"Maybe that's the magic of Gourmet Cells," Kenji shrugged. He was suddenly reminded of the Horse King Heracles. Its massive size was unique among the Horse Kings, and it probably didn't have a mate that could match it, yet it could still give birth.
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