Chapter 56: Acquiring Gravity
Giant cacti and air devoid of any moisture. A glowing sphere hung high in the sky, radiating a heat as intense as the sun. A network of tubes connected to the sphere, seemingly transporting the energy of this land.
This ingredient was called the Heat Planet, an incredible food, even more precious and high-grade than the Air Fruit.
The Heat Planet itself possessed a powerful gravitational force that balanced the surrounding gravity. Within the range of its influence, the gravity felt much lighter. The closer one got to the Heat Planet, the higher the temperature, as if it would evaporate all the moisture from one's body.
Kenji and Atashino had entered the area under the Heat Planet's influence.
Besides the cactus-like plants, the land was a barren, red desert.
Rolling heat waves washed over them. The air before them seemed to be burning, shimmering and distorting. Sweat evaporated the moment it formed on their skin, saving them the trouble of wiping it away. It was like being in an oven.
"Atashino, do you know how to cook a Heat Planet?" Kenji asked curiously.
"The Heat Planet is a very rare ingredient, even in the Gourmet World. There are very few known cooking methods for it. It's said that you have to use brute force to break its outer shell," Atashino said, squinting. The light was too bright, like staring directly at the sun.
"What a simple and crude cooking method," Kenji commented.
Although he hadn't touched the sphere above, Kenji didn't think the Heat Planet's shell was fragile. Even among the members of Biotope 0, there were probably few who could break it. This method was likely a last resort for the Nitro.
"Can't you listen to the voice of the ingredients?" Kenji asked.
"Of the top 100 chefs in the world, the number of people who can do that can be counted on one hand," Atashino replied. "I can hear it sometimes, and sometimes I can't."
In short, it was unreliable.
That ability was related to Gourmet Luck. Komatsu could do it because his Gourmet Luck was among the best in the world. Komatsu was the protagonist, so his Gourmet Luck was naturally strong. Atashino, on the other hand, was a supporting character in the manga, so her Gourmet Luck was definitely not as good as Komatsu's. However, now that she was partnered with a transmigrator like him, perhaps her Gourmet Luck would gradually improve.
"Why don't you give it a try? I'm curious to see what a perfectly cooked Heat Planet tastes like."
"...Alright, I'll try. I can't guarantee success."
Atashino closed her eyes. Kenji wasn't in a hurry and didn't rush her. Even if she couldn't hear it, it was no big deal. They could just come back another time.
...
About half an hour later, Atashino opened her eyes and said with pleasant surprise, "I heard it this time. We need a higher temperature to ripen the fruit inside, and then the shell will open."
(Author's Note: This is just my guess.)
"But... how do we get a temperature higher than the Heat Planet right now?"
Kenji stroked his chin. "With a high-temperature flame."
"So, it's my turn to act."
Fwoosh—
A Starfire with a starlight effect ignited in Kenji's palm. The flames wielded by the Star Forger would certainly not be cooler than this Heat Planet. And after eating the Air Fruit, his strength had just received a boost, allowing him to better control the power of Starfire.
"What a terrifying flame," Atashino exclaimed. She felt a deadly threat from this flame, as if it could burn her to ashes if it were to touch her.
"So I just need to envelop the Heat Planet with the flame and let the fruit inside ripen?" Kenji asked.
"Yes. Your flame can ripen the fruit inside. Control the heat and make sure the Heat Planet is heated evenly," Atashino nodded.
Kenji controlled the Starfire, letting it scorch the entire Heat Planet. Most people would never have thought that this would be the cooking method. The ability to listen to the voice of ingredients was a truly overpowered skill for a chef, a real game-changer.
Atashino gave him occasional reminders, and Kenji was in charge of controlling the heat.
Two and a half hours later—
Crack!
A crisp cracking sound was heard, and a sweet and fresh aroma swept out like a storm. Kenji and Atashino couldn't help but swallow, as if they were in a fruit paradise.
The flesh of the fruit was a crimson red, crystal clear like a red crystal. The shimmering red light was like a burning flame, but it didn't feel hot. Although the Heat Planet was 30 meters long, the fruit inside wasn't that big, about half the size of the shell.
"Mmm..."
"It's not hot at all. Delicious. The texture is like a soft, glutinous and chewy cactus fruit. It doesn't have the complex, multi-layered taste of the Rainbow Fruit, but the sweetness is superior, sweet but not cloying," Kenji said, savoring it with a look of pure enjoyment.
He took one bite after another. It was irresistible. The energy it contained was many times that of beef—no, of the Air Fruit. The sweetness was also very long-lasting, lingering in the mouth for a long time.
VMM!
Kenji felt his cells evolving. A thought crossed his mind, and his body emitted a strong attractive force. The surrounding stones and sand began to converge toward him.
Almighty Push—
"This gravity?" Atashino felt a sudden pulling sensation on her body and was almost dragged toward Kenji.
"Sorry, I just learned a new ability," Kenji said, retracting his gravity.
The Heat Planet had a strong gravitational pull, and it was an ingredient. So that was probably why he had learned to control gravity. It was a logical conclusion.
Since he had just learned it, he definitely couldn't pull a powerhouse like Atashino. Ichiryu's gravity was like an orbiting planet. It would take time for Kenji to reach that level.
"Haaa... I've decided!"
"The dessert for my Full Course Menu—the Heat Planet."
"Atashino, this is a commemorative dish for our partnership."
He and Atashino had become partners today, and Kenji felt that the Heat Planet was a very memorable ingredient. If Atashino hadn't heard its cooking method, he would have just been staring at it helplessly.
Aside from the power boost it gave him, the wonderful, dreamlike sweetness was unforgettable and very compatible with his Gourmet Cells. He could feel a sense of pleasure coming from them. He had eaten many delicacies by now, and the taste of the Heat Planet could temporarily be ranked as number one.
"Congratulations," Atashino said with a smile. She supported Kenji's decision. For their newly formed partnership, it did indeed have a commemorative meaning.
"By the way, have you decided on the other ingredients?"
"Not yet. The Heat Planet is the first ingredient I've decided on. I just don't know its exact Capture Level."
Kenji used the IGO's device to test it, and it just displayed garbled characters, which meant the Capture Level of the Heat Planet was over a thousand. The boost it gave him was greater than the Air Fruit's. Besides being a suitable dish for him, its level was also higher.
I am invincible below a thousand, and I can take one down with me above a thousand.
Of course, if he really encountered a beast with a Capture Level of several thousand, Kenji would just have to choose to run. Live to fight another day.
As expected, the ingredients of the Gourmet World had a more significant effect on one's strength. The power levels in the later parts of the manga became more and more ridiculous, which was related to the increasingly ridiculous levels of the ingredients.
Putting the unfinished ingredients into his small space, Kenji and Atashino left the Gourmet World. They didn't encounter the big tiger and monkey. Perhaps they were intimidated by the Battle Wolf's aura and didn't show up.
Kenji's Full Course Menu—
Dessert: Heat Planet
Capture Level: 2000
Capture Method: Ripen the Heat Planet with super-high temperature.
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We cross the 2000 power stone goal and as promise here the bonus chapter
Next goal 2100 power stone, good luck guys.
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Every 100 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter