Chapter 49
Even though the Gourmet Cells he had extracted from Toriko were only Level 1, Mineo didn't feel the slightest bit of disappointment. After all, he still had the bald cape, Saitama, on his friend list; that "One Punch" ability was the thing he truly craved above all else.
Besides, he was currently living in the world of Shokugeki no Soma. Combat power was a secondary concern here. Living a happy, fulfilling life was the main theme of this cross-dimensional journey!
After taking a shower, Mineo headed straight to bed to get some rest. The next morning, at exactly three-thirty, the sharp buzzing of his alarm clock pulled him from his slumber.
He got up to wash his face and changed into some athletic gear suitable for mountain climbing. Just as he finished, Erina and Alice arrived in front of the restaurant in their vehicle.
"Mineo-kun!"
"Good morning~!"
Alice let out a small yawn as she greeted him. Erina, on the other hand, looked remarkably sharp and wide awake. What caught Mineo's eye, however, was how incredibly cute Erina managed to look even in simple sportswear.
Her beautiful blonde hair was tied back, gathered into a charming ponytail. Her red-and-white tracksuit accentuated her slim, elegant figure perfectly.
Above her white sneakers, she wore a pair of short white cotton socks. Her smooth, fair ankles almost seemed to glow under the faint light of the pre-dawn sky.
"Good morning, Erina."
"Morning, Alice."
"You can just leave the car parked here. I've already packed water and breakfast in my bag. The climb ahead might be a bit grueling, so make sure you hang in there!"
Hearing Mineo's warning, Alice let out a playful giggle.
"Don't look down on us just because Erina and I are girls! We actually exercise quite often. Our physical condition is top-notch, you know!"
Mineo smiled at Alice's confidence.
"If that's the case, I'm relieved. Is everyone ready? If there are no issues, let's start the climb!"
After letting the driver park the car properly, Mineo, Erina, and Alice set off on the trail leading toward the summit.
The mountain path was made of blue flagstones and was quite steep. Interestingly, at four in the morning, the world was still draped in darkness. There were no streetlights along the hiking trail, so Mineo and the girls had to forge ahead using flashlights to guide their way.
Throughout the ascent, Erina and Alice kept glancing around with curiosity-filled eyes. From childhood until now, this was the first time either of them had climbed a mountain on foot—especially at such an ungodly hour.
While the young lady Erina remained relatively composed, her younger cousin was practically vibrating with excitement.
"Hiking actually feels really nice, doesn't it?"
"Usually, whenever Erina and I go up a mountain, we take the cable car... I never realized that walking would be this much fun. It's great exercise, too. Erina, we should come hiking more often when we have the time!"
Hearing Alice's enthusiastic chatter, Erina shot her a sideways glance.
"Have you already forgotten how much trouble you had waking up this morning? The alarm was blaring, yet it didn't even budge you. If I hadn't forced you out of bed, you'd still be fast asleep right now."
She paused, then added skeptically, "I highly doubt you have the perseverance to keep this up in the future."
"Aw, that's just because the alarm wasn't loud enough... Next time, I'll just get a bigger one!"
"Anyway, Mineo-kun, what do you think the view from the top of Mount Akatsuki looks like? Do you think it'll be breathtaking!?"
In response to Alice's question, Mineo answered with a smile.
"Even though this isn't my first time climbing a mountain, it's my first time on Mount Akatsuki as well."
"I can't say for sure what the view will be like, but usually, if you can make it all the way to the summit, it gives you a pretty great feeling."
"Alice, slow down a bit. Don't go jumping around. Save your energy; mountain climbing only gets more exhausting the further up you go."
Sure enough, Mineo's words proved prophetic. Alice had started the hike with immense energy, her steps light and bouncy, but as the altitude increased, the Second Young Lady of the Nakiri family began to hit a wall.
Climbing a mountain was far more taxing than running on flat ground. Someone who could easily jog for an hour at school might not even last thirty minutes on a steep mountain trail.
"Ugh! I... I can't go any further!"
Huff... huff...
Alice leaned against a large boulder, bending over as she tried to catch her breath.
"This climb is way too much! I'm never doing this again! How much longer until we actually reach the top?"
"Can we just... rest here for a bit?"
Mineo looked toward the path ahead and checked his watch.
"Two minutes max for a quick break. We've been climbing for almost an hour; we should be able to see the sunrise around five o'clock."
"We aren't far from the peak now. Alice, drink some water. Let's gather our strength and finish this together!"
Mineo pulled two bottles of mineral water from his bag and handed them to Erina and Alice. Seeing their smooth foreheads beaded with sweat, Mineo asked with a hint of surprise:
"Did you guys not bring towels?"
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
100 Power Stone = 1 Bonus Chapter (Up to 5 bonus chapters per week).
Read ahead and support the story on Patreon: patreon.com/FaaanzKun
✅ 45+ chapters ahead of WebNovel
✅ 2 new chapters every day (Monday–Saturday), exclusive on Patreon
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —