"Really?" Misty's eyes lit up with excitement. Sally paused, a flicker of curiosity rising in her gaze. Shizuku took out her notebook, as if preparing to record that statement.
Ron shook his head and quickly added, "But I can't guarantee it'll work. You can give it a try, but don't force it. If you overdo it and end up bloated, there's no benefit at all."
Sally gave it a try and quickly gave up. Shizuku scratched out the line in her notebook. Misty, however, kept at it, and surprisingly, she seemed to be getting some results—something that caught Ron slightly off guard.
In the days that followed, Ron's routine became regular. At night, he returned to rest at the estate shared by Menchi and Buhara; in the mornings, he rose early and headed to the World Zone, going from one restaurant to the next, sampling dish after dish.
Cuisine from all over the world could be found here—from Heaven's Arena, from the Fiora Kingdom, the Mingbo Republic, Kakin, the United States of Saheilta... there was even a stall claiming to serve Meteor City-style cooking.
That immediately sparked Ron's curiosity, because he couldn't imagine what kind of cuisine could come out of a place like Meteor City—a place with so little in the way of resources, where most ingredients scavenged from the garbage heaps were already spoiled.
Upon entering, Ron quickly understood. The offerings focused on two types of dishes. One was called "Mixed Stew," which, as the name implied, began with a heavy, strongly flavored broth into which various ingredients were thrown. The other type was pickled foods—meat, vegetables, and even fruit.
Ron wouldn't say he liked it, but it was certainly novel.
"Without realizing it, I've already visited about half the restaurants in the World Zone."
Ordinary people couldn't possibly move at this pace. But Ron's capabilities in this area were far too overpowered—if he wanted, he could just keep eating without pause, visiting multiple restaurants in a single day. At first, Ron had entered every restaurant without filtering, but later on, he began selecting more carefully.
He had noticed something. The more he ate of the same type of cuisine, the less effective it was on his Gourmet Cells.
He had already known this, but the effect was far more obvious in Gourmet Paradise, where he spent most of his time consuming the local dishes. The "same type" included—but wasn't limited to—cooking method, ingredients, and preparation style.
"Besides, I have this vague feeling that after I've consumed enough gourmet food, there'll be some kind of qualitative transformation in my Gourmet Cells."
"I wonder if I can reach that stage here in Gourmet Paradise."
Leaving the restaurant, Ron glanced down at the floating crystal orb in front of him. Its progress indicator had reached 8%.
"At this rate, once I've visited every restaurant in the World Zone, the progression for the Observer's intent should reach about 15%. After that, I'll head to the Academy Zone—specifically, the Moon Institute. Just in time for the Elite Ten Challenge. That event should contribute significantly to my progression."
Misty, Shizuku, and Sally were sitting on a bench by the roadside, admiring the sea view. Suddenly, a middle-aged man approached from Ron's direction.
"Hm?" Ron glanced at the man. He didn't recognize him at all. The man looked ordinary, and his aura was unremarkable—clearly not a Nen user.
"Sir, you're a Freelance Gourmet Hunter, aren't you? Apologies for the sudden greeting."
The man pointed toward a nearby restaurant. "I saw you there a few days ago. You ordered a large amount of food, which caught my attention."
"I didn't expect you'd actually finish all of it. Anyone with that kind of appetite is usually a Freelance Gourmet Hunter."
"I have a commission. I wonder if you'd be interested."
"It's regarding a certain ingredient."
Ron's brow lifted slightly. "What ingredient?"
He didn't deny the assumption about being a Freelance Gourmet Hunter—his identity was adaptable, and if the context was right, he could assume that role at any time. Ron understood the structure of the Freelance Gourmet Hunters profession well. They were a level below Gourmet Hunters, but with Ron's strength, he could easily take on their tasks.
The man hesitated briefly. "It's a type of fish called the Love Sardine."
"I heard there's a school of Love Sardines about a few hundred kilometers from Gourmet Paradise."
"Regular nets and fishing rods can't catch them. You have to dive deep into the ocean. Only Freelance Gourmet Hunters can manage that."
"I can give you the exact coordinates and offer a decent reward—how about 500,000 Jenny? You can keep half the catch."
"These fish are extremely delicious, but they require the right preparation method. Not many chefs in Gourmet Paradise know how to handle them—but I'm one of them."
"It's said that eating a Love Sardine increases your chances of encountering love. If two people eat one together, they'll remain faithful to each other for life."
Ron thought for a moment, then shook his head and declined.
His true identity hadn't been exposed, and this middle-aged man clearly didn't know his actual strength. Under such conditions, approaching Ron could only mean one of two things: either the job was dangerous, or this man was casting a wide net, hoping to catch any capable takers. If Ron accepted, it might turn into a wasted trip.
He couldn't trust the man. And even if the Love Sardine did exist, Ron wasn't particularly interested at the moment.
"Sorry, I'm not very skilled at underwater ingredient gathering."
"Still, I am curious about the ingredient. From what you're saying, once it's caught, you'll prepare it into a dish and serve it at your restaurant?"
The man looked disappointed. "Yes, I will."
"Then I'll be looking forward to it. I hope you find someone capable of catching it. I'll definitely come try it."
Ron offered a few polite words to brush the man off and ended the conversation. However, he didn't go far—instead, he stayed nearby and observed in secret. Before long, the man approached another person, trying to offer them the same job.
Freelance Gourmet Hunters and Chefs typically had a cooperative relationship, but depending on the situation, one side might hold more leverage. In this case, the middle-aged man was clearly in the weaker position.
Ron moved to a bench in the corner, pulled out his laptop, and began looking up information related to the Love Sardine.
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