Haruto looked at the chunk of meat in his hand, his expression shifting uncertainly.
Now he was almost certain that he was indeed inside the body of some creature.
That Tentacle Monster from earlier was likely a “parasite” living inside this creature.
Amidst his fear, a strange sensation suddenly welled up in his heart.
The bloody-sweet scent lingering at the tip of his nose had somehow turned into an alluring meaty aroma.
The scent wasn’t strong, yet it was incredibly piercing, making his stomach growl traitorously.
Can this thing… be eaten?
Haruto swallowed hard; his reason told him this was crazy, but his taste buds were screaming in protest.
He glanced around; aside from the silence, there was no other movement.
That Tentacle Monster seemed to have left as well.
Haruto gritted his teeth and decided to trust his intuition.
He pulled an alcohol stove and a lighter from his backpack.
He sliced the meat into even thin slices and carefully placed them on the stove rack.
Then he lit the alcohol stove, and the flame surged up with a “whoosh.”
“Sizzle—”
As soon as the meat slices touched the fire, they made an enticing sound.
Fat dripped down the edges, bursting into tiny sparks upon the flames.
The aroma of meat filled the air instantly, more than ten times stronger than before.
It was a blend of the richness of beef, the savory scent of pork, and an indescribable, unique flavor.
Haruto’s mouth was already watering uncontrollably.
Once the meat slices were grilled to a golden brown on both sides, he sprinkled on some salt he carried with him and impatiently picked up a slice, stuffing it into his mouth.
The moment his teeth bit down, the tender meat almost melted in his mouth.
Rich juices burst forth instantly, flooding every taste bud.
There wasn’t the slightest hint of gaminess, only pure savory fragrance.
The texture was more tender and smooth than any top-grade beef he had ever eaten, yet it still had a nice chew…
“Delicious… It’s so delicious!”
Haruto closed his eyes, so satisfied he almost groaned aloud.
His previous tension and fear had mostly dissipated in the face of this ultimate delicacy.
After devouring all the grilled meat slices, Haruto licked the corners of his mouth, still wanting more.
Looking at the pale red “walls” around him, Haruto wished he could carve off another piece to eat.
However, feeling his bulging belly, he had to give up the idea to avoid stuffing himself to death.
After packing up the alcohol stove, Haruto gripped his kitchen knife again, his eyes filled with a bit more confidence.
No matter what this place was, at least… there was plenty of food, and top-tier delicacies at that.
Steadying himself, Haruto began to walk deeper along the pale red passage.
He was going to explore this place thoroughly.
The passage wound and twisted, with occasional forks in the road, like an endless corridor.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, a splash of emerald green caught his eye.
Haruto paused, his eyes full of disbelief.
A tree was actually growing in this space made of fleshy walls?
Wasn’t this a bit too ridiculous!
Haruto walked over and found a mandarin tree that wasn’t very tall.
Its foliage was lush, and the emerald leaves shimmered in the dim light.
The branches were hung heavy with plump, orange mandarins, each one full and round, looking exceptionally enticing.
“A tree growing inside a monster… This world is just too absurd.”
Haruto muttered to himself as he stepped forward quickly.
He reached out and plucked a mandarin; it felt heavy in his hand.
The skin was smooth and hard, completely different from the softness of a normal mandarin.
“If the meat is edible, the mandarin should be too!”
Saying that, Haruto tried to peel it as usual, but despite the pressure from his fingertips, the peel didn’t budge.
Instead, it made his fingers ache…
“So hard?”
Haruto looked at the intact mandarin in his hand, feeling a bit annoyed.
He simply brought it to his mouth and tried to gnaw on it with his teeth.
His teeth scraped against the peel, making a “shasha” sound, and some fine powder stuck to his lips and teeth.
An intense saltiness exploded in his mouth instantly, followed by the mandarin’s characteristic sweet and sour flavor.
The two flavors intertwined in an unexpectedly harmonious way, not at all cloying.
Haruto was stunned.
He quickly took out his kitchen knife and sliced down hard on the mandarin.
The blade bit into the peel with a crisp sound.
As Haruto applied force, the mandarin was split in two, and the pulp inside was revealed.
However, the segments inside were composed of translucent orange-yellow crystals, like gemstones, reflecting a brilliant light.
“Is this a salt orange?”
Haruto looked at the crystals in his hand, his thoughts racing.
The Tentacle Monster, the fleshy passage, the edible “wall meat,” and the salt orange before him… these elements were like scattered puzzle pieces gradually coming together in Haruto’s mind.
He seemed to know what world he had come to.
“Toriko”
Haruto’s expression instantly became extremely strange.
A world centered around “gourmet food,” filled with rare ingredients and terrifying beasts.
In the world of Toriko, the Capture Level of an ingredient often represents its level of danger and deliciousness.
A beast with a Capture Level of 1 would require ten fully armed soldiers to barely manage.
Even more terrifyingly, the world of Toriko is divided into the Human World and the Gourmet World; the Human World is but the tip of the iceberg.
And in the Gourmet World, there are numerous monsters capable of wiping out human civilization…
As for where he was now…
Haruto looked at the pink fleshy walls around him, a terrifying hypothesis forming in his mind.
He seemed to be inside the body of a Regal Mammoth!
An adult Regal Mammoth can reach a length of 1,500 meters, with a Capture Level as high as 48.
And inside the Regal Mammoth, the top-tier ingredient known as the “Ancient Food Treasure”—Jewel Meat—is nurtured!
Haruto’s heart pounded wildly, filled with both lingering fear and wild joy.
He was afraid because he had actually broken into the body of a beast with a Capture Level of 48.
If he had encountered it outside, he could have just lain down and waited for death.
He felt like it could kill him just by blowing a breath.
But now, he was inside the Regal Mammoth.
What made Haruto even more fortunate was that although the interior of the Regal Mammoth was complex, aside from parasites in the stomach, other areas seemed quite safe.
Therefore, he was currently in the equivalent of a relatively safe “vault,” and moreover, there was the top-tier ingredient here—Jewel Meat!
Thinking of the “wall meat” he had grilled earlier, it was already delicious enough to overturn his understanding.
Then, what kind of otherworldly delicacy would the top-tier ingredient known as the “Ancient Food Treasure”—Jewel Meat—be?
Haruto’s gaze instantly became burning hot.
He definitely had to taste what Jewel Meat was like.
Haruto hesitated no longer, quickly plucking the salt oranges from the tree one by one and putting them into his backpack.
These salt oranges were no ordinary salt; seasoning with their powder would definitely take the flavor of ingredients to the next level.
After finishing with the salt oranges, Haruto’s goal became incredibly clear—find the Jewel Meat!