Chapter 2: The World of Toriko
Ray looked at the chunk of meat in his hand, his expression shifting rapidly.
He was now almost certain that he was inside the body of some massive creature.
That tentacle monster from earlier was likely just a 'parasite' living inside this beast.
Beneath his lingering fear, a strange sensation suddenly welled up.
The metallic, sweet scent lingering at the tip of his nose had somehow transformed into an incredibly appetizing aroma of meat.
The fragrance wasn't overpowering, but it was deeply penetrating, causing his stomach to growl in protest.
'Can this thing... actually be eaten?'
Ray swallowed hard. Reason told him this was madness, but his taste buds were screaming in anticipation.
He glanced around. Aside from the dead silence, there was no other movement.
The tentacle monster seemed to have left for good.
Gritting his teeth, Ray decided to trust his instincts.
He pulled an alcohol stove and a lighter from his backpack.
Slicing the meat into even, thin pieces, he carefully placed them on the stove's grill.
He ignited the alcohol stove, and the flames flared up with a soft whoosh.
*Sizzle—*
The moment the meat touched the heat, it let out a mouthwatering sizzle. Fat dripped down the edges, bursting into tiny sparks as it hit the open flame.
The aroma of meat instantly filled the air, more than ten times richer than before. It was a blend of the mellow richness of beef, the savory sweetness of pork, and a unique, indescribable flavor.
Ray's mouth was already watering uncontrollably.
Once the slices were grilled to a golden brown on both sides, he sprinkled on some salt he had brought with him and impatiently popped a piece into his mouth.
The moment his teeth sank in, the tender meat practically melted in his mouth. Rich meat juices burst forth, flooding every single taste bud.
There wasn't the slightest hint of gameyness, only pure, savory perfection. The texture was smoother and more tender than any premium beef he had ever eaten, yet it still retained a satisfying chew.
"Delicious... This is too delicious!"
Ray closed his eyes, almost groaning in sheer satisfaction.
His previous tension and fear largely dissipated in the face of this ultimate delicacy.
After wolfing down all the grilled meat, Ray licked his lips, still craving more.
Looking at the pale red 'walls' around him, he was tempted to carve off another chunk to eat.
However, rubbing his bulging stomach, he had to abandon the idea to avoid eating himself to death.
Packing away the alcohol stove, Ray gripped his chef's knife once more, his eyes reflecting a newfound confidence.
No matter where this place was, at least... there was plenty of food, and top-tier gourmet food at that.
Calming his mind, Ray began to walk deeper down the pale red tunnel.
He needed to properly explore this place.
The passage twisted and turned, occasionally splitting into forks like an endless labyrinth.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, a splash of emerald green caught his eye.
Ray stopped in his tracks, his eyes filled with disbelief.
A tree was actually growing inside this space made of fleshy walls? Wasn't this a bit too absurd!
He walked over and discovered it was a relatively small orange tree. Its branches were lush, and its emerald leaves shimmered in the dim light.
The branches were heavy with bright, golden-orange fruit. Each one was plump, round, and looked exceptionally tempting.
"A tree growing inside a monster... This world is way too ridiculous," Ray muttered to himself as he quickly stepped forward.
He reached out and plucked an orange, feeling its heavy weight in his hand.
The peel was smooth and hard, completely different from the softness of a normal orange.
"If the meat is edible, the oranges should be too!"
Saying this, Ray tried to peel it normally, but despite pressing hard with his fingertips, the rind didn't budge. Instead, it dug painfully into his fingers.
"It's this hard?"
Ray looked at the perfectly intact orange in his hand with a bit of frustration. He simply brought it to his mouth and bit into it.
His teeth scraped against the peel, making a gritty sound as fine powder coated his lips and teeth.
An intense salty flavor instantly exploded in his mouth, followed immediately by the signature sweet and sour taste of an orange.
The two flavors intertwined in an unexpectedly harmonious way, not overwhelming in the slightest.
Stunned, Ray quickly took out his chef's knife and sliced hard into the orange.
The blade bit into the peel with a crisp crack.
As he applied force, the orange split in two, revealing the flesh inside.
However, the segments inside were made of crystal-clear, orange-yellow crystals. They looked like gemstones, refracting brilliant light.
"Is this a Salt Orange?"
Ray stared at the crystals in his hand, his mind racing.
A tentacle monster, fleshy tunnels, edible 'wall meat,' and now a Salt Orange...
These elements were like scattered puzzle pieces, slowly coming together in his mind.
He thought he knew exactly what world he had arrived in.
*Toriko*.
Ray's expression instantly became incredibly strange.
A world centered entirely around 'gourmet food,' a world overflowing with rare ingredients and terrifying beasts.
In the world of Toriko, an ingredient's Capture Level often represented both its danger level and its deliciousness.
A beast with a Capture Level of 1 required ten fully armed soldiers just to barely handle it.
Even more terrifying was that the world of Toriko was divided into the Human World and the Gourmet World, with the Human World being merely the tip of the iceberg.
And in the Gourmet World, there were countless monsters capable of wiping out human civilization.
As for where he was right now...
Ray looked at the pink fleshy walls around him, and a terrifying hypothesis formed in his mind.
He seemed to be inside a Regal Mammoth!
An adult Regal Mammoth could reach 1,500 meters in length and boasted a Capture Level of 48.
And gestating inside the Regal Mammoth was a top-tier ingredient hailed as an 'Ancient Food Treasure'—the Jewel Meat!
Ray's heart pounded wildly, filled with both lingering dread and ecstatic joy.
The dread came from the fact that he had stumbled into the body of a Capture Level 48 beast.
If he had encountered it on the outside, he might as well have just laid down and waited for death.
He felt like the creature could kill him just by exhaling.
But right now, he was inside the Regal Mammoth.
What made Ray feel even more fortunate was that, although the mammoth's interior was complex, apart from the stomach where parasites roamed, the other areas seemed relatively safe.
Therefore, he was currently inside a relatively safe 'vault,' and what's more, this place held the ultimate ingredient—the Jewel Meat!
Thinking back to the 'wall meat' he had just grilled, it was already so delicious it shattered his worldview.
Then what kind of heavenly delicacy would the top-tier ingredient known as the 'Ancient Food Treasure'—the Jewel Meat—be?
Ray's eyes instantly burned with passion.
He absolutely had to taste the Jewel Meat.
No longer hesitating, Ray quickly plucked the Salt Oranges from the tree one by one and stuffed them into his backpack.
These Salt Oranges weren't ordinary salt. Using their powder for seasoning would definitely elevate the flavor of any ingredient to the next level.
After packing the Salt Oranges, Ray's goal became incredibly clear—find the Jewel Meat!