Chapter 4: Ray's Transformation
Ray slowly opened his eyes, his mind gradually clearing from the intoxicating euphoria of the taste.
The next second, he suddenly realized his body had undergone an earth-shattering transformation.
His skin had become firm and smooth. The previously slightly rough texture was gone, replaced by a fine, silky quality.
The radiant light emanating from the Jewel Meat even reflected a faint sheen off his skin.
After a brief moment of daze, Ray hurriedly checked the rest of his changes.
His once slightly thin chest had become broad and upright.
Lifting his shirt, he saw an eight-pack of abs bulging on his stomach, the lines smooth and full of power.
The muscle contours on his arms and thighs were full but not bloated, instead exuding an aesthetic of explosive strength.
Ray slowly clenched his fists. An unprecedented sense of power surged through his bones and limbs; his fingertips could even feel the faint resistance of the air being compressed.
He tried throwing a light punch and heard a faint whistling sound cut through the air—something he wouldn't have even dared to imagine before.
Standing up, he stretched his limbs, his bones letting out crisp popping sounds.
Every movement felt incredibly light and agile, as if he had cast off heavy shackles.
However, it wasn't all pleasant surprises.
Ray looked down at his body, then compared himself to the Jewel Meat beside him, realizing he seemed to have gotten shorter.
His original height of about 1.8 meters seemed to have shrunk by ten centimeters, dropping to around 1.7 meters.
Paired with his suddenly robust physique, he looked exceptionally stocky.
After the initial marvel, Ray formed a hypothesis about his transformation.
"Is this the effect of the Jewel Meat? Or Gourmet Cells?"
Ray muttered to himself, gently stroking the firm muscles on his arm.
He knew that Jewel Meat was not only a top-tier delicacy but also possessed the ability to strengthen the body.
Even a sickly person could instantly become robust after consuming it.
As for Gourmet Cells, they were even more miraculous.
In Ray's understanding, even ordinary people in the world of *Toriko* had Gourmet Cells in their bodies. It was just that these cells were inactive, at most allowing a normal person to have a slightly larger appetite.
And among the race known as Isaac Netero, they seemed to possess cooking techniques capable of stimulating the Gourmet Cells in ordinary humans, making them delicious.
Of course, that had nothing to do with him.
Ray had absolutely no intention of eating human flesh.
After a moment of thought, Ray concluded that he had most likely acquired Gourmet Cells, and highly active ones at that.
As for the reasoning, firstly, the changes to his body were too drastic; the Jewel Meat alone shouldn't have been able to achieve this.
Secondly, nearly a third of the Jewel Meat in front of him was gone.
A third of the Jewel Meat was a full size larger than his entire body and contained unimaginably vast energy. If an ordinary person had eaten that much, they would have burst and died long ago.
Yet, not only was he perfectly fine, but he also felt energized to the absolute limit.
Aside from the effects of Gourmet Cells, Ray couldn't think of any other explanation for this phenomenon that defied common sense.
After all, only active Gourmet Cells possessed such terrifying digestion and absorption capabilities, converting massive amounts of ingredients into energy for personal evolution.
What puzzled Ray was that the process of acquiring Gourmet Cells seemed a bit too easy.
Ray knew that in the world of *Toriko*, the number of people who could truly awaken their Gourmet Cells was actually quite small compared to the massive human population.
Members of the Gourmet Corp even went as far as directly injecting highly active Gourmet Cells to awaken them, ultimately turning into bizarre freaks. This showed just how difficult the process was.
Yet, he hadn't injected highly active cells like the Gourmet Corp members, nor had he gradually awakened them by consuming massive amounts of gourmet food over a long period.
He had simply eaten enough Jewel Meat to complete the awakening of his Gourmet Cells.
No matter how he looked at it, it was far too simple.
What Ray didn't know was that the reason it went so smoothly was entirely because he was too 'weak.'
Not just in terms of strength, but the original cells in his body were equally 'weak.'
Therefore, when faced with the Gourmet Cells, his original cells had absolutely no ability to resist.
This allowed the Gourmet Cells to act almost like cancer cells, taking root and multiplying wildly within his body without any hindrance... ultimately completing the replacement and reconstruction of every cell in his body.
"Forget it, there's no need to dwell on this."
Ray shook his head, a relieved smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Regardless of the process, as long as the result was good, that was all that mattered.
Not only did he now possess a healthy, robust body, but he had also acquired Gourmet Cells. This was already a massive stroke of luck.
Afterward, Ray excitedly began testing his new body.
First, he tested his speed, finding it at least two or three times faster than before.
Next, he threw a punch at the adjacent meat wall, instantly caving in a deep indentation.
He tried jumping, and his body launched lightly into the air, leaping over two meters high before landing as steady as a rock, without the slightest shock of impact.
The more he tested, the more excited Ray became. He continuously tried various movements, feeling the surging power within him as if he had an endless supply of energy.
After testing his basic physical condition, Ray attempted to trigger the special abilities brought about by the Gourmet Cells.
He focused his mind, trying to channel the energy within his body.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried, aside from feeling that his strength and speed far exceeded those of an ordinary person, no special abilities manifested.
Ray wasn't disappointed by this. After all, having just acquired Gourmet Cells, they were like a newly sprouted seed that needed time and more delicious ingredients to nourish its growth.
He believed that as long as he continued to eat high-quality gourmet food, he would definitely gain special abilities.
He wondered if his future special ability would be like Toriko's sense of smell, or Coco's poison.
Or perhaps something like Zebra's voice, or Sunny's touch...
Ray was incredibly looking forward to it!
But that was a matter for the future. Right now, he needed to consider his next course of action.
Having already found the Jewel Meat, there was naturally no need for him to continue wandering around inside the Regal Mammoth.
Therefore, Ray decisively chose to stay in this space until it was time to leave.
Since the Jewel Meat could exist here undisturbed, it meant this space was relatively safe.
He didn't have to worry about encountering parasites or other dangerous creatures inside the Regal Mammoth.
As for leaving the Regal Mammoth's body, Ray hadn't even considered it.
He couldn't help it; Ray knew very well that although he had acquired Gourmet Cells and completed a biological evolution, his actual strength was still limited.
His current strength and speed far surpassed ordinary humans, but he would still be completely defenseless against the ferocious beasts of the *Toriko* world.
He might not even be able to defeat the parasites inside the Regal Mammoth right now.
The outside world was certainly wonderful and filled with an abundance of gourmet food, but it was also far more dangerous.
The area where the Regal Mammoth lived was undoubtedly teeming with countless ferocious beasts.
If he went out with his current strength, he might just end up as a light snack for some hungry predator.
Under these circumstances, continuing to stay inside the Regal Mammoth was actually much safer for him.