*****
Chief's Residence,
At this moment, Lev, Nakime, and the others were inside the residence of the chief of the village, a man known as Daruma Hermit.
Just as his name suggested, Daruma Hermit bore a striking resemblance to a traditional Daruma doll. He had an elderly appearance, large, round eyes, and facial markings reminiscent of a Daruma, along with a round nose and a long beard and mustache.
His body, however, was enormous.
He was easily the largest living individual Lev and the others had encountered since arriving in the Bewitching Food World. His massive, round body was supported by relatively short legs, while his long arms nearly reached his knees. His lengthy beard flowed down his body, covering much of his chest.
"Welcome to the Bewitching Food World. I hope the locals didn't startle you on the way here. I'm the chief of this village, and the others call me the Daruma Hermit." Daruma Hermit introduced himself while looking at Lev before shifting his attention toward the beautiful women accompanying him.
"I'm Lev. And these are my companions—Nakime, Alpha, Ghislaine, Shizuku, Tomoe, and Shion. Thank you for welcoming us to your village." Lev replied with a smile.
As he observed Daruma Hermit, Lev could tell that the old man was still in good health despite his elderly appearance. There was no obvious sign of weakness in his movements or demeanor.
"Anyways, it has indeed been a long time since we've had visitors here. Are you here merely to visit, or perhaps would you like to stay for a while? Or maybe you're searching for something?"
Daruma Hermit's tone suddenly became more serious as he looked directly at Lev.
Throughout his long life, there had never been a visitor who came to the Bewitching Food World without a purpose. Naturally, he assumed that Lev and his companions were no different.
"Well, as you can see, I'm not just an ordinary human. I came to the Gourmet World to explore it and discover the many ingredients this world has to offer. But that's not all. I also have a goal of tracing the seven ancient civilizations that once originated and flourished throughout the Gourmet World." Lev answered honestly.
"The Gourmet World is full of surprises and ingredients that have never been seen by ordinary humans. Wherever you go, you're bound to encounter something you've never seen before." Daruma Hermit paused before continuing. "As for the seven civilizations, however, that will be difficult. You won't only have to contend with the harsh environment of the Gourmet World. You'll also have to deal with the powerful beasts lurking throughout it."
"It doesn't matter. I'm fully aware of the dangers." Lev replied without hesitation.
"Even if it concerns the Eight Kings, the rulers of each continent?" Daruma Hermit asked with utmost seriousness.
Finding the remnants of the seven ancient civilizations scattered throughout the Gourmet World was already a perilous endeavor, unless one was fortunate enough to discover the safe Gourmet Highways that led to them. But venturing into the territories ruled by the Eight Kings was an entirely different matter.
Those lands were not merely dangerous—they were domains where the very environment was shaped by beings standing at the absolute pinnacle of the food chain. Entering their territories meant stepping into the realm of creatures whose mere presence could turn an ordinary expedition into a fight for survival.
"Even if it concerns the Eight Kings." Lev answered with absolute certainty.
Daruma Hermit stared at him for a moment before eventually smiling.
"Then, good luck."
He no longer questioned Lev's determination.
"Anyways, you've already found one of the remaining civilizations in the Gourmet World. I assume this is your first time here, so you may not be aware of this, but you'll need to barter for almost everything in the Gourmet World. It would be best if you have some ingredients with you."
"We'll take care of that." Lev smiled. He was already aware of this particular rule.
"Good." Daruma Hermit nodded. "For the second time, welcome to the Bewitching Food World. Enjoy your stay in our village."
"Thank you."
Afterward, Lev and Daruma Hermit continued their conversation for a little while longer, discussing various matters concerning the Bewitching Food World and the surrounding region.
Eventually, their conversation came to an end, and the two parted ways.
For Lev, however, this meeting had given him exactly what he needed.
A place to begin his exploration of the Gourmet World.
*****
In the Village,
After greeting the village chief and receiving permission to stay in the village, Lev and the others finally began roaming around the Bewitching Food World to see what the place had to offer.
Just as the Daruma Hermit had warned them, bartering was the primary means of transaction in the village. Unfortunately, this quickly made Lev and the others realize just how poor they were in terms of usable goods.
For the time being, Lev decided to rely on the System and purchase several ingredients from the System Store that they could use for bartering. Aside from securing a place to stay, however, there was one thing they needed above all else.
Food.
And that was exactly what they were doing now.
Lev and his companions were currently sitting inside one of the restaurants in the village, with several dishes spread across the table before them.
"You might not be aware of this yet, but eating food in this world will make you stronger," Lev explained as he looked at the dishes in front of them. "Also, don't judge the food based on its appearance. It might look disgusting, but that doesn't mean it tastes bad. In fact, these ingredients are delicious, so eat."
The food in front of them certainly did not look appetizing.
Some dishes looked slimy, others had strange textures and bizarre shapes, while a few looked like something that shouldn't even be considered food.
Nevertheless, Lev didn't hesitate.
He immediately picked up one of the dishes and began eating.
The moment the food entered his mouth, his eyes widened slightly.
It was delicious.
Almost immediately, System notifications began echoing inside his mind one after another.
[You have consumed a Gourmet Ingredient.]
[1,000 Gourmet Power gained.]
[1,000 True God Coins gained.]
The notifications continued appearing as Lev ate.
Just as he had told the others, the appearance of the food was completely misleading. Despite looking grotesque, the taste was surprisingly incredible.
Before long, Lev had completely finished his serving.
"Another one, please."
He immediately ordered another serving without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Nakime, Alpha, Ghislaine, Shizuku, Tomoe, and Shion were still staring at the food in front of them with varying degrees of hesitation.
None of them were particularly eager to put something that looked like that into their mouths.
However, watching Lev casually devour the food without the slightest hesitation gradually piqued their curiosity.
If their Master could eat it without a problem, surely they could at least try it.
Taking the first bite, they were immediately surprised.
The taste was completely different from what they had expected.
"This is... actually good," Shizuku muttered in surprise.
"See? I told you." Lev replied with a satisfied smile.
That was all the encouragement they needed.
One by one, they began eating more.
Since all of the ingredients came from the Gourmet World, their rarity and nutritional value were on an entirely different level compared to the food they were accustomed to eating in their respective worlds.
As they continued eating, System notifications repeatedly appeared in Lev's mind.
Before long, Lev and the others had already leveled up several times.
Lev, in particular, had gained a substantial number of levels and accumulated a large amount of True God Coins.
The coins he earned from consuming the ingredients also helped compensate for the expenses he had incurred from purchasing the food through the System Store.
In other words, the more they ate, the stronger they became.
For Lev, it was practically the perfect training method.
*****
—Two Hours Later—
Inside a House,
After spending time eating and roaming around the village, Lev and the others eventually rented a place to stay.
It wasn't anything particularly luxurious, but by the standards of the Bewitching Food World, it was more than enough.
The group was now resting inside the house after their first day in the Gourmet World.
And judging by the way everyone was sprawled around the room, they had clearly overeaten.
"As you all know, we'll be staying here for at least two years before traveling to another continent," Lev said as he lay comfortably on the floor, staring at the ceiling.
"Just like I said earlier, this world is dangerous. We should stick together, explore carefully, and continue getting stronger while we're here."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"Fortunately, we're surrounded by delicious ingredients, so getting stronger shouldn't be a problem. The main thing we need to be careful about is dying prematurely."
Lev then smiled reassuringly.
"But don't worry. If things ever get worse, I'll prioritize your safety above everything else."
With that, Lev stood up and looked toward the others.
He was expecting some sort of response.
Instead—
Silence.
Lev blinked.
He looked around the room.
Nakime was already asleep.
Alpha was resting with her eyes closed.
Ghislaine was lying comfortably on the floor.
Shizuku had fallen asleep against the wall.
Tomoe was quietly sleeping nearby.
And even Shion, who had been eating enthusiastically earlier, was already fast asleep.
Lev's expression slowly turned blank.
"...Were any of you even listening?"
No response.
Lev sighed and shook his head.
"Anyways, I'm glad I chose this world this time."
A small smile appeared on his face as he looked around at his sleeping companions.
For once, there was no immediate crisis.
No enemies were attacking them.
No world-ending calamity was looming over their heads.
They had food, shelter, and plenty of opportunities to grow stronger.
It wasn't a bad way to begin their journey in the Gourmet World.
With another tired sigh, Lev finally went to find a place to sleep.
He, too, was exhausted—and far too full to move around any longer.
**********
—One Week Later—
Outside the Cavern,
After spending a week familiarizing themselves with the village and the Bewitching Food World, Lev and the others finally began venturing outside the cavern.
Their purpose was simple: train while searching for ingredients.
Sooner or later, they would have to leave the safety of the village if they wanted to grow stronger and explore Area 8. Fortunately, the surrounding region offered more than enough opportunities for both.
It didn't take long before they encountered their first group of beasts.
The moment the creatures appeared, Lev and the others immediately went on the hunt.
Of course, they didn't kill everything they encountered. There were times when they deliberately spared certain beasts, particularly those that had no useful ingredients, couldn't be eaten, or only possessed a small amount of edible meat.
Thanks to the Ingredient Encyclopedia Lev had purchased from the System Store, identifying the various beasts and ingredients they encountered was relatively easy.
More importantly, the encyclopedia allowed them to determine which creatures were worth hunting and which ones they could safely ignore.
It also proved invaluable when it came to gathering ingredients.
Whenever they encountered something valuable, Lev and the others would harvest what they could before storing it away. These ingredients could later be used for bartering when they returned to the village.
At the moment, however, they had encountered something slightly more troublesome.
A flock of flying beasts was soaring through the sky above them.
According to the Ingredient Encyclopedia, their meat was surprisingly delicious when properly cooked.
The creatures had initially regarded Lev and the others as nothing more than prey that had foolishly wandered into their territory.
Unfortunately for them, they had made the wrong assumption.
Lev calmly looked upward.
"Attraction."
His Third Eye opened.
The moment the ability activated, one of the flying beasts suddenly lost control of its body.
"What?!"
The creature desperately flapped its wings, attempting to regain control, but it was useless.
An invisible force pulled it downward and toward Lev.
No matter how hard it struggled, it could only helplessly approach its inevitable fate.
At the same time, Lev's right hand suddenly turned pitch black as he coated it with Armament Haki.
Then, he infused the attack with Supreme King Haki.
The flying beast was dragged directly into his range.
"Inertia... + Ordinary Punch."
BOOM!
Lev's fist slammed directly into the beast's face.
The impact sent the creature flying backward before it crashed heavily onto the ground, knocked unconscious by the single blow.
Lev glanced at his fist.
"It would be great to have a martial art that could complement Fundamental Force Manipulation."
He flexed his fingers thoughtfully.
"Should I buy one from the System Store?"
Although his attack had been effective, Lev could tell that something was missing.
His abilities were powerful on their own, but he still lacked a proper fighting style that could allow him to fully utilize his Fundamental Force Manipulation in close combat.
It was something he would have to consider later.
For now, however, he had another problem.
Lev turned his attention toward his companions.
Nakime, Alpha, Ghislaine, Shizuku, Tomoe, and Shion were all engaged in battle against the other flying beasts.
However, Lev's expression gradually became serious as he watched them.
They were struggling.
They could fight back, but it was clear that the creatures were far stronger than what they were accustomed to dealing with.
And if they continued fighting against the entire flock at once, it wouldn't take long before they were overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
It seems their current strength really is nowhere near enough for the Gourmet World.
Lev narrowed his eyes.
They weren't helpless.
They could still fight these beasts.
But against larger groups—or creatures significantly stronger than these—they would quickly find themselves in trouble.
"Gravity × 20."
Lev raised his hand.
The surrounding atmosphere suddenly changed.
An enormous gravitational force descended upon the entire area.
BOOM!
Every flying beast in the sky suddenly dropped.
Their wings struggled desperately against the increased gravity, but the creatures could no longer maintain their flight.
One after another, they were dragged toward the ground.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
The beasts crashed onto the earth, their bodies heavily restrained by the overwhelming gravitational pressure.
They struggled to stand.
But they couldn't.
"Kill them quickly."
Lev calmly lowered his hand.
"And let's have a feast afterward."
Hearing Lev's command and seeing the helpless state of the beasts, Alpha and the others immediately moved.
They rushed forward and began eliminating the creatures one after another.
This time, the battle was considerably easier.
As the beasts could no longer fly or properly move under the crushing gravity, Lev's companions quickly finished them off.
Once the last beast fell, the area finally became quiet.
Lev looked at the corpses scattered across the ground.
Despite having weakened the creatures considerably, he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of anticipation.
His current abilities were an overkill to the weaker creatures in the Gourmet World.
But that wasn't what he wanted.
If I really want to improve...
Lev's gaze hardened.
I need an actual fight.
Not against ordinary beasts.
Not against creatures that could be defeated with a single punch.
He needed to fight the strongest beings in this world.
The thought of facing the Eight Kings crossed his mind.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
That's where I'll truly find out how physically strong I am.
Meanwhile, Alpha and the others gathered around the defeated beasts.
Although they had managed to win, each of them had reached the same conclusion.
The creatures of this world were far stronger than they were.
There was certainly some disappointment in that realization.
But rather than discouraging them, it had the opposite effect.
Their eyes gradually became more determined.
If eating these ingredients could make them stronger...
Then they would simply have to eat more.
And become stronger.
**********
—One Hour Later—
After another hour of traveling, Lev and the others eventually found a suitable place to rest.
They were now gathered around a makeshift campfire, grilling the meat of the flying beasts they had hunted earlier.
Just as the Ingredient Encyclopedia had described, the meat was incredibly delicious.
In fact, it was so good that none of them seemed capable of stopping.
Their supply of meat was slowly dwindling as everyone continued eating one piece after another.
"Master, if the beasts in this continent are already this strong, then how strong would the ruler of this place really be?" Ghislaine suddenly asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
She looked toward Lev while continuing to eat.
Hearing her question, the others also became curious. Their eating gradually slowed as they turned their attention toward Lev, waiting for his answer.
"Heracles, the ruler of this continent, is one of the most powerful creatures in this world," Lev explained. "With your current strength, you wouldn't even be considered ants in front of it."
The others listened carefully.
"But don't worry. As long as we have enough food to eat, sooner or later, you'll surpass them."
"Then, if you fought it right now, Master... would you lose?" Alpha asked.
Lev turned toward her.
"Nah."
He answered without the slightest hesitation.
"I'd win."
The certainty in his voice caused everyone to pause.
As for why Lev could say such a thing with absolute confidence, the answer was rather simple.
Despite his current restrictions, Lev possessed enough raw power to casually toss around planets in this world.
It was true that using Sage's Wisdom without possessing the King's Body placed tremendous strain on his physical body. Under normal circumstances, such a burden would severely limit how much power he could safely utilize.
However, Lev was far from normal.
His immortality and Saiyan Physiology compensated for that weakness, allowing him to endure the tremendous strain that would cripple an ordinary person.
In other words, Lev was currently a walking disaster.
If he truly wished to, he possessed enough power to cause catastrophic destruction on a planetary scale.
Yet he had no intention of doing so.
There was a weakness shared by many powerful yet kind beings throughout the countless worlds Lev had known.
They cared about the lives around them.
Even when they possessed enough power to destroy the very world they inhabited, they couldn't simply unleash everything they had without consequence.
Too many innocent lives would be caught in the destruction.
Lev understood that better than most.
That's why I need to master what I already have.
His current problem wasn't a lack of destructive power.
It was control.
He needed to learn how to take his enormous, wide-scale abilities and refine them into something precise.
Instead of destroying an entire area just to eliminate a single target, he needed to learn how to concentrate that same power into a microscopic point.
He needed to transform his macro-scale abilities into microscopic applications.
That was the kind of mastery he needed.
Only then could he fight the strongest beings in this world or any world without putting innocent lives at risk.
While Lev was thinking about this, Alpha and the others stared at him with widened eyes.
They had initially asked the question out of genuine curiosity.
But after hearing Lev's answer, they couldn't help but smile.
Perhaps they had been foolish to even ask.
Of course their Master would be stronger.
After all...
He was their Master.
"Now that you've asked, don't underestimate the Eight Kings," Lev continued. "They're powerful enough that none of us should take them lightly. We still have a long way to go."
The others nodded.
Rather than being discouraged by the overwhelming gap between themselves and the rulers of the Gourmet World, their determination only grew stronger.
If this was the level they had to reach, then they would simply have to keep eating, keep training, and keep improving.
With that, Lev and the others continued talking around the campfire while enjoying the ingredients they had gathered throughout the day.
Of course, they didn't eat everything.
They carefully stored a portion of the ingredients they had collected, intending to bring them back to the village.
After all, if they wanted to continue staying in the Bewitching Food World, they would need something valuable to barter with the locals.
As the sun gradually began to descend, the group finally prepared to return to the village.
Their first week of exploration had been relatively peaceful.
But Lev knew that this was only the beginning.
The deeper they ventured into the Gourmet World, the stronger the creatures they would encounter would become.
And somewhere beyond those dangerous lands...
The Eight Kings awaited.