**********
—One Year Later—
Time had passed, and an entire year had gone by since Lev and the others began their training in the Gourmet World. Their efforts throughout that year had finally begun to bear fruit.
After spending the past year constantly eating Gourmet Ingredients and fighting against the beasts that inhabited this continent, every one of them had grown considerably stronger. The creatures that once posed a serious threat were no longer much of a problem, allowing them to hunt and survive with far greater ease. Of course, there were still beasts that remained far beyond their current level—with Lev being the only exception.
Each of them had improved considerably over the past year.
First was Nakime. After consuming countless Gourmet Ingredients, her weakness to sunlight had decreased to such an extent that she would no longer immediately burn upon exposure. At the same time, the considerable number of ingredients she had consumed had greatly enhanced her Blood Demon Art, allowing her to create structures and manipulate her Infinity Castle on a much larger and more complex scale than before.
Alpha, on the other hand, had also improved alongside the others. Each of them possessed their own unique techniques and fighting styles, and after spending an entire year eating and relentlessly battling the beasts of the Gourmet World, their skills had been sharpened considerably. Their swordsmanship had become more refined, their techniques more polished, and their understanding of their respective fighting styles had deepened.
Unlike the others, however, Lev was the one who had experienced the greatest improvement throughout the year—and it was all thanks to a skill he had purchased from the System Store.
Realizing how limited and slow his current training methods were, Lev had decided to purchase a technique known as Shadow Clone Jutsu, a technique originally used by Naruto in his world.
Lev had never regretted purchasing it.
The improvement in his training had been nothing short of dramatic. He created numerous clones, assigning some to focus solely on Armament Haki, while others trained in Observation Haki and Supreme King Haki. Of course, he did not neglect his other techniques either, assigning additional clones to train and improve those abilities as well.
With Shadow Clone Jutsu, their hunting had undeniably become much easier. The technique gave Lev far more time to focus on other matters. While the others ventured into the surrounding caverns to train and search for more ingredients, Lev could often be found in the Bewitching Food World, dedicating himself to improving his cooking skills.
And right now, Lev was inside the restaurant he had built within the village.
With the approval of the Daruma Hermit, Lev had established his own restaurant and had begun operating it not too long ago.
During the first month, the restaurant received very little attention. Lev's cooking skills were still rather limited at the time, and his menu was far from impressive. Nevertheless, a few locals would occasionally visit, mainly because of the unusual and delicious Gourmet Ingredients he used in his dishes.
As time went by, however, the locals began to notice that Lev's cooking was steadily improving. His dishes became more delicious, and his restaurant gradually gained popularity throughout the village.
Through this, Lev's relationship with the locals also grew closer.
Whenever Alpha and the others returned from their hunts with particularly delicious ingredients, Lev would occasionally prepare meals for the villagers and offer them for free as a gesture of thanks. Such small acts gradually helped him become a familiar and welcomed presence within the village.
Even the Daruma Hermit would occasionally visit Lev's restaurant for a meal.
And that was exactly what was happening right now.
The Daruma Hermit sat inside the restaurant, enjoying his meal while occasionally exchanging a few words with Lev.
"I can see that you've improved yet again, Lev. You must really have a talent for cooking." The Daruma Hermit said as he continued eating the food Lev had served.
"Thank you." Lev replied with a smile.
"You know, among all the visitors who have come here, your group has been the most peculiar." The Daruma Hermit said, looking at Lev with a faint smile.
"Anyway, it's good that you've decided to stay. The village seems to have become livelier because of you people." The Daruma Hermit continued, his expression becoming somewhat nostalgic as he looked back on the past year.
"About that…" Lev began. "I probably shouldn't be telling you this so early, but I might as well. We'll probably be leaving this continent next year."
Lev had already begun thinking that they had stayed here long enough. If not for the fact that he still hadn't fought Heracles, they probably would have left the continent long ago.
"I-Is that so?"
The Daruma Hermit wasn't particularly surprised. He had known for quite some time that Lev had a goal of visiting the remnants of the other ancient civilizations. Still, hearing that they would be leaving as soon as the following year caught him somewhat off guard.
After all, just as the villagers had grown accustomed to their presence and become comfortable with them, it seemed that the time for their departure was already approaching.
"Well, good luck on your next journey," the Daruma Hermit said.
"Anyway, we'll still be staying here for another year, so I hope you won't start pushing us away just yet." Lev chuckled. "Besides, you don't need to worry. As you can see, I have the ability to create clones of myself. I plan on leaving one of my clones behind to continue running this restaurant."
Lev then continued with a smile.
"At the same time, I have the ability to teleport to any place I want. So whenever we want to return—or whenever we simply miss this place—we can just teleport back here."
"Is that so?"
The Daruma Hermit's eyes widened slightly before a relieved smile appeared on his face.
"Good. Hahahaha! I thought I would have to miss your presence and cooking, but it looks like I was worrying for nothing."
"Old man, there's something I'd like to tell you. I hope you'll keep it a secret for the time being."
Lev's expression suddenly became serious as he looked directly at the Daruma Hermit.
"Oohh? What is it?" The Daruma Hermit immediately became curious.
"Before we leave, I plan on fighting Heracles."
Lev's words were simple, but they immediately changed the atmosphere around them.
"I don't know how much chaos our fight will cause, so I hope you can ease the tension among the locals when that time comes."
"Y-You're joking, right?"
The Daruma Hermit stared at Lev in surprise.
In response, Lev simply smiled.
"I don't know how strong you really are, but fighting Heracles—the ruler of this continent and one of the strongest beings on the planet—is extremely dangerous." The Daruma Hermit immediately reprimanded him. "Are you really sure you're going to fight Heracles? If you aren't careful, she could really kill you. You should think about this more."
The Daruma Hermit had lived for an incredibly long time, and he understood the terror that Heracles represented better than most.
In fact, the people of this continent revered Heracles as their guardian. They believed that her survival was essential to the survival of Area 8 and, consequently, to their own lives as well. Because of this, they would occasionally even offer themselves as sacrifices to Heracles.
"I've already thought about it." Lev immediately replied. He had expected the Daruma Hermit to react this way. "In fact, fighting powerful beings like her is one of my goals in life."
Lev paused for a moment before continuing.
"Don't worry. I won't die."
His expression softened.
"I was only worried that the two of us might cause trouble for the village during our fight."
The Daruma Hermit stared at Lev for a moment before sighing.
"I can see that you've already made up your mind, so I won't go against your decision anymore." He spoke seriously. "I just hope that, like you said, you really won't die. And don't worry. I'll talk to everyone when the time comes."
The Daruma Hermit didn't understand why, but somehow, he believed every word Lev said.
"Don't worry. I won't kill her." Lev smiled. "In fact, I'll give her a surprise once we've finished fighting."
The Daruma Hermit's expression became even more surprised.
Then, he suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha!"
He couldn't help but think that Lev must have an extraordinary amount of confidence in his own strength to casually claim that he wouldn't kill Heracles—the ruler of this continent and one of the strongest creatures on the entire planet.
"Now that you've mentioned it, I think you're already aware of this, but let me tell you anyway." The Daruma Hermit eventually calmed down and looked at Lev. "One of the rarest ingredients on this planet, Air, resides on this continent."
"I know about it, but I don't know the specifics." Lev answered truthfully.
He was already aware of Air and its importance from the original story, but his knowledge was limited. He didn't know all the details surrounding the ingredient, especially those that could only be learned by people who had lived in the Gourmet World for a long time.
"I'll tell you, then."
After that, Lev and the Daruma Hermit began discussing the ingredient known as Air.
The Daruma Hermit shared everything he knew about the legendary ingredient, while Lev listened carefully to every word, making sure not to miss a single detail.
Although Lev had no intention of obtaining Air at the moment, learning about it beforehand would still be extremely valuable.
Knowledge was just as important as strength in the Gourmet World.
And Lev had no intention of entering the territory of one of the world's strongest creatures without being properly prepared.
**********
—Night—
Infinity Castle Restaurant,
The restaurant Lev had established was named after Nakime's Blood Demon Art: the Infinity Castle Restaurant.
Although Lev had yet to make full use of Nakime's abilities, he planned to do so once they returned to the Human World. For now, he wanted Nakime to focus on growing stronger and mastering her Blood Demon Art before he put her abilities to greater use.
As he continued working, Lev couldn't help but glance at the time.
His brows furrowed.
Alpha and the others still hadn't returned.
Lev had always reprimanded them to make their way back to the village before nightfall. The night was when the Gourmet World became considerably more dangerous, as many of its beasts became far more active after the sun went down.
Did they encounter something?
This was the first time they had failed to return on time.
Lev was about to check on their condition through the Shadow Soldiers he had placed on them for monitoring purposes when suddenly, a voice echoed inside his mind.
"Master! We need help!"
It was Alpha.
Lev's expression immediately turned serious.
"Shadow Exchange."
Without a second thought, Lev activated one of his Class Skills.
Even before Alpha's desperate call reached him, the emotions being transmitted through the Shadow Soldiers had already alerted Lev that something was wrong.
Fear.
Anxiety.
And a sense of danger.
In the next instant, Lev disappeared from the restaurant, leaving behind a Shadow Soldier disguised as one of the local beasts.
*****
Slow Rain Hills,
At the center of Area 8's continent lay a mountainous region known as Slow Rain Hills.
As its name suggested, the region was constantly subjected to rainfall. However, the water droplets that descended from the sky were anything but ordinary.
Each droplet was enormous, and yet they fell at an incredibly slow pace, almost as though time itself had slowed down.
The reason behind this strange phenomenon was the extraordinary density of the air in this region, caused by the presence of AIR and the Giant Air Tree.
The density was so extreme that the air behaved almost like a liquid—or even a solid—making movement within the region extraordinarily difficult. Anyone who ventured into this place would be forced to move at an incredibly slow pace.
And right now, Alpha and the others were fighting for their lives in this very region.
Standing before them was a gigantic, horse-like beast.
Judging from their current condition, however, it wouldn't be long before they were completely overwhelmed.
It hadn't even been a few minutes since the battle began, yet the injuries they had already sustained could not be ignored.
As for how they had ended up here, they had actually been on their way back to the village after exploring Stardust Hill.
However, they suddenly encountered the enormous beast along their route, and the ensuing confrontation somehow led them into this unfamiliar region.
At first, they believed they could handle it.
But the longer the battle continued, the more they realized the horrifying truth.
The beast was playing with them.
They had no choice but to call for help.
"It's coming!" Ghislaine shouted as she saw the beast suddenly charge toward them.
Hearing her warning, Alpha and the others immediately raised their guards, preparing themselves for the incoming attack.
"Look out!" Tomoe suddenly shouted.
The beast moved.
A projectile resembling a bullet made entirely of compressed air shot toward them.
It was so fast that they didn't even have enough time to dodge.
They could only brace themselves for the impact.
It's coming!
The thought of being struck flashed through their minds.
But then—
A familiar silhouette suddenly appeared before them.
"Grow bigger, Infinity!"
Lev stood in front of them, Infinity firmly grasped in his hands.
Immediately, the black stick began to expand.
It grew larger.
And larger.
Until its massive form reached a height comparable to the Giant Air Tree, its tremendous thickness completely blocking the incoming attack.
BOOM!
The compressed air projectile collided with Infinity and dispersed.
Seeing this, the gigantic beast abruptly stopped its advance.
Its eyes narrowed as it cautiously observed the sudden newcomer—and the enormous stick that had blocked its attack.
Lev, meanwhile, immediately returned Infinity to its original size.
His eyes remained fixed on the beast in the distance.
That appearance...
Lev's expression became serious.
Judging from its appearance and the overwhelming aura it emitted, he had a strong suspicion that this creature was one of Heracles' offspring.
"Is everyone alright?" Lev asked without looking back.
Even while speaking, he remained wary of the beast.
Or, more accurately, he was wary of something else.
Are there more of them nearby?
"Master, it's a relief that you arrived in time." Shion answered, her voice filled with relief. "Anyways, aside from a few injuries, we're fine."
The others were in much the same condition.
With Lev standing before them, the tension that had gripped their bodies finally began to ease, allowing them to breathe normally once again.
"This is one of Heracles' offspring," Lev immediately said. "We have to leave. Otherwise, things could become much more serious."
Without wasting another second, Lev pulled everyone toward him.
Dark shadows immediately enveloped their bodies.
Shadow Exchange.
In the blink of an eye, Lev and the others disappeared, leaving behind nothing but a Shadow Soldier in their place.
It was the right decision.
Because not long after they left—
BOOM!
The ground trembled.
A colossal figure descended into the area.
It was far larger than the beast that Alpha and the others had just fought.
The creature slowly raised its head, revealing its enormous form beneath the endless rain.
There was no mistaking its overwhelming presence.
It was Heracles.
The ruler of Area 8.
One of the Eight Kings.
And now, she has arrived.