Since arriving in the Dark Continent, he had gradually nurtured quite a few Pokémon.
Among them were many with formidable strength—SS- rank, SS rank, even those who had reached the pinnacle of SS rank.
He had them all.
Yet his own power remained within the S-rank range.
Incomparable to his Pokémon.
This seemed somewhat unreasonable.
But considering his role as a Trainer, Akira could take some comfort in that.
Normally, relying solely on his own training, his upper limit would likely remain within the S-rank range, with little hope of breaking through to SS- rank.
Fortunately, back at the Gourmet Paradise, he had nurtured a Snorlax with unique effects.
By entering a "fusion" state and consuming top-tier dishes, he could significantly elevate his power.
It was through this method that he had managed to reach the upper limits of S-rank during this time.
This was a realm no other human in the Six Continents had yet attained.
The reason for using the word "yet" was that Akira suspected one person might have already broken through the shackles of S-rank.
Though not necessarily to a high level, at the very least, they had reached SS- rank.
Only such strength could sustain their activities in the Dark Continent for centuries.
Even leaving enough energy to document their experiences and compile them into books circulated across the Six Continents.
That person was—Don Freecss.
And with Snorlax by his side, his potential was even greater, allowing him to continuously elevate himself through consumption.
As the life energy before him continued to radiate outward, Akira felt every pore on his body open wide, greedily absorbing every wisp of life energy, unwilling to let even the slightest trace escape.
This bowl of Nitro Rice didn't resemble ordinary rice—it was more like a solidified mass of pure life energy.
The aroma it exuded was like a swarm of alluring little spirits, swirling around his—and everyone's—nostrils.
Both the outside world and their own bodies were constantly urging them to eat this thing.
Under normal circumstances, Akira wouldn't consider this a matter of Hope.
Instead, he would be suspicious of its eerie allure.
But he had already used the Pokedex Ability beforehand, so he could confidently consume the Nitro Rice without worry.
[Nitro Rice]: A plant that grows in a swamp located on the southeastern edge of the Dark Continent.
Its appearance is not much different from ordinary rice, with the most distinctive features being its pure rice fragrance and golden-yellow exterior.
When cooked, the golden grains emit a radiant glow, and the life energy within is further released.
Nitro Rice has unique effects.
Due to containing vast amounts of life energy, consuming it can extend a creature's lifespan to a certain degree.
Depending on the species and individual differences among creatures, the lifespan extension provided by Nitro Rice varies.
At the same time, precisely because Nitro Rice contains such immense life energy, creatures cannot consume too much of it in a short period.
When one feels full and finds it difficult to swallow more, that is the body's absorption limit.
Forcing oneself to eat beyond this limit carries the risk of the body exploding from the excess energy.
Conversely, stopping at the limit allows the life energy to fully integrate into the body.
The effects include, but are not limited to: significantly enhancing physical attributes, improving skin and appearance, greatly increasing Aura, extending lifespan...
Nitro Rice also builds tolerance.
If one consumes it to their limit the first time, they must wait until the energy is fully digested before consuming it again.
Otherwise, the effects will be greatly diminished.
Moreover, even after waiting for the first batch of energy to be fully digested, the effects of the second consumption will still be somewhat reduced.
The third time, the fourth time... and so on—each subsequent consumption of Nitro Rice will yield progressively diminishing returns.
The exact rate of reduction varies from individual to individual.
...
After reading the description of [Nitro Rice], Akira didn't feel particularly surprised.
Of the two most important pieces of information in the description, Akira already knew one beforehand.
That was: [Nitro Rice] could extend lifespan.
The second was: [Nitro Rice] builds tolerance, meaning each subsequent consumption reduces its effectiveness.
For example, if the first consumption extends lifespan by 100 years, the second might only extend it by 80 years...
And so on, until eventually, no matter how much is consumed, the effects become negligible.
Beyond this, Akira suspected there was another factor that could diminish the effects of [Nitro Rice].
That was the increase in a creature's strength.
Each stalk of [Nitro Rice] contains a roughly fixed amount of life energy, falling within a certain range.
The exact amount fluctuates based on factors like the number of grains and their quality.
So, if an S-class human and an SS-class human each consumed one stalk of Nitro Rice,
Would the effects be the same, granting them the same lifespan extension?
Or would there be a difference, with one gaining more and the other less?
Akira believed the latter was more likely.
And that the weaker individual would gain a greater lifespan extension.
Because the level of strength could alter the effects of [Nitro Rice].
For beings of higher power, [Nitro Rice] might be nothing more than ordinary food.
Providing nothing more than satiety, with no other special effects.
Just like how ordinary food from the Six Continents appears in the eyes of Beyond and his companions.
As his strength continues to grow, there may come a day when he views [Nitro Rice] the same way he does ordinary food.
But that will take some time.
For now, the top priority is to eat it.
And then... Ascend.
Akira steeled his resolve, pushing all distractions aside as he silently switched his "fusion" target from Sturdy Shedinja to Snorlax.
Without Snorlax, the effects would be greatly diminished, and this [Nitro Rice] would go to waste.
Perhaps he should let Snorlax out more often to gain experience.
By occasionally scavenging on the Dark Continent, Snorlax had already reached S-class.
This meant it could provide even greater enhancements.
In a way, his own strength was now tied to Snorlax—the stronger Snorlax became, the more it could help him grow.
After successfully switching to Snorlax, Akira felt his vision blur slightly as his nose instinctively twitched.
The already incredibly fragrant Nitro Rice now seemed like the ultimate convergence of all the world's flavors, making his mouth water uncontrollably.
Unable to resist any longer, Akira took the first big bite of rice.
He still retained some rationality, not dumping the entire bowl of Nitro Rice into his mouth at once.
Since he hadn't tried it before, he couldn't estimate his limits.
If the entire bowl exceeded what his body could handle, that would be problematic.
As the large mouthful of rice entered his mouth, Akira felt an indescribable explosion of flavor on his tongue.
His eyes widened instantly, but he didn't stop chewing, devouring the rice with frenzied intensity.
The intoxicating aroma danced on his taste buds, which had all awakened at once, reveling in what was undoubtedly the most delicious food he'd ever tasted.
Calling it [the most delicious food he'd ever tasted] was no exaggeration.
Before this, Akira had never imagined rice could taste this good.
And it wasn't even seasoned—just properly husked, washed, and steamed.
A very simple cooking method.
This was the approach Sammy had chosen after careful consideration.
If the goal was to make the rice taste exceptionally good, he was more than capable—he could make it outstanding.
Having gone hungry in his youth, Sammy had vowed to become an excellent chef.
This was also why he eventually became a Gourmet Hunter.
His background shaped his cooking style, setting him apart from other Gourmet Hunters.
Most Gourmet Hunters followed the same principle:
Find better ingredients to make better dishes.
This was why the tradition of Gourmet Hunters working in pairs developed—one primarily responsible for hunting ingredients, the other for cooking.
This allowed each to play to their strengths while lightening the other's burden.
But Sammy was different.
He pursued perfection even with the simplest ingredients.
In his hands, even common produce from the mountains and fields could be transformed into exquisite dishes.
His culinary skills had reached a transcendent level.
In terms of pure cooking ability, only Linnet and Menchi surpassed him.
His life's motto was: "Even the humblest ingredient can shine one day."
Just like himself, who had grown from a scrawny child into the master chef he was today.
So, if he wanted to, he could undoubtedly make the rice even more exceptional.
But this rice wasn't ordinary—it was the legendary [Nitro Rice], known as [Hope].
This ingredient was, without a doubt, the undisputed champion of his life, standing far above all others.
And it wasn't just for him—for anyone in their team, [Nitro Rice] was the most extraordinary ingredient.
He was afraid he might ruin it.
He had no right to damage such hard-earned ingredients.
Considering he had no prior knowledge of this ingredient, he ultimately chose the safest method—steaming it normally.
Even the optimal steaming time was something he had to quickly figure out in this short period.
It could only be said that Sammy's skills contributed somewhat to the final bowls of Nitro Rice.
But only to a limited extent.
His greater efforts were spent on the side dishes.
Truth be told, the experience each person was savoring now came entirely from the Nitro Rice itself.
This only further highlighted the unparalleled excellence of [Nitro Rice].
If delicious food could leave a deep impression and fond memories in one's heart, then among the [Hope] ingredients he had tasted in the Dark Continent, [Purple Poison Honey] occupied the largest space in Akira's mind.
Next was the full-course meal Menchi had prepared during the Gourmet Tournament.
Yet now, the thing dominating his heart was this simple bowl of rice.
All because it was [Nitro Rice].
Before it even entered his mouth, Akira's saliva was already rapidly secreting, forcing him to swallow repeatedly.
Once in his mouth, Akira chewed tirelessly, extracting every last drop of flavor from each grain.
It was just the aroma of rice, yet he couldn't get enough—more intoxicating than any delicacy.
After swallowing, a warm sensation rose from his stomach and quickly spread throughout his body.
This feeling was infinitely more comfortable than soaking in a hot spring in winter, as if he were floating in bliss.
Lost in thought, Akira even considered whether [Nitro Rice] could be used as a weapon or hidden weapon.
If, during a life-or-death battle, he shoved a mouthful of [Nitro Rice] into his enemy's mouth…
As long as they failed to spit it out in time, they would be intoxicated by its fragrance and life energy.
Then, he could seize the opportunity to strike.
But such a method seemed far too extravagant.
Shaking off these wild thoughts, Akira continued eating, one bite after another.
As the rice in his bowl dwindled, a tremendous transformation was taking place within his body.
Every single cell in his body greedily absorbed the nourishment, like a drought-stricken land welcoming rain, digesting the life energy.
In this process, the Aura on Akira's surface grew increasingly vibrant, expanding from its original faint layer.
A faint layer didn't mean his Aura was weak—it was simply the normal state of his Aura's protective barrier.
A testament to his mastery over Aura.
But now, his Aura surged beyond his control, expanding outward—an inevitable result of the sudden influx of energy.
Guided by his subconscious, the Aura on his body gradually stabilized, ceasing its rapid expansion.
As Akira consumed more and more Nitro Rice, the accumulated life energy within his body gradually approached a certain peak.
Before long, Akira suddenly opened his eyes, a flash of brilliance gleaming within them, followed by a terrifying surge of aura erupting around him.
Pure Aura flowed through his body in waves, as if it cost nothing.
The immense Aura formed a dazzling radiance, making him resemble a glowing orb emitting piercing light.
At the same time, his aura steadily rose, like the sun about to reach its zenith.
After a few breaths, under the shocked gazes of everyone present, Akira's energy finally stabilized at a certain level.
It did not advance further.
SS- rank—achieved!