Akira nodded and replied calmly, "Yes, this [Nitro Rice] far exceeded my expectations."
"My strength has improved by leaps and bounds."
Ging's lips twitched as he looked at Akira, who showed not a trace of Aura, feeling an indescribable emotion.
As expected, Akira was a freak.
It was one thing for abilities to differ, but even after eating the same thing, the gap could still be this vast.
He genuinely had the impulse to crack open Akira's skull and see if he was even human.
But Ging was a seasoned hunter who had weathered countless storms. He quickly adjusted his mindset and asked in a low voice:
"So, exactly how strong are you now?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Ging felt they might be ambiguous and added:
"Your own strength, not counting those Aura Beasts."
Perhaps overly sensitive, Ging had a bad premonition the moment he asked.
Maybe he shouldn't have phrased it that way.
Soon, he'd realize his premonition was correct.
Akira chuckled lightly and said, "Well..."
"Let's just say, even without using Aura, my physical strength alone is enough to live comfortably in the fringes of the Dark Continent."
[I knew I shouldn't have asked.]
Ging's expression froze completely, as if flash-frozen in a blizzard.
Internally, he was kicking himself for asking.
Another unnecessary blow to his confidence.
Unlike the turmoil in Ging's mind, everyone else shared nearly the same emotion at that moment.
Shock!
Shock at Akira's words.
Everyone present was a Nen user and understood just how crucial [Nen] was to a Nen Ability practitioner.
Even someone as strong as Akira operated within the [Nen] system.
The simplest example was how Pokémon manifested through [Nen]—a form of his Nen Ability.
Yet now Akira claimed he could survive the perilous Dark Continent without [Nen], relying solely on his physical body.
Though only the fringes, this was still astonishing enough to leave them stunned.
Moreover, the detail-oriented Beyond noticed something else.
Akira had said "live," not "survive."
The implications of these two words were entirely different.
Perhaps his physical prowess had truly reached unimaginable heights!
Beyond had no doubts about this.
Powerful individuals had their pride, especially someone at Akira's level.
There was no need for him to lie.
After thoroughly shocking his teammates, Akira sent them back to their tasks.
If nothing else, the way they'd gathered around him was downright bizarre.
They hadn't simply formed a circle.
Instead, they'd been munching on Nitro Rice while hanging on his every word.
Clearly, they had zero resistance to [Nitro Rice]—even major events took a backseat to mealtime.Having avoided the onlookers, Akira resumed his unfinished dinner.
He had just finished one bowl of rice when he successfully reached SS- rank, but this brought forth a new problem.
After reaching SS- rank, his appetite surged. The Nitro Rice he had eaten earlier had already been completely digested.
In other words, his stomach was empty again, and he could now eat even more than the previous bowl.
Thus, under the stunned gazes of everyone, Akira began eating again, converting more [Nitro Rice] into strength.
By the end, he had consumed several large bowls in one meal—this was only possible because each grain of Nitro Rice contained immense energy.
If it had been ordinary rice, he could have kept eating indefinitely.
During this process, Akira also noticed another noteworthy point.
It seemed he no longer needed to eat to sustain his daily physical needs.
Or rather, his physiological need for food had diminished to an extremely low level, almost negligible.
From now on, he would eat not to fill his stomach, but for the special effects of the food.
Finally, as the last grain of rice entered his stomach, Akira finally felt satiated.
After digesting for a while, his increased lifespan stabilized within a certain range.
Eight hundred years.
This was the lifespan he had gained after consuming countless grains of [Nitro Rice].
As expected, the effects of eating Nitro Rice the second time were much weaker, even though the quantity was several times greater than the first.
Still, Akira was more than satisfied. His strength had made a tremendous leap, and he had gained an extra eight hundred years of life for free.
Such good fortune wasn't something that came around often.
...
A few days later,
At the edge of the swamp.
This was a somewhat sparse woodland, likely because it was already the fringe of the forest.
After defeating the Hellbell Snake and obtaining the Nitro Rice, the group had continued moving forward.
Many thoughts lingered in their minds, temporarily suppressed, waiting for the right moment to be voiced.
But there was no denying that [Nitro Rice] had brought them unimaginable gains.
Not only was their vitality significantly enhanced, but their strength had also greatly improved, allowing them to push further.
This made their journey over the past few days slightly smoother.
But only slightly.
Because the deeper they ventured, the more terrifying the dangers they encountered.
The rate at which their strength grew couldn't keep up with the escalating threats.
If this continued, they would only find it increasingly difficult.
As usual, Akira led the group through the trees, leaping forward.
Perhaps because they were nearing the end of the woodland, the dangers they encountered along this stretch had lessened somewhat.
Akira moved with steady steps, appearing to stroll casually in the eyes of others, yet his speed was astonishingly fast.
The others had to jog lightly just to keep up with him.
Now, Akira's every movement had reached the realm of [Heart Drop Fist Listening].
His entire aura blended seamlessly with nature, whether he was walking or observing—everything flowed effortlessly.
In this wondrous state, Akira finally led the group out of the woods.
On a small slope not far ahead stood a figure—dark, eerie, and of moderate build.
From this distance, the figure bore a vaguely humanoid shape.
Akira's eyes sharpened, and he immediately halted, fixing his gaze on the shadow.
For some reason, the figure gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity.In an instant, Akira's pupils contracted as a conjecture flashed through his mind like lightning.
No way...?
Is that...?