Chapter 320: Tasting Ethereal Meat
"You... want to taste... an Ethereal's body tissue?"
Souichiro Hoshimi stared, dumbfounded, at Kenji. There isn't any other species in this world called 'Ethereal,' right?
Ethereals were mutations caused by erosion from a Hollow's Aether environment. They weren't "living" anymore. Their bodies contained extremely high concentrations of Aether.
"If it's a humanoid, forget it. But there should be animals that turned into Ethereals."
Kenji was curious about what Ethereal tasted like. As for the danger? His Gourmet Cells could deal with it.
"The Hoshimi family doesn't stock that... ingredient," Souichiro said, sweating. Wanting to eat an Ethereal... that's a bit too hardcore.
Ethereals were strange. There was no record of anyone ever eating one.
"Let's go."
Miyabi Hoshimi grabbed Kenji's hand and, under Souichiro's gaze, left the residence.
Souichiro fell into thought. Was the food not to his liking?
But his wife (Mrs. Hoshimi) cooked it personally! The first meal Mrs. Hoshimi made when she returned... he ate so much he couldn't even sit up straight.
...
The Hollow.
——Six-Bean Blade Draw!
SWISH!
A blue blade-light flashed through the air, bursting with frost. The four-legged Ethereal, Hati, was instantly turned into chunks of meat. The cuts were perfectly smooth, with a black-green energy lingering around them.
Since Kenji wanted to try it, she would arrange it. She would satisfy Kenji's curiosity.
(Hati: Ran into the Hollow Hunter. Fought with all my might. Could not win.)
Kenji picked up a piece and placed it on a plate. Knife in one hand, fork in the other, he prepared to taste the Ethereal meat as if it were a Western steak.
"Do you really need to be so formal?" Miyabi Hoshimi retorted.
"Elegance is never outdated. When it's time to be refined, one must be refined." Kenji cut a small piece and brought it to his mouth with the fork.
Who cares if it's poison. I'll eat it first and ask questions later.
A mere Ethereal wasn't enough to take him down.
"Ptooey! Ptooey! Ptooey..."
"Blech! It's numbing and tastes awful."
As Miyabi Hoshimi watched in surprise, Kenji chewed once and immediately spat it out, his face turning a little green.
He wasn't being eroded by Aether; it was just purely, overwhelmingly disgusting.
It was numbing and foul. Not even a roadside animal would eat this.
"Well, yeah. No one eats this stuff," Miyabi Hoshimi said, rolling her eyes.
Although she knew Kenji would be fine, seeing him actually eat it made her feel speechless =_=.
"I was just curious! I wanted to know how the taste would change after an animal becomes an Ethereal," Kenji said, taking out a bottle of water to rinse his mouth.
After one bite, he never wanted to eat it again.
It had so little energy and tasted terrible. Even a Troll-Kong, which was all muscle, would probably taste infinitely better.
"Of course it's bad. Your curiosity is just too strong."
"It's fine. I'd never try an ingredient that looks completely unappetizing."
Wasting food is shameful, but this Ethereal thing... couldn't be called food.
"Alright, let's clear out this Hollow while we're here."
After hoisting Miyabi Hoshimi onto his shoulder, the two of them began to slowly rise into the air.
He had already confirmed there were no people in this Hollow, so he could go all out.
"A bag of rice and oil, how many floors..."
"A bag of rice and oil, to the second floor..."
...
Kenji pointed a single finger to the sky, getting ready to "carry the rice." Miyabi Hoshimi was full of questions. Why is he suddenly talking about carrying rice?
"What are you doing?" Miyabi Hoshimi asked, exasperated. "Do you have to chant that to destroy a Hollow? And... you're not carrying rice, you're carrying me!"
"I'm shouting it for the Ethereals to hear."
"Every grain is muddy... who gave you this rice... ALMIGHTY PUSH!"
Centered on Kenji, a vast, majestic star-energy exploded. The shockwave annihilated every inch of the Hollow.
Countless Ethereals, regardless of their strength, were instantly turned to dust and vanished.
(Ethereal: In my last second, I saw Tiga... no, I saw the Light.)
The Hollow was completely erased from the world. Nothing remained. The very ground had been scoured clean, with no corner missed.
"Carrying the rice (Miyabi)," he destroyed the Hollow with a smile.
"Miyabi, feel refreshed?" Kenji asked.
The air outside was much better. The Hollow felt weird. Every breath was mixed with the taste of Aether.
"I think... if you keep flying around like this, we're going to be the headline again today," Miyabi Hoshimi said robotically.
She was extremely embarrassed being carried on his shoulder like this, her face flushed. Kenji's hand was resting on her... ahem... and she didn't know if it was on purpose or not.
"True. Let's head back."
Before anyone could notice, the two of them vanished.
On this day, an associated Hollow suddenly vanished from the map, becoming one of New Eridu's greatest unsolved mysteries.
People who lived nearby vaguely... heard the words "carry rice."
And so, not long after, the urban legend of the "Rice-Bag Man" (扛米俠) began to spread throughout New Eridu.
Some believed it was fiction. Others believed the "Rice-Bag Man" was an unknown, Hollow Hunter-level powerhouse who had silently eliminated an entire Hollow.
The rumors were many, but there were no witnesses.
"Erasing a Hollow without a sound... you two really caused an earthquake in New Eridu," Souichiro Hoshimi said with emotion.
Besides him, no one else knew the truth. Nothing like this had ever happened before.
"That... Hollow Zero... can it be erased?"
Kenji nodded. It would be a simple matter. He could even blow up the "ball" (planet) below if he wanted to.
But... Miyabi Hoshimi said Hollow Zero had many things worth investigating. If he just erased it, the secrets within would be lost.
"I understand. I won't tell anyone about this."
Souichiro Hoshimi knew full well that if this got out, trouble would follow. The military, the Encomium, and other factions would all start spying on the Hoshimi family.
He wouldn't let his family get dragged into that kind of trouble.
"Little Ya... I just realized... how strong are you now?"
Miyabi Hoshimi thought for a moment and said, "I have surpassed the original Hollow Hunter ancestor."
Miyabi stated it simply. She now had the power to fight her way into the depths of Hollow Zero.
"Miyabi is the best! She's stronger than all of us!" Mrs. Hoshimi smiled, full of pride.
Souichiro Hoshimi smiled bitterly. It was the absolute truth. His daughter's talent for combat was monstrous, and it put a lot of pressure on him as a father.
"Uncle's (Souichiro's) combat level isn't bad, right?" Kenji asked.
"I'm a bit stronger than a normal person, but... I don't have much combat experience," Souichiro Hoshimi said.
Ever since entering politics, his time had been spent at various banquets, dealing and maneuvering with other politicians.
"Miyabi, how long would it take to defeat your father?"
Miyabi Hoshimi held up one finger. "One slash is enough."
Souichiro, stabbed in the heart: "..."
~~~
Get early access to 30+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
~~~
Every 5 new reviews = 1 extra chapters
Every 250 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter