"Really?"
Tessia's eyes lit up.
Sally froze for a second, a spark of hope flickering in her expression.
Shizuku had already pulled out her notebook, ready to jot it down.
Kaizen noticed this and quickly added, "But I can't guarantee it'll work."
"You're free to try it, but don't force it."
"If you overdo it, it won't harm you—but it won't help either."
Sally gave it a go, then quietly gave up.
Shizuku calmly crossed out the note she'd just written.
But Tessia still insisted.
Surprisingly, that persistence actually started to show some results.
That was something Kaizen hadn't expected.
...
Over the next few days, Kaizen's life followed a more regular routine.
In the evenings, he'd return to Menchi and Buhara's house to rest.
During the day, he'd rise early and head to the World Zone, visiting one restaurant after another to sample medicinal cuisine.
Dishes from all over the world could be found here:
Heavens Arena, Fiora Kingdom, the Mimbo Republic, Kakin, the Saherta...
There was even a Meteor City–inspired stall.
That caught Kaizen's attention.
He honestly couldn't imagine what kind of cuisine could come from Meteor City—a place with scarce resources, where most ingredients are scavenged from heaps of waste and already spoiled.
But once he stepped in, the answer became clear.
There were two signature dishes.
The first was called chowder pot.
Just as the name suggested—it was a thick, strong-flavored stew where all sorts of ingredients were tossed in.
The second was a variety of pickled goods.
Meat, vegetables, even fruit.
For people who liked bold, fermented flavors, it was heaven.
Kaizen, however, was not one of those people.
Still, it was definitely an experience.
"Before I knew it, I'd already been to half the restaurants in the World Zone," Kaizen murmured to himself.
An ordinary person could never move this fast.
But Kaizen was... special.
He could eat nearly nonstop and keep moving—visiting a huge number of restaurants in a single day.
At first, he'd stop by any place that caught his eye.
But gradually, he began to filter them out.
He'd realized something.
With similar cuisines—same cooking methods, same ingredients—the more he ate, the less effect they had on his gourmet cells.
Kaizen had already suspected this before, but now in the Gourmet Paradise, it was glaringly obvious.
Especially when his entire diet consisted of these specialized dishes.
It wasn't just the flavor.
It was about variety.
"I can feel it," Kaizen thought. "When I've eaten enough gourmet-grade dishes... the ability of my gourmet cells will go through a real change. A breakthrough."
"But I'm not sure if I can reach that stage here, in Gourmet Paradise."
...
Outside the restaurant, Kaizen glanced down at the crystal orb hovering in front of him.
Progress: 8%.
"At this rate, once I've cleared the entire World Zone, I should reach about 15% on the Observer's Will."
"After that, I'll move on to the Academic Zone."
"Just in time for the next Top Ten Challenge."
"That alone should push the gauge up significantly."
...
On a bench by the sea, Tessia, Sally, and Shizuku sat enjoying the view.
Suddenly, a middle-aged man approached Kaizen.
"Excuse me," he greeted politely.
Kaizen turned toward him, giving a quick glance.
He didn't recognize the man. Completely average face. No noticeable aura. Definitely not a Nen user.
"You're a Gourmet Hunter, right?" the man asked.
"Sorry for the sudden approach."
He pointed back toward the restaurant.
"I saw you in there a few days ago. You ordered a ton of dishes... and actually finished them. That's pretty rare."
"People who can eat like that are usually Gourmet Hunters."
"I have a request. If you're willing to hear it."
Kaizen's expression barely changed.
"What kind of request?"
He didn't deny the identity. In a place like this, posing as a Gourmet Hunter was easy.
He knew enough about them—and had the skills to back it up.
Even compared to real Gourmet Hunters, he could handle most of their tasks with ease.
The man hesitated, then said, "It's about a rare ingredient... the Love Sardine."
"I heard a school of them appeared a few hundred kilometers offshore."
"But they can't be caught with nets or rods."
"You have to dive deep, way below the surface. It's a job only a food hunter can handle."
"I'll give you the exact location. And a decent reward—500,000 jenny."
"You can keep half of the catch too."
"They're delicious, but tricky to prepare."
"Only a handful of people in Gourmet Paradise know how to cook them properly. I'm one of them."
"It's said that if two people eat a Love Sardine together, they'll fall in love... and stay loyal for life."
Kaizen paused, thinking.
Then shook his head.
He didn't trust it.
This guy didn't know anything about Kaizen's real power—and yet he approached him, offering money for a risky retrieval job.
Either there was serious danger involved...
Or the man was pitching the same offer to everyone, hoping someone would bite.
Either way, Kaizen wasn't interested in being bait.
"Sorry," he said. "I'm not good with underwater ingredient hunts."
"But I am curious about the ingredient itself. So, once you catch it... you'll be putting it on the menu?"
The man looked disappointed but nodded.
"Yes. I will."
"Then I look forward to trying it. I hope you find someone who can handle the job."
"I'll definitely come by and taste it."
Kaizen offered a polite smile and turned away.
But even after the man walked off, Kaizen kept an eye on him.
Sure enough, the guy approached someone else just a few minutes later—offering the same deal.
Food hunters and chefs often collaborated.
But depending on the situation, one could have more leverage than the other.
Right now, the middle-aged man was clearly on the losing end.
Kaizen found a quiet bench in a shady corner, pulled out his laptop, and began searching.
He typed in:
"Love Sardine - Gourmet Paradise - deep-sea ingredient."
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (1047 chapters in total)