"JiJi, huh? I didn't expect you'd be the one coming to receive us. It's been a long time," Ichiryu said with a smile.
"Though for the Nitro race, I guess this much time barely counts as anything, right?"
He knew exactly how long the Nitro lived. Compared to them, he had no advantage when it came to age.
Even if decades—maybe even a century—had passed since they last met, that span of time was little more than a blink for the Nitro. Their lifespans were simply too long.
That said, the Red Nitro were a special case. They lived for ages, yet their technological development was painfully slow. In contrast, the Blue Nitro advanced far more rapidly in that field.
The Blue Nitro were well aware that their own strength had a fixed ceiling. Since brute force wouldn't take them further, they turned to technology instead—developing ways to cultivate planets as ingredients, observe gourmet satellites across the universe, and even travel between different universes.
They were arrogant. Cold. Ruthless.
But at least they had direction. When one path closed off, they immediately opened ten more.
The Red Nitro weren't like that. Their technological progress crawled at a snail's pace. Not that there was necessarily anything wrong with that—maybe they simply preferred a peaceful existence.
Unfortunately for them, they never expected another branch of their kind to exist. One stronger. More ruthless. Far superior in technology.
And in the end, the Red Nitro were reduced to slaves.
"Since such honored guests have arrived, of course we must receive you properly," JiJi said as he opened his eyes and looked at Kael with surprise. "Blue Grill has already prepared everything. You must be Kael, right? What unusual Gourmet Cells... I can't observe them clearly."
JiJi's eyes were located near what looked like his whiskers. The sunglasses on his head weren't covering his eyes at all—they were perched on his forehead like everyone else's.
His gaze was extraordinary. With a single look, he could analyze a person thoroughly.
In the original story, when chefs and fighters from the Human World arrived, JiJi had assessed them instantly, divided them into groups, and sent them off to capture ingredients.
It was an impressive ability—and the reason he could so easily determine the correct preparation methods for so many ingredients. More often than not, he was the one who found the answers.
But now, that ability failed against Kael.
All three Gourmet Demons within Kael had awakened. And without their own independent consciousnesses, they revealed no distinct appetite. Everything was under Kael's control.
JiJi could see the level of Kael's cells—but not the Gourmet Demons inside him.
"There's actually something you can't see?" Ichiryu looked surprised, then smiled. "That's a good thing."
He didn't like a future where everything was already laid out and understood.
If the future is already set in stone, what's the point of even calling it the future?
JiJi shook his head. "You're still the same as ever. Well, let's go. We'll head to Blue Grill first."
The group entered the Magneticlam.
Kael had been eyeing this creature for a long time. It might not be particularly strong, but in terms of functionality, it was practically the perfect camping monster.
"Chef JiJi, where can I capture a Magneticlam like this?" Kael asked curiously.
"You're interested in Magneticlams?" JiJi glanced at him. "They aren't especially powerful, but their functions are comprehensive. As long as you have the strength to protect it, it's the perfect Camping Monster."
"If you want one, you'll have to capture it yourself. Near the Giant Shells, there are plenty of their young. Magneticlams are just juvenile Giant Shells. Everything depends on your own ability."
JiJi could have prepared one for him, but they weren't close. There was no reason to do Kael such a favor.
Unless Kael became someone he truly valued, JiJi wouldn't go out of his way.
Kael didn't press the matter. Just knowing the location was enough. He would capture one himself later.
As the Magneticlam dived into the sea, the surroundings gradually brightened.
Then, hundreds of strange-looking fish gathered around them.
"JiJi... are those ANOTHER?" Ichiryu asked, peering through the window.
He had read JiJi's gourmet encyclopedia before. He was familiar with the Eight Ingredients.
But the number of these fish seemed excessive. And they kept circling the Magneticlam.
"Yes. They're ANOTHER fry," JiJi confirmed. "Even I've never seen so many gathered together at once. If they're appearing like this... it might be because of Kael."
He suddenly turned to look at Kael.
Kael possessed terrifying Food Luck.
Normally, he kept it restrained, so it had little effect.
But after arriving on the Sixth Continent and recalling the River of Stardust, he had released his control.
Driven by that immense Food Luck, a massive swarm of ANOTHER fry had gathered around them.
They would need a great deal of time to mature. As for adult ANOTHER, none were present—those seemed to reside in the Spirit world .
"Such overwhelming Food Luck... and I didn't notice it earlier," JiJi murmured. "Only something like this could cause so many ANOTHER to gather."
"But if they've gathered here, other creatures may be drawn in as well."
As soon as he finished speaking, several enormous presences rushed toward them at terrifying speed.
Before long, their forms came into view.
"The Seven Beasts," JiJi said. "Aside from the Giant Shell, the other six have all been drawn here."
The Giant Shell had already been domesticated by the Blue Nitro. So this time, six of the Seven Beasts had arrived.
"It's a bit troublesome," Ichiryu said lightly. "But nothing serious."
He released his aura.