Toriko: Gourmet Chat Group

The deepest cave in the Human World—the Snake Den—was located about 30 kilometers north of Mount Melk. The bottomless ravine was tens of thousands of meters deep, and the gravity at its lowest point could reach nearly five times that of the surface.

"Has Master really been down here grinding knives for the past six years?" Melk the Second murmured to herself. For six years, there had been no word from him. She had assumed he had already left and gone somewhere else.

Now, she was finally about to see her master. Her heart pounded with a mix of excitement and nervousness. What should she say for her first words?

"The commission to grind a knife that can cook AIR is no simple task," Atashino said.

"So it's for an ingredient from the Gourmet God's Full Course Menu?" Melk the Second realized. "A dish like that would certainly require a special knife. The caves at the very bottom contain large amounts of Melk's Stardust, which is perfect for grinding blades."

"Little sister Second, is your body strong enough to withstand several times the surface gravity?" Atashino asked.

"It should be no problem," Melk the Second nodded. Although she didn't possess the same kind of power as Toriko and the others, her body was still far stronger than that of a normal person.

"In that case, let's go. Astral Flight."

Starlight enveloped the three of them, and they shot straight down. Obstacles in their path were effortlessly phased through as they ignored all terrain, taking a direct route to the bottom.

Thud!

"Hah— hah—"

They quickly reached the bottom of the Snake Den, tens of thousands of meters below. Caught off guard by the sudden increase in gravity, Melk the Second fell to her knees, panting heavily. The gravity here was terrifying, several times that of the surface. She felt like she was about to fuse with the ground itself. She couldn't even seem to move a finger, and her blood refused to circulate properly.

Okay, I admit I might have spoken too soon.

"Little sister Second, are you alright?" Atashino asked with concern, gently helping her up.

"Not dead yet... Just let me get used to it," Melk the Second said, taking deep breaths to adjust her body to the crushing gravity.

Kenji observed her. Melk the Second must have Gourmet Cells, even if the manga never showed it. The gravity here was manageable. The 100G Mountains, on the other hand, had a terrifying gravity one hundred times that of the surface. Only those who had mastered techniques like Ape Dance or possessed absolute power could move freely in a place like that.

"Second, eat some Ruby Crabs first to replenish your energy," Kenji said, grabbing a pile of the nearby creatures. Covered entirely in rubies, they looked more like works of art than food, their glow illuminating the surrounding darkness.

"Thank you."

The sweet and delicious sashimi-style meat of the Ruby Crab made Melk the Second's eyes light up. With this boost of energy, she could adapt to the gravity much better.

"Huh? Melk?" Atashino suddenly exclaimed, looking at a small giant walking toward them.

Kenji glanced over. What an incredible fighting aura! Is he about to go Super Saiyan?

Melk the Second's body trembled. She slowly turned around. It was the familiar figure she knew so well. Tears streamed from her eyes.

"Master..."

Melk the First opened his mouth, but no sound came out. However, his heavily scarred face broke into the gentle smile of a loving father. He had sensed someone's arrival but never expected such a wonderful surprise.

It's my daughter!

In that instant, Melk the Second completely overcame the gravity. She ran toward Melk and threw herself into his arms. She had been so worried all these years. This was the power of emotion.

Smiling, Melk the First lifted her high into the air, just as he did when she was a child.

Though she couldn't hear a sound, Melk the Second saw her master's lips moving. She finally understood that she had misunderstood him all this time. He wasn't taciturn at all.

"First, your voice is too quiet. We can't hear you," Atashino said with a helpless smile.

Clap!

Melk the First nodded and snapped his fingers. The ground began to vibrate, and a Scorpion Devil Cow rushed over, sliding to a halt at his feet and handing him a stone.

He held the stone to his mouth. "Can you hear me now?"

This time, all three of them could hear his voice clearly.

"This is an Amplifier Stone from the vocal cords of a Rock Condor. A very magical stone."

"My daughter," he said lovingly, his voice full of affection. "It's been a few years. You've grown so much."

"Atashino, your strength has increased a lot."

"And this is?" he asked, turning his gaze to Kenji. This was a powerful young man, with a terrifying amount of power inside him. He had never heard of him before. Truly, the next generation was a force to be reckoned with.

"This is my partner, Kenji. He was recently invited by the President to join Biotope 0," Atashino introduced with a smile.

"I see. No wonder I haven't seen you before."

"Come, please have a seat in my workshop."

Melk the First led the way, and the three followed behind him.

Inside Melk's massive workshop, the knives on display were all taller than a person, gleaming with a sharp, cold light.

"As expected of you, First. These are all exceptionally sharp blades," Atashino remarked. Though they didn't look like knives an ordinary person could use, they were perfectly suited for the immense size of many ingredients on Earth.

"Master is amazing," Melk the Second said with admiration.

"My daughter, six years ago, your skills were already comparable to mine," the First said with a smile.

"Eh?" Hearing her master's acknowledgment, the Second was stunned. She couldn't believe it was really true.

"What? I remember telling you, didn't I?" Melk scratched his head.

"Master, your voice was too quiet! I didn't hear you at all!" Melk the Second retorted. Six years ago, Melk hadn't been using the Amplifier Stone, so his daily conversations were completely inaudible. The issue that had troubled her for so long was nothing more than a big, silly misunderstanding.

"Haha, my apologies," Melk the First said, laughing. "Then I'll say it again. My daughter, your grinding skills have now surpassed my own."

"Master..." Tears streamed down Melk the Second's cheeks as she heard her master's personal acknowledgment. She nodded vigorously.

"First, the knife President Ichiryu commissioned you to forge, how much longer until it's complete?" Atashino asked.

"It's almost done. I'm just putting on the finishing touches," the First said with a thumbs-up. This was, without a doubt, the best knife he had ever created.

"If we manage to capture AIR without needing your knife," Kenji interjected, "could you modify it for my use instead? The kind of modification that allows it to adjust its size."

Melk the First thought for a moment. "If you can capture AIR, then of course, that's no problem. It would just take a little more time to add some special materials." The knife was made specifically to cook AIR. If another method was found, the knife would be of no use.

"Master, how much Melk's Stardust is left here?" Melk the Second asked. "I need to help them forge a knife using this Guinness fang."

Melk the First looked at the wolf fang in her hand and froze, his eyes wide with surprise. "Is that a fang from one of the current Eight Kings? What a resounding material." The Eight Kings of the Gourmet World were creatures that stood at the true apex. The staff of Biotope 0 could operate in the Gourmet World, but if they encountered an Eight King, they likely wouldn't even have a chance to escape. He could tell at a glance that this wasn't a fossil; it had been taken from a living Battle Wolf.

"Atashino, where did you get a material like this?"

"My partner's master is Jiro. This was a gift from him," Atashino said.

"Oh, it was that great man." If it was the Knocking Master, then everything made perfect sense. "There's more than enough Melk's Stardust. Although I've used a lot over the years, there is still a great deal left."

Melk smiled. He believed in his daughter. He was certain she could forge this knife perfectly.

~~~

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Next goal 1200 power stone, good luck guys.

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