Food Wars: Fishing System #246+247: Journey to Space, Capture Level of 530,000, A Gift from the Gourmet Gods, The Method to Extract Divinity

2 Chapters!

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“You’ve been messing around with the tech the Blue Nitros left behind this whole time. Find anything useful?”

Jiro asked, watching Yuuki. For the past while, aside from observing the ingredients being released by NEO, Yuuki had spent most of his time tinkering with the technology the Blue Nitros had abandoned.

“I’ve actually found quite a few interesting things. It’ll take a long time to fully understand it all, but some of it is immediately useful—like this.”

After some fiddling, Yuuki projected a large screen filled with images and text that had already been translated.

He had fed the human language into the system, allowing it to auto-translate. Now, Jiro could read the information on display.

“COSMIC TAIPAN—CAPTURE LEVEL 530,000! IS THIS A GOURMET ENCYCLOPEDIA? AND FROM ANOTHER UNIVERSE?”

Jiro’s eyes went wide as he read the screen. An ingredient like that couldn’t possibly exist on Earth.

The Mother Snake on Earth was already massive, stretching over two hundred twenty thousand kilometers. It was a bit on the thin side, but its sheer scale was undeniably absurd.

But the snake in this encyclopedia—while proportioned like a normal snake—was larger than the entire planet and fed on other worlds.

Its Capture Level was a staggering five hundred thirty thousand.

To put that in perspective—the Eight Kings on Earth barely surpassed a Capture Level of six thousand. Even the most powerful GOD in history had only just reached ten thousand.

Even Toriko and Acacia in their prime only reached levels of thirty to fifty thousand. A creature with a level in the hundreds of thousands was, by any measure, terrifying.

“These are ingredients from the Blue Universe. NEO devoured them, but now they’ve all been released into our Red Universe.”

Yuuki explained. In truth, the Blue Nitros’ encyclopedia couldn't be fully trusted; it was more of a reference. Their own power was limited, so their data was bound to have discrepancies. And the stronger a creature becomes, the less its cell level represents its true strength. You had to gauge it by its aura.

Sensing an aura was far more reliable than relying on the Blue Nitros’ data.

“The ingredients from the Blue Universe are that powerful? Doesn’t that put us in incredible danger?”

It suddenly dawned on Jiro that with these creatures now in their universe, Earth could be targeted at any moment.

What would they do if one of these things decided to treat their planet like a snack?

“We don’t have to worry about that. According to the Blue Nitros’ records, when you use Gourmet Cells to prepare a planet, the universe’s ‘Baton of Flavor’ is left behind on that world.”

“As long as that baton remains, the planet is safe. No powerful creature will threaten it unless they want to be rejected by the universe itself.”

“You can think of it as the Earth having incredibly powerful Food Luck. So, the planet itself isn't in any danger. But once you leave Earth—that’s a completely different story.”

Yuuki said with a smile. The Earth was now essentially a starter zone—and an absolutely safe one at that.

Beings powerful enough to destroy planets wouldn't dare mess with it. And as for those that weren't at that level—Earth's powerhouses could handle them just fine.

So, the planet was quite secure. The Blue Nitros and Acacia were exceptions—one group were the ones who had prepared the planet, and the other was a native. The universe couldn't interfere with them.

But any outsiders would face the universe’s intervention. There was no need to worry about powerful creatures targeting Earth.

Of course, they still had to be careful about threats from within. It wouldn't do if some lunatic decided to blow up the planet.

It takes all kinds, after all. With billions of people, you were bound to get a few crazies.

But even then, destroying the Earth wasn't easy. You’d need a power level in the thousands at the very least.

And the moment anyone even thought about trying, the Eight Kings would act. Surpassing them was no simple feat.

Especially since the eight legendary ingredients only appeared once every few hundred years. Without them, reaching the level of Acacia's Three Students—let alone surpassing the Eight Kings—was next to impossible.

So, they really didn’t need to worry about such a threat emerging. And if one did, Earth had protectors who could deal with it.

Ichiryu, for example. He had few worldly desires. While he would travel the universe for adventure, he would always return to ensure Earth’s safety.

With a powerhouse like him standing guard—one with virtually no personal ambition—any trouble on Earth could be easily suppressed.

——————

“As long as the Earth is safe, that’s all that matters. As for venturing into space—that’s not a problem.”

Jiro said with a laugh. Having grown up in the Gourmet World, he knew that absolute safety was a myth. It wouldn’t be an adventure without risk.

Going to space was a personal choice. If you made that choice, you had to be prepared to die at any moment.

It was just like someone from the Human World stepping into the Gourmet World for the first time—danger was everywhere.

After chatting for a while longer, Jiro returned to the Human World. Yuuki, however, stayed behind. He still needed to master the operation of the Gourmet Satellite.

The Gourmet Satellite was one of the Blue Nitros’ greatest achievements. Yuuki had no intention of letting it go to waste.

But the knowledge required was immense. Even with his photographic memory and ridiculous comprehension skills, this was the culmination of countless years of Blue Nitro research. He couldn't master it overnight.

But Yuuki had his own method—the Mobile Kitchen. While the subjective experience of time was always present for him, after spending so long training in the World of Souls and GOD’s space, the passage of time no longer affected him as much.

He activated the Mobile Kitchen, using its time-acceleration to absorb the knowledge. This way, very little time would pass in the outside world.

And just like that, Yuuki quickly mastered the operation of the Gourmet Satellite.

——————

Although he knew how to operate it, he still had to physically go inside the satellite to control it. Its location wasn't far—right next to Earth. It was a structure even larger than the planet itself.

Humans couldn't see it because it was cloaked.

After locating the satellite, Yuuki explained the situation to the others.

“A Gourmet Satellite? It can observe the entire universe? The Blue Nitros had something this incredible!”

Everyone was immediately interested. Venturing into the cosmos was incredibly dangerous. If a tool like the Gourmet Satellite could help them avoid some of that risk, it would be invaluable.

“Exactly. We’ve all seen how strong the Blue Nitros are. While they’re stronger than Red Nitros, a single one can’t compare to an Eight King. With that kind of power, they couldn’t even run wild on Earth.”

“But they managed just fine in the Blue Universe. If it weren't for NEO, they never would have come here.”

“It’s all thanks to the Gourmet Satellite. It can not only observe the universe but also transmit information at incredible speeds. That’s how the Blue Nitros were able to navigate space and avoid most dangers.”

Yuuki explained. That was why they could travel the Blue Universe despite their relatively low power. Of course, there were exceptions.

Some dangers were unavoidable. The universe was full of powerful creatures. While the satellite could observe the cosmos, it couldn't be watching everywhere at once.

It could only provide assistance within a certain range and time frame. And some cosmic ingredients moved so fast that danger could arrive before the satellite even detected it.

But even with those limitations, the Gourmet Satellite was an incredibly powerful tool. It could eliminate the vast majority of threats.

For anyone traveling through space, having its help would make things much, much safer.

And it didn't even require a large crew—it was almost fully automated.

It only needed a few key personnel to handle any problems that arose.

“That thing sounds amazing. Do you know where it is?”

Everyone looked at Yuuki, eager to know its location.

“It’s right next to Earth. The Blue Nitros cloaked it, so we can’t see it with the naked eye. I have to admit, their technology is seriously impressive.”

Yuuki said. Hearing this only made everyone more excited. Under Yuuki’s guidance, they boarded the juvenile Giant Shell, which was capable of space travel.

Of course, using it for space travel had its risks. It was still too small, and Giant Shells take a very long time to grow.

And once it got too big, space travel would become even riskier. The larger you are in space, the more attention you attract.

But a smaller size meant fewer supplies. Space wasn't like Earth, where you could restock anywhere as long as you were strong enough.

In the vast emptiness between planets, if you ran out of food, you’d just have to wait to die.

Of course, that didn't apply to Yuuki. He had his own space with an endless supply of ingredients and could travel to other worlds at will. He had nothing to worry about.

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They quickly reached the Gourmet Satellite. Once they entered a certain range, the cloaking effect deactivated for them. People on Earth still couldn't see it, but those here could now behold the massive structure.

“The Blue Nitros really lived up to their age. Building a Gourmet Satellite this huge—it’s even bigger than a fully matured Earth!”

Everyone was in awe. It was a testament to the Nitros' endless lifespans. A time-consuming project like this was perfect for them.

Yuuki led them inside. He already knew how to operate the satellite, so for him, it was simple.

But to everyone else, his actions were completely incomprehensible.

While several of them were hundreds of years old, that didn't mean they understood technology. They had spent most of their lives focused on getting stronger.

They weren't tech-illiterate, but their knowledge was limited.

The most tech-savvy person there was Ichiryu. As the president of the IGO, he had to know a bit of everything.

But his knowledge was limited to human technology. The Blue Nitros’ tech was on a completely different level. To Ichiryu, Yuuki’s actions were like watching someone read an ancient, unknowable text.

And since all the text was in the Nitro language, it was even more of a headache for them.

Finally, after several tens of minutes, Yuuki managed to start up the Gourmet Satellite.

It required a massive amount of energy to run, so the Blue Nitros usually kept it turned off.

Yuuki was incredibly powerful, and his speed was terrifying. But even he took so long to activate it, which just showed how complex the system was.

And this was just the initial startup. He still had to hand it over to the automated systems. Otherwise, it would take him an eternity.

With the satellite running, Yuuki, driven by curiosity, pushed its power to the maximum. He wanted to see if he could actually observe the Gourmet Gods.

In the original story, they had only managed a fleeting glimpse, but Yuuki wanted to test if his Food Luck would make a difference.

As the satellite reached peak power, the main screen in the control room began to flicker rapidly. Soon, an image appeared that left everyone utterly speechless.

In the endless expanse of space, next to a vast galaxy, sat several unimaginably colossal figures.

——————

“WHAT... WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!”

Everyone stared, wide-eyed, at the giant humanoid figures on the screen. The objects in front of them were entire galaxies. And according to the data from the satellite, the galaxy they were observing was even larger than the Milky Way.

The Milky Way is between one hundred thousand and one hundred sixty thousand light-years across. It would take that long to cross it, even at the speed of light.

And a galaxy even larger than that was nothing more than a dinner table for these beings.

It was impossible to imagine how terrifyingly powerful they were. The satellite’s image was blurry, only clear enough to show that they were humanoid.

Any other details were completely lost.

As everyone stood in stunned silence, the giant figures seemed to sense their observation. They turned their heads and looked directly at them. The feeling of being watched by those beings made everyone’s bodies go rigid.

Even Yuuki felt it. At his current level, he couldn’t compare to such higher-dimensional beings. He wasn't even the strongest in the material world—he was nowhere near their level.

Just as the pressure became unbearable, Yuuki suddenly found his surroundings had changed. He was in a sea of stars, and around him stood several figures.

From their forms, he recognized them as the Gourmet Gods he had just seen.

But now, they were his size. And he was almost certain this wasn't the real world.

——————

“You are interesting. There is a divinity within you.”

Before Yuuki could speak, one of the Gourmet Gods spoke. The words confused him for a moment, but then he remembered his System.

The so-called divinity—it had to be because of the System.

“We cannot see the true nature of the divinity within you, only sense its presence. You may have the chance to become one of us.”

As it spoke, a flash of light entered Yuuki's mind, and he found he now possessed a new set of knowledge—a method for extracting and utilizing divinity.

“When you have extracted and fully merged with the divinity within you, we may welcome a new member to our kind. We await your arrival.”

This knowledge was, without a doubt, a gift from the Gourmet Gods.

“Why are you giving me this??”

Yuuki was puzzled. Why would they give him something like this for no reason? He didn't sense any malice, and his System wasn't reacting, but he was still confused.

“Since our birth, the number of Gourmet Gods has been constant. As long as the world exists, we exist. No other being has ever reached our level. So, we are curious. Can the divinity within you allow you to reach our plane of existence?”

“You lacked the method to extract and use it. We have given it to you. We look forward to the birth of a new kin.”

Perhaps their long, uneventful lives had made them hope for a new companion.

They could sense the divinity within Yuuki but couldn't be sure of its nature. They were curious to see what heights he could reach.

“I see. In that case, thank you.”

Yuuki didn't waste any more words. He couldn't be sure if they were telling the truth, but there was no harm in trying.

But he wouldn't try it in this world. He would go to another.

He didn't believe the Gourmet Gods could cross worlds, nor did he believe they could see the true nature of his System. Perhaps they had only sensed the "Divinity."

And the System just happened to have something that fit that description.

So, he would leave this world and test it. If it was real, then there was no problem.

Although his System had no real intelligence, he didn't believe it would remain unresponsive if its existence was threatened. He would find out for sure after he left the world of Toriko.

——————

“You are welcome.”

With that, his surroundings changed again, and he was back in the Gourmet Satellite. The images of the Gourmet Gods were gone from the screen.

No one around him seemed to have noticed his absence. Either time had stopped, or he had never left at all, his mind simply entering that strange space.

But the knowledge in his head was real. It hadn't been a hallucination.

“What was that just now? Was it a hallucination? Do the Blue Nitros’ records mention anything about those beings?”

Everyone had a million questions for Yuuki. A being of that scale was just too much to comprehend.

A planet-sized creature was already terrifying enough. But a humanoid being larger than a galaxy—that was on another level entirely.

“Those were the Gourmet Gods—True Gods—They exist in a dimension higher than our own. So, while their bodies are immense, they don’t interfere with our dimension.”

“Even if they walked through the Milky Way, it wouldn't be affected at all. So, you don’t have to worry. The satellite was incredibly lucky to have even captured that image.”

Yuuki explained that normally, the satellite wouldn't be able to see them. His Food Luck must have been at play again—it was one of the fundamental forces of this world, after all.

“Gourmet Gods? It’s hard to believe that gods really exist in this world.”

Everyone was shocked. The existence of true gods, beings who transcended all life, was a world-shattering revelation.

Other powerful beings, like the Eight Kings, were strong enough to influence nature, but they were still tangible, reachable.

But the Gourmet Gods—forget touching them, even observing them was nearly impossible. It all came down to luck.

“Alright, let’s not worry about the Gourmet Gods. We can’t interfere with beings on that level anyway. Let’s focus on the universe in front of us.”

Yuuki said.