Chapter 404

Haruto examined Myriad Worlds, which was now enveloped in a faint golden glow, before turning toward Kanna.

“Kanna, release another monster’s soul.”

Kanna obeyed, releasing the soul of an octopus monster.

This one was noticeably larger than the shark soul they’d used in the previous experiment. Its eight translucent tentacles writhed through the air, twisting and reaching in every direction.

Haruto didn’t hesitate.

With a flick of his wrist, he swung Myriad Worlds, its blade still coated in Appetite Energy.

This time, the sensation was completely different.

During his previous attempt, the knife had passed through the shark’s soul as though cutting through empty air. Now, however, it felt more like a hot knife slicing through butter.

The blade moved smoothly, encountering just enough resistance to give him a strange sense of contact with the otherwise intangible material.

A moment later, one of the octopus soul’s tentacles was cleanly severed.

The detached tentacle remained suspended in midair, retaining its translucent appearance. However, unlike the rest of the creature, it no longer moved.

It simply floated there, perfectly still, almost like an ordinary ingredient waiting to be prepared.

The octopus soul released an agonized spiritual fluctuation. Its remaining seven tentacles thrashed wildly, and its entire body trembled from the pain.

However, something important had changed.

Unlike the shark soul, which had disintegrated almost immediately after being cut, the octopus soul remained intact.

Although it had visibly weakened, there was no sign of its spiritual body breaking apart. Even the severed surface showed no indication of dissolving.

“Just as I thought. Appetite Energy really does work!”

Haruto’s eyes brightened with excitement.

It appeared that Appetite Energy could seal wounds inflicted upon a soul, preventing the damaged spiritual structure from collapsing.

Or perhaps the energy possessed an even more remarkable property.

‘Could Appetite Energy actually transform souls into a state where they can be treated as ingredients?’

Rather than simply allowing his knife to interact with the soul, the energy might be converting the affected portions into something that could be handled and prepared through cooking.

Haruto couldn’t be certain of the precise mechanism yet, but the result was undeniable.

For now, he could only perform relatively simple cuts on spiritual ingredients.

Nevertheless, successfully cutting a soul without destroying it was an enormous breakthrough.

He’d finally found a way to begin.

Haruto coated his fingers with Appetite Energy and reached for the severed octopus tentacle.

When he picked it up, the sensation was extraordinarily strange.

It felt almost as though he were holding a handful of air. There was no ordinary weight or texture, yet he could clearly sense the tentacle’s existence between his fingers.

It was a kind of contact that didn’t seem to originate entirely from his physical body.

After examining the unusual ingredient for a while, Haruto raised Myriad Worlds again.

He positioned the blade against the floating tentacle and began slicing.

Under his careful movements, the translucent appendage was divided into perfectly even slices.

Each piece was only one millimeter thick, delicate and almost completely transparent.

The slices shimmered faintly as they floated in the air, resembling thin pieces of colored crystal.

Once he’d finished, Haruto picked up one slice between his Appetite Energy-coated fingers.

He hesitated briefly.

Then he brought it to his mouth.

There was no physical sensation whatsoever.

It felt as though he’d taken a bite of empty air. His tongue and teeth couldn’t detect anything solid, and there was no familiar texture to chew.

Yet at the same time, an extraordinarily unusual sensation began spreading from the tip of his tongue.

It wasn’t quite taste.

Rather, it was something deeper, a sensation that seemed to act directly upon his soul.

Haruto instinctively made a chewing motion.

The next instant, an indescribable burst of deliciousness erupted deep within his spirit.

It was a flavor unlike anything he’d experienced before.

There was no fishiness, no unpleasant aftertaste, and none of the impurities that might ordinarily accompany an unfamiliar ingredient.

There was only the purest, richest possible savoriness.

Haruto couldn’t even find suitable words to describe it.

The sensation seemed to spread from his tongue, down his throat, and throughout his entire being before finally merging with his soul.

For a moment, he felt as though his spirit had been immersed in a warm, wonderfully savory broth.

His very soul seemed to rejoice, responding with an almost overwhelming sense of delight.

A blissful, weightless sensation swept through his body, so intense that Haruto nearly let out a groan of pleasure.

Strangely enough, however, his mind became clearer at the same time.

Far clearer than it had ever been before.

It was as though someone had wiped away a thin layer of dust that had been covering his soul, revealing a world that suddenly appeared sharper and more vivid.

Haruto could distinguish every individual sound made by the distant waves crashing against the rocks.

He could perceive the faintest traces of salt carried on the ocean breeze and make out the delicate patterns within every cloud drifting across the sky.

His awareness had become astonishingly precise.

The sensation was difficult to describe.

Physical satisfaction and spiritual pleasure had blended together, producing an entirely new experience that surpassed anything he’d previously encountered through ordinary cooking.

It took Haruto quite some time to recover from that extraordinary state.

When he finally opened his eyes, he smacked his lips thoughtfully.

An expression of delighted surprise appeared on his face.

“Did I just… successfully make soul cuisine?”

He sounded almost uncertain, as though he couldn’t quite believe what he’d accomplished.

Then a familiar, emotionless voice suddenly rang out inside his mind.

[Confirmation complete. Additional Unique Skill: Soul Cuisine successfully acquired.]

Haruto’s heart gave a leap.

He clenched his fist, excitement surging through him so strongly that he nearly jumped into the air.

“Oh, man! The Voice of the World really is incredible!”

Everything had happened exactly as he’d hoped.

By successfully preparing and consuming a spiritual ingredient, he’d demonstrated the basic principles of soul cuisine.

And the Voice of the World had recognized that accomplishment, formalizing the technique into an actual skill.

With this ability, handling spiritual ingredients would be considerably easier in the future.

Haruto immediately examined his newly acquired Unique Skill: Soul Cuisine.

After testing his control briefly, he confirmed that he could now manipulate and prepare souls with far greater ease.

The skill’s effects were relatively straightforward, but that simplicity didn’t make it any less useful.

It provided him with the foundation he needed to develop entirely new cooking techniques.

Before this, he’d been forced to experiment with an unfamiliar form of matter using methods that weren’t specifically designed for it.

Now, at least, he possessed a proper starting point.

Haruto turned his attention back toward the octopus soul, which was still floating nearby with one tentacle missing.

At that moment, another of his abilities activated.

Gourmet.

Information about the octopus soul began appearing in his mind.

Its quality as an ingredient, the most suitable methods of preparation, recommended seasonings, and possible flavor combinations were all laid out in remarkable detail.

It was exactly the same kind of information Gourmet provided whenever Haruto examined an ordinary ingredient.

His grin gradually widened.

‘Now this is interesting.’

Soul Cuisine and Gourmet complemented each other extraordinarily well.

The new skill allowed him to process spiritual ingredients, while Gourmet could identify their characteristics and determine the best ways to prepare them.

Together, their usefulness was far greater than either ability alone.

Haruto now had a much clearer understanding of how to cook the octopus monster’s soul.

According to Gourmet’s analysis, the tentacles weren’t merely suitable for sashimi.

The octopus soul also contained a form of spiritual ink, which could be used as an exceptionally effective seasoning.

In particular, the ink had the potential to greatly enhance the depth and complexity of flavors in soul cuisine.

“Even the ink is useful? That’s fascinating.”

Haruto approached the octopus soul with renewed enthusiasm.

Now that he possessed Soul Cuisine, the process of handling the spiritual body had become noticeably smoother.

His wrist moved fluidly, guiding Myriad Worlds through a series of graceful arcs.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The blade flashed repeatedly.

One after another, the octopus soul’s remaining seven tentacles were neatly severed.

Once he’d finished removing them, Haruto turned his attention toward the main body.

He carefully positioned Myriad Worlds against the creature’s abdomen and made a precise incision.

As the spiritual body opened, a thick, ink-black liquid slowly began flowing from the cut.

However, this wasn’t quite like the ink produced by an ordinary octopus.

Although the spiritual ink was similarly black, it possessed a faint violet sheen.

Rather than falling toward the ground, the liquid gathered into a floating mass in the air, giving off a peculiar fragrance.

Haruto’s eyes brightened.

He immediately coated a bowl with Appetite Energy and carefully collected every drop of the spiritual ink.

“Next comes purification.”

Holding the bowl in his left hand, Haruto began gathering Appetite Energy with his right.

Although the ink existed in a spiritual state, that didn’t mean it was impossible to heat.

By manipulating Appetite Energy, he could simulate the temperatures required for cooking and apply that heat directly to the spiritual ingredient.

He enveloped the mass of ink in his energy and gradually increased the temperature.

As the spiritual ink warmed, tiny bubbles began appearing across its surface.

Before long, the thick liquid was gently boiling.

Impurities gradually separated from the ink, transforming into wisps of bluish smoke that dispersed into the surrounding air.

Haruto carefully regulated the temperature throughout the process.

He didn’t rush.

Spiritual ingredients were still largely unfamiliar territory, and he had no intention of ruining such a promising discovery through impatience.

Approximately ten minutes passed.

Finally, the last traces of impurities evaporated.

The thick liquid had been reduced to a small quantity of fine black powder.

Each tiny particle possessed a faint violet halo, giving the finished seasoning an almost dreamlike appearance.

Spiritual Ink Powder.

The purification was complete.

Haruto dipped a finger into the powder and tasted a tiny amount.

An intense burst of savoriness immediately spread across his senses.

There was a faint saltiness beneath the richness, but the most remarkable aspect was how directly the flavor penetrated his soul.

Rather than lingering only on his tongue, the delicious sensation seemed to resonate deep within his spirit.

“Excellent stuff.”

Haruto nodded in satisfaction.

With the seasoning prepared, he turned his attention toward the octopus soul’s tentacles.

He divided the seven remaining tentacles into two portions.

One would be used for sashimi.

The other would be grilled.

The sashimi was the simpler of the two preparations.

Haruto only needed to slice the spiritual tentacles into thin, evenly sized pieces and sprinkle a little Spiritual Ink Powder over them.

The translucent slices possessed a delicate bluish-violet glow, their surfaces shimmering with an almost crystalline beauty.

Arranged neatly together, they looked less like food and more like exquisite pieces of decorative glass.

Once the sashimi was ready, Haruto moved on to the grilled tentacles.

For this, he once again relied on Appetite Energy.

He condensed a portion of the energy into the shape of skewers and threaded the spiritual tentacles onto them.

Then he manipulated the surrounding energy to generate a steady source of heat.

The process resembled ordinary grilling, except that both the cooking utensils and the heat were formed from spiritual energy rather than physical materials.

As the temperature gradually increased, the tentacles began changing color.

Their original translucent grayish-blue shade deepened into a rich bluish-violet.

A glossy sheen appeared across their surfaces, making them look as though they’d been lightly coated in oil.

At the same time, an extraordinary fragrance began spreading through the air.

It wasn’t quite the familiar aroma of roasted seafood.

Instead, the scent seemed to reach directly into the spirit, producing a faint trembling sensation within the soul of anyone who perceived it.

Haruto carefully continued the grilling process.

Every so often, he sprinkled a little Spiritual Ink Powder across the tentacles.

As the black seasoning settled onto their surfaces, the fragrance became noticeably richer and more complex.

The savory aroma deepened, acquiring additional layers that made the finished dish increasingly enticing.

Before long, the grilled octopus soul tentacles were ready.

Haruto examined his two creations with satisfaction.

The sashimi was beautifully translucent, its thin slices gleaming with a faint violet radiance.

The grilled tentacles possessed a richer color and released an intense roasted fragrance that seemed to resonate directly with the soul.

Neither preparation was particularly complicated.

In fact, they were among the simplest cooking methods Haruto could have chosen.

Yet because the ingredients themselves were so extraordinary, even these basic dishes were enough to inspire considerable anticipation.

“All right, everyone. Come and give them a try.”

Haruto smiled at Kagura, Kanna, and Gardevoir.

He wasn’t particularly worried about letting them taste the dishes.

After all, he’d already eaten a piece of the octopus soul himself.

Not only had he experienced no negative effects, but his mind had become noticeably clearer afterward.

He could even sense that his soul had grown slightly stronger.

Although the improvement was small, it was still an encouraging result.

Kagura was the first to respond.

Without hesitation, she picked up a skewer of grilled octopus soul tentacle and took a generous bite.

“Whoa!”

Her eyes immediately widened.

The moment the spiritual ingredient entered her mouth, Kagura felt as though she’d suddenly plunged into the depths of the ocean.

Warm seawater surrounded her.

Countless octopuses drifted past, their tentacles moving gracefully through the water.

Beautiful coral formations spread across the seafloor beneath her feet, while sunlight filtered through the distant surface, scattering shimmering patterns across the underwater landscape.

The sensation was indescribably pleasant.

It felt almost as though her entire being had dissolved into the ocean itself.

An extraordinary savory flavor swept through her senses before flowing directly into the depths of her soul.

Kagura could feel her spirit trembling with delight.

Her soul seemed to be rejoicing, eagerly absorbing the delicious spiritual energy contained within the food.

“S-So good! This is amazing!”

Her words were slightly muffled because she was already reaching for another bite.

She continued eating with obvious enthusiasm, taking one large mouthful after another.

Never before had Kagura experienced anything quite like this.

The pleasure didn’t come from satisfying her physical appetite.

Instead, it was a profound sense of nourishment and delight originating from her very soul.

It was like rain finally falling upon land that had been parched for years.

A powerful wave of happiness welled up from the deepest part of her spirit, surpassing even the joy she’d experienced from the most delicious meals Haruto had prepared in the past.