Chapter 405

Seeing Kagura’s delighted reaction to the grilled octopus soul tentacles, Gardevoir and Kanna finally decided to try the dishes themselves.

Gardevoir used Psychic to lift a delicate slice of octopus soul sashimi and bring it toward her mouth.

The moment she tasted it, her body trembled slightly.

The texture was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. It felt as though a piece of air had melted against her tongue, leaving behind no physical substance whatsoever.

And then an extraordinary wave of pure savoriness reached directly into her soul.

Gardevoir closed her eyes, allowing herself to savor the sensation.

She could clearly feel the spiritual energy contained within the sashimi gradually merging with her own soul, nourishing it and making it fuller and more substantial.

An indescribable feeling of comfort spread throughout her entire being, drawing a soft, involuntary moan of pleasure from her lips.

It was a completely different sensation from eating ordinary food.

Rather than simply satisfying her appetite, the dish seemed to nourish something much deeper.

Meanwhile, Kanna had chosen the same dish as Kagura.

She picked up a skewer of grilled octopus soul tentacle and placed a piece in her mouth.

Her pupils widened ever so slightly, and her eyelashes fluttered a few times.

For Kanna, who rarely displayed much emotion, even that tiny reaction was remarkable.

The souls of monsters, once processed through Haruto’s cooking techniques, could actually become this delicious.

She quietly reached for another skewer.

Watching all three of his companions enjoy the dishes so thoroughly, Haruto felt an immense sense of accomplishment.

There was something particularly satisfying about developing an entirely new style of cooking and seeing his companions appreciate the results.

Naturally, he joined them.

Before long, every last piece of the octopus soul dishes had disappeared.

However, something rather unexpected happened.

Instead of feeling satisfied, Haruto and his companions found themselves feeling even hungrier than before.

Of course, it wasn’t ordinary physical hunger.

Their bodies had already been nourished by the meal they’d eaten earlier.

This was a different kind of appetite, a longing that seemed to originate from the depths of their souls.

Haruto considered the sensation for a moment before turning toward Kanna.

“Kanna, release a few more monster souls.”

Since they weren’t satisfied yet, there was no reason to stop eating.

Kanna nodded and promptly released several of the monster souls she’d collected.

Haruto examined the available ingredients before selecting the soul of a crab monster.

It was an enormous spiritual creature, possessing two intimidating pincers and eight powerful legs.

Its translucent form looked remarkably imposing as it hovered in midair, its enormous claws moving threateningly.

Unfortunately, appearances meant very little when it was facing Haruto.

With his newly acquired Soul Cuisine skill and Myriad Worlds, processing the creature was no longer particularly difficult.

He began by removing its two enormous claws.

Next came its eight legs, followed by the main body.

For the claws and legs, Haruto decided to keep the preparation simple.

He would steam them using his own energy.

By manipulating Appetite Energy, he reproduced the steady heat and conditions required for steaming, allowing the spiritual ingredients to cook without needing conventional steam or water.

As the process continued, the translucent shells gradually changed color.

Before long, the claws and legs had developed an appetizing orange-red appearance, their surfaces glistening with a delicate sheen.

They looked almost identical to freshly steamed crab.

Haruto carefully cracked open one of the enormous claws.

Inside was a generous quantity of tender crabmeat.

However, unlike ordinary crabmeat, the spiritual flesh was translucent, with a faint orange-red radiance shimmering throughout it.

Its crystalline appearance was almost reminiscent of polished agate.

Haruto picked up a piece and tasted it.

An intense burst of sweetness and savoriness immediately blossomed within his soul.

The flavor possessed the familiar qualities of excellent crabmeat, yet it also carried the extraordinary spiritual sensation he’d experienced when eating the octopus soul.

The combination was remarkable.

After finishing the claws and legs, Haruto turned his attention toward the crab’s body.

He carefully removed the upper shell.

Beneath it lay a generous quantity of translucent, milky-white crab paste.

Its texture was exceptionally fine and smooth, resembling a soft, delicate custard.

Haruto sprinkled a little of the Spiritual Ink Powder he’d prepared earlier across the surface.

Then he scooped up a spoonful and tasted it.

The sensation was wonderfully delicate and velvety, with a distinctive, refreshing sweetness.

The spiritual seasoning enhanced the natural savoriness of the crab paste without overwhelming its subtle flavor.

Haruto nodded in satisfaction.

Once they’d finished the crab soul, he began preparing several other kinds of monster souls.

There was an electric eel monster, a squid monster, and a shellfish monster, among others.

Each possessed its own characteristics, and those differences translated into surprisingly distinct culinary flavors.

Some offered an exceptionally delicate sweetness, while others possessed a deeper, richer savoriness.

Their spiritual structures also affected how they responded to different cooking techniques.

Haruto experimented with a variety of preparations.

Some ingredients were sliced thinly and served as sashimi.

Others were grilled using concentrated Appetite Energy or gently steamed until they reached the ideal texture.

Because of the limitations of his current techniques, he still couldn’t reproduce many of the more elaborate cooking methods he normally used.

Nevertheless, even these relatively simple preparations produced an astonishing range of flavors.

Every soul dish offered something different.

Kagura, Gardevoir, and Kanna thoroughly enjoyed the experience, eagerly sampling each new creation as Haruto finished preparing it.

However, when they reached the seventh monster soul, something changed.

Gardevoir suddenly stopped eating.

She gently placed a hand against her stomach, looking rather confused.

“…I’m full.”

Haruto glanced toward her.

“Full?”

Gardevoir nodded uncertainly.

The strange thing was that her stomach didn’t actually feel full.

Physically, she could easily have continued eating.

Yet something deep within her was telling her that she’d had enough.

It was as though her soul had reached its limit and couldn’t accommodate any more spiritual energy.

Haruto asked her a few questions about the sensation before nodding thoughtfully.

“I think your soul has reached its absorption limit.”

The more he considered it, the more reasonable the explanation seemed.

When someone consumed soul cuisine, the spiritual ingredients were transformed into pure soul energy and absorbed into their own spirit.

In a sense, it was the soul itself that was eating.

And just as the human stomach had a limited capacity, a soul couldn’t necessarily absorb an unlimited quantity of spiritual energy at once.

Once that capacity had been reached, the soul would naturally experience its own version of fullness.

At that point, consuming additional soul cuisine would become difficult, even if the person’s physical stomach still had plenty of room.

Gardevoir seemed to understand.

Although she was slightly disappointed, she didn’t attempt to force herself to eat any more.

Haruto, however, was still feeling spiritually hungry.

He therefore continued preparing new dishes.

By the time they’d eaten from the tenth monster soul, Kagura also reached her limit.

“Ahhh… I can’t eat anymore…”

She placed a hand against her stomach, wearing an expression that combined satisfaction with genuine regret.

“But I still want more!”

Kagura looked thoroughly disappointed.

The soul dishes were simply too delicious.

If she could, she would have happily continued eating them for much longer.

Unfortunately, her soul had already reached its limit.

No matter how tempting the remaining dishes looked, she couldn’t bring herself to take another bite.

Kanna lasted considerably longer.

It wasn’t until they’d reached the twentieth monster soul that she finally stopped eating.

That result wasn’t particularly surprising.

After all, Kanna’s abilities were already closely connected to souls.

She possessed an extraordinary capacity for absorbing and storing spiritual energy, far beyond that of an ordinary individual.

Naturally, her tolerance for soul cuisine was much higher than Kagura’s or Gardevoir’s.

More importantly, Haruto could clearly sense that Kanna’s aura had grown considerably stronger.

The spiritual energy she’d absorbed had provided her with a substantial improvement.

For someone whose abilities revolved around souls, this kind of nourishment was exceptionally beneficial.

As for Haruto himself…

He continued eating.

One monster soul after another was processed, prepared, and consumed.

His appetite seemed almost bottomless.

Only when the total reached fifty monster souls did he finally experience a profound sense of satisfaction rising from the depths of his spirit.

At last, he was full.

Haruto closed his eyes briefly and examined his condition.

The difference was unmistakable.

His soul had become considerably stronger than before.

Although he couldn’t yet measure exactly how much his spiritual strength had increased, the improvement was substantial enough for him to perceive it clearly.

‘Not bad at all.’

Haruto was thoroughly satisfied with the results of his first serious experiments with soul cuisine.

He’d not only acquired an entirely new Unique Skill but also discovered a practical way to strengthen the soul through cooking.

It was an achievement that could prove extraordinarily useful during his future travels.

…

Once everyone had satisfied their spiritual appetites, Haruto and his companions resumed capturing sea monsters.

Their days settled into a relatively consistent routine.

They explored the surrounding waters, searched for unusual creatures, captured promising ingredients, and experimented with different cooking methods.

Whenever they encountered particularly interesting monsters, Haruto would examine their characteristics with Gourmet before deciding how best to prepare them.

The variety of seafood available in the northern seas was impressive, and the group accumulated a considerable collection of rare ingredients.

Before they knew it, an entire month had passed.

By then, Haruto, Kagura, Kanna, and Gardevoir had captured an enormous number of monsters.

Their ingredient reserves had expanded tremendously.

However, even Haruto was beginning to feel a little tired.

It wasn’t physical exhaustion.

With his extraordinary constitution and abilities, recovering his stamina was relatively simple. As long as he had enough food, he could replenish his energy without much difficulty.

What had begun wearing him down was the repetition.

Every day followed essentially the same pattern.

Capture ingredients, prepare ingredients, taste the finished dishes, and then head out to hunt again.

Although cooking remained one of Haruto’s greatest passions, even the most enjoyable activity could become monotonous when repeated without much variation.

Kagura and the others were beginning to feel the same way.

They’d gathered plenty of ingredients and experienced numerous new flavors, but there was only so much excitement they could find in performing the same tasks day after day.

Haruto eventually stretched his arms and looked toward his companions.

“I think that’s enough.”

Kagura turned toward him.

“We’ve collected plenty of ingredients. Enough to keep us going for quite a while, anyway.”

He smiled.

“It’s probably time to leave this world.”

Kagura immediately perked up.

“Are we going back to the Food Wars world?”

Kanna and Gardevoir also looked toward Haruto with obvious anticipation.

“Yeah.”

Haruto nodded.

“Let’s head home and get some rest.”

As he spoke, he opened the entrance to the Gourmet Restaurant and allowed his three companions to enter.

Then, with a thought, Haruto activated his means of traveling between worlds.

His figure disappeared from the spot.

…

When Haruto opened his eyes again, he found himself back in the world of Food Wars!

The familiar ceiling and the familiar sofa greeted him.

For a moment, he simply stood there, taking in his surroundings.

Then his entire body relaxed.

It was good to be home.

After spending so much time traveling through unfamiliar environments, hunting dangerous monsters, and experimenting with unusual ingredients, returning to a comfortable and familiar place felt wonderful.

Haruto told Kagura, Kanna, and Gardevoir that they were free to spend their time however they pleased.

As for himself, he decided to enjoy a proper break.

There was no need to wake up early for another hunting expedition.

No urgent destination awaited him, and no powerful monster needed to be captured.

Haruto began sleeping until he naturally woke up each morning.

Whenever inspiration struck, he would wander into the kitchen and experiment with a new recipe.

At other times, he simply relaxed and enjoyed the comfortable surroundings.

His life became peaceful, straightforward, and wonderfully easy.

Unfortunately, that feeling didn’t last very long.

Less than a week later, Haruto started getting bored.

It wasn’t that the food had become any less delicious.

His cooking remained as enjoyable as ever.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing.

“Haaah…”

Haruto let out a long sigh.

‘There’s something about sitting around at home all day that just doesn’t feel right.’

He’d originally thought that taking a break from his adventures would be the perfect way to relax.

But after several days of doing very little, he found himself growing restless.

Perhaps he’d simply become too accustomed to traveling.

The excitement of visiting unfamiliar places, discovering interesting ingredients, and meeting unusual people had gradually become an important part of his life.

Without those experiences, even a comfortable home began feeling a little dull.

‘Maybe I should visit another world.’

Once the idea appeared, Haruto found it impossible to dismiss.

After all, there was no reason he had to spend every journey hunting powerful monsters.

He could visit some of the safer worlds he’d already explored and simply enjoy himself.

Instead of treating the trip as an ingredient-gathering expedition, he could make it a proper vacation.

He’d get to experience different scenery, visit old friends, and enjoy a change of pace.

That sounded considerably more appealing than sitting around at home until he grew moldy.

Haruto discussed the idea with Kagura, Kanna, and Gardevoir.

All three were interested, so they decided to accompany him.

Their first destination was the world of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.

Compared with some of the other worlds Haruto had visited, it was a relatively safe place.

At least, for someone possessing his current level of strength.

Haruto opened the World Gate and stepped through with his companions.

The moment they emerged, an icy wind struck their faces.

Fine snowflakes swirled through the air, carried by the biting cold.

Some brushed against Haruto’s cheeks, producing a faint prickling sensation.

Looking around, he found himself surrounded by a vast landscape of white.

Snow was falling steadily from the sky, blanketing the world in a seemingly endless winter.

Distant mountains and forests were covered beneath thick layers of snow, their outlines softened by the swirling flakes.

“It’s still snowing, huh?”

Haruto couldn’t help commenting as he adjusted his clothes.

Of course, the cold itself wasn’t particularly troublesome for him.

With his current abilities and physical constitution, temperatures like these posed virtually no threat.

Still, there was something natural about wrapping one’s clothes a little tighter when stepping into a snowstorm.

Kagura, meanwhile, was delighted.

She immediately dashed into the snow, evidently eager to enjoy the winter scenery.

Kanna took the opposite approach, quietly positioning herself behind Haruto.

Gardevoir looked around with open curiosity.

She raised one hand and used Psychic to gather a mass of loose snow from the ground.

The snow rose into the air, where she began molding it into different shapes.

Small figures, rounded shapes, and other delicate creations floated before her as she experimented with the unfamiliar scenery.

Watching his companions, Haruto smiled.

“Come on. I’ll introduce you to a few friends.”

He led the three of them through the snowy surroundings and eventually arrived at an inn.

There, they met Frieren, Fern, and Stark.

Naturally, the three were delighted to see Haruto again.

After all, his arrival meant they would have another opportunity to enjoy his extraordinary cooking.

Haruto didn’t disappoint them.

He prepared a generous variety of dishes, allowing everyone to enjoy a delicious meal together.

For the next few days, Haruto and his companions remained in the area, spending time with Frieren’s party and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.

However, after several days, he decided it was time to move on.

The snow simply wouldn’t stop falling.

It seemed as though the entire world had been caught in an endless winter.

Although the snow-covered landscape was undeniably beautiful, staring at the same white scenery for days on end eventually became rather monotonous.

Haruto had come here for a change of pace, after all.

There was no need to remain in one place until the novelty wore off.

After saying goodbye to Frieren, Fern, and Stark, he opened the World Gate once more.

This time, their destination was the Pokémon world.

It was one of Haruto’s favorite places to visit.

Not simply because it was home to countless fascinating Pokémon, but because of the atmosphere of the world itself.

There was a sense of warmth and liveliness here that he found particularly appealing.

Haruto brought Kagura, Kanna, and Gardevoir to an expansive grassland.

They spent their days walking leisurely across the open plains, enjoying the scenery without any particular destination in mind.

In the distance, herds of Tauros thundered across the grass, their powerful hooves sending faint tremors through the ground.

Nearby, several Pikachu played among the bushes, occasionally emerging from the grass before disappearing into it again.

Overhead, flocks of Pidgeotto soared through the sky, their wings catching the sunlight as they traveled together.

Everything felt peaceful and beautiful.

There were no battles to fight and no monsters to hunt.

Haruto didn’t need to evaluate every creature he encountered as a potential ingredient.

For once, he could simply enjoy the surroundings.

The sunlight was pleasantly warm against his skin, and the air carried the fresh fragrance of grass and wildflowers.

The cries of Pokémon echoed across the plains, mingling with the cheerful laughter of Kagura and the others.

It was a rare opportunity to appreciate the world around him without constantly thinking about what he needed to accomplish next.

And Haruto thoroughly enjoyed it.

The group spent two peaceful weeks in the Pokémon world.

Then, once everyone had enjoyed their fill of the relaxing scenery, Haruto decided it was time to visit another destination.

This time, he took Kagura, Kanna, and Gardevoir to the world of Cooking Master Boy!