When calculated this way, the appearance of these rock rice grains has been elevated to such a height that 1.5 berries per kilogram is unreasonable.
If sold on the market, it could easily pass for the 3.5 berries per kilogram tier.
Combined with the all-around optimization in nutrition, taste, aroma, and texture, it could fetch at least 12 berries per kilogram, reaching the peak for a Class 1 ingredient.
And Zhang Wei produces 25,000 tons of this rice daily!
That's a colossal output of three billion.
And this production is still increasing!
In just four hours, Zhang Wei had collected a sand dune, and the second sand dune he arrived at was five times larger than the previous one!
Kuremas and Seitaro stood frozen, looking at Zhang Wei as if he were a deity.
"He... doesn't get tired?"
"A normal person would be tired... but this person doesn't seem normal at all."
"He's been using his thought projection at full power for nearly four hours, right?"
"A normal warrior maintaining such a scale of thought projection would collapse from exhaustion within fifteen minutes at most, then be forced into self-digestion, breaking down muscle to provide nutrients."
At this moment.
Zhang Wei stopped.
He flew rapidly into the distance, releasing large amounts of yellow sand...
This was to avoid arousing suspicion from the two, as the act of fitting an entire sand sea into a storage space would be even more terrifying.
"So his storage equipment is full, and he's going to continue..."
Of course!
[Collection Complete: Rock Rice]
[Replication Time: 1 Day]
[Replication Quantity: 38,000 Tons]
Even with a population of extreme eaters, Zhang Wei's rock rice production alone could feed a million people!
What a terrifying replication volume!
It's still continuing!
Equipment optimization, body expansion!
Filtering 46 tons per second!
Seeing the stunned duo, Zhang Wei shouted with a smile, "Mr. Kuremas, I'm a bit hungry. Could you get me something to eat to replenish my energy? I feel like I've expended a lot of stamina today."
"Oh... Oh, okay."
Kuremas snapped back to reality.
Seitaro just stared blankly, not knowing what to say.
Night fell.
The few of them gathered around a campfire. Kuremas had prepared over a hundred dishes, along with a large amount of staple food for Zhang Wei to enjoy.
Zhang Wei was not shy, eating seven bowls with a vat-sized rice bowl, sprinkled with sauce.
Wiping his mouth, Zhang Wei praised, "I absolutely love Kuremas's cooking. This sauce is so good with rice, I couldn't help but eat a bit too much. I'm only a tenth full already."
Kuremas was quite pleased.
Being praised by Zhang Wei, an equal, was indeed a very happy occasion.
"More rice!"
Kuremas rolled his eyes. "Do I owe you anything?"
"A gift of Dionysus."
"Ah, coming right up!"
Kuremas scurried over, piling the rice high, and said with a smile, "Is there anything else you need?"
"There are only over a hundred dishes, not quite enough. Stir-fry some more."
"Zhang Wei, you brat, don't push your luck."
"Two gifts of Dionysus."
"Alright! Order whatever you want to eat, and I'll make sure you're completely satisfied today."
...
After eating his fill and having a good night's sleep,
The next day, a revitalized Zhang Wei continued his grand task of collection!
[Collection Complete: Rock Rice]
[Replication Time: 1 Day]
[Replication Quantity: 55,000 Tons]
Kuremas, bored, began researching syrup extraction methods, or other solutions that wouldn't affect the taste of the rock rice.
Seitaro pointed at Zhang Wei and said, "Do you feel like Zhang Wei has gotten a little stronger today?"
"Has he?"
"Yes, Zhang Wei has the most refined control over his thought projection. I've sparred with him and know a bit about his strength. Combined with my observations yesterday, I'm confident that his thought projection has grown even larger today."
Progressing so quickly!
Zhang Wei's strength was increasing during the collection process!
"Is it because of the exercise?"
"What do you mean?"
Kuremas said, "Zhang Wei's appetite is very strange. Compared to his combat power, even a level 190 expert wouldn't have half his appetite."
"I knew he was exhausted yesterday, and I thought I had prepared enough food, but it still wasn't enough!"
"Most of my guests are between levels 150 and 260. I've also hosted guests above level 300. Zhang Wei's appetite alone could rival someone above level 230!"
Seitaro recalled yesterday's gluttonous feast with vivid memory. A table tens of meters long was laden with all sorts of delicious food, and the portions were quite ample.
And a larger appetite signifies limitless potential.
In this world, the more one eats, the stronger they become!
Kuremas's words made Seitaro even more worried.
Does that mean Kuremas's delicious meals yesterday caused Zhang Wei to level up?
However, Kuremas shook his head, dispelling this notion. "Unlikely. Zhang Wei's cooking is no less than mine, and he never skimps on himself. How could he have improved from just one meal of mine?"
"Then what is it?"
"I feel... it's the exercise!"
"Exercise? You mean cultivation?"
"Not entirely. Zhang Wei's appetite is immense, and he eats extremely delicious food. The nutrients and energy from these foods have been dormant within him, not fully utilized. Each time Zhang Wei exercises, it's like a fusion, significantly enhancing the absorption efficiency of the food and making his Gourmet Cells even stronger!"
That seemed plausible.
But this only made Seitaro more concerned.
Originally, despite Zhang Wei's speed, collecting hundreds of thousands of tons of rock rice in a day, while large, was but a drop in the ocean of rice.
At this rate, it would take ten to twenty thousand days to collect the entire sand sea. That's thirty or sixty years!
But if he continues to grow stronger, he will only get faster, and he might truly make the sand sea of rice disappear!
Soon, it was dinner time again.
Seitaro nonchalantly asked, "How much did you collect today?"
"About 700,000 tons. I didn't waste any time today; it was much faster than yesterday."
This translates to approximately 70,000 tons in replication, double that of yesterday!
Indeed, he had become much stronger!
Kuremas cleared his throat. "You're not planning to collect the entire sand sea of rice, are you? I just got a headline about this; don't go digging up its roots."
"That wouldn't be the case!"
After all, time was limited, and there were many other good things waiting.
However, he could have Nuangang leave a beacon, and collect it later when he had time.
...
On the third day, Zhang Wei's collection speed increased to 49 tons per second. The increase was slight, mainly because the tower-style grain screening machine had been optimized to a very high level. Further improvement would require revolutionary technological upgrades.
The size of his thought projection also reached its most balanced state; any larger would significantly reduce its precision.
[Collection Complete: Rock Rice]
[Replication Time: 1 Day]
[Replication Quantity: 175,000 Tons]
...
Fourth Day
[Collection Complete: Rock Rice]
[Replication Time: 1 Day]
[Replication Quantity: 249,000 Tons]
...
Fifth Day
...
Sixth Day
...
Seventh Day
Replication Quantity: Exactly 500,000 Tons
"Alright, we'll head to the next destination tomorrow."
Seitaro patted his chest. "You scared me! I thought you were going to stay here for years."
Looking at the few small sand dunes that had already disappeared, Seitaro still felt a lingering fear.
The team of three set off.
Zhang Wei didn't dare to take out the perfect specimen camel from his Treasure Vault, only bringing seven or eight ordinary water-carrying camels.
Perhaps because their caravan was too large, they were immediately attacked by beasts as soon as they left.
Dust clouds billowed in the distance.
Large balls rolled forward on the ground, each with red fins.
"Yo, it's Desert Sharks!"
"Good luck. Desert Shark fins are delicious."
Kuremas said, "Our stored ingredients have been quite depleted these past two days, so let's supplement them with these!"
Zhang Wei couldn't agree less and immediately said with a smile, "Ah, we've seen these Desert Sharks before. Let me have them. I want to add them to my collection. Of course, I'll compensate you with other ingredients."
Kuremas was stunned, then said, "Is that so? If you like them, feel free to capture them. I don't mind."
Zhang Wei glanced back at Seitaro, who shrugged. "What can I do to stop you? They aren't a rare species, and there should be other groups. Just try to collect only the adults."
"No problem!"
[Usable Ingredient Found: Desert Shark]
[Capture Level: 45]
[Edible Level: 40]
[Description: A fish that swims in the desert, its scales are extremely tough, completely preventing the loss of internal moisture. Its primary attack is its sharp teeth, and its fins are as sharp as knives.]
Dozens of Desert Sharks, unaware of the danger, swarmed towards the camels.
In the desert, food resources are as precious as water. Water-carrying camels not only have nutritious meat and abundant fat but also store two thousand liters of water internally, making them treasures.
He leaped out!
"Wow, they're quite large, over five tons each!"
A flash of electricity.
The ferocious Desert Sharks immediately collapsed, their eyes rolling back as they fell unconscious.
Seitaro's heart stirred.
Zhang Wei's lightning control ability had also improved. He was now able to stun multiple targets simultaneously with electrical shocks, without any mistakes of insufficient or excessive voltage.
Insufficient voltage would fail to paralyze them.
Excessive voltage would risk scorching the meat or outright killing the Desert Sharks, making the meat less palatable.
The second stop was reached quickly.
Brown Sugar Desert!
[Usable Ingredient Found: Brown Sugar]
[Capture Level: 35]
[Edible Level: 1]
[Description: A dry sugar block that dissolves quickly in saliva. It is slightly sweeter than ordinary sugar and contains three times the energy of regular sugar. It is suitable for making syrups and desserts, with a price between 1.5-2 berries.]
The same problem.
The brown sugar was mixed with yellow sand, requiring a centrifugal screening machine for separation.
However, the brown sugar desert had some improvements compared to the rice desert, with occasional animals and plants inhabiting it.
Seeing Zhang Wei enthusiastically collecting there, Kuremas asked, "If it's all like this, why bring us along? Is it just so we can eat directly after working?"
"Of course not."
Zhang Wei's Treasure Vault not only stores ingredients but also dishes personally prepared by Zhang Wei, which are subject to the same replication rules.
Just like the previous Galon Tiger Feast, the Falling Rain Fruit Platter, the Volcano Barbecue...
Including later, the First Taste, Gourmet Soul, Sweet Lovers, Formless, Century Soup...
These dishes are all within the replication rules of the Treasure Vault, and their output is considerable.
However, to avoid stagnation, Zhang Wei insists on cooking every day and rarely eats these replicated dishes.
Zhang Wei explained to the two, "Our ultimate goal is the Food Pyramid. There are quite a few good things there, as well as extremely dangerous terrifying creatures..."
Terrifying creatures?
Even Zhang Wei described them as such?
Seitaro, who loved ancient creatures the most, immediately asked, "What kind of terrifying creatures?"
Zhang Wei said seriously, "Do you know..."
"Netro!"
The two were terrified and immediately asked in shock, "What's a Netro?"
"Damn it, why are you two making such shocked faces if you don't know!"
"Even though I don't understand, it sounds very powerful."
Zhang Wei said in a deep voice, "These are extremely terrifying creatures, of an unknown classification. They have no reproductive organs, and their method of reproduction is unclear. However, they are extremely rare, and there's even a theory that these creatures have no lifespan limits."
"Moreover, these creatures have a very long history. There are even fossils from hundreds of millions of years ago, possibly from the same era as dinosaurs."
"They have powerful life force, and their appetites and cravings are like demons. No matter how much food there is, they will devour it all. As the environment deteriorates and food becomes scarce, they can enter a state similar to hibernation—dry slumber!"
"Hibernation only lasts for a winter, but dry slumber can keep Netro dormant for thousands of years. When the ecological environment recovers somewhat, they reappear to wreak havoc on the world."
"It can be said that Netro have appeared repeatedly for hundreds of millions of years, constantly destroying various eras!"
The two listened, dumbfounded.
How could creatures capable of destroying eras have no information about them?
According to the original work, the first modern discovery of Netro was by Acacia, so it's understandable that there's no information about Netro.
Some people knew about Netro in the past, but they faded away over the long years, and their literature was not preserved.
Seitaro chuckled. "Nonsense... how can there be such monstrous creatures that can destroy eras and civilizations? What kind of power would that be?"
Zhang Wei continued, "The most terrifying aspect of Netro is their ferocity. They will fight and prey on any opponent, no matter how powerful. Furthermore, these creatures possess a considerable degree of intelligence."
"Intelligence? How high?"
"The Food Pyramid was built by them."
"Pfft!!"
Seitaro spat out his drink.
Such massive architecture?
What level of intelligence was that? It was no longer the level of beasts, but another form of civilization!
Zhang Wei added, "Not only that, but they also have the ability to process food further, equivalent to... chefs! Their appetites, combined with their physical talents and the ability to turn ingredients into dishes, make you wonder about the prospects of such creatures!"
They completely crush humans!
In terms of intelligence, physical strength, appetite, and so on, they are completely overwhelming!