[Discovered Collapsible Ingredient: Parasitic Snail]
[Discovered Collapsible Ingredient: Ball Beast]
[Discovered Collapsible Ingredient: Saber-toothed Tiger]
[Discovered Collapsible Ingredient: One-Eyed Giant Bird]
[Discovered Collapsible Ingredient: Mimic Worm Grass]
[Discovered Collapsible Ingredient: Evil Hunter]
...
...
Hundreds of species in total, all with the same introductory text.
They are improved breeds from ancient Nitros, forming a link in the unique food chain of the Gourmet Pyramid.
Special culinary ingredients, but with very low quality when consumed raw. However, if the correct method is mastered, they become incredibly delicious.
The text concludes with the special culinary method for each ingredient.
It is evident that all ingredients in this pyramid are special culinary ingredients. One can only wonder how Nitros found these strange species and assembled them into a single ecosystem.
"All ancient species of unknown age."
Seitarou was extremely excited: "This is a major discovery for paleontology, and for regenerators, it's a discovery on par with rewriting history."
Kurama was equally thrilled, taking out paper and pen to write and sketch incessantly: "What momentous news! Even just two or three of these would be enough to hit the headlines. This quantity is enough to shake the entire human world."
Facing the excited pair, Zhang Wei pondered for a moment.
He then suggested: "I still hope you will conceal the exact location. Although it is difficult to enter the Gourmet Pyramid, it is not impossible for some powerful entities to enter and cause irreparable consequences."
The two considered his words, found them very reasonable, and agreed.
Beasts attacked again, it was the Ball Beast they had encountered before.
Ball Beasts are gregarious animals that move like wheels. They are covered in sturdy, scale-like armor and appear to be mutated pangolins, with a structure more akin to a shelled worm.
"There are so many Ball Beasts, and they are all in packs. Losing a few shouldn't be a problem."
"Shall we catch a few to try?"
"I think that's a good idea!"
Kurama and Zhang Wei moved simultaneously. The level 40 Ball Beasts offered no resistance. Seeing how powerful Zhang Wei and Kurama were, the remaining Ball Beasts immediately scattered, displaying remarkable intelligence.
Kurama fiddled with a Ball Beast, casually peeling off its armor: "They have no limbs or bones. The only horny parts are the outer scales and the teeth in their mouths. It's somewhat similar to snail flesh, but the meat is quite firm."
Kurama, experienced as he was, removed the internal organs and extracted a dry piece of meat from within the shell.
It was dark crimson in color and had a strong fishy odor.
It seemed...
...not very appetizing, vastly different from snail meat in appearance.
High-quality snails, conch meat, and slugs are quite expensive and luxurious culinary ingredients, but this...
Let's try eating it!
Kurama put the strip of meat into his mouth and chewed meticulously.
His eyes immediately widened.
"Ptooey!"
"So bitter and astringent, the texture is hard and dry. How can it taste so awful!"
Kurama stuck out his tongue, hoping to quickly dissipate the taste, but the foul, fishy stench was unforgettable and refused to leave!
Is this the top-tier ingredient of the Gourmet Pyramid?
What a rip-off!
Kurama declared: "Is Nitros' taste so different from humans? These monsters are truly disgusting! I swear, I've never eaten anything so unpalatable. Forget gourmet food, even ordinary ingredients are far better than this. Eating this taste for too long would cause my gourmet cells to degenerate!"
But at that moment!
Zhang Wei had also finished peeling his shell. A teardrop-shaped pink snail meat was perfectly extracted from the shell. Its translucent, lustrous color was full of moisture, and the unique aroma of seafood conch meat permeated the air, reminiscent of top-grade sashimi!
Grabbing the tail of the teardrop, he popped the entire piece into his mouth. The tender, chewy texture bounced against his teeth. Not only was there no fishy smell, but the nutritional value was also excellent!
Truly worthy of top-tier seafood meat!
Even eaten raw without any seasoning, the taste was so perfectly flawless. If some wasabi, soy sauce, and vinegar were added...
Wouldn't that be heavenly?
"Fantastic!"
Zhang Wei's expression of bliss was palpable!
Kurama stared in disbelief...
The enjoyment on Zhang Wei's face seemed genuine. That piece of meat must have been exceptionally delicious!
"Mine was dry and shriveled... but his was pink and tender... Could it be a difference within the species? Or just luck?"
Not convinced, Kurama picked two more, but each one he extracted was dry and shriveled, emitting a pungent odor, as if it had been rotten for three to five days.
This feeling... was so familiar!
"Fugu whale?"
"That's right!"
"This Ball Beast is a special culinary ingredient!"
Kurama, being a well-traveled food magazine editor, indeed possessed a sharp intellect, immediately grasping the crucial secret!
But why could Zhang Wei find the method so quickly?
Talent!
Truly terrifying!
As a top chef, Kurama disdained copying Zhang Wei's method. He picked up a Ball Beast and began to study it carefully.
"Stop looking. The order was wrong when you were cutting off the shell earlier. You need to start from the tail, otherwise, you'll damage the Ball Beast's water storage organ and its digestive fluid storage area."
"When the water leaks out, it spreads the digestive fluid throughout the body. The digestive fluid permeates the meat, causing it to age and spreading the foul odor throughout."
Kurama rolled his eyes: "Spoilers, are you?"
Researching ingredients is one of a chef's joys. Zhang Wei directly revealing the correct answer was a completely un-aesthetic act.
However, Kurama still followed Zhang Wei's instructions and began to peel from the tail.
After several cuts, Kurama, as expected, extracted a dry piece of meat with a fishy stench.
Everyone...
"Are you kidding me?"
"Don't be silly. Do you think special culinary ingredients are that easy? That was the correct method, but the tip of the knife was off by a hair, and it still damaged the water storage and digestive organs."
So that's how it is!
Kurama tried again. With the experience of the previous two attempts, he became more meticulous!
The third one...
The fourth one...
It wasn't until the seventh one that Kurama finally extracted a moist, tender, pink piece of meat.
The seventh one was a success. He had extraordinary talent!
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Kurama couldn't help but ask: "Zhang Wei, have you seen something like this before? You were able to pinpoint it so precisely."
There was no time to delay, and they continued their journey.
Under Zhang Wei's electromagnetic sense, the creatures here were like lights in the darkness, easily avoided.
After descending countless layers, the encountered ingredients and creatures became increasingly bizarre.
But without exception, they were all species that were extremely unappetizing when eaten directly.
"It seems... this is it!"
Zhang Wei took out a bioluminescent plant, and its light illuminated the wall. Each wall here had different primitive murals!
Seitarou exclaimed: "This... this is Nitros!"