"Fu Long, please respect my choice. Zhang Wei is not as simple as you imagine!" Lola said unhappily.
Seeing Lola's persistence, Fu Long could only grunt and turn his head away.
In contrast, the chef Chun Niang was very enthusiastic.
It seemed Zhang Wei's good looks played a role.
Lola pointed to the cave entrances dotting the island, "According to our investigation, there are hundreds of entrances to the cave beach, connecting to various underground spaces, each inhabited by no weak creatures."
"And the biological communities are not fixed. The Pufferwhale spawns once every ten years. I don't know the current situation."
"But no matter what, the cave entrances will not change!"
As she spoke, Lola took out a blueprint from her bag.
It showed more than a dozen intertwined routes, all eventually leading to the spawning grounds.
Lola continued, "Zhang Wei, I hope you can use that mysterious intuition of yours to lead us through the more dangerous sections and choose the safest path among these dozen routes!" Great Wind Novel Network.
It was said that a level 25 Demonic Serpent lurked in the depths of the caves, its combat power unrivaled among its peers!
However, its flesh was not of high value, making it an opponent no one wished to encounter.
Although Demonic Serpent eggs were nutritious, they were difficult to find.
Following the map, they arrived before a cave entrance.
Rustling sounds emanated from within.
Fu Long drew a wooden stick, coated a bit of magnesium powder on his hand, and snapped his fingers, igniting a spark. The wooden stick instantly caught fire.
"A greased wooden stick... for illumination?"
Fu Long threw the wooden stick into the cave. Intense black smoke and flames billowed up.
Accompanying the black smoke, a swarm of centipedes slithered out!
"His technique is quite professional," Zhang Wei commented silently in his heart.
[Discovered catchable ingredient: Giant Centipede]
[Capture Level: 1]
[Description: 6-8 meters in length, weighing over 400 kilograms, possessing sharp mandibles and legs. Its taste is similar to partridge.]
Fu Long sneered, "Ugly little things."
With his long saber in hand, Fu Long charged into the insect swarm. With each casual swing, he could cleave the giant centipedes into several pieces.
Then, he would slice them vertically, thoroughly eliminating these tenacious creatures.
Zhang Wei nodded, "His skill is excellent, and his combat experience is abundant..."
The only drawback was his low level!
Seeing Zhang Wei observing coldly from the side, Fu Long said provocatively, "Scared? Heh heh, the things below are even more terrifying!"
Saying that.
Fu Long drew another wooden stick, very different from the previous smoky one.
With the same snap of his fingers, flames ignited.
"A torch made from an old oil tree trunk, one burns for three hours. Its market price is at least 8 Beli per stick!"
Fu Long distributed the torches, only stopping at Zhang Wei, "Since your perception is so strong, you won't need this, will you?"
Zhang Wei was speechless.
Why was this guy always targeting him?
Was it because he was handsome?
He glanced at Lola and roughly understood what was going on.
With a wave of his hand.
A plant root appeared in Zhang Wei's hand. It looked somewhat like the main stem of a dandelion, with fluffy tufts on top, emitting a soft glow.
Although the light was soft, it could reach very far.
"This..."
Zhang Wei explained, "Sunflower. It likes to grow in caves. I discovered it by accident before."
Saying that, he tossed the sunflower to Lola.
One sunflower, in terms of illumination, was superior to ten torches.
Zhang Wei took the map and said, "As for the path ahead... then follow me!"
Ionization Perception...
To be honest, Zhang Wei had only recently acquired this ability. If he faced an extremely powerful creature's electromagnetic field, he might be able to develop this move.
But at Zhang Wei's current level...
Everything in the cave was like an ant.
There was no difference!
"Alas... I'll just have to guess!"
If they encountered danger, it would be fine. If necessary, he could release Wu Yong and the others.
Or he could consume a Bronze Apple in an emergency and unleash a large-scale discharge. However, his current body was compromised; once he absorbed a large amount of energy, the entire cave beach might be destroyed by him.
Zhang Wei feigned closing his eyes, intending to add some ritual to his guesswork.
But the moment he closed his eyes.
The entire world seemed to plunge into endless darkness!
Yet, within the endless darkness, there were still specks of starlight, such as three points of fluorescence by his side, emitting a bright glow.
Zhang Wei was startled, "This... my skill has improved again!"
"These three lights should be Lola, Fu Long, and Chun Niang!"
"And those in the distance..."
Zhang Wei felt as if he were a radar with X-ray vision, scanning outwards from himself. The distant lights became clearly visible.
These lights were the magnetic fields generated by living organisms!
Magnetism is electricity, and electricity is magnetism!
Zhang Wei suddenly opened his eyes and pointed at a fork in the road, "To the left are elongated creatures, in extremely large numbers! To the right are spherical ones, slightly fewer in number."
Fu Long frowned, "Are they really that powerful?"
Chun Niang, who was plump, chuckled kindly, "Regardless, we have to try!"
The group discussed for a while.
They decided to try their luck on the right.
After all, the elongated creatures might not just be giant centipedes, but also zombie snakes and the like.
[Discovered catchable ingredient: Cockroach Scorpion]
[Capture Level: 7]
[Type: Gregarious]
[Description: A disgusting creature with almost no edible value, yet possesses strong vitality and is extremely difficult to deal with. Cockroach leg meat sells for about 15 Beli per kilogram.]
The cockroach scorpions were not small, but their six legs could at most yield 40 kilograms of meat.
This meant that one cockroach scorpion could only generate 600 Beli in price. Considering its level seven strength, it was truly an unwelcome opponent.
Fu Long sprinkled medicinal powder all over the ground.
The cockroach scorpions recoiled.
Zhang Wei seized the opportunity and electro-captured a few, just to enrich his collection.
Afterward, guided by Zhang Wei's perception, the group ventured deeper. Zhang Wei seemed to be growing, his perception becoming increasingly acute!
They encountered several types of creatures attacking.
Butterfly Bat, Capture Level 2.
Burning Firefly, Capture Level 1.
Stink Snail, Capture Level 4.
Cave Dung Beetle, Capture Level 5.
...
The more than ten types of ingredients were mostly insects, and their edible value was very low.
Even if they were transformed into perfect grade, their value would not be very high.
Only the Pufferwhale in the deepest part of the cave was what Zhang Wei most desired to collect. Today, Zhang Wei would hunt the Pufferwhale to extinction!
Pots were set up and fires lit.
Chun Niang skillfully searched the cave for seasonings and the essence of defeated creatures' bodies.
Chun Niang had a backpack containing items not easily found in the wild, as well as a certain amount of compressed energy food.
"Here, try this!"
Chun Niang enthusiastically served Zhang Wei a bowl of soup: Mushroom Bug Meat and Fresh Grass Soup.
The taste was surprisingly good!
Salt and MSG had completely permeated the bug meat. The aroma of mushrooms and immortal grass masked the fishy and gamey odor of the bug meat. A few drops of cooking wine and sesame oil had been added, creating a perfect balance.
Fu Long was organizing the miscellaneous items nearby. They had used quite a few strange items during their journey.
Zhang Wei was quite impressed with the two of them. Chun Niang's culinary skills were top-notch, and Fu Long, with his reliance on items, was actually more suited to be a Gourmet Hunter. Using various items to conserve stamina and compensate for his weaknesses was a wise choice.
With free time, the group also started chatting.
Zhang Wei learned that the three had been good friends. Lola was the daughter of the owner of the Dodo Merchant Association and a Gourmet Hunter, later taking over her father's business.
Later, to purchase advanced warships, the Dodo Merchant Association experienced a cash flow crisis.
And the Pufferwhale was the Dodo Merchant Association's only hope.
"Dodo Merchant Association..."
Zhang Wei said with interest, "I'm quite interested in doing business. Can you tell me about business practices on the initial continent?"
Lola waved her hand, "What business practices are there? As long as you have enough rare and precious ingredients, your business will be smooth sailing and you'll be well-received across the continent."
"Therefore, all merchant associations have close ties with Gourmet Hunters. Having a fixed number of Gourmet Hunters is an important benchmark for measuring a merchant association's strength."
In general, trade and culture were well-developed on the initial continent. As long as you had goods, you would never lack buyers.
However, the outer continents were separated from the initial continent by sea, which was filled with terrifying creatures of level thirty and above, making it difficult to transport high-quality ingredients from the outer continents and hindering communication.
Those who could conduct cross-continental business were colossal magnates of trade!
In the eyes of these giant merchant associations, Dodo was like a corner store.
Dodo then gave examples of powerful cross-continental merchant associations!
Fourth place: The United Four Great Salt Merchants!
The four great salt merchants had branches all over the human world, firmly controlling rock salt, well salt, sea salt, and specialty salts.
Salt essence was one of the best among specialty salts.
In addition, the four great salt merchants controlled a large number of downstream enterprises and held shares in many seasoning companies.
Third place: The Blade Forging Mountain Villa.
Located on the Western Continent, the best kitchen knives came from here.
Besides kitchen knives, weapons, armor, pots, and cookware were also within their sales scope.
Second place: The Tower of Scholars.
A behemoth on the Eastern Continent, it gathered scientists, scholars, engineers, and more from the entire human world. The City of Progress and the biological laboratories of the Cloud Kingdom were like primitive tribes in remote areas in its eyes.
Even this advanced steamship was a product of the Tower of Scholars.
First place: The most mysterious Gourmet Merchant Association.
It was rumored to have mysterious forces behind it, often able to sell high-tier ingredients. It was said that many specialty products from the gourmet world circulated through their hands.
...
...
Chun Niang's food was nutritious. If Fu Long and the others consumed it, it could generate enough energy to sustain them for two days of low-intensity activity or fifteen minutes of combat.
Zhang Wei, currently at level 62, could sustain himself for at least 25 minutes with minimal energy expenditure if it were not leaked.
However, the human body was marvelous. Besides fat reserves, muscle structure could also provide energy during level-ups. And for a Gourmet like Zhang Wei, there was no need to worry about affecting his strength; a few exquisite dishes could fully restore him.
Zhang Wei already had a new idea: if he could control the Dodo Merchant Association, it would be much more convenient for Wu Yong and the others to act.
So then...
He would collect the Pufferwhale first!
After lunch, everyone recovered their strength.
They continued their exploration forward.
Under Zhang Wei's guidance, the team perfectly avoided numerous dangers, and for Zhang Wei, it also saved a lot of time.
Step by step.
Sand gradually replaced the soil, and the scent of seawater filled the air!
Zhang Wei and the other three found themselves in a crystal-clear underground cave, self-illuminated and resplendent, with various corals and shells resembling works of art!
"This... is the legendary cave beach?"
Lola could no longer contain herself. She immediately knelt on the ground, her voice choked with emotion, "We're saved! The Dodo Merchant Association is saved!"
The Pufferwhale was extremely valuable. Just one would be enough to wipe out seventy percent of the Dodo Merchant Association's foreign debt.
Two would allow for a surplus and pull the association back from the brink.
Three would allow the association to advance further.
Four... with four, they could enjoy this unparalleled delicacy!
Lola said, "Judging by the footprints, our team should be the first to arrive here! Without further ado, let's act immediately!"
Tens of thousands of people participated in this endeavor.
According to convention, about 5-10 teams, around 30 people, would reach this point.
However, the more cautious the method, the more time it wasted!
Fu Long was also quite excited. He assembled a harpoon, a hunting net, and other equipment from his bag, ready to begin hunting!
Zhang Wei quickly called out, "Wait a moment, you intend to hunt with these things?"
"Of course! Let me show you my skills! Even in the water, I'm the strongest hunter!"
"Uh... alright."
...
Fifteen minutes later.
Fu Long emerged from the water with a dejected expression.
Chun Niang reached out, "Quick, give them to me! Hey, what's with that expression? You didn't succeed, did you?"
Fu Long shook six Pufferwhales from his bag, each a size larger than a basketball, covered in black spots, and already dead.
Judging by the situation, it was likely their poison sacs ruptured from excessive fright.
Fu Long cursed, "These things are strange. As soon as I got close, before I could even act, they turned black with a 'poof.' Forget using weapons, they died on their own before I could even attack!"
Lola's expression was filled with disappointment.
Pufferwhales were sold at extremely high prices. A live Pufferwhale was worth about 1 million Beli, but if poisoned, it could only be sold for about 80,000.
Yes!
The taste of Pufferwhale was simply too delicious!
Many illegal merchant associations were selling poisoned Pufferwhales with unique and catchy slogans.
'You'll die if you eat it, but it's truly delicious.'
With just these few words, countless people died from Pufferwhale poisoning every year.
Daring to die to eat Pufferwhale!
But if the poison sac was removed while alive, and the Pufferwhale evolved into its perfect form, its price could be doubled!
In the original work, even a chef with Komatsu's talent needed Coco's help to accomplish this.
...
Zhang Wei was speechless.
"Um... don't you know how to capture Pufferwhales?"
Lola sighed, "This... information related to Pufferwhales is a highly guarded commercial secret. Even this map was obtained with the utmost effort by the Dodo Merchant Association."
"Alright..."
"I'll give it a try!"
Fu Long scoffed, "With you?"
"Otherwise? With you?"
Fu Long blushed and said, "I just didn't find the right method for a moment, I..."