In a cave in the Human Realm, SpongeBob and Sponge Out were lying side by side on a bed.
A scent of roasted meat wafted in from outside the cave, causing both of them to twitch their noses...
"So fragrant... Wait, I'm not dead yet?"
"Star, wake up quickly."
Uchiha Star was more severely injured than Sponge Out, his face having lost its rosy color.
Sponge Out struggled to walk out of the cave. Not far away was a huge fire pit.
Above the fire pit, three whole cows had been meticulously cleaned, with their heads, innards, and hides removed. Zhang Wei casually sprinkled them with salt and pepper, then spread a vibrant red sauce made from crushed peanuts and minced garlic over and over.
Zhang Wei took a deep breath, "Perfect!"
"As expected, the meat of the Ice Plains Yak is perfect for grilling. To ward off the cold, its fat content is very high!"
"Combined with the ingredients I've mixed, it's a perfect match!"
"Yo, you're awake."
Setting down his spice box, Zhang Wei tore off a large chunk of beef and skewered it onto a newly made bamboo stick.
"Eat quickly, I think you need this."
Sponge Out swallowed.
After a moment of hesitation, he still took the grilled beef and turned to walk back into the cave.
"Hey, grilling isn't the best choice for a patient."
"Look into the pit."
Sponge Out turned around. In the center of the fire pit was a stone pot, with soup boiling inside.
The oil dripped from the grilled meat, the sprinkled seasonings, and some blood-replenishing and qi-boosting vegetables. A bowl of authentic beef oil and vegetable soup was complete.
For someone weak, soup was easier to absorb.
"Um... Thank you!"
"Let's feed Sponge Star the soup first, I'm afraid he might not last."
...
That evening.
Zhang Wei, Sponge Star, and Sponge Out sat around a campfire, eating beef and drinking baijiu, enjoying a rare moment of leisure.
The Ice Plains Yaks Zhang Wei had collected were countless, their quality far beyond anything found in nature. Their weight had increased from the usual 3-4 tons to 11 tons, yielding at least 3000 kilograms of good meat.
Sponge Star and Sponge Out were still a bit weak, but it didn't affect their eating speed. They could tear off pieces of meat the size of dinner plates with a single bite.
"This beef tastes amazing!"
"What breed is it? Did you hunt it nearby? I've never tasted anything like it!"
"The marbling is even, it's fatty but not greasy, the meat is firm yet tender... A capture level of at least 15, right?"
Zhang Wei casually replied, "Caught nearby, I think it's an Ice Plains Yak."
Sponge Out looked incredulous and questioned, "Ice Plains Yak? They appear often in the Land of Clouds too, but their taste is very ordinary. I would never use them for burgers."
Of course, this was no ordinary Ice Plains Yak, but a compilation of the best traits from countless yaks in Zhang Wei's treasure vault!
However, Zhang Wei didn't want to explain much, so he gave a casual reply.
Sponge Out asked with certainty, "I've studied Ice Plains Yak meat before, it definitely doesn't taste like this."
"Perhaps, water and soil make the cow."
3000 kilograms of grilled meat was not low in nutritional content. Sponge Star and Sponge Out were severely injured and needed a great deal of nutrition to recover.
Even so, they could only consume about 1000 kilograms, which was their limit.
Zhang Wei's energy was also completely depleted, but this beef was only enough to satisfy him by twenty percent.
Overall, Zhang Wei's total energy was about 35 times that of Sponge Star and Sponge Out.
Zhang Wei casually flipped his hand, and more ingredients appeared out of thin air.
Sponge Star's eyes flickered, and he whispered, "Spatial equipment... Nice."
Sponge Out, however, didn't think so much and said enthusiastically, "No wonder you're so strong! You're still not full with so much food?"
"Sponge Star and I are also good cooks. Let us help you prepare the food. It's a way to repay your generosity with food."
In the Great Gourmet Era, food was highly valued. Sharing a meal meant becoming friends.
Furthermore, this 3000 kilograms of excellent meat was worth at least 10-15 level ingredients. Converted to money, it would be 600,000 Belly. Combined with Zhang Wei's culinary skills, it could double the value of the ingredients.
A single meal, with ingredients alone, would cost 600,000 Belly.
Although the nutrition was enough to sustain half a month's consumption, it was imaginable how difficult it was to support someone with a high awakened level.
"Alright, let's do it together. We can learn from each other."
Zhang Wei readily agreed.
Uchiha Star let out a cold snort, "Boring."
With a 'swish,' he vanished from his spot, leaving behind an afterimage.
Sponge Out scratched his head and chuckled foolishly, "Don't mind him. Star is just like that, but actually, he's a very, very good person!"
"I believe you."
...
Zhang Wei's grilling skills were very proficient, and he didn't hide anything, cooking food generously in front of the two.
Sponge Out was also not stingy and revealed a few of his own unique skills on the spot.
"Years ago, Star, Tako, and I embarked on the path of a chef together. All three of us loved to experiment and often came up with some dubious and hilarious dishes."
"Later, we participated in the Queen Burger Competition together... unfortunately, only Tako ended up on the podium."
Sponge Out recounted a rather unpleasant experience, which involved a plot of betrayal and theft of credit. In the end, Tako achieved fame, while Sponge Out and Star became fugitives who were scapegoated— a rather cliché story.
There were many follow-up stories, detailing how their culinary skills and strength reached a very high level, and they planned to return to catch up with Tako.
Unfortunately, just a few days before that, Tako had mysteriously disappeared.
Zhang Wei coughed awkwardly and asked, "Where do you plan to go after this?"
"The Human Realm is far vaster than the Land of Clouds, and not all places are hostile to outsiders. I plan to continue traveling, learning, and cultivating in the Human Realm."
"Do you have a destination now?"
Sponge Out said mysteriously, "Have you heard of the Road of Hunger?"
"Road of Hunger... Never."
Although Zhang Wei loved to read, the Human Realm was full of countless strange tales and wonders. Many obscure legends were not recorded in books.
Even if they were, the descriptions were often very vague.
"It's a truly magical place, and also very dangerous. The creatures there have their calories plundered by the earth's veins and rocks, as if they are... starving to death."
Plundering calories?
In the original manga, there was a gluttonous immortal who was later killed by Toriko.
His ability was to use talismans to perform calorie transfer, plundering millions of calories in seconds.
"It's somewhat similar..."
Zhang Wei asked, "What is the principle? And what attracts you there?"
"The principle?"
Sponge Out chuckled foolishly, "How would I know about such things! But I heard that at the end of the Road of Hunger lies a paradise."
"I think there must be tastes I've never experienced there!"
Just then, Uchiha Star, who had left earlier, reappeared.
Along with him was a giant monster.