The Treasure Hall
A giant fruit lay on the desk, about the size of a cartwheel.
It resembled a cherry, but its peel shimmered with flowing light, making it exceptionally beautiful.
"Merely by its appearance, it's already a rare treasure."
[Discovered Obtainable Ingredient: Rainbow Fruit]
[Capture Level: 30]
[Description: Known as the Fruit of Treasures, it has a long growth cycle and is extremely precious. Its flavor varies depending on the temperature. When ripe, its fragrance is incredibly rich and can drive herbivorous animals into a frenzy.]
"This is the renowned Rainbow Fruit!"
"This time, I've truly struck gold."
In the world of Gourmet Age, there were countless strange ingredients; the ones showcased in the manga were merely a fraction. Zhang Wei, for a moment, truly couldn't recognize it.
The Human World was vast, with hundreds of sovereign nations.
Some had humanistic systems akin to great icebergs, while others were in regions with feudal slave societies.
Even in the Human World, humans couldn't completely control it, classifying countless dangerous areas as 'Gardens.' The Frozen Hell Plains belonged to one such Gourmet Garden.
Those who could come here were mostly those who had awakened Gourmet Cells. Ordinary people like laborers...
It was extremely difficult for them to survive here for an extended period.
Beyond the Human World was known as the Gourmet World.
It harbored countless terrifying creatures and delicious ingredients, remaining an unfathomable mystery to humanity.
Legend had it that a top Gourmet Hunter, who had miraculously returned from the Gourmet World, had casually gathered ingredients that were no less delicious than the Rainbow Fruit, and they were auctioned off at exorbitant prices.
Processing the fruit.
Refrigeration... peeling... pitting... dissecting...
Every part of a national treasure was precious, but processing was still necessary.
[Rainbow Fruit Storage Complete]
[Replication Cycle: 220 days]
[Weight: 155 kg]
...
Zhang Wei's heart sank. The higher the level of the ingredient, the longer the replication time. But 220 days was still too long.
After all, he had only been transmigrated for a hundred days.
"No, I need to store more Rainbow Fruits."
"Rainbow Fruits grow in clusters... are the remaining ones still within the Great Iceberg?"
"Perhaps Bruce will know, and that... Momo!"
But that was a matter for later. With such exquisite food, the priority was to enjoy it!
Just smelling the fruity aroma of the cut fruit had already made his mouth water uncontrollably.
Humans were omnivores and had some resistance. Purely herbivorous animals would go completely mad.
Ignoring any surrounding risks, they would risk their lives to devour this ultimate delicacy.
The refrigerated flesh released wisps of cold air as it met the heat, forming a rainbow in the air.
The golden flesh felt incredibly heavy, as if it were made of gold.
The flesh was soft and bouncy, much like jelly.
Moreover, the Rainbow Fruit required no processing; its inherent freshness alone made it a supreme delicacy.
He brought the chilled flesh to his mouth, where it gradually warmed under the heat of his oral cavity.
"This rich aroma, the concentrated fruit juice used in kitchens is nothing compared to this. This one bite is like eating the essence of hundreds of pounds of fruit!"
"The taste changes with every chew... so it truly changes flavor with temperature."
"There are far more than seven flavors. The temperature rises too quickly, and some flavors I don't even have time to savor."
"It's like a kaleidoscope in my mouth; my taste buds are overwhelmed!"
In a mere instant, hundreds of fruit flavors bombarded his mouth in succession, yet they were rich and incredibly distinct.
It made one immerse in the multitude of tastes, almost becoming a slave to their tongue.
"Awesome!"
"Nature's exquisite intelligence, its masterful craftsmanship... to be able to create such a fantastical thing..."
"What is the principle or mechanism that achieves such an effect?"
Zhang Wei was inclined to investigate thoroughly when faced with such matters. Regardless of whether it was a heavenly father, mother, or deities, ghosts, or spirits.
As long as it was something good, he would research it thoroughly.
As for respecting nature... my fervent passion, isn't that enough respect for you?
The Treasure Hall was vast, with dark corridors stretching infinitely, without end.
Side halls were set up on both sides. Zhang Wei usually stored excess ingredients in them, which had an effect akin to time freezing.
The side halls on the other side, however, could accelerate time, with the maximum time flow being twenty to one compared to the outside.
Zhang Wei had previously used this function to pickle vegetables, air-dry preserved meat, and brew wine, greatly saving time.
However, as the number of Zhang Wei's collections increased, the current time flow had reached 32:1.
Opening the door to a side hall, a woman lay on the ground, unconscious.
After Mo Du was severely injured by Wu Yong and returned to his dormitory to recuperate, Zhang Wei decisively acted, easily subduing Mo Du.
He then knocked her out and brought her into the Treasure Hall.
The Treasure Hall could store living creatures, such as collected ingredients like Gallon Tigers and Tuna. After they were replicated, Zhang Wei would have to personally deal with them again.
However, bringing living creatures into the Treasure Hall required them to be non-resistant, so knocking them out was the best option.
Furthermore, the doors of the side halls were completely controlled by Zhang Wei's will and spirit, making it impossible for Mo Du to break through, no matter how skilled her thieving techniques were.
It had been more than twelve hours since Mo Du was captured. In terms of converted time, Mo Du had been in the side hall for half a month.
"Get up. I know you're still conscious."
Half a month was hardly enough to starve these cockroaches.
Mo Du struggled to stand up. "This isn't the Great Iceberg. Who are you?"
"It seems you haven't stayed long enough."
Zhang Wei got up and walked away. The Treasure Hall had no sun, moon, or stars, making it impossible to keep track of time. Every second felt excruciatingly slow.
Mo Du immediately said, "I am a top executive of the Sky Thief Alliance. Release me, and you can get a large ransom!"
Zhang Wei ignored her.
Considering the time dilation within the Treasure Hall, there was no need to rush.
Within a few days, Mo Du in the Treasure Hall finally reached her limit. The time flow in the side hall had drained all her strength.
For those of the Gourmet Generation, starving to death was an absolute humiliation.
Zhang Wei brought a pot of porridge.
"This is a special porridge I've made for you, with some honey and goji berries. It's very suitable for nourishing a weakened body."
At this moment, Mo Du was emaciated. To avoid starving to death, she had already broken down a large portion of her muscle mass.
This was a permanent loss of strength, very difficult to recover.
"Do you want it? Exchange it for some interesting information."
When people are extremely hungry, their will is extremely difficult to maintain.
During times of famine, people would do anything for a mouthful of food.
This time, Mo Du had no more words.
Bruce... Sky Thief Alliance... ransom... Rainbow Fruit...
Piece after piece of information spilled out like beans from a bamboo tube. Zhang Wei jotted it down, intending to verify it with Bruce later.
"How many Rainbow Fruits does the Century Collector's Association have?"
"A total of seven, I don't know how many are left."
"Where are they located?"
"Yesterday they were in the high-level resource vault. Today, I don't know..."
"How does your arbitrary shapeshifting technique work?"
Mo Du was startled, but seeing Zhang Wei raise an eyebrow, she immediately replied, "It's a physical technique, a high-level skill derived from 'Gourmet Absorption.' At its advanced stages, it allows precise control of bones, muscles, and skin."
'Gourmet Absorption,' Zhang Wei also knew this.
It was originally a skill to control energy consumption.
The more powerful the Gourmet Hunter, the more calories they consumed, and ordinary ingredients provided too little replenishment.
To avoid a deficit, they could reduce energy consumption by restricting weight, strength, and appearance.
By modifying and enhancing the precision of control based on restricting weight and appearance, the effect of shapeshifting could be achieved.
"An interesting skill. Teach me."
"Don't worry, there's a tuition fee!"