With a roar, the barrier in front of Zhang Wei shattered.
"What kind of attack was that? Sonic waves?"
Emerging from the shattered ice shards, Zhang Wei, clad in Garron tiger skin, revealed himself.
"Long time no see, Haru."
This fat man was none other than Haru, who had pestered Zhang Wei for soup just a few days prior.
Haru frowned slightly and said, "It's you... I should have guessed. Anyone active in the Ice Hell Plains must have some connection with the Century Collection Association. Are you one of them?"
"Uh... how should I put it? Strictly speaking, yes, but I don't work for them."
Zhang Wei was indeed a laborer and assistant cook for the Century Collection Association, but he didn't recognize himself as an enforcer.
Haru breathed a sigh of relief. "I knew it. How could they possibly deserve a chef of your caliber? So why are you spying on me here?"
"Are you going to destroy the Great Glacier?"
"No, I just want the Rainbow Fruit and Brus and Modu. But if they're uncooperative, I'll just have to smash the Century Ice Pillar. Are you going to stop me?"
"Yes."
"This is getting interesting."
Haru licked his lips and said with a grin, "How about this, I can spare the Century Ice Pillar, not kill Modu and Brus, and even forget the Rainbow Fruit! But I have one condition!"
"Let's hear it."
"Be my partner!"
"Partner?"
Haru laughed heartily. "Ever since I tasted your soup, nothing else has any flavor. I've been conquered by you!"
Zhang Wei: ...
Why was he getting goosebumps?
Looking at the towering figure with a face full of fat, Zhang Wei shivered and shook his head vigorously.
"Please allow me to refuse."
"No, I must have you!"
"Get lost!"
Haru roared, his cloth shirt disintegrating into dust, his surging fat jiggling wildly!
"Since you won't agree, I'll have to resort to force! If I knock you out and take you away, we'll have plenty of time to talk!"
What Rainbow Fruit?
What mission?
What commission?
None of it was as important as the divine chef before him!
As long as he could partner with Zhang Wei, not only would his strength steadily improve, but he would also enjoy an unparalleled culinary experience.
"Come here!"
Haru gestured, and the entire ground cracked. A giant ice hand rose and grabbed Zhang Wei, pulling him back.
However, this was nothing to Zhang Wei. With a casual exertion, the entire ice hand collapsed.
"Hm? You're strong!"
"That's right. How could someone who can prepare such exquisite food be weak? If that's the case, I won't hold back anymore!"
Despite his massive size, Haru possessed top-tier speed and agility. In the blink of an eye, he appeared before Zhang Wei and lunged with a fatty hand.
"Hm?????"
Haru's arm froze mid-air.
His wrist was tightly gripped by a seemingly small hand.
Haru was horrified. Was this still a chef?
He knew that his single-arm strength was something even West Wind couldn't resist! A level thirty strength-based beast couldn't stop him!
Yet, this seemingly frail body contained such terrifying power!
The strength transmitted through his wrist grew, and Haru's veins bulged as he attempted to resist!
Their first exchange had devolved into a pure test of strength.
Zhang Wei, meanwhile, remained nonchalant, as if he were holding a thermos.
BOOM!!!
Haru, completely suppressed, crashed to his knees, his knees smashing deep cracks into the ice!
"Do you want to continue?"
Seeing himself completely overpowered, Haru slashed at Zhang Wei's arm with a knife-hand. Taking advantage of Zhang Wei's momentary release, he rolled backward like a ball of flesh.
Looking at the bruises on his wrist,
Haru panted, "Good... such great strength, even surpassing my peak!"
"You can go."
Zhang Wei and Haru had no deep-seated enmity, so he had no intention of seriously harming him.
"No! I will defeat you!"
"Sigh... troublesome."
Haru returned to the dining table, pulled out over a dozen geyser lemons, and stuffed them into his mouth, his belly instantly swelling.
A single geyser lemon contained 50 liters of water, and Haru had consumed nearly half a ton in one go!
Then, steam began to boil from Haru's body, as if the lemon juice had been poured onto a furnace.
"My body fat needs sufficient water for decomposition to convert into energy!"
"Do you know how much fat I've stored?"
"Let me tell you, a full 480 kilograms!"
"And do you know how much combat power this fat can be converted into? How long it can sustain high-intensity combat?"
Haru roared!
Behind him, the phantom of a Gluttonous Demon gradually formed.
Unlike ordinary Gluttonous Demons, Haru's was pale as frost, unusually clothed, and appeared quite refined.
"My appetite, give me strength!"
Auto-cannibalism!
The appetite of a Gourmet Hunter exists as a living entity, a manifestation of Gourmet Cells' power, known as the Gluttonous Demon!
Legend has it that all the food techniques you can master are gifts from your Gourmet Cells.
They are bestowed upon the host by the Gluttonous Demon after countless inheritances.
Thus, all of the host's learning is in nurturing the Gluttonous Demon.
Therefore, every Gluttonous Demon possesses incredible power!
To borrow this power, one must surrender their body to it, allowing it to gnaw at their flesh!
Hence, this method of borrowing power is known as - Auto-cannibalism!
Zhang Wei looked at Haru with a headache. This whole body of fat, even a Gluttonous Demon would need a good while to gnaw through it, wouldn't it?
Haru's Auto-cannibalism time must be exaggeratedly long.
Rolling waves of air erupted from where Haru stood, his aura far surpassing that of before, ten times over!
"Jet Punch!!"
Haru's speed doubled. Zhang Wei was not slow either; he subtly twisted his body, and the punch grazed past him.
BOOM!!!!
Under the impact of the punch, a seven to eight-meter-high tunnel was forcibly carved out, penetrating dozens of meters of ice of the Great Glacier and shooting straight out to the ice field!
Another punch was dodged, and the impact of the punch bored holes in the ground.
Countless ice cones fell from the ceiling, and even the Century Ice Pillar began to sway.
"This won't do. If we continue fighting here, the Great Glacier will be destroyed!"
"We must move the battlefield!"
Zhang Wei leaped up and disappeared into the tunnel Haru had carved.
"Don't run!! Ahhhh!!!"
Haru pursued relentlessly!
Outside, West Wind heard the tremors and immediately began to weep.
"We agreed on six hours, why start now?"
"Master, I'm sorry, I failed to protect the Century Ice Pillar..."
"What face do I have to live in this world!"
"I might as well die!"
Just then, Wu Yong arrived with a simpleminded grin. "That Haru ran away."
"Let him run. There's nothing we can do about him... The Century Ice Pillar is gone, and everything is gone..."
West Wind collapsed on the ground, his eyes vacant.
He no longer cared about his image in the eyes of his subordinates.
Wu Yong scratched his head. "The Century Ice Pillar... isn't it fine?"
West Wind: ?????