"There's so much of it!"
That mass of yellow-orange, viscous liquid was Snow Cream Honey, painstakingly collected by hundreds of worker bees from the hive.
It was stored for breeding future generations, and the gluttonous Queen Bee was always stealing from it.
According to the illustrated guide, Snow Cream Honey contained abundant nutrition and was also an excellent ingredient for rapidly replenishing stamina.
Typically, a single nest could only store about three to four ounces, but this one held a full pound!
The Queen Bee's abdomen bulged slightly, and her black stinger pointed ominously towards Zhang Wei...
*Whoosh~*
The stinger shot out, aiming directly for Zhang Wei's eyes!
Caught by surprise, Zhang Wei instinctively shut his eyes tight!
He felt a slight sting and itch on his eyelids, much like a mosquito bite.
"Damn it, it can actually shoot its stinger!"
"Fortunately, my physical level far exceeds the Queen Bee's; it only grazed my skin."
"The poison is potent, allowing me to sense it. A regular Food Hunter would likely have died on the spot. Even if it had hit my eye, I probably would have been blind for a long time."
The poison had the ability to inhibit the division of Food Cells, a useful countermeasure against rapid regeneration.
This incident served as a reminder to Zhang Wei: maintain maximum vigilance, even when facing a weaker enemy.
"Goodness, that's quite a feisty one!"
Having lost its stinger, the Queen Bee was greatly weakened. Her tiny head seemed unable to comprehend why a human's eyelids were so tough!
With a swift move of his blade, the Queen Bee was instantly dissected.
[Collection complete, Snow Cream Bee *109]
[Replication time: 1.35 days]
[Collection complete, Snow Cream Queen Bee *1]
[Replication time: 95 days]
Just as Zhang Wei was about to collect the honey, a roar that echoed through the pine forest erupted from behind him! It was accompanied by the sound of rapid footsteps.
"I hear the sound of trees being broken."
"It's large; is it coming for me?"
Turning around, he saw snow flying.
A massive, dark bear burst from the forest, charging directly at Zhang Wei...
Or rather, at the honey.
[Discoverable ingredient found]
[Sleepless Claw Bear]
[Capture Level: 21]
[Description: A powerful beast inhabiting polar regions, its hibernation skills have atrophied. Living in extreme cold year-round, it has a particular fondness for sweets and fats. This species possesses hypertrophied claws, with paw pads and nails far superior to its kin.]
"Its fur is glossy black, with a white band across its chest."
"Its species is likely similar to a black bear, but this one is much larger than a brown or polar bear!"
"Visually, it's around 3000 kilograms, though size isn't that exaggerated in the frozen plains."
The giant bear's eyes were locked onto the honey in the nest, clearly showing its obsession with sweets.
With a wave of his hand, Zhang Wei made the honey from the nest vanish instantly.
[Collection complete: Snow Cream Honey]
[Replication time: 75 days]
[Weight: 520 grams]
The sweet fragrance dissipated in an instant.
The giant bear froze on the spot, utterly disbelieving that such a small creature dared to snatch food from its jaws.
ROAR!!!!!!!
Furious and indignant roars continued.
Someone dared to steal its honey!
An adult Sleepless Claw Bear, at level 21, was a formidable presence on the ice plains. When had it ever encountered such an insult?
The giant bear rose to its hind legs, raising its massive paws high. Its three claws, long and sharp, gleamed with a cold light!
As the colossal claws swung, three invisible streams of air cut across the ground.
Zhang Wei stood his ground, taking the full force of the air currents. The residual energy passed through his body, still powerful enough to sever over a dozen ancient pine trees.
Glancing at his tattered tiger-skin coat, Zhang Wei became a little annoyed.
"This was the first piece of clothing I ever sewed, and it's ruined."
"This beehive is still somewhat valuable, almost destroyed."
Behind Zhang Wei was the Snow Cream Bee's nest.
Besides the wax, the structure itself played a role in its concealment. Zhang Wei had no choice but to protect it with his own body.
Seeing the human before it, who had taken a swipe from him and was still standing, the giant bear calmed down slightly.
Defeating or killing a foe of this level... would likely come with considerable risk.
Getting injured for a meal simply wasn't worth it, and besides, the food was gone.
Creatures in the wild were pragmatic. The giant bear, having reasoned this out, turned to leave.
"Stop!"
"You hit me and expect to just walk away?"
"Leave your bear hide to accompany my clothes!"
Although the giant bear couldn't understand, the powerful gust of wind that followed him was already upon him!
*This human, how dare he!*
The giant bear could no longer hold back. It had intended to de-escalate, but today, this human would be its meal!
ROAR!!!!!!!
BOOM!!!!!!!
A fist of intent, materialized and shaped by his will, struck the giant bear's chest and abdomen fiercely!
Thump...
The long roar ended abruptly as the giant bear gloriously fainted on the ground.
Before losing consciousness, its only thought was: this human fights dirty.
Zhang Wei leaned forward, licking his lips greedily.
Bear. This was bear meat.
On both Blue Star and in the world of *Shokugeki no Soma*, bears were protected animals, rarely encountered.
As a world-renowned chef, Zhang Wei had to protect his reputation. Getting involved with protected animals would be a devastating blow to his career.
Thus, he had never had the chance to sample bear paws, a delicacy of imperial feasts.
Bear paws were one of the Eight Great Treasures from his past life, royal cuisine that Zhang Wei knew like the back of his hand.
The most exquisite part of a bear paw was the fleshy pad. It was said that bears had a habit of sweetening their paws, their bodily fluids and fat seeping into the pads, making them extremely nutritious.
However, processing bear meat was notoriously difficult; many novice chefs couldn't even cook it properly.
Zhang Wei had consulted the extensive library of the Soul of Cooking. None of the recipes introduced the dish of bear paws.
"Not even wanting bear paws, this world is truly wasteful."
"The bear paws of the Sleepless Claw Bear are of exceptionally high quality, far surpassing those of similar species."
"Most importantly, they have a fondness for sweets, constantly soaking their paws in honey and fruit pulp, making them the ultimate delicacy!"
He clasped his hands together and bowed deeply to the Sleepless Claw Bear.
This was a tradition in the culinary world. A chef was not a butcher; when personally taking a life for sustenance, one must do so with gratitude.
"Survival of the fittest. Dying at my hands is no injustice."
"Rest assured, you will achieve eternal life in the Treasure Vault, along with countless of your kin."
He took out his chef's knife and plunged it into the bear's flesh.
*Bang~~*
The chef's knife shattered.
"A special defense mechanism?"
"Ordinary metal dining knives are no longer sufficient for my needs."
Currently, there were four items in the Treasure Vault that were not ingredients but were provided infinitely by the vault: pure water, serving plates, a giant bronze cauldron, and the ever-burning stove on the counter.
Zhang Wei could feel the Treasure Vault upgrading. As his collection of items increased, it would eventually unlock more functions.
Taking a deep breath.
A golden light emanated from Zhang Wei's body!
Behind him, the phantom of the Food Demon rose, its form remarkably clear due to Zhang Wei's strength.
"It's been a while since I borrowed your power. It's good to familiarize myself with it again."