The Item Grasping Skill was truly a great ability, incredibly convenient and flexible, but it did have significant limitations.
One was weight, the other was distance.
The Item Grasping Skill's maximum output was only one-tenth of one's own strength, and the further the distance, the weaker the force.
Beyond two meters from the palm, the strength was reduced by 10%.
Beyond twenty meters from the palm, it was reduced by 20%.
Two hundred meters, a 30% reduction.
Beyond that, it became absurd. The maximum range for the Item Grasping Skill was two to three thousand meters. Zhang Wei’s limit was lifting an ordinary water cup at three thousand five hundred meters.
And this distance was nothing more than a few leg strides for Zhang Wei.
"It must have been tough for Xifeng to practice such a useless skill for so many years."
As he spoke, Zhang Wei placed his palm on the black crystal ball, using the gravity of the Item Grasping Skill to begin absorbing!
As Zhang Wei exerted his force, the black, perfectly spherical crystal changed shape, becoming more and more oval…
Drawing in!
"So heavy!"
"If I press on it, at least eighty million tons of force should be applied. It should be easy!"
"Is it tension?"
"I should have paid more attention to physics in school."
In reality, it wouldn't have helped much.
There were too many things here that defied the laws of physics.
[Storage Complete: Seven-Tier Yuan Water]
[Quantity Stored: One Thousand Liters]
[Replication Time: 140 Days]
…
Days passed, and the targets for Haru and the others escalated from the level 94 Demon Giant Mosquito to the level 97 Ugly Hippopotamus, and then the level 102 Mountain Giant Crab.
Due to the terrain, these two creatures were rather unremarkable on the seventh layer. Once freed from the constraints of gravity, they transformed.
Not only were they immensely strong, but they were also incredibly fast. The Mountain Giant Crab, when running, was faster than a Lightning Rabbit and charged with irresistible force, no one able to withstand a single direct blow.
Zhang Wei's final target was the level 132 Red Sugar Gargoyle. If he could deal with its incredibly tough outer shell, handling the Four Beasts would be no problem.
[Discoverable Ingredient Found: Hornet Bee]
[Discoverable Ingredient Found: Dancing Grape]
[Discoverable Ingredient Found: Splash Pear]
[Discoverable Ingredient Found: Oxygen Squid]
[Discoverable Ingredient Found: Pool Ghost]
…
The capture levels gradually increased, and the Pool Ghost found in the deepest reaches possessed a power of around level 170.
The Pool Ghost was a monster living at the bottom of liquid oxygen depths. Due to the low temperature, high pressure, and high oxygen concentration, no microorganisms or bacteria could survive, and dead creatures would not decay.
The Pool Ghost acted as a scavenger. Its grotesque appearance and mouthparts could clean up food scraps like a broom, and its deformed stomach could digest any substance, requiring almost no excretion.
Because the extraction of nutrients was so thorough, the Pool Ghost’s feces consisted mostly of calcium carbonate, inorganic salts, silicon dioxide, and small metal molecules, indistinguishable from the rocks at the bottom of the pool.
Zhang Wei suspected that the entire riverbed was paved with their excrement.
"This kind of sturdy stone, able to withstand pressure and extreme cold, should be an excellent building material. Collecting some would be useful."
In Mongolia, nomadic herders liked to use dried cow dung as building material. After fermentation and drying, the cow dung not only had little odor but also good thermal insulation. In resource-scarce ancient times, this practice protected countless herders during harsh winters. It could be considered a form of wisdom from the working people.
After clearing parts of the sixth and seventh layers, Zhang Wei teleported back to the Human World.
Upon arriving at the Great Glacier, he was immediately surrounded by anxious people.
Xifeng pointed to a gourmet journal and said, "The Four Beasts have entered the Human World for thousands of kilometers, leaving devastation in their wake!"
"Seventeen cities have been ravaged, with a loss of over a hundred million lives!"
"The guardians of the Human World have collectively disappeared. Local powerful hunters are resisting, but it is known that at least a hundred hunting teams have been defeated, and none of them were below level 100!"
"Governments in many regions have collapsed, and gourmet wars have been forced to cease!"
"Everyone is discussing how to survive the wrath of the Four Beasts. There is considerable panic even in the cities of some stable great nations. Many armies have fled at the mere sight of them, spreading the terror of the Four Beasts back to their countries and propagating it everywhere."
Zhang Wei pondered for a moment.
Before the current conflicts, millions of humans died daily in wars or were displaced. Now, just two days after the descent of the Four Beasts, the number of wars had decreased by seventy percent. Many understood that even if they defeated their enemies, they would be annihilated by the Four Beasts.
Enemies could negotiate, but the Four Beasts only knew how to eat!
"How far are the Four Beasts from us?"
Xifeng spread out a map and said, "The most optimistic estimate is that they will reach the Ice Hell Plains in three days."
He glanced at Haru and the other three. While he had confidence in them, if his foundation were truly threatened, he would not stand idly by.
According to the prearranged plan, the Volcano Sea Turtle attacking from the north would be handled by the combination of Haru and Wuyong.
They needed to at least hold it back from the northern territories.
The northern region was in chaos, and Modu was in a state of disarray. If the Volcano Sea Turtle could be defeated, Modu’s control over the north would be elevated.
A shelled, volcanic creature, the Volcano Sea Turtle!
Haru and Wuyong exchanged excited glances, seeing anticipation in each other's eyes.
This was what their arduous training for so long had been for!
"Let me rip off that fellow's turtle shell and make soup with it!"
Just then!
A message arrived!
A messenger, riding a flying bird, descended from the sky and proclaimed: "By decree, Zhang Wei, King of Northern Chefs, and Luo of the Hungry Road, are summoned to the Gourmet World to participate in the official global gourmet ranking competition!"
The official competition!
Just as expected!
Having anticipated this, Zhang Wei asked, "Why the Gourmet World? Wasn't it said that the annual beastly rampages made maintenance costs too high?"
The messenger explained, "The Red Moon descends once every five hundred years, and a large number of high-quality ingredients in the Gourmet World are accelerating their maturation. After careful deliberation by the organizers, this natural bounty cannot be missed!"
The Red Moon…
So, the Earth's Grand Feast was also at this time!
The messenger continued, "My carrier pigeons can navigate a safe route through the chaotic Gourmet World. The two of you will need to travel with me!"
"Hmm… wait for me for a moment."
"Understood."
Warm Harbor Teleport!