The moment Shun fixed his goal and resolved to set out on the path of a Gourmet Hunter, that familiar system chime arrived right on cue, ringing clear in his mind.
"Ding! Detected strong intent and concrete planning from the host. Special long-term quest [Become a Gourmet Hunter] triggered!"
[Become a Gourmet Hunter]
[Quest Requirements]: Successfully capture and submit five different high-grade ingredients. At least one must be a brand-new, unknown high-grade ingredient that is not yet officially recorded by organizations such as the IGO or Gourmet Corp. The other four must be widely recognized rare high-grade ingredients.
[Quest Rewards]: Energy Points +5000
Upgrade [Universal Spice Casket] to Intermediate (unlocks more cross-world spices and improves spice quality)
Special Reward: Talent Awakening [Ultra Vision] (greatly enhances dynamic vision, micro-vision, and "energy-flow" perception)
Unlock New System Feature: [Ecological Probe] (scan a certain radius of the environment to mark approximate distributions of high-value ingredients and detect fluctuations from potential unknown species; consumes Energy Points)
[Quest Tip]: The great road of the Gourmet Hunter begins beneath your feet. Exploration, discovery, and conquest are eternal themes. Unknown delicacies await; risk and opportunity walk side by side.
…
Shun froze for a heartbeat when he saw the quest.
This was his first special long-term quest—harder than any before it, but with unprecedented rewards!
A challenge—and a try worth making.
"Five high-grade ingredients, and one of them has to be undiscovered."
Instead of looking troubled, Shun's eyes burned even brighter as he read the conditions. He muttered to himself, "The difficulty makes it fun! And the rewards are indeed juicy—especially this new [Ecological Probe]. It's tailor-made for me."
As for the four recognized rare ingredients, he already had clear targets in mind:
The dreamlike seven-color juice—Rainbow Fruit.
The deadly if mishandled denizen of perilous caverns—Puffer Whale.
The kernel that erupts into oceans of delicious popcorn—BB Corn.
And the herb that grows in the skies, requiring special technique to harvest—Ozone Herb.
All four appeared in the "canon," each one a human-world, universally acknowledged high-grade ingredient with extreme capture difficulty for most Gourmet Hunters—
and all of them offered tremendous help to the evolution of Gourmet Cells.
Training was over. There was no need to linger on the Bubble Avenue. With Chin Chinchin's permission, Shun captured some Soap Bubble Fruit, and the two of them returned together to the courtyard of Shokurin Temple.
In the courtyard, Shuu-sensei and Hōjō Miyoko were already waiting. The knowing, gratified smiles on their faces said they had sensed the metamorphosis of life that had taken place deep within the Bubble Avenue.
"Looks like a complete success," Shuu-sensei said, wearing his perennial easy smile as his gaze swept over Shun.
Shun had changed into a spare set of clothes, yet the calm, condensed aura radiating from within him—and those eyes, deeper and clearer than before—made him seem harmonized with the very environment in a way even Shuu-sensei did not possess.
In that instant, Shuu-sensei also understood: Shun's strength had surpassed his own.
Bear in mind, Shuu-sensei had trained at Shokurin Temple for more than ten years, while Shun had been here only a few short months. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly… In the face of talent, sheer effort truly feels small.
Miyoko stepped forward quickly, stopping before Shun with eyes full of sincere admiration and joy. "Shun, congratulations!"
"Mm." Shun nodded with a smile.
"Just now, Shuu-sensei and I felt a very warm and powerful surge of energy from the back mountain, so we knew you'd definitely succeeded!" After the initial excitement, a faint hint of loss clouded Miyoko's expression.
Between her and Shun now lay an invisible gulf.
It wasn't emotional distance—it was the plain, undeniable gap in strength.
Miyoko quietly clenched her fists, hardening her resolve to train.
"Thank you, Shuu-sensei. Thank you, Miyoko. I was fortunate to grasp a little insight—Chin-sensei's guidance truly didn't go to waste." Shun didn't let the power rush to his head; he remained as modest as ever.
Hearing that, Chin Chinchin chimed in with a chuckle off to the side. "Hardly 'fortunate.' Shun did it with his own comprehension and accumulation. Heh-heh-heh, this old man has witnessed yet another remarkable gourmet's birth!"
After brief congratulations, Shun's expression turned slightly more serious. He looked to Shuu-sensei, Miyoko, and Chin Chinchin. "Chin-sensei, Shuu-sensei, Miyoko—my goal in coming here has been achieved. It's time for me to leave Shokurin Temple…"
Silence settled in the courtyard for a moment.
But Chin Chinchin and Shuu-sensei remained calm, unsurprised.
A flicker of reluctance passed through Miyoko's eyes, but she quickly steadied herself.
She knew her own situation well: she had grasped the basics of Shokugeki-style "Shoku-Gi" (Food-Will) discipline, but it was far from polished. What she needed was time—temperance and sedimentation—not a reckless adventure.
So she understood she couldn't accompany Shun this time. She would only be a burden.
Having thought it through, Miyoko said of her own accord, looking at Shun with a genuine smile, "Shun, I understand… My training has only just begun, my strenght is still shallow. I'm not yet ready to stand beside you in the dangerous places beyond these walls. If I followed rashly, I'd only slow you down. So…"
She paused, then continued, "I'll stay at Shokurin Temple and keep training earnestly under Shuu-sensei and Chin-sensei. We part now so that we can reunite stronger later. I'll work hard here to catch up to your footsteps."
"Miyoko…"
Shun was moved. He hadn't expected her to think so far ahead.
Truth be told, even if he took Miyoko along, it wouldn't cause him much trouble. Even if her current power lagged behind, the system gave him a safety net; as long as they didn't meet enemies far beyond their tier, things would be manageable.
But since Miyoko had said as much, Shun didn't press the matter.
"Miyoko, I respect your decision. Training is important—but take care of yourself too…" His last line came purely from the concern of a man for the one he loved.
Feeling the warmth in his words, Miyoko's cheeks flushed as she nodded.
At this time, Shuu-sensei spoke as well. "Go with peace of mind, Shun. Miyoko has good temperament and talent. Chin-sensei and I will look after her. Step out from Shokurin Temple without worry! The world outside is vast beyond measure, full of endless possibilities and flavors—but it's also rife with danger. Remember the teachings of Shoku-Gi: always keep reverence and gratitude for nature in your heart."
…
(End of Chapter)
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