Chapter 120
After spending quite some time photographing the underground beach, Haruto decided to explore the area.
There was still a while before the Puffer Whales reached their spawning ground, and searching for an unexpected ingredient sounded far better than sitting around doing nothing.
He began by examining the beach, but aside from a few shellfish and hermit crabs, he found nothing particularly noteworthy.
Haruto then walked into the shallows.
The cool seawater rose past his ankles, climbed to his knees, and eventually swallowed his entire body.
The water was astonishingly clear, providing an unobstructed view for dozens of meters in every direction.
After looking around, Haruto discovered plenty of creatures living throughout the shallows.
Their Capture Levels were all fairly low, however, so at most they could add a little more variety to the ingredients stored inside Gourmet Restaurant.
Haruto was not especially disappointed.
Puffer Whales were extremely selective about their spawning grounds.
They required pure water, a calm environment, and above all, an area free from powerful predators.
The fact that they had chosen this underground beach naturally meant no particularly dangerous creatures lived nearby.
An abundance of low-level ingredients was exactly what he should have expected.
Haruto returned to shore, found a dry reef, and sat down.
He closed his eyes to rest while quietly adjusting his condition, patiently awaiting the Puffer Whales’ arrival.
Time passed one minute at a time.
When only an hour or two remained, the unhurried sound of footsteps suddenly came from the cavern passage.
Haruto opened his eyes, a trace of caution flashing through them as he turned toward the sound.
Jiro soon emerged, drunkenly dragging a large round barrel behind him.
Once Haruto recognized him, he immediately stood and offered a greeting.
"Master Jiro."
Jiro’s hazy eyes swept over Haruto.
After a brief pause, he recognized him, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Oh, it’s you. That jerky you gave me tasted quite good. You arrived awfully early, though."
He was not surprised that Haruto knew who he was.
In fact, Jiro had already realized it during their encounter on the train.
"I thought arriving ahead of time would give me a chance to prepare," Haruto replied modestly, neither overly humble nor presumptuous.
Jiro nodded without much concern.
After exchanging a few casual words, he placed the metal barrel on the beach, rolled his wrist, and took out a Knocking Gun and a net.
Haruto immediately understood what he was planning.
Jiro intended to capture the Puffer Whales before they reached the beach.
Ordinary Gourmet Hunters could only wait at the spawning ground for the school to arrive, but someone as powerful as Jiro had a much faster option.
Under Haruto’s watchful gaze, Jiro used the Knocking Gun to release some of the Knocking suppressing his body.
His frail, hunched frame immediately grew taller and more imposing.
The next instant, he leaped into the sea.
His entry created barely a splash, almost completely silent.
Once underwater, Jiro moved at an astonishing speed.
With the lightest kick of his legs, he shot toward the deep sea like a fish, the water seemingly offering him no resistance at all.
He vanished from Haruto’s sight in moments.
Inside the passage connected to the deep ocean, the light gradually faded and the water pressure increased layer by layer.
Jiro never slowed.
After descending several hundred meters, he saw a large school of Puffer Whales swimming ahead.
The round, plump creatures drifted leisurely toward the shallow beach in a tightly packed group, entirely unaware of the approaching danger.
As Jiro neared them, every trace of his presence disappeared.
He raised his Knocking Gun and precisely struck one Puffer Whale after another.
Within moments, dozens had been anesthetized and floated motionlessly through the water.
Jiro gathered them together, turned around, and raced back toward the beach at the same incredible speed.
A little over ten minutes later, Haruto saw him burst from the water carrying dozens of round Puffer Whales.
Jiro landed steadily on the sand.
Even Haruto could not help feeling a trace of envy at the sight of such a large haul.
He could not yet dive several hundred meters without relying on equipment.
For now, he could only wait until the Puffer Whales reached the shallows before attempting to capture them.
Once ashore, Jiro gave his body a casual shake.
His soaked clothes instantly became completely dry.
He placed most of the captured Puffer Whales into the large barrel, keeping only one outside, then drew a small and exquisitely crafted kitchen knife from inside his clothes.
Under Haruto’s attentive gaze, Jiro made one light cut and a delicate flick of the blade.
The Puffer Whale’s poison sac was removed perfectly intact.
The fish’s body remained snowy white, showing no sign of discoloration.
Haruto understood why it had not turned golden.
The Puffer Whale had never even realized that it was being prepared.
Jiro’s knife flashed again.
In moments, the white flesh had been sliced into sashimi so thin it was almost transparent.
After preparing the meat, Jiro picked up one of the fins and rested it in his palm.
The surface gradually turned a roasted golden brown before Haruto’s eyes, releasing an enticing fragrance.
Jiro had not used any external flame.
He had perfectly grilled the fin using nothing but the heat generated by his palm.
Haruto knew the technique was called Shivering Heat, but Jiro had raised his body temperature to several hundred—perhaps even over a thousand—degrees, easily matching an open flame.
His control over his own body was absurd beyond belief.
Jiro paid no attention to Haruto’s stare.
He calmly dropped the roasted fin into the flask he carried with him.
The rich alcohol soaked into it, mingling with the fin’s savory aroma and filling the air with a fragrance that made Haruto’s mouth water.
Once everything was ready, Jiro turned toward him.
"Would you like to try some?"
Haruto suppressed his astonishment and politely declined.
"Thank you for the offer, Master Jiro, but I intend to capture a Puffer Whale myself later."
"I see."
Jiro gave a quiet response, and a rare hint of approval entered his gaze.
Ingredients captured with one’s own hands always tasted best.
He said nothing more and began eating the sashimi.
The Puffer Whale’s flavor grew richer with every bite, and paired with the fin-infused alcohol, it left Jiro looking thoroughly satisfied.
A short while later, he finished all the sashimi, picked up his flask of fin sake, and lifted the barrel filled with Puffer Whales.
He then turned toward the cavern passage, apparently ready to leave.
At the entrance, however, Jiro suddenly stopped as though remembering something.
"Oh, right. An unidentified creature is approaching this area."
"Once you’ve captured a Puffer Whale, you should leave as quickly as possible. That thing would still pose a significant threat to you."
Haruto immediately guessed what Jiro meant.
A GT Robo belonging to the Gourmet Corp—and one personally controlled by Sous Chef Starjun.
Starjun had also come here for the Puffer Whales.
Haruto was not particularly worried.
As long as he did not attack Starjun first, the man would have no reason to trouble him.
Still, Jiro’s warning had been given in good faith.
"Thank you for the warning, Master Jiro. I’ll be careful."
Jiro waved casually and soon disappeared into the tunnel.
The beach became quiet once more, with only the soft sound of waves washing over the sand.
Haruto looked toward the water and resumed waiting.
More than an hour passed.
He entered the sea and carefully examined the area, but the Puffer Whale school had not yet arrived.
Haruto showed no impatience and continued waiting in silence.
He did not have to wait much longer.
Before long, what appeared to be an enormous Puffer Whale several dozen meters long slowly swam into view.
An actual Puffer Whale could never grow that large.
Upon closer inspection, the giant shape was merely a disguise formed by countless Puffer Whales clustering tightly together.