Toriko: Gourmet Chat Group

Chapter 38: Ruan Mei and the God Tongue

Kenji sat on Lotta's fluffy back, sipping brandy and munching on Black-Grass with mayonnaise as his appetizer. The battle unfolding before him was his evening's entertainment.

Toriko had just gone through a major battle with the GT Robo, and the aftereffects had not yet completely disappeared. Sunny, on the other hand, was interested in the Rockdrum's marble-like shell, and his attacks were sharp and precise.

"The Four Heavenly Kings, Toriko and Sunny, fighting side-by-side! This is amazing! Fantastic!" Tina, as always, never forgot to record the scene. Although she couldn't publish these videos, they would make a great private collection to brag about to her friends.

[Dian Mei Ruan has joined the chat group.]

[God's Tongue has joined the chat group.]

New members had joined. The chat group family was growing, and it was getting livelier.

Kenji thought for a moment and figured out their identities.

"Dian Mei Ruan" must be Ruan Mei, the beautiful woman in a traditional-style dress from the world of Honkai: Star Rail. She was member #81 of the Genius Society, an expert in the life sciences. Her personality was aloof and rational... a very dangerous genius.

She was the spokesperson for "Ruan Mei's Meal Plan," an event you could encounter in the Simulated Universe that made the final boss much easier.

(Author's Note: I've only ever encountered it once. The probability of getting "Ruan Mei's Meal Plan" is too low!)

Ruan Mei was a genius, and the members of the Genius Society were basically all dangerous individuals. For example, Chadwick's Imaginary Collapse Pulse, Primitive Dr.'s inhuman atavistic experiments... Perhaps the Aeon of Erudition, Nous, felt that their intelligence posed too great a threat to the universe, so it cast its gaze upon them and invited them to join the Genius Society.

Kenji had Gourmet Cells and the power of the Star Forger. Elysia was a Herrscher. Daigo would eventually be able to turn into an Ultraman... Ruan Mei would definitely be intensely curious about them. However, the chat group's rules prevented members from harming each other.

In the world of Honkai: Star Rail, the Aeons stood at the pinnacle of the universe, beings that he couldn't afford to provoke right now. But in the future... the tables would turn.

"God's Tongue?"

Erina Nakiri, from the world of Food Wars!. She possessed the extraordinary sense of taste known as the "God's Tongue," and she was the talented, tsundere young lady of Totsuki Academy. Although she had a haughty personality, her cooking talent was extremely high, so she had the right to be arrogant.

A chef...

An idea sparked in Kenji's mind. Although he didn't know who Grandmaster Ichiryu had arranged as his partner, Erina Nakiri was definitely an excellent chef. He could see how she performed.

The world of Food Wars! was a place where most chefs cooked with "aphrodisiacs," especially the protagonist, Soma Yukihira. It was probably a unique law of their world. He wondered what kind of chemical reaction would occur when a chef like that encountered the ingredients of his world. With a good senior chef to guide her, Erina's cooking skills would surely reach a new level.

He was looking forward to it, but he would have to see how things went. After all, many of the ingredients in his world were not ordinary.

[Dian Mei Ruan]: "My name is Ruan Mei. When you say my name, please remember to pause in the middle. Do not call me by this nickname."

Ruan Mei was displeased with her nickname. You didn't have to pronounce the "·", just a pause would do. What a terrible sense of humor.

[Star Forger]: "Alright, Dian Mei Ruan. No problem, Dian Mei Ruan."

Will this aloof genius get angry? Come and hit me if you can~

[Dian Mei Ruan]: "..."

For the first time, Ruan Mei felt her fists clench. As a relatively low-key genius, although she wasn't as well-known as Herta, none of the people she knew had ever spoken to her in such a provocative tone. But after years of cultivating her composure, she wouldn't be so easily provoked.

[Miss Pink Elf♪]: "Ruan Mei is a very beautiful name. My name is Elysia."

[Ruan Mei]: "So you are all from other worlds?"

It was said that Zandar, member #1 of the Genius Society, was the first to propose the theory of the Imaginary Tree, but the current understanding of it in the universe was still just a conceptualization. The Aeon of Preservation, Qlipoth, was always busy building walls. She had never heard of anyone leaving this universe. Probably only the Aeons knew about the legendary Imaginary Tree, like Aha, the Aeon of Elation.

[Star Forger]: "Elysia and Furina are in the Sea of Quanta, but their worlds have almost no connection to yours. Our worlds are not in the Sea of Quanta."

The solar system where Elysia's Earth was located was isolated by the Imaginary Tide, and Teyvat, where Furina was, was shielded by a false sky. In a crossover event, Sparkle had gone to the solar system to have some fun. Because she sensed Kiana's existence, the Fuli, the Aeon of Remembrance, had intervened.

[Ruan Mei]: "You mean they are in worlds that even the Trailblaze has not yet reached?"

Ruan Mei had a keen interest in the existence of Aeons, especially "fallen" ones like Akivili, the Aeon of Trailblaze. In terms of achievements and influence, Akivili was one of the most significant in the universe. The Star Rails they had laid allowed many remote planets to connect to the cosmos. The fact that a top-tier organization like the Interastral Peace Corporation had developed to such an extent was largely due to the power of the Trailblaze, which was why they were relatively polite to the Nameless.

This chat group was indeed very attractive to Ruan Mei. A Herrscher, the monster Golza, magical food... She had currently hit a bottleneck. Her several attempts to replicate Emanator-level creatures had all ended in failure.

Perhaps this chat group was the opportunity she needed. By borrowing power from outside her world, she might be able to achieve her goal.

To become "■■".

[Miss Pink Elf♪]: "Is that so?"

Elysia roughly understood. The three of them were not that far apart.

[Star Forger]: "You're Erina Nakiri, right? @God's Tongue"

[God's Tongue]: "...You know me?"

Erina Nakiri asked cautiously. She was sure this wasn't some prank, but a real chat group that connected different worlds. In her own world, she could act like a haughty young lady, but with so many powerful people in the group, she wisely chose to be more reserved, to act like a newbie. If she were too spoiled and unreasonable, she would definitely be isolated. A wise person adapts to the circumstances. She only knew a little bit about cooking; she didn't have any of their special powers.

[Star Forger]: "Don't be so formal. We're not bad people."

This was a blonde chef with looks, a figure, and cooking skills. He decided to give himself a "good person" card first.

[God's Tongue]: "Uh..."

Erina's mouth twitched. Isn't that what bad people usually say? These people probably wouldn't hurt her. As the young lady of Totsuki, she lacked for nothing, but besides her secretary, Hisako Arato, she had no friends. As the owner of the God's Tongue and the scion of the Nakiri family, her peers either kept their distance out of respect or fawned over her obsequiously. When she wasn't doing food tastings, she was usually at home in her mansion reading light novels and manga. But even that got boring. This chat group seemed interesting.

Character Notes:

God's Tongue - Erina Nakiri (from Food Wars!)

Dian Mei Ruan - Ruan Mei (from Honkai: Star Rail)

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