Toriko: Gourmet Chat Group

Chapter 46: The God Tongue's Shock

"Hah... hah..."

Erina leaned on her knees, panting heavily, her rosy lips parted as she gasped for air. Her ample chest heaved dramatically. Stray strands of hair at her forehead and temples were plastered to her skin with sweat. Glistening beads of perspiration trickled down her cheeks, collecting at her chin before dripping to the floor.

Although she was physically exhausted, looking at the golden, shimmering Puffer Whale, a sense of satisfaction and emotion she hadn't felt in a long time welled up inside her. The last time she had felt this way was before her father's "training." This must have been what she had lost—the pure, emotional connection to cooking.

"Here, wipe your face," Kenji said, handing her a towel.

Erina gave him a grateful look and dabbed at the sweat on her face.

Her physical strength is too weak, Kenji thought. She had needed so much help just to prepare the Puffer Whale. Whether she was suitable as his partner was still up for debate. He had called her here to cook breakfast, but several days had passed. However, thanks to the vast amount of energy stored in his body, skipping a meal was no big deal. This had been a good test for Erina.

"I've never seen an ingredient that glows before," Erina said, the golden light of the Puffer Whale reflected in her violet eyes. A normal pufferfish didn't glow.

"An unpoisoned Puffer Whale sells for 100 million. Now, its value has increased fivefold."

Kenji explained that this kind of Puffer Whale was practically impossible to find on the market. Besides only spawning every ten years, the number of chefs who could perfectly prepare it could be counted on one hand. Erina's talent was decent, but she had taken too long. Komatsu had done it in half a day. She had taken several days, and that was with the help of a potion. The Puffer Whale was a relatively small ingredient. When faced with larger, special-preparation ingredients, Erina would probably be at a complete loss.

"It's worth the price," she said. Although she didn't know the price standards of this world, she was certain that in her own world, a wealthy person would pay a fortune for it.

"I'll leave the cooking to you," Kenji said, returning to the sofa.

Erina didn't start right away. It was her first time handling such a top-tier ingredient; she needed to think carefully about how to prepare it. After a few minutes of contemplation, she made her decision. The fish meat would be made into sashimi, the organs would be pan-fried in the Puffer Whale's own fat, and the dorsal fin and skin would be used to make a rich soup. For a top-tier ingredient like this, no available seasoning could possibly enhance its exquisite flavor.

The translucent sashimi was arranged on a bed of ice, the cold making the flesh even firmer and more springy. The organs were pan-fried to a light golden brown, releasing a rich aroma. The Puffer Whale soup was a creamy, milky white.

Kenji licked his lips. He had only ever had the sashimi, as their conditions at the Cave Beach had been limited.

"So sweet..."

Erina picked up a few slices of sashimi and chewed them slowly. An indescribably sweet flavor flooded her mouth, growing more intense the more she chewed. She chewed with such gusto that her jaw muscles began to ache slightly, but it was an addictive sensation. She couldn't stop.

Erina closed her eyes. She felt as if she were swimming in a bikini in the deep sea, surrounded by countless lively Puffer Whales. It was a flavor as deep and bottomless as the ocean, bringing a supreme sense of bliss to her God's Tongue. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. It was delicious; the God's Tongue could find no fault with this ingredient.

"?!"

The moment she swallowed the fish, her eyes snapped open. The fatigue from preparing the Puffer Whale was completely gone, and her body felt filled with an inexhaustible strength. Every cell seemed to be overflowing with joy.

"Mmm~"

Erina's red lips parted slightly, letting out a seductive moan. Her legs began to rub together. The deliciousness had triggered a subtle, involuntary reaction in her body.

"Ahem..."

Erina came back to her senses, realizing her own behavior. Her cheeks flushed a deep red. So embarrassing! If she hadn't seen that anime before, she wouldn't have thought much of it. But now, she couldn't look at such a shameful display in the same way.

"How was it?" Kenji asked, silently chanting a calming mantra. As a hot-blooded young man, that sensual scene had been a bit stimulating. A fire was burning in his lower abdomen. His "little brother" was now standing at attention. Erina's reaction was just too lewd. Sinful, sinful. Seeing it in the anime and seeing it in real life were two completely different things.

"It was a dreamlike flavor. There are no ingredients in our world that can compare," Erina said with sincere emotion. And this was just the sashimi. For a raw ingredient to possess such flavor... she felt that any seasoning would only detract from the experience.

"Even when a Puffer Whale is poisoned, its taste doesn't change. If people only had the chance to eat the poisoned ones, how many do you think would eat it?"

Kenji ladled some soup for himself. It was fresh and savory, full of collagen, and more fragrant and delicious than any fish soup he had ever had before, as if it embodied the profound flavor of the sea.

"There would definitely be people who would eat it," Erina said after a moment of thought. If the taste didn't change, then even with the deadly poison, many people would probably risk it. To hear the Tao in the morning, one can die in the evening without regret.

"By the way, the organs of the Puffer Whale have nourishing and strengthening properties, even more so than the sashimi. You should try it, Erina. After all, a chef needs stamina too."

"Mm," Erina nodded, picking up a piece of the organ and putting it in her mouth. If the sashimi was sweet, then the liver was rich and mellow. Energy began to surge through her. She felt like she could go for days without sleep and still have boundless energy. A warm current flowed through her body, and she could clearly feel herself being nourished. Although it didn't instantly make her incredibly strong, the effect was very noticeable.

"Are there many ingredients as delicious as the Puffer Whale?" Erina asked curiously.

Kenji spread his arms wide and said with a smile, "This is the world of gourmet. The entire Earth, no, the entire universe is filled with an endless variety of delicious ingredients. The Puffer Whale is delicious, but there are countless ingredients that are even more so."

"You're worried about your God's Tongue talent, aren't you?"

Erina nodded. Because of her talent, she could already feel that ordinary ingredients no longer moved her God's Tongue.

"Logically speaking, the God's Tongue is a talent, an ability. That means it can be controlled, not just a passive skill."

The reason owners of the God's Tongue became so desperate for flavor that they eventually lost their ability to eat was because they couldn't control their talent. The God's Tongue was just a hyper-sensitive sense of taste. If it could be fully controlled, it could be turned on and off at will, and their normal sense of taste would be no different from an ordinary person's.

Erina was stunned. The God's Tongue can be controlled?

"Don't be so surprised. You've joined the chat group. It's time to broaden your horizons."

"Then how do I control it?" Erina asked expectantly.

"I don't know. I'll ask someone for you later."

Kenji's Master Setsuno was a Living National Gourmet Treasure. She had surely met people with highly developed senses of taste. He would ask her when they met.

"Thank you," Erina said gratefully.

Kenji waved it off. "It's nothing." Even if it couldn't be controlled, if she wanted to continue pursuing delicious flavors, this world could satisfy the God's Tongue. After all, the ingredients on Earth were countless, not to mention the vast and boundless universe.

~~~

We cross the 1300 power stone goal and as promise here the bonus chapter

Next goal 1400 power stone, good luck guys.

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