133: Food ID

A week later, Lin Luo stood on a hill in the suburbs, overlooking the gradually sharpening silhouette of the city below.

He had changed into clean clothes, but the originally well-fitting cut was now tight everywhere. After seven days of continuous eating and transformation, his body had undergone a visible metamorphosis—his height was approaching two meters, and his muscular lines were smooth and full, as perfect as an ancient Greek sculpture. Even more amazing was the faint, shimmering glow flowing on the surface of his skin, as if a bright moon were hidden within his body. This was the outward manifestation of his gourmet cells reaching a significant level of activity: at this moment, deep in his chest cavity, a cluster of gourmet cells the size of a heart was pulsing regularly, with every contraction and expansion gently assimilating the surrounding ordinary cells.

This process was not painful; instead, it felt like being soaked in a hot spring, with a warm current spreading to every limb and bone with each heartbeat. He could clearly perceive his strength climbing at an alarming speed, and his five senses had become exceptionally sharp. The bustle of the distant city, the aroma of food floating in the air, and even the sound of water flowing in underground pipes were all clearly distinguishable.

As he stepped toward the city gate, the bluestone slabs beneath his feet made a subtle cracking sound. This brand-new body and this suddenly surging power still required time to adapt to.

Passersby at the city gate cast surprised looks one after another. In this world where gourmet cells were revered, the transformation of the physique was often the most direct manifestation of strength. A physique like Lin Luo's, which had clearly just completed its initial transformation, naturally drew everyone's attention.

“I need to find some well-fitting clothes first,” Lin Luo muttered to himself, his voice deeper than before. He could feel that the gourmet cells in his body were still working tirelessly, making this body tougher with every heartbeat.

However, as a newcomer, although his unusual appearance drew attention, it wasn't the top priority. His gaze turned toward the towering building deep in the city. To travel in this world, a legal identity was an indispensable passport. And the key to obtaining an identity lay in that World Gourmet Organization called the IGO.

“For now, I should first go to the IGO to register as a Gourmet Hunter and obtain my personal gourmet id.”

He set off, his tall figure weaving through the crowd. Even though he intentionally restrained himself, the natural luster and life pressure emanating from his high-quality gourmet cells still made surrounding pedestrians subconsciously give him space. Most eyes fell on his clothes, which were stretched tight by his powerful muscles, but there were also those with sharp eyes who focused on the extraordinary stability and coordination of his gait.

The IGO hall was bustling with people, and there were many applicants with the same goal as Lin Luo. People from all walks of life gathered here: some carried giant kitchenware, some wore strange protective suits, and some even brought domesticated gourmet creatures. In comparison, Lin Luo actually seemed quite ordinary.

Following the guide to the waiting area, Lin Luo began to fill out the basic information form. When it came to sensitive items like nationality, he skillfully tested the guide's reaction. Unexpectedly, the other party seemed accustomed to this; under his subtle inquiry, they directly provided the name of a country currently in a state of war, showing no intent to pry throughout the process and merely assisting in the information entry in a businesslike manner.

“Next, Mr. Lin Luo, please go to Testing Room 3,” a clear prompt came from the broadcast.

Lin Luo straightened his overly tight collar and walked toward the testing room. The real test was only beginning now.

The testing room was empty and simple, with silver-gray walls gleaming coldly. The space was mainly divided into three areas, corresponding to the core qualities of a Gourmet Hunter: Strength, Speed, and Consciousness.

The first item was the strength test. Lin Luo stood before a dynamometer wrapped in special black rubber and took a deep breath. The surging power he hadn't fully mastered rushed out like a bursting flood with a single punch.

“Boom!”

A dull, massive sound vibrated in the room. The dynamometer's values jumped wildly, finally freezing at a startling number, followed by a cold electronic voice:

“Punch force 1000KG, exceeds the test limit, pass!”

Next was the speed test. Standing on the special track, Lin Luo leaned forward slightly. The moment the countdown ended, he stepped out, his figure like an arrow leaving a bow, leaving a faint afterimage in place. The footage captured by the high-speed camera showed that every step contained explosive power.

“100 meters in 0.8 seconds, exceeds test standards, pass!”

Finally, there was the consciousness assessment. Dozens of launch ports suddenly popped out from every corner of the testing room, and dense test darts attacked from different angles, the sound of breaking air constant. Lin Luo didn't even need to use his Divine Sense; relying solely on his enhanced hearing and perception, a clear trajectory map of all the darts was constructed in his mind. He made subtle dodges within a limited range, and all the darts grazed past him without even touching the corner of his clothes.

“Consciousness reaction test, perfect evasion, pass!”

Three tests, three results exceeding standards. The staff member responsible for recording could not hide their surprise and solemnly marked the evaluation form with an “Excellent” rating.

Subsequently, Lin Luo was led to the adjacent information collection room. The equipment here was more sophisticated, and the air was filled with a faint scent of disinfectant mixed with ozone.

“Mr. Lin Luo, please proceed with the biological information collection in order.” The staff member's voice was calm and steady, as if they were already used to the startling data from the previous testing room.

Lin Luo cooperatively pressed his palm onto the fingerprint scanner flashing with a ghostly blue light, then aligned his eyes with the iris scanner. A soft red line swept across his pupils from top to bottom. Finally, he stood in the designated area, letting the 3D facial scanning System capture his facial features from multiple angles. The entire process was efficient and rapid, carrying a certain unquestionable official rigor.

“Information has been successfully entered into the IGO global database.” A moment later, a confirmation message popped up on the light screen in front of the staff member. He turned to Lin Luo with a formulaic smile, “Congratulations, Mr. Lin Luo. From now on, you are officially a registered Gourmet Hunter with the IGO, enjoying corresponding rights and required to fulfill agreed obligations.”

Before long, another staff member entered carrying a silver metal briefcase. The IGO emblem—a complex pattern composed of a knife, fork, the Earth, and olive branches—was branded on the surface of the case, gleaming coldly under the lights.

“This is the resource box prepared for you, containing a gourmet id card, a Gourmet Bracelet, a basic guide, an emergency communicator, and a newcomer resource pack. Specific information has been synced to your bracelet account.” The staff member handed over the box, their tone turning businesslike, “All procedures are finished; you may leave. I wish you a happy hunt and hope you contribute to the world's gourmet culture.”

Lin Luo took the box; the heavy weight and the cold metallic touch made him more truly realize the beginning of his new identity. He didn't open it on the spot, but merely nodded slightly and turned to walk toward the IGO hall exit.

Using the 100,000 yuan initial capital in the gourmet id account opened by the IGO, Lin Luo first purchased a well-fitting outfit.

Next, he followed the most enticing aroma in the air and ducked into a barbecue restaurant that looked quite prestigious. Under the dumbfounded gaze of the waiter, he leisurely finished off enough “Rock-Roasted Volcano Beef Ribs” for five people and enjoyed a “Three-Color Honey Fruit Mousse” for dessert. The cluster of gourmet cells in his body seemed to let out a satisfied sigh, and a warm current surged joyfully through his limbs and bones.

With his stomach full and dressed in comfortable new clothes, Lin Luo strolled into the city's flow of people. He had no clear destination, so he simply followed a simple principle—wherever there were many people, he would go.

He believed that in this city based on “food,” a gathering of people often meant that something interesting was happening: perhaps a new shop's limited-edition dish was coming out, perhaps it was an impromptu performance by a street gourmet, or perhaps... it was some other Opportunity related to “gourmet.”

His figure moved with the largest crowd, passing through the aroma-filled gourmet plaza, passing by neon-lit top-tier kitchenware stores, and finally being swept along by an increasingly dense and noisy flow of people to the edge of a huge open-air plaza.

The originally mixed refined aromas in the air were replaced here by a more primitive, savage, and vital scent. This was an open-air foreign trade market of staggering scale, more like a wild food ingredient expo.

Looking around, the massive site was divided into different areas. On one side were mountains of various fruits and vegetables, many of which were strange varieties Lin Luo had never seen before—eggplants with a metallic luster, grapes as translucent as gems, and even “Sleep Mushrooms” that were making slight snoring sounds.

What drew his attention more was another even more bustling area. That was the display area for Gourmet Hunters, where prey just captured from the wild was displayed directly: strange fish with multicolored scales and wide-open mouths; giant bulls covered in thick white hair; strange plants with bacon-like petals; giant cabbages emitting a sweet cream fragrance... The shouts of vendors and hunters, the bargaining of customers, and the unique cries and roars of various creatures intertwined into a vibrant street symphony.

Strolling through this noisy market, Lin Luo's gaze swept over the dazzling array of strange ingredients, and he soon caught sight of some familiar figures.

At a prominent stall, he saw the giant birds he had once captured. It turned out those ducks were called “Flying Ducks,” a name that was indeed fitting. Looking at the price tag, a single complete one was as high as over thirty million. Only then did he realize that what he had swallowed back then was such a valuable delicacy; no wonder the energy contained within was so abundant, directly driving the first qualitative change of the gourmet cells in his body.

Not far away, he saw the delicious “Red-Haired Pig” again, which sold for over fifty thousand per catty. Further away were some living creatures: the “Chocolate Cow,” shaped like moving chocolate, whose chocolate milk was being sold; and the “Marshmallow Sheep” with fur as fluffy as clouds, chewing on frosting shrubs, whose marshmallow wool was being sold. Without exception, the prices were all staggering.

After understanding the market conditions, Lin Luo did not stay long. After purchasing some outdoor equipment, he left the city and returned to the cave where he had lived for over a week.