134: Ten Dreams

Returning to the familiar cave, Lin Luo did not relax in the slightest. He knew all too well that if he could not wield his suddenly acquired power like his own limbs, it would eventually become a fatal flaw.

In the following days, he immersed his entire mind in mastering this brand-new body. Every maneuver and every punch integrated his skyrocketing strength and speed into his very marrow. He moved between hundred-meter cliffs and traversed the depths of dense forests; his Divine Sense spread out like a spider web, capturing the trajectory of every falling leaf; his five senses were heightened to the extreme, such that even the faintest scent in the wind could not escape him.

Under day after day of tempering, his control over his strength became increasingly refined. The shimmering light flowing beneath his skin gradually turned inward, settling from its initial outward sharpness into a deep, hidden foundation.

The assimilation of gourmet cells had already covered seventy percent of his body, bringing with it an astonishing appetite and digestive power. Ordinary food could no longer satisfy this hunger; only the delicious substances contained within high-risk creatures certified by the IGO could fill that bottomless void of energy.

According to IGO standards, a Rank 1 creature requires ten armed adults to handle. Even with a Red-Haired Pig of this Rank, Lin Luo needed to hunt at least two just to barely stave off hunger. To truly be full, he would probably need a Rank 15 Flying Duck.

However, the rewards brought by this power were equally stunning—now, he could knock a Red-Haired Pig unconscious with his bare hands alone.

At first, he still had to use the terrain to maneuver. It wasn't until a tentative strike where he used no techniques, simply condensing his full strength into his fist and delivering a plain, unadorned punch.

“Bang!”

The dull sound of impact was like a heavy hammer striking thick leather. That adult Red-Haired Pig, weighing tons and capable of snapping giant trees when charging, came to a dead halt. Its massive body swayed, its limbs went weak, and it collapsed with a boom. Its sharp tusks were only half a foot away from Lin Luo's trouser leg, and the fierce light remaining in its cloudy pupils had been replaced by bewilderment.

That evening, Lin Luo hunted another plump Red-Haired Pig. A campfire was lit, and the prepared pig leg turned slowly over the flames. The succulent meat sizzled under the roasting, and golden fat dripped into the fire, releasing bursts of tempting aroma.

Just as the roast meat was about to reach its peak flavor and Lin Luo was fully concentrated on that enticing scent, a sharp cry suddenly tore through the sky!

A wild wind swept the ground, and a massive shadow pressed down like a dark cloud—it was an exceptionally majestic giant bird, its wingspan blotting out the sun. Five thick tails behind it shimmered in the setting sun, exuding the sharp killing intent unique to birds of prey.

The Five-Tailed Great Vulture!

It was clearly attracted by the aroma of the high-quality roast meat, its sharp gaze locked tightly onto Lin Luo below and the piece of meat in his hand that was about to be cooked.

Facing the sudden attack, Lin Luo's eyes narrowed slightly, but he showed no signs of panic. At the instant the sharp claws were about to touch his body, his figure flickered, leaving only a faint afterimage in place.

The giant bird's claw missed, its sharp talons leaving several deep gouges in the stony ground by the campfire.

Meanwhile, Lin Luo had appeared at the giant bird's side. Exerting force through his feet, his body soared into the sky like a cannonball! He used no fancy techniques, simply condensing the surging power within his body into his right fist and delivering a simple, direct punch!

“Bang!”

A dull thud echoed, and the air vibrated. The force of the punch slammed accurately into the side of the Five-Tailed Great Vulture's neck. The giant bird let out a cry of pain, its massive body losing balance and crashing to the ground like a kite with a broken string, kicking up a cloud of dust. After struggling twice, it stopped moving.

Lin Luo landed lightly, looking at this giant bird that was even more extraordinary than the Flying Duck he had hunted before, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

“With this quality, it should fetch a good price.”

He quickly finished enjoying the roasted Red-Haired Pig leg to satisfy the craving of his gourmet cells. Then, he carefully processed the Five-Tailed Great Vulture's carcass, draining its blood before properly placing it by the campfire.

The next morning, carrying the conspicuous Five-Tailed Great Vulture, Lin Luo returned to that noisy open-air foreign trade market. Unlike last time, he had a clear goal this time, heading straight for the larger and more powerful stalls.

The appearance of the Five-Tailed Great Vulture immediately caused a small commotion. Merchants who knew their goods gathered around, their bids rising one after another.

“Young man, this Five-Tailed Great Vulture is of really good quality. I’ll offer ten million!”

“I’ll give fifteen million! This price is absolutely fair!”

“Eighteen million! I need it urgently!”

Lin Luo was in no hurry to agree. Instead, he calmly observed the expressions of each merchant, making a quick assessment in his mind. Just then, a smiling voice broke in:

“Everyone, could you let me chat with this brother for a moment first?”

The crowd automatically parted, and a young man wearing casual clothes with a bright smile and somewhat sun-darkened skin walked over. Though he wasn't old, his eyes were shrewd and his demeanor composed.

“Brother, nice skills.” After approaching, the man glanced appreciatively at the fatal fist print on the side of the Five-Tailed Great Vulture's neck, then looked at Lin Luo. “Let's get acquainted. My name is Tommy. I'm a wholesaler, specializing in the trade of rare wild ingredients like this. For this Five-Tailed Great Vulture of yours, I’ll offer twenty million. In the future, if you have other catches, you can consider coming to me first. The price will definitely be fair.”

Lin Luo could feel that Tommy was different from the other merchants who were eager to drive the price down; his gaze was more long-term, and his attitude was more sincere. There was a unique aura about him, a composure that naturally formed from years of dealing with people and accumulating deep connections and credibility.

“Lin Luo.” He briefly gave his name, then asked: “Mr. Tommy, I accept this price. Also, I’m a bit curious, where do prey like this, which often cost over a hundred million, usually flow to in the market?”

Seeing Lin Luo so straightforward, Tommy's smile became even more sincere. While gesturing for his subordinates to come over to take delivery and process the transfer, he explained patiently:

“Brother Lin Luo must be a newcomer, right? For something at the level of a Five-Tailed Great Vulture, ordinary restaurants simply can't afford it. It mainly flows to the core kitchens of major Gourmet Hotels, the private chefs of certain wealthy individuals, or... some institutions under the IGO. Especially this one of yours—killed in one blow and preserved so perfectly, its value is even higher.”

He paused, lowering his voice and speaking with the intent of making a friend:

“I see that you have extraordinary strength, brother. You’ll surely be able to capture even higher-grade ingredients in the future. Here is my contact information. If you have any good goods later, or if you need something that’s hard to find on the market, you can find me anytime. I can't say much else, but in terms of intelligence and channels, I have some ways.”

Lin Luo took the business card Tommy handed over, knowing that he had preliminarily opened up an important resource channel. This Tommy was well-informed and had extensive connections, making him exactly the kind of partner he needed most right now.

“Good, a pleasure doing business with you.” Lin Luo tucked away the business card and nodded.

After selling the Five-Tailed Great Vulture, the extra funds in his account made Lin Luo feel much more secure. He made a special trip to the central mall and carefully selected a complete set of pots and tableware. After living in the wild for a long time, he increasingly realized the importance of these seemingly ordinary utensils—without them, even the best ingredients would find it difficult to display their proper flavor.

Returning to the wild, relying on his strengthened physical fitness and newly acquired tools, Lin Luo soon built a sturdy wooden cabin on a clearing near a water source. This allowed him to completely bid farewell to the primitive life of 'using the sky as a blanket and the earth as a bed,' finally having a decent place to stay.

After settling down, he carefully planned his next moves. The most urgent task was to capture more prey that Tommy needed as soon as possible. This was not only to accumulate funds but also to deepen his connection with this wholesaler through frequent transactions. He knew clearly that in this gourmet-centric world, a network like Tommy's was the key bridge for him to find those 'Tōtsuki students.'

The Tōtsuki students who could be brought here by the world's consciousness were mostly people with special culinary skills. According to the sayings of this world, such people were usually favored by the Gourmet God and had excellent Food Luck, rarely meeting with accidents midway. As long as he could lock down their whereabouts through Tommy's network, finding them shouldn't be difficult.

With a clear goal, Lin Luo's efficiency was extremely high. He was no longer satisfied with acting only in the area around the cave; instead, relying on his increasingly powerful strength, he pushed cautiously but firmly into more dangerous, undeveloped regions.

In the following days, the quality of the ingredients he hunted improved visibly. Although there were no rare surprises like the Five-Tailed Great Vulture, the prey he brought back—whether it was the thick tenderloin of a 'Fang Bison' or the tender ribs of a 'Rock-Armored Goat'—were all full of energy and of superior meat quality. Furthermore, they were all processed cleanly and presented perfectly according to the standards Tommy had mentioned before.

His transactions with Tommy became increasingly frequent. Every few days, Lin Luo would appear in the market with a new harvest—sometimes rare mushrooms, sometimes fierce beasts. Tommy's trust in him grew by the day, and the prices he gave were always fair, even frequently offering bonuses to show his sincerity for a long-term partnership.

After several transactions, the relationship between the two had surpassed that of ordinary buyers and sellers. Every time the payment was settled, Tommy would always warmly invite him to sit in the small tavern next to the market. At the wooden table surrounded by the aroma of malt, their conversations gradually deepened. Tommy would reveal some industry news: which areas' seasonal ingredients were about to rise in price, which newly-emerged hunter had become famous in one battle, and which restricted areas had seen unusual activity recently.

On this day, Lin Luo brought an extremely plump 'Marsh Giant Frog,' whose bulging vocal sacs were excellent material for making top-tier clear soup. After Tommy inspected the goods, a look of satisfaction flashed in his eyes. After efficiently settling the payment, the two went to their usual tavern as was their custom.

Tommy took a sip of wine and looked at Lin Luo thoughtfully: “Your recent harvests have been getting more and more special, brother. To be honest, with your strength and growth speed, your future achievements will be limitless.”

Lin Luo swirled the golden liquid in his glass, smiling without a word.

Tommy leaned forward and lowered his voice: “After spending time together these days, I feel that you will definitely become a standout among hunters. If there's anything you need help with, feel free to say so.”

Lin Luo knew the time had come. He put down his glass and said seriously: “There is indeed something I’d like to ask of you. I want you to help me find a group of people... they are newcomers, but they all possess extraordinary culinary talent.” He paused slightly and added: “They all come from ‘Tōtsuki,’ though I don’t know if they still use that name here.”

A light of understanding flashed in Tommy's eyes, and he lightly tapped the table: “Tōtsuki? Never heard the name. However, as for information related to chefs, I have quite a few channels on my end. I’ve noted it down and will mobilize my connections to help find them.”

Lin Luo smiled gratefully and raised his glass: “I’ll remember this favor. In the future, when I capture rare ingredients, the first person I think of will definitely be you.”

Tommy laughed: “Then I’ll have to get serious about finding those people.”