137: Cave Maze

The train came to a halt, and Lin Luo's group of four arrived at the legendary Beach Cave the next morning. A crowd of Gourmet Hunters had already gathered at the entrance, all with a surprisingly singular goal—the "Puffer Whale," a dream delicacy with a market price of five hundred million. However, the path to this deliciousness was shrouded in the shadow of death: the survival rate for this cave was only one in a thousand.

The sole entrance was like the greedy, gaping maw of a giant beast, leading to an underground labyrinth stretching dozens of kilometers and reaching depths of eight hundred meters. The end of the passage connected to a sandy bay that met the deep sea, which was the spawning ground for the Puffer Whales. Since it was nearly impossible to reach the sandy bay directly from a depth of a thousand meters, traversing this "Death Labyrinth" became the only way.

Even more terrifyingly, various ferocious creatures lurked within the labyrinth. The most fearsome among them was the Demon Great Serpent, a Hellish Demonic Beast with a capture Rank of 21.

"Remember," Coco said, looking around at everyone with a grave voice, "the price of getting separated here might be staying in this labyrinth forever."

Everyone felt a chill in their hearts upon hearing this and nodded solemnly.

Amidst the scene, one figure stood out from the tense atmosphere—Tina, a broadcaster for Gourmet TV. Wearing a safety helmet, she was enthusiastically live-streaming to the camera:

"Hello, everyone! I'm Tina from Gourmet TV, bringing you a live report from the front of the cave where the Puffer Whales spawn!" She pointed to the bottomless cave behind her and continued her explanation while holding a diagram. "Gourmet Hunters are about to enter this death cave with a survival rate of only 0.1%. Their goal is the Puffer Whale, which has a market retail price of five hundred million yen!"

During the live stream, the balloon pigeon on her shoulder, Kruppo, suddenly pecked through the diagram. Half of its body emerged as it chirped incessantly in a certain direction.

Tina looked in that direction, and her eyes immediately lit up—Toriko's group was walking toward the entrance.

She immediately jogged forward, her tone cheerful. "Toriko! I knew you'd come!" Upon getting closer, she recognized Coco with even more surprise. "Oh my god, is that Mr. Coco of the Four Heavenly Kings? This is great, a super exclusive!" She raised her camera to take a photo.

Coco raised a hand to stop her. "Please stop, I don't like being photographed."

The camera lens then turned to Lin Luo. Tina had no impression of this face, but anyone who could travel with Toriko and Coco was definitely not to be underestimated. Lin Luo wasn't as resistant as Coco; instead, he felt that if he could enter the public eye through the live stream, perhaps his old acquaintances from Tōtsuki would take the initiative to find him.

"Alright, let's head out!" Toriko's booming voice rang out as he took the lead toward the cave.

Komatsu quickly followed behind him.

Tina seized the opportunity to request, "Viewers all over the world are eager to know what kind of ingredient the Puffer Whale is. Please take me with you; I want to bring everyone a first-hand report myself!"

Coco was about to refuse, but Toriko agreed readily. "If you want to come, then keep up. There's no day like today, and any other day is a funeral day."

Coco looked at Lin Luo, hoping he would dissuade her. Lin Luo smiled and said, "Since Young Miss Tina is already prepared, let her come along. As long as she stays close to us, there won't be much risk."

His gaze quietly swept over Tina—indeed, no Death Shadow appeared, so he also nodded in agreement to her joining.

Having received permission, Tina was overjoyed. She reported non-stop along the way, her lively presence like a lark adding a bit of Life Qi to the oppressive journey.

Inside the pitch-black cave, several people moved forward slowly by the light of their headlamps. The equipment Tina provided became an important reliance for illuminating the darkness.

"Komatsu, stay close to me. Whatever you do, don't leave my side," Coco reminded him.

"Okay," Komatsu agreed verbally, but his eyes were curiously looking around. Suddenly, as if he had discovered something, he rushed out of the group and exclaimed, "Oh! It's crunchy mushrooms!" After saying that, he crouched down to pick and taste them.

As soon as Toriko heard about food, he immediately followed excitedly, grabbed a handful, and stuffed them into his mouth. "Mmm~ this layered, snapping texture is amazing!"

Seeing the team instantly fall apart, Coco had a helpless look on his face. "They've already started acting on their own. They didn't take my warning to heart at all; they're not cautious in the least."

Lin Luo chuckled. "Relax a bit, Coco." After saying that, he gestured for him to try some too. Coco nodded helplessly—he couldn't help but be nervous; Komatsu's crisis hadn't been averted yet.

crunchy mushrooms belong to the Tricholomataceae family of the Basidiomycota, same as Matsutake. As the name suggests, they make a crisp sound when eaten raw and have a hard texture, but they soften after being blanched. However, because of the "this texture is quite good" evaluation, the practice of eating them raw is more popular. crunchy mushroom skewers with a bit of salt and pepper are a classic snack at izakayas.

Komatsu's timely scientific explanation introduced Lin Luo to another new ingredient. Although it wasn't a dangerous ingredient, the taste and texture of eating it raw were indeed unique, carrying a special aroma.

Tina was now fully utilizing her professional skills as a broadcaster, holding her camera and constantly recording footage. "Viewers, what you see now are crunchy mushrooms!"

Just then, a burst of ragged breathing came from behind. Tina turned around and saw a large, savage-looking face, and she screamed in terror. Looking closely, it was actually Sunny, who had argued with Toriko on the train!

Tina's scream caused Sunny's two lackeys to hug each other and scream along.

"Don't treat me like a monster!" Sunny roared, then turned to his lackeys. "Why are even you two afraid?!"

Having calmed down, Tina quickly apologized and asked, "Are you Gourmet Hunters too? Coming out of the cave, have you already caught the Puffer Whale?"

Sunny immediately put on a confident expression and boasted, "Haha, that's right, we've already reached the beach! Now the adventure is over, and we're returning in triumph."

Tina excitedly raised her camera. "Really? Quick, let me see the Puffer Whale! This is a super exclusive!"

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from deep within the cave. Sunny's bald lackey turned his head and saw dots of red light rapidly approaching in the darkness—

"Sun... Lord Sunny, they're here!" After saying that, he turned and fled.

In the next moment, giant centipedes appeared where they had just been standing. Those red lights were exactly the centipedes' eyes.

Sunny, Tina, and the others were so scared they fled toward the cave entrance.

"So disgusting, this cave is too disgusting!" Sunny complained while running.

Tina, however, remained professional, pointing her camera at Sunny and pressing him, "Where's the Puffer Whale? Bring it out and let me see!"

Toriko, who was tasting the mushrooms, saw Sunny and greeted him with a smile. "Huh? Isn't this Zombie-bro? You're looking energetic!"

Sunny corrected him while fleeing, "My name is Sunny, not Zombie!"

Tina also shouted for help. Lin Luo couldn't help but laugh at the sight—why was she running with them too? Spotting an opening, he pulled Tina back to his side. This broadcaster, who could help him gain fame, couldn't be allowed to deviate from the route with Sunny.

Komatsu asked worriedly, "Is it okay like this? What if they get poisoned?"

Coco answered for him, "Don't worry, I've observed them. Those people don't show a Death Shadow; they should be able to escape the cave safely."

Tina complained, still shaken, "If it weren't for Mr. Lin Luo, I would have been led astray by them. My report would have been ruined again..."

Lin Luo reminded her with a light laugh, "You can't relax from now on. Make sure to follow our footsteps closely. The road ahead will only get more dangerous..."

Tina nodded seriously, set up her camera again, and regained her professional posture.

After confirming the others were fine, Komatsu continued to collect Crunchy Mushrooms—though most had already been devoured by Toriko.

Afterward, the group continued toward the depths of the cave. The deeper they went, the narrower the passage became. The formation gradually adjusted to Coco and Toriko leading the way, Komatsu and Tina in the middle, and Lin Luo bringing up the rear to prevent accidents.

Seeing the passage grow narrower, with the rock walls almost brushing their shoulders, Komatsu couldn't help but sigh, "The cave is really getting narrower and narrower."

Lin Luo responded briefly, "Indeed."

Toriko sniffed, the faint salty fishiness in the air making his spirits rise. "The passage is narrow, but the direction is correct. I can already smell the faint scent of the tide. We're very close to the destination."

Komatsu praised sincerely, "Mr. Toriko's sense of smell is still so amazing!"

He changed the subject, looking at the composed figure at the front of the group. "But Mr. Coco doesn't even use a flashlight and can move easily in the darkness; that's even more enviable."

Toriko turned his head to explain, "From infrared to weak ultraviolet, Coco can see spectra that humans cannot see."

Coco turned back upon hearing this, his purple eyes shimmering in the dimness. "The number of visual cells in my eyes is hundreds of times that of a normal person. Even in darkness like this, my vision is as clear as day."

Hearing these words, Lin Luo touched his chin thoughtfully. If that was the case, he wondered if he could also obtain Coco's ability through targeted modification of his eyes using gourmet cells.

He tried to mobilize the cells in his eyeballs. Fortunately, his current body's modification was entirely guided by him, so fine-tuning control over specific areas wasn't as difficult as climbing to heaven.

As the gourmet cells in his eyeballs proliferated, he began to consciously devour and strengthen them to prevent uncontrollable mutations. Gradually, the effect also applied to his vision. Indeed, the range of his visible area increased significantly, but he still couldn't see spectra invisible to humans.

However, this also proved that this direction was feasible. After verifying this point, he temporarily stopped the experiment.

Toriko added, "Not only that, Coco can also see electromagnetic waves that ordinary people cannot see."

Coco nodded. "When fortune-telling, I predict the future through the color, shape, and quantity of electromagnetic waves emitted by the human body."

Komatsu immediately became excited, hopping backward while shouting, "Then please look at my future! I'll definitely become a first-class chef, right?"

Coco's gaze subconsciously followed the electromagnetic waves flowing around Komatsu, but his pupils suddenly contracted—the light behind Komatsu was rapidly darkening.

"No..." Alarm bells rang in his heart. "Komatsu! Stop!" Coco's warning burst out.

Almost simultaneously, Komatsu also realized he had stepped into empty air.

"Ah—!"

Behind him was actually a bottomless pit! His whole body instantly lost balance and fell downward.

At the critical moment, a figure was as fast as lightning—Lin Luo, who had been on guard at the end of the line, suddenly leaned forward, precisely grabbed Komatsu's wrist, and pulled him back by force.

Komatsu, having survived the ordeal, sat paralyzed on the ground, cold sweat soaking his back. "I'm saved! Th-thank you so much!"

"It's my duty," Lin Luo said in a stern tone. "Do you know how dangerous that was just now? This cave is full of hidden dangers. If you're this reckless again, you might not be so lucky next time!"

"S-sorry..." Komatsu was about to apologize when a rustling sound suddenly came from below the pit, making one's hair stand on end.

"Mr. Lin Luo, there seems to be something down there..." Komatsu's voice trembled.

Lin Luo also heard that ominous movement and was about to pull him back—

"Ah—!"

A shrill scream came from above! Everyone looked up to see a Gourmet Hunter falling straight down from an opening above, landing right into that deep pit.