156: Go back

Komatsu watched the battle intently, when he suddenly caught an unusually strong scent.

"Huh? What is this smell..."

Hiss—

Pink gas suddenly erupted from the special pipes surrounding the Beast Fighting Arena!

"Pfft—!" Mansam spat out the mouthful of alcohol he had just taken. He grabbed the walkie-talkie and roared irritably: "Ling! What the hell are you doing?! Why did you spray 'Battle Perfume'?!"

Ling's panicked voice came through the walkie-talkie: "S-sorry, Director! I made a mistake! I meant to spray the tranquilizer... I pressed the wrong button!"

However, it was too late. The thick Battle Perfume quickly filled the arena. The scent, capable of intensely stimulating the biological fighting instinct and ferocity, instantly eroded the sanity of the four people inside!

"Roar—!!" Crimson or violent light flashed in the eyes of Toriko, Sunny, and Coco almost simultaneously, and the phantom images of their respective Gourmet Devil manifested uncontrollably behind them! The three intertwined, terrifying pressures pressed down toward Lin Luo like a tangible wave!

"Now this is exciting!" Feeling unprecedented pressure, Lin Luo was not alarmed but delighted. A burning Battle Intent ignited in his eyes; instead of retreating, he advanced, rushing straight into the pressure!

Boom!

He withstood the giant fist condensed by Sunny's Gourmet Devil, his body swaying slightly.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!

Toriko seized the opening, and his Nail Punch landed solidly on Lin Luo's back! The combined, terrifying force instantly shattered the protective halo on his body!

Pfft!

Coco's paralysis toxin landed precisely on Lin Luo's arm, which was exposed due to the struggle!

"Damn it!" Lin Luo felt half of his body instantly lose sensation, and his movements stalled.

How could the three of them let this excellent opportunity pass? Their fierce attacks fell like a storm!

Bang, bang, bang, bang!

Lin Luo's body was struck repeatedly like a punching bag, eventually slamming hard into the rock wall with a dull, heavy thud.

Just as Toriko roared and prepared to deliver the final blow—Hum!

Behind Lin Luo, the phantom of eight feet turned from ethereal to solid, appearing calmly before everyone. She simply brushed her hand gently, and a soft yet irresistible force sent the rushing Toriko flying backward, crashing heavily into the pouncing Sunny, and the two rolled into a heap.

Immediately after, a dot of warm white light from her fingertip entered Lin Luo's body, and the overbearing paralysis toxin was instantly purified and dispersed, the numbness fading away.

eight feet slowly opened her mouth, emitting a series of ethereal and strange "po-po" sounds. This sound had no offensive nature, but carried a higher-level, purer, and sacred majesty, like a clear spring washing away filth, instantly overpowering the violent intimidation emitted by the three Gourmet Devil!

Just as Lin Luo regained his mobility and prepared to counterattack—Hiss...

A cool, refreshing mist with a faint floral scent descended from the sky, quickly spreading and sweeping away the hot, restless atmosphere of the previous Battle Perfume.

Ling switched the nozzle in a panic in the control room and finally released the tranquilizer! The perfectly timed cool fragrance, like a splash of cold water, instantly extinguished the fighting desire that had been forcibly ignited by the perfume.

The red light in the eyes of Toriko, Sunny, and Coco quickly faded, the demon phantoms slowly disappeared, and sanity returned. They looked at each other, then at Lin Luo, who walked out of the crater in the wall with some dust on him but a steady aura, and the holy phantom fading behind him, all of them stunned for a moment.

Inside the Beast Fighting Arena, there was only a mess left, the gradually calming energy ripples, Mansam's helpless sigh in the stands, and the faithful "click" of Tina's camera.

Toriko collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily, and gave Lin Luo a thumbs up: "I'm convinced! Totally convinced! You're really strong now!"

Coco adjusted his collar and nodded in agreement: "If this weren't a sparring match, but a real fight to the death... the three of us would probably be defeated very quickly. Lin Luo, your current strength is unfathomable."

Sunny leaned in, looking curious, his eyes shining as he stared at Lin Luo: "Hey, hey, that 'existence' residing inside you... what exactly is its background? It's ridiculously strong! It's not like a newly awakened appetite demon at all!"

Toriko felt the same way, his tone carrying a hint of a warning: "Yeah, the power is terrifying. But Lin Luo, the more powerful the appetite demon, the greater the impact and risk of backlash on the host as it continues to recover. You must be careful."

Lin Luo smiled, his tone calm and filled with a bit of confidence: "My situation is a bit special. But I've noted your warning, and I'll be careful." He glanced at the messy Beast Fighting Arena and changed the subject: "Alright, we've finished sparring. It's about time for me to leave."

"Leave?" Toriko was taken aback.

"Yeah," Lin Luo nodded, "I promised Tommy before that I would bring him a Puffer Whale. It's time to fulfill that promise."

Upon hearing this, Toriko immediately jumped up from the ground and patted the dust off his body: "That's perfect! I was planning to leave the research institute today to take care of some things anyway. We're going the same way, let's go together!"

Coco smiled slightly: "I won't be traveling with you. I still have some things to handle. We'll meet again, let's gather when we have time."

Sunny was still looking distressed at his hair tips, which were a bit messy from being too excited during the fight. Upon hearing this, he waved his hand: "I'm going to the Healing Country to properly maintain my hair!"

After the four of them high-fived and smiled at each other, all the tacit understanding and friendship were unspoken.

Walking out of the Beast Fighting Arena, they expressed their intention to leave to Director Mansam.

Mansam slapped Lin Luo on the shoulder hard and laughed heartily: "Kid Lin, don't forget, you're one of us in the IGO now! Just like Toriko and the others, this is your home too! Come back and visit often!"

Lin Luo smiled and nodded in agreement. Afterward, the group headed to the tarmac. Unexpectedly, Johannes, who had brought them there, was already waiting there.

Johannes smiled and explained to the surprised group: "Don't misunderstand, it just so happens that I'm also heading back to headquarters, so I'll give you a lift on the way!"

After working for so long, they were finally on their way back, and everyone felt a sense of relief and joy. Only Tina was wilted, like an eggplant hit by frost—although the camera was returned to her, all the footage and photos of the inside of the research institute had been "technically processed" to be completely clean, and her dream of an exclusive report was shattered.

...

Gourmet Market.

As usual, Tommy was looking after his ingredient stall while eagerly scanning the Gourmet Hunters coming in and out, hoping to find some rare goods. After wandering around for half a day with nothing to show for it, he couldn't help but sigh: "Sigh, another day with no harvest..."

"Maybe today will be different!" A familiar voice suddenly rang in his ear.

Tommy turned his head abruptly, his eyes lighting up instantly: "Lin Luo?! You finally came back!"

Lin Luo greeted him with a smile: "Yo, Tommy. I've brought back quite a lot of that thing you wanted."

Tommy hurriedly pulled Lin Luo and trotted all the way back to his quiet warehouse. Lin Luo took out the refrigerated ingredient box he was carrying and opened it, revealing several well-preserved fresh Puffer Whale inside!

"You've been a huge help, Lin Luo!" Tommy was pleasantly surprised and carefully examined this rare, dreamlike ingredient.

"That's not all," Lin Luo smiled and took out another small, exquisite ingredient box, "I also prepared an extra one for you... a Puffer Whale that has already been processed."

"Processed?!" Tommy's voice was slightly off-key with excitement. That was a top-tier ingredient worth hundreds of millions, something he had dreamed of but never seen with his own eyes, let alone tasted!

He carefully opened the box, and a golden light and ultimate umami flavor gushed out simultaneously, making him hold his breath instantly. "Th-this quality... it looks like I'll have to sell everything I own to pay for it."

Lin Luo laughed and waved his hand: "What are you talking about? It's a gift for you. These are all for you."

"That won't do!" Tommy shook his head immediately, "Business is business, friendship is friendship! It should be paid for accordingly!"

"Enough, that's settled!" Lin Luo's tone was unquestionable, "I'm still waiting for your 'news'." For him now, the Puffer Whale was not particularly rare, and he had enough money for the time being. If he really needed it, he could just take a "stroll" in the wild and earn a lot of money. In this world, for a true powerhouse, there are simply too many ways to make money.

Seeing Lin Luo's firm attitude, Tommy stopped being bashful. To continue being coy would be to fail to live up to this kindness and friendship. He said seriously: "I haven't forgotten the thing you asked me to do. It took a lot of effort to find out—Setsunos Diner is going to reopen soon! And, I've contacted that old acquaintance, and he agreed to help. I'll call him over in a few days, it should work!"

An expression of longing appeared on his face: "Setsunos Diner's cuisine... Lin Luo, if you get to eat it, you have to tell me what kind of heavenly taste it is when you get back!"

Lin Luo smiled helplessly: "Actually, it doesn't have to be that troublesome. I just need to know the business hours. After all, I'm just looking for someone, not going to taste the national treasure of gourmet's cooking!"

"No way!" Tommy patted his chest and guaranteed, "If I say you can eat there, you will definitely be able to! Even if I have to shamelessly beg, I will get you a seat at Setsunos Diner! Otherwise, how could I live up to these Puffer Whale of yours!" He grabbed Lin Luo's shoulder firmly, in high spirits, "Let's go, let's go! Let's go to the bar for a drink! My treat today, we won't stop until we're drunk!"

The two drank until very late. Because he was too happy, Tommy was wobbly from drinking, and his steps were unstable when they parted.

Lin Luo, however, remained sober. With his current strength, it was almost impossible for ordinary alcohol to make him drunk.

After confirming the direction of his home, he walked to an open area and exerted a little force under his feet.

"Whoosh—!!" His whole body shot up into the sky like a cannonball, instantly hanging in the night sky. After slightly adjusting his direction, his figure turned into a stream of light that was difficult for the naked eye to capture, piercing the sky like an arrow off a bowstring, even cutting through the thick clouds to reveal the brilliant galaxy behind.

In just a moment, the familiar outline of the jungle appeared below. He slowed down and landed lightly in front of his small wooden house, where he hadn't returned in a long time.

After a short rest, Lin Luo quietly strolled to the grass beside the cabin.

Under the moonlight, the Chocolate Cow was leisurely grazing on wild grass, while the Cotton Candy Sheep were slowly pacing, making faint "poof-poof" sounds; everything seemed peaceful and serene.

Lin Luo's gaze fell on a sturdy Chocolate Cow in the distance. He did not approach, but stood in place and flicked his finger gently.

"Swish!" A milky-white light orb, only the size of a fingertip and extremely condensed, shot out silently. It was as fast as teleportation and accurately entered the forehead of that Chocolate Cow.

The moment the light orb entered, the cow's body stiffened slightly, and then the light in its eyes dissipated. It didn't even make a sound before it collapsed softly, leaving only a smooth, tiny hole on its forehead, with no blood flowing out.

The whole process was quiet and rapid, not even disturbing the other animals nearby.

Lin Luo raised his hand, and a flexible rope of light extended from his palm, wrapping around the fallen cow's body. With a gentle pull, the hundreds-of-kilograms body was easily dragged in front of him as if it were weightless.

Looking at the prey that still had residual warmth in front of him, Lin Luo's eyes were calm. Since mastering the means of directly absorbing the essence of life, he was not very willing to promote the evolution of his gourmet cells through eating.

Although this almost predatory method was closer to certain "Demonic Path" means, that direct, efficient, and convenient power of purely converting life energy was indeed... irresistible, and even somewhat addictive.

After a few days of cultivation, Lin Luo's aura was terrifying and impossible to hide. By the time Tommy contacted him, basically all the large creatures in the vicinity had been eaten by him.

Unexpectedly, when Lin Luo arrived at the tavern according to the agreement, he discovered that the "old acquaintance" in Tommy's words was actually Toriko!

Right now, these two were drinking with their arms around each other's shoulders, and several empty glasses were already on the table, clearly having waited for a while.

As soon as Toriko saw Lin Luo push the door open, he immediately grinned and waved his hand vigorously: "Lin Luo! So the friend that Tommy was being all mysterious about introducing was you!"

Lin Luo was also quite surprised and walked over to sit down: "Toriko? The mysterious guest who booked a reservation at Setsunos Diner... is it you?"

Tommy scratched the back of his head, looked at one, then looked at the other, and laughed: "So you two know each other! That's great, things are much simpler now, I was worried for nothing!"

Toriko patted Tommy's shoulder and said to Lin Luo: "You should have said it was you earlier, then we wouldn't have had to go through such a big circle! Since Lin Luo wants to go, that's absolutely no problem! Three days from now, we'll go to the Gourmet Town together. Komatsu will also be going; I already invited him earlier."

Lin Luo heard this, felt relieved, and nodded with a smile: "Alright, then I'll move with you guys when the time comes. Being able to catch this ride is really the best."