At first glance, Nitro Rice resembled ordinary rice, except it appeared exceptionally plump.
The heavy grains hung like strands of golden pearls, adorning each stalk.
If placed on Earth, its appearance alone would fetch a high price.
Even if a few grains were plucked and shown to others, many would believe them to be actual gold.
Beyond its appearance, what left the deepest impression on Akira was its aroma.
Even from a distance, the fragrance of Nitro Rice was unmistakable—a rich, intoxicating scent of rice.
A single stalk emitted an aroma comparable to an entire field of wheat during harvest season, if not stronger.
Akira could already imagine how intense the flavor would be once cooked.
The mere scent of these uncooked grains was enough to whet anyone's appetite.
Even if Nitro Rice had no special effects, people would still crave it for its taste alone.
With such an aroma, Nitro Rice could easily rank among the top-tier ingredients across the Six Continents.
And when combined with its universally coveted effects, it might just become the most sought-after ingredient in the world.
******
Some time later,
As time passed, the aroma of cooked rice grew richer in the Digital World, filling the air with waves of fragrant steam.
Under the long-awaited gazes of everyone, Sammy, wearing a chef's hat, spread his arms and exclaimed excitedly:
"Time to eat!"
In an instant, whether they were busy or not, everyone set aside their tasks.
They swarmed around Sammy like a hive.
Especially since every member of the team was highly skilled, Sammy saw ghostly figures appearing before him in flashes.
One moment they might have been over a dozen meters away, and the next, their faces were right in front of him.
And it wasn't just one or two—most had been waiting eagerly, rushing over at the announcement.
After a brief moment of shock, Sammy quickly regained his composure and ushered everyone to tonight's dinner.
Though they ate well every day, tonight's meal was particularly grand.
Many rare, top-tier ingredients were present, but no matter how precious or delicious they were, tonight they could only play supporting roles.
Because the undisputed "star" of the evening was Nitro Rice.
For fairness, each person was served a fixed portion—one serving per person.
Other ingredients were fine, but Nitro Rice was different. Naturally, they couldn't eat as much as they wanted.
In fact, they almost felt unworthy of eating it, since all the credit belonged to their captain, Akira.
So in the end, everyone silently agreed on the rightful ownership of the Nitro Rice.
Without a doubt, the Nitro Rice belonged to Captain Akira.
As team members, they were honored to receive a small share—about one bowl each.
This amount was negligible compared to the total Nitro Rice.
Even with just one bowl, they were immensely satisfied.
After all, if not for Akira, they would never have had the chance to taste Nitro Rice.
Having this opportunity was already an incredible stroke of luck—who could ask for more?
And the effects of this single bowl were more than enough for them.
Of course, this restriction didn't apply to Akira. All the Nitro Rice was his, and he could eat as much as he wanted.
Akira held his bowl, feeling the warmth radiating through it into his hands, momentarily lost in thought.
Because the rice was even more extraordinary than he had imagined.
Normal rice is white, but this Nitro Rice was golden, resembling the color of unhusked rice.
In fact, the grains inside were even more vibrant, shining brilliantly after being cooked.
At this moment, it didn't feel like he was holding a bowl of rice—it was more like holding a bowl of dazzling gold.
And that wasn't an exaggeration.
Looking around, he could see the radiant golden light reflecting off everyone's faces.
For a moment, Akira felt as if he had stepped into the world of Food Wars, where exceptionally delicious dishes emitted a brilliant glow.
But at the very least, eating this wouldn't make their clothes explode, right?
Ging scratched his cheek, marveling at the shimmering rice:
"I've never seen food like this before. I wonder how it tastes?"
Among the group, Ging was one of the few who prioritized taste over effects—or at least, that's how it seemed on the surface.
In truth, he also held high expectations for Nitro Rice's properties.
"Immortality" might be a distant dream, but "extending one's lifespan" was different—many top-tier ingredients could achieve that.
And this Nitro Rice is currently the most exaggeratedly effective food they know of when it comes to extending lifespan!
Others might seek to prolong their lives for the sake of indulgence, but some in this team have different motives.
For example, Ging, Beyond, Kururi, and others.
To summarize, they all want to go further down their respective paths.
That's why they desire to extend their lifespans.
Ging and Beyond are similar—they want to explore the world more thoroughly and witness more novel and mysterious phenomena.
Kururi is much the same, except his goal is to advance further in his study of languages.
In a way, his aspirations overlap with those of Ging and Beyond, all converging into part of the exploration of the Dark Continent.
Because on the Six Continents, he is already the top linguist, whether among contemporaries or predecessors.
He has studied nearly everything there is.
This achievement is also aided by his Nen Ability—otherwise, he couldn't have reached such an extraordinary level.
Thus, he has now set his sights on the Dark Continent, that largely unexplored and mysterious land.
Beside him, Beyond gazed with a hint of intoxication at the Nitro Rice in his hand and sighed:
"I've seen many ingredients, but none can truly compare to this Nitro Rice."
Beyond was genuinely astonished by it.
If before he had only cared about its life-extending effects and held no expectations for its taste,
now, his perspective had undergone a drastic shift.
"This aroma is truly mesmerizing," Beyond praised.
At this moment, he felt more convinced than ever that returning to the Dark Continent was an extremely wise choice.
Though he had always believed revisiting the Dark Continent was the right decision, there was no denying that the Nitro Rice had added significant weight to that belief.
Adding points to this adventure.
It further proved his decision was correct.
The Dark Continent is a miraculous place—every time he came here, he obtained what he needed.
The first time he set foot on the Dark Continent, he learned survival skills.
And these were not the simple wilderness survival techniques of the Six Continents.
They were [Dark Continent Survival Skills].
Beyond that, it also set the tone for his life, giving him a goal to strive for!
In Beyond's eyes, this was one of the greatest gains from that expedition.
This was why, even though he had barely escaped with his life back to the Six Continents and obtained little tangible reward, he was still willing—even eager—to return to the Dark Continent.
And this second journey to the Dark Continent deepened his understanding of the land.
At the same time, thanks to Akira's presence, the rewards of this expedition far surpassed those of the last.
Last time, after enduring countless hardships and crawling out of a pile of corpses—the sole survivor of his entire team—all he obtained was a single alchemical plant that could be considered [Hope] by the Six Continents' standards.
In the end, it withered after being brought back because the growing conditions couldn't be met.
This time was different. Aside from having learned from past mistakes and assembling a far superior team himself, the real reason this adventure proceeded so smoothly was Akira's involvement.
To this day, he was immensely grateful for inviting Akira to join them that day, even at the cost of the entire team.
Indeed, his foresight had saved him once again!
Beyond gazed quietly at the Nitro Rice in his hands, overwhelmed with emotion yet unsure of what to say.
He wasn't the only one frozen in this state—most of the group were the same.
Though they had been desperate to taste the Nitro Rice earlier, now that it lay in their hands, their urgency had faded.
Instead, they silently observed the golden, plump grains in their bowls, their eyes reflecting a mix of complex emotions.
They were reminiscing about the journey that had brought them here.
This expedition to the Dark Continent would undoubtedly remain the most unforgettable experience of their lives.
While the others were lost in their reflections, as if under some immobilizing spell, Akira paid no mind.
He was ready to dig into his feast.
The first bite naturally had to be the Nitro Rice—no side dish could take precedence.
With a gentle sniff, Akira detected an aroma several times richer than before.
Perhaps the husk had trapped the fragrance of the grains, or perhaps it was the cooking process.
But now, the Nitro Rice smelled far more enticing than ever.
At the same time, Akira sensed an exceptionally intense vitality within the rice's aroma.
The fragrant steam carried with it a vibrant, spring-like energy that invigorated the spirit.
Just inhaling it made Akira feel as though he had already consumed several top-tier dishes from the Six Continents.
Even the Aura within him faintly stirred, and the long-stagnant bottleneck in his progress showed signs of loosening.
He had tasted quite a few delicacies from the Dark Continent. Aside from the meat of certain creatures, the most notable were several types of [Hope].
First was the [Purple Poison Honey] obtained in the Purple Forest.
It could neutralize many deadly poisons, enhance Aura, strengthen the body, and even slow aging.
These effects were quite fitting for a substance like honey.
Naturally, such properties greatly aided his growth in strength.
As honey from the Dark Continent, its effects were exceptionally outstanding.
This was also the [Hope] Akira had consumed the most.
Thanks to the bees' tireless efforts, the hive contained ample honey, and Akira had practiced sustainable harvesting.
After acquiring a considerable amount of [Purple Poison Honey], his strength steadily increased.
Next were the [Blazing Sunflower Seeds] obtained on the grasslands.
These barely qualified as [Hope], but Akira treated them more as snacks.
Whenever the mood struck him, he'd nibble on a couple.
They contained a potent warmth, capable of dispelling cold and frostbite.
They also boosted Aura, contributing to his strength.
However, considering their limited quantity and unique anti-freezing properties, Akira rarely ate them himself.
Instead, he mostly left them to Meowth to handle cultivation.
For plant-based [Hope] like this, Akira prioritized planting any surplus before indulging.
He understood the difference between one full meal and a lifetime of sustenance.
There were other fine ingredients encountered later, but in Akira's eyes, the only one truly worthy of being called [Hope] was this Nitro Rice.
In truth, the [Gemstone Power] created by the Diamond Spirits could absolutely be considered a form of [Hope].
Unfortunately, this [Hope] wasn't suitable for him to consume—instead, Steelix devoured it with great relish.
Thus, it wasn't counted among his gains.
After ingesting those previous forms of [Hope], Akira had expected to break through his limits and reach SS- rank.
To shatter the shackles of S-rank.
However, he had somewhat underestimated the threshold to the next major stage, and he remained stuck here even now.
Now, he finally understood why the Chimera Ant King, even after consuming the three Royal Guards, still hadn't reached SS- rank.
The difficulty of this breakthrough was indeed exceptionally immense.
But from another perspective, once this barrier was overcome, one's power would undergo a tremendous leap.
Jin was the best example.
Although it had used special means to temporarily reach SS- rank, this allowed Akira to clearly see the transformation between the peak of S-rank and the baseline of SS-rank.
Reborn anew.
These were the only words Akira could use to describe it.
Clearly, the SS-rank stage would be an entirely new realm, with a terrifying transformation in power.
And next, if his estimation wasn't wrong, this Nitro Rice would become the key to his breakthrough.
Today, he would cross this threshold and elevate his power to SS- rank!