Just as the two were speaking, a shrill, terror-stricken scream suddenly rang out from the distance.
They looked over and saw, on the far side of the nest, another Gourmet Hunter exploring the cave who, seemingly unaware of the danger at his feet, slipped from the cliff face and fell straight into that horrifying scorpion roach nest.
His end was instant and miserable.
Before he could mount any effective resistance, countless scorpion roaches surged like sharks scenting blood and swallowed him whole in a heartbeat.
The tooth-aching gnawing and his brief, piercing screams knifed through the cavern, and only a few seconds later, all sound cut off.
When a portion of the swarm dispersed, the flashlight's beam revealed nothing but a set of bones picked clean.
Miyoko went pale at the sight.
She'd seen plenty of battles, but a death so swift and ghastly still made her stomach roil.
Shun's brow tightened.
The dangers of hunting the Puffer Whale had already been laid bare for all to see.
"We have to find a way across…" His eyes sharpened as he rapidly worked through options.
Forcing a passage was clearly unwise; once the entire nest was stirred up, even if he could protect himself, there'd be no guaranteeing Miyoko's absolute safety.
Use the Heart of Source Mist? Whether its fog could truly deceive scorpion roaches was unknown, and burning that trump card early wasn't ideal.
In the original, Toriko and the others passed this section easily because the scorpion roaches feared the potent toxins emanating from Coco.
But no one on Shun's team had that capability, so he needed another route.
Shun's Food Honor swept every inch of the nest, seeking a path or weak point.
He also noticed several protruding holds along the rock wall near their side; in theory, they could try edging along the wall, but the risk was high.
As he churned through plans to get past this deathtrap safely, a muddle of footsteps and voices drifted from the way they'd come.
Several flashlight beams jittered into view; another party reached the cliff edge.
At their head was the same young chef who'd boasted on the train about holding a Puffer Whale handling permit, flanked by a few burly men who looked like bodyguards or partner hunters.
"Tch, what rotten luck—running into this kind of thing blocking the path!" The young chef pressed a handkerchief over his nose and stared down with disgust at the seething nest, visibly nauseated by the massed bodies below.
One bodyguard stepped up, peered down, and said in a low voice, "Boss, the nest is huge—charging through isn't realistic. These bugs are sensitive and highly venomous."
"So what, we just wait around here?" the young chef snapped, agitated. "The Puffer Whale won't wait for us!"
His gaze slid to Shun and Miyoko, who had arrived first.
A beat later he called out in a lofty tone, "Hey, you two—find anything? Know another way around?"
Miyoko had no good will toward him and didn't answer; she glanced at Shun instead.
Shun didn't even turn; he kept his focus on sensing the nest with Food Honor as if he hadn't heard the question at all.
The chef's face twitched with irritation, and he snorted to his men, "Useless bunch—looks like we'll have to come up with our own plan."
Right then, Shun's Food Honor caught an extremely faint, rhythmic fluctuation of energy.
It didn't come from the scorpion roaches; it came from air movement in a zone along the rock wall deeper in the nest.
Looking closely, he found three inconspicuous cracks on that wall, half-covered by a few scorpion roaches.
A weak but steady breeze, moist and fresh, was seeping from the fissures.
The clean airflow starkly contrasted with the nest's foul, fishy stench.
Shun also noticed the scorpion roaches instinctively kept away from that area, as if something there made them uncomfortable—or afraid.
Given his instincts and experience, that spot was absolutely suspicious.
"An airflow to the outside?" The thought sparked in his mind.
And the breeze seemed to have a natural repelling effect on the scorpion roaches.
Was it pressure, humidity, or some mineral tang in the air?
No need to force a fight, no need to use the Heart of Source Mist, and no risky wall-scampering—everything hinged on that fissure.
"Miyoko."
Shun finally turned, speaking calmly and ignoring the nearby group entirely. "I've got a way. Follow me and match my steps."
"Mm!" Miyoko nodded at once, buoyed by his trust.
Seeing that Shun had likely found something yet clearly wouldn't share it, the young chef's expression soured further. "What a joke—putting on airs! I'll see what trick you think you've got."
Shun couldn't be bothered. He drew a long, quiet breath and heightened his Food Honor.
"Move."
He shot forward—not by jumping into the nest, but by skirting the cliff edge, rushing in the general direction of the airflow cracks.
His footwork looked casual but landed precisely on the firmer knobs along the edge while slipping past the scorpion roaches' sensory range.
Miyoko kept tight on his heels, running Food Honor at full to mirror his rhythm and footfalls.
Only someone trained in Food Honor could pull this off.
The young chef and his men hesitated, then realized Shun might truly have found a path.
"After them!" the chef barked.
But their movements and breathing were nothing like Shun and Miyoko's—no restraint, no precision—and without Food Honor, they simply couldn't keep pace.
Several of them blundered along the brink, heavy steps and ragged breaths instantly pricking the awareness of the scorpion roaches below.
"Hissss!"
A few near the edge lifted their heads, antennae quivering, releasing a shrill warning.
A chain reaction followed; more scorpion roaches stirred and swarmed toward the cliff under the newcomers, venomous stingers and clacking mandibles raising gooseflesh.
"This is bad—they've been alerted!" Miyoko glanced back, her face tightening.
Shun frowned but didn't slow—he quickened instead. "Ignore them. Stay with me. We're almost there."
He could feel it: the airflow fissures lay just ahead beneath the cliff face, and in that small zone the density of scorpion roaches dropped off sharply.
(End of Chapter)
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