Therefore.
Good ingredients.
For a chef, they can add the finishing touch.
As for Fantasy Ingredients like the Scare Apple, their value is truly immeasurable, far beyond what a mere few million yen could measure.
This was precisely why Nakiri Mana had suddenly become so excited and exhilarated!
...
The night grew deeper.
Along the streets of Paris, streetlights dotted every corner of the sleepless city like stars.
A black car slipped silently through the interplay of light and shadow, like a dark phantom in the night, both understated and stylish.
Inside the car.
Nakiri Mana leaned gently against the soft seat.
Her gaze pierced through the window, quietly watching the scenery swiftly passing by.
After leaving Ye Chen's uniquely charming little restaurant, a simple yet satisfying sense of joy still lingered in her heart.
Parisian nights, for her, were always filled with endless imagination and inspiration, but tonight, these thoughts felt even more profound, as thick and impenetrable as the night itself!
"Haha..."
"It really is quite fascinating, isn't it, Mana-sama?"
Anne, sitting beside her, suddenly let out a hearty laugh, breaking the tranquility inside the car.
She held tightly the "Scare Apple" she had bought from Ye Chen; with just a light touch, it could trigger a small scare, making her chuckle uncontrollably!
"They're the same variety, so why is there such a big price difference?"
Mana snapped out of her thoughts, looking at Anne's Scare Apple worth 1 million yen, inevitably feeling puzzled.
"Hmm!"
"Probably because the level of scare is different?"
"After all, according to Ye Chen's explanation, the taste of the Scare Apple is related to the scare method, which is why the prices vary so much."
Anne replied without hesitation.
"Sigh!"
"What a pity."
"It seems he only has a few Scare Apples in his possession at the moment."
Hearing this, Nakiri Mana first nodded, then rested her chin on her hand and let out a deep sigh.
...
Rarity determines value.
Those top-tier ingredients are inevitably either scarce or require an exceedingly long time to produce.
Looking around, when something becomes abundant, it tends to depreciate. Just like when discussing caviar, producing the finest caviar requires sturgeon roe from fish that are decades old.
So.
Imagine if a pig had to be raised for decades before it could be eaten.
Without a doubt, its price would be exorbitant.
For instance, in the East China Sea, when yellow croakers were once overabundant, many were caught and left to rot because no one wanted them.
But once overfishing made them scarce, a single wild large yellow croaker could sell for thousands in a restaurant. This is the principle of rarity determining value.
As a WGO Special Executive Officer, Mana naturally understood this logic. Yet, when she learned that Ye Chen only had a few Scare Apples, she couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment.
...
The restaurant's sign.
Gradually faded from view in the night.
The silence after closing settled like a thin veil, gently enveloping every inch of space.
Ye Chen deftly tidied everything up, then walked slowly back to his room with steps that were slightly weary yet filled with anticipation.
Inside the room.
There was no light.
But in the profound darkness, Ye Chen's bright eyes faintly emitted a strange glow!
"System, check in."
Ye Chen spoke softly, his voice echoing in the room, carrying a hint of barely noticeable excitement.
"Ding dong!"
A crisp system notification instantly rang out: "Host has successfully checked in and obtained Rainbow Fruit seed*1. Would you like to plant it in the Gourmet Farm?"
Hearing this, Ye Chen was momentarily stunned before a delighted smile curved his lips.
...
In Toriko, naturally occurring Rainbow Fruit was rated at Level 12. Of course, with technological advancements, it could now be cultivated artificially.
It was said that Rainbow Fruit had originally gone extinct but still grew within IGO's gardens.
However, naturally grown fruit was undoubtedly more delicious than cultivated varieties.
Because the fruit's juice vapor would form a seven-colored rainbow in the air, and when eaten, its flavor would change through seven stages depending on temperature and humidity.
Hence, it was named Rainbow Fruit.
This sudden acquisition filled Ye Chen's heart with joy, and he hurriedly said: "Begin planting!"
"Ding dong!"
"The host has successfully planted Rainbow Fruit."
"The fruit will mature in 24 hours. Please remember to harvest it on time."
The system notification sounded again, playing like a beautiful melody in Ye Chen's mind.
But the system's prompts didn't end there.
...
"Ding dong!"
Another crisp chime rang out.
"Host, the 10 Scare Apples planted in your Gourmet Farm and the 1 Roast Whole Pig raised in your Gourmet Ranch are ready for harvest. Would you like to store them in the warehouse?"
The system's voice remained crisp, but Ye Chen could sense a feeling of bountiful harvest within it.
Ever since he transmigrated into the Food Wars world, he had carried this system with him.
Hmm!
This system had unlocked two major functions for him: farm and ranch.
It directly adopted gameplay similar to simulation management games.
Host Ye Chen could obtain seeds or young animals of Fantasy Ingredients through continuous check-ins, upgrading the farm and ranch, and completing daily tasks issued by the system!
Then, he could plant them in the farm or raise them in the ranch.
During this period, the seeds and young animals would grow automatically.
Once the crops matured and the young animals grew up, they could be harvested into the warehouse.
Like the previous Jewel Meat, which Ye Chen obtained from raising a Regal Mammoth in his Gourmet Ranch.
As for the current Scare Apples, Ye Chen had planted them in two batches.
The first batch consisted of only 5 apples.
The second batch, which could now be harvested, contained 10 apples!
Finally, after storing all 10 Scare Apples and 1 Roast Whole Pig in the system's virtual warehouse, Ye Chen couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
...
The value of Scare Apples needed no explanation.
After all, Nakiri Mana had been constantly thinking about them, but what truly interested Ye Chen was this Roast Whole Pig.
Roast Whole Pig, also known as Maruage Pig, was an important ingredient that appeared early in the series.
Hmm!
Its capture level was only Level 1.
According to IGO's ratings, Level 1 ingredients typically required 10 armed hunters working together to capture.
Therefore, despite its low combat capability, this Roast Whole Pig would still be quite ferocious in this world.
The most distinctive feature of this giant pig was that its entire body was thoroughly roasted.
Yes!
That's right.
It was already cooked.
Because whenever someone entered its territory, it would mercilessly roast its enemies.
However, they often end up roasting themselves due to poor control of their strength!
Therefore, when capturing them, Gourmet Hunters generally try not to provoke their anger. After all, once these Roast Whole Pigs get angry, their blood boils, causing their otherwise perfectly cooked meat to become charred.
It is said that the fat flowing inside a Roast Whole Pig is of premium sweetness and richness.
Moreover,
it is accompanied by an appetite-stimulating aroma of herbs.
If a skilled chef can prepare a rich sauce using abundant ingredients and drizzle it over the meat, then...
the superior fragrance
will fully unveil the deliciousness of the meat!