After receiving his brand-new Character Inheritance, Kael headed for the Area 5. His next target was the ingredient NEWS.
Even if ingredients no longer boosted his strength, something that delicious was impossible to ignore. Besides, he still needed to bring some back for the people around him. There was no way he'd let something like this slip through his fingers.
The location of NEWS was somewhat similar to PAIR, yet different. PAIR parasitized the body of the Monkey King Bambina and was literally a part of him.
NEWS, strictly speaking, also parasitized the Deer King Sky Deer—but not in quite the same way. On the Deer King's back stood a vast forest known as the Forest of Food.
The Area 5 could be divided into two layers. The first was the outer world—the physical land beneath one's feet.
The second was the Forest of Food, which existed atop the Deer King's back.
The Deer King itself was enormous—sixty kilometers long and ten kilometers tall. For humans, that size alone was terrifying.
But the true key wasn't the Deer King's body. It was the Forest of Food on its back.
At a glance, the forest didn't seem that large—perhaps only a few dozen kilometers across. In reality, however, it was an alternate dimension. Its internal space measured half the size of the entire Area 5.
This was where the area's true power resided. Super beasts with capture levels in the thousands lived there. Some were even more powerful than the Seven Beasts.
The Deer King was known as the most mild-tempered among the Eight Kings. But what it carried on its back was the core combat force of an entire continent.
If a real fight ever broke out, battling the Deer King meant getting swarmed by everything else in the forest.
It seemed gentle, but if provoked, it was absolutely the most ruthless of the Eight Kings—because fighting it meant facing a completely justified group beatdown.
NEWS also parasitized the Forest of Food. So while the Deer King's situation resembled the Monkey King's, there were clear differences.
Naturally, Kael's destination was the Forest of Food. The outer world held little value. Anyone who came to the Area 5 to capture ingredients would eventually head inside the forest.
Of course, entering the Forest of Food was extremely dangerous.
The most critical point was this—the space itself was under the Deer King's control. Once inside, if the "Lord of the Deer" wanted you dead, it would be effortless.
Stepping in meant placing your life in its hands. Breaking out wouldn't be easy.
There was another problem as well: outsiders entering the Forest of Food could be sensed by the creatures inside.
In the original story, when Zebra and Brunch entered, they were relentlessly hunted by wave after wave of beasts. No matter how many they fought, more kept coming—like some kind of tracking system had locked onto them.
Kael understood why.
From Jiji, he had obtained information about the entire Gourmet World, including details about the Deer King.
If one wanted to enter the Forest of Food without being mobbed, they needed the Deer King's permission. Normally, creatures entering simply had to inform it.
The Deer King had a good temperament. As long as no one caused extinction-level damage within the forest, it wouldn't interfere.
In the original story, the only one who forced it to act personally was Acacia. From the moment Acacia threw in a Cell Demon to when he entered himself, the Deer King targeted only him.
It understood clearly—if it allowed Acacia to act freely, Earth would be doomed. And since it lived on Earth too, there was no way it would let him off.
Who knows what Jiji was thinking in the original story—perhaps he'd just grown addicted to testing people.
Zebra and Brunch were spared further targeting only because of Acacia's presence. Otherwise, they would never have captured NEWS.
Since Kael knew all this, he naturally went to greet the Deer King first. He only wanted ingredients and had no intention of causing mass extinction. There was no reason for the Deer King to block him.
Though he was now strong enough to sweep through the entire Gourmet World if he wished, Kael had no desire to provoke a conflict with one of the gentler Eight Kings.
Before long, he found the Deer King walking through the forest.
Honestly, the Sky Deer's appearance was bizarre. The number of hind legs it had almost rivaled that of a centipede.
After spotting it, Kael stepped forward and released just a trace of his aura. Given his current state, if he chose to suppress himself completely, even the Deer King wouldn't notice him.
The faint aura was enough.
The Deer King immediately sensed his presence—and stiffened.
Even that tiny bit of pressure was overwhelming. It could tell that this being was far stronger than itself.
Perhaps not strong enough to kill it instantly—but defeating it would pose no difficulty.
Seeing that he had its attention, Kael compressed his intent into a stream of information and injected it directly into the Deer King's mind.
It was a method many powerful beings used.
In the original story, Jiji had done the same thing—at the moment of his death, he transmitted the method for preparing GOD directly into Toriko and the others' minds.
That said, Jiji's effort ultimately proved unnecessary. Komatsu and the others didn't even need it—they followed the guidance of the ingredient itself and completed the preparation of GOD.
Still, the technique was incredibly practical. Communication with beasts could be difficult. This method allowed information to transcend species barriers instantly.
After receiving Kael's message, the Deer King gave a small nod.
In its eyes, Kael was polite.
Despite possessing strength beyond its own, he hadn't barged in. He had come to ask for permission first. That respect pleased the Deer King.
With its gentle nature, its impression of Kael rose immediately. It agreed without hesitation.
Seeing the nod, Kael inclined his head in return and stepped into the Forest of Food.
Entering this way meant he wouldn't be treated as an intruder. Of course, individual beasts might still attack if they happened to encounter him.
But at the very least, he wouldn't face an endless beast tide like Zebra and the others had.
In fact, humans were relatively safe inside the Forest of Food.
As long as they didn't act recklessly, they weren't considered prey.
Most people who encountered ants simply ignored them.
Only a rare few would go out of their way to crush one.
Here, it was much the same.
As long as you didn't go looking for trouble, the Forest of Food was, in some ways, even safer than the outside world.