"Terry, you've got to grow up faster!"
Toriko eyed Zed and his companions lounging atop Tatsu, his voice tinged with envy. Terry, the Battle Wolf pup, trotted ahead—still small but destined for greatness.
"Terry was just born! It'll probably take time!" Komatsu protested, protective of the cub they'd witnessed entering the world.
"Wrong, kid. Battle Wolves mature rapidly. Her mother? She'll be dwarfed by Terry in months."
Sunny smirked. Having spent years at IGO, he knew the species' reputation: combat prowess and growth speed unmatched.
Rin nodded. "I tried taming Terry's mother once. Perfumes, treats—nothing worked. Had to release her into the Battle Arena."
"That fast?!" Komatsu gaped at Terry, whose amber eyes gleamed with latent ferocity.
"The Battle Wolf come from the Gourmet World," Zed explained. "Their infancy is brief—Their cells are forged for battle."
The group fell silent, absorbing the rarity of this knowledge. Intel on Eight Kings-linked species was scarce, gathered only by IGO's Biotope operatives braving the Gourmet World's lethal frontiers.
Human satellites dared not venture beyond the Human World, lest Capture Level 1000+ creatures swat them from the sky.
The Black Carpet stretched before them—an obsidian sea under a bruised twilight sky. The Biotope 1 zone's restricted areas were segmented: Black Grass, White Forest, Mushroom Woods, Swamp of Antiquity, Regal Plains (Devil Athletics), Regal Wall and Regal Plateau.
Each teemed with beasts (Capture Levels 0–50), which are lethal to all but Gourmet Cell-enhanced humans.
In a world of billions, fewer than a hundred possessed the strength to tread here. Humanity's survival hinged on these elites—and their weapons—to counterbalance the beasts' numbers.
Centuries ago, famine stalked these lands despite abundance; now, IGO's are the one who held the line.
Erina inhaled sharply. The Black Carpet's endless expanse of onyx blades, shimmering with dew under twin moons, was surreal. "I've never seen anything like this…"
"Black Grass—edible, nutritious. Tastes like chives and scallions. Case in point." Zed gestured to Toriko, who shoveled a fistful into his mouth, dirt and all.
Hisako Arato grimaced. "Is… that safe?"
"Toriko's Gourmet Cells is very strong. But don't mimic him." Zed shuddered. Who knew what creatures had relieved themselves here?
Rock Drum: Herd-dwelling giants (Capture Level 27), 30 meters tall, 50 tons each. Their aggression elevated the zone's threat level. Without them, the Black Carpet might've been a tourist haven.
As the group advanced, Tatsu's scales rippled like molten silver, deterring lesser predators. "Stay sharp," Zed warned. "Rock Drums aren't the only hunters here."