"Erina," Li Ke called out, his gaze inadvertently following the swaying curves of her hips and her long, snow-white legs as she walked ahead of him. He swallowed hard, gathering the courage to speak.
"How about I start making my own meals? Your cooking is too good—it's... doing strange things to me."
"Strange?" Erina tilted her head, confused, her golden locks framing her puzzled expression. "What kind of strange?"
After a brief moment of contemplation, Li Ke decided to come clean.
"It's hard to explain... Eating your food feels like I'm consuming a dish laced with aphrodisiacs or something."
Erina's expression shifted from confusion to outright bafflement.
"Aphrodisiacs?"
"Yeah," Li Ke nodded earnestly. "It must be a difference between our worlds. In mine, no matter how delicious food is, there's a limit to its impact. But here... your cooking seems to bypass that entirely."
He shivered at the memory of meals that had left him practically burning with a fiery passion. Even something as simple as luncheon meat and canned beans, prepared by her, had stirred emotions he couldn't control. If she unleashed her full culinary prowess, he wasn't sure if he could survive the experience.
This had to stop.
"That's ridiculous." Erina furrowed her brow, clearly finding his claim absurd.
Her upbringing in a family of gourmets had given her an unparalleled appreciation for fine cuisine, but this was the first time she'd heard anyone describe food as intoxicating to such an extreme. Sure, their family had a bizarre trait where eating divine dishes could quite literally blow their clothes off, but even that wasn't permanent.
"Food like an aphrodisiac? How absurd. Besides, do you really think I'd fall for a panting, out-of-shape uncle like you?" She huffed, crossing her arms.
Still, his plea seemed sincere, and after a brief pause, she relented.
"Fine. If you're so insistent, you can grill your own meat. I'll warn you, though—this meat is unlike anything I've ever seen. It's strange, almost like it's made from countless animals mixed together. Even I'm not confident I can make it taste great. And if what you cook turns out terrible, you better not waste it!"
Erina wagged her finger in admonishment before handing him ten portions of the strange meat.
"Got it!" Li Ke heaved a sigh of relief, feeling the weight of his fears lifting.
Back at their base, the two began their respective tasks. Thanks to their recent trip to the lake, water was no longer in short supply.
Li Ke, despite his limited culinary skills, managed to grill the meat under Erina's guidance. It wasn't perfect, but it wasn't burnt either, which was enough for him.
Erina, however, had an entirely different approach.
"Unprecedented ingredients..." Erina muttered, inspecting the peculiar slab of meat. Taking a deep breath, she placed her hand on its surface.
The texture was flawless, with perfect marbling and fat distribution, a piece of meat any chef would dream of. But it was also unnervingly bizarre—every bite released a medley of flavors, as though it contained the essence of countless animals.
"Let's see what you're capable of," she whispered, her competitive spirit ignited.
Despite the primitive conditions, her instincts as a chef kicked in. With practiced precision, she sterilized her treasured knife in boiling water before setting to work. The blade danced across the meat, effortlessly slicing it into even portions. She used every seasoning available to marinate the meat, her movements a blur of confidence and grace.
Watching her, Li Ke felt a pang of admiration. She moved with the poise and power of a Valkyrie, exuding a commanding presence that captivated him.
By comparison, his task was far simpler. His meat cooked steadily over the fire, and he climbed up to the watchtower to keep an eye out for any threats.
Fortunately, no wolves appeared, but as Erina worked, an intoxicating aroma began wafting through the air.
Li Ke couldn't describe it—it was simply "meat," but in the purest, most enticing sense. It was a smell that stirred something primal within him. Even after devouring three large chunks of his own grilled meat, he still found himself salivating.
"Truly, the world of gourmet anime defies logic," Li Ke murmured, shaking his head in disbelief.
Li Ke swallowed nervously as he watched Erina sauté a plate of meat with freshly picked wild vegetables and prepare a pot of soup. She had even thoughtfully set aside a portion for him. The sight stirred an unexpected wave of emotion in his heart.
But...
"Why am I having such a reaction just from the smell?"
A wave of heat coursed through him, and Li Ke couldn't help but lament internally.
Eating his own grilled meat hadn't caused any issues. But the aroma of Erina's cooking was something else entirely—it enveloped him in a haze of meaty bliss. The fragrance alone ignited his senses, leaving him yearning for anything that hinted at a tender, savory texture. His gaze kept drifting toward the girl's smooth, rounded thighs and the supple curves of her chest, stirring a desire he struggled to suppress.
"This is on a completely different level!"
Li Ke clenched his fists, willing himself to resist the maddening allure of the scent.
Even Erina wasn't immune. She stared at the simmering pot, her own hunger sharpening as she swallowed unconsciously—a rare occurrence for someone with her refined palate.
The rustic conditions didn't allow her to fully unleash her culinary talent, but even with minimal effort, the meat had a quality that transcended ordinary food. As soon as she finished cooking, she was hit by an overwhelming urge to devour it all, but her self-control managed to hold firm.
When Erina finally plated the meal, Li Ke decided it was best to leave. The longer he stayed, the more the aroma threatened to unravel his composure.
"I'll head back inside," he muttered hurriedly.
"Mm," Erina replied absentmindedly, her attention fully absorbed by the steaming dishes before her.
Sighing, Li Ke gave up on retreating to the relative safety of the RV and climbed back onto the perimeter wall, keeping a wary eye on the surreal wilderness surrounding them. Yet even from his vantage point, the scent lingered, making it impossible for him to fully escape its effects.
"This... what could it possibly taste like?"
Erina, her cheeks slightly flushed, exhaled softly as she picked up her chopsticks. Her hands trembled as she grasped a piece of the succulent meat she had prepared under such primitive conditions.
"This is... this is..."
The moment the tender morsel touched her tongue, her eyes widened in astonishment.
Her mind flooded with vivid imagery—beasts roaring, the essence of countless animals swirling together, and flavors that encapsulated the primal spirit of spring. The richness of the meat, enhanced by her deliberate seasoning techniques, sent waves of heat coursing through her body.
She couldn't stop.
Despite the fiery intensity that seemed to consume her, despite the overwhelming hunger that gnawed at both her body and soul, Erina's accursed "God Tongue" demanded more. Her chopsticks moved faster and faster, shoveling the heavenly meat into her mouth as though she were possessed.
"Meat... no, it's too... too hot!!"
Li Ke, perched on the wall, was startled by the sound of Erina's frantic eating. Just as he was about to call out, her muffled cries erupted into a full-throated scream.
"Ahhh!!!"
Startled, Li Ke turned to look, and what he saw left him utterly dumbfounded.
In an instant, Erina's school uniform exploded into shreds, scattering like delicate flower petals. The sturdy fabric disintegrated under the sheer force of the energy released from her euphoric reaction, exposing her flawless, snow-white skin.
Li Ke's stunned gaze took in every detail—the remnants of her tailored uniform, stockings, shoes, and even the undergarments that guarded her most private secrets were torn apart in the aftermath, reduced to fluttering fragments.
As if in a dream, a scrap of white fabric floated toward him, landing in his hand. Reflexively, he grasped it, only to realize it was none other than Erina's underwear.
The soft, delicate fabric, once securely hugging her shapely figure, now hung limply between his fingers. Its intricate stitching had been completely undone by the explosive wave of energy.
Meanwhile, Erina was drenched in sweat, her flushed face and reddened neck glistening under the light. She looked utterly dazed, caught in the lingering euphoria of the otherworldly culinary experience.
Beads of sweat the size of soybeans rolled down her slender neck, slipping into the curve of her collarbone and sliding further toward her chest. Gathering momentum, they traced the lines of her soft, toned stomach.
"This…"
Faced with such a striking sight, Li Ke's mind momentarily froze. His thoughts raced, desperately recording the scene before him, yet he couldn't stop himself from blurting out:
"...Powering up?"
He recalled vividly that this kind of scene was typical in hot-blooded fighting anime. Why was it happening to someone from a food-centric world?
"Li Ke… I'm so hot…"
Naked and drenched in sweat, Erina Nakiri took deep breaths, trying to calm herself, but it was futile. Clutching her chest, she glanced at Li Ke, her voice trembling.
"I have water!"
Li Ke hurriedly grabbed a glass of water and handed it to her, then quickly headed to the bedroom to fetch a blanket.
However, before he could get far, Erina reached out and caught his arm, her slender fingers gripping him tightly.
"No… That's not what I need…"
Erina's voice was soft but carried an edge of desperation. She felt strange, as though all the restraints that had bound her before were suddenly gone. Her instincts were overwhelming, pushing her to act on every impulse.
And she felt powerful—unbelievably powerful.
Before Li Ke could react, she pulled him toward her with surprising strength, and to his astonishment, she buried herself in his chest. Her golden hair brushed against his chin, while her body pressed against him through his thin shirt.
"This isn't right, Erina! Calm down!"
Without hesitation, Li Ke grabbed a nearby bottle of water and poured it over her head. The cool liquid ran down her face and shoulders, but it did little to lower her body temperature. Instead, Erina licked a drop of the water off her lips, her violet eyes meeting Li Ke's. After a moment of silence, she threw her arms around his neck.
"I'm scared… I don't know what's happening…"
Tears welled up in her eyes as she buried her face into his shoulder. Overwhelmed, Li Ke tried to gently push her away, only for his hand to land awkwardly. The unintended contact made Erina shiver, her heightened senses reacting even more strongly.
"Erina…"
Li Ke's voice was strained as he tried to maintain his composure, but it was clear that her actions were testing his limits. Her heightened emotional state was amplified by the world they were in—where extraordinary reactions to food were commonplace, and even a simple meal could ignite uncontrollable sensations.
The remnants of the roasted meat she'd eaten still lingered on her lips, and as her heightened senses drove her to seek comfort, her face drew closer to his. She caught the faint, bitter taste of him, mixed with the aroma of the barbecue they had shared. It wasn't a pleasant flavor, but it filled her with an unexplainable sense of security.
Li Ke, caught off guard, was drawn in by the complex taste of Erina's lips. His mind wavered on the brink of control, the surreal intensity of this world dulling his usual sense of reason.
"Do you trust me?"
He cupped her face gently, looking directly into her misty eyes as he posed the question.
Erina blinked, momentarily disoriented. She didn't entirely understand her feelings, but she knew she wanted to trust him—the one who had always made her feel safe. Slowly, she nodded.
"Then let me take care of this."
Li Ke lifted her effortlessly and placed her on the bed.
After removing his clothes, Li Ke noticed that, even without any need for added sentiment, Erina Nakiri was already prepared.
So, without hesitation, he entered.
For a moment, he hesitated, his focus flickering to the strange, glitch-like sensation in his vision. Information flowed into his mind—a sense of something unlocking deep within him.
[Affinity unlocked… System activated…]
The words resonated faintly in his thoughts, but Li Ke had no time to dwell on their meaning.
The scorching, narrow, and winding passage demanded all his attention.