"Capture Levels categorize ingredients here," Zed explained, tearing into a leaf-wrapped bundle of fried noodles. "Non-Level means anything below Level 1. Beyond that, numbers gauge threat, environment, and capture difficulty. Ten armed hunters with firearms are needed for Level 1. For Level 3…"
"Thirty hunters?!" Hisako nearly choked. "But you took that tiger down alone!"
"Pre-Level 5, numbers matter. After that?" Zed smirked. "Quality over quantity. A Level 9 Troll Kong flips tanks like toys. Missiles barely scratch Level 60 beasts. By Level 100…" He gestured vaguely upward.
Erina's God Tongue still tingled from the Chow Mein Tiger's fur. "This world's… insane."
"Insane?" Zed snorted. "Wait till you see the Four Beasts. Their claws leveled cities. Five kilometers away, and the aftershock still tossed chefs like ragdolls."
As they finished eating, Zed tapped the paralyzed tiger's flank. Gourmet energy surged, releasing the pressure points. The beast fled, its noodle mane quivering.
"Acupoint sealing," Zed said, noting Erina's awe. "Strike nerves, meridians—immobilize without killing. Useful for… picky eaters."
The trio continued through the forest, Zed detailing regenerationists' duties: healing ecosystems, reviving extinct species, mending nature's wounds.
"Regenerate extinct creatures?!" Erina's voice spiked.
Before Zed could answer, the earth quaked. A gargantuan worm erupted—segmented, centipede-legged, reeking of rot.
Millipede Worm – Capture Level 35.
"There's our culprit." Zed grimaced. "Tunnels underground, poisoning soil faster than it heals. Worthless as food—tastes like sewage, toxic too."
Hisako gagged at the stench. Erina's God Tongue recoiled instinctively.
Zed's calorie-chopsticks materialized. "Stay back. This won't be… graceful."