Zed's Regeneration Center stood in stark contrast to Yosaku's chaotic workshop. Nestled within the Mother Tree's upper branches, its polished oak doors opened to reveal a minimalist space bathed in sunlight filtering through bioluminescent vines. Steel shelves lined with meticulously labeled vials, a dormant Soothewood hearth, and a wall-mounted garden of medicinal herbs gave the room an air of serene efficiency.
"Home sweet home," Zed said, ushering Erina and Hisako inside. "Smaller than Yosaku's, but less… hazardous."
Hisako glanced at her reflection in a spotless glass cabinet. "Why's Master Yosaku's place so… bloodstained?"
Zed chuckled, plucking a leaf from an overhanging Healing Shrub. "Yosaku's methods are… enthusiastic. Imagine surgery performed with a jackhammer. Effective, but messy. The stains are trophies of his 'no pain, no gain' philosophy."
Erina grimaced. "Charming."
After settling into adjoining rooms—spartan but comfortable, with beds woven from Silk Moss—the trio ventured into the Healing Country's bustling marketplace. The air buzzed with haggling vendors and the tang of exotic spices. Erina's God Tongue twitched at the sensory overload: Volcano Pepper jam, Glacier Honey candies, and roasted Thunderboar skewers sizzling on floating grills.
"First stop: Melk Blades," Zed announced, steering them toward a monolithic shop adorned with a cleaver-shaped neon sign.
Inside, weapons—no, kitchen knives—gleamed under crystalline lights. Blades curved like scorpion tails, serrated edges mimicking shark teeth, and a gargantuan three-meter cleaver hung like a guillotine. Erina gaped at a dagger-sized knife with a hilt wrapped in Dragonfang Coral.
"These are… knives?" Hisako whispered.
"In this world, ingredients fight back," Zed said, tapping a display case. A Level 5 Melk Blade hummed to life, its edge shimmering with atom-thin sharpness. "That Marbled Rockfish you ate yesterday? Its scales deflect bullets. Try filleting it with a Shokugeki-grade knife."
Erina paled. "You're joking."
"Wish I were." Zed nodded to the shopkeeper—a hulking man with Gourmet Cell tattoos snaking up his arms—who slid a Level 1 Melk Blade across the counter.
The knife resembled a shard of black glass, its hilt unadorned. "Basic model. Cuts through granite like butter. Care to test it?"
Hesitant, Erina gripped the handle. The blade felt unnaturally light, as if hungry for motion. She tapped it against the counter's Adamantium Steel surface.
Sssssk.
A hairline fissure split the metal.
"Yabai!" Hisako yelped, leaping back.
"Precisely why we're starting low," Zed said, plucking the knife from Erina's trembling hand. "A chef's strength here isn't just skill—it's Gourmet Cell-enhanced control."
The trio left with paired Level 1 Melk Blades housed in Impact-Null Sheathes, plus armfuls of Self-Healing Chopping Boards and Gravity-Anchored Aprons. As they exited, Zed paused at a stall selling Crystal Fig pastries.
"Fuel up. Next lesson's hands-on."
Erina nibbled a fig tart, its sweetness laced with fiery Inferno Pepper flakes. "What's next?"
"Dinner." Zed grinned. "Ever cooked a Quake Crab?"