CHAPTER 174 — Fires Beneath the Sky
The flying vehicle moved smoothly through the sky, its engines humming in a steady, calm rhythm. Below them, the sea stretched endlessly, dark blue under the late afternoon light. For a while, no one spoke.
Then
Grrrrrr.
The sound was loud.
Too loud.
Everyone turned at the same time.
Naruto froze in his seat, eyes wide. His hand slowly moved to his stomach.
"Hehe," he laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Uh… we kinda arrived in this world today, right? But we did a lot. And I haven't eaten yet."
Tony blinked.
Then he laughed.
"He's not wrong," Tony said, smiling. "Let's see… war, admirals, saving someone, kidnapping a Celestial Dragon, flying across the sea. Yeah. That's a full day."
Naruto nodded hard, pointing at him. "Right?!"
Tony leaned back in his seat for a moment, then snapped his fingers. "Alright then. Barbecue."
Naruto's eyes lit up. "YES!"
Mindy jumped slightly in her seat. "Yehey!"
Diana smiled, warm and relaxed. Saeko's lips curved just a little, approving.
The vehicle suddenly tilted.
Naruto yelped. "Whoa!"
Tony adjusted the controls smoothly. "Hold on."
The vehicle made a sharp turn in the sky, banking smoothly before descending. Below them, a small island came into view. White sand. Clear water. No buildings. No signs of life.
"Uninhabited," Tony said. "Perfect."
The vehicle lowered gently and landed on the beach, sand puffing outward as the weight settled. The engines powered down with a soft hiss.
The Celestial Dragon remained unconscious in the back of the cabin, bound and untouched.
They left him there.
The doors opened, and warm sea air rushed inside.
Naruto bolted out first.
"Beach!" he shouted.
He kicked off his shoes, pulled off his jacket and shirt, leaving only his shorts, and sprinted straight for the ocean.
Mindy followed instantly, laughing as she ran. "Wait for me!"
They splashed into the water without hesitation, diving in and sending spray everywhere. It helped that they had many sets of clothes stored in the parcel system, treated much like an inventory. It let them move around without concern.
Tony and Diana watched them go.
Tony chuckled. "Kids bounce back fast."
Diana nodded. "They deserve it."
Behind them, Saeko calmly took control of the camp setup. She reached into her parcel system and pulled out chairs, placing them carefully on the sand. Then a table.
Finally, she took out a heavy chair reinforced with metal supports and set it down firmly.
"For you," she said simply.
Gaius approached and sat.
The chair sank slightly into the sand under his weight, but held. He reached up, unsealed his helm, and lifted it off. He placed it carefully on the table.
The sea breeze brushed his face.
For the first time since arriving in this world, he rested.
Tony began unloading equipment. A large grill appeared first, followed by tools and containers. He glanced out at the ocean, thoughtful.
"I've got meat," he said, "but let's try local."
He lifted into the air and flew toward deeper waters. As he descended, his armor's scanners activated.
A low sonar pulse rolled outward into the sea.
Then Tony reached into his parcel system and dropped hundreds of kilograms of meat into the water.
The scent spread fast.
Far below the surface, something massive moved.
A Sea King turned, drawn by instinct.
Its shadow surged upward.
The water exploded as it surfaced, jaws wide.
Before it could swallow the bait
THUMP.
Micro-missiles fired straight into its mouth.
The explosion was sharp and contained. The Sea King roared, thrashing wildly. It wasn't dead, but badly wounded.
Tony fired again.
The second strike ended it.
The Sea King went still.
Tony deployed a metal net from his parcel system. The net expanded midair, wrapping around the massive body.
He grabbed the end and pulled.
Nothing happened.
Tony frowned slightly.
"Big one," he muttered.
His thrusters burned brighter, repulsor flames stretching longer as he pushed forward.
Far below, something massive shifted.
Slowly, the Sea King began to move.
Being pulled, little by little, toward the shore.
Sand tore up as the body slid onto shore.
Naruto and Mindy ran up from the water, eyes wide.
"WOAH!" Naruto shouted. "That fish is HUGE!"
Mindy tilted her head. "Is this what people in this world eat to get that strong?"
Saeko considered it. "It's possible."
Tony landed in front of them, faceplate opening. "Big, but worth it."
He looked at the Sea King with satisfaction. "Dinner."
Diana stepped forward. "Then I'll help."
She unsheathed her sword and began slicing cleanly, effortlessly cutting through the massive flesh. Even the pieces she cut were enormous.
Saeko joined her, helping reduce the chunks to manageable sizes.
Soon, the grill was filled.
The smell spread across the island.
As the sun dipped low, Naruto and Mindy prepared a bonfire. Gas, lighter, flame.
Fire rose.
They sat around it, skewers in hand.
Naruto raised his food. "Itadakimasu!"
He bit down.
His eyes went wide.
"It's delicious!"
Everyone followed.
The meat was rich. Warm. Filling.
Gaius ate in silence.
The meat was dense, still hot, its texture firm beneath his teeth. At first, it was just food. Then, slowly, he felt it.
Something unusual moved through his body.
Not a rush. Not a surge.
Vitality.
It settled deep, spreading outward, sinking into muscle, bone, blood. His breathing eased. His heartbeat steadied. His body felt… fuller. More complete.
He paused mid-bite, attention turning inward.
This wasn't simple nourishment.
He could feel it clearly now, his body responding, adapting. Not in one place, but everywhere at once. Strength, endurance, resilience. Not just muscle mass, but the systems beneath it. The foundation.
Gaius reflected quietly.
Normally, pushing his body further meant trade-offs. More muscle meant more weight. More power came at the cost of speed. And speed mattered more to him than raw strength. Mobility. Agility. The ability to react and move without delay.
He had always held that line.
Even when he could grow stronger, he chose not to. The sacrifice wasn't worth it.
But this was different.
The meat wasn't forcing growth. It wasn't swelling muscle or adding bulk.
It was reinforcing him.
Like strengthening the structure instead of adding weight.
His body felt more capable, not heavier. More responsive, not slower.
If he trained properly with this… he could go further than before. Push harder. Recover faster. Grow stronger without losing what mattered most.
This wasn't protein.
It was vitality.
That realization settled in quietly.
This was important.
Within Gaius, the Emperor observed.
Quietly. Patiently.
He experienced the meal through Gaius's senses, but his attention went beyond taste or sensation. He focused on what it did. Cause and effect. Response and adaptation.
The result was clear.
This nourishment did more than restore energy or strengthen muscle. It supported the body as a whole. Efficiency improved. Cells endured stress better. Systems worked together more smoothly.
The Emperor understood something Gaius was only beginning to realize.
In this world, strength was not built through training alone.
It came from the environment itself. From the creatures that lived within it. From bodies shaped over time by constant struggle, harsh conditions, and survival.
The Sea King's meat was an example of that process.
A body formed under pressure, sustained by a world rich with life and vitality.
~~~
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