The reason Suna was interested in the protein bar was because its item description stated it was a protein energy bar synthesised using advanced technology.

Just one bite could keep an ordinary person full for an entire week.

Its high-energy, nutrient-rich properties were very similar to another substance in Suna’s possession: the sugar block obtained by concentrating the white seawater. The source of this content ɪs novelFirｅ.net

So, the two had a chance of being related.

Perhaps the protein bar was made from the delicious honey-like substance and held great research value!

So, she put it in her treasure pouch, planning to analyse its specific composition later when she had time.

Yang Yi continued fishing and gradually caught two more small, pitiful chunks of meat, which he threw into the iron box, soon to be eaten by the large chunk of meat.

Perhaps due to a lack of food, the large meat chunk began to grow restless.

The white seawater inside had been fully absorbed, and not a single dried-up meat chunk remained.

With nothing to eat, it extended its tendrils in all directions, bumping against the inner walls of the iron box with a loud thump, thump.

The force wasn't particularly strong and couldn’t penetrate the two-centimetre-thick metal casing.

After a few fruitless strikes, the large meat chunk began to squirm, crawling along the inner walls of the box like a soft-bodied creature.

Since Yang Yi wasn’t catching any fish at the moment, he decided to sprinkle some salt to make the meat retreat, but Suna reached out to stop him.

She took out a reagent bottle from her treasure pouch. It contained a murky orange liquid, and she seemed about to pour it down.

“What’s that?” Yang Yi asked.

“Stomach acid from a Gourmet Devourer,” Suna explained, looking at the meat chunk below.

“This kind of stomach acid can completely digest delicious substances. It might have a similar effect to salt.”

Yang Yi nodded and let her proceed while he hoisted the salt bucket, ready to kill the meat chunk with salt at any moment.

Suna opened the reagent bottle and poured the liquid onto the surface of the meat chunk.

Like strong acid corroding flesh, pits and dents appeared on the meat’s surface as it recoiled to the other end of the iron box.

“It really is similar, maybe even more effective…” Yang Yi remarked.

“It seems scared! The Gourmet Devourer is probably its natural predator!” Suna concluded.

Yang Yi nodded in agreement.

After all, the stomach acid of a Gourmet Devourer could digest delicious substances.

If an ordinary person were to eat it, just one bite of the Fruit of Bounty would burst their stomach, maybe even rupture their whole abdomen.

Moreover, the meat chunks had corrosive capabilities.

If an ordinary person tried to eat them, it would be unclear who would end up eating whom.

Seeing that the meat chunk had stopped trying to climb, Yang Yi turned his attention back to fishing.

But Suna suddenly seemed to think of something and quickly climbed down from the platform, running towards the ship’s cabin.

Yang Yi didn’t stop her and continued fishing.

Without Suna around, he actually felt more at ease; less risk of her throwing strange things into the box and causing a mess.

Yang Yi resumed fishing and soon caught a meat chunk. He threw it into the iron box to let them devour each other.

As soon as they made contact, the large meat chunk reacted.

After devouring about a quarter of the new chunk, changes began to appear on its surface: pores started forming and growing larger. Inside them were meat spheres, resembling a lotus seed pod structure.

It was a sign of a jet-type meat chunk and also indicated that the large chunk had grown to a medium size. It could be killed for a capsule.

Yang Yi was preparing to kill it with sea salt, but to his surprise, Suna came rushing back, holding a large glass jar that appeared to contain half a stomach.

“Wait! Don’t kill it yet!”

Suna shouted repeatedly, stopping Yang Yi just as he lifted the salt bucket.

He glanced at the meat chunk in the box.

It was still devouring the other chunk, relatively calm.

Suna handed the glass jar to Yang Yi and climbed back up the platform.

It was the stomach of a Gourmet Devourer, a living specimen. After they killed the creature, Suna had preserved its stomach.

“Throw the stomach in and see what happens,” Suna said to Yang Yi.

She seemed to have rushed over, her cheeks slightly flushed.

But Yang Yi didn’t comply, on the contrary, he sensed a trace of danger.

“Don’t worry. This stomach keeps regenerating, I’ve cut it up so many times, and there are still several backups in the lab,” Suna explained.

“That’s not what I’m worried about!” Yang Yi hesitated.

In truth, he was concerned that throwing it in would cause something unexpected.

“Don’t you want to know what happens when the two collide, and which one digests the other?” Suna pressed, her bright red eyes fixed on Yang Yi.

He looked a bit guilty, because truth be told, he was curious about the relationship between the Gourmet Devourer and the meat chunks too.

After a few seconds of thought, Yang Yi opted for a safer approach.

“Let’s try it on a smaller meat chunk first. This one’s a bit too big,” he said, pointing at the jet-type meat chunk in the box that was just about done devouring its prey.

Suna agreed.

Yang Yi lifted the salt bucket and poured the salt inside.

Agitated by the sea salt, the meat chunk began to thrash violently, launching bursts of meat balls. Most were blocked by the box, though one shot towards the platform and was deflected by Yang Yi with his crystallised shield.

It was at a total disadvantage, trapped inside a sturdy iron box with no means of escape, only able to take the hits.

As more and more salt poured in, the meat chunk withered rapidly, losing all offensive capability. Eventually, it was completely buried in sea salt and stopped moving entirely.

Yang Yi waited for two minutes, confirming that there were no signs of life before directing a skeletal arm inside to tear off a chunk of dried meat, which he held in his hand.

【Name: Delicious Meat Chunk (Medium)】

【Description: …Can be used in the monster vending machine.】

Not bad.

With about two to three hours of fishing, he could do a vending pull.

The first three pulls usually had a high chance of yielding good items; worth the time investment.

Yang Yi jumped down from the platform and headed to the bow of the ship, where he tossed the meat chunk into the monster vending machine.

Soon after, a sticky vending popped out, as if coated in saliva.

Yang Yi picked it up.

【Name: Delicious Bait】

【Type: Consumable】【Quality: Fine】【Description: An unusually delicious bait. Works wonders as fishing bait or for luring fish. Significantly increases catch rate. Also edible, highly nutritious.】

“Why is it always this kind of stuff?” Yang Yi muttered, somewhat disappointed.

He was beginning to feel uneasy at the sight of anything labelled “delicious”,

The delicious potted plant, the delicious fertiliser, none had been useful.

Yang Yi put the delicious bait away, planning to use it only after leaving the Bountiful Sea.

Using it before could lure in a swarm of meat chunks, since the sea had no fish.

The meat chunks were probably lurking in the deep sea. If he drew them up, he wouldn’t be able to get away in time.

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