**********
—Five Months Later—
100G Mountain,
Another five months had passed, and the time had finally come for Lev to leave the continent.
But before he departed, there was one last thing he wanted to do.
One last game with Bambina.
At that moment, Lev stood atop the 100G Mountain, facing the Monkey King himself. However, the two of them were far from alone. Alpha, Tomoe, Ghislaine, Shion, and the rest of their group were also there. More importantly, nearly every monkey in the continent had gathered around the mountain to witness the spectacle.
The monkeys filled the surrounding area, cheering excitedly as they watched the two figures standing atop the stone platform. It had been a very long time since they had all gathered together like this.
In fact, there was usually only one reason for such a gathering.
Whenever someone challenged the Monkey King for his position, the monkeys of the entire continent would come together to witness the battle.
But today was different.
This wasn't a challenge for the throne.
There was no hostility, no bloodlust, and no desire to claim the title of Monkey King.
Today was simply about having fun.
Meanwhile, Alpha and the others stared at Bambina, who stood directly in front of Lev. Over the past five months, they had witnessed firsthand the sheer terror of the Monkey King, and they couldn't help but shudder whenever they remembered it.
Bambina might not have looked as intimidating as Heracles. Unlike the Horse King, who possessed an overwhelming and terrifying presence, Bambina was almost always wearing a carefree smile.
But that smile concealed an equally terrifying monster.
They had even played with Bambina themselves before.
Of course, that had only been possible because Lev had repeatedly warned Bambina to hold back if he wanted to have more playmates.
Even with Bambina heavily handicapping himself, however, none of them could last more than a few seconds before willingly surrendering.
The difference between them was simply too great.
It was then that Alpha and the others truly understood just how far they still had to go.
Meanwhile, Lev and Bambina simply smiled at one another.
By now, the two had developed an unspoken understanding. Their relationship had also become much closer than the one Lev had formed with Heracles back in Area 8.
There was no longer any doubt about it.
They had become genuine playmates.
And today, before Lev left the continent, they would have one final game.
An arm-wrestling match.
As the two prepared themselves, Lev and Bambina clasped each other's hands atop the stone platform. Alpha and the others watched intently, their expressions serious, while the surrounding monkeys erupted into deafening cheers.
The excitement in the area continued to build.
Then—
Whoosh!
The moment Lev and Bambina began their contest of strength, the air itself seemed to explode.
Both of them unleashed their immense power at the same time, sending a powerful gust of wind sweeping across the mountain.
The monkeys immediately roared in excitement.
They could already tell.
This was going to be an incredible game.
"Bambina, it's time for me to leave this continent," Lev said with a smile, his eyes remaining fixed on the Monkey King. "But I promise you, this won't be our last game. So let's enjoy this one to the fullest."
Bambina simply grinned.
Then—
His strength suddenly increased.
Lev's eyes widened slightly.
Without hesitation, he immediately transformed.
Super Saiyan.
Golden light erupted around his body as his aura surged, allowing him to contend with Bambina's sudden increase in strength.
Whoosh!
An even more powerful gust of wind exploded from the stone platform, sweeping across the mountain as the two finally began to get serious.
"I'll win this time, Bambina," Lev declared before unleashing all his power through his Super Saiyan transformation.
With that, Lev began to overpower Bambina, forcing the Monkey King's arm backward little by little. Yet Bambina wasn't worried in the slightest.
In fact, he was smiling.
Then, without warning, Bambina began to shed.
His carefree appearance disappeared as his body revealed its true, unrestrained form.
Not even a second later—
BOOM!
Bambina suddenly pulled his arm back and began overpowering Lev instead.
Lev's eyes widened as his arm was slowly forced toward the stone platform. His muscles bulged as he poured more strength into the contest, yet Bambina continued to push forward.
This time, Lev was the one struggling.
Both of them were now taking the contest seriously, their muscles visibly tensing and bulging as they unleashed their tremendous physical strength.
"Master…"
Alpha and the others couldn't help but mutter as they watched Lev's arm gradually approach the stone platform.
Even the monkeys had begun rooting for Lev.
After all, Lev had spent the past five months with them, sharing meals and cooking countless delicious dishes for them. Naturally, they had grown fond of him and loved his cooking.
Of course, they were also cheering for their king.
But their support for Bambina was simply different.
"Let's see how this goes."
Lev's expression suddenly became serious.
Then—
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"
A powerful roar erupted from Lev as he began building up his strength.
The golden aura surrounding his body suddenly became unstable. It violently surged before dropping back down, only to spike once again moments later.
But one thing was certain.
Lev was getting stronger.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Seeing the sudden increase in power, Alpha and the others immediately retreated several steps. The sheer pressure radiating from Lev's body was beginning to affect them.
The monkeys noticed this as well.
One by one, they backed away from the two combatants while continuing to watch the spectacle with excitement.
Meanwhile, Bambina was genuinely surprised by the sudden change.
His eyes widened when he noticed Lev's arm beginning to move back toward him.
But that surprise quickly turned into excitement.
A huge grin spread across Bambina's face.
Lev was still hiding something.
And Bambina couldn't wait to see what it was.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Lev wasn't finished.
He continued gathering power, forcing his body to draw out even more strength.
This was something he had gained during the past five months.
Although Lev had chosen to take things slowly during his time in the continent, that didn't mean he had been idle.
His techniques might not have changed much, but his raw power had grown tremendously.
After all, he had spent the past five months eating some of the most incredible ingredients in the world.
And now, he was about to see just how far that growth had taken him.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
With one final outburst, Lev's aura exploded.
It surged outward like a tsunami, violently disturbing the atmosphere across the entire continent.
His appearance didn't change drastically. His hair became more sharply spiked and elevated, while his muscles appeared slightly more defined and tensed.
But the greatest change was his aura.
It had become far more intense, brimming with explosive energy as countless sparks of lightning constantly crackled around his body.
And his power…
It was on an entirely different level.
Compared to his base form, his current physical strength had increased by a hundredfold, vastly surpassing what he could achieve with his previous Super Saiyan transformation.
This was only natural.
Because Lev had just reached a new transformation.
After five months of eating, training, and playing within this continent, he had finally unlocked a new level of power.
Super Saiyan 2.
The transformation dramatically enhanced his raw physical abilities, and now, for the first time, Lev would be able to test just how far this new power could take him.
More importantly…
He would finally see how it compared to one of the Eight Kings.
Specifically—
Bambina.
BOOM!
A tremendous burst of power erupted from Lev as he attempted to overpower Bambina.
Yet—
Bambina's arm only moved slightly.
Lev's eyes widened.
He stared at Bambina, who was still grinning at him.
And at that moment, Lev finally understood.
Even after transforming into Super Saiyan 2…
It still wasn't enough to overpower one of the Eight Kings.
Instead of feeling disappointed, however, Lev simply grinned.
At this point, he no longer cared about winning.
What he wanted was to discover the limits of this new transformation.
So, without holding anything back, Lev unleashed every ounce of physical strength he could currently muster.
He wanted to know just how large the gap between himself and Bambina truly was.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
The pressure generated by their contest continued to spread throughout the continent.
High above them, the Emperor Ring once again began forming in the sky.
This was the second time it had appeared over this continent.
However, unlike the first time, the creatures across the continent didn't flee in terror.
Instead, they watched with anticipation.
They could feel it.
The victor of this contest would soon be decided.
Time passed.
Lev and Bambina continued to push against one another, neither willing to give up.
Yet their contest didn't last as long as one might expect.
A little over ten minutes later, the tremendous pressure that had enveloped the continent gradually began to subside.
The Emperor Ring slowly disappeared from the sky.
Seeing this, Alpha and the others, along with the surrounding monkeys, immediately rushed closer to the stone platform.
And then—
They saw it.
Lev's arm was resting against the stone platform.
The contest was over.
The victor had been decided.
Bambina, the Monkey King.
"Looks like I still couldn't win against you." Lev chuckled as he pulled his arm back and stretched it. He then looked at Bambina with a smile. "Heh. Next time I return, I'll surely give you a surprise."
Hearing this, Bambina grinned excitedly.
He then began flexing his muscles, proudly flaunting the fact that he was still the strongest.
Seeing this, all the monkeys erupted into cheers.
Some began dancing around the mountain, celebrating their king's victory.
"Sigh…"
Alpha and the others couldn't help but smile despite their disappointment.
They weren't disappointed because Lev had lost.
They already knew that he hadn't truly gone all out.
What disappointed them was that they hadn't been able to properly see the process of his defeat. The contest had simply been too overwhelming for them to follow clearly.
"Well, let's keep this occasion much happier."
Lev suddenly smiled.
"Everyone, it's time for a feast!"
The moment he said those words, several of his clones appeared around the mountain.
And so, the celebration began.
Lev's clones immediately got to work, preparing dish after dish for the massive gathering.
The monkeys eagerly devoured the food to their hearts' content, filling the entire 100G Mountain with laughter and celebration.
Even Bambina joined them, happily eating alongside everyone and getting along with the group.
For one final time before Lev's departure, the 100G Mountain was filled with nothing but food, laughter, and joy.
**********
—The Next Day—
100G Mountain,
After the feast, Lev and the others finally bid farewell to everyone as they prepared to leave the continent. They were already mounted on Indra's back, ready to begin their journey.
However, if one looked closely, there was another figure among them.
A particular Shadow Soldier stood quietly in the group, and at first glance, it looked almost exactly like a monkey.
Just like Indra, this was one of the Shadow Soldiers Lev had chosen to cultivate from among the many shadow soldier monkeys he had acquired in this continent.
And just like Indra, this particular monkey was special.
It possessed the same lineage as the Monkey King, along with an exceptionally powerful aura that stood above the others.
"Bambina, I've named this monkey 'Ishana'," Lev said as he looked toward the Monkey King. "Soon, he'll return here and become your new playmate."
Bambina simply grinned as he looked at Lev and then at the strange monkey standing behind him.
"Everyone, it was nice meeting you all. I wish you all the best. Until we meet again."
With those final words, Indra spread his wings and took off, carrying Lev and the others into the sky.
Of course, Lev didn't forget about the Food Spirits who had also celebrated alongside them on the mountain.
As Lev and the others departed, all the monkeys bid them farewell, waving their hands with gratitude.
They couldn't speak like humans, but their actions spoke more than enough.
Some of them even shed tears of joy as they watched the people they had come to know and cherish leave their continent.
But before long, their attention shifted toward Bambina.
They had no idea what was going to happen now that their new friend had left.
Bambina simply grinned.
Then, he grabbed a cup and raised it toward the sky.
The monkeys immediately understood.
They cheered joyfully and resumed their celebration.
Apparently, they still hadn't had enough.
Meanwhile, Lev and the others continued traveling peacefully through the sky, their journey unhindered as they headed toward their next destination.
"Everyone, brace yourselves."
Lev's voice suddenly became serious.
"We're heading toward the most dangerous continent in the Gourmet World."
He looked toward the distant horizon.
For the past five months, Lev had hesitated to travel there.
He had deliberately postponed his journey because of just how dangerous that continent was—not only for his companions, but even for him.
However, after thinking about it carefully, Lev knew that he would eventually have to go there.
It was one of his missions, after all.
There was no point in continuing to postpone the inevitable.
Besides, this would also allow them to gain a firsthand understanding of just how dangerous that place truly was.
"Before that, we need to find a Camping Monster that can safely take us there," Lev continued with a sigh. "That's going to be our biggest problem. But I'm sure we'll find a suitable one soon."
In fact, Lev had already ordered several Shadow Soldiers to venture out into the sea in search of a suitable Camping Monster.
They had been searching for the past five months.
Yet, they still hadn't sent back any news.
"Should I send mo—"
Lev suddenly stopped speaking.
"Hmmm?"
He sensed something.
Someone's presence.
It was completely different from Bambina's or any other creature they had encountered so far.
And it wasn't far away.
Lev immediately opened his Third Eye, enhancing his vision as he looked toward the ground below.
A moment later, he saw someone.
A man was leisurely walking across the ground while casually eating something.
At first, Lev didn't think much of it.
But the moment his enhanced vision gave him a clear look at the man's appearance—
Lev froze.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
He was shocked to the core.
And what frightened him even more was what happened next.
The man suddenly stopped.
Then—
He looked directly toward Lev's group.
And waved.
"W-What the…?"
Lev couldn't help but mutter.
He knew exactly who that man was.