Throne Of Supreme

Chapter 218: Fresh-keeping Knife and Sandwich Cookies

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The complex and sophisticated instruments rumbled ominously as the humans inside contorted with pain. Their bodies gradually shriveled, the extracted liquid flowing through pipes into glass bottles.

Yet this precious material garnered no attention at the moment.

Everyone sat around a table in silence, the oppressive atmosphere heavy and suffocating.

After what felt like an eternity, someone finally broke the stillness. "Where did that person come from?"

The question lingered in the air as they recalled the horrifying scene they had witnessed. A collective shiver ran through the group.

Not only was he extraordinarily powerful, but his merciless killing and monstrous appearance made him seem like a demon risen straight from the abyss.

An elegant middle-aged man slammed the table, his expression twisting with anger. "Hmph! Those guards outside are utterly useless! When this is over, I'll report this to the eldest prince myself and ensure they're punished for their incompetence!"

"If they survive," a faint voice interjected.

The middle-aged man fell silent, unable to refute the remark.

"Enough," another man said. "Forget about those fools. Our priority is ensuring we survive."

"Yes," someone else agreed. "Luckily, we had the foresight to build this fortress. It's impenetrable."

"Hahaha!" Another man chuckled nervously. "The eldest prince and his men will surely notice the anomaly here soon and send reinforcements. If that guy's still around, we might even capture him alive."

The elegant middle-aged man sneered. "If that happens, this incident might turn out to be beneficial. That man would make for excellent research material."

The oppressive atmosphere began to lift, and some even entertained the thought of conducting experiments on Aoki.

But then, a faint voice echoed again. "Are you certain this place is absolutely safe?"

The lab fell silent as though a mute button had been pressed.

Seconds passed.

"Of course," the elegant middle-aged man eventually replied. "This laboratory was constructed with special metals. We tested it with bombs during its construction—"

Boom!

A violent tremor interrupted his words, sending several people tumbling to the ground.

No one bothered to pick themselves up. Instead, all eyes darted upward in alarm.

"Wh-what was that?"

"Was it him? Did he attack the lab?"

"Impossible! Didn't you say this place was indestructible?"

"Hey… does anyone else feel like it's getting hot?"

"Don't panic!" the elegant middle-aged man snapped. "This laboratory is made of special metal. It's absolutely impo—"

Boom!

The ceiling caved in, and flames surged through the breach, engulfing the elegant middle-aged man. His body was instantly incinerated, leaving behind nothing but a charred husk.

The others froze, their faces pale with terror.

Before they could process what had happened, more flames roared in, consuming them all.

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At the dock, a pirate ship rested steadily, its flag—a skull flanked by two swords—fluttering in the wind.

Beside it stood a massive, fearsome dragon-man over two hundred meters tall, his body jet-black. With a casual flick of his thick tail, he felled trees as though they were mere weeds.

Aoki opened his enormous jaws, condensing flames into a colossal fireball tens of meters in diameter.

Boom!

The fireball obliterated the pirate ship in an instant, reducing it to scattered debris and devouring it in an inferno. Seawater evaporated, shrouding the area in white mist as flames surged and danced, creating a spectacular yet devastating display.

"That should do it," Aoki muttered.

His towering form began to shrink, returning to his human shape.

The overwhelming power he had wielded disappeared, leaving behind a faint sense of loss.

But Aoki was no stranger to this feeling. He quickly adjusted his mindset, unfurled his bat-like wings, and soared into the sky.

Most of the island remained intact, except for the eastern side.

Where the experimental base had once stood, there was now only desolation.

The land, buildings, and every facility had vanished, leaving behind a colossal crater. Magma bubbled at its edges, and waves of scorching heat radiated outward.

Laboratory No. 1 was long gone—reduced to ashes.

In the end, there was no such thing as absolute safety.

Kaido's hot breath could melt half a mountain. Aoki's dragon breath wasn't quite as destructive, but it was still formidable enough to obliterate a building.

However, things didn't go entirely smoothly.

Aoki glanced at his system panel.

The mission to "destroy the experimental base" remained incomplete.

Laboratory No. 1 had undoubtedly been destroyed, and the progress bar for eliminating the five senior researchers had reached its target. The only missing piece was the person in charge.

Aoki wasn't surprised.

"Looks like a trip to the Ram Kingdom is unavoidable," he murmured.

From the memories of White Coat No. 2 and the pirate leader, Aoki knew the true person in charge of the experimental base was the eldest prince of the Ram Kingdom.

Additionally, only one-third of the mission to "destroy the fleet" had been completed. The Twin Blade Pirates, acting as the Ram Kingdom's black-gloved enforcers, held the key to locating the remaining two fleets. This made the journey to the Ram Kingdom an absolute necessity.

Reflecting on the battle, Aoki noted with disappointment, "I killed plenty of people this time, but their strength was too weak. The experience points they gave were negligible—I didn't even level up."

Despite this, the spoils from the revenge chests brought some solace.

A total of 45 revenge chests had been obtained. Although all were one-star, the sheer quantity was exhilarating.

"Let's see if there's anything useful this time," Aoki said, smiling as he began opening them.

The system notifications chimed in his mind, listing an assortment of rewards.

The bulk of it was money, along with various miscellaneous items like clothes, weapons, and daily necessities.

By the time all 45 chests were opened, only four items stood out.

The first was a set of 10 special lollipops, identical to the ones he'd received previously.

The second was a pack of special biscuits.

The third was a knife imbued with the power of ice—not a weapon, but a kitchen knife designed to preserve food and extend its shelf life.

The fourth was a specially crafted flash bomb, described as having effects far beyond those of ordinary flash bombs.

Aoki picked up the kitchen knife and swung it experimentally.

"The legendary fresh-keeping kitchen knife," he remarked.

It looked no different from a regular kitchen knife, except for the faint blue glow it emitted under sunlight and the cool sensation it gave when held.

"I think Mitsuri would like this," Aoki mused, stowing the "fresh-keeping knife" into his alternate dimension.

He then turned his attention to the pack of biscuits. The plastic bag was tied with a thin rope, and inside were cute animal-shaped biscuits, each the size of a thumb.

Curious, he opened the bag, took out a bear-shaped biscuit, and tasted it.

His eyes lit up with surprise.

The biscuit was a sandwich, bursting with the flavors of cream and fruit.

He sampled a few more pieces and discovered that biscuits of different shapes had unique flavors, offering a delightful variety.

"Miss Tamayo would love these," Aoki thought, smiling. "I'll share them next time we meet."

After indulging in a few more, he reluctantly put the rest away.

Food items were a rare drop—only two appeared out of more than 40 treasure chests. The drop rate was absurdly low, enough to satisfy a craving but far from a feast.

Aoki glanced down at the island below.

Overall, this trip had been fruitful, though the primary goal remained unfulfilled.

Neither the pirate leader nor White Coat No. 2 had any information about Robin in their memories.

"I'll have to rely on the Ram Kingdom for answers," Aoki murmured.

Spreading his wings, he slowly ascended into the sky.

There was no urgency to head to the Ram Kingdom just yet.

At the very least, Aoki wanted to wait until his "ultimate form" was fully charged.

Under normal circumstances, his ordinary form was more than sufficient to roam the West Sea.

But his enemies extended far beyond the West Sea.

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