Everyone in the entire venue was watching Lin Ye — watching as he picked up ingredient after ingredient and tasted each one in turn. The whole crowd stood frozen, unable to make a single sound.
Why?
Why was Lin Ye doing this?
There was absolutely no reason for Lin Ye to do something like this.
A crowd of players racked their brains and still couldn't figure it out.
The Host Mask Man, after a brief flash of shock, broke into a smile.
He had considered using moral pressure — trying to guilt-trip Lin Ye into tasting the ingredients on behalf of all the players. But he'd dismissed the idea immediately, because no one would ever be that foolish. Who in their right mind would risk their own life for the sake of others?
Something with a nine-in-ten chance of death — no one would agree to that.
Yet here was the reality: his attempt to morally coerce Lin Ye into killing the eliminated players had failed — and Lin Ye had gone and started tasting the ingredients on his own.
Watching Lin Ye finish one ingredient and move on to sample the next, the Host Mask Man nearly burst with delight.
"He's done for."
"Dead meat."
Some of these ingredients were poisonous — not acutely lethal, but hallucinogenic, affecting the brain's neural pathways. Once consumed, a person could lose coherent thought and awareness for days on end.
Others required a certain quantity before their effects kicked in. But some were instant death the moment they touched your lips — the lethal threshold was almost nothing.
Still others had been so deeply corroded by Strange influence that the concentration was overwhelming. Eat them, and you'd be subjected to the effects of Strange erosion — transforming into a Strange monster.
And now Lin Ye was going down the line, tasting them one by one.
There was no avoiding the poisonous ones.
Even if he didn't die outright, he wouldn't be far from it.
The Host Mask Man's gaze suddenly snapped to Lin Ye's hand. He had picked up an ingredient that looked like a flower.
The Bizarre Mandrake Blossom.
Even a tiny taste could damage the mind — causing irreversible harm. The more you ate, the faster your sanity eroded. Even Strange entities avoided this plant. Aside from a rare few whose innate traits shielded them from its effects, no Strange entity in its right mind would ever consume it.
And Lin Ye was about to eat the Bizarre Mandrake Blossom.
Good.
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!
The Host Mask Man silently cheered. This thorn-in-his-side of a player was about to become a raving lunatic — and with that, the fourth event, Cuisine, would swing back onto the trajectory he had planned all along.
The future he had yearned for was once again within reach.
The Host Mask Man had never imagined that joy and happiness could arrive so swiftly.
This was wonderful. This was magnificent.
His eyes locked on Lin Ye, wide and unblinking — the excitement blazing behind them so fierce that even the mask couldn't conceal it — as Lin Ye plucked a single petal from the Bizarre Mandrake Blossom and slowly placed it into his mouth.
In that moment, the Host's heart pounded so violently he nearly cried out.
He held himself back. He was afraid that if he showed too much excitement, Lin Ye might spit the petal out.
He needed to wait just a little longer — wait until Lin Ye swallowed the second petal.
The very next second, the Host Mask Man watched as Lin Ye plucked a second petal and popped it into his mouth. His expression even seemed to carry a trace of enjoyment and satisfaction.
Perfect, perfect, perfect.
His mind is being affected. The hallucinations have begun. By now, Lin Ye must have already been pulled into the dreamlike world conjured by the Bizarre Mandrake Blossom.
"Ha ha ha ha..."
At that moment, the Host Mask Man could no longer hold it in.
In the span of less than ten seconds — every single second of restraint had been agony — and now, finally, he could let it all out in one glorious release.
"You reap what you sow."
The moment those words left his mouth, the players' expressions shifted.
It was the first time any of them had seen the Host Mask Man this emotionally unhinged, his features twisted with savage glee. This was his true face — the ugliest side of him, exposed at last because Lin Ye had thwarted him one too many times.
And why had it been exposed now?
The reason was simple enough.
Whatever ingredient Lin Ye was currently eating — it had to be seriously wrong.
Poisonous? More than that — violently, agonizingly poisonous. The kind that made death look merciful.
That black flower. Whatever it was, no one should have picked it.
"Brother Zero, it's over —"
"Why did Brother Zero just go and start tasting the ingredients like that —"
"Don't tell me he's doing this for us. Did Brother Zero decide to taste everything himself to figure out which ones are poisonous?!"
"That — that can't be right, can it? If Brother Zero was that kind of person, he could've just accepted the Host's offer earlier!"
Murmurs and speculation rippled through the crowd as the players scrambled to figure out why Lin Ye had done what he had done.
Quite a few let out sighs of dismay. They hadn't expected Lin Ye to suddenly do something so completely against his own interests. Naïve? He was probably a little foolish, too, they figured.
But they also knew: if not for that foolishness of his, they wouldn't have made it this far.
The veteran players who had been gunning for first place felt a pang of regret — but beneath it, a much stronger surge of joy.
Lin Ye, their most dangerous rival, was finished. Now the top spot would be decided among the remaining veterans.
Against the other veteran players, he still liked his odds.
"I'll remember this sacrifice of yours," one veteran muttered under his breath.
"I'm going to win first place in style."
Several veteran players were fired up now. With Lin Ye poisoned and effectively out of the running — even if he wasn't formally eliminated, there was no way he'd produce a competitive result — the contest was now theirs to claim.
So… they started dreaming of their own victory.
Lin Ye noticed the strange looks being directed at him from all around. He held the Bizarre Mandrake Blossom in one hand, and with the other, plucked another petal and placed it in his mouth.
He kept tasting as he looked around, and as he did, the Host Mask Man's earlier words drifted back to him.
"Tastes pretty good," Lin Ye said lightly.
"Want to try some?"
With that, Lin Ye walked straight toward the Host Mask Man and tried to press a petal toward his mouth.
The Host Mask Man stumbled backward immediately, giving Lin Ye absolutely no opening.
This Bizarre Mandrake Blossom — there was no way on earth he was going to touch it.
'Tap tap tap…'
The Host Mask Man retreated several steps.
"Come on, just a little bite," Lin Ye said.
"N-no, that's fine, I'm good —"
"I just thought of another way to identify whether an ingredient is toxic," Lin Ye said.
That sentence cracked open an entirely new line of thinking.
If the Organizer's own staff refused to eat something — it was definitely poisonous.
The Host Mask Man recognized this instantly. "Forcing a staff member to eat will trigger a rules penalty," he said sharply.
Were those rules real, or just a bluff?
At least during the second event — Brisk Walking — players had physically assaulted staff members and received no rules penalty whatsoever.
It had been as if nothing happened at all.
"If a player uses coercive force, the staff member is permitted to defend themselves."
At that, the Host Mask Man collected himself.
They were bound by the rules, yes — but equally, they were protected by them. If a player came at them with violence, they could retaliate. More than that, they could draw on the power of the rules themselves, and no player would be their match.
If anything, the Host Mask Man was now almost looking forward to Lin Ye trying to force the issue — to triggering that particular rule.
Though it was worth noting: Lin Ye had eaten a substantial number of Bizarre Mandrake Blossom petals, and his mind was still clearly intact. His Constitution must be exceptional, and his mental fortitude even more so. Otherwise, there was simply no way he'd be functioning this normally.
All he could do now was wait.
Lin Ye held the Host Mask Man's gaze for a moment longer, then turned and walked back.
He had a method for identifying the ingredients now.
Between the drawback of his Superpower: Devour, the Shared Taste link with Erina Nakiri, the God Tongue's discernment ability, and the Host Mask Man's reaction just now — Miss Nakiri now had a very high degree of confidence in identifying which ingredients were toxic and which weren't.
As for the possibility of the occasional mistake —
Well, that was just bad luck.
Lin Ye resumed tasting.
Erina Nakiri processed each one in turn — sensing, analyzing, recording.
In the span of five minutes, working from the rules and the number of groups competing, he had identified seven ingredients that were provisionally deemed non-toxic.
"So — what are we choosing?"
The cooking was Erina Nakiri's domain. She was the chef here. She was the professional.
"This one," she said.
It was a plant — conical in shape, vivid blue in color, with a faintly unusual aroma.
Through Shared Taste, Erina had experienced its flavor directly. She'd determined it paired best with meat dishes — specifically, it was excellent at eliminating gamey odors from meat.
"Alright," said Lin Ye.
He made his choice.
Because of all the time spent on Group 26's selection, the process had run significantly over. The Host Mask Man began pushing things along.
"Next group, hurry up and choose! Three special slots remaining — any interested players, act now!"
Two options: risk picking an ingredient yourself, or kill an eliminated player for information about a safe one.
As it happened, the next group to choose was surprisingly clever about it — they walked straight up and selected the same ingredient Lin Ye had chosen.
They had decided to trust Lin Ye just this once.
Up to this point, every call Lin Ye had made had been correct.
Even now — Lin Ye had eaten that strange black flower that had sent the Host into fits of gleeful laughter, and yet here he still stood, perfectly fine. That alone was proof enough that Lin Ye had something special going on.
Trusting Lin Ye was never the wrong move.
The third group hesitated.
"Should we…"
One of its members glanced over at the eliminated players — still gagged and bound.
The problem was that each ingredient could only be selected by two groups. The blue ingredient was already taken — unavailable.
Now, if they wanted to find a safe ingredient, it really did seem like they'd have to go the route the Host Mask Man had suggested.
"There is one other option," someone said.
And then they walked toward the blue vegetable.
"I'm betting that the Host's rule about a single ingredient being limited to two groups is a lie — a fake restriction."
This guy had guts.
He was actually going to do what they'd all thought about but hadn't dared to try.
Just go for it — their hearts all whispered the same thing.
Even Lin Ye was surprised. Here was a newcomer with the nerve to challenge the divine, putting his own body on the line to test whether that rule was real or fabricated.
Bold. Whatever the result, that kind of courage deserved respect.
The newcomer slowly extended his hand toward the blue vegetable.
Lin Ye, meanwhile, was watching the staff members' reactions — not the Host, but the other staff members.
Going by the precedent set earlier — when eliminated players had been dragged off by staff when they failed — if this newcomer violated a rule, it would be the staff who acted, not the Host.
Closer.
Closer still.
The newcomer's hand moved deliberately slowly. The pressure inside him was immense.
And in that moment, Lin Ye caught something — a subtle shift in the aura of several nearby staff members.
"Don't touch it," he called out sharply.
"Pick the gold mushroom instead."
The newcomer froze mid-motion.
He stared blankly at Lin Ye.
"Trust me and take that mushroom."
"I trust you, Brother Zero."
Was there anyone here more worthy of trust than Lin Ye?
Definitely not.
He made his decision without hesitation and went for the gold mushroom.
The fourth person followed suit, also choosing the gold mushroom.
In a situation where they were unwilling to kill for information, the only real choice available to them was to put their faith in Lin Ye.
And in that moment, something else became clear to all of them.
Lin Ye's tasting of the ingredients earlier — it had been real. He had genuinely done it to determine which ones were poisonous.
Many of the players were moved.
Lin Ye hadn't said a single word about it. He had simply gone ahead and done it quietly — ignoring even the players who had argued against him and mocked him, not showing a trace of anger. Standing in their shoes right now, how could they not feel ashamed?
"Brother Zero, thank you —"
"Truly, thank you so much. Having a veteran player like you with us is our honor."
"No matter what happens, our group will follow your lead from here on out."
There were even groups led by veteran players among them.
Those veterans weren't without some temptation — they had considered killing an eliminated player to get the information.
But here was the thing.
From start to finish, the Host Mask Man had not done a single decent thing. Every seemingly considerate or accommodating remark had concealed layers of traps and manipulation.
With no better alternative on the table, going with the Host's offered method was something they might have considered.
But now that Lin Ye — a player who had personally tasted his way through the entire ingredient spread — was offering information, the comparison was obvious. They chose to trust Lin Ye without hesitation.
At the very least, Lin Ye's character had proven itself trustworthy up to this point.
Before long, all eleven groups had made their selections.
The remaining four groups had all chosen the route of killing an eliminated player in exchange for information about a safe ingredient.
Among those four, two contained veteran players.
'Clap, clap, clap…'
The Host Mask Man brought his hands together slowly. "I didn't expect this. I truly didn't expect this. Five chances, and only four groups took them. I'm genuinely quite disappointed in all of you."
He swept his gaze across Lin Ye and the other ten groups, his eyes heavy with simulated disappointment and exaggerated sorrow.
"Trusting another player's judgment — that's going to come with a very steep price in the end."
He looked around and saw that no one was particularly rattled by that. So he got down to business.
He waved a hand, and staff members behind him stepped forward with crisp reverence, approaching each of the four groups and presenting them with neatly folded slips of paper.
"Inside, you'll find the name of the non-toxic ingredient. Congratulations — your ingredients are absolutely free of any poisonous properties."
One veteran player took the slip, unfolded it slowly.
The moment the text written on it entered his field of vision, his expression changed completely.
"Liar."
"You son of a — you're messing with us. You have to be messing with us —"
Rage ignited in an instant. The other three players immediately tore their own slips open.
One second later, all three had the same explosive reaction — shock, disbelief, and fury blazing across their faces.
The surrounding group members crowded in to look. Their reactions were identical.
Whatever was written on those slips — it was toxic in its own right.
Now the curiosity of the other players was fully ignited.
What could possibly be written on those papers to make this many players look like they'd been slapped?
They wanted to know.
One of the veteran players crumpled the slip in his fist, knuckles white, jaw locked — he looked like he wanted to tear the Host into pieces.
"Our esteemed guest, please watch your language. The information we provided is guaranteed to be completely accurate. Should any issues arise, we will take full responsibility."
The Host Mask Man's breezy tone did nothing to soothe the veteran's burning fury.
"Responsibility — how exactly are you going to take responsibility?! You actually — you actually went and —"
"You're a liar. You've been lying to us from the very beginning."
The veteran's eyes blazed with barely contained rage, his muscles coiled tight. He was one breath away from lunging.
What the Host had given them as the "safe ingredient" was… was…
The Host Mask Man stepped forward, smiling pleasantly. "The information is entirely accurate. Completely without issue. Guests — don't you agree?"
It was a rhetorical question. And it dripped with the savoring satisfaction of someone who had just won.
His only real regret was that he hadn't managed to trap Lin Ye. That was the face he had most wanted to see — and he hadn't gotten it. But cornering four groups of players was more than enough.
One of the group members snatched the slip from someone's hand and looked.
"Per… people…"
Taking in what was written there, the group member's eyes went wide, their head spinning — they barely held themselves together.
The information the Host had provided was: humans.
The Host didn't even consider humans to be people.
"Ladies and gentlemen, you see — what you just killed —"
"Doesn't that work out perfectly?"
"Absolutely zero toxins. I can guarantee it."
Simple words, saturated with malice and contempt as dark and thick as ink.
This was what you got for trusting the Organizer. For trusting the Host.
Thoroughly played. Thoroughly manipulated.
Those four groups had been willing to kill — but cooking a human being was so far beyond their psychological limit there was no coming back from it.
Every decision they'd made up to this point was one enormous joke.
Especially the two newcomers who had actually gone through with it — they had pushed past their own inner barrier, crossed a line they could never uncross, chosen to take a life in order to protect themselves.
How much courage and resolve had that taken?
And the result?
They would have been better off doing nothing at all.
The Host had been playing them from the very start.
"Guests, please collect your ingredients."
"Time is limited."
"If you wait any longer, you won't be able to claim your required ingredient in time."
A person couldn't be the ingredient. Obviously.
So…
One newcomer had a sudden thought. He spun on his heel and sprinted toward the ingredient area.
He was heading straight for the same ingredient that the eleventh person had taken.
That ingredient had only been claimed once so far — it could still be taken by one more group.
"Give it to me!"
"Give it to me now!"
The other groups reacted a beat too slow. They grabbed at the leading newcomer and a scramble broke out — everyone trying to rip the ingredient away from him.
"Back off!"
"I'm not giving it to any of you!"
Group members piled in to help.
The whole cluster of them tangled together in a pushing, grabbing brawl.
"Guests, cease immediately, or we will —"
The Host Mask Man raised a hand, and staff members advanced.
"First warning."
"If you do not stop, we will implement forcible measures."
Faced with the towering staff members, the brawling players went cold and backed off.
The threat of death restored their reason.
But the thought of losing that ingredient still gnawed at them.
Without it, they'd have to go back to the ingredient area and choose on their own — and with all those strange and unfamiliar specimens to sort through, how were they supposed to pick?
"Brother Zero…"
"Please — please tell us what food to choose."
"We'll listen to everything you say from now on."
"Please, we're begging you!"
Some of the players reacted fast — their minds leaping immediately to Lin Ye.
They were certain he still knew which other ingredients were non-toxic. They clearly remembered watching him taste a large number of them — there had to be other safe ones in that list.
Lin Ye ignored them.
"Brother Zero…"
Players begged and pleaded.
Two of the veteran players still had too much pride to ask themselves. But their group members were past caring — they shot desperate looks in Lin Ye's direction, silently imploring him to extend a hand.
Lin Ye continued to ignore them.
And the players who had sided with Lin Ye earlier now hit back.
"Oh, so now you come crawling?"
"You wouldn't listen to Brother Zero before, and now you have the nerve to come asking him for help?"
"Brother Zero made himself perfectly clear — anyone who went ahead and killed an eliminated player shouldn't expect his help."
"If you have any shame left, go pick your own ingredient."
"We stand firmly with Brother Zero. Right now is absolutely not the time to do favors for people who wouldn't listen."
Those players also harbored considerable wariness and unease toward the groups that had committed a killing.
They were capable of killing an eliminated player.
Then what was stopping them from killing the remaining players?
Killers were dangerous. Way too dangerous.
"It was your own fault for acting without thinking."
"I'm innocent in all this."
"I had no idea he was going to suddenly go and kill someone! I swear I didn't know!"
The remaining players piled on with accusations and insults.
All at once, the groups in question erupted into finger-pointing and infighting.
Only the veteran players went untouched. Nobody dared to target them directly.
The newcomer players understood the veterans' capabilities all too well. And they knew full well that the two veterans who had killed weren't the type to be guilt-tripped. Anyone with a real moral compass wouldn't have chosen to kill for information in the first place.
But even so, the shouting resolved nothing.
Nothing changed.
"Zero — I'm willing to trade an item for one piece of information."
One of the veteran players spoke up.
Since persuasion had failed and words clearly weren't going to win anyone over, the veteran went with the most direct, no-nonsense approach available.
A transaction.
Among players, aside from Strange Coins, the most common form of trade was barter — items for items. While items were generally inferior to Strange objects overall, certain specific items were quite popular on the trading market because of their effectiveness.
"One Blue Quality item — in exchange for the name of one non-toxic ingredient. You come out ahead."
Lin Ye finally spoke. "I'm not interested in coming out ahead on items."
The meaning was unmistakable.
Lin Ye refused.
"Two Blue Quality items," the veteran pressed.
"I'll add one more item — also Blue Quality," the second veteran added.
Three items total, in exchange for one piece of information — enough for two groups to use.
"No."
Lin Ye refused just the same.
He meant what he said. If he said he wouldn't help, he wouldn't help — not in any capacity.
The two veterans seethed.
Three Blue Quality items. For a single piece of information.
That was an absurdly profitable trade — and Lin Ye had turned it down flat.
Did this guy care that much about keeping his word? Was he really going to hold the line just because he'd said something?
Compared to three Blue Quality items — what was one word worth?
"Miss Cold."
The two veterans turned, half pleading, toward Cold Frost.
As a teammate, Cold Frost might know something.
Cold Frost narrowed her eyes faintly.
"I'm not lacking for items."
What kind of reserves did she have, that she could say something like that?
A Strange player who didn't want more items? That was unheard of.
They understood — this was Cold Frost's way of declining.
So then, how were they supposed to persuade her?
Or rather…
"Miss Nakiri."
As the third member of the group — and the only newcomer, at that — she seemed to get along quite well with both Lin Ye and Cold Frost. Surely this blond girl had to know something useful.
Erina Nakiri glanced over, but gave no response.
Lin Ye hadn't agreed to help, so how could she possibly agree on her own? Unless Lin Ye specifically wanted her to — and nothing in his expression suggested that. If he did, he'd have given some kind of signal.
So…
"Miss Nakiri — for a newcomer, items like these are incredibly precious. And Zero hasn't explicitly told you not to help… has he?"
Lin Ye hadn't forbidden it, that much was true — but his silence had already made the situation perfectly clear.
Erina Nakiri had no intention of taking the risk. Even if those few items sounded fairly attractive, the prospect of drawing Lin Ye's displeasure outweighed any benefit by a wide margin.
Seeing that Erina Nakiri was also unwilling to cooperate, the veteran's frustration compounded further.
"Fine then — we'll lop off a finger," he muttered bitterly.
"The required ingredient must constitute more than one-third of the dish by quantity."
That supplementary rule from the Host Mask Man hit all four groups like a bucket of cold water.
Earlier, they'd thought they could just add a tiny amount — enough to technically include it. But the reality was something else entirely…
There was simply no way to do it.
And if someone actually went through with it, they'd be crossing a line so fundamental that there was no humanity left on the other side.
Unless every other player died off — if word ever got out, anyone who had done such a thing would face a fate that was anything but kind.
"Anyone willing to trade? Items for items —"
Since Lin Ye's group of three wouldn't exchange, maybe they could find another group that had already secured their ingredient and trade for it.
The question was whether using another group's ingredient would still count for their own qualification.
But as it turned out, not a single group was willing to part with their chosen ingredient.
Compared to items — something you'd only need later — the ingredient in hand right now was clearly more important.
Damn it all.
When had they ever been in a situation like this?
They'd miscalculated so badly this time. So unforgivably badly.
How could anyone have trusted the Organizer? This instance's entire cast of characters had been scheming against the players at every step — so how, in the end, had they still gone and swallowed every word the Host said?
"Not much time left," the Host reminded them.
One veteran moved into the ingredient area and began retracing Lin Ye's tasting route in his memory, recalling every reaction Lin Ye had made.
"That one."
He chose a pink fruit.
It had a faint, sweet peach-like scent — pleasantly mild.
It was the best call he could make with what he had.
The second veteran gave up entirely on maintaining his pride and tried asking Lin Ye directly once more.
Lin Ye paid him no attention.
He then turned to Cold Frost and Erina Nakiri.
And Erina Nakiri, picking up on something in Cold Frost's subtle reaction, spoke up quietly: "This one…"
To the second veteran player's ears, those two words sounded like music from heaven.
The very next second, the representatives from the other two groups who were still trying to select their ingredients went wild — they charged over, and a second brawl erupted as everyone lunged for the same thing.
The first veteran was left alone, clutching his pink fruit, watching the chaos unfold — and feeling, all of a sudden, like an isolated clown.
He was being targeted.
He was completely and utterly being targeted.
"Please accept these items."
The second veteran didn't hesitate for a single moment. He produced two items on the spot and offered them up.
It wasn't as though he hadn't thought about not paying. After all, the item trade they had discussed was back when the offer had been on the table — it had no particular binding connection to what had just happened.
But he paid anyway.
There was no reason to burn a bridge over two items. The Cuisine event was the fourth and final event, but there was no guarantee that unexpected complications wouldn't arise midway — complications that he might not be able to handle alone. Keeping his relationship with Lin Ye intact was, he had decided, the wisest move.
Finally, one last group remained.
Several of its members wept and begged, hoping Lin Ye would give them some kind of hint. But Lin Ye treated them with cold indifference.
In the end, with no other options, they went with gut instinct and grabbed something.
"Don't worry,"
"The smellier the ingredient, the less likely it is to be poisonous."
"I trust my own judgment. Trust me on this one."
That was how they talked themselves into it.
As for that ingredient — Lin Ye hadn't tasted it, and had no way to determine whether it was toxic.
"The smellier, the safer" wasn't exactly a reliable principle.
But compared to the alternatives, using that logic as a basis for guessing didn't seem entirely unreasonable either.
"Very good," said the Host Mask Man, stepping up onto the stage. "Now, guests, if you'll please follow me over there —"
Led by the staff members, all fifteen groups made their way to a cooking area fifty meters away.
It was fully stocked — pots, utensils, everything in order, along with a reasonably complete selection of seasonings.
"The Organizer will not be providing any additional ingredients. Guests, please make use of whatever you have gathered. The ingredient you selected must be incorporated into your dish, and must account for at least one-third of the total quantity."
The Host Mask Man gave a brief summary of the rules.
He was just about to say more once the players had moved to their positions — when someone cut him off.
"There's no firewood," Lin Ye said.
He had noticed a problem.
"Figure it out yourselves. The Organizer has provided everything it intends to provide."
It was obviously deliberate — another layer of added difficulty.
Though for a group cooking competition with enough hands, it wasn't an insurmountable problem.
"Then, the fourth event — 'Cuisine' — officially begins!"
The two-hour countdown started.
Cold Frost began laying out their ingredients.
It had to be said — Lin Ye's group had the widest variety and the greatest quantity of ingredients by far. More than a few of the groups with limited supplies watched with envy.
But those groups didn't rush to ask for ingredients. Their immediate priorities were gathering firewood and working out how to handle the mandatory ingredient they'd been required to incorporate.
"I'll go find firewood," said Lin Ye, and set off.
Erina Nakiri turned to the seasonings first.
She leaned in and sniffed. "The smell is a bit off."
Things like table salt and white sugar seemed fine at a glance — but the vinegar and soy sauce had an aroma she was absolutely certain she had never encountered before.
She considered it for a moment, then dipped a finger in and tasted.
"Mmmh…"
A strange flavor — unusual, yet somehow intriguing.
"I'll need to do some test cooking first."
They had beef, snake meat, and rabbit meat on hand.
She had yet to determine which meat the blue vegetable would pair with best to produce a truly delicious dish.
She'd just have to try them all.
Erina Nakiri made a quiet note of this to herself.
Wrapped in her apron, she was, in that moment, the brightest star in the entire venue.
Ten minutes later, she got to work.
She started with the rabbit meat.
Below the stove, the firewood crackled and burned, the iron pan glowing red-hot.
Erina added the cooking oil, and officially began.
Elsewhere, many of the other groups were starting up as well.
Time was on their side — they intended to make the most of it and produce the best dish they could.
Organizer staff stood watching from a short distance, maintaining their separation.
About half an hour passed, and a sound of footsteps drifted in from somewhere.
After all — what would a 'Gourmet Sports Meet' be without the 'Sports' part?
...
____
________________________________________
If you want more chapters, please consider supporting my page on (P). with 50 advanced chapters available on (P)
👻 Join the crew by searching Leanzin on (P). You know the spot! 😉