Fantasy Realm [One Piece] [Harry Potter] [Naruto] - [Progression] [LitRPG]

Chapter 114: Midnight x Meal - New Horizons!

The judging wraps up, and Alex can't help but smirk as the other teams' scores are announced one by one. He hears some of the totals: 4, 2, 3, 5. None of them come close to his team's score. His smirk grows as he thinks, Yeah, that's what happens when you don't know the basics of cooking and don't even try, you clowns.

When the scores are tallied, Alex's team comes in first place. Emma's team, surprisingly, takes second place. Alex notices her smirking alongside Palm and a handful of strong candidates she roped into her group. She played it smart, Alex thinks, leveraging Palm's raw strength and abilities. Looks like she's learned to take some calculated risks. Not bad for a player who usually just buys her way through.

The third-place team turns out to be led by none other than Melody, who somehow pulled off an impressive effort with her calm and focused demeanor. Alex is mildly impressed but keeps his thoughts to himself.

Menchi finally announces the top 10 teams one by one, each group sighing in relief as their names are called. When the announcements are over, she addresses the remaining examinees.

"Congratulations to all the teams that made it through! It looks like we now have exactly 50 examinees left," she says with her usual flair. "But don't get too comfortable. I have some bad news. Your next examiner is straight-up nasty. I wouldn't be surprised if nearly all of you fail, and honestly, I'll be shocked if more than five of you pass."

Groans echo through the candidates. Alex feels his stomach drop at the ominous warning and silently curses her. Way to drag the mood down, you smug, skimpy b... whatever! I'll get through this part too, just watch!

A notification from the system pops up:

[Main Quest Updated:
Mission: Pass the hunter exam
First Phase: 1/1 Second Phase: 1/1 Third Phase: 1/1 Fourth Phase: 0/1 Fifth Phase: 0/1
...]

Menchi continues, "As promised, I'll prepare a late-night dinner for the top three teams. The rest of you are free to return to the airship and do whatever you want—relax, shower, cook your own meals with leftover ingredients, or go to sleep. The airship will leave at 6 AM sharp for your next destination, where you'll meet your fourth examiner."

She looks at Linne, who is seated quietly in her wheelchair again, and then smiles back at the candidates. "Oh, and one more thing! If you fail at this stage, you'll be allowed to take the exam next year without needing a navigator. So don't be too discouraged when you fail this year. Better luck next time!"

The announcement sparks a mix of irritation and relief. Most candidates shuffle off toward the airship, eager to rest or forget their stresses. Meanwhile, Alex, his team, Emma's team, and Melody's team stay behind, curious to watch Menchi's much-touted cooking skills in action.

A group of assistants hauls in a staggering variety of ingredients: animal carcasses, vegetables, exotic spices, and more. It's a feast in the making.

Alex watches with mild interest, though his exhaustion is catching up with him. Menchi sets to work with her signature knives, slicing and dicing the ingredients with astonishing speed and precision. Within minutes, what should have taken hours for a normal chef is neatly prepped.

Alex squints at her hands and knives, his curiosity piqued. She's definitely using Nen. There's no way she can cut this smoothly through these thick animal bones without it. But despite focusing his senses, he can't detect anything. Annoyed, he silently curses, What good is having SNS and SPR if I still can't sense a thing? Without Nen you'd be nearly hopeless to defend against invisible attacks!