The story begins in Food Wars, when Alice took him home.

The man picked up a stone from the ground, narrowed his eyes, and threw it with great precision.

As the stone flew towards them, the pheasant seemed to sense it, flapping its wings and leaping forward, flying off into the distance.

"Go away!"

Seeing the pheasant about to leave, the man roared and then strode after it, clutching a handful of stones in his hand.

"shhhhhh"

He kept throwing stones, most of them missing their mark, but a few hit the pheasant, which slowed it down to some extent.

"You bastard, you've made your old man go through all this trouble, I'll stew you tonight!"

After a tug-of-war that lasted for more than twenty minutes, the man was holding onto the pheasant's flapping wings, his face marked with bloody scratches from the pheasant's claws during the capture.

"This is really great. I didn't expect there to be a nest of snakes here, and even a few eggs. This would make a good oyakodon (chicken and egg rice bowl)."

Looking at the incredibly plump snake in front of her, which was preparing for hibernation, a woman with a curvaceous figure showed excitement.

"Black horizontal stripes are densely distributed on the reddish-brown body."

It should be a local ground serpent, non-venomous, and has a delicate, firm texture after cooking. It's decided! This is for the judges.

She reached out and grabbed the snake's head, then swiftly chopped it down with the cleaver. Blood gushed out and splattered onto her face, but it didn't cause her to change her expression in the slightest.

After processing the snake meat on the spot, wrapping it in the previously washed bamboo leaves, and placing it in the bamboo basket behind her for later use, the woman continued forward.

Such scenes are common in the forest; some choose to act alone because of their good skills, while others, with limited survival abilities, form temporary partnerships with others.

Because it was the final assessment, everyone took it very seriously, hoping to bring their special training to a successful conclusion.

Soon, it was evening.

"It's been a whole day, and there hasn't been a single person!"

A loser is still a loser, a nobody! How dare they play games with us like this!

Looking at the empty forest, Erina Nakiri's expression was not good.

Because no one came out from beginning to end, she even called Hisako Shinoto at noon to have lunch delivered.

As a food reviewer, having to bring your own lunch? What a joke!

"I'm really disappointed. After all this time, not a single person has dared to try. These guys..."

"Never mind, I'm leaving when it's time. Even if the King of Heaven himself came, it wouldn't make a difference!"

I'll call Teacher Bai Yuan tonight to explain the situation. I don't want to come tomorrow; staying here all day is a complete waste of time!

Erina Nakiri complained angrily, then began packing her things to go back.

Although Alice Nakiri didn't say such a thing, her expression was quite displeased. Just as she was about to take action, she looked up and found several black dots in front of her.

Several figures appeared at the edge of the forest.

"Someone's coming from over there."

Reaching out and grabbing the back of Erina Nakiri's collar, Alice Nakiri pointed to the distant mountains and forests, a look of surprise on her face.

The group of people who arrived had some wounds on their bodies and looked quite disheveled, but they were carrying carefully prepared dishes in their hands.

"It seems that not all of them are useless; there are still some people who dare to try."

"Then let me try the cooking of someone whom Master Baiyuan has so diligently trained!"

Following Alice Nakiri's gaze.

Erina Nakiri saw the same scene as her, and looking at the scars, she couldn't help but feel a little touched, but she still said it with a haughty air.

During the conversation, the group of people who had emerged from the mountains and forests arrived at the judging panel.

"You two are the judges? I never expected it to be you."

The girl among the three recognized Erina and Alice.

To be precise, the two of them were too famous in Totsuki Culinary Arts, especially Erina Nakiri, whose name was known to almost every student.

The young lady of Totsuki Academy, the future head of the Nakiri family, and also the undisputed number one in the elementary school.

"You start by serving the dishes."

Returning to her previous seat, Erina Nakiri ignored the girl's astonishment and adopted a mature demeanor, speaking to the man on the far left.

"This is a famous Chinese dish, Chicken Stew with Mushrooms... a modified version of Pheasant and Mushroom Stew."

Because of the limited availability of ingredients in the mountains, I made some adjustments to the cooking method of this dish, transforming it into my own unique style.

The bamboo pot, its bottom charred black, was brought to the judging panel. The bamboo lid was lifted, and the soup and ingredients inside were scooped out using a bamboo tube and poured into bamboo bowls.

In an instant, the rich aroma of chicken filled the air, making everyone present squint their eyes comfortably and swallow hard.

"There are limited ingredients in the mountains? I see. No wonder you came out so late. The injuries on your face must have been from catching chickens, right?"

Upon hearing the man's words, Alice Nakiri immediately showed an expression of sudden realization.

No wonder these people came out so late. If they started collecting ingredients, they are already among the fastest to come out at this time.

“This beast lives in the mountains and is familiar with the surrounding terrain, so it was really difficult to catch. It took me a lot of effort to finally capture it.”

When asked by Alice Nakiri, the man answered truthfully, while Erina Nakiri looked bewildered.

"Oh, I see. Is there a reason why you're out so late? What are you talking about?"

Unable to understand, Erina, driven by curiosity, grabbed Alice's arm, wanting to get the answer from her.

"Teacher Bai Yuan once gave me wilderness survival training, which, simply put, means stripping you of everything and having to survive in the forest from scratch."

You'll need to build your own shelter, gather food in the wilderness, and survive.

Thinking of that less-than-pleasant experience, Alice Nakiri's lips twitched slightly, and she couldn't help but raise her hand to cover her eyes.

Bai Yuan tricked her into leaving her home by telling her he would treat her to a lollipop and took her to the mountains.

She thought Bai Yuan had finally lost his temper and wanted to do something inappropriate for children, but after she took off her clothes, her master was gone.

All that was left was a note and a hand-drawn map.

The note briefly explained the situation to her, while the map showed her the distribution of resources in the forest, as well as the locations of some supply packs.

Although it was abstract, after half an hour of impotent rage, Alice Nakiri eventually accepted it.

Although it was a solo wilderness survival exercise, she knew Bai Yuan was watching her, and having undergone similar training before, she wasn't afraid and went ahead with it.

The final assessment involves cooking three first-class dishes using natural forest ingredients: two main dishes and one soup, all of which must be interconnected.

The people in front of her were probably in a similar situation to her back then.

Having experienced that dark time, Alice Nakiri understands perfectly why these guys are only coming out now.

"Searching for ingredients in the wilderness to cook dishes..."

Alice Nakiri's words caused a subtle change in Erina Nakiri's expression and deeply moved her.

If that's the case, then this dish is indeed hard-won.

but…

Despite knowing their difficult circumstances, she would not lower her standards because of it.

Teacher Bai Yuan must have kept her here for this reason.

Erina Nakiri picked up the bowl in front of her, took a sip of chicken soup, closed her eyes, and savored the flavor.

"The chicken and mushrooms are stir-fried in chicken fat, perfectly showcasing the deliciousness of the pheasant, the savory aroma of the mushrooms, a touch of salt, the sweetness of honey, and a hint of spiciness..."

"But since you're in the mountains, I'm curious, how do you get your saltiness? Especially this kind of saltiness that I've never tasted before."

Erina Nakiri was genuinely curious. Logically speaking, it would be difficult to obtain salt in the mountains and forests, yet she could clearly sense the saltiness in it. And it wasn't just any ordinary saltiness; at least her God Tongue couldn't detect it. It was a completely new taste she had never experienced before!

"I burn pine wood in a fire and collect the ash produced after burning. I put the ash into a bamboo tube, add an appropriate amount of water, stir it well, and let it stand."

In this way, the ash alkali suspended in the water will gradually settle to the bottom of the container. After pouring out the top layer of water, what remains is a ash alkali solution containing salt.

Through further evaporation, concentration, and drying, pure pine ash alkali can be obtained, which is the source of the salt in this dish.

Hearing Erina Nakiri's question, the man's lips curled into a smile, and he began to speak, his face revealing a hint of excitement.

He could finally put on an act in front of these geniuses, and it was incredibly satisfying to see their innocent and clueless eyes!

“In the deep mountains and forests, people can use the pine ash alkali extraction method to obtain salt. This is a method that Teacher Baiyuan learned during a trip and passed on to us on the fourteenth day of the class.”

Beside her, a slender girl suddenly spoke up and told Erina Nakiri the truth: this method, which ordinary people would never think of, came from Hakugen.

Bai Yuan answered the question simply because someone asked out of curiosity, and it comes in handy now.

Judging from the judges' expressions, the effect should be quite good.

"I see. Teacher Bai Yuan is truly knowledgeable. He can even solve this kind of problem by obtaining salt from fully burned pine wood."

Upon hearing the slender girl's words, Erina Nakiri suddenly realized that if it were Shirabuchi, everything would seem normal.

The truly remarkable person is not the student in front of him, but his teacher, Bai Yuan!

"It should be the result of this year's trip, because my coach didn't mention these things to me during my special training."

Alice Nakiri muttered a complaint under her breath, then picked up her chicken soup and sipped it, a look of enjoyment on her face.

"Hawk meat contains much higher levels of calcium, phosphorus, and iron than ordinary domestic chickens, and is also rich in protein and amino acids. It is not only a good food therapy product, but also tastes more delicious than ordinary domestic chickens."

Its meat is firmer than domestic chicken and has a richer flavor with a unique aroma. This distinctive flavor allows the pheasant to bring out its deliciousness without needing many seasonings, effectively compensating for any lack of seasoning.

Taking a bite of pheasant meat and savoring it, Alice Nakiri wore a satisfied expression. This was a delicacy unique to the mountains and forests!

"Not only is the chicken delicious, but the hazel mushrooms found in the mountains are also a top-notch delicacy, having absorbed the essence of heaven and earth to grow."

Its meat is thick and firm, with a delicious, tender, and succulent texture, leaving a lingering aftertaste. One bite is like entering another world of savory delights!

With her eyes closed, savoring the delicious flavors, Erina Nakiri felt surrounded by umami. It wasn't until a rooster crowed that she snapped out of her daze.

"A wonderful dish. Despite limited resources, it made excellent use of the available conditions to create this unparalleled delicacy!"

Erina Nakiri opened her eyes and couldn't help but praise him, while her admiration for Shiro Awakening grew even stronger.

It's incredible that these students who were on the verge of dropping out could become top students in the elementary school after his guidance!

Chapter 115 The Demons That Crawled Out of Hell

"You've passed. Tell me your name."