Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　Hearing Alice Nakiri's praise, the slender woman wore a bitter smile; only those who had tried it knew how difficult it was.

　"You used nut oil, didn't you? This tart has a rich nutty aroma."

　After being stir-fried, the snake meat has a slightly charred outer skin, but the meat inside remains tender.

　It remains tender and juicy. The wild onion water removes most of the snake meat's fishy smell, and because snake eggs are used in the mixing, the creamy yolks contrast sharply with the firm snake meat.

　Savoring the taste in her mouth, Erina Nakiri slowly opened her mouth, her face showing a hint of respect, with no trace of contempt remaining.

　Don’t say anything else.

　It's quite an achievement to be able to collect so many ingredients in just one day.

　Not to mention that these ingredients were perfectly combined. Although the taste was not perfect, it was definitely a work she put her heart into!

　“That’s right. I roasted the nuts on a hot stone slab, crushed them, roasted them a second time, then wrapped them in bamboo leaves and used heavy objects to squeeze and pound them to extract the oil.”

　The slender woman said, "This little bit of nut oil is really hard to come by."

　From the first step of collecting nuts to the subsequent extraction and pressing of oil, each step took her a lot of time.

　"To complete this step using traditional physical oil extraction methods, you must have collected nuts for a very long time."

　"It takes about five hours, since I don't need a lot of nut oil. If I needed a lot, I would probably use a different method."

　The slender woman explained that she chose physical oil extraction because she needed only a small amount.

　"The best part here is actually the sauce."

　Autumn is the perfect time to harvest plump raspberries, which, combined with honey stored up by bees for the winter, create a rich fruity aroma mingled with the sweetness of honey. The overall flavor is a delightful balance of sweet and sour, making it incredibly appetizing. Paired with stir-fried snake meat, it's simply perfect!

　Erina Nakiri licked her lips and said with great satisfaction.

　"Same question, what's your name?"

　"Qingguo Ruoji."

　The slender woman said calmly.

　"Qingguo Ruoji? I'll remember that name. You've passed!"

　After glancing at the woman in front of her and then at the snake meat tacos on the table, Erina Nakiri announced that she had passed.

　"You can go down the mountain now. This is the hotel's access card."

　Alice Nakiri said, tossing the three cards into the hands of Kenji Nishikio, San Mitsui, and Wakaki Aoka respectively.

　"Please wait a moment, we'll go down with them."

　"them?"

　Upon hearing Kenji Nishikio's words, Erina Nakiri's voice held a hint of doubt, followed by a commotion coming from the jungle.

　Immediately afterwards, countless figures dressed in black emerged, each carrying a dish they had meticulously prepared.

　·

　·

　"Hurry up! If you slow down, don't blame me for being ruthless with my whip!"

　In the spacious and bright hall, a strong-looking man addressed the crowd who had slowed down their movements.

　As soon as he finished speaking, the people around him immediately sped up, their faces full of tension.

　Clearly, the strong man wasn't joking; if he slowed down, the whip really would fall on him.

　"Looks pretty good, Wang Hai."

　The sudden sound rang out in the hall, causing the strong man to turn his head. His face first showed surprise, then respect.

　"You flatter me, Chief."

　"Don't stop! Chief, this way please."

　As they were talking, Wang Hai gestured to Bai Yuan, inviting him to go outside to talk.

　Bai Yuan nodded and then walked in the direction he pointed.

　·

　·

　"Phew, finally I can take a break."

　I practiced deep-frying all day, but no matter how I fried it, Old Deng was never satisfied. If he weren't like that with everyone, I would have suspected he was deliberately targeting me!

　As Wang Hai walked away, a man in front of the kitchen counter breathed a sigh of relief, then turned around and complained to his friend next to him.

　"That's right. After all this time, I only got 60 points for my tempura shrimp dish; all the others were failing."

　The assessment a few days ago was the same; where did these guys even come from? They were way too strict!

　Thinking about the training he had undergone, a pained expression appeared on the man's face.

　"It's okay, it's okay. Today is the last day. The next few days should be much easier."

　During this period, they systematically learned 24 cooking methods, including stir-frying, quick-frying, braising, deep-frying, and stewing. If all goes well, today's lesson will be over.

　"At least we're much better than those bottom-ranked teams who were eliminated on day one. Their points haven't changed at all since the beginning, so they're definitely out!"

　When discussing their own situation, they always like to compare themselves to people who are worse off, and that's the kind of thinking they have now.

　"But there's something strange. A few students dropped out of school because they couldn't handle the pressure, and their names and points disappeared from the leaderboard."

　Even though those at the bottom of the pack have left, their points are still hanging on the table.

　Thinking of the bottom 100 on the leaderboard, someone said with a puzzled expression.

　"No matter what, with their less than thirty points, they are destined to be expelled."

　"That's true."

　After the teacher left, the people at the surrounding cooking stations gathered together, cooking and chatting at the same time.

　This is their only form of entertainment during their daily high-pressure training.

　For the first few days, they still had the energy to play cards before bed, but now they collapse as soon as they get back to their dorms.

　Sometimes, when they lie down, they don't even have time to cover themselves with a blanket.

　"I'm so envious! Suzuki, you're currently stuck at 50th place. If you work hard in the next few days, you'll most likely be able to stay."

　“Indeed, if we’re talking about who’s most likely to stay, it’s you, Suzuki.”

　When the topic of dropping out of school came up, a sense of melancholy appeared on the faces of the group. Then, someone looked enviously at the boy among them who remained silent throughout.

　"Sigh, I was ranked 40th at the beginning, but now I'm almost down to 50th."

　Those guys are working like they're on steroids; it looks like they'll have to give it their all from now on.

　Hearing the praise from those around him, the boy called Suzuki tossed his hair in a showy manner, then sighed, feigning sadness.

　Even so, it's already amazing!

　"Indeed, although the assessments here are very tiring, once you get through them, you can clearly feel yourself improving."

　"It's just so exhausting. It feels like I've shortened my lifespan by a year in less than a month here..."

　I don't know when it started, but the hall was filled with complaints. Although they could feel their strength improving, this improvement was just too tiring!

　They want a more comfortable way to improve themselves.

　"Excuse me, is this the twentieth venue?"

　Suddenly, a slightly muffled voice rang out from the doorway, drawing the attention of the students who were practicing making tempura.

　"That's right, this is the twentieth venue. Who are you?"

　The girl sitting at the counter by the door looked towards the entrance in confusion after hearing the noise. She then saw a group of boys covered in injuries and dressed in black.

　"According to the mid-term assessment regulations, you have completed all the assessments starting today, and the mid-term assessment has officially entered the second stage."

　Food battles are a contest where players wager points to steal food from each other. The challenged player cannot refuse a challenge from the player ranked lower.

　"As for us, we are just like you, ordinary students of Totsuki Academy."

　Taking off the sunglasses he'd somehow acquired, the leading boy looked at Suzuki, who had been praised by everyone earlier, with a faint smile on his face.

　"Food Wars?!"

　"What's going on? I've never heard of this before!"

　"Who are these guys? Wait..."

　Seeing the menacing black-clad youth approaching, many people narrowed their eyes, their voices tinged with uncertainty, but they still spoke up:

　"He...they are those losers who left earlier!? You're Fujino!"

　"Yo, long time no see, Kana."

　Perhaps the underachievers had changed so much that they were only being recognized now. Someone pointed to someone they recognized in the crowd and spoke in surprise, clearly not expecting them to be the ones who had returned.

　Chapter 116 Feel the pressure from the bottom of the class!

　"How dare this bottom-of-the-class student be so arrogant?!"

　"Tsk, he's been away for a while, and his temper has certainly grown a bit. I just don't know if his skills can keep up with that temper!"

　"Bastards! A bunch of losers dare to say such things! They're idiots who can't even recognize their own stupidity!"

　I realized that these people were among the first to leave, the ones who were at the bottom of the pack.

　The students in the 20th assembly, who were initially guessing their identities and feeling somewhat intimidated by their aggressive attitude, turned pale and then red-faced. Some of them then shouted angrily.

　"Stop yelling! We're here to challenge your cooking skills, not your words. Who has the highest score here? Come out and accept the challenge!"

　He reached up and picked at his ear. Facing the furious group in front of him, Mitsui San, who was at the very front, remained remarkably calm.

　After Bai Yuan's special training, he no longer reacts to this level of clamor.

　Whether someone is truly capable or not, their skills will be revealed in their actions. No matter how eloquent their words may sound, they are ultimately meaningless.

　"We don't even know if what you're saying is true! Even if it is, the strongest among us isn't someone you can challenge just because you want to."

　Let me handle this. I can take you all down by myself!

　"Defeat me first, then we'll consider the others."

　In venue number 20, a boy with a pompadour hairstyle, upon hearing that these losers dared to challenge them, immediately spoke with an arrogant expression.

　Although I don't know why they are so bold, he is a top 100 genius, and he is worlds apart from these culinary dregs!

　"Your opponent is me, Saitori! Do you remember our duel a year ago? I was outmatched then, and now it's my chance for revenge!"

　When the man with the airplane-shaped hairpin stepped forward at the 20th meeting, a member of the bottom-ranked legion also stepped forward, looking at him with intense anger.

　"Who do we have here? Isn't this the trash Ueno that I crushed 3-0 last year? How does it feel to have your hard-earned club taken away?"

　Upon seeing the people from the bottom-ranked legion emerge, the man with the pompadour pondered for a few seconds. A cowardly figure flashed through his mind, and a mocking expression appeared on his face.

　Although the changes are somewhat significant, and the previous pathetic appearance has disappeared, a bottom-ranked student is still a bottom-ranked student, and nothing can be changed!

　"To be honest, that feeling wasn't pleasant, but being able to defeat you here is enough to heal the damage to my soul."

　Despite being verbally mocked, the man named Ueno said nothing and readily admitted it.

　My mindset at that moment was one of intense fighting spirit rising in my eyes.

　He was indeed too weak at the time. Even if he tried his best, he couldn't protect the club left behind by his senior. That was the time when he felt most powerless in his life, and it was also the beginning of his downfall.

　It was Teacher Bai Yuan who, after learning about his past, actively guided him and helped him regain his confidence. Now, it's time to vindicate the club!

　"Arrogant! A defeated opponent is still a defeated opponent! Since you're courting death, I won't mind defeating you one more time. Let's have a food battle!"

　Provoked by his former defeated opponent, the boy with the pompadour looked grim and immediately challenged Ueno to a food battle.

　"You don't need to tell me, I've already planned this. We can start now. The loser will be expelled and kicked out of Totsuki Academy!"

　"Okay, I accept the bet!"

　Faced with Saitori's provocation, Ueno's expression was not very pleasant, but he still patiently looked at him and spoke slowly and deliberately.

　Even though the other person's points meant they would definitely be expelled without his intervention, the feeling of personally sending them off and the other person being expelled from Totsuki Academy is completely different!

　Therefore, in order to test what he had learned during this period and to avenge himself, he decided to take action himself and this time he would definitely crush him under his feet!

　"Excellent, that's the kind of atmosphere we need! Fight to your heart's content, compete, and battle! The strong are born from countless bones!"