全民助手

Chapter: 94

"What?"

A stunned silence fell over the crowd.

No one had expected to be able to handle the aged kompu mushrooms.

"What am I supposed to do with this crazy ingredient!"

Eric\'s frustration was unspoken. If he inhaled even a little bit of the smell, it would go straight up his nose. It was a survival instinct.

"No one can do this, can they?"

Watching his competitors collapse in confusion, he predicted the future. If no one could pass the judging, there would be a variable. Maybe they would change the ingredients and start over...

Tap, tap-

Then, he heard the sound of a knife.

When he looked over, the three people he had seen earlier were continuing to cook.

There was no hesitation or wavering in their movements.

"This is crazy..."

Eric couldn\'t believe his eyes.

They weren\'t just forcing themselves to move. They were truly cooking in their own ways.

"Participant Avantgarde! He\'s mixing the small fish with the mushroom! And... those are herbs!"

The host shouted from around Avantgarde\'s cooking station.

The judge, watching the cooking process, nodded and said, "It\'s the Northern region style. Depending on the type of herb, it can greatly reduce the bad smell. It seems he\'s using a strong herb to match the aged ingredient."

Avantgarde, a streamer who traveled all over the continent, knew a variety of cooking methods, but it was still surprising that he could adapt so fluidly even though the properties of the ingredient had changed.

Whoosh-!

Meanwhile, people\'s eyes were drawn to Liwei\'s cooking station, where a huge flame was erupting.

"Wow..."

"Is he a real chef?"

"Isn\'t he the son of a huge Chinese restaurant owner?"

Liwei, a member of the advanced team, was using a large iron plate like a wok.

Just by looking at the shape of the cut ingredients and the seasonings, it was clear that he was using a Chinese cooking method.

No one had any idea what was in the sauce he was making.

"Participant Liwei, is demonstrating outstanding skills! The intense and spicy aroma of this sauce is already stimulating my appetite! I can\'t even smell the mushroom!"

The host raised his voice even more excitedly, smelling the sauce.

The strong aroma of the sauce that filled the competition hall was almost overwhelming.

"There are quite a few ingredients in the sauce. It could easily become a messy flavor, but it\'s a very well-balanced aroma. He\'s also using a spicy seasoning from some western regions, but not excessively. It\'s a good decision to add a smoky flavor with a strong fire."

"...Ugh."

The continued success of the other participants broke Eric\'s spirit.

But his resentment burned even brighter than his broken spirit.

Swish, swish-

He soaked a cloth in water and tightly covered his nose.

He wouldn\'t care about the taste.

He would simply rely on the knowledge and senses he had accumulated.

It was now or never.

Sizzle-!

The cooking competition resumed with determination.

About 30 participants remained in the race.

"Wow, what\'s that?"

"He\'s just like a professional!"

"He\'s good at cooking too?"

People\'s eyes turned to the main character, Black Dragon.

As someone who had read the original novel of RP, he had extraordinary knowledge.

He wondered if that knowledge would also influence his cooking, but his current appearance was completely unexpected.

Tap, tap-

Sizzle-

While focusing on his own work, Eric naturally shifted his gaze.

He was performing with the grace of a skilled chef.

\'What kind of person is he?\'

The precision, speed, and strength with which he handled the knife were anything but ordinary.

Even the way he moved around his cooking station was as natural as if he used it every day.

The way he handled the tools.

His ability to control the fire.

"Hey, isn\'t that the liver of a Snow Mountain boar? I don\'t know where he got that!"

The host, watching Black Dragon, had discovered a very special ingredient. It was a part of the animal with a flavor so intense that it could overpower most other ingredients. Its bright crimson color and smooth surface indicated that it was of the highest quality.

"He\'s got something rare there. It\'s a very difficult ingredient to handle, and both the cooking and the combination are tricky. The way he\'s cooking it looks like he\'s been doing it for a long time... I wonder what kind of dish he\'s going to make."

Even the judge looked genuinely surprised.

Sizzle-

Black Dragon remained focused on his cooking, indifferent to the gazes of those around him. The atmosphere he exuded made him feel like a true master who had been through many trials.

"Damn."

The gap felt larger and larger.

Despite the turmoil of emotions, Eric gritted his teeth.

He had no choice but to continue cooking with all his might.

After about 30 minutes.

"Alright, that\'s a wrap! Please step back, participants!"

With the host\'s voice, the allotted time was up.

Everyone\'s dishes were placed on their respective plates.

"Then, let\'s begin."

The judge, who had been watching the whole time, stood up.

He slowly walked towards the cooking stations.

First, he went to the closest participant.

"A stir-fry, is it?"

The judge held the plate and carefully examined the food.

And after a moment.

Fling-!

He threw the plate he was holding to the side.

"Zero points."

"No, why my dish...?"

The contestant, wide-eyed, protested.

The judge narrowed his eyes as if looking at a bug.

"Do you think pouring oil over it will cover up the smell of the mushroom? It tastes like chewing on rubber dipped in sewage."

Fling-

He moved to the next cooking station with a sharp evaluation.

But the judging didn\'t change much.

"Do you even know the difference between salt and sugar? I wouldn\'t even feed it to my enemy. Zero points."

"It was so undercooked it was disgusting. It\'s garbage that even a starving monster would turn down. Zero points."

"This is ridiculous. Are you under the impression that this is a playdate? Zero points."

Participant after participant received zero points and were eliminated.

This hell continued until only four participants remained.

"Hmm."

Next was Avantgarde.

The judge, holding the plate, examined the food carefully.

"You\'ve certainly thought carefully about how to use the herbs."

He nodded slowly.

Then, he took a small spoonful of food and put it in his mouth.

"Hmm."

The judge closed his eyes and savored the taste slowly.

After a moment, he put down the spoon and said, "The attempt was good, but the strong scent of the herbs overpowered the flavor of the mushroom. You should think about the combination a little more. Five points."

"I see. That\'s a shame."

Avantgarde nodded in agreement with the cold evaluation.

He hadn\'t been able to properly deal with the aged ingredient.

Thud-

The judge moved to Eric.

"Hmm."

He looked down at the food and examined it carefully.

He picked up a spoon and stirred the contents of the plate.

"You have the basics, but you were in a hurry."

"!"

Eric\'s eyes widened at the piercing evaluation.

The feeling of being hit right on the mark brought him a sense of shame.

"A good dish can\'t be made with just the basics. You need to understand the ingredients. Two points."

Fling-

The judge left a comment and moved to the next cooking station.

"Hmm."

The judge picked up Liwei\'s plate and examined the food.

The difference was time.

Unlike the previous two, he spent three times as long looking at it.

"Definitely different."

Finally taking his eyes off the plate, the judge nodded.

He took a spoonful of the food and put it in his mouth.

Slurp-

The judge chewed slowly, savoring the flavor.

Closing his eyes briefly, he slowly put down the plate.

“The dish has a clear objective. Your skill is as good as a seasoned chef. The sauce, spices, and grilled flavor are in perfect harmony.”

The positive review was detailed.

But the evaluation didn\'t end there.

“However, no matter how good the harmony is, the most important thing is the feeling it gives the eater. The strength of the kompu mushroom lies in its taste and texture. You needed to enhance that more. It would have been better if you had changed the recipe slightly. Eight points.”

“It\'s disappointing, but it\'s the best I could do. I have no regrets.”

Liwei shrugged, even with that evaluation.

It was the result of his best efforts.

The judge turned and headed towards the last participant.

“Hmm?”

Stopping in front of the cooking station, he looked down at the plate with a puzzled expression.

Leaning forward, the judge asked Black Dragon, “What did you make?”

\'It\'s a steak made with kompu mushroom and the liver of a Snow Mountain boar. When these two ingredients meet, they create a texture like tender meat.\'

“...Hmm. Did you know that?”

Nodding, he leaned closer to the plate.

He slowly brought his face close and sniffed the aroma.

It didn\'t take as long as Liwei, but the reason was clear.

He wanted to taste it quickly.

Snick-

Taking a fork and knife, he carefully cut the steak.

It had a soft yet firm texture.

Swipe-

Picking up a large piece, the judge quickly put it in his mouth.

And the moment the moist texture of the steak touched his tongue.

"..."

His eyes widened in astonishment.

Chew-

With each movement of his mouth, the judge\'s expression changed.

Happiness, surprise, shock.

His rapidly changing face was intriguing.

Gulp-

\'How delicious is it?\'

Even just watching the judging, he wanted to taste that steak.

The judge continued to eat with a blissful expression.

Before long, there was nothing left in the dish.

“Ah.”

He licked his lips as if he was regretful.

After looking at the empty plate for a moment, the judge looked up at Black Dragon.

“Excellent. I\'d like to learn your recipe.”

The judge\'s voice was sincere.

He continued with words of admiration.

“The precise cooking temperature that allowed the flavors of the ingredients to complement each other. The juicy flavor that flowed from the mushrooms and liver. The unique sauce and grilled vegetables that supported it were perfect. It\'s almost like a dream.”

“Thank you. What\'s the score?”

“Of course, it\'s 10 points. I\'m sorry that\'s all I can give you. If you ever come to the capital, please visit my restaurant.”

The judge took a small brooch from his chest and gave it to Black Dragon.

Then he turned and left the competition hall.

“Oh…”

The host, who had been watching the situation, looked at the judge\'s back.

Finally, when he disappeared from sight, he yelled.

“The winner is Black Dragon! Black Dragon has received 10 out of 10 points!”