Chapter 147: Bon Appetit
The smell was too good—unlike anything they had ever smelled before. This had them staring and sniffing endlessly. They wanted to know what this would taste like.
The other contestants didn’t even need to be told that they had already lost to such a meal.
Immediately, the time was up.
"Stop!" The tribe leader announced as everyone stopped and stared at the meals they had prepared. Sunnie had already removed what she had made from the oven and set it on the table, allowing it to rest.
The boar tribe leader cleared his throat as he said, "The competition has finally come to an end. Everyone has prepared what they wanted to make."
"Now we shall have the judges taste all of them one by one. And at the end, the judges and I will have our discussion with some relevant people to decide the winner," he explained.
They started with the others. Contestants brought forth their own meals and presented them before the judges. The contestants stood and took their time introducing their dishes.
Afterwards, the judges cleared their throats and took a bite of the meal themselves to see. It was meat—fried meat. After taking a bite, they brutally said, "It’s terrible. This has one of the worst ingredient applications I’ve ever seen. What were you even aiming to make?"
The judges were extremely brutal with their critiques. They spoke their minds without holding back words, leaving the contestants ashamed and speechless.
After that, the next people came with their meal. They received similarly harsh criticism for their soup preparation.
"This made me want to run mad instantly. What type of preparation is this? It’s not cohesive or appealing to the eyes. It’s not even tasteful at all. It just feels like throwing in endless ingredients while hoping it works!"
For the next people, they said, "That made me not want to eat again!"
And then, "What’s this? Please don’t even cook again."
And then, "Hmm, it’s not bad. Just not good either."
The bear tribe were the only people they complimented when it got to their turn. The judges smiled happily, nodding as they ate their meal.
"Hmm, now this is a real meal!" one said. "This is what you call cooking! It tastes so good and fresh. The ingredients are all put in the right proportion, and it tastes so good."
After showering them with praises, everyone had hopes for them winning this time again like always. But when they realized that Sunnie was the next to present her meal, they held their judgment for later.
Sunnie approached and placed her dish before the table, standing before them with a smile.
They asked, "Care to explain what the meal is about?"
But Sunnie smiled as she said, "I believe doing so would spoil the fun of enjoying the meal. So I’d appreciate it if you eat and see for yourself."
The judges hesitated and stared at each other without saying a word.
One of them scoffed and made a side comment: "I don’t even know if I have the mind to eat anything provided by these cursed beings..."
But Sunnie heard it. She still had that smile on as she said, "I believe the true tongue of a food critic doesn’t discriminate like you do. So maybe my food could teach you to be a better judge at heart."
Sunnie had a broad smile on her face as she said this, leaving the judge speechless. He stared up at Sunnie, who was just smiling as if she hadn’t said anything while urging them to try her meal.
He scoffed, rolling his eyes as they proceeded to try the dish before them.
Before eating, they couldn’t even deny the exquisite aroma before them—one they had never smelled before, one they were certainly excited to dig into, though they kept their calm.
The scent of roasted meat, herbs, mushrooms, and warm bread invaded their nostrils as they pulled closer.
Since they didn’t even know how to begin eating this, Sunnie gave some basic instructions on how to proceed. They cut open the crust.
As they did, steam burst out and the fragrance became even stronger.
They hesitated, staring at it. The strong, magical fragrance was impossible to resist. They closed their eyes, and one could already see them enjoying the meal with their noses, whether they liked it or not. The way the sniffed the meal and the way it melted in their expressions sure did say a lot.
The first person took a bite according to Sunnie’s instructions. Immediately, the crust shattered softly beneath his teeth—crisp on the outside but tender underneath.
Then they tasted the filling. The meat was juicy and rich, and the mushrooms added earthiness. The vegetables shockingly brought sweetness to the mouth. The broth became a thick gravy that coated every ingredient as it made its way into the judge’s mouth, sending him into another space—a dimension of godhood.
All the judges tasted this and got the same thrilling sensations. The strange taste ran through their tongues, dancing and sending thrills into their brains. They could see themselves in a world filled with this meal, dancing and rolling around in it with joy, screaming for freedom.
Then the taste of the strange ingredients hit. The rosemary and thyme flavors were foreign to them, but they created such a taste that hit their taste buds so hard.
Every bite they took contained multiple textures: crispy crust, soft vegetables, tender meat, and thick, savory gravy. The flavors unfolded in layers—first the buttery crust, then the savory meat, the sweetness of vegetables, and the lingering herbal aroma. All coming together to make an epic taste that had the audience watching them eat instantly drooling.
The judge who had criticized Sunnie earlier was speechless as he stared at the meal in disbelief. One could clearly see his eyes light up from the taste. Even though he wanted to act as though he didn’t care, it was impossible because he simply took another bite.