Gourmet Hunter - Chapter 358 (Patreon)

Chapter 358: Buffet

The task for the first test was to eat all the items listed on the menu within ten minutes.

"This is too easy, isn't it?"

Most of the seated examinees had this thought in mind.

Hunter tests have always been fraught with risks. This test was not only simple but posed no threat to life, making it the most user-friendly test ever!

As soon as Adini announced the test content, a group of highly efficient waiters had already set up all the dishes.

Santa Yamari Restaurant was not a buffet-style restaurant. It was temporarily converted into a buffet for the first test.

The foods listed on the menu were mostly from Santa Yamari Restaurant's menu. There were 621 examinees, each with a list of five dishes. If there were no overlaps, there would be 3,105 kinds of dishes.

Could a restaurant have such a variety? Obviously not. If overlapping dishes were excluded, the buffet wouldn't have enough quantity. What if several people had the same food list but the quantity was insufficient?

The quantity issue alone would eliminate more than half of the examinees, so it wasn't that simple.

Adini took out a timer and said, "The test begins."

He simply stated the test content and then announced the start, providing scant information. The examinees could only rely on the menu obtained by exchanging coins.

Originally listening quietly, the examinees suddenly burst into action, grabbing the plates on the table and rushing towards the buffet table filled with a dazzling array of foods.

The buffet table was a hollow circular structure, with all the dishes placed around the edge, forming a circle as most of the examinees gathered around the table.

These examinees who gathered at the buffet table did not start grabbing food rashly because... they didn’t recognize them!

The paper only had the dish names without pictures. How were they supposed to identify the correct dishes without enough knowledge?

Adini's brief and sudden announcement of the start was like a starting gunshot before a race, causing most of the examinees to act before they had time to think.

Thus, they now surrounded the buffet table in confusion, and a small portion of examinees hurriedly took out the menu to review it again.

The menu not only listed the names of the dishes but also gave two important hints. Violating these hints could lead to immediate elimination.

Most people started to take action, while a few turned their attention elsewhere, like to the menu book, hoping to find images related to the dishes.

Luo did not look for the menu book but directly walked towards the crowded buffet table. He didn't need to check sample images to find the dishes on his list, as the months of studying were not in vain.

Watching Luo get ready to pick food, Tonpa also stood up, cautiously following behind him with unknown intentions.

Only ten seconds had passed since the test began, but the examinees' actions were already distinct.

Adini watched from a distance, expressionless as he observed the ongoing test.

Out of 621 examinees, only 32 did not act immediately, while the others rushed to the buffet table but didn't take any food.

The hints on the menu were not a joke. Violating them meant immediate elimination, causing the examinees to hesitate and not act rashly.

In other words, picking the right food was one requirement, getting the right quantity was another, and eating in the correct order was the third.

"Without proper preparation, how can one make delicious dishes?"

Adini first glanced at the examinees surrounding the buffet table, then looked at the small group searching for the menu book.

The previous hint required examinees to arrive at the restaurant by 4 PM. Almost all examinees arrived early, with almost none arriving at the last minute.

Whether from the hints or the menu obtained by exchanging coins, the first test information was revealed. However, the early-arriving examinees did not observe the restaurant environment nor used the limited time to understand the menu items.

What kind of misplaced confidence made this group do no preparation?

"This year's examinees are just this level."

Adini shook his head slightly, then noticed Luo and Tonpa's actions.

Upon reaching the crowded area, Luo found it difficult to proceed. Releasing aura was the most straightforward method, but it was too ostentatious.

The test duration was ten minutes, a race against time, and more than twenty seconds had already passed. The first group of examinees surrounding the buffet table didn’t move or pick any food.

"The menu book has images and descriptions! Now we finally know the dishes' names!" Luo suddenly shouted.

The examinees surrounding the buffet table paused, the small group searching for the menu book stiffened, and Adini’s mouth twitched slightly. The previously noisy restaurant fell silent.

In the next second, the examinees around the buffet table scattered in unison, all looking for the menu book.

With one hint, Luo dispersed the examinees surrounding the buffet table, then leisurely walked over and picked up a spoonful of mint sweet sauce, a spoonful of Yuri caviar, two salt-baked crab claws, a slice of Kakaromi melon, and a Benedict egg.

The entire food-picking process took less than ten seconds because Luo could recognize the dishes, making his goal clear and time-saving.

It seemed simple but was actually difficult.

For example, those unfamiliar with mint sweet sauce would only think of mint, then associate it with the color green, guessing the sauce was green.

In reality, mint sweet sauce is semi-transparent, and there were 26 kinds of condiments in the condiment area, including seven green ones, creating a misleading effect.

Unless familiar with this condiment, one had to rely on the menu book placed by Adini in advance, which had sufficient explanations.

Apart from mint sweet sauce, the Yuri caviar area had up to 32 different kinds of fish roe, and Kakaromi melon and Benedict egg were in similar situations. The salt-baked crab claws were almost like a giveaway.

Thus, being able to find the correct dishes from so many options without relying on the special menu book, and getting the quantity right, was an impressive performance compared to other examinees.

But... this guy could have quietly benefited yet chose to give a hint.

Adini’s forehead veins bulged slightly as he stared at Luo, the first examinee to pick food.

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