Field G, 7 o'clock in the morning.
"As per final groupings, you kids don't think I will really let you choose your own members right?"
Miss Laura wearing her battle suit with a dual silver revolver hanging on her waist spoke.
Some of the students gasped at the announcement Miss Laura made, after all, some of the groups already made some preparations for today's activity, and knowing Miss Laura she's always strict with her words.
"A list will be handed out to everyone each with corresponding group members. Any objections come forward."
After a minute each student manages to get their members. Each group has consisted of 3 members with a total of 10 groups.
'Why do I have to stick with this retards!' A muscular man was cursing inside his mind the moment he saw that his partner was Lily and Mirone.
"Hey, muscle head mind to act like you care in this activity?" Mirone is pissed to be set apart from his buddy, Nil. But was even more pissed to know he would be stuck with Aldrin, the 'though guy' on the class who Mirone thought was stupidity for he values wisdom over brute strength.
On the other side of the students, Nil manages to meet his group members.
'It is a good thing I am still with Miko, even without Lily. In fact, this is a chance to see her real strength against me. But this girl...' Nil was having a hard time dealing with the other member he was assigned with.
Lily manage to reach the apprentice stage a few days after the first cooking activity. Which Nil thought monstrous. Being on the apprentice stage while being a first-year student means being a genius among their peers. Yet Nil was wondering why Lily was stuck on the 5th section like him.
"You guys are the worst! If only I can object with Miss Laura I should have done it. I should be with Aldrin!" A blonde hair girl exclaimed.
The girl's name was Nicole. She was the one with Aldrin scheming something against the group of Nil.
"Whatever, just do your job here." Nil walked away after saying those words and took a few glances at Miko with his look saying that he will work alone in the field and let Miko handle the girl, Nicole.
"Giving me the harder work." Miko whispered and let out a long sigh before glaring with his dead cold eyes at Nicole. The latter felt his blood run cold and immediately straighten up herself in silence.
The other groups in the class don't have some quarrels like how Lily and Nil's group does. Only some seldom voices that we're raising could be heard but that was the only result of some miscommunications.
Miss Laura seeing everything was settled for all the groups started to discuss the activity for today.
"Each group must prepare a marbled steak that will live up to the standards of my palate. Points will depend on the type of meat to be used. Additional merits would be added on a certain beast that can be seen on the lower right portion of your papers. The highest merit would be the capture of the Unicorn Bull, that is if you can cook it into a dish. Everyone would be given 5 hours to make a dish."
Laura continued to explain each rule and restriction clearly. Which the students found fair and balanced even for groups that only had one battle chef or only one mainline chef.
Nil nodded, he was the only battle chef in his group thus he doesn't need to plan anything and just pave his way through and provide a slice of meat for Miko and Nicole to cook.
"The hunt is on!" Nil whispered to himself.
...
An hour later somewhere at the field G.
"The only loophole I found from the rules was that any students can capture as many beasts as they can. That is if they can." A figure of a man with a huge single edge knife-like sword was running on through vegetation of the field.
It was Nil who aims to have the three Unicorn Bulls for himself. After a few more minutes of running, Nil suddenly came to a sudden stop.
The faint and gentle sound of hooves could be heard just in front of Nil, he quickly crouched and hide beside a huge tree and peek out on a small plain field of grass. It was like a playground that was placed in the middle of a forest.
Before he was 3 milky white-skinned bulls with a foot-long golden horn as their crowning glory. The rainbow-colored tail seems so soft to touch. Its white skin gives of some shiny glimmers together with its deep black eyes give off a majestic aura. The bull stands around 5 and a half feet and was 7 feet long. It was humongous.
Name: Unicorn Bull (UniBull)
Type: Terrestrial Horned Beast
Status: Healthy
Apprehension Rank: D
The mighty strength of the bull with the majestic sweet blood of the unicorn and a horn as though as steel.
(Note: Don't get fooled by its beauty!)
"3 bulls in one go, saves my time that you're all here!" Nil was elated after confirming from the system that the three beasts in front of him were the Unicorn Bulls.
"GBS do you have an ability to scan the vicinity near this field?"
A monotonous voice sounded on Nil's consciousness confirming the request, right after, a mini-map like figure drawn by several different colored dots surfaced at the corner of Nil's vision.
After a few second, details to use the mini-map function of the system was transferred to Nil's mind.
"GBS, what are the chances of me defeating the 3 of them without harming the quality of the meat?" Nil continued to order on his mind while multi-tasking to verify if someone was near his location.
'At full strength, 82%' the monotonous and genderless voice rang on Nil's mind.
'82%? That's enough!' Nil thought.
After confirming each detail from the vicinity and the enemies' data. Nil started to work out with his plan.
'Lily might hate me after this or even the whole class. But they all hate me in the first place so what's new? These Unibulls would all be mine!'
Nil hacked his way through at a very fast pace. Holding his sword in his right hand.
Two of the three unicorn bulls were startled and caught off guard by Nil. His reflexes and strength were boosted by the gastro points from the system. He was exerting 5 gastro points per minute and it was an insane amount taking that he only had 50 points on his arsenal.
From the system's description, Gastro points were related to adrenaline and insulin. And can only be refilled by eating delicious foods or whatever the system or Nil's body deemed 'delicious'. It was a hidden substance inside everyone's body that was triggered by the system. Like how insulin regulates the glucose and carbohydrates in one's body that serve as a fuel and like adrenaline that provides the body sudden impulses to perform beyond humanly reflexes or so that's what the system told Nil.
The two unicorn bulls were knocked out unconscious after being hit by the dull side of Nil's blade on their nape.
Even so, the distance from Nil and the other Unicorn Bull was enough for the beast to prepare for the next attack.
Nil, still holding his sword dashed forward to the next Unicorn Bull but the latter was prepared and with heavy stomps, it dashed forward to Nil aiming its shiny golden horn to where the young lad was.
Despite its huge frame, it was surprisingly nimble. It was on par with Nil's speed!
CLAAAAANG!!
The clash of Nil swords and the Unicorn Bull's horn reverberates, a deafening metal sound and flaring sparks flew from the collision between the weapons of the prey and the predator!
"Haaaa! Trying to be tough huh?" Nil didn't lose his cool after being deflected by the beast before him.
Even so, he felt his right hand go a little numb from the head-on crash with the opponent's horn. It still has the strength of a bull and still a wild beast on top of it. Every creature of the wild had the infinite hunger to survive thus making their strength skyrocket at crucial times.
But Nil could be considered a monster on his level. He still has 20 points of his gastro point and still almost in his top condition.
"Mighty Unicorn Bull, be the food to fill my strength!" Nil roared and exerted the remaining points on his slash.
"Hunger Break!" Nil roared once again!
The unicorn bull did not flinch from the battle cry of Nil, it even went on to confront Nil's attack. The golden horn on top of the beast seems to shine even more.
Nil made a clean quick arc using his sword, the wind whistled as the blade of Nil's sword swings in the air.
On the opposite side, the unicorn bull dashed forward again with an even more powerful stomp leaving a deep impression on the ground.
CLAANG!!
Another sound of deflecting metals echoed, ripples of wind flatten out the grass blades around them.
The white unicorn bull fell on the ground, its horn was shattered a huge and deep slash was drawn from its flank.
Skill Name: Hunger Break
Uses a large number of gastro points to imbue a great slash.
(Note: Extremely Starving! Be careful not to deplete your reserves!)
Nil fell on the ground just beside the fallen beast on his kneel. He was panting heavily trying to catch his breath.
"This kind of beasts we're surely strong!" Nil whispered still trying to catch his breath.
A moment later, a long growling sound surfaced.
It was Nil's stomach! The effect of depleting his gastro-points!
Damn! I have never been this hungry in my whole life! Nil cursed inwardly.