When the inauguration speech ended; professors who were in charge of each competition made the greenhorn students go to their respective battle fields, not literally, but for those greenhorn students who joined competitions that required an arena, were made to stay in the Grand Stadium.
Meanwhile, greenhorn students, who participated in the competitions that required other kinds of fields and environments, were all accompanied by professors to start their competitions in a different place.
For weapon and armor smithing; greenhorn students who joined this competition were sent to the establishment of the Craftsmanship Workshop; somewhere located inside the academy.
On the other hand, the teams who joined the cooking competition were all brought to the wilderness of Greenfield, a safe field inside the Mystic Academy where staff on the cooking division gathers their ingredients.
At the present moment, each competition is being broadcasted live on a large screen in the Grand Stadium of the Mystic Academy.
"Oya! What a wonderful day everyone! I am here again, your host for this whole week. And you are here to watch the mini competitions that will broadcasted live, currently, here in the Grand Stadium of the Mystic Academy! Give me a round of applause everybody!" Matilda Degen announced, and the upperclassmen students started clapping as they cheered wildly on their seats.
"Alright, the mini competitions is about testing each participant's patience, coordinations, cleverness and creativity. In other words, this is the *Drum Rolls* Battle of the Greenhorns!"
Clapping echoes and blaring cheers resound across the stadium.
"So, currently, each participant is now positioned in their respective fields, and the organisers of these competitions are now explaining the mechanics to the participants. And these competitions will take place for one week!" Matilda Degen said.
In the meantime, inside the greenfield of the Mystic Academy, greenhorns who joined the team cooking competition are now listening to the organisers explain the mechanics of the team cooking competition.
All of them are now standing on a plain grass surrounded with tall trees, shrubs, and bushes. Chirping and growling reverberated in the wilderness of the Greenfield.
At the moment, questions and doubts are now clouding the minds of the participants of the cooking competition.
"Aren't we supposed to be in the kitchen? What are we doing here in the wilderness?"
The participants questioned, murmuring to each other in suspicion.
Since the academy told them that each student can only participate in one tournament, many decisively entered the team cooking competition. Because most greenhorn students thought that the easiest tournament is the team cooking competition.
And that's why many greenhorn students teamed up to join it, however, it appears that they were easily duped.
"Alright, everyone listen up, I'll only explain it once and once only. If you fail to get the point of the mechanics, then that's on you, so better shut your mouths and listen cooperatively!" The woman in-charge said rudely with a stern face. Her heart shaped body is exhibiting manliness in a green robe and hat-like chef.
Some timid students gulp nervously; still feeling confused why they were brought out here in the greenfield.
"I know many of you are probably wondering why all of you were brought here, well then, let me tell you why!" The woman in-charge bellowed, crossing her arms in her curvy chest.
"In order to cook the meals in the dining hall, we in the cooking division always risk our lives to gather the ingredients and hunt down the foods we serve on your plates. And I'm glad that many of you decided to join this competition, give yourselves some pats on the back for being brave to join this tournament!"
On the contrary, most of the participants reacted oppositely as these students widened their eyes, glancing at each other with confused shocked eyes.
"What's with that look! Do you fools want to back down?!" The woman in-charge yelled angrily, pointing at the students who looked unhappy.
One of the timid students swallowed nervously, raising his hand. "Can…can we still forfeit from the tournament?"
"Tsk, alphas! Accompany the brats who want to forfeit from the competition out of this field! And give them 1000 minus points!" Said the woman in-charge.
"Yes Chef Stern!" The other greenrobe staff replied.
The other students, who are in a group with the male student who raised his hand, are all shocked with the news.
Because minus-points are points that students earned for misbehaviour, and they will have to earn it through merit-points. Not only that, students who fail to earn minus points within the appropriate time will be expelled immediately from the academy.
Hearing what Chef Stern said; the students, who were being pulled out of the cooking tournament, hurriedly kneeled to beg.
"Please take back the minus points, we want to continue the competition!" They said, kneeling.
Chef Stern sneered. "Fine, but this is your last chance, if anyone backs out again, then they will automatically receive 5,000 minus points, do you fools understand?!"
The students nodded timidly.
Chef Stern clicked her tongue dissatisfied. "Respond Yes Chef!"
"Yes Chef!" The students replied instantly in a united front out of fear.
"Good, now for the mechanics. First, representatives of each team, step up forward and pick one piece of paper from this sealed box," Chef Stern said, pointing at the sealed box that the staff beside her is holding.
Leader of each team, one by one, steps forward picking one piece of paper inside the sealed box.
Faye, the last leader in line, picks the last paper inside the sealed box. Afterwards, Faye went back to Kendra and Emilia.
"Now, read the content of the paper," Chef Stern said, gesturing for the students.
Almost simultaneously, students open the folded paper, reading the contents.
"The content of these papers are recipes, and each team will cook whatever recipe that your team picked. But of course, the ingredients in these recipes will be personally gathered and hunted by yourselves here in the wilderness of Greenfield," Chef Stern said with a solemn face.
Students frowned, hearing this.
"And you have five days! To prepare, gather, and hunt all the ingredients needed in the recipe. Failure to complete all the ingredients in five days will result in the disqualification of your team for cooking on the sixth day, and the team who fails this task will receive 9,000 minus points," Chef Stern explained, grinning to the participants.
Participants gasped in shock hearing the news.
On the other hand, Kendra who has been quietly standing beside Faye and Emilia, is the only one who didn't show anything on her face. She only remains calm, smiling politely on the surface. Kendra doesn't have any problem with the first task. The problem is the second task, and that is, to cook. Which requires fire, of course.
[Hopefully, I can manage to overcome my trauma before the sixth day comes.] Kendra thought in her mind, thinking of ways to overcome her fear of fire.
Meanwhile, Chef Stern took a small bell inside her greenrobe's pocket.
"Listen up, you fool! I will only ring this bell twice; the first bell is the starting signal that the countdown for your five days of searching has already started," Chef Stern explained.
Some participants held their breath nervously, while some others were waiting for the gong of the bell anticipatingly.
"On the other hand, if you hear the second bell again then that is the signal that the countdown for your five days of time has already ended! So every team must go back to this place, and let us organisers check if your team succeeded in collecting the ingredients," Chef Stern said, roaming her eyes on everyone.
"Also, if any team succeeds in collecting the ingredient in advance, then just bring it to us organizers to check it, does anyone have questions?" Chef Stern added with a solemn face.
"No Chef!" The students replied simultaneously.
"Good, then let the searching begin!" Chef Stern yelled, ringing the small bell.
Hurriedly, students started dispersing as they went deep into the woods, running on different corners of the field without a single plan in mind.
However, one team only stood motionless as they murmured to each other.
Chef Stern squinted her eyes, raising her lips to a knowing smile. "It seems that there is still a team who isn't a moron," Chef Stern whispered to herself, staring at the three students.
With a curious mind, Chef Stern approached this team to eavesdrop on what they were discussing.
"I think I should be the one in-charge of hunting, while the two of you are gathering the herbs and spices needed for the recipe, what do you think?" Emilia asked.
Faye shook her head. "I'm sorry, Emilia. I trust that you're capable of achieving this, but doing all the heavy work will put too much pressure on you. And as a team, we should share each other's burdens, not carry it alone, right, Kendra?" Faye said, glancing at Kendra who had been quiet all this time.
Hearing what Faye said, Kendra felt a little guilty in her heart as she averted her gaze, looking down on her feet, then she glanced up again, staring at Faye as she smiled.
"You're right Faye, we shouldn't carry the burden of the team alone…by ourselves," Kendra replied with a stiff smile.
However, it still made Faye's eyes lit up as she nodded. "That's right! We, as a team, should work together to win this competition," Faye said, smiling brightly at Kendra and Emilia.
Emilia stared at Faye's dazzling smile in a trance as she absentmindedly mumbled, "Right…"
On the other hand, Kendra only felt guilty in her heart as she nodded, averting her gaze.
Still, on the surface, Kendra remains smiling politely. Not letting anyone discover her feelings or thoughts. Because Kendra knows that right at this moment, they are still being watched by the whole upperclassmen students in the Grand Stadium.
Kendra knows that there are surveillance set up everywhere to record and monitor the participants in each competition live, and that's why Kendra can't let her guard down anywhere right now.
So Kendra can only bottle up her guilty feelings. Not to mention that Kendra can't really let Faye know anything. Doing so will only bring trouble to Faye.
Despite feeling complicated, Kendra only smiled as she cleared her throat.
"Ahem, I think we should hunt the monster's meat first before gathering the necessary herbs and spices, so once we gather them all, the herbs and spices would still be fresh, what do you think?" Kendra suggested, discreetly changing the topic.
Faye and Emilia nodded their heads in agreement.
"Kendra is right, according to the recipe, we need to hunt each type of monster from the four most common basic elements, and afterwards, I think whoever manages to catch that monster should take the responsibility to butcher it, what do you say, yes?" Faye asked expectantly as she suggested, gesturing with her hand.
Kendra and Emilia nodded at the same time.
"I agree with this," Kendra replied.
Emilia nodded as well. "Me too…"
Faye smiled at Kendra and Emilia. "Alright, then I'm thinking of dividing these hunting tasks based on our attributes, so for me, my only attributes are wind. And the wind attribute is only strong against water, so I'm volunteering on hunting any water type monster, does anyone disagree?" Faye asked.
Kendra and Emilia both shook their heads. "We don't have any disagreement."
"Then my task is decided, what about the two of you?" Faye asked.
"My attributes are earth and fire. And earth is strong against air, while fire is strong against earth, so I'll be hunting down any air type or earth type monsters," Emilia stated calmly.
Faye nodded affirmatively. "Alright, then what about you Kendra?"
Emilia and Faye both glanced at Kendra.
On the other hand, Kendra took a deep silent sigh hearing what Emilia just said. Because it means that the only attribute left is fire.
[Not good.] Kendra thought to herself, panicking in her heart. Still, on the surface, Kendra plastered a friendly smile to Faye and Emilia.
"Just in luck, I have water attribute," Kendra replied, chuckling.
Emilia and Faye smiled as well, feeling confident in their hearts.
"That's good, then we're all set, let's try to hunt within three days, and after three days, let's meet with each other again, what do you think?" Faye said brightly.
"I agree, so if anyone needs help, we can help each other out in advance," Emilia replied in agreement.
Kendra nodded, smiling as her palms started to sweat.
"Then let's go our separate ways from here, see you in three days," Faye said, waving her hand as she started walking away.
Emilia smiled. "See you in three days," Emilia replied, waving back, walking on a different path.
Kendra mimicked the two; she also started walking on the opposite side.
"See you in three days," Kendra mumbled, forcing herself to smile confidently.
However, deep inside, Kendra only felt anxious of her impending doom.