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Everyone in Polar Star Dorm knows how brutal the "move-in trial" is. Aside from Satoshi—the only member of the Elite Ten living here—no one has ever passed Fumio-san's assessment in a single go.
"Waa! That was awesome, Shun!" Yuki was the first to leap up and cheer, even more excited than if she'd passed herself.
"You were really hiding your fangs, Shun-kun." Ryoko smiled gently, eyes full of admiration; she couldn't help but grow curious about this new roommate.
Wearing nothing but an apron, Satoshi stepped up to Shun and offered a friendly right hand. "Shun-kun, welcome to Polar Star. Please take care of me from now on."
Expression calm, Shun reached out and shook it.
Even faced with an almost-nude Elite Ten senpai, his gaze didn't waver in the slightest. He replied evenly, "Please take care of me as well, Satoshi-senpai. I'll be learning a lot from everyone."
"My, so modest?"
Satoshi's eyes crinkled into their usual smile, though a sharp glint flashed within. "With knife work like that—and to win Fumio-san's approval on the first try—saying that might be a bit too humble."
"…"
Shun didn't answer.
Just then, Fumio-san's voice came from the kitchen doorway. "Alright, that's enough crowding. Shun, your room is 308. Carry your luggage up yourself."
"308?"
Yuki blinked. "I remember that room was empty, right? But the sunlight is great!"
"Thank you, Fumio-san," Shun said.
As he picked up his bags to head upstairs, Ryoko offered gently, "Shun-kun, need a hand? The stairs are a little steep."
"No need. I don't have much. I've got it. See you all in a bit." He dipped his head politely to everyone in the kitchen.
Watching Shun's retreating back, Satoshi's smiling eyes turned thoughtful. "Polar Star… looks like we've welcomed quite the newcomer."
Shun unlocked the door to Room 308.
It was more spacious than he'd expected—simple but tidy. A broad window faced the dorm's sprawling vegetable garden. Evening sunlight poured in, tinting everything warm gold.
Nice.
He nodded to himself.
"So this will be home for a while." He set his luggage down and swept his gaze across every corner.
Instead of unpacking, he went to the window and looked out over the garden Satoshi had cultivated.
Vegetables thrived under the sunset glow; a few silhouettes worked among the rows.
"Totsuki Academy… Polar Star Dorm." Shun murmured, a complicated light in his eyes.
For him, spending three full years here was almost a waste of time.
With experience crossing between worlds and having attained the realm of Shoku-gi, his culinary skill already exceeded the student tier.
But thinking of his father's expectations, walking away wasn't so simple.
The image of Satoshi flashed through his mind in a streak of white.
"Maybe… there's a shortcut."
If he could earn his father's recognition, he didn't necessarily need to grind out three years to graduate.
If he could seize a seat on the Elite Ten, that would be proof enough.
No one needs to explain how valuable "Elite Ten" truly is.
That way, he could gain recognition by another path—and break free of the academy sooner to do what he truly wanted.
But becoming Elite Ten isn't easy.
The most direct approach is to challenge any current member to a Shokugeki.
To establish a formal Shokugeki, three conditions must be met:
An adjudicator to certify the duel as official.
An odd number of judges.
Both sides must agree to the match's terms.
Only then does a Shokugeki stand.
And to challenge for an Elite Ten seat, you have to stake an equivalent wager.
Shun did have chips on that level—items from the System, or things he could redeem in the Shop.
But that obviously wouldn't work.
If he exposed those things, his secret would be impossible to keep.
After turning it over for a long while, no good solution surfaced. He could only shake his head.
He tidied the room with a light touch, then called up his System status panel.
Host: Shun
Culinary Rating: 680 (influenced by knife work, physical fitness, heat control, breadth of knowledge, etc.)
Traversable Worlds: [Chuuka Ichiban!], [Toriko], [One Piece], [Naruto]
Energy Points: 250
Skills: Chinese Cuisine (Beginner), Heat Control (Beginner), Shoku-gi (Intermediate)
…
As expected, his Culinary Rating had risen a lot.
The hidden quest he'd completed this morning had pushed Shoku-gi from "Beginner" to "Intermediate"—the biggest jump.
Remembering that he'd unlocked the Redemption feature, he opened the Shop.
A dazzling catalog unfolded—ingredients from the Toriko world.
[Almond Cabbage]
Capture Level: 1
Price: 5 points
Description: Crisper than standard cabbage, with almond fragrance perfectly interwoven into the bite. While great in cooking, many prefer it raw—an excellent snack with drinks.
…
[Bacon Leaf]
Capture Level: 2
Price: 8 points
Description: A yellow-green vegetable rich in fats comparable to beef. Its salt content is high, so it tastes great on its own, but wrapping other ingredients with it brings out their flavors even more.
…
Shun skimmed the list—everything was from the Toriko world.
Because this was the Beginner Shop, the highest redeemable items capped at Capture Level 30.
The higher the ingredient's level, the more points required.
In short: with enough points, he could redeem anything.
…
(End of Chapter)
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