The chefs at the Great Appetite Festival were actually divided into seven groups. Now that the hunters had joined in, there were eight. The Grimalkyne of the Dragon Slayer Tribe made up one group, while the Grimalkyne from the other tribes had each split into their own groups and were working together.
Each group had someone in charge of carving up the monster carcass and selecting the best cuts, someone responsible for cooking, and someone who put their heads together to come up with recipes and culinary inspirations. The Cats were all quite creative.
Each group presented its food, and Xingyan scored the dishes in batches. In the end, the group with the highest score would be crowned champion of the Great Appetite Festival and win the prize.
The hunters who had joined at the last minute had it rough. They had arrived halfway through, so they had to search the mostly butchered dragon carcass themselves for suitable cuts, then cook the food on their own. Kaluo refused to give up his keepsake shell, and the Grimalkyne weren't willing to offer the hunters any other help.
Thanks to Dian Dian's translation, the hunters knew that the shell had once belonged to the strange dragon on the mountain. It was an old friend of theirs.
Naturally, they were surprised, but the Leader and the others had no plans to go up and greet it ahead of time. Instead, they treated themselves as guests who had come to the festival, eager to win the championship before meeting Xingyan.
Talk was cheap, but they weren't about to joke around when it came to winning the championship.
For the hunters, this might have been nothing more than an amusing chance encounter in their lives. Whether they won or lost, it would be a memorable