When Freeman reached the shopping street, he found the normally spacious road packed with people. Cheers and shouts of encouragement rose from the crowd from time to time.
Though Freeman was strong and sturdy, it still took him quite a while to squeeze his way inside.
In a clearing surrounded by the crowd, several tables stood in a row. Ten people of all different appearances sat side by side, each with a Magic Rice Cooker in front of them, just like the one Freeman had seen on the sign outside the city.
The Magic Rice Cookers were filled with snowy white rice, their fragrance wafting through the air. Each of the ten contestants held an enormous bowl as wide as their face, piled high with rice, and was desperately shoveling it into their mouth.
The contest seemed to have just begun. All ten contestants ate quickly, and before long, every bowl had been emptied.
Once they started on their second bowls, however, the differences between them became obvious.
Three contestants managed only half a bowl before they could eat no more and conceded defeat.
Before long, another two could not keep going either.
Of the five remaining contestants, only two still looked relaxed after finishing their second bowls. The other three were clearly beginning to struggle.
Sure enough, those three raised their hands in surrender after eating less than half of their third bowls, while the remaining two polished off their third bowls in one go.
With only two contestants left to face off, the spectators grew even more enthusiastic, cheering them on nonstop. The atmosphere was electric.
After finishing their fourth bowls, both contestants began to slow down.
Halfway through the fifth bowl, one finally reached his limit and spat out the rice in his mouth. The other struggled