Multiverse Gourmet Hunter

While Haruto and Daimidō Fumio were busy preparing dinner, the doors of Polar Star Dormitory opened and Yukihira Soma walked inside.

Following the aroma into the kitchen, he greeted them before snatching up a freshly fried croquette.

It was hot enough to make him toss it between his hands, but he still shoved it into his mouth and spoke around the food.

"Fumio-san, Haruto! I’m heading out again! Someone challenged me to a Food War."

Haruto glanced at him casually.

"Good luck. Don’t lose."

"I’ll be back before you know it! Make sure you wait for me before starting the celebration!"

Soma raced out as quickly as he had arrived, leaving the front door half-open and a fading trail of hurried footsteps behind him.

Haruto shook his head helplessly.

"Soma really does love this kind of thing."

Fumio sampled the stew and found the seasoning just right.

"All right, most of the food is ready. We can finish the rest once those brats get back."

"Got it."

Haruto nodded, washed his hands, and left the kitchen.

By the time the sun began sinking toward the horizon and painting the sky warm orange, the rumble of suitcase wheels sounded outside Polar Star, accompanied by several exhausted complaints.

Aoki Daigo and Satō Shōji were the first to appear in the doorway.

The moment they crossed the threshold, their legs gave out. They collapsed face-first onto the floor side by side and lay there without enough strength to raise a finger, producing only a few incomprehensible groans.

Yoshino Yuki came in behind them, threw her enormous backpack onto the floor, and crumpled beside it.

"I’m alive... I actually made it back to Polar Star alive..."

Ibusaki Shun remained as quiet as ever, but even he could not hide the exhaustion hanging over his entire body.

Tadokoro Megumi and Sakaki Ryoko appeared to have slightly more energy left than the others.

They had spent the entire week working without rest to pass the Stagiaire, draining almost every last bit of strength from their bodies.

Isshiki smiled as he looked at the battered but safely returned group.

"Everyone made it back! That’s wonderful."

His eyes swept across them.

Then his smile abruptly froze.

He counted everyone again, and his brow tightened as undisguised anxiety entered his voice.

"Wait... Marui isn’t here?"

Ibusaki silently raised a hand and produced a pair of glasses.

One arm of the frame had snapped off, while the lens was cracked in a dense spiderweb pattern.

Isshiki accepted the broken glasses with trembling hands.

He stared at the shattered lens and released a mournful cry.

"Marui-kun!"

In the middle of Isshiki’s lament, Marui Zenji staggered out from behind Ibusaki.

His hair resembled a bird’s nest, his uniform was covered in wrinkles, and his face was as pale as paper. He could barely remain upright.

Marui shakily reached out and reclaimed the broken glasses from the stunned Isshiki.

"D-Don’t shout like I died..."

Panting heavily, he placed the one-armed frame on his nose.

"They just broke by accident..."

Haruto stood nearby with his arms folded, smiling at the group.

He clapped his hands to attract everyone’s attention.

"All right. Since everyone made it back in one piece, we can finally start the celebration."

Their reactions were rather subdued.

They were simply too exhausted to become excited.

Haruto did not mind.

He took an elegant wooden box from his pocket and opened the lid, revealing more than a dozen translucent cubes arranged neatly inside.

They were a soft, warm orange with a gentle sheen across their surfaces. Even from nearby, the clean sweetness of honey and mixed fruit could be detected, and the fragrance alone was enough to make everyone feel slightly more alert.

"These are Vitality Pokéblocks."

Haruto offered the box to them with a smile.

"They’re made specifically to restore stamina. Try one."

Naturally, Haruto had modified the original recipe so that the Pokéblocks would also affect humans.

Everyone looked puzzled, but no one doubted him.

Marui was the first to reach out. His hand trembled as he picked up a cube and placed it in his mouth.

His teeth lightly broke through the crisp outer layer, which immediately dissolved across his tongue.

The gentle fruit sweetness was rich without becoming cloying. A comforting warmth accompanied it as it slid down his throat and settled in his stomach.

Within seconds, that warmth spread through his body.

His arms and legs, which had felt as heavy as lead, suddenly became noticeably lighter. Even the darkness gathering at the edges of his vision disappeared.

He touched his face.

The deathly pallor had already been replaced by a healthy flush.

His thoughts also cleared, and the dull fog caused by repeated sleepless nights vanished almost completely.

Marui’s eyes widened behind his broken glasses as he stared at the box in Haruto’s hands.

"This... This is incredible! My stamina really came back!"

The moment Aoki and Satō heard that, they sprang up from the floor.

Forgetting their exhaustion, both lunged toward the box, grabbed a cube, and stuffed it into their mouths.

Moments later, their eyes lit up as though someone had fully recharged them.

They bounced in place several times, their former inability to even stand completely forgotten.

"We’re alive!"

"Completely alive again! What is this miracle food?!"

Yuki tried one with obvious skepticism.

Her eyes immediately brightened, and she grabbed Haruto’s arm before asking whether he could make some for the animals she raised.

The stamina-restoring effect felt far superior to ordinary nutritional supplements designed for pets.

Ibusaki silently picked up a cube and ate it.

His tense shoulders gradually relaxed, and he gave Haruto a small nod.

"Not bad."

Before long, everyone had eaten a Pokéblock.

The exhaustion accumulated during their Stagiaire disappeared, and the lifeless atmosphere inside Polar Star instantly returned to its usual energy.

The lights came on, and the hall filled with laughter and excited conversation.

At that moment, the front door opened again.

Soma walked inside wearing the satisfied grin of someone who had just won another Food War.

"Hey, everyone’s back!"

"I just finished testing my new dish. There’s no way I’m letting you outdo me at tonight’s celebration!"

The lights of Polar Star Dormitory remained bright late into the night.

The long table was covered with every kind of dish. The rich aroma of stew mingled with crisp fried food and fragrant desserts.

Everyone raised their cups together, laughing and shouting as they traded stories about the amusing incidents and difficult challenges they had encountered during their placements.

They celebrated the fact that every resident had passed.

Haruto watched the lively scene before him, a relaxed smile resting on his face.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!