OBS Chapter 270 Preliminary Round
Chapter 270 Preliminary Round
Chapter 274 Preliminary Round
On an open ground outside the city, dozens of large pots were lined up in a row, burning brightly, with steam billowing from them.
An indescribable fishy smell permeated the air, which was carried throughout the entire area by the autumn breeze.
The sidelines were already crowded with people.
The crowd was packed with people—spectators, participants, and those maintaining order. I estimate there were at least 20,000 people, and waves of noise crashed onto the stands one after another.
Most of the attendees were locals, and there were restrictions placed on the outermost perimeter; otherwise, even more people could have come to watch the game.
Due to the royal martial law order, all travelers to and from Frostland had to be strictly screened. Richard drew up a group of Chiffon Guards to help patrol the perimeter of the territory.
The best seats in the stands were empty; the servants had already prepared everything: fruit platters, drinks, and sun umbrellas.
When Richard and Lucy arrived, they were just in time for the first batch of contestants to enter the competitive eating contest, and everyone cheered.
The two sat down.
Several Frost Knights stood side by side with Chiffon Guards behind him.
The referee was a veteran of frostbite, who had served as a messenger in the army for over a decade, and his voice was as loud as a bronze bell.
Simply stand in the arena, and you can project your voice to the farthest corner of the competition area without any amplification equipment.
"The first group of contestants enters!"
Ten contestants emerged from the waiting areas on either side of the stands.
Perhaps it was the start of the game, or perhaps Lucy was watching, but the referee cleared his throat and began to introduce the players one by one.
"The man leading the way was someone who claimed to have a hole in his stomach, saying that eating was as easy as dumping food into it!"
"The last one who dawdled wrote 'chewing bones without spitting out the dregs' in the special skills section of the application form."
Ten wooden tables were set up in the center of the arena, and on each table was a round basin covered with a tablecloth, so it was impossible to see what was inside.
After the contestants took their places, the referee began to explain the rules.
"Competition rules: You have three minutes to finish your food. Finish and advance! Those who don't finish or exceed the time limit are eliminated! Now, please lift the tablecloth in front of you!"
All ten contestants simultaneously reached out and lifted the tablecloth.
Under the tablecloth was a large earthenware bowl, in which was piled a large plate of white, spherical objects, the surface of which had a distinctive grayish-white hue after cooking.
A strong, fishy stench rose from the basin, and the contestants' expressions changed on the spot!
One contestant leaned closer to the basin and sniffed it, looking puzzled, probably thinking, "Why does this thing look so familiar?"
People outside the venue craned their necks, curiously examining the contents of the plate, discussing and speculating about what it was.
"Twenty sheep testicles!"
The referee didn't keep them in suspense. Pointing to the white, spherical objects on the table, he announced, word by word, "Boiled sheep testicles! No salt, no sauce! The ultimate delicacy! Old Cripple's favorite food!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the audience on the sidelines erupted!
"Boiled lamb testicles in plain water?! My God! Who came up with this thing?! No wonder it tastes so pungent!"
"Twenty of these! After they eat this, their wives are going to suffer tonight! Hahahaha!"
"No more than three people from the first group will advance, I'm telling you! Anyone dare to bet me? I'll bet you a bottle of ale!"
Laughter erupted from the audience; some slapped their thighs with laughter, while others shouted encouragement to the athletes on the field.
Several other curious individuals had already pulled out their copper coins and started placing bets on the spot, betting on who would advance and who would be the first to vomit.
The referee was satisfied with the audience's reaction, and only after the laughter subsided a little did he suddenly shout.
"The match begins!"
The first person to attract everyone's attention was the man who claimed to have a hole in his stomach.
He picked up the plate, tilted his head back, and swallowed the sheep testicles like he was pouring water into a well!
Good guy!
That bobbing Adam's apple, without even chewing, must mean he's swallowed something before that stretched his throat wide!
The referee excitedly shouted, "Amazing! His mouth really does have a hole connected to it. It looks like the champion of this preliminary round is about to..."
puff!
Before he could finish speaking, the man's face turned ashen, and he could no longer hold back, a sheep's testicle spurting out of his throat!
It would have been better if he hadn't started spraying, but once he did, he couldn't stop. With his cheeks puffed out, he sprayed the referee's face repeatedly!
This bizarre scene left the audience stunned for a while before suddenly erupting into loud laughter, with many people even shedding tears.
"His stomach has a hole, but it's too small! Hahaha!"
"Does he treat the referee like his wife?!"
Lucy intended to maintain the dignified posture befitting a Frost Heir, but upon seeing this scene, she immediately raised her hand to cover her mouth.
Her shoulders twitched slightly, clearly she was trying hard to laugh. After all, laughing so hard in this kind of situation was really unseemly, so she was holding it in with great difficulty.
The frost knights behind her were in the same state, their armor trembling slightly, making it easy to imagine how much they were suffocating inside.
Richard, however, had no such reservations and burst into hearty laughter while clutching his stomach.
Is this a Peashooter?
Im behind him, along with the other Chiffon Guards, were equally unrestrained, laughing heartily, causing the magical frost on their Ice Star Armor to ripple.
After laughing for a while, Richard turned to Lucy and said, "If you want to laugh, just laugh. Why hold it in?"
Lucy took a deep breath and turned to look at Richard, her eyes filled with a mixture of helplessness and amusement.
"Just focus on the competition, why make us eat this kind of food that's not even seasoned? It's really disgusting."
Richard leaned back comfortably in his chair, crossed his legs, and smiled, "This is nothing! The sheep testicles are just an appetizer; there's still boiled ox tongue and boiled ox penis waiting for them!"
"If we don't do something disgusting, everyone will want to come and freeload, and that will make the competition too crowded."
Lucy suddenly realized that her crush had a quirky sense of humor.
It wasn't the polite banter typical of aristocratic banquets, nor the occasional playful banter from soldiers trying to liven things up.
It's a free-spirited, unconventional style that completely defies the rules.
This sense of humor wasn't exactly sophisticated, but it was vibrant and relaxed—something she had never encountered in the rigid, structured environment of Frosthold since childhood.
While the two were chatting, the second match began.
The contestants this time were quite cautious; none of them did anything out of line, they just kept their heads down and stuffed food into their mouths.
However, various problems arose halfway through the competition.
While eating, someone suddenly covered their mouth and ran to the sidelines, only to be pulled back by the referee and eliminated.
The man squatted on the ground, pounding the ground, and shouted at the referee with a wronged expression, saying that he still had untapped potential and had just almost choked and wanted to drink some water.
Seeing that he was about to throw a tantrum, the referee gave him a kick with a look of disgust, telling him to get off the field immediately.
Another possibility is that he ate too quickly and a sheep testicle got stuck in his throat, causing him to frantically wave his hands in frustration.
The referee was startled to see his face turning purple!
They quickly called to the soldiers maintaining order, who lifted him upside down and slapped him repeatedly on the back until the culprit's testicles came out.
The whole scene was very lively.
Tens of thousands of spectators cheered from the sidelines, and the contestants were also in high spirits.
Richard smiled slightly.
This is the kind of popularity he wants to see.