By the eighty-third round, Egui was suffering from an unknown cause. He was becoming more transparent and Zero worried.
Ever since they served the Rosary Salad made in the Garden of Eden, Egui didn't look very good. Although he was eating well, Zero sensed that something wasn't right. He inspected Egui with Mind's Eye.
[Ravenous] E Gui
Race: Ghost
Age: Not Applicable
Skills: Body Overtaking, Telekinesis
Status: +5 Weakened (Holy Exorcism)
The staus worried Zero. As he ate, he wondered if there was any way to help E Gui. The ghost looked like he was in tremendous pain. While Zero kept accumulating effects, he hadn't really used them. As such, Mind's Eye prompted the following notification.
[Would you like to help E Gui remove the Holy Exorcism effect? Cost: 2 Energy, 1 Calming]
Hazel Brown eyes brightened up. "How do I help him?" he asked Mind's Eye quietly.
[By approving, 2 energy points and 1 calming point will be deducted permanently to remove the Holy Exorcism effect.]
Without hesitation, Zero approved and a white light shot out from his forehead to E Gui. The ghost was taken aback and was stunned for a moment. Likewise, the audiences gasped. Attacking another participant was against the rules. The competitor will be banned from participating in the future and disqualified immediately. From the tree, the goddesses gasped. Although they didn't think Zero would hurt Egui, the strange beam of light from his forehead clearly collided with the ghost.
"Goodness! What happened there?" Uni Corn exclaimed. Jack stopped the competition temporarily to verify if Egui was alright. The ghost recovered after a while and looked at Zero with wonder.
"I feel much better now, thank you."
This puzzled everyone. How did that strange beam of light make Egui feel better?
"Are you sure?" Uni Corn asked again. "We saw him attack you with something."
Egui shook his head and for the first time, he had a rare smile. "No, I feel better. The weakness from before had completely disappeared and my hunger has vanished. I'm satisfied now. I don't have to eat any more, I admit my defeat."
Confused, Jack turned to ask Zero what he did.
"He wasn't feeling well after eating Rosary Salad. I thought I'd cure him of the weakness so that he can continue eating comfortably."
The unease in the crowd dissipated at the innocent explanation. It was true that Egui looked ill in a manner that wasn't caused by overeating. However, nobody stepped up to confirm his condition. The boy who'd been his opponent was the first to stretch out his hand and offer some help. This melted the hearts of many. Sportsmanship was rare and Zero quickly became a new favourite of the masses.
"Helping another competitor isn't against the rules of the competition," Jack confirmed. Egui stepped off from the stage gracefully and the crowd cheered when Uni Corn announced the winner of the competition.
"Would you like to say a few things as the winner of Mega Gourmet and the new record holder?"
Zero shyly played with the hem of his stained shirt. His cheeks flushed pink as he made his request in a very tiny voice.
"Can I try the rest of the meals prepared? I wanted to try everything until it reaches round hundred... Sedna said I could... can I?"
Uni Corn was speechless but Jack laughed loudly. Even after winning, the boy still wanted to eat. The crowd reacted similarly, some with aghast and others in amusement.
"Of course! I think our chefs this year would be most pleased to introduce their planet's dishes."
Zero beamed and Isis clicked the camera crazily. On the other hand, Zeus was swearing over the communicator as he watched the broadcast.
"Isis! Give me some of those pictures!"
"Ohoho..." the goddess laughed. "I can give them to you but they're not for free!"
Dealing with Isis was like dealing with the devil. Unfortunately, Zeus had no other choices. "How much?"
"The bill of our shopping trip this time," Freya smirked.
If there was anyone worse than Isis, it was Freya. Zeus paled and before Hades could stop his brother, Zeus had given his word. The goddesses cheered and Hades cried a little. Zero continued eating, unaware about the transaction behind his back as he stuffed his cheeks with the skewered Floppy Bread Fingers.