"This gap is too big, isn't it?"
"Is she really trying to challenge the top ten?"
"I mean, Alice is a genius… but I don't think she can pull it off. Challenging the top three? That's insane."
"Top three out of the Top Ten isn't just anyone. They're a monster."
Alice stopped in front of the highest-ranked member of the Top Ten.
The teacher presiding over the stage looked over with interest.
"Alice, are you sure about this?"
She nodded firmly.
Immediately, the entire square buzzed with excitement.
"No way...!"
"She just entered the Top Ten at tenth place, and now she's challenging number one?!"
"She's only a first-year high schooler! That senior's in their final year!"
"This is wild."
"Even if she loses, you have to admire her guts."
Still, most people didn't think Alice stood a chance. Even with her impressive performance so far... she was up against the number one of the Top Ten.
After confirming Alice's challenge, the teacher walked over to a sealed question box and drew a task card at random.
"Using fish as your main ingredient—prepare a dish!"
"Begin!"
Both Alice and the top-ranked student sprang into motion.
The crowd of spectators, other candidates, the rest of the Top Ten, and even the teachers all turned their attention to the ring.
Their movements were fluid and elegant—like a perfectly choreographed dance.
"Pure art…"
Someone in the audience whispered in awe.
"Beautiful. With prep like that, there's no way the food won't be amazing."
"That's the level of the Top Ten for you."
"They weren't even going all-out before this!"
...
Kaizen glanced at the crystal orb floating in front of him.
The absorption progress had suddenly spiked the moment the match began.
"High-quality matches have high-quality results…"
"It's just like a combat tournament. Fighting average opponents won't give you the same effect."
His phone vibrated.
Kaizen answered.
"Kaizen."
"Wendy here."
"You've been keeping an eye on the comic platform, right?"
"Yeah," he said.
Wendy continued, "It's growing fast. A bunch of high-quality titles are drawing in traffic, and we're gaining tons of subscribers."
"The PageDive platform's finally waking up. It's probably the most popular in the world right now."
"Some print publishers are even reaching out to us directly."
"I've been thinking..."
"The profit split we agreed on isn't fair to you, Kaizen. Your contribution and creative input far outweigh the resources and manpower I provided. We should renegotiate."
Truthfully, Kaizen had already made some concessions on the profit share.
But it wasn't just about visible resources. Wendy's side offered something more important—influence.
The Fiora Kingdom's backing held serious weight.
Think of it like this: in a company, some government official might take 30% of the profits without lifting a finger. On paper, it looks unfair.
But in reality, without that official, the company wouldn't even be able to function.
Wendy's "invisible contribution" was just as vital.
Besides, for Kaizen, it was never about the money—it was about exposure.
Spreading works mattered far more.
Most government-side promoters would never work as hard.
Wendy's different—but it's not just her. The teams under her, and the publishing partners, they're serious about this.
"No need," Kaizen replied. "Let's keep things the way they are."
"My goal is to make this the biggest comic platform in the world. If we're earning more than expected, pour it into marketing and author support."
"I don't need the money."
"Instead, let's improve benefits for the authors."
"I want to see creators achieve their dreams—not chase profit."
Wendy was quiet for a moment.
"Alright. I'll tell them to direct the surplus to physical marketing and author welfare."
She hung up.
Kaizen opened the comic platform on his phone.
He browsed the site.
In a short time, the platform had been completely overhauled—and the growth was explosive.
More registered authors.
More uploads.
More top-up readers.
The platform's success had boosted Saber and Bungo Stray Dogs tremendously.
...
Suddenly, the surrounding plaza fell silent.
Kaizen looked up.
Alice and the top-ranked student had finished. Their dishes were already at the judges' table.
The teacher's voice rang out.
"Begin voting!"
The judges held up their signs one by one.
"Red!"
"Blue!"
"Blue!"
"Red!"
"Red!"
The result was clear, though not everyone had noticed which color was assigned to whom.
Then came the announcement.
"Congratulations—the winner is Alice!"
"She's the new number one among the Top Ten!"
The previous top student stepped back, and Alice took their place.
The square erupted into cheers.
"Unbelievable!"
"She was just a freshman—and now she's number one?!"
"What kind of monstrous talent does she have?!"
"Amazing!"
Alice smiled gently. She wasn't flustered or overly excited.
It was as if she had already foreseen this outcome.
Kaizen noticed something on the crystal orb in front of him.
After Alice's victory, a large cluster of "star particles" flowed into the orb.
The absorption progress jumped from 46% to 52% in one go.
Six percent progress from a single event—that was far more efficient than traveling the world collecting aura fragments manually.
Still, exploring the world remained an essential part of the Gourmet Paradise system.
The Top Ten Challenge had ended.
The crowd gradually dispersed.
Kaizen left the square at the border of the World Zone and the Academy Zone, heading toward the Graduation Zone.
...
Suddenly, someone called out.
"Kaizen!"
He turned around.
It was Alice.
She jogged up to him, eyes serious.
"Kaizen, make a contract with me!"
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (1047 chapters in total)