Hearing Kabe's ridiculous request, the rest point staff immediately froze.
"Y-You are sure about this? Intentionally wasting the supplies at a rest point can be considered a violation. In the worst case, you could even be disqualified."
"The food that enters my stomach cannot be called wasted. Alright, stop talking and hurry up."
Kabe waved his hand, sending away the doubtful staff member.
He then warmly greeted the members of Team B.
"Come on, come on. Eat more with me. The road ahead is still very long. If we don't eat until we're full, how are we supposed to have the energy to finish the race?"
Laxus looked at Kabe strangely.
After taking a deep breath, he spoke in a complicated tone.
"You actually used this kind of method. You really are a disgrace among the Ten Wizard Saints."
After saying that, he sat down beside Kabe without hesitation, grabbed the ramen and steamed buns provided by the organizers, and started eating like a starving man.
Several hours of high-intensity exercise had already left everyone's stomachs empty.
Seeing that Kabe did not care about the competition at all and was eating without any burden, everyone stopped worrying and immediately joined in.
While eating, Kabe did not forget to explain something to Natsu.
"Eat more, Natsu. As long as we use up all the supplies at this rest point, the people from the other guilds behind us won't get any supplies.
When they are exhausted and thirsty, they will have no choice but to be eliminated."
"Oh! So that's how it is! There's actually a move like this? I understand now!"
Natsu originally only planned to eat enough to fill his stomach.
He never expected this.
After Kabe pointed it out, his eyes immediately lit up as he began sweeping through the food on the table.
Seeing this, Yukino's face instantly darkened.
"Idiot, don't fall for this guy's trick. If you eat too much, you will be the one who can't continue."
"Don't stop me! I'm the son of the Fire Dragon! I can digest this much food easily!!"
Half an hour later, Natsu's stomach had swollen several times larger than normal.
He was lying painfully on the table.
"Ugh... I'm... I'm dying..."
"That idiot..."
Everyone in Team B had dark expressions.
Thinking back to Natsu's confident declaration earlier, they wanted to slap themselves.
How stupid were they to actually believe that idiot?
On the other side, Kabe had personally finished two-thirds of the food and drinks at the rest point.
Yet he looked completely fine.
He patted his stomach and stood up.
"Fuu... barely seventy percent full. Rest complete."
After standing up, he greeted the stunned staff member before waving goodbye to Laxus and the others.
"You guys do whatever you want. We will leave first."
With that, he led the already fully replenished Erza and the others away once again.
Laxus watched their departing backs, then looked at Natsu, who was completely defeated on the table.
He felt so regretful that he wanted to slap himself.
*I actually fell for that bastard's plan. Damn it!*
"We can't let that bastard's scheme succeed. I'll carry Natsu. We chase after them!"
After saying that, he grabbed Natsu, who was still lying there, and threw him over his shoulder before rushing forward.
Natsu's stomach was already painfully full.
With Laxus carrying him and the constant shaking from running, he immediately felt like vomiting.
"Bastard, hold it in! If you dare throw up on me, I will personally tear you into pieces!"
"Even if you say that... ugh!!"
"Hey! Hold on, bastard! We're almost there!"
Hearing the commotion behind them, Kabe proudly turned around and gave the girls a thumbs up.
"See? Besides strength, my intelligence is also top-tier."
None of the girls responded.
They could already imagine the expressions of the other guilds, including their own guild members.
The excitement and happiness they would feel when they finally reached the rest point after being exhausted and thirsty.
And the despair when they were told that the rest point had already run out of supplies.
As for Natsu?
That idiot had always had an empty head. Everyone was already used to it.
Without Team B acting as the path-clearing force, the chances of Team A encountering enemy mages increased dramatically.
However, compared to their high spirits at the start of the competition, these people who had been running for five or six hours, or even longer, no longer had any desire to fight.
They were like walking corpses, mechanically repeating their running movements.
Even when other teams passed by them, they ignored them completely.
Some teams had already reached their limits, collapsing on the ground and giving up on the competition, waiting only for the staff to arrive and transport them away.
Considering they had not even completed half the distance to the finish line, Kabe could determine that most of these people would probably have no chance to continue in the later stages.
So when passing them, Kabe had no intention of attacking.
He simply led his team straight past the soon-to-be-eliminated competitors.