Leveling Up Through Eating

Chapter 1000

Joy Co. Ltd.’s conference room was engulfed in silence.

For Minhyuk to complete the Restriction of Frustration, he had to reach a score that was at least 70% of Rocado’s score. However, none of them expected that a result like this would come out. Even Supercomputer Athenae said his chances of completing this trial were only at 0.01%. But Minhyuk beat Rocado thoroughly.

‘Of course, Rocado’s score during the last competition was meager.’

It meant that Rocado’s luck was not very good toward the end. On the other hand, Minhyuk’s score was unusually high. The process that Minhyuk went through to reach this result today was something that not only amazed everyone but also brought them great shock.

“If it’s like this, what rewards will he receive…?” Manager Kim Dae-Il asked as he looked at the other executives.

The mouths of everyone present snapped shut.

If Minhyuk reached 70% of Rocado’s score, he would immediately complete the final trial. But Minhyuk achieved that and even went beyond and won against Rocado. Of course, this was primarily thanks to the temporary increase in his chances of producing higher-grade items. However, it was also right to say that this situation happened because of Minhyuk’s efforts.

Soon, the Production Team’s leader said, “Rocado will probably set the rewards. The problem is that we wouldn’t know what rewards he would give either.”

Even though they had yet to catch a glimpse of the rewards, they were sure that the rewards set by one of the Eight Pillars, the Jack-of-all-Trades, would be huge.

“And if it’s a skill related to DEX, then it will create an effect with a tremendous synergy with Player Minhyuk and the dishes that he would make in the future.”

The executives nodded their heads. None of them piped up to contest and argue why Minhyuk would receive such a tremendous reward. All of them believed that it was only natural.

They all turned to look at the monitor. They held their breaths, and worry and anticipation were present on their faces as they waited for Minhyuk to obtain the rewards.

“Doctor Han-Wool, are you not going home yet?”

Kim Han-Wool’s work was already over. This meant that he could freely leave and go home.

Han-Wool laughed awkwardly and said, “It’s so interesting and fun to watch it like this. Also, I’m looking forward to the rewards he will get.”

***

[Your total score is 518.]

[Rocado’s total score is 515.]

Minhyuk was not expecting much. But when he heard the results, his face immediately grew brighter. He did not know how long he had been trying to get 70% of Rocado’s score. But now? He felt like the words “walking on air” accurately describe his feelings.

‘I won against Rocado?’

Perhaps this was something that even Rocado did not expect to happen. Rocado had already judged that no challenger could reach 70% of his clone’s score.

Minhyuk flopped down on the ground. He looked at his hands while thinking, ‘I did it.’

The fulfillment that he felt at this moment was greater than ever. He thought that the only reason why he was able to pass the Trial of Restriction: Frustration was because of his perseverance.

At that moment, a series of notifications rang in his ears.

[You have gained victory in a competition against Rocado.]

[You have cleared all of the trials inside the Cave of Restriction with outstanding results.]

[Your achievement will increase significantly.]

[Your overall achievement has reached 96%.]

[Congratulations on patiently overcoming the Cave of Restriction’s Restriction of Frustration.]

[Your DEX has increased by 15%.]

[Jack-of-all-Trades Rocado is the one who made the Cave of Restrictions.]

[Jack-of-all-Trades Rocado has left a special reward for those who will clear the Cave of Restriction’s Frustration.]

[...active skill: Hands of Almighty…]

[The distribution of rewards has been interrupted.]

Minhyuk looked at his notifications window in confusion. Why was the distribution of rewards interrupted? Then, additional notifications rang.

[You have surpassed Rocado, albeit temporarily.]

[The rewards that will be distributed will be better.]

[The existing Hands of Almighty will be changed to a skill suitable for you.]

[You have acquired the active skill: Food God’s Almighty Tool.]

Minhyuk was shocked to see that the system had changed his reward and given him a skill better suited for him. Of course, he immediately checked the skill.

(Food God’s Almighty Tool)

Rank: Pillar

Active Skill

Level: 1

Mana Required: 5,000

Cooldown: 2 hours.

Effects:

•When cooking, you can summon two cooking tools. These cooking tools have an ego and will move quickly to do your bidding.

•The two summoned tools will be significantly influenced by your DEX.

•When cooking, your DEX will receive an additional 20% increase while the skill is active.

•When doing something related to DEX other than cooking, your DEX will receive an additional 10% increase while the skill is active.

•The skill’s duration is thirty minutes.

•You might be able to use more tools with ego once you level up.

“Wow, this is amazing?” Minhyuk gasped in awe.

The skill was only at Level 1, but the power that it could exert was already incredible.

‘My DEX will increase by 20% when cooking. And if I’m not cooking, it will still increase by 10% if I do something related to DEX.’

Once the skill reached Level 9, there was a high chance that Minhyuk could use as many as ten tools with ego. The thought alone was enough to bring a thrill down his spine.

“Shall I try summoning it once?”

Anyway, the skill would only consume mana.

“Food God’s Almighty Tool.”

[Summoning two tools.]

[Please summon the tools that you want.]

[The Food God’s Almighty Tools will always be kept clean and unstained.]

Minhyuk chose a kitchen knife and a spatula as tools. The moment he decided, a black kitchen knife and spatula appeared. And with a thought, the kitchen knife moved and slashed the air.

With this, Minhyuk had proven that the tools would move and follow the will of the skill user. Of course, it was not easy for tools like these to follow the will of the skill user. However, this Almighty Tool was quite brilliant.

Then, Minhyuk thought, ‘Perhaps you can say I have two more hands. And even my DEX stat will be increased.’

Minhyuk would be able to make higher-quality dishes at a faster pace. This skill was not only limited to cooking; he could also use it in various ways.

At this moment, a groundbreaking idea suddenly flashed in his head.

“This– This discovery can be considered an innovation…!” Minhyuk shouted in excitement as he immediately carried the idea out.

***

President Kang Taehoon groaned lightly after Joy Co. Ltd. obtained information about the Food God’s Almighty Tool. This tool could be said to be the cooking version of the Hands of Almighty that belonged to Rocado.

“The higher the level, the more tools he can summon. And that’s not all. His speed when cooking would also increase.”

Although Minhyuk did not know it yet, the Food God’s Almighty Tool was an exceptionally outstanding skill, its effects matching the name Pillar that was placed in its description. If the skill reached Level 9, not only would he be able to shorten his cooking time, but he would also be able to produce many dishes in the skill’s duration. In other words, Minhyuk could make five dishes when he could make a single dish alone.

[This– This discovery can be considered an innovation…!]

Everyone perked their ears when they heard Minhyuk’s shout. Did Player Minhyuk realize how monstrous this skill would be once it leveled up? Everyone looked at the shaking and trembling Minhyuk with trepidation.

They watched as Minhyuk sat roughly on the ground. Then, he changed the tool into a glass before pouring iced americano into it. After that, he took a plate and put a cake on it. And just like a city man, he opened his mouth.

[Please give me a cup of iced americano and a slice of cake.]

The cup of iced americano that Minhyuk had prepared earlier, or in other words, the Food God’s Almighty Tool that had been turned into a glass, automatically moved toward Minhyuk’s mouth. What he was doing was drinking iced americano without using his hands!

“...?”

“...?”

Han-Wool unknowingly got so absorbed with the scene.

‘On a particularly difficult day, when you can’t take a break and catch your breath if I gulp the first sip of that iced americano… I will definitely release a loud gasp without realizing it.’

And that was what Minhyuk was experiencing right now.

[Kihyaaaa!]

Minhyuk gulped down the bittersweet iced Americano in one go, not lifting a finger. It was indeed a shocking innovation.

Then, Minhyuk summoned another tool—this time, a fork. The fork moved by itself, cut a piece of the cake and pushed it into Minhyuk’s mouth. The fluffy and soft cake danced inside Minhyuk’s mouth.

[Fufufufu. I did not expect my long-time dream of eating without lifting a finger would come true.]

It was literally what he said. He sat comfortably without lifting a finger while the tools delivered the cake and the coffee in his mouth.

“Ha– Haha…”

The executives could only laugh in disbelief. How could he use such a fantastic skill that way? President Kang Taehoon chuckled. He also found the situation completely ridiculous.

Then, solemnly, Kim Han-Wool said, “That’s an excellent way to use it.”

“...?”

“...?”

“Even if I lie in bed, the Almighty Tool can move automatically and feed me. It can even bring me the remote control and help me drink water.”

“...?”

“...?”

“That’s an amazing power. This is a revolution.”

That was right. The world-renowned psychiatrist Kim Han-Wool, was a certified homebody.

***

Minhyuk, who was leisurely enjoying the skill that allowed him to achieve his lifelong dreams, heard a series of notifications.

[To obtain the Pillar Ingredient, please meet with Rocado.]

[To reinforce your artifact once, please meet with Rocado.]

Minhyuk nodded. ‘The Rocado I had faced this time was truly an extraordinary man.’

If Minhyuk’s DEX and his chances of producing higher-grade items did not temporarily increase, perhaps he would never be able to overcome this trial in his lifetime.

Minhyuk was actually very curious about many things. The first one was why someone like Jack-of-all-Trades Rocado lived alone in a secluded place.

‘I think it might be related to Eirin, who Herakel mentioned before.’

Minhyuk, who wanted to meet Rocado immediately, received a shocking notification.

[Rocado is in a critical condition.]

“...!”

Minhyuk thought that he had to hurry now.

[You have exited the Cave of Restrictions.]

Just like that, he disappeared in a flash of light.

***

Jack-of-all-Trades Rocado, who had fainted earlier, had returned to his senses. However, everything around him felt hazy. He felt like he had just woken up after drinking some sleeping pills.

Rocado tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids did not move, and he could not twitch. What about his sense of hearing? He could not hear anything in this darkness. Was he now in the process of falling into his eternal rest?

‘If I go, will we be able to meet there?’

Rocado held some expectations. He thought that if she were there, then this death would be very comfortable. But when he thought of her, another person came to mind. This person was none other than the young Herakel.

A memory flashed in Rocado’s head. It was their first meeting with Herakel. They had decided to marry and adopt Herakel as their son. Before she died, she told him.

–Please take care of Herakel.

The moment the memory surfaced, Rocado struggled and resisted desperately from this growing sense of death.

‘Did he… die in the end?’

As his senses slowly returned, he remembered the reckless man who dared to challenge the last trial of the Cave of Restrictions. That man was such a fool.

‘I can’t believe that he chose to fight against me.’

Even the Patience, the restriction hidden inside the Frustration, was something no one could achieve.

Rocado, desperately fighting for his senses to return, finally started to feel the pain and hear his surroundings.

“Uweeeeeeeeek!!!”

Despair slowly crept upon him as he vomited mouthful after mouthful of blood. All his senses, which had been sealed before, returned to him. Rocado desperately fought his heavy lids. When he blinked them open, he caught sight of the crying Herakel.

‘One more time.’

He wanted to meet her just once, even if it was in hell. That was why he wanted to fulfill the conditions stated in the legends and paint ten thousand paintings. The day he completed ten thousand paintings would be the day that he would meet her. He did not want to meet her because he wanted to do something special for her. There was just something that he wanted to say to her.

Rocado, who kept on opening his eyes, started to close once again. He suddenly saw a very unexpected figure appear in front of him. He was the one who dared to challenge the Restriction of Frustration. Although Rocado was very surprised to see him here, he no longer had the energy to speak or respond to him.

Rocado, with his heavy eyelids, desperately murmured something. “Ei… rin… once more…”

The man also said something in response. “What I want… is… you…”

However, Rocado could not understand or hear what he was talking about. He just answered, “Alright.”

After leaving that answer, Rocado felt like he was about to fall into another deep sleep. Even in his sleep, his mind was still filled with the figure of one woman and one woman alone.

Legend said he could meet with the departed if he could finish drawing ten thousand paintings. He had kept on living, running after that legend. Rocado knew it was the only way for him to meet her again.

Rocado wanted to risk it all and ask the God governing Hell to meet her. However, he knew the God of Death was the most stubborn and difficult god. He could only let this idea die down. What if he asked the God of Death, and she was implicated by it?

At that moment, he felt like his mouth was being filled with dark red blood. And blood had started to choke him. He wanted to throw up. However, for some strange reason, his consciousness began to slowly return to him even though he felt like he was going to throw up again.

“Rocado.”

He saw her. She stood there, tears in her eyes, as she gently touched his cheeks.

Meanwhile, a notification rang for the man standing behind her.

[You have completed the Sudden Quest: Rocado and Eirin’s Reunion.]