Leveling Up Through Eating

Chapter 1039

Chapter 1039

The notifications continuously ringing in Minhyuk’s ears were the reminders of the Absolute Gods to him. They told him it would be difficult to receive their acknowledgement and recognition. However, Minhyuk did his best to ignore them.

“Would you like to check it?”

God of Cooking Arlene has created her life's most significant and most outstanding dish. This was only possible because the Absolute Gods had lent her their power. In the future, it was highly likely that they would never lend her their power ever again.

Minhyuk checked the details of the delicious soy sauce-based beef galbi-jjim in front of him.

(Beef Galbi-Jjim Across All Eras)

Grade: God

Requirements: The one who received the recognition of the God of Cooking.

•Acquire 350 Special SP.

•Increase three of your chosen stats by 1%.

•Acquire 1 God’s SP.

•Acquire 1 Authority Growth Point(GP).

Buff Abilities:

•Recover HP and MP to 100%.

•Reset all skill cooldowns.

•All stats will increase by 27%.

•Level up your chosen skill or authority once.

•Whether in the past, the present, or the future, no beef galbi-jjim will be as delicious as this dish.

•The buff duration is two weeks.

Description: God of Cooking Arlene made this beef galbi-jjim after overcoming her limitations. With the help of the other Absolute Gods, she completed this dish, which is now included in the Five Greatest Dishes Across All Eras.

“...”

Minhyuk was at a loss for words. He felt infinitely insignificant and trivial in front of such an outstanding dish. What he was feeling right now was helplessness—the same helplessness someone felt when standing in front of someone they still could not reach.

This Beef Galbi-jjim Across All Eras was an outstanding dish because it contained permanent and buff abilities.

‘In the first place, these two forces could not coexist in the same thing.’

But this beef galbi-jjim truly surpassed common sense. Furthermore, the permanent increase, which everyone would go crazy about, was truly outstanding.

‘It can increase any stat that I want by 350? And that’s not all.’

What Minhyuk found the most amazing was the Authority GP. After all, it was a power that could increase the level of any kind of Authority once. What did this mean?

‘I can level up God and Knight or Calamity. Or, I can also level up any of the Battle God’s authority I have or will have.’

Minhyuk had never seen a point that could allow him to increase an Authority unconditionally. This dish literally broke down the walls of common sense.

Arlene shrugged. She asked, “How does it feel to see a dish that no one else can ever make?”

Arlene was very proud of her cooking and her dishes. At this moment, she was very confident that Minhyuk would never be able to win against her and receive recognition. When she saw the shock on Minhyuk’s face, Arlene thought that the boy had given up.

‘He has not even started yet, but it’s already over.’

A competition between the God of Cooking and the Food God. Well, the power of the Food God mainly was derived from the power of the God of Cooking. However, who was the better chef between the two? It was proven right here and now.

“Minhyuk, you shouldn’t feel too bad about giving up,” Arlene said, her voice only slightly louder than a whisper. She had said these words because she was very worried about Minhyuk.

Of course, she wanted Minhyuk to have the best. But the more he cooked, the more he would prove to the gods that he could not make a dish that could be said to be a Dish Across All Eras. And if that happened, the gods opposing the Battle God would definitely laugh and mock him. So, in her opinion, it was best for Minhyuk to give up right now.

But then, Mihyuk nodded. He said, “Right. You shouldn’t look at things that you can’t reach.”

Arlene nodded. This was the right choice. That was when she saw the faint smile on Minhyuk’s face.

“If I win, then this will not be something I can’t reach, right?”

“You…” Arlene’s eyes grew wide. Minhyuk’s thoughts were on an entirely different path than hers.

“Don’t you think it’s thrilling that I will challenge this and cook something that can win against a Dish Across All Eras, Arlene?”

At first, Minhyuk felt completely helpless. But after a few moments, his mind cooled down. Now, there was a strong desire burning in his eyes. And this desire was greater than any desire that he had ever felt before.

“If– If I receive everyone’s recognition and acknowledgement, then… will you give me the Beef Galbi-jjim Across All Eras?”

“...!” Arlene’s already wide eyes grew even wider.

Even though he was in this situation, he was still trying to make a deal with them. And this was even a separate matter from the reward that he asked before about asking the Absolute Gods one thing written in the quest notifications. This was a personal deal between Arlene and Minhyuk.

The Beef Galbi-jjim Across All Eras would be replicated by the God of Cooking’s extraordinary power, Replicating Dishes with Only its Flavor. This was because there was only one dish, and many wanted to taste it. So, all of the Absolute Gods couldn't receive its effects.

And now, Minhyuk was asking Arlene for the Beef Galbi-jjim Across All Eras, the original one and not the one replicated by her powers.

‘What? Does this kid have it all?’ God of Cooking Arlene was in shock.

Whether it was humans or gods, they were bound to feel helpless and desperate when faced with something far beyond their reach. But that was not the case for Minhyuk at all. He thought that he would make a more remarkable achievement if he broke through a challenge that seemed quite impossible to break through.

“Alright. I’ll be cheering you on, then,” the God of Cooking said as if she was responding to his passion, determination and will.

[The God who Loves to Cook has acknowledged you.]

Arlene had to wonder how she would feel if she were in his position. If it were her, she would have followed her own suggestion to Minhyuk and given up. The fact that Minhyuk did not give up was enough for her to praise him.

[You have levelled up.]

[God of Cooking Arlene promises to give you the Beef Galbi-jjim Across All Eras if you receive the acknowledgement and recognition of all of the Absolute Gods.]

“If you don’t get the recognition and acknowledgement of all of the Absolute Gods, then this dish will be displayed in my temple for tens of thousands of years.”

Through that, the God of Cooking would ensure that everyone was aware of the achievements that she had made for a long time.

“I don’t think I’ll regret seeing you, someone who loves eating the most in the world, eat this dish either.”

Arlene and Minhyuk both smiled at each other. But then, Arlene said, “However, the value of this dish is beyond anyone’s imagination. So, you have to pay the price if you can’t get everyone’s recognition and acknowledgement, no?”

[Your penalty will be changed.]

[Your level will drop by -2 for each Absolute God who won’t give you acknowledgement and recognition.]

“Ha– Hahaha…” Minhyuk laughed and cried at the same time.

‘Aren’t I in trouble here?’

***

In the Special Players Management Team’s office, President Kang Taehoon was peacefully looking at one of the monitors.

When he heard that Minhyuk had offered a bet to the Absolute Gods, he felt the young man had been far too reckless. He had judged that Minhyuk had made the wrong choice this time. But then, he heard him ask for the Beef Galbi-jjim Across All Eras from Arlene, too.

“He’s crazy…”

Of course, he had to take on more risk for this. But even for President Kang Taehoon, the Beef Galbi-jjim Across All Eras was so outstanding that he even had to wonder if a dish of similar value would ever appear in the world.

“If Player Minhyuk can eat that dish, then he will be able to grow a lot. That dish is a balance breaker.”

Taehoon nodded. He was sure that Minhyuk would at least be 10% stronger than he was now if he ate that dish. The biggest problem for them was the power that could unconditionally increase the level of any Authority.

‘If he increases the level of God and Knight, then…’

If that Origin Authority levelled up again, even Taehoon would have no idea what kind of monstrous power would be revealed.

President Kang had seen Minhyuk challenge many things recklessly. Of course, he had always won such challenges. So, he went to find Supercomputer Athenae. Then, he asked, “Athenae, what are the chances of Player Minhyuk successfully making a Dish Across All Eras?”

They could not deny that Minhyuk had always shown amazing and shocking performances despite the extreme odds. But the probability was there for a reason.

Athenae, who had remained silent for a long time, finally replied.

[0%]

“...!”

President Kang Taehoon almost choked on the surprised groan that escaped his mouth. He did not expect that there wasn’t even a sliver of possibility that it would happen.

Then, Athenae began to explain.

[Even if he can create a dish with power beyond the actual grading of the dish, a Dish Across All Eras will no longer appear. Under the rules of Athenae, the Dish Across All Eras can only appear once every year.]

Only then did Taehoon understand.

President Kang Taehoon was not the sole creator of the game Athenae. This game was a product of the collaboration between Kang Taehoon and God of Origin Athenae. Because of that, he was still unaware of many minute details.

‘Basically, what Athenae is saying here is that it would not matter if Player Minhyuk can create a Dish Across All Eras since it would not be graded as such.’

A bitter expression flashed on Taehoon’s face.

“This time, Player Minhyuk will finally feel pain and desperation.”

Then, at that moment, a sudden chill ran down his spine. He realised they had been through several similar situations, right?

‘The probability is that it’s impossible, so why am I feeling very nervous?’

President Kang could not understand why he suddenly felt that way.

***

The Absolute Gods warned Minhyuk through the notifications that he would not receive their acknowledgement and recognition.

Meanwhile, the Battle God analysed the situation objectively. ‘If he’s just after our acknowledgement, then I think he can do it.’

Just like Obren acknowledged him without seeing the results because he wanted to support him or how the God of Cooking acknowledged him.

But there were gods who would not acknowledge him just because. Some of them would only acknowledge him once they saw the results. The prime examples of this type of god were the Battle God, the God of Judgment, and the God of Death.

The moment Arlene finished cooking, the notification for the birth of a Dish Across All Eras rang out. This left all of the gods in shock and awe. Of course, the same was true for the Absolute Gods.

If the Battle God were to be honest, he had a thought.

‘You will never be able to receive our acknowledgement and recognition no matter the kind of dish you present later.’

The fact that the first dish that came out was too great and powerful would poison Minhyuk.

Finally, Minhyuk started cooking. And the gods present in the coliseum? None of them held expectations for the dish that Minhyuk was cooking. They were just talking about Arlene and the achievements that she had made.

“As expected of the God of Cooking.”

“Goodness, a Dish Across All Eras.”

“She’s truly the God of Cooking who was hailed as the best in history! It is an honour to be able to witness her cooking personally!”

“The next generation Battle God has started cooking.”

“But do you think a dish that can rival that dish will appear again? Besides, the next generation Battle God is the Battle God and the Food God.”

“Furthermore, the Food God’s power was derived from the power of the God of Cooking. There’s no way that he will win.”

“There’s also the fact that the God of Cooking received the blessings of the Absolute Gods.”

They did not even care one bit about what Minhyuk was doing. Of course, the same was true for the Absolute Gods. The impact of the dish made by the God of Cooking was so significant that their conversation topic revolved around her.

‘He first has to capture the attention of the audience.’ This was what the Battle God personally thought.

Although Minhyuk had offered them a bet, the situation had now become one in which Minhyuk had to show what kind of person he was in front of thousands of gods.

Bang–!

Then, at that moment, a bright light struck the dish before Minhyuk. The light was proof that he had made a God-grade dish.

“Oh.”

“I see, he made a God-grade dish.”

“He made it in one go? That’s amazing.”

But that was all. They only paid him a bit of attention. After all, for the gods, anything God-grade was normal. It was incorporated into their daily lives. To them, it was not that great, an attitude utterly different from the humans, who regarded things with that grade as highly excellent. Because of that, they did not want to pay too much attention to him.

“Hiyaaah. Shall we try it, then?”

“...?”

“...?”

“Why– Why is he eating it by himself?”

“No, wait. He did not even check it?”

Everyone was confused. This was because the next generation Battle God did not even open the details of the dish to check. Furthermore, why was he suddenly eating by himself in this place when he was the one who said that he would treat the gods to a meal?!

While everyone was confused by this embarrassing situation, Minhyuk smiled happily at the braised chicken in front of him. The gods were rendered speechless by the delight on his face.

There were many reasons why people usually watched mukbangs. The main reason was for their vicarious satisfaction. They felt happy seeing people eat delicious food with bright and happy smiles. And Minhyuk? Among the mukbang BJs in the world, he was the one who ate the happiest.

With drool dripping down his mouth, Minhyuk grabbed some of the braised chicken and put it on his plate. Then, he grabbed the still-steaming chicken leg and pushed it in his mouth.

‘The sweet and savoury flavour will burst in your mouth when you bite.’

‘I wonder how juicy and soft that chicken is?’

‘The first bite of any dish is the most delicious.’

While everyone was watching him eat in a daze, Minhyuk finished eating the chicken leg. This time, he focused on the flat noodles and chicken on his plate.

“Kghhk…”

The still steaming and flat potato starch noodles sparkled with a black light.

‘Oh! It looks like it’s seasoned well.’

‘The potato starch noodles are the highlight of the braised chicken.’

The gods could not take their eyes off of Minhyuk. Even the Absolute Gods, who were busy talking about the God of Cooking, were being distracted by his display. Right now, Minhyuk caught the attention of thousands of gods and the Absolute Gods through his mukbang.

Minhyuk took a massive bite of the flat noodles.

“Sluuuuuuuuurp! Kghhhk…!” Minhyuk groaned in delight as he scooped a huge spoonful of white rice into his mouth. After the rice, he took another bite of the well-seasoned potato starch flat noodles.

“Keuhaaaaa!”

It was a fantastic combination of carbs and carbs. This was why Minhyuk found it to be highly delicious.

After finishing the meat, Minhyuk poured the rice into the remaining sauce. Then, he mixed them well before sprinkling some seaweed powder. After that, he ate everything up, not leaving a single morsel of food behind.

[You ate a dish from a recipe specially made for you.]

[You won’t be able to eat another dish from a recipe specially made for you for two weeks.]

[You can’t receive any duplicate buffs during the buff retention period.]

[You have eaten Braised Chicken.]

[God Grade.]

[Everything related to your DEX will increase by 40%.]

[Your chances of making dishes with a better grade have tripled.]

This was what Minhyuk was aiming for.

Then, the God of Cooking said, “He did that on purpose.”

The Absolute Gods all turned to look at her.

“He maximised his class. His class is ‘Food God.’ In other words, he is good at eating. And by eating, he brought the attention of all the people focused on discussing me, back to him.”

Minhyuk did not eat it just because it was delicious. He ate it so he could receive the buffs.

“That’s amazing.”

“First, receive recognition and acknowledgement for his class and not for his dish yet.”

“That’s an amazing idea. And he even succeeded. He had brought the attention, focused on the God of Cooking and the Dish Across All Eras, of all the gods back to him.”

Then, the same sound rang from among the gods and the Absolute Gods sitting in the audience.

Rumble–!

At the same time, notifications rang in Minhyuk’s ears.

[The God Who Rules Over All Armies praises you for utilising and maximising your talents.]

[The God who Loves to Cook praises you for doing your best…]

[The God who did Not Know How to Back Down… praises you…]

‘What are they going on about?’ Minhyuk thought, confusion evident on his face.