Leveling Up Through Eating

Chapter 1040

‘Kghhk. Beef Galb-jjim Across All Eras, huh?’

The thought that he might be able to eat such a dish motivated him greatly.

Minhyuk was now in his best condition. The Create a Recipe skill increased everything related to his DEX by 40% and tripled his chances of making higher-grade dishes.

Of course, one glance and one could tell that it was much less than Arlene's blessings and protections from the Absolute Gods. Even so, Minhyuk started cooking enthusiastically.

‘I can choose whatever ingredient I want in this land that is a complete replica of Athenae. I can even get the God-grade ingredients myself if I want.’

Minhyuk had quite a lot of information about some of the outstanding ingredients in his head. The only reason he could not get his hands on them was that he was too busy.

‘Now, I have so much burden to carry that I can’t bear to live a life where I can only eat.’

He began choosing his ingredients. The first ingredient he chose was ox bone.

‘Well-boiled seolleongtang tastes good.’

‘There’s something that the gods don’t know. They did not know that I recently had a match with Rocado.’

Minhyuk created hundreds of God-grade dishes while competing with Jack-of-All-Trades Rocado. Through that competition, he learned about perception and feeling.

‘I think I can do something like that here too.’

Minhyuk began to boil the huge ox bone. The gods, who had been talking loudly and ignoring him a few moments prior, were all focusing on Minhyuk now. It was only natural; he attracted their attention with his sudden mukbang.

Gurgle–! Gurgle–!

The water started to boil. Then, blazing flames erupted from deep within the cauldron.

Shwaaaaaa–!

The God-grade ingredients that Minhyuk was dealing with showed him that they were tough to deal with. The blazing flames from the cauldron engulfed Minhyuk’s body and began to nibble away at his HP.

‘I can endure it.’

At this moment, Minhyuk realised that he had grown tremendously. The variety of dishes he had eaten in the past gave him high flame attribute resistance and high HP and defensive power. It was leagues beyond the stats that he had when he had first tried cooking with God-grade ingredients. If it were him when he had just started cooking God-grade ingredients, this baptism of flames would be disastrous.

‘It would have killed me within five minutes.’

But Minhyuk was able to continue cooking the ox bone in this state. As the flames continued to nibble on his HP, a notification rang in his ears.

[Please remove the scum from the cauldron.]

The notification prevented him from stepping away from the cauldron and away from the flames' range. Even so, Minhyuk was still able to maintain his HP easily.

‘Most of the potions in Athenae increase an ability or a stat by the per cent.’

Some could quickly restore 5% of the potion user’s HP for low-grade potions, which novice players usually consumed. Never mind the potions in his hands. Because of that, the blazing flames did not become a burden to Minhyuk.

Bang–!

[You have made a God-grade dish.]

In the current Athenae, the world message announcing the appearance of something with God's grade or ranking no longer rang. It was replaced with regional notifications that ring in the kingdom, empire, or region where the item or dish was born.

This was because the players' levels had grown to the point where notifications for God-grade items and dishes rang frequently. As for the new requirements for the world message, one has to create three God-grade items before it rang.

The gods were amazed when they saw Minhyuk cook two God-grade dishes in a row. But the gods, who saw his unique abilities, just nodded.

“It’s an excellent seolleongtang.”

“But it’s still far less than the Beef Galbi-jjim Across All Eras.”

“Hmm.”

All of the gods were unimpressed. After all, the gods might get lucky in a single day and create several God-grade items. And this was a common occurrence. But not long after, Minhyuk made a very shocking attempt. And it was the first of its kind.

‘There will be no place other than this where I can use high-grade ingredients like water.’

Minhyuk could tell that there was a reward system for achieving something for the first time in Athenae. And he wanted to know if that was indeed the case. So, he would put it to the test right here and now.

The gods were not least interested in Minhyuk, who started to cook galbitang. But not long after, they could not take their eyes off of him. Minhyuk pulled out a frying pan and made spicy stir-fried pork.

“He– He’s going to cook two dishes using God-grade ingredients simultaneously?!”

“Ho…?!”

Shwaa, shwaa, shwaaa–!

The ingredients used to make the spicy stir-fried pork resisted and ran rampant, inflicting countless damage. But that was not all. The galbitang in the cauldron was constantly exploding, putting even more pressure on Minhyuk. But Minhyuk, who drank the potion, was in deep concentration.

[The Skill: Divine Will has been triggered!]

[All of your skills and abilities related to DEX will temporarily increase by 30%.]

[All of your stats will increase by 8%.]

[Your attack power and defensive power will increase by 6%.]

[The Skill: Divine Will has been triggered!]

[The Skill: Divine Will has been triggered!]

But even those notifications did not register in Minhyuk’s ears.

[You are doing an excellent job in making two dishes using God-grade ingredients.]

[This is a player's first attempt to do something like this.]

There were three main reasons why no one could create two dishes simultaneously using God-grade ingredients.

The first reason was that God-grade ingredients were expensive. After all, no matter how much a God-grade ingredient’s value has degraded, there was a high chance that they would not use it.

The second reason was that it was impossible for any chef-class player to handle the power that God-grade ingredients release, let alone two at the same time.

The third reason was that they did not dare to do so.

But for the first time, Minhyuk cooked two dishes using God-grade ingredients simultaneously.

[Your DEX Acquisition Rate has temporarily increased by five times.]

[You have gained 1 DEX.]

[You have gained 1 DEX.]

[...gained 1 DEX.]

Minhyuk knew how to take advantage of the opportunity presented to him. He took advantage of the opportunity to use God-grade ingredients endlessly and cook like crazy for an entire month, using it as a springboard for his growth.

[You have made a God-grade dish.]

[You have made a Legendary-grade dish.]

And finally, he achieved the feat of cooking two dishes using God-grade ingredients simultaneously.

[You have achieved an excellent feat of cooking two dishes using God-grade ingredients simultaneously.]

[You have gained 1,000 DEX.]

Right now, Minhyuk was very determined. He was filled with motivation.

‘If things are like this, then I think I can do this!’

Just like that, twenty-five days had passed.

***

The gods could not stand boredom. The God of Cooking only took two days to finish cooking, but the Battle God had already cooked for twenty-five days, and he was still not yet done. In those twenty-five days, the Battle God made twenty-seven God-grade dishes and sixty-five legendary ones.

It was an incredible feat. They thought he was terrific when they saw the Battle God continue to cook without even taking a wink of sleep.

‘I’m getting sick and tired of this.’

‘In the first place, why is he doing something he can’t do anyway?’

‘This is exhausting.’

There were a lot of gods who were dozing off on their chairs.

Time flowed differently inside this land. A month here was only one day in reality. Watching someone cook for an entire month was incredibly and unbearably dull for these gods. But could they dare to leave this place where the next generation Battle God was? All of them were quick-witted.

‘If he isn’t brave, then he’s an idiot.’

‘Why does he want to keep doing something this crazy?’

Minhyuk was struggling. He had been finding rare ingredients and cooking them non-stop in this world, a complete replica of Athenae. But the results? Even after tens of days of cooking, he could not surpass the dish Arlene cooked.

‘He’s only going to make something a little bit better.’

Everything would be the same. It would just be less than half of a Dish Across All Eras.

Even the Absolute Gods were starting to find things boring.

Then, the notifications rang in Minhyuk’s ears.

***

[The God Who Rules Over All of the Armies is confident of their victory.]

[He believes it will be difficult for you to receive recognition and acknowledgement from the Absolute Gods.]

[The God Who Does Not Know How to Back Down is confident of their victory.]

[...receive recognition…]

[...Rules Over the Dead…]

[...Protects the Laws and the Rules…]

[...receive recognition…]

Minhyuk was exhausted. This situation was completely different from when he competed with Rocado.

‘I was given unlimited time during the cooking competition with Rocado.’

On the other hand, he had to abide by a set time limit to go beyond the Dish Across All Eras that the God of Cooking had made. Now, he only has three days left.

Because the Divine Will was constantly activated, Minhyuk’s consciousness and spirit were clear. However, on the other hand, it could also be said to be frazzled. Even if his head got cleared systematically, the feeling of helplessness and despair that would wash over him with every failure was far too heavy and deep.

At this point, the pressure of receiving a considerable penalty was turning into chains that were putting him into a chokehold.

‘The Dish Across All Eras is also related to Athenae’s Frenzied Ingredients.’

If he ate both dishes, he would become much stronger than now. He would be able to lead the Beyond the Heavens Empire and improve it, and he would also be able to do better in Athenae.

Once again, the dish he was cooking was finished. But just like before, it fell short of the Dish Across All Eras.

‘Damn it! What the hell am I supposed to do?!’

He’s getting more and more frustrated. It felt like the gods were laughing at him, too.

I have to make the most incredible dish in the world! Should I do it regardless of the means? No. I have already tried all of that.

A sigh escaped Minhyuk’s lips. Minhyuk already felt his limits. He felt the wall, and it was something that he could not reach. But his desire for the Frenzied Ingredient, the Dish Across All Eras, and the chance to level up and increase his strength kept him from backing down.

The problem was what happened next.

Failed.

Failed.

And they have failed repeatedly.

Minhyuk covered the ugly expression on his face with his hands.

‘It’s too burdensome. Cooking is exhausting.’

When the thought crossed his mind, Minhyuk felt that something was off. But he continuously ignored the strangeness that he was feeling. What was the weird feeling that he had been feeling since earlier?

Minhyuk, who loved eating and the process of cooking more than anybody else in the world, had started thinking that cooking was exhausting and burdensome. That was what was strange.

Minhyuk was getting distracted and sat down without realising this fact.

[Beradon’s Disciple System has been activated.]

“...?”

A notification woke him right up.

Beradon’s Disciple System gave him Beradon’s teachings when he was in danger or trouble, faced some kind of trial, or had something that he wanted to do.

He knew that it could be triggered by various situations, but this was the first time that it had been triggered.

The system became Beradon’s voice and it asked him.

[You… What are you cooking for?]

“...”

Minhyuk began to ponder deeply about the words that Beradon’s voice imparted upon him.

When he first started Athenae, he was pleased to receive hard bread from Valen, so he struck the scarecrow hundreds of times. He enjoyed eating and doing things in Athenae.

He wished to eat the most delicious things in the world.

‘I’m cooking to get an outstanding dish… to get stronger… to win something…’

The words Beradon asked him brought light back into Minhyuk’s eyes, which were starting to lose vitality. Then, a smile appeared and settled on his face.

Then, the notifications rang again.

[Beradon’s Disciple System’s advice is not absolute.]

[But the teachings that Beradon’s Disciple System has bestowed upon you is purely for ‘you.’]

[Beradon’s Disciple System is by your side!]

[Beradon’s Disciple System might give you, who have realised something new, power.]

Minhyuk answered, “I cook… so I can eat something delicious.”

Then, another notification rang.

[The system's creator has a faint smile as he looks at you.]

Minhyuk realised the most important thing. Now that he found his vitality and vigour again, he stood up and headed somewhere else. And the gods? Some of them were dozing off while the Absolute Gods were chatting.

Minhyuk used the information he had obtained to collect the ingredients in a land almost a complete replica of Athenae. After that, he returned to the coliseum and began to cook.

This time, there was a smile on his face as he cooked the dish.

[You have made a Legendary-grade dish.]

Arlene could not help but look at Minhyuk carefully when she saw the change in his expression. But her face grew ugly when she heard the notification.

‘Legendary?’

It was just legendary, yet Minhyuk’s face was filled with relief.

“Please check it out.”

This was the first time Minhyuk asked Arlene to check the information on the dish he had made. At that moment, the gods sensed that something was wrong. They immediately nudged those who were dozing off and woke them up.

Arlene could not understand. ‘What the hell are you doing?’

It was just a legendary-grade dish and not a God-grade dish. Arlene, who accepted the dish confusedly, looked at Minhyuk.

After checking the dish, she said, “I lost…”