Leveling Up Through Eating

Chapter 1186

Chapter 1186

Minhyuk had only pioneered the Gorodis Kingdom in the Gaia Continent. Nonetheless, judging from the words and gestures of the kingdom's people, he could tell that they cared for and deeply respected the guardian deities. It was to the point where they were willing to risk their lives so that they could protect them.

Yet, these guardian deities presented a test using the people as test subjects just to see what kind of person Minhyuk was. Minhyuk received their recognition, but accepting it did not make him happy.

Minhyuk hated that they used that method to test him. They could have chosen a better way to test him and his character. Minhyuk completely understood a hundred–no, a thousand times—that they no longer believed in humans and gods. What he could not accept was their foolish behavior just now.

After this incident, Minhyuk no longer wished to associate with the Guardian Deity of Lightning. If the guardian deities were that kind of people, he did not want to have any relationship with them.

[The Guardian Deity of Lightning deeply regrets his mistakes as he wept and cried.]

At that moment, the Guardian Deity of Lightning, whose body was still covered in sparks, reflected on himself.

[The Guardian Deity of Fire realizes their mistake and sincerely reflects on their actions.]

[The Guardian Deity of ??? vows that they would never do something like that again.]

The fact that they were willing to admit their mistakes softened Minhyuk’s heart.

[All of the guardian deities speak of their gratitude toward you.]

[Thanks to you, they realized the proper relationship between the humans and the guardian deities.]

[They sincerely ask for your forgiveness.]

[They say, ‘I’m sorry.’]

[They say that they did not mean to do that.]

[The Guardian Deity of Fire wants to grab your pant leg and cry.]

[The Guardian Deity of Wind’s eyes are wet with tears.]

“...?”

At the rate things were going, Minhyuk thought they were probably even willing to go and shout, ‘I’m sorry! I was wrong! Forgive me!’ He felt that perhaps it was just a momentary lapse of judgment and that maybe they were genuinely sorry for what they had done.

Shockingly enough, Minhyuk’s words brought about new developments.

[The seal on the Guardian Deity’s Dish, Samseon Jjamppong, has been released.]

[The power of all four Guardian Deities has been imbued in the Samseon Jjamppong.]

[The Guardian Deity of Lightning’s favor has reached MAX.]

[Your resistance against the lightning attribute has increased by 5%.]

[The Guardian Deity of Wind’s favor has reached MAX.]

[Your resistance against the wind attribute has increased by 5%.]

[The Guardian Deity of Fire’s favor has reached MAX.]

[Your resistance against the fire attribute has increased by 5%.]

[The Guardian Deities say that you, who cares deeply about the people of Gaia Continent, deserve to eat the Guardian Deity’s Dish.]

[The Hidden Quest: Gaia Continent’s Guardian Deity’s Dish has been created.]

Ring!

[Hidden Quest: Gaia Continent’s Guardian Deity’s Dish]

Rank: SSS

Requirements: The one who received the recognition of the guardian deities.

Rewards: The Gaia Continent’s Guardian Deity’s Dish.

Penalty for Failure: The Guardian Deities’ favor will drop.

Description: The Gaia Continent has four Guardian Deity’s Dishes. You have received recognition from the Guardian Deities and now have the qualifications to eat the four Guardian Deity’s Dishes. Depending on the situation, you will receive additional quests to obtain the Gaia Continent’s Guardian Deity’s Dishes.

Minhyuk was both shocked and impressed.

‘The samseon jjamppong is a dish that represents the Gaia Continent.’

And Minhyuk might just get three other dishes of the same caliber.

[The Guardian Deity of Lightning glances at you.]

[The Guardian Deity of Fire secretly puts their head out, hoping for a pat.]

[The Guardian Deity of Wind looks at you with pitiful eyes.]

[The Guardian Deity of ??? shrugs their shoulders as if saying, ‘It is what it is.’]

Although he could not see them, Minhyuk could imagine their countenances. They were likely hoping for Minhyuk to forgive them for their mistakes.

“Alright, alright. I’m sorry for saying harsh words, too. Don’t do that again next time.”

[The Guardian Deity of Lightning sighs in relief.]

[The Guardian Deity of Fire is pleased.]

[The Guardian Deity of Wind smiles in delight.]

[The Guardian Deity of ??? laughs under the guise of a cough.]

Minhyuk did not forgive them because of the rewards that he received from them. He forgave them because he could see how truly sorry they were and how they reflected on themselves.

[The Guardian Deity of Lightning is in a sealed state.]

[His seal will be put back in place soon.]

The guardian deities seemed to want to talk more with him; unfortunately, the situation prevented them from doing so.

[The Guardian Deity of Lightning says goodbye and hopes to meet you again.]

Minhyuk could tell that the Guardian Deity of Lightning was not the only one sad about the situation. Even the other guardian deities felt sad. Nevertheless, there was nothing they could do. He could only wave his hand goodbye as the Guardian Deity of Lightning, temporarily released from his seal, hardened and turned back into a statue.

Minhyuk went outside with Aelona and said, “I’ll have my meal now. I’ll be back later.”

“I understand, Master.”

It was time for him to reap the fruits of his labor in the Gaia Continent. And just in time, rain began to drizzle down.

***

When Minhyuk opened the window, he was greeted by the sound of drizzling rain landing on the roof. The sound and smell of rain, a fantastic complement to the dish in front of him, delighted him.

Minhyuk snapped open his chopsticks as he listened to the rain growing stronger by the second. He said, “Kghhk! As expected, jjamppong is the best dish to eat on rainy days!!!”

Today, he decided not to eat tangsuyuk or anything similar. He chose to savor the flavor of the jjampong by itself.

The still-steaming bowl of samseon jjamppong contained more ingredients–like squid, shrimp, mushroom, mussels, and even bokchoy–than ordinary jjamppong. Every stir of his chopsticks revealed a different ingredient. This was the charm of the samseon jjamppong.

This time, Minhyuk tried the soup first before the noodles. He grabbed a bowl of samseon jjamppong and took a huge sip. The spicy yet refreshing flavor of the soup was enough to draw a loud sigh of admiration from his lips.

He gently placed the bowl down before grabbing his chopsticks again and clamping a considerable mouthful of noodles. Then, he opened his mouth wide and ate everything in one go.

“Sluuuuurp!!!”

Then, he quickly grabbed some shrimp and squid and put it in his mouth while he chewed the noodles. The various ingredients danced in his mouth and created a perfect harmony of flavors.

This time, Minhyuk clamped a piece of mushroom and put it in his mouth. He gently chewed the tender mushroom?? soaked with the jjamppong’s broth gently. ‘Kghhk!’ he exclaimed as he grabbed another mouthful of noodles and put it in his mouth.

“Sluuuuuuurp!”

He ate the noodles with relish, but this time, he grabbed a piece of pickled radish and put it in his mouth.

Crunch, crunch–!

The pickled radish's sour and slightly sweet flavors immediately removed some of the dish's spiciness.

Minhyuk sipped a huge mouthful of the soup from the bowl again before grabbing some mussels and removing their flesh from the shells. He could not help but marvel when he added four or five mussels to a spoonful of soup and put it in his mouth.

Minhyuk finished the entire bowl of jjamppong until his spoon scratched the bottom. He ended his meal by getting a piece of tissue paper and blowing his nose.

“This was the best among all the jjamppongs I have tasted…”

It was not an exaggeration at all. The dish truly deserved the name “Guardian Deity’s Dish.” Of course, his contribution to the dish was quite enormous, too.

[You have eaten the Guardian Deity’s Dish, Samseon Jjamppong.]

The most remarkable part about the Guardian Deity’s Dish was that it could permanently increase the stats and abilities of the person who consumed it.

[All of your stats will increase by 1.4%.]

[Your resistance to the lightning attribute will increase by 10%.]

[Your attacks will have the added power of lightning. Your attack will gain 30% damage upon triggering a critical hit.]

Minhyuk was in pure awe and admiration. Even the stats, like Will and DEX, that were hard to increase had increased permanently with the effects of the dish. Considering the stats that Minhyuk currently has, he was able to secure around 500 stat points through this dish alone.

‘There’s also the 30% additional damage applied upon successfully triggering a critical hit. This effect alone is quite a big deal.’

Minhyuk had several artifacts that could increase his chances of getting a critical hit. Minhyuk could trigger a critical strike with every three attacks, which could bring about tremendous effects.

‘And there are three more dishes at the same level as this.’

Of course, each dish might have different powers. But if Minhyuk could obtain and eat all four dishes, he would be at least 15% stronger than he was now.

‘My first goal in the Gaia Continent is to eat all four Guardian Deity’s Dishes.’

This goal was something that suited Minhyuk the best.

At that moment, someone knocked on the door.

“Food God! Something has happened!”

“...?”

Minhyuk went out with a puzzled expression on his face.

***

The Gorodis Kingdom had three elders. Surprisingly, these three elders held greater weight and influence than expected in the kingdom. It was to the point that any critical decision made in the kingdom must go through them before it is implemented.

However, these three elders felt that their positions were being threatened. This was brought about by King Anton’s declaration to serve and worship a new god, the Food God. The worst part? Their king had changed, and their new king’s master was the said Food God.

The elders felt threatened by losing their positions, and this danger forced them to do something they should never have done.

Thud– Thud, thud– Thud–!

A considerable tremor racked the entire Gorodis Kingdom. With every step that he took, the ground would shake considerably.

Giants. A being that was eight meters tall and was half-human and half-god. The Giants were beings born from the blood that fell when Kronos castrated Uranus. They could easily overwhelm even the gods with their enormous height, strength, stamina, and defensive power. Yes, the Giants were beings that were on par with the gods.

Now, one such being was heading straight toward the Gorodis Kingdom. And it was even under the instigation and guidance of the three elders! As the people stared at the Giant and the elders with fear, the elders opened their mouths and spoke.

“Worshipping the Food God is taking away our freedom to choose our religion!”

“To protect our kingdom, I believe it’s only right that he proves he possesses strong power, no?”

“Lord Giant has declared that he will protect our kingdom.”

In fact, only a select few people were reluctant to worship and serve the Food God. Of course, the main reason the elders chose to use the Giant was to seize power and rule over the Gorodis Kingdom.

“The Food God has not even shown proof of his strength to us all.”

The Food God taught Aelona. However, it was not enough to prove that he was strong. Ancas, the Light Dragon Order’s commander, appeared at that moment.

“Regardless of your point, do you even realize what you’re doing?!”

To put it simply, the Giants were a race that was associated with Olympus. However, they did not follow the gods. Because of that, the barrier did not work on them. Even Aelona’s abilities, which allowed her to be stronger when facing anyone related to Olympus, were useless.

The elders said, “We’ve had a long-standing relationship with Lord Perrin of the Giant race. He has always listened to our concerns, drank alcohol with us, and even laughed and cried with us. He always said that he wanted to protect us from the gods.”

This Giant occasionally interacted with the elders and often amicably talked to them. That was true.

“That’s right. I did. Because I wanted the Gorodis Kingdom.”

“...What?”

The elders looked at Perrin, the Giant, in confusion. Didn’t this Giant tell them he wanted to protect their kingdom?

“I have been coveting this kingdom for a very long time. And now, even Olympus cannot enter this land. This is the perfect place for us, Giants. It will be nice to live peacefully in this land while eating the food that humans bring us.”

Perrin grabbed the head of the elder right next to him.

Swoosh–!

And with just a little force, the elder’s head burst open. This was the beginning. From this point on, he intended to enslave all of the people here and force them to serve the Giants.

Only at this moment did the two remaining elders realize that Perrin's only reason for maintaining a close relationship with them was so he could hear information about the Gorodis Kingdom.

“A-aaaah…”

The two collapsed on their knees; the fear that gripped them left them unable to hold on to their bladder.

Because of their greed, the Gorodis Kingdom, which had just escaped the hands of the evil gods of Olympus, was now facing another disaster.

“There’s far too many humans. First off, I have to reduce your numbers. After taking care of your numbers, I will call for the other Giants.”

Once Perrin brought the other Giants here, the Gorodis Kingdom would truly become theirs. He used his gigantic body and tried to kill everyone near him.

Seeing this, Light Dragon Order Commander Ancas and his knights immediately flew toward Perrin. They raised their swords to cut the Giant down. Alas, the knights of the kingdom were left flustered by what unfolded in front of them.

‘Our swords cannot pierce through his skin?’

‘How can his skin be this tough?’

Did the blade of their swords grow dull?

While they were confused, Perrin grabbed Ancas by the collar. Then, with his huge hand, he grabbed Ancas's hand and said, “Shall we arm wrestle?”

Perrin was a narrow-minded man who was deeply fond of fighting. Ancas could only listen to his nonsensical words, and his entire body tilted to one side.

Bang–!

Just like in arm wrestling, his hand, which Perrin had grabbed, was slammed firmly on the ground.

“Keuhaaack!”

Ancas’ right arm was instantly shattered. Perrin immediately threw Ancas, whose right arm hung limply on his side, to the ground.

“I’ll spare you. I need some skilled hunter to bring me prey. Is there anyone else who wants to arm wrestle with me? Hmm? If you win, then I will go back.”

The expression on the two elders’ faces was hideous. His words were completely ridiculous and unreasonable. It was a well-known fact that the strength of the Giants race was far beyond the strength of the gods of Olympus.

“Let me try.”

At that moment, Minhyuk finally made an appearance.

He had been listening to the notifications, which had been triggered the moment he reached the vicinity of the Giant.

The Giant named Perrin looked at him in interest. “Are you the Food God?”

Meanwhile, the elders shook their heads and spoke up.

“Food God, the strength of the Giant race far surpasses that of the gods.”

“If you accept his demands…”

“You two should shut the f*ck up.”

“...”

The elders immediately shut their mouths at Minhyuk’s words.

Then, Minhyuk said, “Let’s do it like this. If I win against you in arm wrestling, allow me to hit you ten times.”

“Interesting. Then, if I win, it wouldn’t matter if I become the god of the Gorodis Kingdom.”

Minhyuk nodded, leaving everyone astounded.

“F-Food God?!”

His answer seemed to have shown everyone that he had given up on the Gorodis Kingdom. After all, Minhyuk looked like nothing but a small child in front of the Giant.

With their legs spread out, Minhyuk and Perrin stretched their right hands and grabbed each other. Perrin’s muscles began to swell. When his strength burst out, he felt like he had seen Minhyuk’s body move. However, the tiny human did not even budge.

“Wh-what…?!” Perrin shouted in shock.

And Minhyuk? He easily flipped the gigantic Giant’s body over.

Baaaaang–!

Minhyuk looked at the Giant on the floor and recalled the notifications he heard when he came here.

[There’s a chance that you might encounter one of the truths about God of Strength Herakel.]

[To protect his master, Herakel can lend his strength and power to you once.]

[Your STR stat has temporarily increased by 163%.]

Minhyuk leaned down and whispered to the ears of Perrin the Giant, who looked disheveled on the ground. He said, “Now, you have to get hit ten times, no?”