Gourmet Gaming

Chapter 1082

Too dumbfounded to speak, that was how Minhyuk was as he watched the clone bird devour the food. The clone bird had eaten eighty packets of ramyeon and fifty bowls of cold rice and ate ten bags of walnut cookies for dessert.

“Ah. Why do I not feel full even though I have been eating these walnut cookies non-stop?”

Minhyuk looked at the clone bird in both shock and disappointment. He soon bowed his head in thought and said, “Uh. I have to admit that one.”

Ah, I’m going to eat some. That was what Minhyuk usually said before eating fifty bags straight. Of course, even though Minhyuk looked quite surprised and went on to ask if there was truly someone like that, he knew at first glance that the clone bird truly resembled him.

“Am I really like that?”

“Well, he’s much better than the usual you, Minhyuk.”

“...?”

Minhyuk was rendered speechless by the Transcendentals.

‘If it’s like this, then... wouldn’t this be enough to turn someone into a research subject presented at conferences? The title will likely be Man with the Stomach of an Elephant.’

Suddenly, Minhyuk thought that he was amazing. But, of course, the clone bird's personality differed from Minhyuk's.

“Burp– Main body, do you have anything else to eat?”

The clone bird burped loudly and arrogantly demanded something delicious.

‘Although he has taken on my image, his personality is completely different.’

After thinking about it, the description of God and Knight clearly said, ‘There’s a chance that the clone bird will have a completely different personality from the skill user.’

‘Anyway, it would be weird if there were two Minhyuks with the same personality.’

Then, another notification rang in his ears.

[Please choose a name for the Clone Bird.]

“Ah. I’m hungry. Is there nothing to eat?”

Minhyuk stared at the cheeky, arrogant clone bird and finally decided on a name. He said, “Fatty-hyuk.”

“Ah. I don’t like it. What the hell is a Fatty-hyuk? You’re terrible at naming.”

[The Clone Bird does not like the name.]

Minhyuk was immediately forced to think of another name.

“Main body, don’t you have anything I can drink?”

Minhyuk looked at the clone bird’s arrogant figure, thought for a moment, and then said, “In-Hyuk?”

“What? You just changed one letter from your name, right?”

“...”

The dumbfounded Minhyuk pondered over the name of the clone bird for a moment before saying, “Dodo[1]?”

“Oh. That sounds a bit good.”

[The Clone Bird likes the name Dodo.]

“...”

The meaning of the name “Dodo[2]” was very profound.

“Dodo. It sounds like a name with a very profound meaning. What does it mean?” The clone bird, Dodo, asked cheekily.

Minhyuk’s expression grew solemn as he replied. “It means that Dodo has a lot of talents. You’re extraordinary.”

Dodo rubbed his chin, his expression filled with admiration.

“The main body seems to understand me well. Dodo is extraordinary, huh? To put it simply, I’m Extraordinary Dodo. Fufufu...”

Minhyuk was speechless. The description of the God and Knight said, ‘There’s a chance that the clone bird will be lacking in some departments,’ and for some reason, he felt that made sense.

‘Maybe he will get better as time goes by?’

In any case, he did not intend to keep the clone bird by his side for a long time. The clone bird was made to roam the world and choose knights to help Minhyuk. So he would not remain by his side.

Minhyuk did not expect that the clone bird would accept the name Dodo, and he did not plan to actually give it that name.

‘Let’s just put it as Clone Bird. Since he likes Dodo, let’s just leave him alone.’

[You have decided to use the name Clone Bird for the clone bird.]

The name he jokingly gave the clone bird sounded weird, so Minhyuk just called him “Clone Bird.”

“Clone Bird, can you find those who can help me?”

“Don’t want to.”

Clone Bird Dodo’s instant and firm refusal almost made Minhyuk grow angry.

‘The clone bird will choose and recruit knights on my behalf even if I don’t go.’

Minhyuk thought this was just a tiny disadvantage hidden underneath the huge advantage given to him by the newly evolved skill. Of course, Minhyuk knew how to take full advantage of this guy, who looked like him but had a completely different personality.

“For every outstanding knight you bring, I will cook you a legendary-grade dish.”

“I’ll leave right away!” Clone Bird Dodo shouted as he immediately turned into a hawk.

Unlike his name, the hawk, which was almost the size of a child, looked very imposing and majestic. He had sharp beaks, wide and strong wings, and a pair of sharp eyes. He looked just like the king of hawks.

Just when the Clone Bird Dodo was about to fly, he stopped and said, “Put some walnut cookies in my hands... Ah, I don’t have hands?”

“Extraordinary Dodo...”

“Why are you calling me?”

“I just wanted to call your name,” Minhyuk said as he put the walnut cookies bag in the Clone Bird Dodo's beak.

After clamping the walnut cookies in his beak, Clone Bird Dodo immediately flew high into the sky.

[Clone Bird will tour the world for two months to try and find a powerhouse that can help you.]

Minhyuk looked up in time to see Dodo drop the walnut cookies as it flew in the sky.

“My walnut cookieeeeees!!!”

Minhyuk could only sigh at the sight of the flying clone bird.

‘The other powers under the God and Knight skill have been maintained. If these powers were removed and the skill had completely changed, it would have a bad effect on me.’

If Minhyuk were to be honest, he thought that the new ‘Clone Bird’ added to the God and Knight skill was quite unreliable. Minhyuk could only sigh once again.

He turned to the Transcendentals and told them he would visit them again before returning to the empire.

***

The flying Clone Bird Dodo was in an excellent mood. He thought, ‘This is the first time in a long while that I have been out in the world. It feels nice.’

Not long after, an expression of doubt flashed on his face. ‘Ah. But wasn’t I just born?’

Clone Bird Dodo pondered in confusion while recalling the great task entrusted to him. He had to choose and recruit a knight once every two months to get something delicious from his master.

He intended to choose and take those who would be of help to his master. He had only been flying for a few hundred meters before he landed on the ground. Why? It was because too many delicious monsters were roaming on the ground beneath him.

Clone Bird Dodo did not eat monsters when he took over the form of Minhyuk. It was completely different now that he was in his hawk form. In his hawk form, he could eat both fruits and monsters alike. He was a complete omnivore.

Clone Bird Dodo looked at the monsters running around before returning to his human form. This time, he did not take on Minhyuk’s appearance. This was because of the words that Minhyuk shouted at him as he flew away.

Minhyuk said, ‘Don’t use my appearance next time!!!’

***

Joy Co. Ltd.’s conference room.

President Kang Taehoon’s expression was somber as he looked at the screen before them.

The Land of the Biped Monsters was where the clone bird landed, where countless monsters walked around on their two feet, just like humans. It was a hunting ground for players at around Level 400. Because of that, most of the monsters in this place were quite intelligent.

The monsters immediately narrowed the distance with the clone bird, who just landed on the ground.

“I don’t know if I should feel relieved,” President Kang Taehoon said, his expression still grave and solemn.

The Origin Authority: God and Knight was an absolute power. It was undeniable.

Team Leader Park Minggyu, sitting right next to Taehoon, said, “In the beginning, there was only Athenae in this world.”

Only Athenae existed in the world on the day the earth and the skies were formed. As time passed, Athenae became the leader of the Absolute Gods.

It was not Athenae who chose and appointed these Absolute Gods. It was none other than the clone bird that they were watching on the screen right now. After selecting and appointing the Absolute Gods, the clone bird burst into flames and became a small egg.

His story would naturally unfold the longer Minhyuk spent time with him. He had awakened once again. He did not have any memories of the past or even an inkling about his name, but he now carried a new name.

[Grrk! Who are you?]

[I’m Dodo. You can call me Extraordinary Dodo since I have a lot of talents. Fufu.]

“...”

“...”

Both Team Leader Park and President Kang were rendered speechless.

“Should I say that this is fortunate or...”

Of course, the clone bird was lacking. This was the result created by Athenae’s Story Team.

“I asked you to maintain the balance, yes. But why did you do it like this? No. Who approved this?”

“The Story Team’s leader at that time was the one who gave the approval for this.”

“The team leader? No. Was the team leader out of his mind...”

“The team leader gave the proposal and approved it. After that, he quit. Rumor has it that he held a grudge for the company because he was always doing a lot of overtime,” Team Leader Park said.

“Ahem.” Kang Taehoon coughed at the indirect jab about his employee’s “overtime.”

Anyway, it seemed like the balance had been maintained to some extent. After all, the clone bird was not just a bird that would help Minhyuk find knights.

Team Leader Park said, “The bigger problem is that Minhyuk will be able to enjoy an increase of power, even just a bit, through the clone bird.”

Although the clone bird was a clone, he could take on a completely different human form. But there was a reason why the clone bird was first named Clone Bird. It was because they closely resembled their master despite having distinct personalities. Because of the resemblance to his master, the clone bird could not eat whatever he wanted.

This was where the problem came from. Minhyuk was the type of person who would do anything to eat, and this carried over to the clone bird.

“He will dive down, hunt, or dig whenever he sees something delicious from the sky. And even though he cannot use Minhyuk’s skills, he can still wield 60% of Minhyuk’s attack power and DEX.”

What would happen if this clone bird continued to hunt and dig for food repeatedly?

President Kang Taehoon listened to the scenario painted for him and said, “He will bring huge benefits to Player Minhyuk.”

***

The threshold to Level 700 was so near yet so far in Minhyuk’s eyes.

The world was excitedly discussing and saying that Minhyuk would soon reach Level 700. Considering the ridiculous level-up speed that Minhyuk had shown so far, news about how he would be able to break through Level 700 in just three days began to surface.

Despite the public’s attention and discussion, Minhyuk believed it would take him at least a month.

‘And this is after I have gained ten billion EXP.’

The ten billion EXP that he gained only filled around 6% of his EXP gauge. This went to show how ridiculously high the EXP he needed to reach the next level, Level 700.

Of course, Minhyuk also needed to increase his level as soon as possible. That was why he asked both Abel and Haze to help him find methods that would help him raise his EXP by a lot.

Just in time, an envoy from Luvien Empire’s Emperor Cardin arrived.

“...Why are you here?”

“I was just curious about what Brod is doing right now.”

The envoy was none other than Nerva.

Brod still hated him deeply. But Nerva was trying his hardest to make amends and straighten up the wrongs he did to him in the past. Of course, both Brod and Minhyuk did not intend to forgive him.

Despite the cold reception, Nerva remained seated and said, “I’m sure you haven’t forgotten the promise you made with Cardin before?”

“Of course.”

Minhyuk had used the excuse of saving Emperor Cardin from Duke Balaman to ask for many things. The first method would help him grow, and they pointed him toward his master, Beradon. As for the second one, it was a hint about the Pillar Ingredient.

“The Pillar Ingredients are divided into the land, the sea, and the air.”

Minhyuk knew this too. He had eaten the Pillar Ingredient of the sea, the Pillar Snow Crab. The effects of the snow crab were shocking.

His stats had increased by 3.5,% and his DEX increased by 11%. There was also the fact that his chances of getting special effects when doing anything related to DEX had increased by 5%. Even his resistance to the water attribute had risen by 22%.

Thanks to the Pillar Snow Crab, Minhyuk could now exert a stronger power when fighting against water-attributed monsters, especially since his attack and defensive power would increase by 15% whenever he was fighting against them.

The ingredient's value was so high that it was incomparable to other ingredients. To top it all off, it was also very delicious.

Minhyuk, who was listening to Nerva, received Abel’s whisper.

[Abel: Minhyuk, the only place that can help you increase your EXP is the Tower of Growth.]

At the same time, Nerva said, “It is said that the master of the Tower of Growth has the Pillar Ingredient that represents the land.”

Minhyuk frowned. He felt very uncomfortable hearing the words “Tower of Growth.”

A mysterious smile appeared on Nerva’s face. “You noticed, huh? The tower master of the Tower of Growth is very envious of Beradon.”

After hearing those words, Minhyuk could already roughly tell the situation. ‘So that’s why he named it like that.’

At that moment, Minhyuk’s new destination was found and set.

“Can I see Brod for a bit...”

“No.”

“Then, just from a distance...”

“I refuse.”

“At least tell him...”

“I don’t want to.”

Nerva, who received a firm and stubborn refusal, left the Beyond the Heavens’ imperial castle with shoulders drooping in dejection. From the back, he looked like someone who was just dumped. However, Minhyuk did not feel sorry for him at all.

Just when Minhyuk was about to head to the Tower of the Growth, a very unexpected notification rang in his ears.

[You have acquired the gold and EXP that Clone Bird has acquired.]

[You have acquired 3,441,097 gold.]

[You have gained 3,705,000 EXP.]

[You have gained 1 EXP.]

“...?”

Minhyuk’s eyes grew wide.

‘Don’t tell me?!’

He hurriedly opened God and Knight and read the description once again. The description said...

[Some of the information about the clone bird has been sealed.]

Then, it was followed by a series of “???”. At this moment, Minhyuk realized he was seeing the effects of one of the “???” listed below.

‘Are you telling me that it’s autohunting...?’

1. ??? - Idiot Bird --> Bungsin Bird --> Dodo. Definitely a play on ??? (Bunshin). ☜

2. A slang for idiot, also a type of bird. ☜