Gourmet Gaming

Chapter 968

With just one live broadcast on ZTube, Minhyuk earned around 26 billion won. This was a ridiculously large donation that easily broke through the previous highest one-day donation record.

Minhyuk, who reconnected the next day in Athenae, went to the forest near the Beyond the Heavens Empire and thought, ‘BaldEagle played a huge part in the amount of donations.’

Minhyuk did not know who BaldEagle was, but when he ended his live, the man said that he would come back and watch if he went on live again. The donation that BaldEagle had sent alone exceeded ten billion won. As for the others, the accumulation of their donations also exceeded ten billion won.

‘It’s just like Carron said. It’s because my worth has reached an all-time high during this period.’

Minhyuk was the one who saved Athenae. And nearly half of the world's population has an Athenae ID. Even the world’s leading political figures were playing this game. It was only natural that, as the hottest figure, he could earn that much. Of course, he intended to use the donation amount of more than twenty billion won that he had received as funds for the development of their empire.

And now, onto the most crucial part. The corners of his lips could not stop twitching when he took out a blue-colored ore. It was none other than the Tempest Ore, one of Helenia’s Ores. There were four of Helenia’s Ores in total, and each one could significantly enhance the power of her attributed magic.

The Sun’s Ore and the Mountain Ore were both ores that Minhyuk had already obtained. One was already in the form of salt, while the other was turned into doenjang. And with the Tempest Ore in his hand, Minhyuk hoped to obtain the best seasoning again.

Minhyuk quickly pulled out the grinder from his inventory.

(Transcendental’s Grinder)

Rank: Transcendental

Requirements: None.

Special Effects:

•It can grind any ore or minerals.

•The ground ore can change into whatever condiments or sauce you want. It will all depend on the artifact owner.

•The better the ore, the better the flavor and the more special its power.

Description: This is one of Transcendental Nekk’s masterpieces. You obtained it as a reward from an Easter egg.

Minhyuk immediately held the sealed Tempest Ore in his hands. According to the ore description, the owner could seal and unseal it at any moment.

‘When the Mountain Ore was unsealed, the ground twisted and turned, and heaven and earth shook.’

Minhyuk, in the presence of the transcendentals, had once witnessed what it was like to unseal one of Helenia’s Ores and the extent of its power. That was why he came out to the forest like this.

“Release the seal,” Minhyuk said. At the same time, a mighty wind blasted out of the ore. Its power could rival even that of a typhoon.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh–

The strong wind blew Minhyuk’s hair and pulled out the trees around him until they were flying in the air. Minhyuk grabbed the ore tightly and hurriedly pushed it into the grinder. The blowing wind quieted down the grinder when he put it in the grinder.

“Phew...” Minhyuk chuckled.

If Helenia saw him like this, she would not let him go.

Grind, grind, grind–!

The Transcendental’s Grinder shook like crazy. And not long after, the notification rang.

[Please choose the condiment, seasoning, or sauce you wish to obtain from the Transcendental’s Grinder.]

Minhyuk was already in possession of salt and doenjang. So, he no longer needed those two.

‘There’s this condiment I have wanted to obtain for a long time.’

Minhyuk grinned and said, “Sesame oil.”

When one opened the lid of a can of sesame oil, one would be greeted with the savory, delicious, and mouthwatering smell that could stimulate one’s sense of smell and appetite.

Grind, grind, grind–!

The Transcendental Grinder began grinding the Temperate Ore to create sesame oil. Finally, a notification rang.

[You have obtained 500 mL of Tempest Sesame Oil!]

“Kghhk~” Minhyuk exclaimed.

He had not had a proper meal these past few days. The sesame oil was like the icing on the cake of the simplest dish that one could make using only the available ingredients at home when one was hungry. This dish was none other than soy sauce egg rice.

Minhyuk immediately removed his large cauldron lid and evenly spread a thin layer of cooking oil on it. Once heated, He cracked open an egg on top of it.

Sizzle, sizzle–!

A mouthwatering smell wafted from the lid as the egg danced around in the oil and slowly got fried. He let the egg cook until it was half cooked before scooping it out and gently putting it on top of a bowl of steaming hot rice. Then, Minhyuk sprinkled a few spoonfuls of soy sauce and some sesame oil on top of it.

The savory smell of the sesame oil had already started to tease and tickle his nose as he pressed the egg with his spoon and let the yolk flow down to the rice.

“Hoo...” With a small exhale, he smiled and began mixing the egg, rice, and soy sauce evenly.

The dark and tasty soy sauce egg rice was finally done. The best way to eat this dish was to scoop one huge spoonful and push it into one’s mouth in one go. So, Minhyuk scooped a massive mouthful of the soy sauce egg rice and put it in his mouth.

“Munch, munch, munch.”

The savory and slightly salty flavor of the soy sauce egg rice immediately spread in Minhyuk’s mouth. The rich flavor of the egg followed immediately. Then, he took another bite.

Munch, munch, munch–

Minhyuk continued to enjoy his dish with the occasional crispy and well-ripened kimchi added to his spoon.

Crunch, crunch–

The soy sauce egg rice and the kimchi were a fantastic combination. Of course, it would also be good with some kkakdugi.

[You have consumed more than 5 mL of Tempest Sesame Oil.]

[Your Wind Attribute has increased permanently by 2%. Your EXP Acquisition Rate and attack power will increase by 3% for one week.]

[Your Wind Attribute will increase by 2% if you consume 5 mL of Tempest Sesame Oil in a week. You will also obtain a buff to increase your EXP Acquisition Rate and attack power by 3%.]

Tempest Sesame Oil could also be eaten ten consecutive times. Since it could increase the wind attribute by 2%, this meant that one could obtain a total of 20% increase in wind attribute.

After eating well, Minhyuk finally decided to check on the quest that he received after reaching Level 650.

[Class Quest: The World of Hybrids]

Rank: Class

Requirements: Level 650

Rewards: Creation of skill related to the Food God (upon completing all quests.), ???

Penalty for Failure: Unable to unseal the final power of the Food God.

Description: Travel to the world that only existed in rumors, a world where hybrids, who were called half-beings, live.

Minhyuk looked at the quest window in confusion. ‘Hybrids?’

Hybrids meant half-human beings. However, the scope of the world of hybrids was far too broad than what Minhyuk initially expected.

‘There’s even a half-human, half-elf there?’

Yes, although humans and elves no longer communicated, some humans and elves still developed a love for each other and bore children.

‘It also says that half-dragon, half-human beings are among the dragon race.’

And if Minhyuk went a bit deeper, then there should also be half-human, half-god beings.

‘Half-human, half-god... perhaps there are also half-human, half-transcendental beings among them?’

The world of the hybrids was far too wide and broad for him to predict and assume things. And since this was yet to be revealed, it would give him better rewards.

‘There must be many delicious things in the World of Hybrids.’

A delighted smile bloomed on Minhyuk’s face. From what Minhyuk could see, this quest was quite generous and considerate.

‘The right to create skills related to the Food God, huh?’

Minhyuk could obtain this reward once he completed the final quest. There was also an additional reward listed as “???”. This mainly was why he thought the quest was quite generous.

Minhyuk quickly sent a whisper to Abel.

[Minhyuk: Abel, can you look for information about the World of Hybrids?]

[Abel: Of course. I’ll contact you within three days.]

[Minhyuk: Thanks.]

Not long after, a very welcome voice rang in Minhyuk’s ears.

[Annoying brat, I found your candidate.]

“Oh...!”

It was none other than the voice of Guardian God Obren.

Minhyuk knew he had to carefully select the person who would receive the special privileges of the Growth Authority: The Ever-growing One.

‘If your designated target fails to reach 100% growth level three times, you can terminate the authority one year after the date of designation.’ This was one of the explanations attached to the skill: The Ever-growing One. In other words, the skill would be tied up for one year of Athenae time. And it would be deemed useless if the designated target could not grow as much as the explanation required.

However, the best part was that the effects of this skill would prove to have more significant effects if they could find people who either could no longer grow or had faced limitations in their growth. If one looked at the skill closely, one would see that it could increase the target’s EXP Acquisition Rate by 1.5 to 10 times, an outstandingly high increase in number. It could also direct and guide the designated target in a direction that would allow them to grow faster.

Minhyuk had told Obren all of this before when he asked him for help, which meant that Obren had also considered everything.

[The target is a bit special. His name is Ralsden. He is one of you, currently at Level 50.]

“...?”

Minhyuk’s expression morphed into that of doubt. Is the player that Obren recommended only at Level 50?

“What are you talking about, Obren? Someone at Level 50 means he has only stepped into the world of Athenae. There’s no way such a player can be considered special, right?”

[No. He’s exceptional. I was torn between this man named Ralsden and the man named Brochen.]

“Desert’s Brochen?”

Minhyuk had heard about the man named Brochen. He was growing at a tremendous speed and was considered one of the emerging powerhouses. Although he was only at Level 450, it was said that he could fight and win against players at Level 550. These days, Brochen was in the spotlight for his excellent use of the desert eagle he had summoned in battle.

If they could apply The Ever-growing one to this person, he could develop quickly and become one of the high rankers. He would even be able to significantly boost the military power of the Beyond the Heavens Empire.

But Obren chose a player at Level 50 instead of the man named Brochen. However, Minhyuk did not argue with him and decided to listen first.

[Ralsden might be at Level 50, but his DEX is at 301.]

“...?!” Minhyuk was extremely surprised when he heard Obren’s words. “What...?”

[And if you combine his STR, STM, AGI, and other stats, his power would be equivalent to a Level 150 foreigner.]

Minhyuk could not understand how that was possible. His level was so low, but his stats were ridiculously high.

‘Is his class Food God or something along those lines?’

He felt like the man was just like him when he leveled up by eating all kinds of delicious dishes. No, perhaps he was far more impressive than him back then.

[I chose him because I saw his vast growth potential. But he’s a bit strange. He does not hunt monsters like you or the other foreigners. No, perhaps it would be more apt to say that he could not kill them?]

“...?”

Minhyuk’s doubt grew even more profound when he heard Ralsden could not kill monsters.

[I assume that he’s been increasing his level by completing the tasks that you guys receive. Nevertheless, his hard work makes his DEX, STR and the likes so high.]

Hard work. Minhyuk liked these words.

[Sometimes he would dig trees, sometimes pick up those things that you call miscellaneous items, and sometimes hit the scarecrow all day. He is trying and working so hard that I cannot understand it with my common sense. But what’s most interesting is that he would sell the trees and the items he collected daily.

[To be honest, at his level, he should have good artifacts on his body. But he only has the things given to the novice foreigners equipped on his body.]

Minhyuk’s mind started to spin quickly. He guessed as to why Ralsden might not be able to hunt.

‘Perhaps...’

There were very, very few people who could not adapt to Athenae because it felt too real.

‘Even though he sold everything he acquired every time, his artifacts and equipment did not change.’

The fact that he would sell what he collected meant that he was trading the gold that he acquired for money. Perhaps he needed quite a huge sum of money.

Minhyuk realized, ‘He’s making a living in Athenae.’

[He cuts thousands of trees, collects thousands of grasses and miscellaneous items, and even strikes scarecrows to train and strengthen himself daily. I believe he is the person you are looking for. With his hard work and perseverance, once you give him the chance to grow, Ralsden will grow the fastest. This is what I have judged.]

However, it still did not make sense to him, even after putting all the puzzle pieces together.

‘Wouldn’t it be much easier for him to gain more money if he increased his level? And with that much passion and hard work, there’s no way that he would not be able to hunt monsters just because he found them gross. So, why?’

There was no way that someone with that much perseverance and endurance could not hunt monsters just because they were scared.

[However, at the end of it all, you will still be the one who will make the decision.]

But Obren’s opinion had piqued Minhyuk’s interest.

‘If we can give him the chance to grow, then we might just be able to have a great powerhouse in just a few months.’

Ralsden was a Level 50 player with the stats of a Level 150 player.

‘I’ll have to find out about him quickly.’

With his information network, Minhyuk could find out why Ralsden could not kill monsters.

***

Tap– Tap– Tap–

The white cane rhythmically tapped the ground.

Han-Seong had already gone to three interviews today. However, he was left heartbroken after hearing the interviewers’ responses.

–I’m not being sarcastic here. But if you can’t see it, I think you will have difficulty working at our company.

–I think other people will be uncomfortable with your presence.

–How about looking for a job that caters to the disabled?

–I’m very sorry to be the one to say this, but aren’t you being too greedy? It would be much easier for you to give up, right?

A visually impaired and blind person would have a bad perception of the world. However, Han-Seong was a bit special.

‘I’m just having a bit of inconvenience. I’m no different from anybody else.’

Han-Seong performed well during his studies at Korea University, one of the most prestigious universities in South Korea. As someone who lived excellently, he had a dream.

‘I want to live a cool and honorable life.’

However, the reality was more challenging than he thought.

‘There’s also a limit to how much one can make for a living in Athenae.’

This was because he had to care for his mother, who also had special needs.

‘If only I could hunt...’

Han-Seong did not have congenital blindness. He only became visually impaired after suffering from a car accident. The only world where he could see was Athenae.

He was pretty lucky.

‘I was fortunate to be one of the few selected by Joy Co. Ltd. to join their project that supported the disabled.’

The capsule that he had received was quite good. However, after the accident, he developed a post-traumatic stress disorder, which made it impossible for him to harm or kill anything.

However, Han-Seong enjoyed living in that world so much. Not only could he see it, but he could also get anything just with his own effort and hard work. But now, he was thinking of stopping. It seemed like he could no longer play the game that he loved.

‘Money. I need money.’

He was not living in this world alone, only for his sake. There were others that he needed to care for. Nevertheless, his thoughts of living a decent and honorable life remained unchanged. He even promised to gain the money that would help him go abroad and get new corneas that would allow him to see the world again.

Han-Seong, who participated in three different interviews today, finally stopped walking. He asked, “Is this the Ilhwa Group?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

He politely asked for directions. And when he finally reached his destination, he let out a trembling breath. Han-Seong knew that the Ilhwa Group had accepted and employed many disabled people.

‘Of course, I think it’s just for show.’

It was not just Ilhwa Group; most companies hired the disabled, but most of them did it for show.

Although he was nervous, Han-Seong was not afraid. He walked until he reached the waiting room for the interview and waited for his turn. Not long after, he was guided to sit on a chair.

Then, the voice of a young man rang in his ears. The young man said, “I’m a bit inexperienced, so I hope you will understand. Is that alright?”

Han-Seong might not be able to see, but he was sure that the interviewer's voice in front of him was very familiar.

‘Where have I heard this voice?’ Han-Seong thought, confusion flashing on his face.