Leveling Up Through Eating

Chapter 40: The Battlefield's Dominator

Translator: ChubbyCheeks

QC: MattForgenti

The Charisma stat was a stat that was extremely hard to get. However, it was a very useful stat.

Assuming that there were NPCs under a city's wing, then they would most likely trust and follow Minhyuk since he has the Charisma stat.

"Kwaaaaaaaaa!"

Minhyuk heard a wild and violent roar. The roar sounded near. It was the roar signaling the arrival of the Orc Tribe Leader.

The Orc Tribe Leader has a necklace made out of animal bones around its neck. It was standing at a height that reached 2m 40cm and it had a rusty greatsword in its hands.

Bang!

"Chwiiiiiiik!"

Grrrrrrrrrr!

[Salamander's Blaze]

[The attack will inflict continuous damage to the enemy.]

Minhyuk, who just finished cutting off another orc, started to penetrate through the ranks of the orcs.

Slaash!

Slam!

Minhyuk was like a skilled veteran as he continuously slashed and hacked through the swarm of orcs.

Before he knew it, he had already arrived near the Orc Tribe Leader.

Vwoooooooooom!

Claaaaaaang!

The Orc Tribe Leader swung its rusty sword towards Minhyuk. Just based on the sound it produced while it was swung, the Orc Tribe Leader definitely used a great amount of strength on this strike.

Minhyuk quickly stepped back to avoid its sword.

[Haste]

[Your movement speed and attack speed have increased by 1.3 times for 10 seconds.]

Minhyuk's body speed has increased to its utmost.

'There's 10 seconds before the skill will go on cooldown.'

He quickly used the vital strike and the three consecutive quick attacks.

Before the skill gets on cooldown, I have to cut off its HP as much as possible.

Swoosh!

Slaaaaaaaash!

"Chwiiik!"

The orc standing near the side of the Orc Tribe Leader was flung away when it swung its sword.

Minhyuk took the opportunity and stabbed at its side with Valan.

Bang!

Minhyuk failed to penetrate through the Orc Tribe Leader's thick leather armor.

'My stab is too shallow, this will not work.'

Fwoooom!

Slaaaash!

The greatsword was falling down on him from above. He quickly circled around the orc to avoid the attack. Once he avoided the attack, he saw that the sword was stuck on the ground.

Minhyuk quickly analyzed the situation.

'The greatsword is heavy and its movements need to be a bit bigger to swing it properly. This means that if it fails its attack then I will be able to get two chances to attack.'

And just like it was agreeing with his analysis, the Orc Tribe Leader showed a huge gap before it could wield its greatsword again.

'Just like now!'

Minhyuk used this chance to kick it hard on its shins.

"Grack!"

The orc flinched in pain.

Before it could pull its sword out of the ground…

Slaaash!

Minhyuk slashed twice on its chest. He was finally able to cut through its leather armor. Green blood dripped from its cross-marked wound.

"Keuaaaaaaack!"

The orc screamed harshly and swung its sword indiscriminately in Minhyuk's general direction.

Fwooom!

Fwooooosh!

'This type depends on the STR and STM. But it will definitely be disadvantageous when it fights with someone equipped with speed and technique.'

Those who were equipped with speed and technique were only allowed to have minimal damage.

Slaaaash!

"Uhm!"

Minhyuk kicked the sides of the Tribal Leader who was wielding its sword. With how heavy its strength was, he needed to get out of its range. The kick pushed his body aside and allowed him to breathe easily and slip out of its swinging range.

Minhyuk rolled once and confirmed his skills cooldown.

[Three Consecutive Quick Assault]

[Your attacks will have three consecutive strikes.]

He quickly stood up and stabbed his sword towards the orc's side with all his might.

Swooosh!

The tip of his sword burrowed into the leather armor and stopped. However, the next afterimage continued to squeeze through the gap and stab through its body.

Stab!

"Keuhaaaaack!"

And the final afterimage…

Staaaaaab!

"Aaaaaaaack!"

[Vital Strike]

[Additional 17% attack power if attack is successful.]

Minhyuk quickly pulled his sword out of the orc's sides and stabbed through its neck.

Stab!

The sword penetrated through the Orc Tribe Leader's neck.

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[..... leveled up.]

Counting all of the notifications he has heard since earlier, his level has increased by 7.

Spurt!

Green blood spurted out from the Orc Tribe Leader's neck when Minhyuk drew out his sword.

He spat out a heavy breath and looked around the battlefield. After analyzing the situation of the whole area, he quickly made a decision.

"New recruit Minhyuk!"

He shouted loudly.

All the soldiers listened to his voice amidst their fierce battles.

"The enemy leader. I have successfully hunted the Orc Tribe Leader!"

"Waaaaaaaah!"

"The enemy leader is dead!"

"Minhyuk! Minhyuk! Minhyuk!"

Excited roars rang loudly from the battlefield.

[You have acquired 1 charisma.]

[The Subjugation Force has hunted boss monsters that are 30 levels above their current level.]

[You have obtained the title: The Battlefield's Ruler.]

Minhyuk discovered an item and an artifact that dropped from the Orc Tribe Leader.

It was a small bottle that was about 200mL in volume and the greatsword of the Orc Tribe Leader. There was also more than 100,000 gold that dropped.

[You have acquired the Orc Tribe Leader's essence.]

[You have acquired the Orc Tribe Leader's greatsword.]

[You have acquired 172,313 gold.]

Minhyuk quickly moved after hearing the notifications, he couldn't afford the time to check on the items that he had just received.

The soldiers’ morale might have increased and they were fighting vigorously against the orcs, but there were still one or two of them who would fall down helplessly against the enemies.

"I, is that really a chef……?"

Runie was watching his figure in awe.

"......Wow!"

She couldn't help but let out a gasp of admiration.

Minhyuk went all over the battlefield. He would hit an orc with a fatal blow or kick it hard that it would be difficult for it to fight back against the soldiers. The soldiers would then swarm towards those orcs and dispose of them quickly.

At that moment…

Venetto finally stabbed the last enemy orc with his spear.

"As expected of our son-in-law, you're amazing! You definitely deserve my daughter!"

'......I wholeheartedly refuse!'

Minhyuk quickly avoided his fervent gaze.

"Waaaaaaaaaah!"

"Minhyuk! Minhyuk! Minhyuk!"

Mabal calmly looked at his troops. Every soldier of his troops was gathered near Minhyuk.

Minhyuk quickly checked the items that he received when he found a gap.

(Orc Tribe Leader's Essence)

Material Grade: C

Special Abilities: — Has the ability to revive the sense of taste.

Description: It was said that the essence of the Orc Tribe Leader can maximize or revive a person's sense of taste. It is a quest item, it can also be sold in stores.

'As expected…!'

Minhyuk's prediction was correct. It was really a type of quest item.

He then proceeded to check the remaining items one by one.

(Orc Tribe Leader's Greatsword)

Class: Unique

Restrictions: Lv40, 70 STR

Durability: 3,261 / 5,000

Attack Power: 320

Special Abilities:

— STR +7, AGI +5

— Skill: Fighting Spirit

"Well, it's not that bad."

It was a unique item. However Valan was still better than it. There was only one reason… Even though it's attacking power was at 320, it's swing was very limited and would definitely slow down the user wielding the sword.

Minhyuk preferred to hone his technique and use his speed in fighting.

It was now also added to the list of 'Things I will sell to buy delicious things.'

And finally.

(The Battlefield's Ruler)

Unique Title

Restrictions: Below Lv150

Title Effects: — A +10 increase in all 5 basic stats and a 10% increase in critical hit damage when fighting monsters with a 25 level difference or higher.

The title is pretty good.

Compared to the other title he had received, this one has a restriction on it. The restrictions on the title meant that the title effect would disappear once the user exceeded Lv150.

When he finally finished checking all his loot…

"How about the injuries?!"

"Yes, there are four soldiers with minor injuries and one soldier that was seriously injured."

The enemy was certainly the victim in this case.

Mabal stood in front of Minhyuk.

"New recruit. Excellent work. Because of you we were able to obtain victory with only minimal damage."

"No, I only did what I had to do as a soldier."

Mabal smiled at him.

"Boy, you have excellent cooking skills and your swordsmanship and leadership skills does not fall behind either. Do you want to be a centurion [1]? I can personally write you a recommendation letter."

[Mabal, the commander of the Subjugation Force, offered a recommendation to you.]

[Once person A accepts the Centurion position, you will receive 100 soldiers under your command and the support of the Empire.]

"Heok……!"

"I, it's directly a centurion and not a decurion [2]!"

The users were very shocked.

A centurion not only would have 100 soldiers under their command, they would also receive 5 million gold every month as support. In addition, the promotion for a centurion was easy. Once they become a knight then it was a sure guarantee that they would receive 15 million gold as support.

It was a very stable job just like a 'military' in real life.

But was everyone the same?

I don't like being a soldier even if it's a stable job!

"I'm sorry but I refuse."

"Hmm……"

Mabal looked very disappointed.

When Minhyuk saw his expression, his brain started to roll so he could keep his favorability with him.

"I still am lacking in a lot of ways. Captain."

"Hmm?"

"I still have to go further if I want to protect Isbin Village, no, the Eivelis Empire. I still want to grind and polish my skills. At that time, when I'm finally satisfied with myself then I'll come and find you, Mabal-nim!"

"Ooooooooh…! Boy, you're really modest!"

[Mabal's favorability has increased.]

Of course that was what he said but Minhyuk would definitely not find Mabal for that.

At that moment…

"Ugh, aaaaack!"

A commotion suddenly broke out among the users.

When he turned around, he saw the user that led the orcs towards where they were.

"Ah, fXcker. You were the one who carried the orcs. You bastard. You're the reason why all of us almost got knocked down!"

Then…

Staaab!

The user was brutally forced to log-out.

'Tch.'

Minhyuk, who clicked his tongue in annoyance, saw Len from the distance. Len was looking at him with his thumb raised in an approving gesture.

Minhyuk smiled brightly at him.

***

The Bordy Plains subjugation ended safely. After finishing the subjugation, the troops immediately began their return to Isbin Village.

There was something called 'The Light of the Sun.' in the Bordy Plains. It was said that the light of the sun was not able to work because of the invasion of the goblins. The subjugation of these goblins was considered to be a common quest. And now that the subjugation was over the Sun's Wheat could now be grown and harvested in Isbin Village once again.

The rewards would be given 4 days after returning to the village. They would be receiving it in front of the military training center.

Minhyuk has already spoken to Len earlier.

'You're telling me not to have lunch tomorrow?'

With an air of excitement around him, Minhyuk looked at him happily.

'It would be better to wear comfortable clothes, won't it be better if it's something that you can scratch your butt in?! Let's have a relaxing day!'

"Scratch my butt?"

Len grinned as he stared at the sky.

He did not see it personally but he heard it from the other soldiers. Minhyuk was the one who killed the Orc Tribe Leader.

He thought that maybe it was fate. This was definitely a way to avoid the sanctions from the Gods of Athenae.

Maybe that item finally felt that the person that it needed to go to is finally here.

'My disciple will save my sense of taste.'

What would it feel like to taste the flavor of the food?

Will I feel happy? Will it make me laugh? Or will I cry the moment I eat?

He was looking forward to it.

***

It was a quiet weekend. It was a weekend where you definitely wouldn't want to go anywhere. It was the best day to just lie down and breathe.

It was a day where you would sleep around until around 1 o'clock and wake up feeling a bit hungry.

And there was only one food that would come to mind at times like this.

A Chinese dish like jjajangmyeon.

After eating a 5,000 won worth of jjajangmyeon, one would definitely feel like they wanted to lie down on the sofa and aimlessly watch TV.

Minhyuk wanted to feel that way. And he also wanted to make Len feel that too.

He quickly accessed Athenae. Once he arrived in the game, he directly went to the kitchen carriage.

The Chinese dishes that were supposed to be distributed to the returning subjugation forces today were replaced with combat rations. That was the reason why Len had a leisurely break today.

Minhyuk first made jjajangmyeon and jjamppong.

Aren't the sweet flavor of the jjajangmyeon and the refreshing taste of jjamppong a must for a day like this?

After finishing both of the dishes, he quickly placed it in his food storage inventory.

Then, after frying the pork for the tangsuyuk, he gathered his attention and started making its sauce.

The sweet and sour sauce of tangsuyuk could be made either from catsup or soy sauce. Or if one preferred a sweeter taste, then it wasn't bad to make a sauce from fruits like pineapple or kiwi.

Minhyuk chose soy sauce for his sauce.

Next, he prepared the ingredients needed for the sauce. Onions, carrots, wood mushrooms, water, vinegar, sugar and starch. The starch would act as a thickener for the sauce.

First, he stir-fried the onions and carrots. After stir frying it for a while, he would then add the water.

Fwiiiish!

The smell of onions being cooked in the pan would always stimulate the nose. In addition, the carrots would make the dish much more appetizing by adding a splash of color in it.

This time, Minhyuk was doing his best in cooking this dish.

This dish would be the first dish that Len would taste so it was just a matter of course that he made it more delicious.

After all of the ingredients were stir-fried, he then added the water. The water was of course the essence of the Orc Tribe Leader.

As he poured the water in, he also added the soy sauce and sugar. If sugar was added at this time, then its flavor would be able to penetrate deeper in the other ingredients.

Once the seasonings were added correctly, add the starch to a separate bowl of water and stir it well.

He made sure that there was an appropriate amount of starch in the bowl. The starch mixture was stirred well to make sure that it was completely dissolved in the water. Once the starch mixture was ready, he slowly poured it into the boiling sauce. He then stirred the sauce with his ladle to help it thicken evenly.

Once the fire was turned off at the appropriate time, the sauce would be completed.

After he finished cooking, Minhyuk swiped the sweat off of his forehead.

He had never felt this way before. He was sure that he would definitely enjoy the flavor of the food, but what about Len's reaction once he tasted the food?

Will he feel happy? Will he find it delicious? What would he feel after tasting something for the first time in his life?

That was what he thought.

"Done."

As soon as Minhyuk said that he was done, a notification rang in his head.

[Please choose the main dish.]

Just like with the ingredients, when he cooked various dishes he would be asked to choose. It was the same in this case where he was asked to choose the main dish.

And whenever Minhyuk was 'done' eating or he 'completed' a dish it would not wait for him and just pop out in front of him.

"Tangsuyuk. Increase the buff as much as it can."

Minhyuk's hands moved ridiculously fast when he was cooking.

He has already accessed Athenae and checked all of the recipes through Athenae's search function.

His hands continued to move skillfully. At that moment, he heard the notifications ring in his head.

[You have completed a tangsuyuk.]

[Trance. It's a dish that has your 'soul' poured into it.]

[The dish's rank is Rare.]

[You have acquired 1 DEX.]

[You have acquired 2 reputation points.]

[You have acquired 200 achievement points.]

***

Footnotes

[1] Centurion (백부장) : a Commander of a centuria. Centuria is the smallest unit in the Roman legion. A roman legion has 6,000 soldiers, with each legion divided into 10 cohorts and each cohorts divided into 6 centuria. Therefore a centurion would have 100 soldiers under his command.

[2] Decurion (십부장) : a leader of a squadron. Squadron usually consists of two or more troops, or so I read.

TL's corner!!!

Well, well, well. After torturing my stomach with the bone hangover soup before. I was teased with enough action and I will probably get tortured with tangsuyuk in the next chapter. *drools*

QC’s corner!

Minhyuk strikes again, this time we get him cooking and fighting! My stomach growls in anticipation of the next chapter.

ANNOUNCEMENT

This will be the fifth and final chapter this week. I was supposed to post it tomorrow but I was asked to do some errands and it will be chaotic. So instead of doing it tomorrow and possibly forgetting it, I decided to post it in advance. New chapters will be posted on the 14th! See you next week!

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