Gourmet Gaming

Potatoes were delicious. Whether they were sliced thinly, or turned into French fries, or even if they were ground finely and turned into potato pancakes, they were still delicious. In fact, they were already appetizing even if they were just steamed and dipped in salt.

Minhyuk happily dug the potatoes, not a sign of exhaustion on his face.

“Ahoo! Ahoo!” Hella shouted, following behind Minhyuk and working happily on the field.

However, at that moment, Hella crouched when she felt something strange in her body. Of course, Minhyuk did not miss this scene.

“Urk!”

He could see the blood on the palm that she used to cover her mouth.

“Are you alright?”

“Ah. It’s nothing. I probably just consumed too much mana.”

Hella made it sound like it was nothing, but Minhyuk could tell that there was something off. After all, he could see how her body suddenly turned translucent before returning back to how it was.

“Shall we go back to working on the field again?”

Hella tried passing it off as nothing. However, Minhyuk could clearly tell that there was something truly wrong with her.

At that moment, a quest window suddenly appeared in front of Minhyuk.

[Sudden Quest: Harvesting Ingredients Before Hella’s Soul Perish.]

Rank: SSS

Requirements: The One Chosen by the God of Death.

Rewards: The second seal of the Sword of Aeon will be lifted.

Penalty for Failure: Expulsion from Hell

Description: The God of Death is watching over you and Hella as you both try to harvest the Sin’s Ingredients. However, Hella’s soul will be destroyed in a few days’ time. Harvest all of the Sin’s Ingredients before that and help her enter the cycle of reincarnation safely.

“…!”

The God of Death was watching them. However, after reading the quest window, a frown appeared on Minhyuk’s face.

‘Perish?’

Hella had been in Hell for thousands of years. She had been here for far too long, it was hard to tell the exact length of time that she had been here.

‘She is giving up her chance to enter the cycle of reincarnation just so she can help Hell thrive and prosper.’

Minhyuk was in awe and admiration of Hella’s firm determination. Furthermore, the God of Death offered to lift the second seal of the Sword of Aeon as a reward.

Because of that, Minhyuk swung his hoe with greater vigor.

Thud, thud, thud—

‘I don’t know what’s happening between the two of them, but…’

Minhyuk was already motivated enough with the God-grade ingredients that Hella would give her with every successful harvest of the Sin’s Ingredients. Now, the lifting of the second seal of the Sword of Aeon was also added as a reward. However, the reason why Minhyuk’s swinging grew stronger and faster was more than that.

‘That determination and desire to change Hell even at the expense of your own well-being…’

Minhyuk’s swings grew faster as he looked at Hella, who started to swing her hoe again after vomiting another mouthful of blood.

‘I’ll let you reincarnate safely.’

Thud—!

***

In the passageway between the continent and Edea.

At first, there were nearly a hundred million players that entered the passageway.

[Episode Quest: Cross the Passageway and Enter Edea.]

Rank: ???

Requirements: Level 400 or higher.

Rewards: +4 in all stats.

Penalty for Failure: Banned from entering the passageway.

Description: The Jade Emperor is calling for all of the heroes from the continent to fight on his behalf. Cross the passageway and reach Edea.

The reason why a huge number of players entered the passageway was because of the unconventional rewards.

On average, ordinary players would have around seven stats while high rankers would have around nine stats or more. These stats were STR, STM, AGI, INT, WIS, DEX, CHA, Observation, Will, Courage, and many more. Just by passing through the passageway, they could stand to have all of these stats increase by four. This would have the same effect as having their levels increase by three.

On top of the +4 in all stats once they successfully crossed through the passageway, their EXP acquisition rate and artifact drop rate would increase by 1.5x while fighting inside. Due to all these, nearly a hundred million players had gathered together to cross the passageway.

However, by the end of the passageway, the number of players left was only twelve million. Aside from the high ranking players, the rest of the players could not endure the high level of difficulty of the passageway and had all been forced to logout.

The players that stood at the vanguard looked tired and exhausted.

“Damn it. I didn’t expect us to take three weeks.”

Initially, they had thought that they would only take two weeks to break through the passageway. However, they took an additional six days before they could completely cross and reach Edea. They had been forced to wander around the Maze of Death that was located at the end of the passageway.

Most of the ones that were able to cross through the passageway were around Level 450 or higher. In other words, only the elite were able to survive. Thus, the hundred million players that first entered the passageway dwindled to a mere fraction that reached the exit that would lead to Edea.

[The exit is already in front of the players.]

[They only need to go a little further and they will be able to reach Edea.]

[From what we heard, the average level of Edea’s troops is known to be around Level 450. And from what we gathered, there are around four million troops that are waiting for them outside this passageway.]

[The leader of the Allied Forces, the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal, is a high-leveled Named NPC, at Level 600.]

[The passageway to Edea is long and difficult. However, the rewards that the players are expecting are indeed sweet.]

[According to the agreement made by the Jade Emperor and the Battle God, the players are free to choose which side they want to stand on, whether it is the Allied Forces or the Jade Emperor’s side.]

[However, the rewards that the Jade Emperor are offering are much sweeter. Besides, all of the experts believe that the players sent by the Jade Emperor have a 95% chance of obtaining victory.]

[Since this is a large-scale episode, Joy Co. Ltd. has released the average level of Edea’s Allied Forces and even the level of the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal and the other kings. Although Food God Minhyuk is standing with Edea, many of the players are still predicting the defeat of the Allied Forces.]

[The biggest reason why the players are deciding to turn their backs on Edea’s Allied Forces lies with the Jade Emperor’s envoys. The envoys are literally gods, not production-related gods, but combat-related gods.]

[According to the agreement, the envoys are not allowed to enter the battlefield as they please, instead, at certain intervals. With the addition of the players, it is expected to give a great boost to them.]

[Of course, the players that crossed through the passageway can still choose which side they want to join. They can also join Edea’s allied forces. After all, there are no sides during the quest ‘Cross the Passageway and Enter Edea.’]

“How many artifacts and gold will I be able to earn in Edea?” Bastien, the man standing in the vanguard, also known as the number one in the global Summoner’s Rankings, said.

Bastien and the other high rankers knew that the battle in Edea was not just about the fall of the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal. It was also about the spoils and EXP that they would get for killing their enemies and the rewards that they could obtain by plundering the four kingdoms. That thought alone was enough to cause them to shake in excitement.

In a battle where their victory was expected, Bastien, along with the rest of the players, arrived at the most dangerous part of the passage, the exit.

[You have completed the Episode Quest: Cross the Passageway and Enter Edea.]

[You have gained +4 in all of your stats.]

Bastien smiled in contentment after struggling to cross the aisle. However, the smile of delight that flashed on his face turned stiff the moment he breathed in the sweet air of Edea. He quickly turned to look at the players that followed right behind him from the cave-like passageway.

“Everyone, prepare to figh…”

Unfortunately, Bastien was not given the chance to finish his words.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang—

Tens of thousands of magic attacks rained down and exploded on the players that had successfully passed through the passageway.

Fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh—

Hundreds of thousands of arrows shot through the sky and pierced the hearts of the players. Bastien, who was standing at the vanguard, hurriedly summoned his Turtle Dragon. He hid behind its gigantic turtle back to look at the situation ahead.

What was waiting in front of them was none other than Edea’s Allied Forces. They had already taken control of the area in front of the exit of the passageway and had been waiting for their arrival. However, the presence of the allies was not what surprised Bastien.

“What— what the hell is this…” Bastien looked at the huge shadow cast upon them as he muttered, “Turtle— turtle ship…?”

Bastien had seen the way the Beyond the Heavens, which had been called the Legend Guild back then, carried their defensive battle to success with the help of this fortress in the form of a turtle ship. The turtle ship-shaped fortress looked extremely durable and sturdy, especially since it was made with reinforced steel. On top of that, they could freely launch sorties by opening and closing the upper portion of the turtle ship.

The turtle ship that appeared in front of them was a bit different from the one from before. The fortress now had wheels at the bottom, which allowed these turtle ships to move as they pleased. In addition, they had several holes in their front portion that allowed them to send countless spears, arrows and magic at their enemies.

This slightly different turtle ship was still not the reason why Bastien was shocked. Soon, the commentators saw the current situation that the players were currently facing as their drones entered Edea and flew above the players and the Allied Forces.

[There— there are dozens of turtle ships!]

[There are dozens of turtle ships waiting for the Jade Emperor’s Army!]

[The shocking part is not the appearance of the turtle ship, but the sheer size and number of the turtle ships present in the area.]

[The Edea episode started around three weeks ago. During that amount of time, they should have only been able to build one or two turtle ships. However, there were more than thirty turtle ships that appeared in front of everyone!]

Cold sweat started to drip down Bastien’s back.

The entire Edea Allied Forces were riding aboard those dozens of turtle ships. Sun Wukong, who was standing on the turtle ship at the center of their formation, shouted, “Fire!!!”

Several openings appeared on the surface of the thirty turtle ships. At the same time, the Dragon Cannons that Trap Installer Bichor had created appeared, and shot blazing flames that could melt anything and everything that crossed its path.

Shwaaaaaaaaaaaa—

Shwaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—

Shwaaaaaaaaaaa—

Dozens of streams of fire shot forth and melted the players that stepped out of the passageway. That was not all, the Edean troops also began to shoot arrows that pierced through the bodies of the players that survived the initial catastrophe.

A faint smile appeared on the face of the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal, Sun Wukong.

‘We were only able to make one turtle ship.’

That was right. They were only able to create one turtle ship with the blueprint that Minhyuk had brought them in the span of two weeks that they were given to prepare for this battle. So, why were there thirty turtle ships that appeared in this place? The secret laid with The Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal’s Cloning Technique.

The Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal’s Cloning Technique could replicate and clone various forms, including objects. However, there was a problem with this. The more the object was replicated, the lower the attack and defense the replicated object would have. Thankfully, Mihyuk’s dish was able to make up for this shortcoming.

Originally, if the original body of the object could release 100% power, then the replicated body would only be able to release 30% of the original’s power. But thanks to Minhyuk’s dish, the replicated turtle ships could exert around 50% of the original’s power.

Moreover, most of the weapons that they loaded on the turtle ships were not replicated. Basically, they just used the replicated turtle ships as a way to equip and use these weapons.

[This is surprising.]

[In just an instant, more than 200,000 players have disappeared without leaving a single trace.]

The cameras that floated above caught the flustered look on the players’ faces. However, the high rankers immediately came back to their senses and issued orders.

“Charge!!!”

“Do not forget that our numbers far surpass theirs!!!”

The players that were able to successfully pass through the passageway that connected Edea were all elites. All of them had decent skills and control, and were armed with better artifacts.

The rest of the players immediately followed the high rankers’ orders and charged forward despite the continuous downpour of arrows and magical attacks. The tens of thousands of mages cast Shield to create a barrier in front of them, while the tankers raised their square shields and created a wall that protected the others.

‘Considering the level of the troops of Edea, we will be able to pierce through their defenses!!!’

The level of the troops of Edea’s Allied Forces were at the same level as the minimum level of the players that charged through the passageway. Since that was the case, their side, with higher numbers than their enemies, would have a bigger advantage.

Fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh—

“Huh…?”

Bastien felt that something was off. The arrows sent by the soldiers of Edea only pierced through the players’ vital points, like their necks or their hearts.

‘What?’

Then, at that moment, hundreds of thousands of Edea’s Allied Forces’ soldiers charged forward as the lower portion of the turtle ships opened.

“Uwaaaaaaaaah!!!”

“Uwaaaaaaaaah!!!”

“Uwaaaaaaaaah!!!”

The charging soldiers of Edea’s Allied Forces collided with the players that ran toward the turtle ships.

Slaaaaaash—

Slash, slash, slash, slash, slash—!

Swooooooosh—

“…What the hell?”

“They aren’t at Level 450!!!”

“The level of the soldiers is much higher than what we expected!!!”

The spears and swords of the troops of Edea’s Allied Forces were much faster than the players’ own. That was when Bastien turned to look at the level of the soldiers in front of him.

[Edea’s Soldier. Level 451.]

“…?”

That was strange. Joy Co. Ltd. clearly published the average level of the soldiers of Edea’s Allied Forces. Yet, these soldiers were easily cutting down the players in front of them, leaving them in a disastrous situation.

“…This— this crazy bastard…”

Only then did Bastien and the commentators realize the situation in front of them.

[Pl— Player Minhyuk must have fed the soldiers of Edea with his dishes!]

[However, what is scarier is the fact that the soldiers did not just grow 10% or 15% stronger.]

[From what it looks like, they have grown at least 20% stronger!]

A huge variable had suddenly appeared, which allowed the soldiers of Edea to sweep the players.

As mentioned many times before, NPCs were better than the players at the same level as them. After all, they had been trained in the way of their weapons since they were young, with most of them training from the moment they woke up, until the moment they slept. On the other hand, the players had only touched swords or other weapons inside the game. This was the clear difference between players and NPCs.

However, a grin still spread on Bastien’s face. “It doesn’t matter.”

Some players would possess something that put them at an advantage over NPCs. That was none other than their artifacts and skills.

Slash, slash, slash, slash, slash—!

“Use your skills!!! We can push those soldiers back if we shower them with our skills!!!”

Bastien’s grin grew wider. Their opponents might believe that they had prepared enough. However, if it was just to this extent, then they would never be able to overcome the players.

Unbeknownst to them, this was not the only thing that Minhyuk had prepared. He did everything he could, employing all means and methods.

Notifications suddenly rang in the ears of all of the players that successfully entered Edea.

[The Food God is proposing a quest to the players!]

Kings could give quests to players that belonged to their kingdom, while gods could suggest quests to any player. The notification window popped up in front of them.

[Quest: Hunting the Jade Emperor’s Coalition Army.]

Rank: ???

Requirements: Players that have passed through the passageway and entered Edea.

Rewards: Fairy’s Tears (1)

Penalty for Failure: Gaining the hostility of the Jade Emperor’s Envoys.

Description: You will gain one Fairy’s Tear for every soldier of the Jade Emperor’s Coalition Army that you kill. However, you will only be able to receive the Fairy’s Tears if you can successfully reach Edea’s Allied Forces’ fortress.

“…!”

“…!”

“…!”

Silence enveloped the battlefield for a very short moment. Even though the magical attacks and arrows were raining upon them, the players all stopped moving.

However, the one that was extremely alarmed by this sudden turn of events was none other than Bastien. In fact, he could barely breathe from the shock.

“This— Thiiiiiiiis— This— cr— crazy bastard…”

The commentators kindly spoke for him.

[This— this is crazy!!!]

[You will be able to get one Fairy’s Tears if you hunt one player?! Just so you know, you will be able to get twenty platinum if you sell this Fairy’s Tear on the market. In other words, it’s worth around a hundred million won in cash!]

[To think you can get one for every player that you successfully hunt!]

That was right. Minhyuk was using every means and methods available to him. This was the second part of his preparations.