Gourmet Gaming
Chapter 1330

Chapter 1330

Chapter 1330

Hephaestus thought that everyone in the room had the same taste as him. He was not a bad person; he was just a little dull and tactless, so he could not read the room well.

Hephaestus had moved on instinct and poured the sweet and sour sauce over the golden and crispy pork of the tangsuyuk. This made all of the Pillars furious. Evil God Obren even summoned millions of Evil God’s Books out.

[You have crossed the line. I also want to cross the line by killing someone, huh?]

Master of Life and Death Louis also pulled out the Book of Extinction. If someone’s name were written in the Book of Extinction, they would disappear into nothingness and leave no trace in this world.

“Go and disappear.”

And Athenae? Tears were welling up in her kind and gentle eyes.

[You have seen the God of Origin’s tears.]

[All of your stats have increased by 0.1%.]

“...?”

Meanwhile, Minhyuk found the entire situation ridiculous and funny. Of course, he did not care whether the tangsuyuk was dipped in sauce or soaked. Even so, he could still understand what they were feeling. He nodded along as if he agreed with their words.

“M-Minhyuk. Help me out here. I know that I made a mistake...”

“You deserve to die. I’m sorry, Hephaestus.”

“...”

Hephaestus felt extremely flustered while Athenae stared at the tangsuyuk growing soggier by the moment after the sauce soaked deeper into the meat with sad and pitiful eyes.

‘Are they going to kill for something like this?’

Minhyuk had prepared for a situation like this and saved some tangsuyuk in case something happened. He said, “Everyone, calm down. Here. I still have some tangsuyuk that has not been soaked in sauce!”

[Child...]

Athenae looked at Minhyuk with a warm and motherly(?) smile.

[You really are a good child.]

[The God of Origin has recognized you as a good person.]

[All of your stats have increased by 0.2%.]

“...?”

Athenae, deeply moved by Minhyuk, finally stretched her chopsticks and picked up a piece of the golden tangsuyuk. After recalling what happened a few moments prior, her expression still looked tangled, but there was a faint smile as she tried to dip the meat in the sweet and sour sauce.

“Lady Athenae, wait. You have to try it first as it is.”

Athenae knew it was best to listen to Minhyuk, who knew how to eat well. So, she tasted the tangsuyuk without any sauce and chewed it slowly.

Crunch!

Although the tangsuyuk’s batter was thin, it was very crispy. One bite, she easily passed through the crispy skin and reached the juicy meat. Every bite made the savory taste of the meat spread in her mouth, bringing a slight smile to her face.

[Child.]

[You’re really an extraordinary child.]

[The God of Origin has recognized you as an extraordinary person.]

[All of your stats have increased by 0.3%.]

“...?”

This time, she dipped the tangsuyuk in sauce. The meat was stained with a bright, brilliant color, and the moment she took a bite, a burst of sweetness spread in her mouth.

Athenae was so surprised by the burst of flavor that she raised her hand and covered her mouth. Then, she closed her eyes and chewed the meat slowly to savor it. The God of Origin truly savored the dish in her mouth.

[It tastes like sweet honey, the same honey a mother had tried to save for her child for a very long time.]

[The crispy texture of the meat feels like a father’s care and affection, while the juiciness and sweetness feel like a mother’s warmth and love.]

“...?”

[I can feel the parents’ love in this dish called tangsuyuk.]

“The bottom line is... It’s delicious... right?”

Athenae nodded, her eyes sparkling brightly.

[That’s right.]

Then, she began to get more tangsuyuk. Of course, she did not forget to pay attention to Minhyuk and how he ate.

Minhyuk covered the bowl of jjajangmyeon with cling wrap. Then, he held the bowl tightly and began to shake it. The jjajangmyeon was perfectly and evenly mixed when the wrap was peeled off.

[Child. You’re really smart and resourceful.]

[The God of Origin has recognized you as a smart person.]

[All of your skills’ proficiency has increased by 10%.]

“...?”

Athenae followed Minhyuk's example. And it was not just her. Master of Life and Death Louis and Evil God Obren also shook and mixed their bowls the same way.

‘It seems like Pillars are no different from ordinary people, huh?’

Finally, Minhyuk started eating. Perhaps the only thing that differed from them was that he also had a bowl of jjampong and jjajang in front of him, together with the bowl of well-mixed jjajangmyeon.

Minhyuk grabbed a massive bite of the jjajangmyeon and put it in his mouth.

“Sluuuuuuurp!”

Minhyuk’s cheeks looked almost comically chubby after he crammed so much noodles in his mouth. He was not yet done. He also picked a few pickled radishes and took a bite of them.

Crunch, crunch!

The crisp and refreshing sound of the radish resonated. After taking another bite of the noodles, he grabbed a piece of the golden and well-fried tangsuyuk, dipped it in sauce, and put it in his mouth.

Crunch!

‘I think the person who thought of the perfect combo of jjajangmyeon and tangsuyuk should be given the Nobel Prize. No?’

Minhyuk finally felt the greasiness in his mouth as the ridiculous thought flashed in his mind.

‘At times like this, what you need is a very spicy and refreshing soup!’

He grabbed a bowl and filled it with jjampong. Then, he took a huge sip of the bowl, which was overflowing with squid and onion.

“Kghhk!” Minhyuk exclaimed as he admired the spiciness of the dish.

Then, he filled the bowl with noodles and slurped it up.

‘I really like this combo!’

He grabbed some raw onion, dipped it in chunjang, and popped it in his mouth.

Crunch!

Just like that, Minhyuk finished his meal. When he turned to look at Athenae, he could see a happy smile on her face.

[Child.]

[You really are an amazing person.]

[The God of Origin has recognized you as a fantastic person.]

[All of your stats have increased by 0.2%.]

“...?”

Despite his confusion, Minhyuk was quite happy to see a new side of Athenae. Finally, he had the time to look at the First Pillar Assembly quest created for him.

[You have completed the Quest: First Pillar Assembly.]

[You stood out by cooking and preparing a meal for the First Pillar Assembly.]

[All of your stats have increased by 2.]

The rewards were decent just for making Chinese food.

[Athenae’s favor has increased.]

This was the part that Minhyuk liked the most.

Athenae looked at Minhyuk with a small smile.

[See you next time.]

[The First Pillar Assembly has ended.]

Minhyuk returned to the Beyond the Heavens Empire.

***

Ruba and the other evaluators kept running to escape the fate of being disposed of. The pursuing troops that Chaos had sent after them were already on their tails.

The evaluators were changed and replaced regularly. Before this issue with Ruba and the evaluators, the reason for changing them was solely for their comfort.

‘Were the others also disposed of the moment a part of their memories had come back?’

However, from what Ruba could see, the disposed evaluators could be recycled and reborn with just a flick of Chaos’ fingers.

‘I heard a story before.’

Based on the story, there was one evaluator whom Chaos cherished dearly.

‘Zearte.’

Helenia and the Evil God were born as the Pillars during Zearte’s time as an evaluator. From what Ruba had heard, Master of Weapons Fabro also awakened as a Pillar after taking his tests.

The speed of the pursuing troops coming after them was beyond imagination.

“How can they run hundreds of kilometers in one go?!”

They narrowed the gap between them in a blink!

At that moment, Ruba finally saw an empire appear before them. He did not know if this was a coincidence, fate, or his unconscious mind leading them here. Anyway, he could not make any detours. One wrong step and the people chasing fiercely behind them would catch up.

Ruba made a choice quickly. He took the other evaluators and sneaked into the Beyond the Heavens Empire.

***

Upon returning to the Beyond the Heavens Empire, Minhyuk and Hephaestus launched into a meeting.

“It’s not hard to make a blueprint. But I’m a blacksmith and not a draftsman.”

Of course, there were most cases where someone was good at both. Hephaestus was not. He was more excellent as a creator and a blacksmith, specializing in them.

Hephaestus wanted to create the greatest weapon that could catch up with and surpass all of the greatest weapons. However, he found it challenging.

“I heard that some people have the inherent ability to create blueprints and designs. It would be great if I could get help from someone like that. Do you happen to know anyone?”

Minhyuk thought deeply about Hephaestus’ question. There was Leo, the creator of the greatest weapons. However, they could not get his help. There was Transcendental Nekk, but it did not seem easy to get his help either. Why? Because Nekk seemed to be a blacksmith who was better at creating and producing than drafting a blueprint.

He could only think of two other people if there was someone else. They were none other than Jack-of-All-Trades Rocado and Evaluator Royer.

‘To be honest, it wouldn’t be easy getting help from Rocado.’

Rocado was once a Pillar. He was now residing in the Land of the Leaders. Although Minhyuk was Rocado’s benefactor, getting his help for every little thing was impossible. Why? Because Athenae had put restrictions in place. After all, if Rocado abused the power in his hands, then the balance would be broken.

Royer was one of the evaluators Ruba brought along with him, and he judged everything related to DEX.

‘From what I understand, his understanding of artifacts is very high.’

Even though he was defeated by Nekk, the power he wielded was by no means weak or insignificant. He only lost to Nekk in blacksmithing skills. Perhaps he was much more outstanding when it came to drafting designs? Regardless, it was not easy to get Royer’s help either.

‘Evaluators cannot do anything to help others.’

Ruba was now Minhyuk’s grandson, but he could not see any benefit to taking from that relationship. As he pondered this matter, another thought flashed in his head.

‘Come to think of it, all the evaluators are amazing people, no?’

First was Ruba. It was impossible to gauge how much power he could wield after lifting all his seals with his excellent swordsmanship. Then, there was Royer. Minhyuk did not know how skilled he was with artifacts or how amazing his powers related to DEX were. There was also Arshad.

‘She can see through her opponent and determine their qualifications. Her mental magic can be said to have reached the pinnacle, no?’

They were all defeated by the Transcendentals, but there was one thing to note here. They were Transcendentals. In the first place, these beings far exceeded normal human beings. Even their bodies were different from humans.

At the same time, Minhyuk realized, ‘The Transcendentals can no longer grow.’

This was the truth that he had seen after careful observation. With that in mind, he believed there was a chance that the potential of the evaluators was much higher than the Transcendentals.

‘Anyway, that’s a piece of cake that we cannot eat,’ Minhyuk thought, a bitter smile on his face.

“I can’t think of anyone right no—”

At that moment, the door slammed open. Minhyuk turned to look at the door, his face filled with shock when he saw Ruba and the other evaluators breathing heavily.

“Help.”

“...?”

Ruba, who barged into the room, began to tell their story.

‘In the end, Chaos is a being we cannot associate with.’

He felt uncomfortable hearing Chaos refer to living beings like Ruba and the evaluators as trash that could be disposed of easily. He also found the reason they were being disposed of ridiculous.

‘Just because they wanted to look for their memories of the past?’

It seemed like he wanted to dispose of them the moment signs of being useless appeared on them.

“I don’t think I would be able to help you.”

Ruba’s expression grew stiff.

Minhyuk’s expression clearly displayed his feelings. His face was filled with disbelief as he said, “Are we close enough to help each other?”

Of course, Ruba had become Minhyuk’s “grandson.” However, that was only because he pulled the stunt in the assembly. It was only in name. Besides, he and Ruba were not really on good terms.

Ruba was just grasping at straws when he tried to come here. He was just trying his luck. He smiled weakly when he saw the expression on Minhyuk’s face.

“You’re too affectionate. Your words and your actions are too different.”

Although Minhyuk’s words were cold and distant, his expression was not. He looked very conflicted. It seemed like his discomfort when he heard the reason why they were being disposed of was revealed to all of them.

“I don’t have a justification. I don’t have enough justification to protect you.”

If he protected them without any pretext, he could bring the Beyond the Heavens Empire in harm's way. Besides, it was challenging for him to intervene in matters relating to Chaos and the evaluators.

“The evaluators have one thing in common. They cannot kill people at will.”

They could inflict damage and injure the people, but they couldn't kill.

“...What am I even saying to you? Anyway, I understand,” Ruba said, turning around to leave.

Minhyuk felt conflicted as he watched Ruba’s departing back. He stared for a moment before following after them to see them off.

***

Special Players Management Team.

Lee Minhwa watched as Zearte and his team of evaluators reached the gates of the Beyond the Heavens Empire. The twenty or so previous generation evaluators were all powerful beings.

“The Beyond the Heavens Empire has changed a lot since the evaluators’ previous visit,” Lee Minhwa muttered.

Team Leader Park agreed with her.

“Minhyuk has become a Pillar. They now have Hephaestus, a bigshot blacksmith. They also have the completely awakened Evil God and a Sword God who reached a new realm. Ben and the other vassals’ levels and skills also increased significantly.”

In the past, the Transcendentals were present in the Beyond the Heavens Empire, and because of that, they were able to beat the evaluators. This time, it was different. The power of the Beyond the Heavens Empire alone might be on par with the evaluators.

“And isn’t Philip sleeping in one of their inns?”

Zearte and his team of evaluators looked no different from Ruba and his men when they came to the Beyond the Heavens Empire. They had an expression that screamed, ‘What the hell is this shabby empire?’

Zearte and his men were scrambling to chase after the runaway evaluators and had no time to find any information about the Beyond the Heavens Empire.

“If we’re looking at how things are going, maybe there will be no conflict?”

“Maybe?”

Just like what Minhyuk said through the monitor, he would not move without any justification.

***

Ruba and his men were rushing out of the Beyond the Heavens Empire. Spear God Ben, Sword God Conir, and the countless vassals of the Beyond the Heavens Empire were following after them. Of course, they weren’t attacking them. They followed them to ensure they remained in their best behavior and did not do anything without permission until they got out of the empire.

As they were about to leave, they met Zearte and his team at the entrance of the empire.

“Just come with us quietly,” Zearte said.

Zearte was reborn just for the sake of the disposal of Ruba and his men. Chaos had told him that he would reinstate him as an evaluator once he disposed of Ruba and his men. Zearte was highly delighted when he heard this. That was why he was so hell-bent on finishing this task.

But then, at that moment...

“Please step back.”

“You cannot enter the Beyond the Heavens Empire without identifying yourself!”

‘Huh?’ Ruba looked confused. ‘Weren’t those two the ones I broke the arms and legs of before?’

Zearte stared at the bug-like guards blocking his path. He felt annoyed that they dared to raise their spears against him and immediately broke their arms.

Crack!

“Huh? My arm’s broken?”

One of the guards looked at his limp arm calmly. Why? Because it was a very familiar occurrence. Then, Zearte broke the leg of the other guard.

“Wow... You broke my leg. That hurts.”

“...?” Zearte looked confused.

‘What the hell? These two are acting very strange?’

The corners of Ruba’s lips went up. He shouted, “You bad people!!! How dare you break the arms and legs of our Beyond the Heavens Empire’s guards?!”

“What the hell are you on about? I just broke the arms and legs of mere insignificant guards...”

Ruba had made a similar remark in the past.

“Meeeeere?! You broke the arms and legs of our precious(?) guards, and you’re calling them insignificant?!”

Zearte’s expression grew ugly. “Don’t make a fuss over the broken arms and legs of mere bugs. Are you trying to delay us?”

Minhyuk, who had followed to see Ruba off, saw the situation. He said, “Bugs?”

“...What’s the matter with you?” Zearte said.

Zearte looked like he was so fed up with them. He waved his hand, gesturing for the others to go away as he pressed on his furrowed brows.

Minhyuk spat coldly, “Hey. Do you want to die?”