Leveling Up through Eating

PR: MattForgenti

TTBC used to have quite an influence among the game broadcasting channels. Among all four of the existing gaming broadcasting channels of that time, they used to be unrivaled. They had always achieved the number one overall including the viewership ratings. However, the current TTBC game broadcasting channel was facing a big crisis. They were chosen as the lowest among the game broadcasting channels by the viewers. From the viewer’s standpoint, they believed that they were at the bottom of the list especially in terms of the beneficial attack information. They were also the current lowest in terms of ratings among all of the game broadcasting channels available. If this went on, the TTBC game channel would be in danger of disappearing. 

And because of that, the TTBC director always had a vein popping out of his neck during every meeting. 

“No, you missed Cain in the end?” 

Cain was a user that TTBC had spent a lot of effort and time to recruit. But in the end, he was taken away by ATV broadcasting station. 

“What the hell are you good at then?! You can’t even recruit so how the hell can we have a program?!!”

For the first time in a long while, TTBC had received plenty of love from the users. The users had praised their contents as fresh and new. But over time, the freshness disappeared and the users demanded information that was beneficial and were tailored to their needs. 

TTBC tried very hard to get that information but things always ended up bad. As soon as they got top rated information from Athenae, other broadcasters would pop out faster than them while they waited for the right timing to release it. 

“If you’re just going to do this then just send me your resignation!!!”

‘That bald eagle. He’s mad again today.’

The TTBC program producers and reporters were definitely not happy about the director’s daily anger. So the staff just ran out of the room and went back to their posts. 

Go Eun-ah also rushed out to sit in front of her computer. As soon as she booted her computer, she saw an e-mail waiting for her.

‘U, User Minhyuk……!’ 

The person who might probably become TTBC’s savior!

[A video file named ‘Demon World’s Tower’s First Floor Attack’ sent by nickname ‘Delicious Food is the Best’ has arrived in your mail.]

She hurriedly tried to check the video file. Then…

“Delicious Food is the Best? What a nickname.” 

These days, the director’s voice was filled with grudges so the voice that rang behind her was filled with gloom.

“This childish nickname, who the……”  

“It’s User Minhyuk!” 

“Hell would say that it’s a childish nickname.” 

That’s a fast transition!

The director also had a faint sense of anticipation. This year, there was still no video in Korea that could be placed in the Hall of Fame. 

What if User Minhyuk, who signed a solo contract with us, got listed in the Hall of Fame?

But it was just his expectations. In fact, even if there were plenty of rankers, the number of users who climbed the Hall of Fame could be counted on one hand. Only the most popular had a shot to do so. There were a lot of rankers all over the world and they also had a lot of different contents and styles so this was just a shot to the moon.

However, even if he did not climb the Hall of Fame, the director believed that they would at least be able to achieve the highest effectiveness from the contract that they had signed. 

“Open it.”

“Yes.”

And just as Go Eun-ah opened the video……

“Minhyuk?”

“The Food God?”

“Oh, I think I’m looking forward to it?”

People began to flock towards her desk.

Minhyuk had become the nation’s best user both in name and skills after he defeated Carr in Athenae: Korean War. Even those who worked under Athenae had no choice but to look at him in interest since he had kept himself tightly under a veil. 

Then, the video started. 

The director and the rest of the employees that flocked to Go Eun-ah’s desk all had their mouths wide open as they watched the video. 

“I, Impossible score……?”

“C, crazy……! That’s ridiculous!”

They had no choice but to be shocked and astonished. Once the users started filming, the notifications that popped up in front of them would also pop out in the video. 

“My goodness…… To twist it like that……”

“I don’t think that’s a method that anyone can do. At the very least, I can’t do it since the demons are extremely strong. A while ago, didn’t it say that the demons were the Ghost Unit?”

“Y, yeah……”

All of them gulped unconsciously at the huge strength that was displayed in the video. Then, User Minhyuk’s mukbang began. It seemed like the employees were more focused than ever when the mukbang started compared to earlier.

‘Wow. Look at that cheese…… When that stretchy cheese, hot bread and potato meet in your mouth……’

Go Eun-ah unknowingly gulped her saliva. 

‘R, right. You should try carbonara now. Th, that’s right! That’s right! Have those sweet and sour pickles too……!’

Go Eun-ah was in admiration. This was the best among all of the other mukbangs she had ever seen.

Then, he started eating the steak plate after he drank some of the cold cola. 

Gulp―

Someone gulped loudly. When she turned her head around, she saw her bald eagle director. Despite Go Eun-ah’s protest of ‘I want to eat pasta today!’ the director would always speak in dignity saying ‘As expected, we should have pork back-bone stew or rice soup for lunch!’. But right now, he was watching this mukbang with awe and admiration. 

When the video ended, the entire area was filled with silence. 

Then, one of the reporters spoke.

“Sh, shall we take a look again? Just the part where he eats……”

“O, Okay.”

And the part where Minhyuk started eating got replayed again. All of them were watching with rapt attention again. This time, when the video ended, Go Eun-ah was the one who broke the silence.

“He, he’s too……”

Everyone focused on the sound of her voice.

“Happy whenever he eats.”

“R, right! That’s right. He really looks happy when he eats.” 

“Correct! Wow……! Although I’m only looking at him, I also couldn’t help but smile. You feel that too, right?” 

Everyone nodded their heads. And at this moment, the director had a hunch.

‘A video attacking the Demon World’s Tower……’ 

It’s a rope that came down to help TTBC! And it’s a golden rope to boot!

“Start preparing the trailer.” 

Everyone turned towards the director as they listened to his words. 

“Make the trailer simple. Just put the scene where User Minhyuk eats and make it a trailer!” 

It was a groundbreaking method. 

Are you telling us to skip the entire process and just release a preview of him eating?

The video where he attacked the Demon World’s Tower was definitely excellent content but the key of the video was the eating part.

Then, the director continued to speak.

 “Shall we have that for lunch today?” 

‘Nice!’ 

Reporter Go Eun-ah unknowingly yelled out a nice in her head.

***

Roven, one of the tower’s architects and designers, waited for Minhyuk in front of the entrance of the first trial. He currently had a big smile on his face.

‘Fufufufufufufu. He’s been there for one hell of a long time. No, maybe he did not clear it?’ 

He couldn’t stop himself from laughing greasily. After all, even though he went in proudly, he still had not come out after 30 minutes. 

However, Roven did not know that Minhuk was just eating deliciously inside. Then, at that moment……

[The first floor trial has been completed and closed.]

“Hoo? He must have attacked it.” 

And with that notification, Minhyuk and Aruvel came back out. Then, the notification rang loudly.

[You can climb the 2nd floor anytime you prefer.]

Roven couldn’t help but laugh at him.

“Keuhahahahaha! You said that you will be over in 5 minutes, but it must have been harder than you thought, huh? As expected, humans are just conceited and arrogant.” 

“Eh?” 

Minhyuk couldn’t help but tilt his head in confusion. Once Minhyuk came back out, the new record written on the entrance had also changed. The record that was listed above the entrance was only the new record. But because of the time he took to come out, Roven did not even check it out. 

“Now that you’ve realized your arrogance, go back to the human world!!!” 

Roven shouted confidently.

After all, he wouldn’t be able to climb the tower again. But Minhyuk just pointed at one place with his chin. He did not even say a word.

“What’s in there?” 

Then, Roven turned his head with a happy smile. He was happy that he made him eat a defeat. However, what he saw made his face harden. 

‘Wh, what’s this……?’ 

For a moment, he thought that he had seen it wrongly. The mysterious and strange man’s score was just at 25,000 but the score that was written right now was……

“1, 1, 1, 1, 1…… 100, 000?!!” 

No, this is an impossible score!

It was literally a ridiculous score. 

“Wh, what the hell did you do……?!”

Then, Minhyuk spoke up.

“I told you. It won’t take long! Now, please give me a reward!”

He spoke cheerfully. 

He finally received the rest of the information about the tower from Roven. Then, he took a step forward to challenge the second floor.

***

Aincarr looked around. Most of the guild members of Golden Staff had been wiped out. Even the agile and quick footed archers. 

He looked in horror at the man wearing a black mask and the little boy in front of him. They were attacked because he said that the little boy was a ‘XXX’ but the boy was stronger and more nimble than the dragon tamer. What was worse was that, just one strike from the boy’s lithe body could easily log out his guild members. In addition, the man with the dragon also had a high magical attack and defense. 

‘I, I’m one of Blackstone’s monarchs……’

They were also one of France’s top three guilds.

‘We collapsed with just two of them……’

Then, Black Dragon spoke to Aincarr.

“I hope you don’t forget what I said.”

Slash―

Then, Black Dragon slashed his neck without any mercy before packing the spoils that they had left behind.

“Hoo……”

“Kiyeeeee!”

Poison Dragon curled his body down as he gestured for him to lean his body on him. Black Dragon laid down as he leaned on Poison Dragon’s body. Exhaustion overflowed from his body but he felt that he needed to climb the tower quickly. 

‘I won’t let these bastards touch my son…..!’ 

If he was not aware that they were after Minhyuk, then he would have definitely ended it at just that. However, knowing that fact meant that he could not let a single person be left alive. 

Then……

Step, step, step, step―

Poison Dragon suddenly reacted to the faint sound of footsteps that registered in his ears.

“Kiyeeek!” 

In response to his call, Black Dragon lifted his body up again as he slowly lifted Dragon Tear’s Sword. Then, he saw the man walking from afar. When he saw him, Black Dragon couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.

“Black Minute Man……! No, Black Mage-kun……!” 

“Yes? B, Black Minute Man?” 

“N, No. Haha.” 

He knew how hard it was to touch a man’s ‘injury’ so he did not say anything anymore. 

Ali was also on his way towards the tower after hunting all of the guild members, including Arch,  near the entrance. The two people talked about the experience that they had.

“Hoo. So you got the Royal Class quest too?”

“Yes. But I don’t think there would be any problems if we went up together.”

Parties could enter the Demon World’s Tower but individuals could also do so. But when individuals enter, they need to conquer the tower’s first floor under the same conditions. For that reason, individuals would not overlap with others even if they climbed together. But in the case of the General Type, such a setting was null so users could freely meet. 

“Let’s climb quickly.”

At this moment, the goals of the two had aligned. To clear their Royal Class quest and to protect Minhyuk. The two powerful people who easily defeated the elites of a large guild alone started their trek towards the Demon World’s Tower for one person’s sake. 

***

[Aincarr: I have no face to show you.]

[Arch:……I’m sorry.]

Callauhel was speechless. 

There was a person who cleared the first floor and set a new record with a huge gap from his score. And he knew that he was clearly the Frying Pan Killer. What was more surprising was the fact that the people who he assumed to be his colleagues suddenly appeared and dealt with the elites of a large guild. 

However, Callauhel still thought……

‘It’s impossible for him to close the gap in floors between us.’

He had already crossed the 30th floor. He was sure that catching up to him when he just started on the first floor was nearly impossible. 

And……

‘Why are there so many strong people around this bastard?’

He had the backing of the Empress of an Empire and colleagues who could easily lay waste to elites of a large guild alone.

He even seemed to be quite different from him. If the relationship between Callauhel and Blackstone was that of a contractual relationship, then the relationship between them was fueled by the desire to purely ‘protect’ the Frying Pan Killer. 

This was not common sense. He couldn’t understand them at all. But Callauhel, who only believed that he could solve anything with the power of money, might not be able to find the answer in his life.

And right at that moment……

[The user ‘I’m’, who broke the second floor’s new record, has been born to the world.]

[There is a significant gap with the previous record.]

“……!”

The second floor?

Callauhel’s eyes widened in shock.

And just five minutes after this notification……

[The user ‘Going Up’, who broke the third floor’s new record, has been born to the world.]

[There is a significant gap with the previous record.]

Another notification rang.

Callauhel knew that the nickname could be changed, but the nickname that he had been setting was changing.

2nd floor: I’m

3rd floor: Going Up.

And finally……

[The user ‘Just You Wait’, who broke the fourth floor’s new record, has been born to the world.]

[There is a significant gap with the previous record.]

And finally: Just You Wait.

If I combine these words……

Grit, grit―

Callauhel’s teeth ground together. It was a ‘warning’ message that was solely meant for him.

***

Notes

[Minute Man] 조루사 he actually used Jorusa, where joru (조루) means premature ej******ion. Hence Minute Man. also, it sounds strangely similar to 마법사 (mabeobsa) or mage/magic man.

TL’s corner!

Yeah, just you wait!

PR’s corner!

Lol, I’ve been waiting so long for how people will retract to the Minhyuk mukbang. And Callauhel better watch out!