Leveling Up through Eating

Translator: ChubbyCheeks

PR: MattForgenti

[Party: You have acquired 5.02 million gold.]

“Thousand-year-old Hasuo……?”

Minhyuk was the one who was interested in the item but Rovan was the one who received it. Rovan had heard about the thousand-year-old hasuo.

‘I heard that it’s a great medicinal item with an abysmal drop rate.’

For items like medicines or medicinal ingredients, monsters would sometimes drop them but it was a very rare occurrence.

Rovan immediately checked the information of the hasuo.

(Thousand-year-old Hasuo)

Material Grade: Medicine

Special Abilities:

━ +100 in WIS.

━ +50 increase in Magical Defense.

Description: This is a Thousand-year-old Hasuo that has the same taste as a radish. Once you eat this Hasuo that has sucked up mana for a thousand years you will immediately feel great effects. This tastes a lot better than ordinary radishes.

‘Hoo, a +100 on WIS? And there’s also a +50 on magical defense?’

The +50 on magical defense was not a small amount of power. Magical defense was a stat that was extremely valuable. In fact, for the sake of increasing their magical defense, low-leveled players would spend a large amount of gold to purchase a unique artifact called the Anti-magic Ring. The Anti-magic Ring was a valuable artifact that could increase the magical defense by 50. However, this medicine was something that was more amazing and more valuable compared to that ring.

‘All of the players are not allowed to wear two armors.’

Literally. Just like in the case of the armors, users could also only wear one artifact of each kind on their body. Of course, rings and accessories were exceptions to this rule but medicine was something that could not be worn but could be ‘used’ and applied to the user. Whether you eat 10 or 100 of this medicine, you would not be restricted by the rules of the game. This was also one of the reasons why all of the users were overly enthusiastic about these famous medicines. In all honesty, this thousand-year-old hasuo would be ten times more valuable than the anti-magic ring if it was known and released to the public.

At that moment, Minhyuk quickly approached him.

“How is it? Did it say that it’s delicious? What does a thousand-year-old hasuo taste like?”

Rovan looked at the excited Minhyuk and the thousand-year-old hasuo alternatively. After thinking for a moment, he handed the hasuo over to Minhyuk.

“Here.”

“…..Eh?”

“Please have it. Nim.”

Rovan grinned at him as he handed it to Minhyuk. In fact, Minhyuk was already prepared to pay half of the price if he ever convinced Rovan to split it in half. But Rovan gave it to him willingly so Minhyuk misunderstood him.

“How much do I owe you?”

“You don’t have to pay me. Nim can just eat it if you want.”

“OMG? Really?”

“Yes.”

Rovan understood that he did not do much when they were hunting the golden duck. At first, he thought that he shouldn’t bother and distract Minhyuk but in the end it turned out that he did not even help that much. This could count as an apology for that.

Minhyuk received the thousand-year-old hasuo. He smiled widely and broadly at Rovan.

“Wow! Thank you so much! I’ll eat it well!”

“That 100 WIS is really a lot. There’s no artifact in the world that could increase your WIS by 100. And there’s also the magical defense… Nim, what are you doing?”

Rovan stopped talking when he saw Minhyuk suddenly pull out radishes from his inventory and started to slice it up.

Minhyuk and Rovan’s gazes met as both of them paused. Rovan scratched his head in embarrassment as he watched Minhyuk and looked at what he was doing.

In that awkward atmosphere, Minhyuk continued to do what he was doing.

Swoooooooosh!

Minhyuk peeled the thousand-year-old hasuo and washed it with water.

“Keuk!”

Rovan grabbed his hair in frustration.

How can this madman just peel and cut such a precious thousand-year-old hasuo like it’s just a normal radish?

“N, no. Nim, you shouldn’t do that to a medicine! Aaaaack! We’re in big trouble. Big trouble! That’s hundred of millions of won in cash!”

“I have a special skill so I can cook medicine in a dish and make it work.”

“R, really?”

Rovan, who was making a fuss, suddenly stared at him as he thought that it was amazing.

“But what are you going to do with it?”

“Crunchy kkakdugi! It sounds delicious, right?”

The moment he heard his words, Rovan stared at him blankly.

“This kkakdugi crazy bas……”

“Yes? What did you say?”

“N, nothing. Ehemm. Hmm.”

Since he already gave it to him, he had no say on what Minhyuk wanted to do with it. But the idea that he was crazy and not in his right mind still remained unchanged.

Then, he heard Minhyuk say…

“I think this kkakdugi would taste delicious with sundae soup.”

Huh?

Did he hear that the thousand-year-old hasuo kkakdugi would be delicious to eat with sundae soup?

Nod, nod.

Come to think of it, maybe it’s really not a bad thing to eat the thousand-year-old hasuo kkakdugi with sundae soup?

Rovan had now completely adjusted himself and grasped Minhyuk’s attitude and beliefs.

***

Hilton and the other guild members roamed around the Shrieking Hills. They believed that they could easily find the people they were looking for.

‘Do you know where the user with the frying pan on his back is?’

Once they found him, it was already the same as finding their target.

The users that he asked would always tell him: ‘Ah, the frying pan killer? He went that way.’.

Frying pan killer?

He did not care whether it was an inside joke among the users in the Shrieking Hills, all he needed to do was to follow their instructions and he would be able to find them.

Right now, the two of them were sitting around an earthenware pot. When he looked closely, he could see sundae rice soup boiling in it. He could even see the pork intestines, the pork head meat, the sundae and the rice in the pot.

The two of them were eating the steaming and piping hot sundae rice soup with some crunchy and crispy kkakdugi.Then, he saw that the user with the frying pan on his back exclaimed with a “Kyaha!” as he sipped some soup and bit on the kkakdugi.

“The kkakdugi made out of the thousand-year-old hasuo is really delicious!”

Hilton laughed at the ridiculousness of what he heard.

“He made kkakdugi out of the thousand-year-old hasuo? Who’s crazy enough to do something like that?”

“You’re right. Maybe they’re just joking around?”

Nevertheless, they still watched them eating for a while. 

He scooped a spoonful of rice from the soup and placed it in his mouth. They could easily imagine the warm and rich flavor of the broth.

Why do I feel a little bored and want to join them over there?

Then, the user with the frying pan picked some kkakdugi and placed it again in his mouth. His timing was extremely perfect. Just like what they all wanted to place in their mouth too.

“I think I can hear the sound of the crunchy and crispy kkakdugi all the way over here.”

“Wow, they look like they’re really enjoying that delicious sundae rice soup……”

They have completely forgotten about why they came here and just immersed themselves and watched their mukbang.

They were now watching the frying pan user tilt the pot up as he slurped the rest of the sundae rice soup. He ate so much rice soup and he even finished the leftover kkakdugi. It even looked like the pots and plates did not need to be washed with how clean they were.

Then, other guild members appeared right beside Hilton.

“I think we’re enough to deal with them. You naughty kids!”

“He’s the number 1 ranker in Versal. This is a great opportunity to feel a sense of satisfaction in beating up Rovan, right?”

Only seven people set off first but after they heard the news that they could have the chance to hunt and beat up Rovan, a flurry of guild members flocked to where they were. Right now, there were 25 guild members in the Shrieking Hills.

“Shit. You look like a gangster. Only five people should go over the rest of you should block their path of retreats.”

“We understand.”

All of them nodded their heads once they heard Hilton’s orders.

At that moment, a whisper from Ares popped out.

[Ares: Hilton, is Rovan there?]

[Hilton: Ah, yes guild master-nim. We just found him.]

[Ares: What is he doing right now? He was called the ‘Crazy Hunter’ in Versal because he could hunt non-stop. Is he doing the same right now?]

Hilton casted a sidelong glance to where the two of them were located as he tried to answer this overly eager question.

[Hilton: They are eating sundae rice soup.]

[Ares: ……Huh?]

[Hilton: They are eating sundae rice soup together with a self-proclaimed kkakdugi made with the thousand-year-old hasuo. We think that the thousand-year-old hasuo was just a joke and they were just saying it for fun.]

[Ares: A thousand-year-old hasuo kkakdugi? That’s some strange joke.You should talk to him as much as possible and get him to our side. You know this, right?]

[Ares: Of course. Ah, the 9th Attack Team and most of the 8th team are here.]

[Ares: Yes. Just in case, I also told them to log in. Are they all logged in because they wanted to kill Rovan?]

[Hilton: Yes. Their hands are all itching.]

[Ares: First of all, focus on persuading him.]

[Hilton: Please rest assured!]

[Ares: Let me know if it did not work, alright?]

Hilton knew the meaning of ‘Let me know if it did not work, alright?’. Once Rovan refused them, they would immediately PK him right there and then. An infinite PK for Rovan will start from there.

They slowly moved. It was time to approach the user with the frying pan and Rovan who just finished eating their sundae rice soup and kkakdugi.

***

Minhyuk had already met all the requirements and conditions for the quest that he received from Kemil.

Then, together with Rovan, he cooked and ate some sundae rice soup and made kkakdugi with the thousand-year-old hasuo.

[You have eaten a kkakdugi out of the Thousand-year-old Hasuo.]

[The penalty for the medicine has been ignored. However, this does not work for many people.]

[A Medicine Dish. You have obtained additional stats.]

[You have gained +111 WIS and +60 magical defense.]

Minhyuk gave a smile of satisfaction.

The kkakdugi made with the thousand-year-old hasuo was truly delicious. Originally, kkakdugi made with common radishes would not be delicious if it was eaten right away but the kkakdugi made with the thousand-year-old hasuo was different. It was eaten right away but it tasted like it was kkakdugi that was made and stored for quite a long time. It was spicy, sour, savory and definitely ripe.

Just as they finished eating, Minhyuk saw some users heading towards where they were. He could see that Rovan was wary of them.

‘Ares Guild……!’

He recently saw in the guild chat that Ares Guild was trying to chase and hunt the Legend Guild.

“Minhyuk-nim. If you ever find yourself in a dangerous situation, quickly run away. I’ll take care of it so don’t worry.”

“Eh?”

Not long after, the seven users stood right in front of them. At the forefront was Hilton. He was carrying quite a pretty set of idoryu.

“Hello, I’m Hilton.”

He politely bowed his head towards them. Rovan nodded his head in acknowledgment as he looked at the surroundings.

‘There’s more than 20 people…… damn it.’

Rovan narrowed his eyes at them.

Did all of them come to get me? Or?

“Should I tell it to you bluntly or do you want to talk over some drinks?”

“It’s good to be straight-forward and blunt.”

“Our Ares Guild wants to recruit you, Rovan-nim. You were a legend in Versal. The tireless hunter. Rovan, the Crazy Hunter.”

“Hiyaa. There’s someone who still remembers me from that screwed-up game? As you can see, right now I am……”

He shrugged his shoulders lightly as if to indicate that he was just an insignificant user. Before they even came, he had already cancelled and took off all his artifacts and he was only wearing a sloppy sword and armor.

“I’m just playing games to have fun.”

However, he quickly turned on his guild chat window that he had previously turned off.

[Guild Chatting Rovan: The Ares Guild has come for me. It’s something like a declaration of war.]

[Guild Master Genie: Hmm……]

Genie was silent for a moment.

“Aha. Is that so? You look like you were wearing some fancy armor and a bright red sword earlier. It looks like it’s a bit too fancy and valuable for someone who’s just playing for fun. If you come to our guild then we will equip you with the unique Brilliant Armor set and Baroque’s Sword. We will also support you and allow you to hunt in the Undead’s Forest hunting ground. We will also give you hundreds of millions as your salary per month. This was something that the Ares’ GM-nim has told me to relay to you.”

Hilton was smiling darkly at him as he suggested their proposal.

Meanwhile, Rovan was looking at his reactivated guild chat window.

[Guild Master Genie: Do whatever you want, Rovan-nim.]

[Guild Chatting Rovan: Really? For real? You won’t regret it?]

[Guild Master Genie: The fact that they had approached Rovan-nim meant that they were already declaring war against us. And we’re already going to start occupying a territory and marking our place here in Athenae. But, are you sure that you can walk out of there safely? Do you want me to send you some backup? Ah, you’re in the Shrieking Hills……]

They wouldn’t be able to send him enough backup since their level wouldn’t be appropriate and they wouldn’t be able to enter the field.

Not long after, Genie said…

[Guild Master Genie: What kind of user are you with?]

***

Footnotes

[idoryu] 이도류: a type of swordsmanship. Dual wielding sword is a swordsmanship that uses both hands to fight. Both hands would be wielding swords.

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