Leveling Up Through Eating

Chapter 1188

[The faith and belief of the people of the Gorodis Kingdom in the Food God have decreased.]

The people of the kingdom were heavily criticizing Minhyuk.

“Lord Minhyuk, don’t you think something like that is impossible? Since ancient times, the Giants have been known as ferocious demigods who regard humans as bugs,” Ancas said, worry seeping in his tone as he cradled his broken arm.

The Ancas of today trusted and respected Minhyuk more than anyone else present. That was why he did not want the man in front of him to make the wrong choice. The same was true for the people.

“If you do not kill him right now, then not only us but even you, the Food God, will be in danger.”

Some even fell on their knees and said, “Food God! Please, we beg you. Please lead our Gorodis Kingdom to the path of peace and salvation!”

Some even sobbed as they cried out, “Food God! Kill the Giant and bring peace to our Gorodis Kingdom!”

They all knew how they achieved the peace they had now. It was all thanks to King Anton, who chose to burn his life. Their previous king fought and died so that he could restore their peace. However, this also left the entire kingdom on the verge of collapse.

“Food God! Are you saying that we want to kill the Giant to cover up our sins?”

“Of course, we know we have made a terrible mistake.”

“But everything that we did is for the sake of the kingdom. We deserve to die for making the mistake of associating with a Giant. Even so, we want you to bring judgment upon that Giants!”

“Please listen to the pleas of the people!”

The elders continued to incite the people. Minhyuk looked back at Perrin once again.

[Good Giant Perrin. Level 911.]

Minhyuk, who looked at the suffering and crying Perrin, said, “No. I will absolutely find out the truth of this matter.”

Many present had already lost their reason because of the fear. Was Minhyuk simply being misled by Perrin's tears? No. Minhyuk was the most rational and objective out of everyone.

Various circumstances gave Minhyuk the confidence that his assumptions were correct.

Then, one of the elders asked, “How will you check the truth?”

Minhyuk pondered deeply after being asked if he had a way to check whether Perrin was truly brainwashed. Then, he said, “There’s a good method.”

Minhyuk immediately used Create a Recipe on Perrin and saw that Perrin wanted to eat steak the most. When Minhyuk saw the recipe, he thought it was too small for Perrin, but he decided to make Great King’s Steak.

He grilled the Gigantic Great King’s Steak on the hot pan.

Sizzle–!

Juices began to flow out of the thick and large slab of meat.

“How can you do something so crazy…”

“Ho. You dared to cook in front of a Giant? It seems like you’re truly a god who loves to eat. Gulp!”

The people looked at Minhyuk as if he were a madman for cooking in a situation like this. They did not trust him at this moment. However, unbeknownst to them, they were dragged into a trance, unable to take their eyes off the cooking process. Sometimes, watching someone cook could bring someone else peace of mind.

Sizzle–!

Minhyuk flipped the steak perfectly, revealing the golden brown surface on the other side. After cooking the steak four times the size of an ordinary steak, he placed the well-grilled meat on a huge plate and put it in front of Perrin.

While doing all this, Minhyuk had already triggered Allurer’s Cooking Skill.

(Allurer’s Cooking Skill)

Active Skill

Level: 2

Penalty for Use: -2 in all of your stats.

Effects: You can tame the opponent by creating the recipe they want and feeding it to them. The probability of successfully taming the opponent will increase or decrease depending on various factors and conditions.

Number of Available Uses: 1/3

Like what was written in the Allurer’s Cooking Skill’s description, the probability of taming the opponent would increase or decrease depending on various conditions.

If Perrin’s claims were valid, he must be hungry right now. And that was the truth. Even though Perrin was suffering from severe pain, the smell of food wafted to his nose captivated him. He, whose broken arms had already been reattached thanks to his monstrous regenerative abilities, grabbed the steak with both hands and began to gobble it up.

‘There’s one more thing that I find strange.’

Most of the injuries that Minhyuk had inflicted on Perrin had already recovered. So he could run away any time he wanted to.

‘After all, he’s in a situation where I or the others can easily kill him.’

This point alone boosted Minhyuk’s confidence.

Meanwhile, Perrin continued to devour the steak. He was so engrossed in his food that he did not notice the juices dripping down his hand and spilling on the floor. After eating it as quickly as possible, Perrin unknowingly let out a deafening burp.

“He can send birds flying with just a single burp…?” Minhyuk said in surprise when he saw the tree shake and the birds fly from Perrin’s loud burp.

“Perrin, will you join me?”

Minhyuk felt that he needed Perrin.

‘The barrier surrounding the Gorodis Kingdom can only stop anyone directly associated with Olympus and its gods. If unrelated people, like the Giants, attacked them, the outcome is obvious.’

Aelona might be strong, but the Gorodis Kingdom was still a tiny nation. Even the powerful Aelona might feel overwhelmed trying to protect this small land herself. If Perrin was indeed a good Giant, Minhyuk wanted to turn him into a sword that would defend this land.

[The Allurer’s Cooking Skill attempts to tame the opponent.]

[Taming the opponent is a complicated process!]

[Perrin is firmly rejecting the taming process!]

“...?” Minhyuk looked at the Giant in confusion. “What’s the matter, Perrin? If what you say is true, then you have to accept it. We can only confirm the truth if you accept it.”

If Perrin came under Minhyuk’s command, Minhyuk could see his detailed explanation. Then, Minhyuk would be able to see if the Giant had been brainwashed or not.

At that moment, Perrin said, “I can’t do it right now. I am still serving someone.”

Minhyuk frowned when he heard his words. If this were the case, then things would be challenging.

“I am Lord Herakel’s closest aide. I will only trust and follow Lord Herakel’s orders.”

“...!”

Minhyuk’s eyes snapped open when he heard Perrin’s words.

‘So the reason why I heard those notifications was because he’s Herakel’s close aide?!’

Minhyuk was very surprised by the unexpected fact, but he could tell that things would be much easier this time.

“About that Herakel that you’re talking about. Does he have short blonde hair, a huge and muscular build, and a club?”

“...Yes.”

“If that’s the case, you don’t have to worry. Herakel is my subordinate.”

“...?”

Giants Perrin looked at Minhyuk incredulously.

‘Lord Herakel…?’

Perrin knew that Herakel had received punishment. So, how did he become this man’s subordinate? No. In the first place, Herakel was not someone who would serve anyone.

But then, Minhyuk said, “You’re talking about Herakel with intellectual disability, right?”

“...!”

At that moment, Perrin realized that Minhyuk truly knew Herakel.

‘Before he received his punishment, he…’

Herakel heard these words from her.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

You must pay for your crimes. If you do, you will be reincarnated as a fool and will never be able to do that again.

If the man before Perrin knew this fact, there was a high chance that Herakel was indeed his subordinate. And there was something else that Perrin had felt.

‘When everyone else did not believe me, this man looked at me and listened to my story.’

Would Perrin be able to do something like that if he was in the man’s shoes? If a hundred people said their version was the truth, would he, who was alone, say it was not true?

Although Perrin was a bit stupid, he had a good eye for people and, thus, obeyed the man’s request.

[The Allurer’s Cooking Skill has succeeded.]

[You have successfully tamed Perrin.]

[However, it will be tough to control Perrin.]

[He can always choose to break his connection with you.]

Minhyuk immediately checked Perrin’s stats and detailed information.

[He is slightly stupid. However, he is a rare good Giant. He has been under the effects of brainwashing that has been imposed upon him by someone up until now.]

At this moment, everything that Perrin said was proven to be true. The problem was that Minhyuk could tell the people would not trust him even if he said so. So, he thought of a way and said, “It’s the truth. Perrin was really under the effects of a brainwashing.”

The method that Minhyuk thought of was to deliberately emphasize the matter.

Swoosh–

Minhyuk pulled out the sword he had already put in his scabbard and looked toward the elders. He said, “You wanted to hide behind the brainwashed Giant and seize the entire Gorodis Kingdom in your hands, huh?”

He took one step after another and approached the elders. But the elders shook their heads and pretended to be innocent.

“Y-you’re lying!”

“We have never done anything like that!”

“The Food God is a false god!!!”

But with every step Minhyuk took toward them, they let slip more details despite themselves.

“H- hiiiiiik!”

“P-please! Please spare me just this once! Please forgive me this time!”

One of the elders turned around and began to run away while the other knelt and began to beg.

“Are you admitting to the crime? If you admit to this crime, then tell me all of the atrocities that you have committed!”

The kneeling elder began to spill everything. He said, “Lord Food God’s words are true! We wanted to use the Giant to seize power. However, this does not mean that we have bad intentions. We wanted to rule on behalf of Her Majesty Aelona, who is still immature…”

His words were nothing but bullshit excuses.

Minhyuk threw his sword toward the running elder. After cutting off the elder’s head, he quickly retrieved his sword and, without any hesitation, cut the head of the kneeling elder in front of him.

Spurt–!

If Minhyuk were not here, then many of the people of the Gorodis Kingdom would have died under the hands of the brainwashed Perrin. The people who watched Minhyuk only realized how naive and stupid they had been.

“We are very grateful to you. Thank you for saving our kingdom once again.”

“From now on, we will no longer harbor any doubt about your words, Lord Food God.”

[The faith and belief of the people of Gorodis Kingdom in you has reached the skies.]

Their faith in him had grown even stronger.

Meanwhile, Minhyuk had to do something vital. And that was to find the truth about Herakel. Of course, Herakel’s past was not crucial to Minhyuk. Herakel was a kind, pleasant, and strong person under his care. But sometimes, he needed to know the truth. This was so he could prepare and deal with things in case something happened.

Just when Minhyuk was about to ask about Herakel’s information from Perrin, he received a message.

[Genie: Minhyuk, we have a problem. Herakel disappeared.]

“...?!”

Minhyuk frowned. At the same time, a system notification rang.

[Your vassal Herakel has been removed from your subordinates.]

Minhyuk instantly felt something unusual happening. Something was going to happen.

Now, the good story he wanted to listen to just for the sake of listening to has turned into a story he must listen to. Minhyuk immediately asked Perrin various questions about Herakel. And Perrin answered every question.

“Let me tell you something. It’s different from what you know.”

Minhyuk perked his ears up.

“First, Sir Herakel was not originally someone with an intellectual disability. Second, Sir Herakel was originally from the Gaia Continent.”

Not only did Perrin answer his questions, but he also told him the story of what was to come.

“And Sir Herakel will soon die.”

Ring!

A quest window appeared in front of Minhyuk.

***

At the same time in Joy Co. Ltd.’s meeting room.

President Kang Taehoon and the executives all looked serious. Initially, there were no quests related to Herakel. But Minhyuk saved Perrin, which ultimately awakened Herakel. To be exact, it was not because of Minhyuk. It was just that Herakel awakened the moment Perrin was awakened.

The quest that appeared in front of Minhyuk also popped up on the screen in front of them.

[Hidden Quest: Saving Herakel.]

Rank: SSS

Requirements: Herakel’s master.

Rewards: You can completely accept Herakel as your subordinate and vassal.

Penalty for Failure: Herakel’s death.

Description: Hera hated Herakel for doing something he should not have done. Because of that, he had to complete twelve tasks. His final task is to hold up the sky. But if Herakel holds up the sky, he will die and turn to stone. Save him.

“Hmm…” President Kang Taehoon hummed, his expression mirroring the unusual expressions on the faces of the executives.

Herakel was modeled after Hercules. In many ways, Herakel resembled Hercules, but there were also many differences.

Hercules completed all twelve tasks and became Greece’s greatest hero. However, in Athenae, several of the twelve tasks had been changed. The final task that was set in Athenae was for Herakel to hold up the sky.

Herakel, who possessed enormous strength and power, must hold up the sky to complete all of the tasks that he was given. However, just like what was mentioned in the description, Herakel would turn into stone if he supported the heavens and eventually succumb to his death.

Even Kang Taehoon could not easily devise a solution to this situation. He could think of several problems that would crop up during the process. In the end, he could only turn to Athenae for help. He had no answer for these problems.

“Athenae, how much power does the complete and perfect Herakel have?”

Everyone present knew that Herakel was the man who would become the greatest hero of the Gaia Continent.

[The complete and perfect Herakel is on par with Evil God Obren.]

A groan escaped everyone’s lips when they heard that. However, they were not too worried about this. Why? What was the reason?

“How high is the probability of this quest being cleared?”

[Zero.]

It was all thanks to the analysis of Supercomputer Athenae.

[Even if Minhyuk obtains the complete and perfect Herakel, Herakel will only have one week of sanity. He will go berserk, just like in the past, and kill everyone around him.]

[Because of that, it’s impossible to complete this quest.]