CH 351

Berdk, the largest attack base, had been successfully recaptured by the players from Asgan Continent! They had also slaughtered nearly four thousand Cairon Continent troops and players in the battle! Four thousand might be a small number in a large ‘war’, but the fact that many of the players who died were in the top 10,000 of the Chinese Rankings, came as a huge blow to the players of Cairon Continent. Even the eight hundred Kharamis soldiers had been taken away by the Asgan Continent.

[Asgan and Cairon Continents might be currently hostile towards each other, and even as a player of Cairon Continent, I have no choice but to acknowledge the brilliance of Player Minhyuk’s strategy.]

[My God! Who would even think of bringing the Kharamis soldiers to their side?]

[The tides have turned in this war thanks to the appearance of the Food God.]

Berdk was considered as the best attack base, not only because of its outstanding Kharamis soldiers and siege weapons, but also because of the extraordinarily high Rampart Level. The Rampart Level was dependent on the durability of the castle itself. Simply put, it depended on the physical and magical defense of the base. Berdk had the highest durability among all of the fortresses and bases in the Continent Cloud. Berdk’s Rampart Level was already at Level 7. This meant that the walls would only collapse if several rankers unleashed dozens of AOE attacks and magic skills, more than a dozen times in succession.

With Berdk’s and the Kharamis soldiers’ successful recapture, Minhyuk's status in the hearts of the citizens of South Korea rose to that of a hero.

[Kggghk~ I won’t wish for anything more, as long as I can hold the hands of our Lord, Food God.]

[Isn’t our Lord, Food God very handsome? His proportions are out of this world too!]

[I like our Lord, Food God, but my long time wish is to pet Beanie’s plump and chubby belly.]

[Kyaaa~ I agree about Beanie.]

In a single night, the members of Minhyuk’s fan cafe jumped from 550,000 to 900,000. Articles that praised Minhyuk were also being published non-stop in the country.

Meanwhile, Minhyuk was sitting and having a discussion with his guild members. After all, he still had to go back to finish the Innocent Hero’s Trial.

“I’m sure that there’s a lot of people that haven’t shown up on the other side yet. Like Da Zhuang, they still have him.”

Informant Abel had given them the information about Da Zhuang. He was an NPC that had learned the Pinnacle. Despite being Hu Yitian’s master, he did not reveal himself, even after his disciple had been forced to log out. That was why Minhyuk had to grow stronger.

‘If I run across someone that has completely awakened and learned the Pinnacle then…’

When that happened, the only conclusion would be Minhyuk’s complete and utter defeat. He might be able to raise his level to Pinnacle with his power now, but that was just a temporary feat. There was a vast difference between having the power permanently and having it temporarily. In fact, he could only maintain the Pinnacle state for about forty seconds. That was about it. After the time was up, Minhyuk would definitely be defeated. Before such a situation happened, Minhyuk had to awaken to Pinnacle. So, Minhyuk quickly headed back to the Innocent Hero’s Trial to awaken the Pinnacle.

Atlas Territory.

Locke was running swiftly somewhere. Although Locke looked rugged, and had a big and scary head, he was someone that had a soft spot for cute and lovable pets. He was even taking care of three puppies at home!

Locke immediately ran off after hearing that Minhyuk had made a dog house for Love, Happiness and Hope near the entrance of Atlas Territory. He thought, ‘I wonder what kind of pups they are? Are they poodles? No, pomeranians? Heok! What, what if they’re Welsh corgis?!’

Locke was very excited. He was looking forward to seeing the ‘pets’. He firmly believed that dogs were all angels sent by God. There was not a dog in the world that would not behave cutely and listen well to their owners! If the dog behaved badly, that meant that the owner was bad and trained them wrong! Whether it was a husky, a doberman or a hunting hound, as long as they let Locke pet their bellies, he would love them.

So, Locke ran like that, only to stop in his tracks.

“…?”

[♥Love, Happiness, Hope♥]

The dog house was painted as if it was the replica of a rainbow! However, that was not the surprising part. Locke was very shocked to see the gigantic kennel in front of him. Was there really a need for such a huge kennel? It was even larger than he was!

‘Huh? Maybe there’s a special breed that only exists in Athenae?’

Locke’s expectation grew further. A special breed! Just the thought of stroking the soft fur of such a special puppy was enough to make Locke feel happy. He looked at the closed kennel door, took out a pet snack and used the voice that he specially reserved for dogs and said, “Chu, chu, chu~ Will our Love, Happiness and Hope come out to have some snacks~?”

Creaaaaaaaak—

The image of golden retrievers happily bounding towards Locke appeared in his head as the door slowly creaked open. He could already tell by their names that they were very sweet and kind! But…

“Grrrrrrrrr!”

“Grrrrrrrrrrrr!”

“Graaaaaaaa!”

“…?”

Locke’s head tilted in confusion. What appeared in front of him was not the golden retrievers that he imagined, but a three-headed dog from hell, with sharp, pointed teeth that were as big as three of his fingers combined. Even the saliva that dripped down from their mouths…

Sizzle—

…corroded the ground.

“…”

Locke was left speechless at the sight. Then, the three-headed dog rushed towards the snack in his hands.

“A… aaaaack!” Locke shrieked. But Cerberus did not pay him any heed. Their attention was solely directed at the snacks in his hands. All three heads turned to sniff at Locke.

Sniff, sniff.

“Grrrrrr. (He smells like Master. He must be Master’s friend.)”

“Grrrrrr! (Master’s friend. Take us out for a walk! Otherwise, we’ll tear your body apart and throw you to the pits of hell!)”

However, Locke could not understand the situation at all. He thought, ‘What the hell is that punk, Minhyuk, doing? How can he call a monster like this… with the names Love, Happiness and Hope?’

Just as the thought flashed in Locke’s mind, a window suddenly appeared in front of him.

[Hidden Quest: Take Love, Happiness and Hope out for a walk.]

Rank: A

Requirements: An acquaintance of Love, Happiness and Hope’s master.

Rewards: A +40 increase in Fire Attribute Resistance, 50,000,000 EXP

Penalty for Failure: Love, Happiness and Hope might kill you.

Description: Love, Happiness and Hope are all very bored right now. Take them out on a 30-minute walk every day for two weeks!

“…?”

Locke was in disbelief. He only had to take them out for a walk, but he could increase his Fire Attribute Resistance by forty and gain 50,000,000 EXP?

‘Is this for real?’

“Grrrrrrr…”

However, he understood it right after looking at Love, Happiness and Hope’s faces.

“K… kids… W… would you like to go on a walk with me?”

“Grrrrrrrr!!!”

“Grrrrrrrr!!!”

“Graaaaaaaa!!”

“That, I… I think we might need a lea… leash…”

“Grrrr!!!”

“…”

The speechless Locke, without any leash in hand, went on a walk with Love, Happiness and Hope.

Meanwhile, Love, Happiness and Hope all thought that they should at least soothe the fear of this man. From what they knew, there was a very common greeting among dogs, just like the human’s handshake. They greet each other by smelling the butt!!!

“Sniff, sniff, sniff! (Uhm… this is a man’s butt’s smell~)”

“Sniff, sniff, sniff! (But this human, his butt smells worse than other dogs!!!)”

“Sniff, sniff, sniff— (He must have eaten some banana today. Sniff, sniff—)”

Not knowing that they were giving him a friendly greeting, Locke wept tearfully. His voice trembled as he said, “…K… Kids, don’t eat me… I… I don’t taste good…”

***

A week had gone by since Minhyuk returned to the Innocent Hero’s Trial. Over the course of the week, he had successfully cleared 14 of the 25 trials and was well on his way to the 15th trial. He had also increased his level by 20 and had finally crossed the Level 500 mark.

However, in comparison to the members of the Let’s Eat Sect, whose levels were well above 500, his speed was considered to be not that fast. In fact, even Bread Shuttle Mei Wei’s level was at Level 580, a level that far surpassed Minhyuk’s level.

However, Minhyuk’s strength did not come from his ‘level’. His strength and power stemmed from the countless superb medicines that he had eaten, his Food God skills, his Demigod skill: Ellie’s Swordsmanship, as well as his excellent artifacts.

Minhyuk received these stats over the course of the Innocent Hero’s Trial: STR 60, STM 70, AGI 20, WIS 10, INT 5. These were numbers that could only be received by someone that had leveled up thirty times! Even his Arakhan’s Sword Mastery skill had reached MAX after he finished clearing the 14th trial.

(Arakhan’s Sword Mastery)

Passive Skill

Level: MAX

Effects:

•There will be a 22% increase in both basic sword attack and attack speed.

•There will be a 20% increase in basic attack when slashing and stabbing an opponent.

•There will be a 15% increase in attack for skills related to swordsmanship.

•There will be a 25% reduction of physical and skill damage of sword-related attacks.

‘Even I can tell that this is something amazing.’

The numbers on the skill were truly too ridiculous. In fact, the word ridiculous was not enough to describe it. It was literally a jaw-dropping boost to his power. On top of all that, the enemy’s attack would need to pass through his Monarch’s Armor, an armor with high defense that could sharply decrease damage, before the damage could reach him. This meant that it would be hard for Minhyuk’s enemies to deal much damage to him.

Then, Arakhan said, “You will now undergo the 15th trial. After this trial, the Innocent Hero’s Trial will be closed.”

“Closed?” Minhyuk asked suspiciously.

But Arakhan just nodded and explained, “The Innocent Hero’s Trial has a total of 25 levels. However, anything beyond this trial is something that you can’t challenge yet.”

“Ah…” Minhyuk hummed. He could easily understand what his words meant. Simply put, the management had blocked the system beyond the 15th trial.

Minhyuk recalled that Ellie had told him that he could only learn a Half-Pinnacle skill in here. She had also told him that he would be able to awaken to complete Pinnacle by learning her own Pinnacle skill.

“As for the 15th trial… Boy, I don’t know what trial you’ll face once you challenge it.”

“What do you mean?” Minhyuk asked in confusion. Arakhan had accompanied him all throughout the trials and told him about the contents of the trial that he took. However, the trial in front of him was something that even Arakhan did not know.

“It’s because the final trial is a trial that is tailored specifically for the challenger.”

“Ah, I see,” Minhyuk said, nodding his head in understanding. In other words, the final trial would be influenced by the challenger’s class, stats, or other various factors.

Seeing Minhyuk nod, Arakhan said, “I wish you success and good luck. One more thing, you will get the reward over there, not from here.”

Minhyuk disappeared in a flash of light by the end of Arakhan’s words. As he closed his eyes, he thought, ‘I will get the reward over there…’

***

Albero Territory was once a village that existed in the Asgan Continent over hundreds of years ago. However, it had long disappeared in the currents of history. This place was like a territory and haven for chefs. The best chefs of the world could be seen in this place, and with the grace that the Food God had bestowed upon them, the dishes that they cooked used to hold a special, strong power. Now, the Albero Territory, which had disappeared hundreds of years ago, had reappeared.

No, it would actually be more correct to say that Minhyuk had gone back in time.

A man was sighing deeply. This man was none other than Lucaro, a person that served under the Food God. Albero Territory might not have disappeared as of yet, but it had already been two years since the Food God fell into his eternal slumber.

However, the bunch of rascals that were jealous of the Food God had spread bad rumors about him and had been doing it for decades already! Because of that, the Food God’s status had fallen immediately after his death.

Still, there was one person that respected and loved the Food God, and that was Lucaro! There was only one reason why Lucaro respected the Food God deeply… He was once a child orphaned by the war. Without any pillar of support, he was forced to beg people for food. However, people would kick and curse him for the stinking smell that covered his body.

One day, a very nice man approached him and asked, ‘Are you hungry?’

‘Yes. I’m very hungry. I haven’t had a meal in days!’

The man smiled softly at Lucaro as he handed him a piece of bread and a bottle of milk. The man said, ‘This milk is directly harvested from the legendary sheep, Cerdo. I only have one piece of bread left too, but I’ll give it to you.’

The man handed over his last piece of bread and last bottle of milk over to Lucaro, despite his own grumbling stomach.

Rumble—

The young Lucaro immediately gobbled up the bread!!! However, the man that handed over this meal to him was also hungry, so Lucaro handed the remaining half of the bread back to the man with a complaining stomach.

‘Thank you.’

The two of them shared the bread and the milk in an enjoyable manner.

‘I can’t forget the taste of the milk and bread back then…’ Lucaro thought, eyes reddening from tears that he fought to hold back.

The bread and milk that he had eaten back then had given him a surge of energy that allowed him to walk and search for another territory. But it was not just that, he did not feel hungry nor thirsty at all. Lucaro knew that it was because of the bread and milk that the man had given him. Thanks to that, he was able to reach the chef’s territory.

When he arrived there, he saw the man that had given him the bread and the milk. To be exact, it was the man’s statue and the people of the territory called him ‘Food God’.

Lucaro had asked the man before they went their separate ways, ‘Why did you show me, a beggar, kindness and mercy?’

‘It’s not your fault that you became hungry. I don’t want to see you, me, or anybody else get hungry.’

The Food God was a great man. But after he fell into eternal rest, bad rumors about him began to circulate wildly. The rumors said that the Food God forcefully took away crops from other territories to fill his own stomach, while taking the women and children as his slaves, that he was an evil person, and many more slanderous remarks.

However, Lucaro knew that the Food God was a man that has devoted himself to the goodness of the world, more than anybody else.

‘I miss you very much, Food God,’ Lucaro thought as he kneaded the dough in his hands with tears in his eyes.

Lucaro owned a bakery. However, it was very shabby and desolate, with not a single customer in sight. It was also surrounded by transparent glass so anyone outside could see how he made the bread. When he turned his head to look outside, Lucaro made eye contact with a drooling man, whose face was pasted on the other side of his bakery’s transparent glass.

“A…aaaaack!” Lucaro shrieked in fright.

Lucaro quickly calmed himself down and looked at the man. He could see that the young man’s eyes were trained solely on the bread in his hands. The man looked extremely hungry. He was even dressed poorly.

‘Wh…what?’

The sight of the man reminded Lucaro of the past, so he beckoned to the young man, who swiftly entered the store. And just like what the Food God did for him, Lucaro also gave the man a piece of bread and a bottle of milk.

Looking closely, the young man was handsome and tall. But, the most eye-catching feature was his smile. The young man had the happiest smile plastered on his face when he ate the bread that Lucaro had given him.

“Hohohoho. Eat slowly.”

“Wow! This bread is really delicious!”

“Thank you.”

“But, I don’t have any money…”

“It’s alright. I just don’t want to see anyone go hungry. So what if you don’t have money? Haha!” Lucaro laughed happily.

The young man stared at Lucaro in a daze. He looked like he had been hit on the head with something. Then, the young man smiled softly and said, “Your values and views are really good. Uncle, can you please tell me your name?”

“My name is Lucaro. I’m this bakery’s owner.”

The young man smiled and introduced himself. He said, “My name is Minhyuk. I’m a traveler.”