Chapter 1425: Side Story 34
Chapter 1425 - Side Story 34
Minhyuk looked at the names floating above the heads of the NPCs standing around him. The moment Minhyuk arrived, they all flocked around him and asked questions.
‘Have you ever made an Epic-grade dish?’
Yes.
‘Can you handle your cooking ingredients well without the help of your skills?’
Yes.
‘Do you want to make your dishes more delicious?’
Well, yes. Still, Minhyuk had already found it very difficult to make even more delicious food than the dishes that he had made. After all, it was tough to improve the dishes that he made beyond his current level.
‘Can you gather ingredients without inflicting any damage to them?’
Yes. Minhyuk was very confident that no one in Athenae was better than him when it came to gathering and collecting ingredients. Basically, all of the things that these NPCs asked were things that Minhyuk had already reached the peak of.
‘Why are they so angry? I just said that I have no shortcomings and that I don’t lack anything?’
Wouldn’t it be wrong to say that he was lacking in something when he truly did not lack anything?
The old man named Barlan took a deep breath and tried to calm his boiling anger down. As for the guardians surrounding him? They all groaned and complained.
“Grandpa! Let’s teach that cheeky bastard a lesson! Let’s show him what the real world is like!”
“We should make him do things one by one, and if he can’t do it, we’ll tell him, ‘Look how arrogant you were before! Do you know your mistakes now, you punk!’”
The guardians all possessed a special power.
“Let’s make it so that if he can’t do anything, then he will be expelled and banned permanently from entering the Grania Continent.”
“That’s a good idea. We’ll make sure that he will never set foot in this place ever again. Hoho.”
Barlan laughed at the thought of making the arrogant rookie fall to his knees.
“You!” Barlan stepped forward as their representative. “If you’re so great and amazing, then you should be able to do anything that we ask you to do!”
“Well, I think I can do it all.”
‘As expected! This brat truly does not know the way the world works!’
A sigh escaped the mouths of everyone present.
‘Haaa… How can the first visitor be like this? How will he even be able to grow?’
‘Well, perhaps this is our fate too.’
“Is that so? Then, you have to do everything that we ask you to do!”
Minhyuk nodded in answer to the old man’s challenging words. “Alright. Let’s do that. But what do I get from you if I do what you ask me to do?”
“You want to get something from us? You’re not only cheeky but also shameless!”
“Isn’t that only appropriate? I just came here, then you suddenly got angry with me. Now, you’re asking me to do what you ask me to do, and from what I can see, you look like you won’t let me go if I don’t agree to your demands. Shouldn’t I gain something from all of this?”
Indeed. His words were reasonable. Besides, he did not even need to accept their demands.
‘I want to make this bastard kneel! I have to take him down a peg! Then, I’ll send him back to where he came from!’
“Each of us is in charge of teaching a different field. If you can do everything that we ask you to do, then we will use our authority and make the field that we are in charge of become much better.”
“Hmmm. Isn’t that a bit too… bland? Just look at those eyes of yours. You’re all glaring daggers at me.”
“If you’re as perfect as you claim to be, then… we’ll give you the best ingredients that we have in our hands!”
Ring!
[The Hidden Quest: Match Against the Guides of Grania Continent has been created.]
[Hidden Quest: Match Against the Guides of Grania Continent.]
Rank: ???
Requirements: The recipient of the guides’ proposal.
Rewards: The rewards that you will receive will depend on the field that the guide is teaching. If you can do everything they ask, you will be able to obtain the best ingredients available.
Penalty for Failure: Expulsion and permanent ban from entering the Grania Continent.
Description: The guides of Grania Continent are very angry at you for declaring that you have no shortcomings and that you’re not lacking anything. Prove to them that you weren’t just being arrogant and cheeky.
“Alright.”
Minhyuk was delighted. After all, he was going to get great rewards just by sitting still.
“I’ll be the first! Follow me, cheeky rookie!” The man named Erlev said as he stepped forward.
Minhyuk immediately followed him.
***
A dish’s grade was divided into several grades: Normal, Magic, Rare, Unique, Epic, Legendary, God, Pillar, and the like. Creating an Epic-grade dish was not as easy as one might think. There were quite a few people who still could not make one or two Epic-grade dishes even at Level 400.
The NPC named Erlev could play a massive role in helping these players create Epic-grade dishes. If they could successfully create an Epic-grade dish with his help, they would have a 30% permanent increase in their future Epic-grade dish creation rate.
‘This punk looks like he has not even made a Unique-grade dish. What more an Epic-grade dish?’
Erlev looked at Minhyuk from head to toe, his gaze held contempt toward him. Why? Because Minhyuk’s outfit made him look more like a warrior than a chef.
“Have you ever made a Legendary-grade dish?”
Erlev only needed to ask if Minhyuk had made an Epic-grade dish. But he ultimately decided to increase the task’s difficulty by an entire level. This was purely because he wanted to take this cheeky and arrogant bastard down a peg.
“I’ve made a lot.”
Minhyuk possessed the title Pillar of the Gourmands. It had an effect that could guarantee a Legendary-grade dish for every dish that he made.
“A lot?”
Grin~
Erlev thought that he was just talking bullshit. After all, he has only ever been able to make forty Legendary-grade dishes in his life. Erlev’s lifelong dream was to create a God-grade dish at least once in his life.
“Why do you speak as if you eat that and God-grade dishes daily?”
“I don’t eat them every day, but I do cook them quite often.”
‘This guy’s arrogance knows no bounds.’
“Is that so? Then, make a Legendary-grade dish for me right now!” Erlev said as he handed over the ingredients that were typically used for Epic-grade dishes.
Erlev knew that even the most competent chefs would find it challenging to make higher-grade dishes with lower-quality ingredients. He also found it hard to make Legendary-grade dishes from Epic-grade ingredients.
Minhyuk just accepted the ingredients and started cooking.
“Heh. You cheeky bastard. Cooking Legendary-grade dishes is much harder than you think…”
[The dish is Legendary-grade.]
[You have done a great job in completing the task that Erlev has asked you to do.]
[Your chances of making a better dish will increase by 5%.]
[You have gained 10 DEX.]
“...?”
Erlev stared at Minhyuk in confusion.
‘What?’
It was like he just said, ‘Come out! Hyaah!’ and with a ‘Here you go! Hyaah!’ A Legendary-grade dish actually popped out.
At this moment, Erlev thought, ‘Does this punk have such great luck?’
In the end, this was a world that also depended on luck. But luck could only exert its power once or twice. It was not something that was set in stone.
“A… Again. Here are the ingredients…”
“Well. That’s fine. How about I do it with my ingredients this time?” Minhyuk asked as he took out a packet of ramyeon from his inventory. “I’ll make a bowl of ramyeon. I want to eat it as a snack and pad my empty stomach first.”
“You… You! You! You crazy bastard!” Erlev shouted, his voice laced with disbelief. “No matter how you cook it, an ordinary ramyeon will only be at Normal-grade! No instant food can yield a higher grade than that!”
After all, the ingredients were already pre-made. Furthermore, there was no need to make an effort. For a dish to break its limit, a chef has to put their soul and hard work into the dish.
“I clearly asked you to make Legendary-grade dishes! How dare you take out instant ramyeon! This is blasphemy to the che… fs…”
[The dish is Legendary-grade.]
‘Huh? What? What’s wrong with this? No! Why did an instant ramyeon come out as Legendary-grade!?’
“Do you want to eat too?”
Erlev unknowingly nodded his head.
[The dish is Legendary-grade.]
“Would you like another bowl?”
It tasted good.
[The dish is Legendary-grade.]
‘Huh? How?’
Erlev did not want to back down. Alas, the ramyeon that this young man made for him was strangely delicious.
‘Ah. Is it because it’s a Legendary-grade dish?’
As he slurped his bowl of ramyeon, Erlev began to shout, “Punk! If you’re so confident with your cooking, then why don’t you try to cook a God-grade dish…!”
“Do you want some fried rice with that?”
Nod, nod!
The young man’s cooking carried a strange yet unbreakable charm. So, Erlev unknowingly nodded in agreement.
[The dish is God-grade.]
“Oh. It’s God-grade.”
‘Huh? What’s going on here?’
Erlev truly could not understand what was happening right now. This young man in front of him made a God-grade dish so easily. It was as if he felt, ‘Ah, fried rice tastes more delicious today~’ and immediately made one.
“Ramyeon… Can you make ten more bowls of ramyeon…?”
[The dish is Legendary-grade.]
[The dish is Legendary-grade.]
[...Legendary-grade.]
[...Legendary-grade.]
Erlev’s eyes grew the size of saucers.
‘No. How can this be?’
He unknowingly muttered to himself, “My dream is to make a God-grade dish at least once in my life. But what’s with this punk…?”
“God-grade? Your dream is to make a God-grade dish?”
“Of course. Isn’t making such a dish every chef’s dream?”
“Is that so? Then, shall I help you with that?”
“Really?”
‘Huh? Something’s strange.’
In the Grania Continent, Erlev’s role was to teach and guide the players. But before this annoying young man, the roles had been reversed. Now, Erlev was the one cooking while Minhyuk was the one giving pointers.
“At the end of it all, a dish needs the soul and the heart of the chef. You also need to put in hard work and effort.”
“Ah. I see,” Erlev said as he took notes.
‘Haaaaaard work and effort are necessary.’
He even made sure to put an asterisk beside it and underline it several times.
“Alright. Let’s try doing it together!”
“Yes, chef!”
‘Huh? Why am I speaking politely?’
“That’s not it! Ah! This punk!”
“Ah. Yes? Huh? Yes!”
“Is that all you can do?! At this rate, can you even teach the players?!”
“He… Hehe… So… I’m sorry! I will do my best in studying and learning!”
Erlev was both flustered and confused. Why was he the one being scolded when he was the one who set out to scold others?
Anyway, Minhyuk and Erlev’s one-on-one special training continued well into the night.
[The dish is God-grade.]
When night finally came, Erlev achieved his lifelong dream, one he thought he would never reach.
[You have finished a God-grade dish.]
[Upon completing a God-grade dish, you were able to reach a new realm of cooking. You have reached a higher level!]
[Your chances of making God-grade dishes have increased significantly.]
“Woaaaaaaah! I did it!”
“Oh. Erlev. You did it. That’s great. Great!”
Erlev rushed toward Minhyuk and hugged him tightly.
[Erlev’s favorability has reached MAX level.]
“Master! I was finally able to achieve my lifelong dream! And it’s all thanks to your teachings, master!”
“Hahahaha. That’s great. You’re amazing, Erlev!”
Erlev, who was hugged back and spun in place, was left confused once again.
‘Huh? Why am I calling him master? Why am I in this guy’s arms? Huh? Now that I think about it… Why am I treating this guy with respect?’
***
Joy Co. Ltd.’s conference room.
Embarrassment flashed in the faces of every single person in the conference room.
[Grania Continent’s Guide Erlev has become more outstanding.]
President Kang Taehoon pressed on his throbbing temples.
“He’s supposed to be the one being taught, yet he ended up teaching them himself?”
What kind of situation was this? The more shocking part was that the NPC named Erlev’s standards were raised to the next realm. There was no way that they could lower Erlev’s level after he became stronger.
At that moment, Team Leader Park looked at them with a grave expression on his face and said, “Erlev said that they would teach him, but he ended up being the one taught…”
It was a very ridiculous situation.
“That’s that. But the bigger problem is… there are still seven more NPCs left.”
“...Keok!”
“OMG…”
“Then… does that mean that all eight guides will grow even more outstanding?”
“In the worst case scenario… yes,” Team Leader Park said. Then, something flashed in his mind. “Aaaaaah…”
‘So, there’s a problem here too.’
“At the end of it all, the Grania Continent is a continent made for chefs.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“The guides are meant to wait for the era’s greatest and most talented chefs.”
‘So, what about it?’ This was what the confused expressions of everyone present were asking with their faces.
“Minhyuk’s supposed just to get one special ingredient from them if he can do what they ask him to do. But if things continue at this rate, then… the reward will change. From what I recall, the genius talents of the era will be able to get the village’s treasure once the guides recognize them.”
The village’s treasure was the most outstanding ingredient, recognized as the one that represented the village. Due to the nature of the Grania Continent, there was a high chance that everyone who entered would be able to obtain outstanding ingredients easily.
“The novices who enter the Grania Continent are the ones meant to take on that challenge and prove that they are rare geniuses. Now… it seems like that quest will be… destroyed.”
The story team’s leader groaned. “Goodness. So… in the end, that will be the conclusion, huh?”
“Yes. That’s correct.” Team Leader Park smiled. “We’re all going to be working overtime.”
At that moment, Department Head Kim Dae-Il asked, “From what I know, Minhyuk will give that ingredient to Miss Philos, right? Nonetheless, I’m curious. What’s the village’s treasure?”
Team Leader Park’s saliva started to pool in his mouth at the thought of the ingredient alone. He slurped as he answered, “It’s… black pork samgyeopsal.”
Yes. Grania Continent was modeled after Jeju Island.