Chapter 120: Evolving Ellie’s Swordsmanship

As for?Minhyuk, he was just sitting there looking at her excitedly, not knowing the waves of shock that he brought her.

“Hmm? Waiter?”

“Ah. Yes,” Genie said, hurriedly moving to place the white plate with the steak in front of Varen.

“I’m the only one who’s supposed to be eating, so why are you also sitting, boy?”

“I’m also going to eat with you.”

Varen tilted his head in confusion. At that moment, just as Genie placed the plate down…

[The Joy of Eating Together.]

[A dish that is similar to the dish presented to the other party has been created.]

…A plate of steak similar to what was placed in front of Varen suddenly appeared in front of Minhyuk.

“Ho. A special ability, huh?”

“Hehe. Thank you for the food!” Minhyuk said. He smiled brightly as he pulled out the knife and fork out of his inventory and started digging in.

Varen watched him as he also quickly moved his hands. Varen’s left hand held the fork while his right hand held the knife. He used his fork to steady the meat and used his knife to slice the meat into a bite-sized piece.

‘Ho. The meat is grilled moderately, the juices are perfectly contained inside and there is the unmistakable red inside that arouses the appetite.’

Varen was in awe, but his face still maintained a stoic expression. He had assumed that the food would be lacking since they lacked ingredients and it was cooked in a hurry, but it seemed like it was cooked well. Then, he placed a piece in his mouth.

King Varen was quite a gourmand. Once the meat entered his mouth, he closed his eyes and chewed lightly to savor the flavor slowly. The filet mignon was tender and soft, and the juices that came out in every bite was able to put a small smile on his face. In addition, the sauce that Minhyuk made using red wine, butter, olive oil, sugar, laurel leaves and soy sauce emphasized the flavor of the steak and gave off a harmonious flavor.

‘It…it’s cooked really well! So delicious...!’

After swallowing the meat down, Varen’s eyes opened with a tinge of surprise as he looked at Minhyuk. He saw him eating his steak quickly, as if afraid that someone would steal it away from him.

‘He’s almost comparable to Rald!’

Minhyuk’s steak dish tasted so good that it was even comparable to the legendary chef. Varen watched Minhyuk eating hurriedly for a while before he continued to eat at a faster pace. Varen then turned his attention towards the steaming and golden brown matsutake mushroom on the side. He picked one up with his fork and placed it in his mouth. Once he chewed on the mushroom, he felt that the greasiness of the meat that he had just eaten being washed away.

Varen continued to eat. One bite, two bites, three bites, four bites. And finally…

“Wow... It’s really, really delicious...!” The pent-up and hidden admiration for the food suddenly burst out. When Minhyuk heard his words, he just shrugged his shoulders as if it was something natural.

“Boy, forgive me for disregarding your talents earlier.”

Cooking delicious food could always make a person feel better and refreshed. It was the same feeling when one accidentally found a good restaurant, ate delicious food and felt better, right?

This was the case for Varen. Somehow, he met a chef named Minhyuk and a woman named Genie, at a time when his life was in danger and his anxiety was at its peak. His nerves were rattled and ragged to the point that he even showed them an unsightly face. Although Varen was a king of a kingdom, he was a gentleman through and through.

“I can’t believe that I could be served with such a delicious dish. I truly am grate...”

However, before he could finish his words, something amazing happened…

[You ate a dish from a recipe specially made for you.]

[You won’t be able to eat another dish from a recipe specially made for you for a month.]

[You can’t receive any duplicate buffs during the duration of the buff retention period.]

[Filet Mignon.]

[You have received an increase of 5% for all of your stats and a +2 on your skill: Evolution for 10 days.]

“...!”

Varen was astounded. NPCs could also hear the notifications. In the first place, the notifications were something that was commonplace and natural for them. However, the notifications he just heard were truly too astounding that he could not believe his ears. Did he just hear about a +2 on his Evolution skill? An increase of 5% on all his stats?

Varen had never heard of this kind of buff from a dish in his entire life. Of course, the increase in abilities like the increase in stats was commonly attributed and done by priests. However, the ability to increase a skill?

When Minhyuk checked the information about the steak after he finished cooking, he noticed the absurd increase in the preservation time of the buff and the increase of +2 in the skill Evolution. At that time he thought,?‘This is a strong buff that can only be received using the recipe creation skill!’

However, even though it was a strong buff, the balance was still not broken with this much. After eating the dish, the player or NPC would not be able to eat any dish made with the recipe creation skill again during this month. They would also be unable to receive any other buffs during the duration of the buff retention time. With these restrictions, it was only natural that the merits were huge. It must have been a huge shock for the other party to discover such a great dish that could increase their abilities by so much.

Just then, a thought flashed through Minhyuk’s head,?‘If I’m able to get my hands on the ingredients that the recipe creation skill listed and cook them...’

How much buff would Varen actually get?

Finally stirring from his shock, Varen spoke after a long while. He said, “You’re a really surprising chef...”

He was quite overwhelmed with awe and admiration towards Minhyuk.

“I was really satisfied with the dish.”

[You have received Varen’s favor.]

[You have received Varen’s favor.]

[You have received Varen’s favor.]

Three consecutive notifications rang in Minhyuk’s head. These notifications showed just how much satisfaction Varen felt with his dish. Minhyuk smiled slightly after eating the dish with him.

“Furthermore, your dish has made me stronger albeit temporarily.”

Varen’s skill was naturally at MAX. However, Minhyuk’s dish was able to add a +2 on his skill that was already at MAX. Varen’s skill, Evolution, was already at the point where it could no longer grow stronger. However, it had a +2 right now and was even stronger and better than his skill at MAX. In other words, the person who would be on the other end of the Evolution skill would also be able to receive greater effects.

[You have completed the?Hidden Quest: Satisfy the Hungry King Varen.]

[Varen’s Evolution skill can evolve your skill.]

[You will be able to eat the sushi made by the Legendary Chef.]

Varen continued to say, “Boy, I have only tasted one of your dishes, but I can see your limitless talent and endless possibilities. Do you want to be a royal chef together with Rald?”

[King Varen of the Valkyrie Kingdom has proposed that you become a Royal Chef.]

[You have gained 20 REP.]

[If you accept the proposal to be a Royal Chef, you will be able to receive 500 million gold every month and endless rewards from King Varen.]

However, Minhyuk’s answer was one that was to be expected, “I’m sorry, but there are still a lot of delicious things in the world that I haven’t yet tasted. Hence it’s not suitable for me to be tied up somewhere this early.”

“I see.”

Varen looked a bit disappointed, but he cheered himself up and moved on to the main point. He said, “I have eaten your dish so I will strengthen one of your abilities as promised.”

“Is it possible here?”

Varen nodded and turned to Genie. He said, “If anything happens, please wake us up immediately.”

“Yes,” Genie nodded in acknowledgment as she looked at Minhyuk with envy.

Varen sat on the floor of the carriage with his legs crossed. He also instructed Minhyuk to sit in front of him in the same position.

“We’re going to enter our dreamscape for a while.”

In any other situation, there would be no need for them to use this method, but their situation was dire, so it was inevitable that they used whatever means were at their disposal. Minhyuk slowly closed his eyes. The moment he closed his eyes, he felt like he was being sucked into another place.

***

When Minhyuk opened his eyes again, he saw that he was in the middle of a very huge field. Varen was standing right in front of him with his hands behind his back. He said, “Boy, try using your attack skill here.”

Minhyuk nodded and said, “Ellie’s Swordsmanship.”

“W…what did you say?!”

“Huh?”

Minhyuk looked at Varen in confusion. His reaction was too violent. Even his body was trembling hard. Varen asked again, “Boy, what did you say just now?”

“I said Ellie’s Swordsmanship?”

“When you say Ellie’s Swordsmanship, do you mean...”

“That’s right. Ellie is my Noona, we’re very close.”

“...”

Varen was shocked and speechless.?He was calling the empress of a great empire, Noona? Varen thought that he was just lying, but he saw Minhyuk prove it to him when he used his skill.

‘He underwent sword training? Don’t tell me… Did Ellie teach him?”

Varen could not hide the surprise that he felt. He thought,?‘This man… he’s not just a simple chef.’

He could tell that even though Minhyuk had the chef class, he was not your average chef. In all honesty, Varen had expected that his offensive skill would be the offensive skill that chefs normally use, but it was not.

“Shall I continue?”

“Yes.”

“Rampant Sword.”

[Rampant Sword.]

[A flurry of rampant swords with additional 30% attack power will be created for 6 seconds.]

The flurry of swords was so fast that it left afterimages in the space in front of him.

‘Amazing. It might look like he just swung it indiscriminately but his attacks were accurate.’

Minhyuk’s posture and movements were just like the Sword Emperor, Ellie.

‘I did not expect that I would be able to strengthen this ability.’

Then, another skill was performed in front of him.

[Step.]

[You can instantly travel a distance of one meter twice allowing you to quickly narrow or widen your distance from your target.]

Dash! Dash!

Minhyuk was extremely fast. He moved a distance of one meter in a single step and immediately came back to his original position in another.

“Sword of Fury.”

[Sword of Fury]

[Additional 53% attack power for strong lunges and stabs, if a vital strike is successful, the bonus will be 83%.]

The edge of Minhyuk’s sword was suddenly filled with energy.

Vwoooom!

The moment Minhyuk stabbed the sword, Varen almost lost his tongue in surprise. It sounded like the space in front of him was torn with how powerful the blow was. Varen remembered every move that was shown to him.

[Skill Analysis.]

[Quickly analyzes a skill.]

A hologram appeared in front of Varen as he utilized his skill. He checked the first movement, Rampant Sword.

‘This Rampant Sword has tremendous speed and accuracy. It also has quite a long duration.’

Swoosh!

Swoosh!

Holograms suddenly appeared in front of him. One of the holograms was showing a mini Minhyuk that was using the Rampant Sword.

‘How should I enhance this ability?’

Varen thought deeply about the adjustments that he would make. He thought for quite a while before finally realizing what he needed to do. He thought,?‘This would be good.’

The greatest advantage of the Rampant Sword was that it could instantly cut down the enemies with a flurry of swords. However, it would not be able to show its full power in a 1:1 match. So, how about giving this Rampant Sword the ability to attack only one person? He could make the Rampant Sword hit a single target with a huge number of attacks. Varen waved his hands and a wooden puppet appeared in another hologram.?The mini Minhyuk?wielded his sword and?used Rampant?Sword to attack the wooden puppet.

Swoosh!

Swoosh!

Swoosh!

‘As expected, the attack is going all over the place.’

Varen moved his hands continuously. The Rampant Sword that was going all over the place slowly began to change into a concentrated attack. The flurry of swords that were slashing in all directions soon began to hit the wooden puppet in the hologram. Just as the attack struck the wooden puppet, a surprising thing happened, It was just a single attack but the wooden puppet shook and vibrated wildly as a series of damages appeared on top of it.

Slam, slam, slam, slam, slam, slam, slam!

The first skill was then completed.

[Scattering Sword has been completed.]

[A single attack will deal six additional damages with a 40% increase.]

After Varen completed the first movement, he moved on to the second one.?Sword of Fury.

‘It’s a single blow that can easily overpower your enemy. As soon as the strike hits you, a huge force will be extended and transferred over to you. If I condense the force that leaks after that strike then the blow will be more powerful.’

Varen’s hands never stopped moving. He spent quite a long time adjusting and strengthening the movements of Minhyuk’s skills.

‘The effect of the +2 in my skill after eating that dish is truly amazing. The effect has been really great,’?Varen thought as he gave silent praise to his enhanced skill.

Not long after, Varen finally succeeded in evolving and strengthening Ellie’s Swordsmanship. Then, he approached Minhyuk and stood in front of him as various holograms popped out. The mini Minhyuks in the holograms were sucked one by one into Minhyuk's body. The moment they were absorbed, a notification rang out.

[Ellie’s Swordsmanship has evolved from Epic to Legendary.]