Chapter 1269

Chapter 1269

Minhyuk was very grateful to Ellie.

‘Noona only made this choice because she believed in me.’

Ellie had no desire to become a Pillar. She had become the Hegemon King mainly because of Minhyuk’s dish. And the only reason she participated in the Pillar Wars was to aid Minhyuk and repay him for the help he had given her before.

‘Even though noona is now the Hegemon King, they might not leave her alone. Especially because she made them eat shit like that.’

Regardless, if Minhyuk became a Pillar, Ellie would be in a situation where the others could not dare touch her. That was why he had to become a Pillar one way or another.

“Your Majesty, the two million enemy troops are coming our way!”

“Do we keep on running? What should we do?!” Commander Jeim cried.

At that moment, he activated one of the items he had obtained, the Fortress Construction Scroll.

[You can now build a fortress at a designated place.]

Minhyuk raised his hand and pointed to the vast, desolate land behind them. The ground began to rumble as if on cue, and an extensive, magnificent fortress emerged.

“Everyone, endure and hold out for as long as you can. Make sure you live,” Minhyuk said as he ushered his troops inside the fortress. After that, he immediately began cooking.

[You have strengthened the Perfect Work Gloves.]

Minhyuk had obtained various items with the help of Jeim and the knights. Thankfully, some items allowed him to strengthen and reinforce the items he could not typically. Of course, the effects would only be applicable during the event. One such item was the Artifact Enhancer Scroll. It was an item that could strengthen an item with a 100% success rate.

[You have strengthened the Perfect Work Gloves.]

[You have strengthened the Perfect Work Gloves.]

[...strengthened the Perfect Work Gloves.]

[...strengthened...]

[...strengthened...]

[The Perfect Work Gloves have become 71% better than before.]

‘If it weren’t for participating in this event, I would never have the chance to get my hands on such outstanding and amazing ingredients.’

Minhyuk had obtained at least seven ingredients comparable to the Absolute God grade and more than sixty God-grade ingredients. This was an incredible opportunity that was otherwise almost impossible to come across.

Of course, it was challenging for Minhyuk to cook a single Absolute God grade-level ingredient, so he ensured he was fully prepared before starting.

[You have strengthened the Food God’s Cooking Skill.]

[You have strengthened the Food God’s Cooking Skill.]

[You have strengthened the Food God’s Cooking Skill.]

[...Food God...]

[The Food God’s Cooking Skill has become 44% better.]

[The duration of the effects of the strengthened version of the Food God’s Cooking Skill is five hours.]

Now that his Perfect Work Gloves were 71% better and his Food God’s Cooking Skills were 41% more outstanding than before, it was time for him to increase his DEX and his cooking-related skills to the highest level. And how would he do that? Of course, it was by making use of the God grade ingredients.

Of course, dealing with God-grade ingredients was still no easy task for Minhyuk. However, the strengthened Perfect Work Gloves and Food God’s Cooking Skills would make it much more manageable.

Minhyuk started cooking right away. The dish he would make was rice topped with stir-fried pork. As expected of God-grade ingredients, the pork began to resist when he started to cook.

‘The God grade ingredients no longer pose such a huge threat to me.’

Minhyuk almost died when he first tried cooking a God-grade ingredient. However, Minhyuk not only grew a lot, but he also increased his defensive power significantly since that first attempt. At this point, some God-grade ingredients could no longer threaten Minhyuk’s life. In fact, some of them no longer reduced his HP despite their attacks.

However, Minhyuk felt this deeply. He thought,

‘I have already reached the peak of my power as the Food God.’

[DEX Critical!]

[DEX Critical!]

[DEX Critical!]

The DEX Critical attached to the reinforced Perfect Work Gloves was constantly triggered.

[You have completed the Rice Topped with Stir-fried Pork.]

[The dish is God grade.]

Minhyuk gobbled up the dish.

[Your DEX has increased by 43%.]

[All of your cooking-related skills will increase by 1.]

[You can increase the level of your designated skill by 1.]

[The effects of the Pillar’s Praise have been applied. The buff effects of your buff dishes will increase by 15%.]

“Level up the skill Divine Will.”

With this, all of the preparations were done. Minhyuk felt the power thrumming in his veins. This power surge left him highly confident that he could complete any dish he wanted.

‘I’ll cook everything first and leave the Absolute God grade ingredients for last.’

Everyone who had played RPG games knew the concept of sacrifices regarding things like gachas, reinforcements, creation and drawing lots. It was using lower grade items first to increase their chances of success before reinforcing or making something of a higher grade. Of course, this concept was more like a superstition. However, many of the players believed in this superstition. And Minhyuk was the same.

He began to cook in earnest.

When he finished the first dish...

[You have completed the Pork Backbone Stew.]

[The dish is God grade.]

The second dish...

[You have completed the Stir-fried Kimchi.]

[The dish is God grade.]

The third dish...

[You have completed the Seafood Stew.]

[The dish is God grade.]

The fourth and fifth dishes...

[...completed...]

[...completed...]

[You have fallen into the state of Extreme Trance.]

[Your concentration as the chef who wished to make the most incredible dish has reached the highest level.]

[The Skill: Divine Will has been triggered!]

[All of your skills and abilities related to DEX will temporarily increase by 30%.]

[All of your stats will increase by 8%.]

[Your attack power and defensive power will increase by 6%.]

[The Skill: Divine Will...!]

After the tenth dish...

[‘Anonymous’ has been announced to the entire continent for your achievement in creating ten God grade dishes in a row.]

After the fifteenth dish...

[...the entire continent for your achievement in creating fifteen God grade dishes in a row.]

Alas, he did not always successfully make God grade dishes.

[The dish is Legendary grade.]

Nevertheless, there was no regret on Minhyuk’s face. Making fifteen God grade dishes in a row was already an amazing feat.

[The Skill: Divine Will has been triggered...]

[All of your skills and abilities related to DEX...]

[Your shocking concentration has increased the Skill: Divine Will’s level temporarily. The upper limit for everything related to DEX temporarily disappears.]

‘Ah.’

Minhyuk realized the effects were outstanding even though the Divine Will’s level had only increased by one. After all, the fact that the restrictions and the upper limit for everything related to DEX being lifted was a big deal. There was just one problem.

[The Skill: Divine Will requires extreme concentration, effort and will.]

The condition for the skill to be activated had increased in difficulty. It was to the point that it could be considered heinous. Nonetheless, Minhyuk did not care. He just continued to move forward and do what he needed to do. And then...

[You have successfully made twenty God grade dishes in a single day.]

[You have gained 100 DEX.]

[You have gained 200 REP.]

[...the player who successfully made twenty God grade dishes...]

[...made twenty five God grade dishes in a single day...]

[...made thirty God grade dishes in a single day...]

Minhyuk did not know how much time had passed. He just continued to concentrate and give his all to his work.

***

A colossal mess befell Boleyn and the other Pillar Candidates when Ellie decisively gave up from the Pillar Wars, effectively taking away all the resources she had gathered.

They had been aggressively pushing their enemies before, but now that they were exhausted, they had no choice but to turn passive. They could only fall back and build up their strength before they could fight back again. They opted for a hit and run strategy. Although it was a strategy that would take quite a long time, they continued. After all, Minhyuk’s score was still low.

At this moment, the Pillar Candidates, including Boleyn, stopped in their tracks. And the reason was...

[‘Anonymous’ has successfully made twenty God grade dishes in a single day.]

They all knew who the person was who had made twenty God grade dishes.

“What the hell is that punk doing?”

“Oh my god... It’s been less than half a day but he was able to make twenty God grade dishes...?”

“This behavior is quite Pillar-like...” Someone mumbled. However, they immediately covered their mouth and stopped talking.

Boleyn did not deny it. He knew it too. He even thought,

‘Creating twenty God grade dishes in a day? He’s truly at the level of a Pillar.’

Of course, he also knew that it was because Minhyuk had borrowed the power of those special items. Nevertheless, they continued with what they were doing. They all believed that that was the end of that. Just then...

[‘Anonymous’ has successfully made twenty-five God grade dishes...]

[‘Anonymous’ has successfully made thirty God grade dishes...]

[‘Anonymous’ has successfully made thirty-five God grade dishes...]

Every one of them flinched with every notification ringing in their ears.

“This doesn’t make sense. No matter how strong or special those items are...”

What Minhyuk had achieved and would continue to achieve was already beyond common sense. None of them had heard of anyone successfully making more than thirty God grade dishes in a single day.

‘If there is one then...’

It would most likely be Jack-of-All-Trades Rocado. And Jack-of-All-Trades Rocado was a Pillar.

‘Is he truly the one worthy of becoming a Pillar...?’

After that, everything grew quiet. The notifications did not ring for a very long time.

‘Is it finally over? Well, anyway... Making thirty-five dishes in a single day is already an impossible feat. It’s only natural that...’

[‘Anonymous’ has successfully made fifty God grade dishes in a single day.]

At this moment, Boleyn realized that the notifications had stopped because the system wanted to release everything in one go.

[‘Anonymous’ has taken one step closer to becoming a Pillar related to cooking.]

Immediately after that...

[‘Anonymous’ has completed an Absolute God grade dish.]

[‘Anonymous’ has completed an Absolute God grade dish.]

[‘Anonymous’...]

***

[You have successfully made fifty God grade dishes in a single day.]

[You have made a phenomenal achievement that no one has ever made.]

[You have obtained the

Title

: The One Comparable to the Pillar of Cooking.]

[You have gained 3,000 REP.]

[You have gained 2,000 CHA.]

[You have successfully made an Absolute God grade dish.]

[...Absolute God...]

[...Absolute God...]

Minhyuk felt very lucky today because he successfully finished three Absolute God-grade dishes in a row. Unfortunately, he failed to make another Absolute God-grade dish after that.

‘Three Absolute God grade dishes are already enough. I can use Everyone’s Happiness and apply it to these dishes.’

At this moment, Minhyuk felt a deep desire.

‘I want to go further. I want to finish it... The most outstanding dish.’

His hunger was stimulated by his current location in a “Pillar Market.” He wanted to make it precisely because he was in this place.

‘I want to make a dish that will let everyone know what kind of person I am. I want to make a dish that will prove to the world that I am considered closest to becoming a Pillar.’

The drive, passion, effort, and will that accumulated in him gave him more strength. As if to further bolster him and his wishes, the power that could only be triggered with the slimmest of chances was activated.

[The Skill: Divine Will has been triggered!]

[The Skill: Divine Will, which was activated with greater effort and will, is much greater than the ordinary Divine Will.]

[All of your skills and abilities related to DEX will temporarily increase by 45%.]

[All of your stats will increase by 8%.]

[Your attack power and defensive power will increase by 6%.]

[The Skill: Divine Will might grow into something more special.]

At the same time, a golden stream of energy seeped out and wrapped around Minhyuk’s entire body.

[This effect is created by temporarily reaching the level of Phenomenal DEX.]

[You have temporarily reached the level of Phenomenal DEX. Your chances of getting a higher grade dish have increased by 60%.]

[Your DEX has increased by 50%.]

That was not the end. Minhyuk took out the Skill Transformation Scroll that he had obtained earlier.

[Skill Transformation.]

[You have chosen the skill: Transcendence.]

[The skill: Transcendence is being transformed into a cooking method.]

[Transcendent Cooking.]

[For thirty minutes, you can transcend your limits and create more outstanding dishes.]

[Your level and standards cannot be measured right now.]

[Your level and standards cannot be measured right now.]

[Currently, you can probably be considered worthy of the title Pillar.]

Minhyuk began cooking his final dish, which he wanted to make with beef ribs. The moment he started cooking the

galbitang,

something very unusual happened.

[The Absolute God grade Beef Ribs meekly accepts that it will be cooked under the hands of someone at your level.]

[The Beef Ribs is delighted that it will be cooked by you and your hands.]

[All of the Absolute God grade Beef Ribs’ attacks will disappear.]

Even so, Minhyuk continued boiling the beef ribs with all his heart. Only an hour passed, a short time when cooking something like

galbitang.

Under the skillful hands of Minhyuk, who had an extremely high level of DEX, he could cook the ribs and make a thick and flavorful soup.

‘I want to reach a higher place. I want to become a Pillar that supports Athenae.’

Minhyuk gave it everything he had. Then, in no time at all, he turned off the heat, signaling the end of the galbitang's cooking process

.

[You have completed the Galbitang.]

[Extreme Trance. This dish contains your ‘tenacity to reach a higher level’, your ‘will to reach a realm no ordinary human can reach’, and your ‘accumulated time and patience’.]

[You have created a realm of dishes that even the gods have not yet reached or touched.]

[The grade of the dish cannot be measured.]

[The grade of the dish cannot be measured.]

“...?” Minhyuk looked at the notifications in confusion. At that moment, additional notifications came in.

[For the first time, a dish with no Pillar Grade ingredients yet has almost reached the Pillar grade has been born to the world.]

Thousands of pillars of light fell from the sky and landed upon the steaming

galbitang.

[You have made a Pillar Grade Galbitang.]

[You have acquired the

Title

: The One who Made a Pillar Dish.]