Chapter 1387

Chapter 1387

Minhyuk’s mother died of an illness not long after he was born. When Kang Minhoo looked at his child—the most beautiful child in his world—he made a vow to do a brilliant job, take care of him, and love him more than anyone else in the world.

Alas, when his child reached the age of sixteen, the young boy suddenly contracted a disease called eating addiction. His beloved child suddenly ate all of the food in all three of their refrigerators at home.

Kang Minhoo sought out the greatest and most famous doctors in the country and even sought out world-renowned doctors to treat his child, but all of them failed to provide suitable treatment.

When his child was in the third year of middle school, he weighed 125 kilograms and was 178 centimeters tall. By the first year of high school, his son had reached a height of 180 centimeters and weighed 140 kilograms. At twenty, he grew to 185 centimeters tall and weighed 175 kilograms.

Lee Jinhwan, the doctor in charge of Minhyuk, said...

-I believe you need to prepare yourself mentally for whatever may happen.

At that moment, Kang Minhoo started to pray, even though he had not believed before.

–

God. Please. Please save my child.

He visited temples.

–

Lord Buddha, please take away my child’s sickness.

He even visited shamans who were said to be possessed by spirits.

Every single day, he prayed.

–

Please, I beg you. Just let my child live.

Then, they found Athenae. He saw how happy his child was to be able to eat food. He could still remember how his child smiled and laughed excitedly as he told him about eating food on the first day. Even though Minhoo’s child had only eaten a simple hard bread, he looked like the happiest child in the world.

Minhoo only had one wish. It was fine for him if his child did not become the Master of the West. It was fine if he could not become the Ilhwa Group’s heir. It was fine if his child wandered around like a lost soul. The only thing that he wanted was for his child’s illness to go away.

“A complete cure...”

Tears filled Kang Minhoo’s eyes as he listened to Kevin’s clear and calm voice.

“He survived.”

‘My child survived.’

Now, his child could craft his future and follow his dreams, just like other children do.

Chairman Kang Minhoo stood up shakily, tears spilling down his face.

‘Where’s Minhyuk right now?’

He was so happy that his mind grew blank and he momentarily forgot where his son was. When he opened the conference room, it finally hit him where his son was.

“UWAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

“Minhyuk! MINHYUK!!!”

“Chairman! Minhyuk won!”

The executives were cheering loudly.

Kang Minhoo looked at them in confusion. Were they cheering because his son overcame his eating addiction? Or were they cheering because his son won in his fight with Obren?

Finally, Kang Minhoo saw the scene on the screen.

***

Minhyuk started running, weaving through the hundreds of lightning bolts that stopped midair.

Obren and the three other Pillars created the Supreme Blade.

[You have activated Friend Obren’s Evil God’s Books. The power of the Evil God’s Books shines through the world.]

Minhyuk could see Obren through the gaps of the lightning bolts, holding a black spear and pointing it at him.

Swoosh!

Minhyuk twisted slightly to avoid the spear that stabbed at him violently. It grazed his side, but he ignored the impact and the pain that wracked his body.

[You have activated Friend Hephaestus’ power. The power of Hephaestus shines through the world.]

[The effects of all of your artifacts will become 275% better.]

[Your sword’s basic attack power will temporarily increase by 13,724%.]

Minhyuk watched as Evil God Obren stacked dozens of the Evil God’s Shields in front of him. Regardless, when Minhyuk’s sword hit, the layers of shield shattered easily, allowing him to land a clean hit on Obren.

[Keuhack!]

A powerful force erupted from the black spear in Obren’s hands.

[All of the Evil God’s mana has seeped into the tip of his spear.]

All of the remaining mana flowing through Obren’s veins seeped out of his hands and entered his spear. This was his last-ditch effort. But Minhyuk was relentless; he swung his sword and cut down Obren once again.

[Your mana gathering has been interrupted.]

[The Evil God’s Spear, which only received a portion of your mana, hits your enemy with 100% accuracy.]

At that moment, a bright light burst out from the Supreme Blade in Minhyuk’s hands.

[You have activated Friend Beladon’s power. The power of The Persistent shines through the world.]

[The hard work, effort, will, and courage that you have from the beginning up until this point are being measured to generate additional damage.]

The spear in Obren’s hands stabbed through Minhyuk’s chest.

Spurt!

Of course, Minhyuk was also aiming for Obren’s vital point.

[Your HP has dropped below 3%.]

Minhyuk held his sword tightly with one hand as he grabbed food with his other hand. He used his Absorption Conversion as he devoured his food to recover his HP, albeit only by a bit.

However, Obren did not stop. He twisted the spear in his hands and forced Minhyuk’s HP to drop once again.

[Your HP has dropped below 4%.]

At that moment, the power of The Persistent’s calculation and measurement ended.

[Your sword will inflict an additional 235,624% damage upon a successful attack.]

Obren’s pupils shook.

Vwooooooooong!

A red aura bloomed from the blade of Minhyuk’s sword. He swung it at Obren, who was still holding onto the spear, with all his might.

‘Obren’s HP is at 29%. If I do well, then...’

BANG!

Obren was sent flying away by the powerful strike, and even the spear that was lodged deeply in Minhyuk’s chest was pulled out along with him.

Crack, crack, crack!

The shocking sound of Obren’s bones cracking and breaking rang loudly in the area. Still rattled by the huge impact that left his entire body shaking, Obren stumbled on his feet.

Similarly, Minhyuk was in a terrible situation.

[Your HP continues to fall.]

When the Evil God’s Spear was pulled out of his chest, it left behind an injury that inflicted continuous damage. Because of that, Minhyuk’s HP continued to drop.

Minhyuk hurriedly checked Obren’s HP.

‘It’s still at 7%.’

Minhyuk’s expression grew ugly.

[You have suffered from a huge shock. You cannot control your body for eight seconds.]

The stumbling Obren struggled to stand up. Even though his bones were creaking and he was still reeling from the impact of the blow, he still stood in front of Minhyuk.

[This is my victory.]

Even if it did not feel good, it was still his victory. This was what he believed. After all, from what Obren could see, Minhyuk no longer had any skills to use. There was also the fact that his HP was still being depleted even when he was not doing anything. With Minhyuk’s remaining life force, there was no way that he could still move to kill Obren.

Obren tried to comfort Minhyuk, who was eventually defeated under his hands.

[You only have 1% of HP left.]

[Your HP continues to fall.]

Obren smiled bitterly. Just then, Minhyuk looked up at Obren with a cold and determined look on his face. He said, “Sorry. This is my victory.”

[...?]

Obren looked at Minhyuk in confusion. No matter how he looked at it, this was his victory. After all, Minhyuk would be forced to log out in ten seconds even if he did nothing.

Unbeknownst to him, Minhyuk still had some power that he had not used. He saved this power just in case, and now it has come in handy.

[You cannot eat more than ten Abyss’s Ingredients in a day.]

This power came from this notification. Yes, people could not eat more than ten Abyss’ Ingredients in a day. However, if they ate more than ten, then...

[You can use the power of the extra ingredients that you have consumed whenever you want. Once the activation ends, the increase in your stats will disappear and be completely extinguished.]

Minhyuk had eaten ten Abyss’s Ingredients every day that he stayed in the Abyss. After that, he ate the remaining hundreds. The power of these hundreds of ingredients, albeit temporary, remained inside him. However, just as the notifications stated, Minhyuk could use this power whenever and wherever he wanted.

“Ingredient Destruction.”

[You have burned the power of 685 Abyss’s Ingredients all at once.]

As the effects he chose were temporary rather than permanent, Minhyuk was given special privileges.

[The power exerted by these ingredients makes your current existing stats ten times more powerful.]

Minhyuk raised his sword as a powerful force enveloped its blade. Then, he swung with all his might and slashed the still reeling and staggering Obren. Unable to bear the brunt of the attack, Obren was sent flying away again.

[Keuhaaack!]

Obren landed with a bang. The impact not only shattered Obren’s already fragile bones, but it also left him with a hazy and blurred vision. This was the end of the Evil God, who predicted his victory as he pleased.

[Your HP has dropped to 0%.]

The notification rang in Minhyuk’s ears as he fell flat on his back. However, Obren had already turned into ashes that were scattered with the wind.

[You will be forced to log...]

[Terminated.]

President Kang Taehoon personally intervened to prevent Minhyuk’s forced logout.

[The winner of the Special Battle: Obren vs. Minhyuk is Minhyuk!]

The notifications flooded in.

[You have obtained the

Title

: Athenae’s Strongest.]

[All of the people in Athenae recognize you as Athenae’s Strongest.]

Minhyuk lay on one side of the battlefield and just stared at the clear blue sky above him.

Did he feel relieved? No, he did not. He had achieved another of his goals when he defeated Obren. However, he still had not achieved his ultimate goal. He did not know how long it would take before he could achieve it. That was why his heart still felt heavy and his mind was in a mess.

‘When will I achieve it? When will I get what I want? When will it be over?’

When would the thing that dragged him down and left him feeling anxious and afraid scatter and disappear? Despite achieving another one of his goals, his heart still felt heavy.

‘Damn it...’

He unknowingly cursed to himself.

At that moment, Obren reappeared. He gently put Minhyuk’s head on his lap and covered the young man’s eyes with his hands.

[Sleep for a bit.]

He was exhausted. As a result, Minhyuk unknowingly fell asleep in the middle of the stadium, which was their battlefield.

Meanwhile, the commentators continued to talk excitedly amongst themselves.

[Tens of millions of players from all over the world have tuned in and are watching the great war.]

[Believe it or not, I feel like I can hear the players’ cheers from all over here.]

[But Minhyuk and the rest of the participants won’t be able to hear those cheers.]

[Yes. This is because the stadium has been isolated. This is so the participants can focus on the event.]

[The Korean players have all jumped up. They are dancing as they shout Minhyuk’s name at the top of their lungs.]

[Oh...? B... Breaking news!]

[This news just came in.]

[Ilhwa Group has just released an official statement.]

[It... has only been three minutes since the official statement was posted, but Ilhwa Group’s stock prices have already reached the upper limit.]

[The top search word in portal sites from all over the world is...]

[This is a miracle.]

[This is the first time in my entire life that I have witnessed someone get completely cured of a rare disease...]

[We can see a lot of people in the audience crying...]

[We can see Genie and all of his friends crying in the stands...]

[This news has been reported in Athenae and is being spread quickly.]

[According to the news that I have obtained, Luvien Empire’s Emperor Brod has already departed...]

[...news... Empress Ellie has also departed...]

[Just now, an announcer from ATV Broadcasting Station has reported the news and confirmed it with tears in their eyes. Many people have been moved by their humane appearance...]

[I’m sorry. It’s getting hard for me to hold back my tears, too. I just can’t stop the tears when I look at that young man lying on the ground in the stadium.]

[I believe everyone is looking at him right now.]

[Yes. The entire world is staring at this young man as he sleeps.]

[...]

[...]

[...]

[...]

Minhyuk did not know how long he had slept. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Obren.

‘Ah! Right now, I’m in the middle of the stadium.’

Minhyuk was confused.

“Why is it so quiet?”

They were obviously still in the stadium. Of course, he knew that the stadium had been isolated with all noise blocked out so they could remain unperturbed and unburdened by the reaction of the people in the stands. The game was over, yet there was no sound to be heard at all. There was not a hint of conversation, whispers, or official announcements at all. It was as if only he and Obren were the people in the world.

‘We’re obviously still in the stadium?’

Minhyuk slowly stood up.

‘What? Am I dreaming?’

He obviously won against Obren. Somehow, the people just stood in the stands and watched him quietly.

Then, he saw Ben, who was still supposed to be in the Beyond the Heavens Empire. Eivelis Empire’s Empress Ellie, who should have been sitting on her throne, was also present. Philos was also there. She stood there holding Elpis’ hands. Then, there were Bender, Brod, Belson, and countless other people standing around him.

His girlfriend, Genie, stood among them with red and puffy eyes. Even Khan and Locke were looking at him with a smile. Calauhel, his enemy-turned-ally and friend, and Valentino were also present.

“What the? Did I die from exhaustion while playing the game? Obren, tell me, quick! Did I die?”

Obren did not answer him. He just stared at Minhyuk, his eyes filled with obvious affection and love.

For Minhyuk, everything felt like a dream. A dream where all of the people whom he knew and cared for were gathered together in one place. The world stood still as they looked at him.

Did he die from exhaustion? However, the idea was so absurd that he ended up laughing.

“Is this some kind of hidden camera prank?”

At that moment, the crowd stepped away and cleared a path. As the path opened, the person whom Minhyuk loved most in the world appeared.

“Dad?”

Black Dragon, Minhyuk’s beloved father, looked at Minhyuk with tears in his eyes. His father stared at him with his mouth opening and closing, yet no sound came out. But even though he was crying, the smile on Minhyuk’s father’s face was obviously the brightest smile that he had seen on his face in his entire life.

“What the hell is happening...?”

Minhyuk could not understand what was happening. Why were they here? Wasn’t he in the middle of a game?

Kang Minhoo finally said, “God...”

No. He swallowed his words back. This was not something anybody had bestowed upon his child.

“You did it.”

‘Ah? Isn’t this the truth?’

Minhyuk had become the strongest in Athenae both in name and reality after he defeated Obren. But... why did they have to go through all this trouble...?

“The results of the eating addiction tests that we conducted recently have come out.”

“...Yes?”

Minhyuk still looked confused. They had done similar tests a hundred times before, no? Of course, in the most recent tests, he had scored the highest that he has ever scored, a 90. According to the American Medical Association, he was still at risk of a relapse.

“It’s a complete cure. You are completely cured with no chance of relapse.”

It was weird. Minhyuk knew he should be happy when he heard the words, but his mind had gone completely blank. He felt like he was standing alone in a dark room. It did not feel real. He could not bring himself to believe it. For a moment, he wondered if it was fine to feel happy. All of the things that he had experienced flashed in his eyes. Then, someone clicked the switch in the room where the lights had been turned off.

[The isolation has been removed.]

“Uwaaaaaaaaah!”

“Woaaaaaaaaah!”

“WAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

The cheers and shouts from the stands washed over the entire stadium. The loud and enthusiastic cheers from the tens of millions of players from all over the world finally rang and registered in Minhyuk’s ears.

At that moment, Obren said...

[...You did it.]

Ben looked at Minhyuk. “Hoho. Your Majesty...”

Brod knelt and looked up at Minhyuk. “Your Majesty...!”

His father hugged him tightly.

It finally felt real. The moment the switch was turned on, the overwhelming emotion that he had been suppressing for a very long time erupted.

Minhyuk sobbed. “Are you saying that when I wake up early, I don’t have to go to the gym every time...?”

The tears continued to flow.

“Can we finally fill our refrigerator with food? Can I walk the streets lined with bars and restaurants and think about what to eat like normal people?”

Chairman Kang Minhoo held his son even tighter as he cried uncontrollably.

Minhyuk cried. What should he say? What could he say? The words that burst out of him were...

“I survived...”

He was someone who had once been seen by the leading figures in the world of medicine and given a shake of the head.

“I lived!”

He was someone who had overcome the time limit that he was given!

“I am living!!!”

He was someone who fought this overwhelming and frightening rare disease and overcame it!”

“I AM ALIVE!!!”

And

he

was Kang Minhyuk.