Chapter 198: Eccentric Gourmand

There was nothing else on the page of the book except for a picture. Then, the picture began to move like a video. Within the video, the beings that he assumed to be a part of the demon race moved when they discovered the alleged existence of ores. As soon as they found the ores, they ground them. Fine powder that shone with a bright yellow light fell down from the ores that were being sharpened and grinded. Along with the moving pictures, words appeared in Minhyuk’s mind.

[The MSG that was created from the ground ores was vastly superior to any seasoning that Gorac had ever tasted in his life.]

“...!”

Minhyuk’s eyes widened in surprise. Vastly superior to any seasoning in the world? The pictures suddenly disappeared only to be replaced with words and sentences.

[Gorac. He was an eccentric fellow. Therefore, he created many special and powerful classes. Mysterious one, Gorac’s Book is now granting you one of these classes.]

Flutter!

With a flutter, the phrases written on the book scattered in the air and disappeared. Then, two words appeared in his head.

[Eccentric Gourmand]

[This is not about those monkey head dishes or foie gras. This is a person who enjoys regular and mundane foods more deliciously than everybody else. Someone that uses amazing and special ingredients in their own way. In addition, Gorac has prepared a reward for the Eccentric Gourmand.]

Flash!

A black light flashed from Gorac’s book and entered Minhyuk’s body.

[You have changed your class to the Legendary Class ‘Eccentric Gourmand’.]

[You will need two times the amount of EXP to level up.]

[Class Quest: Make a Special Tool.]

Rank: Class

Requirements: Eccentric Gourmand

Rewards: Gorac’s Special Skill

Failure for Penalty: None

Description: A special tool can be something like this, for example, you can use the Gardin Trees. The Gardin Trees are an excellent material that is used to make bows. You can use this SS-ranked material to make charcoal. This is how an Eccentric Gourmand makes a tool. The quest will only be completed if it meets Gorac’s criteria and requirements.

[Class Quest: A Surprising Dish with the Help of a Special Existence!]

Rank: Class

Requirements: Eccentric Gourmand

Rewards: Resistance to Demonic Energy

Failure for Penalty: None

Description: There are countless monsters, gods, demons, angels that exist in the world. There are also legendary characters, mythical monsters or people. Create a delicious dish with the help of legendary, mythical or higher beings. For example, the Water Dragon Barraca has a cintamani pearl that creates a ‘holy water’. With the help of this cintamani pearl, make ramyeon. That’s how an Eccentric Gourmand makes a dish. The quest will only be completed if it meets Gorac’s criteria and requirements.

[Class Quest: Special Seasoning]

Rank: Class

Restrictions: Eccentric Gourmand

Rewards: Gorac’s Artifact

Failure for Penalty: None

Description: There are countless ores in the world. In addition, there are God or Dragon ores. You can use these ores to create seasonings. The quest will only be completed if it meets Gorac’s criteria and requirements.

[Passive Skill: Eccentric Chef has been created.]

[Passive Skill: Eccentric Gourmand’s Insight has been created.]

[Passive Skill: Eccentric Gourmand’s True Worth has been created.]

[Passive Skill: Eccentric’s Greatness has been created.]

(Eccentric Chef)

Passive Skill

Level: None

Effects: Once the Eccentric Chef creates a uniquely surprising dish, they can earn stats or reputation points depending on the Eccentricity Score.

(Eccentric Gourmand’s Insight)

Passive Skill

Level: None

Effects:

When something special is placed in front of you, it will guide you on ‘what way’ it can be used.

?When someone special is in front of you, it will guide you on ‘what way’ you can make a dish more special.

(Eccentric Gourmand’s True Worth)

Passive Skill

Level: None

Effects: With various ingredients, the Eccentric Gourmand can make a dish with special powers when following the way of the Eccentric Gourmand’s Insight. The power from the special dish will be permanently gained by the person who ate it. However, only one dish can be eaten with the same effects. After eating a new dish, you can only forgo the existing effects.

(Eccentric’s Greatness)

Passive Skill

Level: None

Effects: ???

Minhyuk checked every notification and skill. Once he finished everything, he had no choice but to tilt his head in confusion. The only thought that passed through his mind was a vague?‘Huh?’.

The reason for his confusion was none other than the contents of the ‘Eccentric Chef’. It was because he would be able to gain additional stats and REP depending on the Eccentric Score. It seemed vaguely similar to his Food God’s True Worth, his skill that had just recently lost its effect upon hitting Level 350. This meant that he would still be able to continue increasing his stats by eating and cooking.

***

“...”

“...”

“...”

Everyone that was gathered in the Special Players Management Team was at a loss for words. Meanwhile, Lee Minhwa had a subtle look on her face. She thought,?‘My gut feeling is giving me goosebumps.’

Then, everyone’s eyes turned towards Lee Minhwa.

“Y…you can now?spread your mat, huh?”

“Ho…hoho,” Lee Minhwa laughed awkwardly.

In fact, it was something that she could not just laugh off. In order for them to balance the Food God, the effect of the Food God’s True Worth was set to disappear at Level 350. Even now, Player Minhyuk was so powerful that he surpassed the expectations and predictions of the Development Team. Yet now, it was like a slap to them, even though it was a bit different from before, he would still be able to increase his stats. That was not all. No, he could even raise his REP.

“What’s the ranking? That’s more important!” President Kang Taehoon shouted loudly as he urged them.

Rankings were assigned to classes of similar nature. One of the classes with rankings was the ‘Eccentric Class’. The Eccentric Class was made by Gorac. In this class, the lower the number in the ranking, the more amazing the power of the class. It was graded from rank 1~3. In addition, it was not possible for them to check the Eccentric Class until it was given to a player. However, once someone changed into the Eccentric Class, the developers would be able to check the information to some extent.

“It’s rank one.”

“...”

“...”

“Sigh...”

Someone’s rueful sigh rang loudly in the silence. First, the God Class, now an additional rank one legendary class. Those were the classes that player Minhyuk currently possessed.

***

Gremory was in awe at the taste of grilled pork belly. Especially if she placed the meat, some spicy dipping sauce, garlic, green onions on top of the perilla leaves and lettuce. The flavor of the dish was truly spectacular.

While she was eating happily like that, Gremory suddenly saw a black book unfold in front of the human that had just finished going through her trials. The book was none other than ‘Gorac’s Book’. When she saw the book, she was taken by surprise. Gorac was one of the three Great Demons, just like herself. It was a surprise to see something that belonged to him appear right in front of her. Then, she saw the man’s body suddenly being wrapped in black light.

‘Did he get new powers?’?Gremory thought. She knew that she needed to get down to business at some point. After all, the people that passed her trials had something that they needed to do. However, it would be extremely difficult.

“You will now be able to inherit the power of the Sword God. My trial is, in fact, set to prepare for something else,” Gremory said, making Minhyuk turn to look at her in confusion.

Once Gremory saw that she had gotten Minhyuk’s attention, she continued speaking. She said, “In the past, there was an entrance to the Demon World that opened in a small village. When the entrance opened, the demon race came out of it and started killing people indiscriminately. He who prevented the demon’s invasion is the one sitting in front of you, Valen. I gave some of my strength to Valen and his squad members.”

Minhyuk nodded in understanding.

“One of the demons that opened the entrance was ‘Verus’. Verus is a cruel and vicious demon. Right now, I have reason to believe that Verus’ movements are quite unusual. Unfortunately, Valen can no longer fight against them like he did before. It’s because the God of?Athenae?had now given him a new mission. One thing that’s certain though, Verus will definitely let the demon race out in this world again. However, there is no telling when. And you, the person who will learn Valen’s swordsmanship, I want you to stop him instead. Before that, I need something.”

“What do you need?”

“That’s right. I need something. It’s a Demon World’s ore. I have hidden ‘my powers’ in ordinary and unfamiliar ores from the Demon World.”

Minhyuk could tell that it was similar to when Sea God Roves had hidden his power in the rabbit’s liver.

“When you acquire this ore, it will say ‘Mysterious ore that we don’t know the use of.’ or something along those lines. You have to get one of those ores and it’s going to be a very, very difficult trial.”

“Is it really that difficult?”

“Weak humans like you can’t make it.”

When he heard her words, Minhyuk looked like he hesitated for a moment. Gremory glanced at him with a slight smile. Just then, he said, “If I find it quickly, will you praise me?”

The smile on Minhyuk’s face was bright.

“...Aren’t you too conceited?”

“Nope. There’s no way I’m conceited. It’s just that I think I will feel happy to be praised by someone as beautiful as Gremory!”

Gremory chuckled at him in embarrassment. It was true that he had finished her trial surprisingly well, but the process of getting the ore was definitely more difficult than the trials. Hence, getting it quickly was nigh impossible.

“If you bring the ores over swiftly, I’ll give you a blessing.”

“Wow! For real?”

“That’s right.”

Gremory was also a person who liked to bet, so she agreed quickly. She said, “That is, if you can bring it to me in three days. From now on, I’ll explain to you how to get...”

Just as she was trying to continue her words, she saw the young man in front of her take something out with his hand. Then, he proudly stuck it out in front of him. It was none other than the ‘antarinium’, one of the ores that she had hidden.

“Tadah!”

“...”

***

When Minhyuk heard her talk about ores, he became stunned. That was because he already had an antarinium, a ‘mysterious ore that we don’t know the use of.’ in his hands.

Before revealing this fact, Minhyuk pondered about some things. He had just recently acquired the skills of the ‘Eccentric Gourmand’, as well as the quests related to it. One of the quests was even called ‘A Surprising Dish with the Help of a Special Existence!’. Gremory, one of the three Great Demons, was definitely a special existence. Just to be sure, Minhyuk used the ‘Eccentric Gourmand’s Insight’ on Gremory. At the same time, a notification was heard.

[Gremory’s Blessing]

[Gremory’s blessing would give you some of her demonic energy. Her demonic energy is so powerful that it is nearly impossible to compare it with the other demons of the demon race. If you use the powerful demonic energy and make ‘dry black bean noodles’, you will be able to taste dry black bean noodles that are the most delicious in the world.]

“...!”

Minhyuk was once again caught in surprise.

‘So is the demonic energy black? That’s why it’s dry black bean noodles?’

He did not know what the conditions were, but perhaps, it was really possible to make dry black bean noodles with demonic energy. It was truly worthy of the name: Eccentric Gourmand’s Dish. Just hearing the name and description was enough to make his mouth water.

Hence, Minhyuk gently led Gremory around without any feelings of guilt or remorse. As expected, she fell for Minhyuk’s tricks. The NPCs’ degrees of freedom were quite lax and free, just like ordinary people, and when they did things like ‘asking’ or ‘betting’ with the players, a quest would be triggered.

Just like that, the?‘Quest: Gremory’s Blessings’?was triggered. In the blink of an eye, he heard the sound of the quest completion.

[You have completed the?Quest: Gremory’s Blessings.]

[You can now receive Gremory’s Blessings.]

“H…how...”

Minhyuk hid his laughter with a serious expression. He thought,?‘Hehe. You got caught in my net!’

It was time for him to check the power that he received as soon as he got the class.

Gremory was shocked. The antarinium was the most remarkable ore that she had ever hidden. Of course, that was not the only one. She thought,?‘If he gathered everything...’

If that happened, then Minhyuk would be able to unlock her powers.

“Right. A…a promise is a promise. I don’t know where you got this ore but...”

It was a bit ridiculous for her since she was unaware of the fact that Minhyuk had hunted the ‘Demonic Monster Baphomet’. However, she still had to hold her end of the deal. Just as she was about to give her blessings, Minhyuk suddenly said, “Please wait!”

Then, he suddenly began to cook. He began to stir-fry the dry black bean noodles sauce in his frying pan. Gremory, Kaistra, Ben and Valen looked at him, wondering what he was doing. When he was almost done cooking, Minhyuk said, “Well then, please give your blessings right here!?Clap, clap!”

“...Right…right there?”

“Yep! It’s because Gremory’s demonic energy will make my dry black bean noodles taste better!”

“...”

Gremory was left speechless as she let her demonic energy flow out from her hands. The demonic energy slowly seeped through the dry black bean noodles sauce in the frying pan.

‘I’m... one of the three great demons... but my demonic energy.... My demonic energy is being used for dry black bean noodles right now...’

Nonetheless, a promise was a promise, so she had to endure it. For a moment, Gremory suddenly had the urge to hit the head of the human in front of her with a large Chinese fan. Still, she endured. When she was pouring her demonic energy on the dry black bean noodles sauce, the notifications went off.

[You have completed the Class Quest: A Surprising Dish with the Help of a Special Existence!]

[You have acquired resistance to demonic energy.]

1. Referring to how fortune tellers spread their mat to read fortune