Chapter 421: Lesser Demon Diablo

Minhyuk took on the gamble despite the huge risk, mainly because he knew that the relationship that he built with Diablo in the past would be cut off the moment he attacked him. Lesser Demon Diablo was extremely powerful and being hostile with such a being would incur far greater losses than he could imagine.

Hence, he used his Create a Recipe skill.

[Creating a recipe that the other party desires.]

[You can now check the recipe for Tonkatsu.]

[The amount of buff that can be used has been decreased due to creating a recipe.]

(

Tonkatsu Recipe for Diablo

)

Required Ingredients

: Winged Pig’s Tenderloin, Locrey’s Frying Powder, Fighting Chicken’s Eggs, Berlin’s Button Mushrooms… (omitted)

Expected Dish Grade

: Unique~Legendary

Expected Effects

:

? All of Diablo’s stats will increase by 15%.

? Demon’s Invincible Swordsmanship Level will increase by +2.

? Diablo’s Frenzied State will be lifted.

The ‘Create a Recipe’ skill not only had the power to show Minhyuk the dish that his opponent wanted to eat the most, but it could also give him the power to increase the ability that the other person needed the most. Of course it was much more accurate when used on NPCs than when it was used on players.

When Minhyuk saw the last effect: ‘Frenzied State will be lifted’ written under the Expected Effects, he realized,

‘You don’t want to do something like this either, huh?’

. However, it was still impossible for him to know what had happened to Diablo. After all, it had been quite some time since they last met in the Demon World’s Tower.

Diablo had been forcibly taken away from his single mother, leaving her alone, by the great demons to become the vessel of their demonic energy. He must have felt lonely and helpless, living a life that he never wanted to live, away from his beloved mother. And now, he was somehow in a frenzied state. From what he could see, Diablo had recognized him earlier but immediately after, he turned against him. In other words, he did not really recognize him and only faintly remembered something.

‘My dish.’

It seemed like Diablo could not forget the taste of the dish that Minhyuk had made for him in the past. Then, Minhyuk dashed forward while casting Let’s Have a Meal. Once Let’s Have a Meal’s barrier was set in place, anyone inside would not be able to attack. That was why Minhyuk hoped that Diablo would also not be able to attack him inside.

But then, Diablo tried to move his hand holding his sword, which prompted Minhyuk to immediately take on a defensive stance. Thankfully, Diablo’s hands just twitched, and he eventually stopped moving.

‘He’s stopping himself with his remaining consciousness.’

A fragment of his memories had allowed Diablo to hold himself back, despite being in a frenzied state.

“I’m curious about your story.”

Minhyuk wanted to know what happened to Diablo so he decided to use the reward for the gold medal that he won before. Minhyuk had judged that it would not be a waste for him to use it at this point in time. After all, if he could do well here, then he would be able to win both the gold medal, as well as Diablo’s trust.

[Gold Medal Reward: Choose from artifacts, artifact materials, or cooking ingredients.]

“Cooking ingredients.”

[Please choose the cooking ingredient that you want.]

“Pork tenderloin.”

[Searching for ‘Pork Tenderloin’ among the Gold Medal Rewards. Generally, you will be able to get legendary-grade ingredients. However, there’s a chance that a God-grade ingredient will make an appearance.]

[Searching for ingredients in Athenae. Search progress 14%, 22%, 31%, 57%, 78%, 88%…]

Ring!

[You have acquired the Pork Tenderloin from a pig raised by God Athenae in God’s Farm.]

The expected dish grade that the Create a Recipe skill could estimate was based on the ingredients that were officially released, or had been discovered by players. Through some heaven-defying luck, just as he did in the past when he acquired the beef tenderloin, Minhyuk had obtained another God-grade ingredient.

‘It seems like I have good luck.’

Minhyuk immediately used his ‘Create a Recipe’ skill once again.

(

Tonkatsu Recipe for Diablo

)

Required Ingredients

: Pork Tenderloin from a pig raised by God Athenae, Locrey’s Frying Powder, Fighting Chicken’s Eggs, Berlin’s Button Mushrooms… (omitted)

Expected Dish Grade

: Unique~God

Expected Effects

:

? All of Diablo’s stats will increase by 33%.

? Demon’s Invincible Swordsmanship Level will increase by +2.

? Movement and Attack Speed will increase by 15%.

? Diablo’s Frenzied State will be lifted.

? You might be able to remove Great Demon Verus’ spirit hiding in Diablo’s body.

‘Are you telling me that I can free Diablo from Great Demon Verus?’

Great Demons were existences akin to absolute beings like Gods. But perhaps, with something that had reached God’s level, he might really have the chance to liberate Diablo from Verus.

‘There’s no time to spare.’

Then, a series of notifications rang while Minhyuk hurriedly took out his frying pan to start cooking.

[God’s Cooking Ingredient does not recognize and approve of you.]

[You will receive a huge restriction while cooking.]

[This is your second time challenging God’s Cooking Ingredient. You have incurred God Athenae’s wrath.]

[If the dish that you make falls short of legendary grade, God Athenae will force you to log out with his ‘Power to Grant Early Death’.]

“…?!”

Minhyuk was shocked. The last time he cooked a God’s Ingredient, the notifications told him that he would just face severe restrictions during the process, but this time, the risk was much greater.

‘Then, why do I always get something from God Athenae every time?’

Even Minhyuk would be furious if someone kept on taking away the precious food that he raised and grew dearly.

‘No. I’ll probably do something far worse. Right?’

If it were Minhyuk, he would probably stalk the one that took away his precious food for days while hitting them with his frying pan, until they died over and over again. Minhyuk completely understood what God Athenae was feeling. Even though he understood that fact, he still found the risk too great to carry.

But, he caught sight of Diablo watching him pour oil on his small pot with unfocused eyes.

“Let’s do this, Diablo.”

Then, he started cooking with a renewed resolve. The cameras from ATV broadcasting station were solely focused on Minhyuk, which made the viewers doubt the station’s decision. However, Minhyuk did not know this and just continued to move his hands. He held the egg in one hand then…

crack!?

cracked it over a bowl.

Shwaaaa—

Minhyuk’s skill of cracking eggs with one hand was truly spectacular! The eggs that he used here were the eggs of the golden chicken. After cracking the eggs, he used his whisk and mixing bowl to beat them evenly. Then, he soaked the tenderloin in it.

‘I have to soak it in for an hour but…’

He did not have much time. Then, Minhyuk took out a blender and some bread.

[It looks like bread. I wonder why Player Minhyuk took out some bread? What will he use it for?]

Not long after, Minhyuk ground the bread with the blender. After grinding it with the blender, what appeared was none other than ‘breadcrumbs’. Tonkatsu cooked with the breadcrumbs commonly sold in stores were often only perfectly cooked on the outside even after cooking for a long time. However, with breadcrumbs made from bread itself, the tonkatsu would cook evenly and quickly.

[Ho? So, he used it to make breadcrumbs.]

[That’s a good alternative for when you don’t have any breadcrumbs on hand.]

Some of the viewers were starting to get interested in what he was doing. Then, Minhyuk started making the sauce. With the pan at medium-heat, he added some butter and flour, before stirring it well so that it would not burn. Then, he added some sugar, water, Worcestershire sauce, milk, and sliced button mushrooms. When the sauce started to turn reddish, he sprinkled some pepper to complete it. The sparkling and reddish tonkatsu sauce looked scrumptious, and anyone that saw it would drool.

Finally, he turned to his small pot. The temperature of the oil that he poured in the small pot had gradually increased. Minhyuk placed his hand over the pot and measured the oil’s temperature to check if it was perfect for the tonkatsu. This was an amazing skill that only the Food God could do!

[The oil has reached the perfect temperature for tonkatsu.]

Minhyuk dropped some breadcrumbs in the oil.

Sizzle—

Minhyuk promptly placed the tonkatsu, that was evenly coated with breadcrumbs, after hearing the pleasant sizzling of the breadcrumbs that he dropped earlier.

Sizzle—

[Ah! He dropped it! Player Minhyuk has gently dropped the tonkatsu in the pot with oil!]

[Just seeing those crumbs floating about is enough to make me smile.]

The viewers that were getting interested with his untimely bout of cooking was increasing by the minute. But then, at that moment…

Crackle—

Tremendous pain, which seemed to have been caused by the hot and blazing flames, washed over Minhyuk’s body.

[God’s Barrier has interfered with you.]

‘What the hell…?!’

Minhyuk could tell that this was the restriction that the notification talked about earlier. It was as if…

“Ughhh!”

…he was the one being fried inside the pot of oil as the burning pain coursed through his veins. In his recent endeavor, Minhyuk had cooked God Athenae’s Beef Tenderloin to save Queen Iris. Back then, small droplets made of light tried to stop him by attacking him.

This time, it was a different restriction that was impeding him. Of course, Minhyuk’s body was not really hot since he was inside the virtual reality. However, it still felt strangely weird and uncomfortable, which affected his control on his body.

[Player Minhyuk looks weird.]

[Yes. He’s sweating all over and it looks like he can’t control his body well.]

For a moment there, Minhyuk felt that he would collapse. Then, notifications rang for Minhyuk.

[An intense heat is putting pressure on your body.]

[The burning pain that courses through your veins will make it hard for you to control your body.]

[The intense and burning pain is interfering with your vision.]

[You won’t be able to fight against this power.]

Minhyuk felt his head turn blank for a moment. Those that had suffered from such intense pain would often say that their vision had turned white and that they could not see what was in front of them. In Minhyuk’s case, his vision was on the verge of turning white from the setting that the system had set. He even had a hard time holding his body up, to the point that his breathing had turned ragged.

However, regardless of what he was feeling, the tonkatsu continued to be cooked. A matter of seconds was very crucial when it came to cooking. Leaving a piece of meat on top of a piping hot grill for just a few seconds would cook the meat. The trial that he had to face appeared at a time when he could not afford to spare a few seconds. Still, Minhyuk had to keep cooking.

Perhaps the reason why Diablo wanted the tonkatsu desperately was because his mother made it for him in the past. Minhyuk could relate to him. After all, there were also times when Minhyuk would miss the dishes that his mother would cook for her.

Back then, he would eat those dishes in front of her and his mother would place a glass of water in front of him and fondly say,

‘Eat slowly or your stomach will hurt later.’

. The life that everyone lived normally from day to day had become an unforgettable memory for Minhyuk. So, he had to do his best here.

There was one thing that God Athenae and the system did not know. Minhyuk had already mastered the skill ‘Food God’s Cooking’. So, instead of persevering with a white vision, he would rather close his eyes. And that was what he did. To others, what Minhyuk was doing was quite astonishing. How could someone close their eyes while they were cooking? But then, a notification rang for Minhyuk.

[This is the perfect time to take the tonkatsu out of the oil.]

With his eyes closed, Minhyuk used his tongs and grabbed the tonkatsu out of the pot of oil. There was also one thing that God Athenae did not know. Minhyuk really,

really

liked tonkatsu. Because of that, he had fried tonkatsu tens of thousands of times. Even with his eyes closed, he could still skillfully pick up the tonkatsu from the sizzling oil. And that was not all.

Tak! Tak!?

He was even able to smack the excess oil out of the tonkatsu before placing it on a plate.

The unbearable heat and pain that coursed through his veins disappeared the moment he placed the tonkatsu on a plate. And what greeted Minhyuk when he opened his eyes was a tonkatsu fried to a perfect golden brown. A smile curled at the corner of his mouth as he poured the sauce on top of the tonkatsu. Then, he added some corn and salad next to it, together with the warm instant soup. Finally, a delicious meal was completed. Then, at that moment…

Shwaaaaaaaaaaaa—

…a pillar of light fell from the sky and covered the tonkatsu.

[You have completed a Tonkatsu.]

[Trance. It is a dish that has your ‘efforts’, ‘passion’, ‘love for someone’, ‘spirit of a true chef’ and ‘power to overcome hardships and limits’ poured into it.]

[You have made a dish that has transcended beyond the human realm.]

Notifications constantly rang in Minhyuk’s head.

[You have made a God-grade Tonkatsu.]

[‘Anonymous’ will be known to the entire continent for making a dish closest to God.]

[God’s Cooking skill will dramatically increase.]

[You have gained 100 DEX.]

[You have gained 200 REP.]

[You have gained 10,000 AP.]

[You have gained 300,000,000 EXP as a special reward.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled…]

[God’s Tonkatsu will have a crispier skin and a juicier and chewy meat inside.]

Then, Minhyuk gave the tonkatsu to Diablo.

***

Diablo was able to regain a bit of sanity and break away from his frenzied state for a moment when an unidentified pillar of light fell down from the sky. And what greeted him was the same man as last time. The very same man that listened to his story, cooked for him with all his might, and cried for him.

And this man did it all over again for him. Diablo might have been in a frenzied state, but he could remember everything that had transpired around him, as well as the feeling of using all of his power to endure the effects of the unidentified force that was forcing him to collapse and submit. Even though he had lost most of the emotions that he regained from the last time he saw the man, he was fully aware that the man dedicated himself and risked his life to save him from this strange power.

‘You’re still…’

Was there anyone else who treated him like a human being other than this man? A drop of tear fell down on his cheeks unknowingly. And despite his blurry vision, he watched as his body took the tonkatsu on its own. He thought,

‘If I go with him then…’

Diablo looked at the smiling Minhyuk.

‘…can I be happy?’