Chapter 47: Eating to Acquire Skills

Chapter 47

[Minhyuk: ???]

[General: You rascal...?]

[Minhyuk: ???]

[General: Wow, amazing… Do you really have that skill book?]

[Minhyuk: I got the skill after eating a monster.]

[General: At this point, I’m not even surprised anymore. You're really a star among stars. The best healing skill book available in the market is currently at the unique rank with a recovery rate between 25-30% and a cooldown of 40 minutes. Do you know why healing skill books are expensive?]

[Minhyuk: I sent Hyung a whisper because I don't know?]

[General: Potions are really expensive, and you’ll have to share the EXP with someone else if you bring a priest to the dungeon. But, with a healing skill book, you won’t need to bring a priest with you, and can monopolize the EXP. What do you think would happen if the rate was at 30-40%, like yours? It basically means that a player can recover their HP every 20 minutes by around 50% even without using a potion. In other words, your skill is enough to maintain your HP at max levels, almost all the time.]

[Minhyuk: Oh…!]

Minhyuk was quite surprised after hearing General’s explanation. The skill would allow him to recover 30-40% of his HP every 20 minutes. This meant that he could always keep his HP full and move forward as long as he had good control. For high-leveled players that hunt using potions, such a skill would help them stay in the dungeon longer.

[General: You can save on the price that you would pay to buy potions, and you can run dungeons again and again. This is why high-leveled players are willing to buy healing skill books despite their steep price. Right now, the best rated healing skill book in the market is around 100 million won and its recovery rate is only around 20-25% too.]

[Minhyuk: I see, thanks.]

[General: Yeah. Have fun!]

[Minhyuk: Yes, have fun too!]

Minhyuk ended his whisper with General. A hundred million won? Of course, it was true that Minhyuk might not care about anything aside from food, but the reason why he wanted to confirm with General was because…

'I need to learn just how strong I can get by eating.'

After listening to General, Minhyuk realized that the skill that he acquired today was so overpowered that it made him terrified.

'Monsters usually have stronger attributes compared to players...!'

Indeed. Monsters would generally have one special skill, or attribute on them. On the other hand, players tend to fight with different skills. They would even equip various items on their bodies and fight together to hunt monsters. So, what was important about monsters with special attributes?

These monsters could completely pressure players with just the power of their special attribute or skill. That one single skill they have in their arsenal would be more powerful compared to the players’ various skills. In other words, in obtaining the Absorption ability of the Sweet Potato Warrior, Minhyuk was already on par with a boss-level mob, compared to players around his level.

'I got something good after eating something delicious. Hehehe...'?Minhyuk thought. He felt happy that he received a good skill, but even more so to know that he got a special skill by eating what he wanted to eat. Minhyuk immediately checked the skills of Eccentric Food God.

(Eccentric Food God)

Passive Skill

Level: God

Level: 1

Effects:

Ignores the penalty when eating toxic food or ingredients from monsters.

?You acquire skills by eating monsters. The number of skills that can be saved and stored: 1/3.

?Acquiring skills might also fail. Also, for monsters with several skills and attributes, you may choose the skill that you want or acquire random skills. In the case of choosing random acquisition, a skill dice will be used. However, there’s still a possibility of acquisition failure.

?The monsters that can be eaten will depend on the level of Eccentric Food God. Edible monsters will glow black.

?You can’t eat common monsters. Only monsters above rare rank can be eaten.

?You can visualize the ingredients that can be taken away whenever you encounter an edible monster.

?Monsters will have a similar taste to modern ingredients but will be more delicious.

The common monsters are usually ranked normal. All mobs that were above normal were called Named Monsters. Rare Monsters would usually have a high drop rate for rare items and skill books. Unique monsters would have a high drop rate for unique items and skill books. The rest followed the same principle.

At the same time, the higher the level of the monster, the harder it was to fight against them. At the very least, a player challenging a unique monster for their class change quest would need to ask for tips or request help from other players and compensate them.

'Oh…!'

However, to Minhyuk, the most amazing thing about the skill was at the end of the skill description window. It said that the monsters would taste similar to modern ingredients and would be more delicious than them. Of course, nothing would happen if normal players ate it, the effect would only apply to Minhyuk who had the Eccentric Food God skill.

From what he gathered, the effect of ignoring the penalty from toxic food and eating monsters would be useful in the event of a situation like the poisonous apple from the sweet python from before. He also had three slots to store skills, of which, only two were left currently. There might be a chance that the number of skills that he could store would increase once the skill level went up, but this was only his assumption at this juncture. So, he still had to be careful about it.

'If that wasn't the case…?'

If that was not the case, then Minhyuk only needed to fill the remaining two slots with the best skills.

'If I eat a dragon, will I be able to get Hellfire or Meteor as a skill?'

Dragons were named monsters and were mostly known through legends. However, the thought of eating one to gain a skill just made Minhyuk nod happily while caught up in his daydreaming. However, the thing that made him most satisfied was the fact that the range of food that he could eat had expanded.

'Monsters have a taste that is similar to those ingredients in modern times. And it's even much more delicious than normal ingredients...'

Then, he thought aloud, "What would a real dragon taste like?"

Minhyuk was tilting his head in thought but anyone who heard it, they would feel that his words were truly brutal.

"I want to try and eat one!!" Minhyuk shouted, finding a reason to become much stronger. Finally, Minhyuk decided to check on the Food God Legacy Quest.

[Class Quest: Food God's Legacy]

Rank: Sealed

Requirements: Level 150

Rewards: Sealed

Penalty for Failure: Sealed

Description: Sealed

'Legacy quest, huh…'

Minhyuk felt that it was unusual. Just then, he thought,?'By any chance, in the past...'

Did it mean that an actual Food God existed in the past of Athenae? Minhyuk thought that it was possible. Of course, it was still true that he was not given some class like ‘Food God’s Descendant’, but it was still a very likely possibility. In any case, he would only be able to get more clues once he reached Level 150. However, the real reason why he was excited about this quest was,?'The Food God might know where all the good food?is!'

It seemed that Minhyuk would always start and end his thoughts with food.

***

After finishing the quest, Minhyuk went directly to Bran. Over the course of the quest, he had earned ten million gold, a million gold from each Sweet Potato Man. Considering that he only gained 100,000 gold during the subjugation quest, this was a great reward.

[Your DEX acquisition rate in the 'Farming Dungeon' has increased.]

[For Player Minhyuk only. Ellie's Sword and the rewarded DEX acquisition rate have been stacked. Your total DEX acquisition rate has increased by 6x. This can only be applied inside the Farming Dungeon.]

[Novice Farming has leveled up.]

[Novice Farming has leveled up.]

Notifications rang after he?had?completed his quest. Minhyuk was once again surprised, especially when his DEX acquisition rate and stat?had?increased again. Minhyuk usually cooked around fifty servings each time, a feat that any normal chef player would find impossible.

Most chefs would not even cook at home, so why would they cook inside the game if it was not needed? It would truly be difficult. As for Minhyuk, he found it enjoyable and delicious, so he kept on cooking various dishes. He also repeated his actions several times a day which improved his DEX by a lot. What's more, he had kept on digging out those sweet potatoes too. In other words, the increase in his DEX reflected an unimaginable speed, along with his massive acquisition rate.

'It's real... I can definitely sense the flavor and taste getting better and better, even if it's just by a little bit.'

It was a strange thing. The flavor of his food was becoming more delicious. It had been a vague feeling. However, over time, he could see that the seasonings were getting more perfect. It also seemed that he did not get tired of the food easily even when he ate it over and over again. If that was not delicious, then what was? Delicious food, in a way, would make someone unconsciously eat two bowls of rice in one go. Of course, in Minhyuk’s case, he would be eating 200 bowls, instead of 100 bowls of rice.

So, Minhyuk made a promise to himself. He thought,?'I will definitely dig up all of the sweet potatoes here and eat them!'

Then, he checked the contents of his farming skill right away.

(Novice Farming)

Passive Skill

Level: 5

Effects:

?You will be 16% faster whenever you gather or dig for materials and ingredients.

?You have a 9% chance of obtaining better materials and ingredients.

'Each time the Novice Farming levels up, my speed at collecting materials and ingredients will always increase by 3%. Even my digging speed and chances of harvesting a more delicious potato increase by 3% too.’

Minhyuk was extremely pleased with this development. Then, he left all thoughts of his skills behind and began to cook again. This time, he wanted to make some caramelized sweet potato and sweet potato pizza. Caramelized sweet potato could be done easily. All Minhyuk needed to do was chop the sweet potatoes evenly and fry them in oil at an appropriate temperature. He easily finished the dish by sprinkling some corn syrup, or honey, as well as some sesame seeds. Another alternative to honey or syrup was boiled sugar. Then, Minhyuk began making sweet potato pizza.

Whenever he thought of sweet potato pizza, he would always remember one memory from his school days,?'I used to buy and eat plenty of pizza from Pizza Schoon.'

Minhyuk had hidden the fact that his dad, Kang Minhoo, was the chairman of his own company when he was attending middle school. He lived his life simply back then. There was this 5,000 won pizza store near his school called Pizza Schoon where he and three of his friends would always go to. He would usually collect 1,000 won from the other two to eat the sweet potato pizza in the store.

'Kyaa. Pizza Schoon's sweet potato pizza. I can still remember the taste clearly!'

Minhyuk recalled the thin crust of pizza covered with a thick layer of sweet potato and a drizzle of sauce. He also recalled paying a few hundred of won to buy separate pickles and 500 milliliters of coca cola poured in plastic cups. Minhyuk smiled happily at the thought as he finished cooking everything.

'I'm going to eat the golden sweet potato by myself~'?Minhyuk thought, deciding to eat the delicious golden sweet potato later when he got the chance to be alone. He looked at the finished products in satisfaction as he listened to the notification asking him to choose between Food God’s True Worth and Buff Ability. There was also a notification about choosing the main ingredient of the dish. Minhyuk quickly selected his choices.

“...The sweet potatoes that I worked so hard to farm,” Bran sighed sadly. He looked like he was about to cry. After all, there were around 15 sweet potato pizzas in front of him, together with a large basin filled with caramelized sweet potatoes.

"Hey, come on and have a taste. It will not taste as good when it cools down."

Glare!

Bran glared at Minhyuk who was already licking his lips as he picked up a slice of sweet potato pizza.

Stretch―

The cheese softly stretched out as Minhyuk pulled the warm pizza away. Then, he quickly took a big bite of pizza the moment the cheese broke off.

Aaaaaaaah, chomp—

Almost half of the pizza disappeared in a single bite. Minhyuk even slurped up the stretched-out cheese. The sweet flavor of the sweet potato, the sweet sauce, the cheese, and the thin crust blended perfectly in Minhyuk’s mouth. The soft and chewy cheese was rich, yet mellow. Although a bit greasy, the sweetness of the sauce and sweet potato complemented it perfectly. Then, Minhyuk reached out for a paper cup and poured some cola inside, before eating another slice of pizza. This was the part where he had to exercise some delicacy. Minhyuk picked up the cup with the palm of his hands, in order to prevent his oily, sauced-covered fingers from staining the cup. Only then, he drank his cup of cola happily.

"Keuhaa!"

Minhyuk could feel the fizziness of the cola flow down his throat, leaving a tingling sensation behind along with a burst of sweetness. He could not help but admire the fact that the cola could easily wash away the greasy taste of the pizza.

"Amazing. This is really delicious!"

[You have received Bran’s favor.]

Bran, who was sitting on the opposite side, also expressed his admiration. He had a sulky expression on his face just a while ago, but right now, he looked extremely satisfied. Minhyuk grinned at him as he poked his fork in the caramelized sweet potato, before chewing on it. The sweet and thick taste of oligosaccharide, followed by the dry sweet potato, spread inside his mouth. Minhyuk looked genuinely happy. Seeing this, Bran unknowingly showed a fatherly smile. Then, he stopped himself as he thought,?'He ate all of my sweet potatoes!'

"Boy, don't you think it's about time that you left?" Bran said.

Minhyuk was sly and quickly said, "These sweet potatoes, I have to dig them all up. Plus, I still have to make full use of the double EXP here."

"You might get the EXP, but you won't get any items, aren’t items important too?!" Bran grumbled. This was the very first time that an NPC told a player to?‘Please leave!’.

"It's alright. Bran's sweet potatoes are so delicious that I'm very happy to keep on digging them!"

“...”

Bran was left speechless in defeat.

‘Why was there a man like this?!’

"It's also fun to increase my DEX!"

"I… is that so?" Bran said in hesitation. However, he also looked quite pleased. He thought,?'Perhaps…'

Bran wondered if Minhyuk would be able to get the last reward that was left in this dungeon. Still, he shook his head, thinking,?'It's not possible, he will definitely choose the immediate rewards.'

As conflicted thoughts ran through his mind, Bran continued to eat. Once they finished everything, Minhyuk finally patted his stomach in satisfaction.

"Ah, I should have some boiled sweet potatoes for dessert!"

"..."

Bran looked at him in silence for a moment before speaking, "I can only say this."

Minhyuk sat up properly after seeing his solemn expression.

"Yes?"

"Elephants eat an average of 150 kilograms per day. Boy, I think you're similar to that."

"..."

"But… For an elephant, for every 150 kilograms that it consumes, it will release 130 kilograms of excrement. From what I heard, it’s because they have a high fiber diet. If that’s the case, do you excrete around 130 kilograms per day?”

"...!"

Minhyuk was astonished by what Bran said!