Leveling Up Through Eating

In the first place, Rocado and Beradon did not intend to form any factions. They did not even wish to become kings. It was just that the two of them possessed too much power that the other candidates, who wanted to follow them, appeared and gathered under their names.

Those candidates scrambled to kneel in front of Rocado and Beradon.

“I told you not to do something like that!”

“Hoho. You all kept calling me the King of Good, but didn’t I tell you? I do not have any intention of taking that title. Yet you continue to do so and even used my name to act as you pleased.”

Simply put, they were using their names and enjoying the power and influence that came with it.

After scolding them, Beradon and Rocado approached Minhyuk.

“The truth is, we don’t have the power to punish them. Well, we can do that. But if we decide to do that, then…”

Although they did not finish their words, the implications were obvious. When they punished these people, they acknowledged and accepted that they would wield their power to rule this land.

“That’s why… we’ll leave it to you.”

“They’re not bad(?) kids.”

After hearing the two old men\'s words, Minhyuk pondered how he should roll these guys around. At that moment, he thought of something. He turned to Beradon and said, “Rocado, Master Beradon, do you acknowledge me?”

“Ah. Of course, I do.”

“Of course. Why do you have to ask something like this? Hoho.”

At the same time, a series of notifications rang in Minhyuk’s ears.

[The King of All Creators has acknowledged you.]

[The King of Good has acknowledged you.]

[The Ingredient Brimming with Potential has grown significantly with the acknowledgment of the King of All Creators and the King of Good.]

Minhyuk had received the acknowledgment of a former Pillar and Pillar Candidate. Upon receiving others’ acknowledgment, Minhyuk would receive a reward—the growth of the Ingredient Brimming with Potential.

When Minhyuk knocked down Wels, he had already received more than thirty notifications about being acknowledged by the candidates. When Rocado and Beradon appeared, almost all of the candidates present had given him their acknowledgment.

Not long after, Minhyuk received another notification.

[The Ingredient Brimming with Potential has grown into a Delicious Ingredient that Suits Your Taste.]

The ingredient has achieved its first growth. Minhyuk checked the description of the Delicious Ingredient that Suits Your Taste.

(???)

Ingredient Grade: Delicious Ingredient that Suits Your Taste

Special Abilities:

•Upon completing the quest, the ingredient will take the form of any ingredient you want.

•Generally, it possesses special abilities comparable to any legendary-grade ingredient. The effects can only be checked upon completion.

Description: Whenever you complete Pillar Candidate Quests triggered in the banquet hall, the Ingredient Brimming with Potential will grow further.

At this moment, Minhyuk realized how great the Ingredient Brimming with Potential was.

‘Every time I complete a quest, the ingredient will grow?’

The ingredient had grown to a level comparable to a legendary-grade ingredient. If Minhyuk continued to complete quests in this place, then the Ingredient Brimming with Potential could continue to grow.

‘Maybe it can grow at the level of a Pillar-grade ingredient? Or maybe… it can also grow to an ingredient with a level that far surpasses that!’

Minhyuk’s heart thumped wildly with excitement. An ingredient that surpassed the Pillar Ingredients! Of course, there was a high chance that it was impossible to achieve that level. But imagining it alone was enough to leave him with overwhelming excitement.

Ring!

[Linked Quest: Get to Know the Candidates of the Past.]

Rank: SSS

Requirements: The one invited to the Candidates’ Banquet.

Rewards: The Ingredient Brimming with Potential will grow based on the candidates’ favorability toward you.

Penalty for Failure: You will be kicked out of the banquet.

Description: You have now received acknowledgment and recognition of past candidates. But! Is your relationship with them alright?

Minhyuk shook his head unknowingly in response to the description he had just read. His relationship with the candidates of the past could only be described as poor.

‘I thought I could learn something and grow further if I learn and observe from the candidates of the past.’

If they hadn’t treated him like that initially, Minhyuk would have treated them nicely and even fed them delicious meals. He wanted to get close to them and learn something from them.

After all, even though they had failed to become Pillars, they were still candidates who stood at the peak and became distinguished existences in their fields. They would have been a great help to Minhyuk. But their courses of action and behavior had immediately reversed the direction of the path that he wanted to take when meeting them. If that was the case, then?

‘All I can do is mend it and set things right.’

But before everything else, Minhyuk cooked a delicious meal for Beradon and Rocado to snack on. He made kimchi jjigae, a perfect snack to eat when drinking.

Minhyuk wanted to serve Beradon kimchi jjigae when he went to meet him. But when he arrived in the mountains, he discovered that Helenia had already killed the old man. Fortunately, he could serve him a delicious bowl of kimchi jjigae in this place.

Beradon and Rocado settled on one side of the banquet hall and began to eat their kimchi jjigae. As for Minhyuk? He approached the members of the faction of the King of All Creators and King of Good, who were all prostrate on the ground.

“You heard everything earlier, right?”

All of them flinched at the same time.

***

The members of the faction of the King of All Creators and the King of Good all had the same thought running through their heads.

‘We’re f*cked.’

They have proven something after hearing Beradon and Rocado’s words earlier. Evil God Obren had become this man’s knight(?) and had even risked his own life to save him. They also realized that Helenia, the being who threatened the safety of the entire universe, died at his hands.

The man before them had made a very shocking and enormous achievement. But that was not all. He also had the full and unending support of the King of All Creators and the King of Good.

Simply put, the man in front of them was the apex predator, standing at the top of the food chain.

“You heard everything earlier, right?”

Just a few moments earlier, the King of All Creators and the King of Good told the man to do what he wanted with them. So, hearing these words sounded like a death sentence in their ears. It was like how they tried to suppress him with a method beyond common sense.

‘Even if he punishes us with something beyond common sense, we still have nothing to say.’

The man was not the King of All Creators nor the King of Good. But he was someone that they cherished and treated preciously. And them? They were nothing but the self-proclaimed followers of the two kings. Not only that, this man had Obren as his knight and had also killed Helenia with his own hands.

“We did not know that you are the King of All Creators’ benefactor and the disciple of the King of Good.” Rokan struck while the iron was hot. “We deserve to die!”

Rokan thought that they should be flexible and bend as much as possible.

“Is that so? Shall we make it quick, then?”

“...”

“It seems like it would be better to cut off your heads right off the bat, right?”

“...”

“P-please spare us.”

Their faces and tone immediately changed. It was like flipping a coin!

“Just because I was a candidate from the current era and someone who wanted to become the Pillar of the Gourmands, you ignored my existence and even ganged up to persecute me. Tell me, will you have any complaints if I decide to take your heads right now?”

To be honest, they would not be able to refute and complain.

‘What we did is like ridiculing and mocking a friend of the king of our very own nation.’

‘Yes, he’s right. Even if he takes our heads, we won’t be able to say anything.’

All of them shook and trembled from fear.

Of course, they could stand up and go against the man before them. There were a lot of candidates here who were better than the man named Minhyuk. In a kingdom, was someone not stronger than their king? Even though many people were stronger than their king, they still chose to live and die for their monarch because of their sense of loyalty and their love for their kingdom.

Right now, everyone present was in a situation where they could not afford to rebuke or complain against Minhyuk.

Minhyuk watched them shake and tremble before saying, “But I… will choose to forgive everyone.”

“...?”

Many candidates raised their heads and looked around, trying to determine whether they had heard this unexpected remark.

“I have rebuked you because you acted wantonly and used the influence and power of the King of All Creators and the King of Good. I cannot do something that I detest doing.”

Everyone felt even more ashamed of themselves. He said that he would not resort to acting like them, would not even try to ignore them, and would not crush them with the power of others as they did.

“If you can’t acknowledge me just because I am the Pillar of the Gourmands, then I will just have to make you see that I’m worthy of acknowledgment.

“If I look infinitely weak, then I’ll just have to prove that I’m worthy of acknowledgment.”

Minhyuk had already received their acknowledgment. But when he said that he would have them recognize his worth by his power and not by the power and influence of the King of All Creators and the King of Good, everyone present felt deeply moved.

[Rokan’s favor has increased.]

[Wel’s favor has increased.]

[Amard’s favor has increased.]

[Beghanel’s favor has increased.]

The notifications rang non-stop in Minhyuk’s ears.

Minhyuk had turned the situation around in an instant. With these simple words, he had completely resolved the almost crumbling relationship between him and the other candidates.

“I’m still lacking.”

Minhyuk asked himself if he could beat Pillar of Death Boleyn and Master of Nature Verodun when they had to decide who would become a Pillar. The answer to that was a resounding no. It was impossible. The results of the Advanced Polls came to be because Minhyuk had created a spectacular show that dragged in the votes to his side.

Knowing that, Minhyuk wanted to make full use of this opportunity and get everything he wanted and needed in this banquet hall, a place that he firmly believed to be a land filled with opportunities.

“So, please help me.”

“...!”

“...!”

Everyone was shocked. The one who killed Helenia and had Obren as his vassal was asking them for help.

‘Unlike us, who disregarded and mocked him, he acknowledged us and even respected our power and strength.’

‘Even though he has Obren wrapped around his finger(?), he’s still being polite with us?’

‘He’s a true gentleman.’

Once again, the people\'s favor of Minhyuk increased.

[The Delicious Ingredient that Suits Your Taste is getting closer to becoming a Fantastic Ingredient.]

Rokan raised his head slightly and asked, “How can we help you?”

Minhyuk smiled. “You have failed to become a member of the Eight Pillars.”

“Why are you suddenly hitting us where it hurts…?”

Every single one of them felt like they had been hit where it hurt the most.

“I am also severely lacking and am still short of becoming a Pillar.” Minhyuk put the icing on the cake. “Of course, I won’t just ask you for your help.”

Minhyuk had already noticed that there would be obvious limitations and restrictions to what he could get from this banquet hall if it were just based on mere words alone.

“I will prove my qualifications to you by doing what you need, what you want, what you want to accomplish, or giving you what you lack. In exchange, I want you to lend me some of your powers.”

At the same time, Minhyuk activated the Growth Cultivator. Not long after, the notifications rang.

[The Pillar of Gourmands wants to prove his qualifications by helping you solve what has been troubling you, giving you a headache, or doing something you have suggested or offered.]

[If he fails to prove his qualifications, he will be met with penalties and will be kicked out of the Candidates’ Banquet.]

[If he can prove his qualification by fulfilling three of your requests, he can choose one of your powers and acquire it as his own.]

[One person will be automatically selected to represent everyone and their opinions.]

[The chosen representative is King of Destruction Rundalk.]

“...?”

Minhyuk’s head snapped toward the unexpected variable that made its presence known.

King of Destruction Rundalk differed from the King of All Creators and the King of Good. He was actually someone Minhyuk did not know.

[King of Destruction Rundalk. Level 1,131.]

It was on an outrageous level.

The man, who had a slender physique similar to Minhyuk’s, crossed his arms and looked at Minhyuk in interest. The members of the faction that followed him were also staring at Minhyuk.

The members of the factions of the King of All Creators and the King of Good also noticed that the situation was becoming somewhat unusual.

Unlike Beradon and Rocado, King of Destruction Rundalk had been in the banquet hall since the beginning. He had been standing among the candidates who mocked and criticized Minhyuk. He watched the situation from the sidelines and did not criticize or defend Minhyuk. He just did nothing. So, to put it simply, he had nothing to do with all of this at all.

In the Land of the Leaders, Rundalk chose to live differently from Rocado and Beradon. Unlike the two, who did not want any factions to form, he continued to maintain his own faction.

King of Destruction Rundalk knew that if he accepted this proposal, Minhyuk might be able to obtain his abilities or the abilities of the members of his faction.

“Interesting. But I don’t believe any of it.”

King of Destruction Rundalk could not confirm what had happened on Earth. Of course, the other candidates were also the same.

Only Rocado and Beradon recently came here. Since they had always favored Minhyuk, Rundalk could not take their word for it.

Rundalk jutted his chin out and pointed to a man. “He’s the Master of the Knights Wagner. He possesses a special power. He has the power to observe and see through his opponents.”

King of Destruction Rundalk chuckled. “He’s not one of the Pillars but he was able to cut down Helenia? Not only that, but you’re also saying that he has Obren under his command. Do you think that’s believable? King of Good, King of All Creators, are you two conspiring to help build this young man’s power and turn him into one of the Pillars?”

His words were fair. Even so, Beradon and Rocado did not say much to refute his questioning words. Because of that, the people listening to them earlier fell into confusion. If they were to be honest, they truly thought that it was not realistic. He was only a Pillar Candidate, yet he could kill one of the Pillars and even have one under his command?

“Let me check.”

Minhyuk nodded lightly. “If you prove everything said about me is true after checking me, will you accept?”

“Of course.” King of Destruction Rundalk grinned.

Perhaps he thought this would prove that the King of Good and the King of All Creators were not as clean and upright as everyone believed them to be.

Master of Knights Wagner stepped forward. “Please do not resist and just accept it. I will now observe you with my power.”

Minhyuk nodded and readily accepted his request.

[The Power of Observation has started.]

Wagner closed his eyes upon starting to use his Power of Observation. The Power of Observation would create an illusion of all the people around the person he was observing and show it to him.

“...!”

When he checked Minhyuk with the Power of Observation, goosebumps rose all over Wagner’s body. This was because standing right next to Minhyuk was none other than Evil God Obren, a being that he had only heard from the myths.

And Obren was glaring at him.

“A-aaaaaaaack! O-Obren! It’s Obren! It’s Evil God Obren!” Wagner screamed, his hips colliding with the ground as his legs fell out on him.

[One of the Absolute Gods, the God that Lives for Someone, Leads Someone on the Right Path, and Protects Someone, is looking at you with a cold and sharp glare.]

Obren was different from the other Absolute Gods. Unlike them, he had the power to watch the Beyond the Heavens Empire or any place where Minhyuk, the emperor of the empire that he was protecting, was. And sometimes, he could also reveal his figure to them.

A bright and blinding light flashed. When that light disappeared, the “real” Obren appeared with a glare as he looked at the King of Destruction Rundalk.

[Who is it?]

[Who dares to hurt my friend?]

At that moment, Minhyuk thought, ‘My friend is really freaking cool!’