Gourmet Gaming

Chapter 739: God of Birth Gaerna

[According to reports, the Beyond the Heavens Kingdom’s finances are not doing well.]

[The people of Korea: He’s working hard to campaign so that the people will buy from Ilhwa Group.]

[Ilhwa Group’s stock prices have seen a dramatic increase.]

[Food God Minhyuk: Chosen as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.]

[The hundred billion won distributed to the various kingdoms and empires that fell victim to Gaerna. The kingdoms and empires are now showing a favorable impression toward Beyond the Heavens Kingdom.]

[Where was the Luvien Empire during Gaerna’s hunt? The kingdoms and empires in the world of Athenae might be showing favor to Beyond the Heavens Kingdom but they are acting coldly toward the Luvien Empire.]

[Experts: We can assume that Food God Minhyuk has received quite a lot of rewards to willingly offer 100 billion to help the victims of Gaerna.]

[Experts: The value of the Food God’s 100 billion won is not something that can be bought so easily.]

[Minhyuk ranked first in ‘Who do Teens Want to be Like the Most?’]

[Expert Im Tae-Ho says that the Food God’s worth is 100 billion won.]

[What is the ‘worth’ that the expert is talking about?]

[Many kingdoms and empires have received damage from Gaerna’s hunt. There are even small nations that received so much damage that it will be very hard for them to recover. The place where Gaerna appeared was in the vicinity where three small nations were gathered. They sent their soldiers out the moment they saw Gaerna advance and were promptly wiped out. Something like this could be considered as an irredeemable crisis for small kingdoms and nations like them. However, the king of the Beyond the Heavens Kingdom has lent them a helping hand during their time of great crisis.]

[Then, that means that Food God Minhyuk bought the hearts of those kingdoms and empires with just 100 billion won?]

[That’s right. Minhyuk is obviously a very clever person. Bear in mind, there were only about 600 survivors. These are talented people that have received the support from their respective kingdoms and empires. They will obviously run to their kings and emperors and say, ‘You have to forge a close relationship with the Beyond the Heavens Kingdom, Your Majesty!’]

[Listening to it, I can say that it’s highly likely to happen.]

[We don’t know if this is what Food God Minhyuk intended to do but his actions have ensured that he has taken a step closer to establishing his own empire.]

As various articles and stories poured out about the Food God, Minhyuk’s value continued to rise. Even famous celebrities and third-generation chaebol ladies were explicitly stating their favor toward Minhyuk on SNS.

[Did you see what Choego Group’s Kim Hae-Ri has posted on SNS?]

[That guy who’s very hot these days? I want to meet him. That’s what she said, right? I’m pretty sure she’s saying this so she can meet Minhyuk.]

[Kim Hae-Ri is that person that we call Mom’s Favorite, right? She is famous for her good personality, her celebrity-like looks, and she’s even the daughter of the Choego Group’s chairman…]

[Ever since Kim Hae-Ri revealed her feelings on SNS, celebrities and popular figures have stopped posting on SNS.]

[Is it because they can’t compete with her?]

[What’s more, the Ilhwa Group and the Choego Group are on fairly good terms.]

[Wow. I’m so jealous of Minhyuk. Kim Hae-Ri…]

The Choego Group was not as big as the Ilhwa Group or the Daehan Group, but it was still one of the top ten of Korea’s conglomerates.

Although Kim Hae-Ri was a third generation chaebol, she graduated from Harvard University in America and was renowned for her good deeds. She also received the love of many for her outstanding beauty. Considering that these things were quite unusual for someone that was just a third generation chaebol, it might be an indication of how much Kim Hae-Ri was considered as the best woman of her era.

While so many people were paying attention to him, Minnyuk was busy checking the rewards that he received alone in his office.

[You have killed Gaerna.]

[You were the Alliance’s King during Gaerna’s Hunt.]

[The rewards that you will receive will be better than others.]

[You have made surprisingly great contributions in Gaerna’s hunt. The rewards that you will receive will be better.]

[You have gained 32,513 platinum.]

[You have gained 11,313,111,000 EXP.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[…leveled up.]

[…leveled up.]

[…leveled up.]

[You have acquired Gaerna’s Life Elixir (2).]

[You have acquired Gaerna’s Map to Overcome One’s Limitations.]

[You have acquired Gaerna’s Parasitic Ring.]

[You have acquired The Master of Aeropia’s Necklace.]

[You have acquired the Six Monster Gods’ Skill Creation Book.]

[You have gained 3 God’s SP.]

[You will receive rewards based on your contribution.]

[You have gained 30,000,000,000 EXP.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have gained 52,311 platinum.]

[You have acquired 5 Mandala’s Elixir.]

[You have acquired 1 Mandala’s Growth Potion.]

[You have acquired Mandala’s Treasure Chest.]

[You have acquired Mandala’s Treasure Hunting Map.]

[You have gained 200 special Stat Points (STP).]

He had gained more than 50,000 platinum. Just this alone proved that the rewards this time were far more unconventional and grander than he had imagined. Of course, in Minhyuk’s case, this might be because he was appointed as the Alliance’s King and had made great contributions.

Minhyuk then left that behind and looked at the list of his rewards. First was the Mandala’s Growth Potion. Once the potion was consumed, the user’s EXP Acquisition Rate will increase by 30x for an entire hour.

‘What? Isn’t this too much of a cheat?’

Of course, the growth potion was like a double-edged sword. In fact, if he took everything in consideration, consuming an EXP potion that had a two-week duration might be more beneficial than this one. However, what if he could gain a huge amount of EXP in an hour?

‘Then, it would be better than taking several week-long EXP potions.’

As for the Mandala’s Elixir, it was an exceptional recovery potion that money could not buy.

‘It can recover your HP and MP to 100% and has no cooldown? On top of that, it can also increase your defensive power by 20%?’

The only word that could come out of Minhyuk’s mouth was ‘crazy.’

There was also the Mandala’s Treasure Chest. It was an item that worked just like any other Treasure Chest where one would randomly get a potion made by Mandala once opened. Mandala’s Treasure Hunting Map was an item that would allow the item user to find whatever they wanted.

Then, there were the 200 special STPs. These were points that could increase stats that could not be increased by regular STPs, like Will and DEX. Minhyuk had actually received 200 of them. However, he decided not to use them for now.

Minhyuk then turned his attention to the rewards that he received for killing Gaerna. The first one was Gaerna’s Life Elixir.

‘You can even save the dead with this…?’

It was a completely crazy elixir with an astronomical value. The next one was Gaerna’s Map to Overcome One’s Limitations.

‘There’s someone in Beyond the Heavens that needs this.’

Minhyuk chuckled. The effect of the item was none other than locating a way to overcome the person’s limits. Next was the Master of Aeropia’s Necklace.

‘This is a token of recognition that recognizes one as the master of the Insect Kingdom…’

To put it simply, Gaerna was the Queen of Insects. Aeropia was the land of insects. Minhyuk stared at the item and thought that it would probably be able to contribute to the development of Beyond the Heavens Kingdom into an empire.

But the most notable item was the Six Monster Gods’ Skill Creation Book. It allowed the user to combine the skills in their possession or create the skills that they wanted. Minhyuk believed that the use of this item needed careful consideration.

‘If it’s not too absurd, then maybe it’s possible?’

Perhaps Minhyuk could use this to create a skill that was along the lines of Double Food, Double Skill, or maybe something along the lines of Sword of Absolute Death.

‘This is amazing.’

Even though Gaerna did not drop any outstanding artifacts, the rewards that Minhyuk received were more than satisfactory. The only thing that he was disappointed about was, of course, regarding food.

‘There’s nothing here that I can eat. Tch.’

However, there was really no need for him to feel sad. After all, the Mandala’s Treasure Hunting Map could help him find whatever it was that he wanted.

‘I need to take a break.’

Minhyuk had rescued Brod and killed one of the Six Monster Gods, Gaerna, within the span of a short time. He badly needed to take a break.

‘Tomorrow’s Christmas. Ah. It’s also Genie’s birthday.’

Minhyuk recalled the Beyond the Heavens’ Vice Guild Master Genie. Christmas was just right around the corner, which meant that it was his dear old friend’s birthday.

After going around the kingdom’s capital once, Minhyuk logged out of the game.

***

Royal Department Store was owned by the Ilhwa Group, located in Gangnam with various luxury stores located inside.

Inside one of the world-renowned luxury brand’s stores, a woman in her early twenties was seen bowing down while the rest of the staff around her were fidgeting.

“F*ck, I already told you. My baby at home accidentally took off the tag. This has never been worn. But you’re telling me that you can’t give me a refund because of your regulations? F*ck that.”

“Sir, according to our regulations, products with their tags removed…”

“No. The tag was just removed. Ah, I really don’t like the way this girl talks to me.”

Kim Heung-Soo, a man in his early thirties, was a VIP client that spent around a million won per year at the Royal Department Store. However, he brought forward a pair of luxury shoes that had clear signs of wear and was demanding a refund.

The truth was, Kim Heung-Soo knew that he would not be able to get a refund with this. However, he was in a very bad mood today and wanted to abuse his power as a VIP and show off his superiority.

Surprisingly enough, something like this often happened in the Royal Department Store.

“We’re very sorry, sir.”

In the end, the employee in her early twenties, Im Yoon-Ah, bit her lips and apologized even though she did not know what she was apologizing for.

“But you don’t look sorry at all?” Kim Heung-Soo rolled his eyes. He found it unpleasant to hear that products with their tags removed were not eligible for refund. Then, he gestured with his eyes, glancing on the floor beneath them.

“That… sir. No matter how much you’re a VIP, that’s a bit…”

The manager immediately noticed the meaning of his gesture and tried to stop him.

“Should I lodge a formal complaint?”

Complaints from VIP were very fatal. There had never been a case where the department stores protected their employees after a complaint. They would always protect their customers. This was how ordinary department stores usually worked.

However, the reason why Im Yoon-Ah took a job at the Royal Department Store was because of something else. The representative of the Royal Department Store had recently been changed and became Ilhwa Group’s successor, Minhyuk.

Minhyuk had mentioned something when he went around the department store recently.

—Customers might be king but the staff is my family. As my family, if someone dares to speak informally to you, then speak informally to them. If they cursed at you, then curse at them too. I, and Ilhwa Group’s legal team, will take responsibility for you.

Lim Yoon-Ah brooded over those words.

Once again, Kim Heung-Soo glanced at the floor. It was a gesture that wanted her to kneel down on his feet. He wondered if her trembling legs would drop to the ground.

“This b*tch. If you did something wrong to your customers then you have to apologize…”

‘If a customer speaks informally, then speak informally to them.’

Thus, Im Yoon-Ah steeled herself and shouted, “You f*cking bastard! How dare you call me b*tch! You’re the one that’s a f*cking mother*cking b*tch!!!”

“…”

“…”

A moment of silence passed. Everyone in the store was flustered. At that moment, Kim Heung-Soo raised his arms.

“This crazy b*tch! Is this how the Royal Department Store treats their customers?! You curse at them?!”

Then, he tried to swing his arm. Im Yoon-Ah closed her eyes tightly to prepare for the impact.

“I was the one that ordered it. You really are a shitty pig-like bastard, huh?”

“…”

Kim Heung-Soo’s arm stopped as he turned to look back.

A 185-centimeter-tall man clad in a fitted black suit with a face that seemed to be sculpted by the gods, stood with his hands in his pockets. There were dozens of the department store’s executives standing behind him too.

“I ordered them to speak informally if any customer spoke informally to them, and curse if the customers cursed at them. “

Kim Heung-Soo knew this man’s name. He was the owner of the Royal Department Store and the heir to Ilhwa Group. He was the most influential person in the world right now, and with a simple order, it could break his company and turn it into ruins in just a week.

With dozens of executives lined up behind him, he stood in front of Kim Heung-Soo and asked, “Got a problem with that?”