Leveling Up through Eating

Chapter 1234

Chapter 1234

The entire world was turned upside down.

The number one search term on portal sites worldwide was Battle God’s Succession Ceremony, which was immediately followed by Minhyuk.

Countless articles were also being published by the minute.

[Ilhwa Group’s stock prices have crossed their previous highs.]

[Financial Experts: Now it is at its cheapest!]

[Forbes has chosen! Minhyuk is now the most influential person in the world.]

[Battle God Minhyuk appoints the previous Battle God as his aide. Two birds with one stone!]

[South Korea is in a festive mood.]

[South Korea: The people insist on making this day ‘Minhyuk’s Day.’]

[The government’s embarrassment has been revealed.]

[Minhyuk warns: Don’t use me as an excuse just because you want another holiday.]

[Students and Workers: Flinching in guilt.]

[Minhyuk is now standing at the center of the world’s greatest Hallyu-wave! According to reports, the wave that he has set off has a much more significant influence than the wave and influence that BTS had made in the past.]

[Migrants are flocking to the Beyond the Heavens Empire.]

Of course, the communities’ message boards were also in an uproar.

[When will Battle God Minhyuk reveal all of his power and influence now? Is he going to reveal it right away? Minhyuk! Conquer and dominate the Land of the Gods!]

[Oh! Is it possible to purge the arrogant gods of the Land of the Gods?!]

[Guys! Think about it. Wouldn’t Minhyuk, a player, becoming the Battle God benefit us? Just think about it. He can say, ‘Distribute another item to those poor and unfortunate players,' right?!]

[Huh... that sounds possible...?]

[Lmao! Minhyuk becoming the Battle God is very good for us! I like that!]

[Wow! I’m curious about something though. Now that Minhyuk has become the Battle God, I want to see the great things he can do! Can he tell the gods, ‘Bring me the materials and make me the supreme sword.’ or something along those lines?] rAɴȯBÊṦ

[Ah! That’s fckn possible!]

[Oh! Yeah, yeah! He can!]

***

“Impossible.”

“...?”

“Everything that you said is impossible.”

After the succession ceremony, Minhyuk came to the Battle God’s Audience Hall and asked his aide Belson several things.

‘Is it okay for me to eat as many high-quality God-grade ingredients as I want in the Land of the Gods?’, ‘Can I invite any of my friends who are curious about the Land of the Gods to visit?’ These were a few of the questions that he asked. He even asked if he could borrow the power of the God of Experience.

Belson’s answer to every single one was, ‘No. Impossible.’

“Why not? I’m the Battle God, no?”

“I’m your aide, no?”

“...But I’m the Battle God...?”

“And I am your aide?”

“...”

“...”

At this moment, Minhyuk suddenly thought, ‘My aide is really strong.’

“If I insist...?”

“You can try.”

“...”

Minhyuk looked like a cat got his tongue. In the end, he could only grin and smile. His aide, Belson, also smiled at him.

Belson had decided to act politely toward Minhyuk in the public eye. Even before, when Minhyuk and Belson were the next-generation Battle God and the current Battle God, their relationship was already tied as uncle and nephew. So, in private, they acted familiar and close to each other.

Belson laid out the situation in very realistic terms to Minhyuk. “The Battle God can do many things. And that is a problem in and of itself. The moment you try to do anything and everything, you will take it for granted and start to sow distrust among your subjects. Once that happens, the factions supporting other Battle God candidates will swoop in, squeeze through those gaps, and try to usurp you.”

Aide Belson has been the Battle God for a very long time. He was clear about what the Battle God could or could not do, which benefited Minhyuk.

Just like Supercomputer Athenae had mentioned, Minhyuk would most likely be stripped of his power and qualifications as the Battle God if he dared to abuse his power or made a single mistake. Now, that was no longer the case. As long as Aide Belson was by Minhyuk’s side, he could never walk that path.

Minhyuk, who suddenly became the Battle God, finally remembered the notifications he had heard earlier. He immediately called up the notification window and read the notifications.

[The name ‘Next-Generation Battle God’ has disappeared.]

[You have now become one of the Absolute Gods.]

[You have become the God who Leads and Rules Over All the Armies. You have become the true Battle God.]

It was just as Belson said. This selection was a tradition, and a practice passed down from generation to generation. All of the Heavenly Generals who had been appointed came from the Land of the Gods. Most of them were gods. And they did not just have a master-subordinate relationship with the Battle God.

Belson added, “The Battle God does not live in the Land of the Gods. He has not yet built and accumulated enough virtue in this land. The people with whom the Battle God has gained virtue had already become his subordinates.”

That was why it was a problem.

“The fact that the Battle God cannot select Heavenly Generals from his vassals seems to be an act to undermine his status and position.”

Grand General Jenel immediately denied it. “This is an event that all Battle Gods have participated in. The army also wishes for this. They want to know the path that Lord Minhyuk, the person who has succeeded the throne of the Battle God, had taken. They want to know what kind of people he had won the hearts of and if these people can lead the Land of the Gods. One of the previous Battle Gods had coaxed and won the heart of Aran, one of the Pillar candidates. He was not from the Land of the Gods but from Earth.”

“...Ahem.”

“Aran had become a Heavenly General who gained our recognition and acknowledgment. His power was worthy of his title as the Pillar Candidate. Even the gods could not compare with him. This shocked everyone. That’s not all. When the Pillar Candidate was appointed and chosen to enter the Land of the Gods, the Land of the Gods instantly recognized his strength. Constant warnings rang all over the entire land, leaving all the people in shock and astonishment.” Then, Jenel said, “How was it like with the first Battle God?”

Belson felt as if it was difficult to get away from this.

“A long time ago, he made contact with the Transcendental Village and made a connection with one of the Transcendentals who fought against Helenia. Of course, he was the weakest among the Transcendentals, but his existence shone brightly. And when he entered the Land of the Gods, he created such a huge fuss and won all the troops' respect.”

Regardless, Jenel was not done. He made sure to drive his point in.

“I think you’re just making excuses. More than fifty-seven million Heavenly Army troops and tens of thousands of Heavenly Captains are waiting in anticipation for the Heavenly General that the Battle God will select and appoint.”

Belson finally realized it. If Minhyuk dared to object to this, then it would mean that he had given up already.

“Battle God, if you can win the hearts of the Heavenly Army and prove the vastness of the virtue that you have accumulated by appointing your Heavenly General, then I will give you this ingredient that I have prepared and asked for from the God of Cooking,”

Jenel opened the golden box that he had prepared. It was filled with pork innards and intestines.

“I heard that these innards are good for strength. I was told that the Battle God would like this gift. And from what I heard, this ingredient has the power where the special effects and the flavor will change depending on how much worth or virtue you have proven to others.”

At this moment, Minhyuk realized one thing. He thought, ‘Now that I have become the Battle God, I feel like I’m being restricted in the things that I can and cannot do.’

At the same time, since he was the Battle God, rewards like this could also be presented to him. A unique ingredient whose effects and taste would change depending on how much worth and virtue he has proven? This was amazing. And because of that, Minhyuk wanted to complete this quest with outstanding outcomes.

Minhyuk had formed connections and deep bonds with people from the Land of the Leaders and the Transcendentals Village. He could even proudly say he had created strong relationships with the most outstanding Transcendentals. Being a Heavenly General meant that they would temporarily become his subordinates. If it was them, Minhyuk thought they would accept his appointment.

Still, there was one thing that he was not sure about.

“How do I talk to them about the selection process?”

Jenel snapped his fingers. At that moment, dozens of birds appeared above them.

“You can choose one of these birds, Battle God. Your chosen bird will then fly to all the people connected to you and tell them about the Heavenly General selection and what kind of position it would be.”

Minhyuk nodded.

Then, suddenly, Jenel’s face grew ugly. He said, “This... I made a mistake. There’s a bird who is not supposed to be among the ones you can choose.”

Jenel stretched his arm out, and a bird flew and perched on it. It was looking at Minhyuk with a mean and arrogant expression. Minhyuk took a closer look.

‘Huh?’

Surprisingly enough, the bird was someone with whom Minhyuk was very familiar.

“This is a tough and annoying bird. It’s from the myths and can be considered to be the most outstanding out of all the birds here, but it's not very easy to handle.”’

Yes, Minhyuk knew that bird very well. Why?

‘Isn’t this the Mythical Bird that Cries Sadly For You?’

In the past, during the hunt for the Snake’s Child Leona, Minhyuk had used its help to request support from several people. He did not know the exact details of the recruitment process, but it accomplished what it needed to do.

‘I would already be thankful if I received the help of five people back then, but dozens of people came to my rescue.’

Although he did not know how the Mythical Bird that Cries Sadly For You was able to rally those people to help him, the fact that many of them came to his rescue proved it was competent.

The bird grinned at Minhyuk. It pointed its wings at itself. It was as if it was saying, ‘Hey! Just choose me. Trust me!’

“...?”

“I’m sorry. This rude...”

“I’ll choose that bird.”

“Yes? This guy...?”

“Yes. It has to be that guy,” Minhyuk said firmly. He remembered how this bird had brought in dozens of help when needed.

“Alright. I understand.”

The bird flew and landed on Minhyuk’s arms. Then, Minhyuk said, “Bird, I don’t know how you brought so many people to help me in the past. But if you can rally many people this time and satisfy me, then...”

Minhyuk lowered his voice and whispered, “I’ll make you the most delicious food in the world.”

The bird grinned widely. It shrugged its shoulders and slapped its chest with its wings as if telling Minhyuk to trust itself.

“You’re patting your chest. Does that mean that you want to eat chicken breast?”

“...?”

The Mythical Bird that Cries Sadly For You felt goosebumps rise all over its body. It looked at Minhyuk incredulously before flying up.

‘The Mythical Bird that Cries Sadly For You has brought me dozens of people in the past. Perhaps it can bring me at least ten people this time?’

Things were different in the past. However, Minhyuk was confident that he could ultimately appoint a Heavenly General as his subordinate.

Alas, what Minhyuk did not know then was that the Mythical Bird that Cries Sadly For You would bring huge ripples and a shocking impact.