Gourmet Gaming

Chapter 878

Chapter 878

Crack, crack–

That was the sound of the wreckage and rubble left behind by the collapsed statue being crushed under the feet of the Food God. Even after seeing it with his eyes, Bentley still could not believe it. However, the notifications that rang in his ears reminded him that this was the reality.

[The first gate of the Argalis Dungeon created by God of Dungeons Evas has been cleared for the first time.]

[Argalis Dungeon, the pride of God of Dungeons Evas, is a myth and legend.]

[The god who cleared the Argalis Dungeon is the god Evas ignored and despised- the ‘Food God’!]

[The first reward of the Argalis Dungeon has grown better.]

[No one has been able to pass through the first gate of the Argalis Dungeon for thousands of years!]

[The gate’s challenger had made more extraordinary achievements than the dozens of other gods that challenged the gate and died before him!]

[As the God of Dungeons, you must give the challenger an extra reward!]

[His outstanding ‘achievements’ will be known to all the gods of the Land of the Gods!]

[He is a Continental God and a successor of an Absolute God.]

Bentley’s expression grew ugly when he saw that the Food God’s outstanding achievements would be known to all gods. That was not supposed to be the case, especially since he had emphasized to the gods that he was a trashy Food God.

It was not only him. Even God Evas used to tell the other gods, “The Food God is a god that knows nothing but eating...” As Evas’ successor, Bentley took the lead in mocking the Food God and denying his qualifications as the successor of the Battle God. Of course, part of it was because he was eyeing the same position himself.

However, the same Food God that he mocked and ignored had cleared the first gate of the Argalis Dungeon, which no other god could break.

‘How in the world was he able to break through the gate? One cannot clear the dungeon just because they are strong.’ Bentley just could not understand.

In the first gate, Minhyuk should have felt like he was dealing with two gods: Spear God Evoque and the Ego Chain Sickle. If he tried to attack Spear God Evoque, the Ego Chain Sickle would make a move and try to attack him or tie him down. This was why even the powerful gods suffered and died at the first gate.

However, there was something that Bentley and Evas had overlooked. And that was the fact that Minhyuk was a player. Players were different from ordinary gods. Most of the players might not even be comparable to gods; there were still a select few that had the potential to surpass even the gods in the future.

Gods were beings that were highly exceptional in only one field. But the players? They could learn a wide range and variety of skills. And it was not only that. They could also own a variety of artifacts that ordinary NPCs could not hold, just like how Minhyuk, as a player, owned Viel’s Puppet Doll.

Bentley’s already ugly expression grew dark at the thought of these notifications ringing in the ears of the gods and the entire world later. However, he still shook his head. ‘He will not be able to get through the second gate.’

The Argalis Dungeon had five gates in total, and the first and second gates were the most difficult to clear. This was a trick that Evas had done when creating this dungeon. Generally, one would think that the dungeon’s difficulty would grow as one progressed. Hence, one would always believe that the first gate was the easiest. And, of course, even the gods believe this to be the case.

Evas took advantage of that thinking and made the first and second gates difficult. Then, he boasted to all of the gods that they would not be able to cross the first gate of his dungeon. There were even rumors about how no one had ever been able to break through the first gate, spreading among the gods. This was how the gods grew scared of Argalis Dungeon and how Evas had garnered their respect. And because of that, no one challenged it anymore.

Even if the Food God had broken through the first gate, if he lost in the equally tricky second gate, the gods would only care that he failed to clear the Argalis Dungeon.

‘If that happens then...’ Bentley thought of silencing him by claiming that the Food God had cleared the first gate through immoral and unscrupulous methods.

[The Argalis Dungeon’s challenger has chosen the first reward.]

[Argalis Dungeon is also known as the ‘Dungeon of Dreams.’]

[Please fulfill the ‘dream’ that the challenger wants to obtain.]

God of Dungeons Bentley could see the dreams that his opponent wants in his head. Before he drew the dream of the Food God in his head, he thought, ‘Does he want to receive a reward that will allow him to jump and become the Battle God?’

Or perhaps he wanted an artifact or a weapon that even the gods would fear? He did not know what type the man wanted. Not long after, Bentley confirmed the dream that the Food God wanted.

“...”

Bentley doubted his eyes for a moment after he confirmed the dream.

‘His head is filled with nothing but food and eating!’

Goodness! Bentley has never seen anyone dream of something like this in his entire life. Since Bentley had the power to peek at others’ dreams, he would sometimes look at the goals of the humans in the land below them. He had seen plenty of dreams. Some dreamt of wealth, while some dreamt of power. But Minhyuk’s dream? Why was it filled with nothing but food?!

The flustered Bentley shook his head. “Right. Go on. Eat a lot.”

He would have a bad time in the second gate anyway. Only the strongest of the strong could break through the first gate. However, just because one was strong did not mean they could kill and hunt two rabbits at once, no?

Besides, Evas had used quite a lot of tricks in this dungeon. He even prevented whoever broke through the first gate from breaking the second gate. The thing that one needed the most in the second gate was none other than DEX.

***

Minhyuk, who cleared the first gate, received several notifications as he walked toward the next gate.

[Your Linked Quest: The Food God’s Achievement has progressed!]

[Your achievements are being made known to the gods of the Land of the Gods.]

[Your Achievement Rate has increased by 34%!]

The Linked Quest: The Food God’s Achievement would only be considered completed if Minhyuk reached at least 60% Achievement Rate in one year. However, he could jump to 34% just by breaking through the first gate of the Argalis Dungeon.

‘Was it because it’s very easy to increase the Achievement Rate? No. That shouldn’t be the case.’

It was absolutely impossible to be that easy. After all, only if he could make an achievement that could surprise the gods would his Achievement Rate increase. As such, he had determined that it was not wrong to say that the first gate of the Argalis Dungeon was tough.

[By destroying the Ego Chain Sickle and successfully clearing the first gate, you can acquire the Ego Chain Sickle.]

[You can now obtain the rewards of the first gate.]

[If you imagine the dream you want to achieve, the dungeon will make it come true!]

‘The dream that I want...’

Minhyuk had not forgotten the reason why he came here. He closed his eyes and imagined what he had always been dreaming of. Minhyuk could not help the drool that started to drip down his chin at the thought of it.

[God of Dungeons Bentley is confirming your dream.]

[Your dream can be made into reality!]

[The God of Dungeons and the Food God are in a hostile relationship.]

[Since the Food God had broken through the dungeon’s first gate, God of Dungeons Bentley has to reproduce your dreams and make it even better!]

And finally...

[Your dream is materializing!]

When Minhyuk slowly opened his eyes, the scene greeting him was the Manhwa Cafe he had always wanted to visit. Well, if he were to be honest, it was a bit different. Even if Bentley had seen Minhyuk’s dream, it would still be difficult for him to completely reproduce the Manhwa Cafe's appearance. After all, he had never seen something like that in his life.

‘Maybe it’s more apt to call this a fantasy-themed Manhwa Cafe?’

Interesting books, which could be seen on the antique shelves of the imperial library, were piled up in one corner. There were also a considerable number of manhwas among them. Of course, there was a sofa where one could lounge with a table on the side.

Minhyuk looked at the books sitting on the shelves. ‘It seems like Joy Co. Ltd. has worked with many publishers to make it possible for people to read many manhwas, comics, and novels in the game.’

Because of that, quite a lot of manhwas and novels from reality were on the shelves.

‘I heard that the novel in which the main character loves to eat was serialized as a webtoon. Ah, they also have it as a book here.’ Minhyuk quickly found his favorite book, in which the main character loves to eat, and headed to the sofa. ‘I heard that the author gained nine kilograms because he ate while writing this book.’

He quickly returned to his main mission, which was to eat in a Manhwa Cafe, after entertaining such ridiculous thoughts. Minhyuk really wanted to try it. That was why he quickly sat on the sofa after picking up the manhwa book. Then, the food he imagined appeared in front of his eyes the moment he sat.

“...Wow.” Minhyuk burst out in admiration.

Sshin ramyeon with egg, chapagetti with fried egg on top, chicken mayo rice bowl with fried chicken and mayonnaise, and kimchi fried rice with spam appeared in front of him. There were also hamburgers, fries, and a glass of cola with ice.

Following the etiquette for eating in a Manhwa Cafe, Minhyuk opened his manhwa with his left hand and grabbed his chopsticks with his right. The first thing that he picked was the noodles of the steaming, well-cooked ramyeon.

“Sluuuuuuuuuuurp!” Minhyuk’s loud slurp as he inhaled the noodles rang inside the quiet Manhwa Cafe. If this was in a true Manhwa Cafe, he would probably be able to hear other customers order ramyeon.

Minhyuk blew on the spicy and chewy ramyeon noodles before taking another big bite.

“Sluuuuuuuurp!”

Of course, he did not forget to eat the stir-fried kimchi served alongside the ramyeon.

Crunch, crunch–

The stir-fried kimchi added to the depth of the ramyeon’s flavor. After taking another bite, Minhyuk put down his chopstick and grabbed the bowl with his hand to sip the broth.

“Kghhk...” Minhyuk burst out in admiration after tasting the spiciness of the broth.

Just like that, Minhyuk finished the bowl of ramyeon. As he placed the bowl down, unexpected but very welcome notifications rang in his ears.

[You have chosen food as your dream reward in Argalis Dungeon.]

[You have eaten Ramyeon.]

[All five of your basic stats have increased by 0.7%.]

“...!” Minhyuk thought that this should probably be the case. ‘There’s no way that the rewards I will receive for breaking the first gate of a dungeon with extreme difficulty will just be normal and ordinary food.’

Although Minhyuk's chosen reward might seem insignificant and trivial to most, the power hiding beneath it was beyond anyone’s imagination. After seeing the “You have eaten Ramyeon” in the notifications, Minhyuk felt like the other dishes would give him various powers.

This time, he turned his attention to the chapagetti. He quickly picked up his chopsticks and poked the yolk of the fried egg into the noodles, its golden yellow yolk dripping down. Minhyuk mixed the noodles well before taking a huge bite.

“Sluuuuuuuuurp!”

The slightly sweet flavor of the chapagetti delighted his taste buds. At that moment, a side dish suddenly flashed in his mind: ‘When eating chapagetti, one really should also eat...’

Minhyuk had not yet finished his thoughts, but the side dish that flashed in his head had already appeared in front of him. This side dish was scallion kimchi.

‘Kghhk. This is truly a place where your dreams come true!’ Minhyuk thought as he clamped some of the freshly made scallion kimchi. Then, he put it on top of the chapagetti. Then, he took a massive bite of the noodles.

Sluuuuuuuuuurp–

Crunch, crunch–

The crisp texture and refreshing flavor of the scallion kimchi along with the slight sweetness of the chapagetti gently spread in Minhyuk’s mouth. The harmony created by these flavors was so fantastic that Minhyuk could not help but shiver in delight.

[You have eaten Chapagetti.]

[Your total HP and MP volume have increased by 2%.]

Minhyuk, who finished eating the noodles before they got soggy, turned his attention to the kimchi fried rice and spam. He grabbed a spoon and scooped a huge mouthful of the kimchi fried rice with a small portion of the sliced ham. Then, he put everything in his mouth.

The crunchy and spicy kimchi met with the salty spam and created a fantastic flavor combination. The taste became even more perfect when he added a fried egg to his spoonful of kimchi fried rice.

[You have eaten Spam Kimchi Fried Rice.]

[The attack power of the best weapon in your possession has increased by 4%.]

It tasted good, and the rewards that accompanied it were also excellent. A percentage increase in the attack power of the sword with the strongest attack power in Athenae was something that Minhyuk could not buy with money or anything else for that matter.

Then, Minhyuk ate the chicken mayo rice bowl. It was topped with a dollop of mayonnaise and a sprinkle of seaweed powder. It also contained quite a large portion of fried chicken. When he took a massive bite of the dish, the slightly sweet mayonnaise, and the special sauce meshed well, creating this sweet and enchanting flavor that spread in his mouth.

Crunch, crunch–

The crispy and crunchy chicken added a dash of savoriness to the sweet combination of flavors. Of course, Minhyuk did not forget to eat it with the stir-fried kimchi on the side.

Crunch, crunch–

The stir-fried kimchi was a tad bit softer than regular kimchi, but it had a much deeper flavor, which was a cherry on top for this dish.

[You have eaten Chicken Mayo Rice Bowl.]

[The defensive power of the best defensive artifact in your possession has increased by 5%.]

Now, there was only one dish left- the hamburger, fries, and cola set meal. The hamburger, with its large chicken patty, reminded Minhyuk of Mama’s Touch’s Psy Burger[1].

‘That’s right. Mama’s Touch’s burgers are the best.’

The generous Psy Burger was so big that Minhyuk felt like his jaws creaked from the effort just by taking a bite. However, once he took a bite, his mouth was greeted with crunchy lettuce and a crispy chicken patty.

Munch, munch–

After savoring the sound of the crispy patty being chewed, Minhyuk took another huge bite. The smile on Minhyuk’s face unknowingly grew wider with every bite of the burger. Then, he quickly grabbed some fries, dipped them in catsup, and placed them in his mouth. The salty fries and the sweet catsup created a fantastic harmony of flavor.

Minhyuk felt quite excited as he ate the burger. He was looking forward to the notifications that would ring right after. ‘I wonder what rewards I would get this time?’

Along with the delight and joy of eating delicious dishes, Minhyuk also anticipated the dish's effects on him. In a blink, Minhyuk finished the hamburger and the fries. Finally, he sipped the cold and refreshing cola with the straw.

“Kghhk–!” Minhyuk burst into admiration as a tingling appeared in his throat after drinking everything. Then, the notifications rang in his ears.

[You have eaten the Hamburger Set Meal.]

[You have received the opportunity to obtain the Title: God Above Gods. The title can only be obtained upon completing the Argalis Dungeon.]

[The Title: God Above Gods that you can acquire will disappear if you fail to conquer the Argalis Dungeon.]

[The God Above Gods title is not yet completed!]

[If you can create more outstanding achievements upon clearing the Argalis Dungeon, the Title: God Above Gods will grow even better!]

[Once the dungeon challenger has acquired the Title: God Above Gods, their courage and will will increase dramatically.]

‘God Above Gods?’

Minhyuk could not shake off the feeling that this title was far more impressive than all the titles he had obtained. He quickly checked the detailed information of the title.

1. , a reference to Mom’s Touch’s Thigh Burger ?