Leveling Up Through Eating

Chapter 353: The Food God’s Territory

Chapter 353: The Food God’s Territory

Lucaro’s smile was gentle as he listened to Minhyuk’s words. He had long accepted the fact that he was singled out in the territory, just because he had served the Food God of the past. Still, the words of this visiting traveler were very precious to him.

Even so, the Delicate Mountain Goat were considered legendary beings in this territory. There were even rumors that those that could successfully extract fresh milk from the Delicate Mountain Goat would become the next Food God.

‘But, it’s because of that very same reason that my hand…’

It was because of that reason that Anton took his hand away. It was to keep the fact hidden that someone serving the previous Food God could milk the Delicate Mountain Goat.

“I’m very grateful for your words but…”

“You don’t have to worry! I will definitely bring you some mountain goat’s milk!”

Startled, Lucaro looked at Minhyuk’s bright and clear eyes. He already knew that Minhyuk was a clever young man that easily understood the things that were taught to him only once. He even did other things without being asked to. Of course, that was only in the confines of this bakery, but Lucaro could still tell that the young man in front of him was one of a kind.

‘If I could take in a disciple then…’

If that was the case, then Lucaro wanted to take this young man as his disciple. But fate was fickle and cruel, he could never take in anyone as his disciple, with his broken left hand.

Lucaro laughed and nodded at Minhyuk. He said, “Then, I will ask this favor of you.”

Anyone from the territory could try and milk the Delicate Mountain Goat. However, anyone that wanted to take on the challenge had to take into account the fact that they could be severely beaten by the Delicate Mountain Goat.

Then, a quest window popped out in front of Minhyuk.

[Quest: Extract the Delicate Mountain Goat’s Milk.]

Rank: SS

Requirements: The One that has received Lucaro’s favor.

Rewards: Delicate Mountain Goat’s Milk, Lucaro’s highest favor.

Description: The milk of the Delicate Mountain Goat is the best tasting milk, not only in Albero Territory, but in all of the world. However, there have only been three people that can extract the milk from these goats. Become the fourth person!

Minhyuk learned the location from Lucaro and immediately set out. Behind him, Lucaro whispered, “Thank you.”

Lucaro had thought that he would have to give up his right to participate in the Gourmet Dragon Banquet. That was why he was very grateful to Minhyuk. However, milking the Delicate Mountain Goat was a different matter altogether. After all, the chefs that had reached the master craftsman level had tried and failed in milking this Delicate Mountain Goat. Lucaro was able to succeed in milking this picky and fussy Delicate Mountain Goat, thanks to his surprisingly high DEX. To put it in player stats, Lucaro had around 2,000 points in DEX. That was how high it was.

***

Paradise Restaurant was hailed as one of the top three restaurants in Albero Territory. It was a restaurant that had been passed down from one generation to another, and had been around for hundreds of years.

The Head Chef, Balza, was one of the chefs that had reached the master craftsman level in Albero Territory. However, it had not been that long since he reached this level. And he was not just a ‘master craftsman’ chef, he was also a chef that was preparing to take part in the Gourmet Dragon Banquet.

‘As long as I can milk the Delicate Mountain Goat…!’

If that happened, then Balza would become Anton’s protege. It was a simple task, all he needed to do was to milk the Delicate Mountain Goat. However, from what he heard, anyone that milked the Delicate Mountain Goat could rise and take the position of Food God!

Food God! It was an honorable and sacred title! However, rumors had plagued the previous Food God after his death, making him out to be an evil and vicious man. According to the rumors, the previous Food God destroyed villages and slaughtered innocents to fill his stomach. Rumors also said that he stole people and food to pad his empty and hungry stomach.

However, Balza was one of the few that knew the truth. The previous Food God was not that kind of man at all. Everything had been fabricated by Anton. The previous Food God held no desire for anything, aside from food. On the contrary, Anton was a person that was greedy by nature. He did not want this territory to remain free from greed and desire, like the territory of the past.

Even so, Balza also denied the previous Food God. He wanted to be Anton’s protege because he also wanted to seize money, power, honor, everything!

Balza brought his disciples to climb the mountain where the Delicate Mountain Goat lived. They arrived at a vast expanse of land, with green grass swaying around and mountain goats prancing around along the mountain walls. Many chefs, as usual, tried to take on the challenge of milking the Delicate Mountain Goat! Balza let out a slight groan as he looked at the area where the Delicate Mountain Goat were resting.

‘How should I go about this…’ Balza thought as he looked at the sheer height of the cliff wall in front of him.

Mountain Goats were creatures that mainly lived on rocky mountain walls, and the Delicate Mountain Goat lived on precarious and dangerous cliffs, which made it a very challenging task to get to where they were. There was a high chance of falling to their deaths if they stumbled while climbing these cliffs. However, despite the danger, the chance of successfully milking the Delicate Mountain Goat was still worth the challenge!

Balza’s eyes wandered around before spotting a Delicate Mountain Goat sitting on an inconspicuous corner by the edge of a cliff. Unlike other mountain goats that tended to gather around in groups, this goat preferred a solitary life. It was also around three times larger than ordinary mountain goats, with larger curved horns and sharp teeths. To put it simply, it looked more like a beast than a mountain goat.

“Euaaaaaaaack!”

One of the chefs that tried to climb the cliff slipped and fell down to the ground.

“Keuk!”

In the end, the chef broke his leg. Some of the chefs watching to the side eventually gave up and returned to their restaurants. However, there were a few willful ones that decided to challenge and approach the solitary mountain goat. The moment one of the chefs reached out to milk the goat…

Bang!

“Aaaaaaaaaaack!” The chef shrieked as he fell down the cliff.

Fortunately, Lord Anton had assigned three knights to monitor the situation here. If a chef fell down from a height that could endanger their lives, these knights would move quickly to save them.

Meanwhile, Balza had tied a large, empty milk can on his back, as he began to climb the cliff walls. He thought, ‘I’m different from these regular chefs! I have been constantly exercising while practicing my cooking skills since I was young!’

Besides, he was a chef that had reached the master craftsman level! He could easily climb a cliff like this, with skill as well!

“As expected of Mister Balza!”

“Wow! He’s really a cut above the rest that tried to climb these cliffs!”

His disciples exclaimed in awe. However, unbeknownst to them, Balza’s throat had already gone dry. The Delicate Mountain Goat was extremely terrifying up close.

However, he had to get that coveted milk! As long as he could get his hands on it, he would be able to use milk of a different level! Balza was sure that he would be able to get that milk. After all, he was second only to the territorial lord in terms of DEX. Actually, he could be considered second to the lord only if Lucaro, the man with a broken left hand, was excluded.

Balza slowly approached the Delicate Mountain Goat, then carefully reached out his hand to grab the Delicate Mountain Goat’s tit.

“Phew.”

“W… wow…”

“H… he succeeded in milking the goat!”

“My goodness! This is the Delicate Mountain Goat that no ordinary chef can milk!”

His disciples were once again in awe. Balza’s lips curled up in a smile. He would be able to create another legend today! Then, he moved his hand to gently extract the milk from the goat’s tits. But…

“…?”

…not a single drop of milk came out. Balza gently moved his hands again to try and extract the milk. But there was still nothing. In fact, what he did only made the Delicate Mountain Goat’s mood turn sour.

“Meeeeeeeeeeh!” The Delicate Mountain Goat cried loudly as it raised its hooves and kicked Balza away.

“Keheok!”

The force of the kick was so powerful that Balza was sent tumbling down the cliff. Fortunately, he was able to quickly come back to his senses, grabbing a tree’s hanging root.

“Huff, huff, huff!”

His situation, where he was hanging by a tree root, looked very precarious.

“Head chef!”

“Head cheeeeeef!!!”

Balza heard the urgent and worried voices of his disciples. However, he did not care one bit about the danger to his life. If he fell, the knights would definitely save him. However, the shame that he would receive was something that was far more painful than falling from a cliff.

‘I…I’m… the best chef in Albero Territory…!’

He could not even extract milk from a mountain goat! Then, at that moment…

“Huh? Huuuuuuh?!”

“Wh…who’s that?!”

“He, he’s so fast!!! Looks like a wolf!!!”

Dash, dash, dash, dash!!!

A man was scaling the cliffs swiftly, as if he was the wind.

“Is… is he trying to save the head chef?”

“That must be right! I’m sure that mysterious guy has recognized Mister Balza!!!”

The man, with his extreme climbing speed, came to a stop beside the hanging Balza.

“Q…quick! Come and save me! You should know that I’m Albero Territory’s best chef…!”

Alas, the man just passed by Balza and continued to climb up the cliffs. It seemed like he was climbing to where the Delicate Mountain Goat was!

“Y… you impertinent fool!!! Do you not know who I am?!! How dare you leave me behind… huh?”

That was when Balza realized something. He thought that the face of the man looked very familiar. However, his once shabby clothes had been changed into the white uniform of someone working in a bakery. This was the man who came to his restaurant not too long ago.

“You, you’re that beggar, aren’t you?! Come and save me!!! If you don’t save me right now, I swear I won’t leave you alone!!!” Balza shouted, the veins on his neck popping from the stress.

The man, who had climbed up higher in the cliffs, looked down at him for a moment. Then, the man grinned and said, “Why should I?”

“…?!”

“I’m just a shabby and unworthy beggar. Besides, weren’t you the one that argued with me about the qualifications to eat at your restaurant? You even told me that you wouldn’t sell me anything from your restaurant, even if I had the money, right?”

“…”

Balza’s mouth turned shut. Even if he was in this situation, it was something that he would never change.

“It looks like you’re not showing any remorse at all, huh? Based on your expression, it seems like your thoughts will not change. You actually cook with that thought in mind? Was cooking something that’s just for power, honor and money?”

“Is, isn’t that obvious?! Those are things that everybody wants!”

“That’s right. Everyone has their greed and desires. But, even if you harbor those desires, as a chef, shouldn’t you think about the person who will eat your food? When the person that eats my food becomes happy, I will also become happy. Isn’t that what a chef is?”

Balza thought that his words were ridiculous. What did a beggar like him know about cooking? Compared to Balza, a chef that had reached the master craftsman level, the beggar was nothing! In the entire continent, chefs that had reached this level could only be counted on one’s hands. How dare someone like him talk about cooking to someone like Balza!!!

“I will climb up on my own. You bastard, I won’t let you go!!!” Balza shouted as he tightened his grip on the root, and pulled himself up to climb the cliffs again.

When he arrived where the Delicate Mountain Goat was, he saw the man crouched down with an empty milk container.

“Ha!” Balza barked out a laugh. How dare a beggar like him challenge and milk the Delicate Mountain Goat?!

Balza immediately shouted to the knights below, “Don’t save him if he falls down the cliff!”

“B… but…”

“Didn’t you see how this bastard ignored me?! Does this beggar’s life even matter?! And you… you guys look a bit down these days, make sure to pass by my restaurant!”

The knights’ faces brightened. That was right. It did not matter if this beggar died! Who cared about these kind of things? They were people that served under Anton after all, and were just as greedy as him.

Then, the man’s hand reached for the Delicate Mountain Goat’s tit.

‘Fufufufu.’

Balza grinned maniacally. He was sure that the bastard would be mercilessly kicked down the cliff and die the moment he touched the goat’s tit.

‘How dare someone like you talk about cooking with me?’

He was just a beggar after all.

Then, Minhyuk gently reached out and petted the goat’s teeth to extract the milk. At that moment…

“Me, meeeeeeeeeeh~?”

“…?”

A strange bleat came out of the Delicate Mountain Goat’s mouth. Minhyuk moved his hands once again.

That movement!

‘What, what is this? He… he looks like he’s playing an instrument, gentle yet skillful. The way his hands caresses the goat’s tits are like a gentle and delicate touch towards his own lover!”

And what about the Delicate Mountain Goat? This creature was very vicious and ferocious, but in front of Minhyuk, it looked gentle and loving. Its gaze was so sweet that it seemed like honey would drip from its eyes! It even moved closer to Minhyuk so he could touch its tits easily!

“…!”

What kind of nonsense was this? Once again, Minhyuk moved his hands.

Pat, pat, pat, pat, pat—

His touches were gentle and soft as he patted the goat’s belly and tits. In the end…

Fwoooooosh—

The Delicate Mountain Goat let out its milk.