Gourmet Gaming-Chapter 1275

Chapter 1275

[Lord of the Masses Brod has joined the Pillar Wars and will participate in the battle.]

[You chose to participate in the middle of the Pillar Wars. You will receive penalties.]

[All of your stats will temporarily go down by 15%.]

[The points that you will obtain will be 50% lower.]

Brod had died. He had been recorded as a hero who died in battle, leaving behind his legacy in the form of the Absolute Demigod Class, Brod’s Knights.

Minhyuk grabbed the outreached hands of Brod, who had come back after overcoming all of that. Minhyuk was not stupid. He realized that Brod’s death and his return as a Pillar Candidate and the Lord of the Masses was all for his sake.

“Did you become an emperor...?”

Brod had now become the emperor of the Luvien Empire. Since he was now the ruler of the strongest and greatest empire in Athenae, he had to leave Minhyuk’s side.

Brod nodded with a sad smile. Minhyuk mirrored his smile. However, he knew that Brod had chosen this path with his best interest in mind. The fact that this man in front of him chose the path that would give him the best outcome despite facing the death of his human body left him feeling sad.

“It’s time for you to become a Pillar.”

Brod’s words gave Minhyuk confidence. All of his choices and decisions were made to ensure that Minhyuk climbed the position of a Pillar. Minhyuk nodded as he watched the morning light drive the darkness of the night.

‘Absorption Transition,’ Minhyuk silently recited in his head as he activated his ability to recover his HP by eating.

Meanwhile, the other Pillar Candidates, still shrouded in darkness, screamed in rage.

Knowing they would soon look at the same sky from two different places, they stepped toward the five remaining Pillar Candidates. One wore a white cloak carrying the symbol of the fork and knife crossed together, and the other wore a black cloak carrying the emblem of a sword and a shield. Although they now represented different things, the path and the goal that they were aiming for remained the same. And that was to make Minhyuk the Pillar of the Gourmands.

Minhyuk felt this was the last time he could say these words to Brod. He turned to the man and said, “Let’s go, Brod.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Brod answered, knowing that perhaps this was the last time he would answer the young man beside him with these words.

[Absolute Reinforcement]

[The weapons of all people recognized as your ally will be strengthened by 12%.]

The weapons of the remaining Pillar Candidates were covered with a bright light as the power of the Strengthener covered them.

“My plans...” Boleyn muttered when he caught sight of Brod’s cloak.

Now that all of his plans had gone down the drain, the fact that he had planted the assassins of Immune in the Luvien Empire and brainwashed their emperor would have already spread. The only outcome would be the Beyond the Heavens Empire and the Luvien Empire joining hands to destroy his organization, Immune.

However, the story would be different if he became the Pillar of Death. That was why he had to become a Pillar no matter what.

Just like a fierce wolf, Brod shot forward.

[Berserk Beast]

[For 30 seconds, your stats will increase dramatically.]

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[The damage you can inflict will increase by 200% per second of the skill’s duration.]

[Your defensive power will increase by 5% per second of the skill’s duration.]

[At this moment, you will become a true beast of prey.]

[...200% damage...]

[...5% defensive power...]

[...200% damage...]

[...5% defensive power...]

“Roaaaaaaar!!!” Master of Beasts Harvard roared loudly and majestically like a lion despite the blood covering his entire body.

In just four seconds he was given an 800% total increase in damage and a 20% increase in defensive power. Confident with his power, he immediately lunged at Brod.

“Emperor’s Pinnacle Swordsmanship. Second Chapter.”

Before, Brod had never used his one-shot kill skill—the second chapter of his swordsmanship. In the Beyond the Heavens Empire, he was a livestock farmer. None of the animals that he was taking care of could be considered to be beasts of prey. However, one among them carried the same will as these ferocious beasts. They were none other than dogs.

Dogs often acted silly. However, they held deep trust and always followed their owners. When dogs saw their owners in danger, they would lunge at the opponent and bite them. They would not let go until their opponent was taken down or incapacitated. This fact remained the same regardless of whether they were in pain or had one foot in the grave.

“Fangs of Death.”

Dogs had more teeth than humans. They had a total of forty-two permanent teeth, ten more than the teeth that a normal human had. Forty-two red sword lights in the exact shape of a dog’s teeth twinkled around Brod’s sword. Each of these teeth, which carried an additional 5,300% damage, sank deeply into the gigantic Harvard’s chest. The grip of the teeth was so deep and so heavy that it almost crushed his chest.

Boom!

Thud, thud! Thud, thud, thud!!!

The tough and strong skin of Harvard’s lion form was ripped apart as the dog frantically bit him. The constant increase of his defensive power per second had no effect. In front of the noble and great emperor, Harvard was not a fierce lion but a whimpering puppy.

Brod walked past Harvard as he fell into his pool of blood. This time, Master of Nature Verodun stepped forward, having already activated his powers.

“Controlled Disaster.”

A bolt of lightning with an additional 17,000% damage fell from the sky. A crater appeared on the ground where the lightning bolt fell.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh–!

At the same time, hundreds of typhoons filled with blades appeared and moved to rip Brod apart. Master of Nature Verodun was delighted to see the blood dripping down Brod’s skin.

Crack, crack, crack–!

Even the ground beneath him started to crack as if it wanted to devour the newly crowned emperor. However, Brod easily went past the collapsing ground. With one more step, he cut down Verodun and walked past him.

This time, Paladins’ Pope Eris raised his sword, which was twinkling with brilliant light. The sacred sword, which looked like it could cut anything and everything in its path, passed by Brod.

“D-dead...!”

Boom–!

At that moment, Brod’s fist greeted his face. A flash of incredulity appeared on the face of Paladins’ Pope Eris, who thought that he had already killed the man, as he staggered on his feet.

“Th-this... You m... monst....”

Pope Eris was the strongest among all of the paladins. His level was well beyond Level 860. However, the man before him easily overwhelmed him with just one punch.

Boleyn watched as the other Pillar Candidates were pushed back by a single man. He cried, “MINHYUK! KILL MINHYUK!!!”

If they could kill Minhyuk, the one with the highest score would be him. Even if Brod killed them all, Brod’s score would not be able to rival Boleyn’s own. After all, he had received a penalty and could only obtain 50% of the points one would typically receive.

Ping!

[Killer’s Reckless Strike.]

Boleyn focused all of his attacks on Minhyuk. A groan escaped Minhyuk’s lips as hundreds of strikes pierced his body. However, Minhyuk did not remain idle. He immediately activated the Silver Dragon Armor.

Swoosh.

As his body became covered with silver scales, he received a bombardment of attacks from Boleyn and the other Pillar Candidates.

[Your HP has dropped below 16%.]

Fwoosh!

Fwoosh, fwoosh!

With every attack they launched, the passive skill Spear that Guards the Battle God was activated. The Spear that Guards the Battle God allowed Minhyuk to release spears made of lightning with 400% additional damage and pierce anyone deemed by the system as his enemy.

Nevertheless, it was still difficult for Minhyuk to face Eris, Harvard and Boleyn alone. Their continuous attacks and seamless cooperation left him unable to find a breakthrough point.

[Your HP has fallen below 13%.]

At that moment, sparks appeared around Minhyuk.

[God of Lightning.]

[The God of Lightning has a 1.3% chance of being triggered. Upon activation, it will double your attack speed for three seconds.]

Swoosh–!

With a speed double the normal, Minhyuk moved like lightning and cut them down from all directions. Unable to cope with his speed, the other Pillar Candidates’ HP quickly dropped. Boleyn’s HP dropped below 27% while Eris fell below 30%. Harvard’s HP, on the other hand, dropped to 32%.

Unfortunately, the God of Lightning’s duration was too short. Once it ended, all three attacked him at the same time. Boleyn stabbed Minhyuk in the chest with his dagger. Eris cut him on the thigh with his sword, while Harvard raised his gigantic hand and slapped his flanks.

[Your HP has fallen below 7%.]

Minhyuk felt a sense of urgency. Fortunately, he was granted a short reprieve when The Defier was activated and was applied to the three people. The activation of the skill forced the three to slow down.

Minhyuk tried to break free from them but could not find a way out.

Thud!

Thud, thud!

Verodun and The Strengthener Bragon, who were fighting against Brod, were sent rolling toward Minhyuk after a fierce clash with the newly crowned emperor. They looked completely wrecked and seemed no longer fit for battle.

Nevertheless, a deep smile remained on Boleyn’s face. He shouted, “We won...!”

Minhyuk was already on the verge of death. Just a few more attacks and he would die.

“Emperor’s Pinnacle Swordsmanship.”

They froze with goosebumps rising all over their skin at the words that echoed in their ears. Boleyn hurriedly looked around him. He realized that all of them were gathered together in one place. This was partly because they wanted to kill Minhyuk as fast as possible. The realization left him with a sense of urgency. Boleyn realized that his idea that he would become a Pillar if he killed Minhyuk was a huge mistake.

An overwhelming pressure appeared and weighed down the Pillar Candidates, except for Minhyuk.

THUD!

“The Weight of Death.”

A gigantic pig appeared in the sky above them, its weight pressing down on them and leaving them utterly immobile. The remaining Pillar Candidates groaned as they struggled to move out of the area.

“Keuaaaaaaaaack!”

“UGHHHHHH!”

“Kghhhhhk!”

However, they remained helpless. They could only croak like frogs and fall flat on the ground. Unable to escape and endure the force of gravity, their HP began to drop rapidly.

They were left in a very frightening situation. What was more terrifying was the extent of Brod’s calculations.

“Hi–hiiiiik...!”

The five surviving Pillar Candidates saw a man walking toward them. This man was none other than Minhyuk. Brod had created a situation where Minhyuk could kill all of them together.

They struggled desperately to raise their heads but it was to no avail.

“You should know even if I don’t say it, no?”

Boleyn, who failed to become a Pillar and lost his qualifications as a Pillar Candidate, would suffer greatly. Even his Immune, the organization he created from the ground up, would be destroyed and disappear without a trace.

The worst part? They formed an alliance to trample and mock a single person, which spelled disaster for all of them.

Minhyuk grinned as he watched their faces burn with shame. Then, he activated the Heavenly Sword and released hundreds of swords upon them.

Shwaaaaa!

Thump, thump, thump!

They all turned into ashes that disappeared with the wind. Minhyuk watched them for a moment before looking at Brod. As his gaze lingered on the man, an unknown sense of bitterness rose within him.

[The scores are being tallied.]

[You have obtained overwhelming points from both the first and second Pillar Wars.]

Brod knelt down on one knee. This would be his final show of respect and courtesy. From then on, the two could no longer stay together in the same empire. They could no longer laugh and smile together.

Aside from bitterness, Minhyuk also felt very happy for Brod. Brod’s long cherished dream was to become the emperor. This time, his dream finally came true.

[For the first time, one of the Eight Pillars that supports the world has been born among the players.]

With the notification, Brod’s figure slowly disappeared. Before he completely disappeared, Brod kowtowed and shouted, “Your Majesty! Long may you live!”

Then, he turned into light that disappeared in a blink.

***

Brod returned to the place where he had disappeared. A lot had happened since then, and things had been prepared.

Nerva, who had received the priests’ healing, approached him and said, “It’s time for you to succeed the throne.”

An indescribable frustration welled up within Brod and left him feeling suffocated. Through the collapsed ceiling of the imperial palace, he caught sight of a pillar of light falling from the sky.

‘Your Majesty...’

Brod had achieved his long cherished dream and finally became an emperor. However, he did not feel happy. This was because he could no longer stay by Minhyuk’s side.

Of course, with Brod becoming the emperor, the war between the Luvien Empire and the Beyond the Heavens Empire would end and they would no longer be enemies. But he knew sharing everything with the Beyond the Heavens Empire was impossible.

Although an empire was under the rule and jurisdiction of the emperor, his order had to go through several people before it could be passed down and enacted. If Brod recklessly shared everything with the Beyond the Heavens Empire, he would be immediately forced to abdicate.

His gaze remained focused on the pillar of light.

[The Pillar Supporting All of the Gourmands in the world has been born.]

The pillar of light falling from the sky slowly faded. As the light faded, a statue of Minhyuk holding a frying pan and cooking could be seen.

[The name of the Pillar of Gourmands is none other than...]

[Minhyuk.]

Minhyuk’s statue appeared before disappearing with the light.

Brod had been waiting for this moment all his life. Yet his heart ached deeply. Now, he had to walk the path forward alone as the emperor of the Luvien Empire.

Brod walked through the ruined corridor and entered the throne room. He looked forlorn as he walked the path alone with no Minhyuk, Ben, Conir, or pigs or livestock around him. He sat on his throne with a sad look on his face.

Meanwhile, the people cheered loudly outside the palace. The people of the Luvien Empire had eyes and ears. They knew what was right and what was wrong. In their eyes, Brod was truly wise and rational. He would lead the Luvien Empire to greater prosperity—a more prosperous empire than the empire led by the tyrant Nerva and the immature Cardin.

Brod was in a daze as he looked at the empty audience hall and throne room. He felt lonely and sad. However, he chose this lonely life of solitude. He, who was like a lone wolf soaked in rain, gave his first orders to protect him.

“Let our troops withdraw from the Beyond the Heavens Empire. The war with the Beyond the Heavens Empire ends here. Furthermore, we will sign a peace treaty with them and be reborn anew as an empire that works together with them to reach prosperity.”

Loud cheers burst out from outside the palace once again.

“Uwaaaaaaaah!”

“Waaaaaaaaaaaah!”

No citizen loved war. The end of a war was a cause of celebration for the people. The loud cheers of the people almost shook the entire Luvien Empire.

With this, everything was done. Brod listened to the cheers outside. He had done everything that he needed to do. It was over. But just as Brod was about to stand from his throne...

Flash!

A pillar of light fell in front of him.

[Pillar’s Dish Distribution.]

[The Pillar can send his dish to anyone no matter where they are.]

“...?”

The bright light slowly faded, revealing Brod’s favorite dish, curry rice. Brod’s heart thumped wildly when he saw the dish before him.

[The Pillar Supporting All of the Gourmands is looking at you.]

His emperor, who had now become a Pillar, looked at him.

[We are always with you.]

[Whenever you’re having a hard time.]

[Whenever you’re plagued with concerns.]

[Whenever you wish to find reprieve and take a break.]

[We will always welcome you with open arms and smiles.]

The loneliness that almost suffocated him slowly disappeared. At this moment, Brod realized that even though he was here, he would still always be with the people of the Beyond the Heavens Empire.

[The Pillar Supporting All of the Gourmands looks at you with a smile.]

Then, Minhyuk spoke.

[Thank you.]