Leveling Up through Eating

Chapter 1173

Gorodis was a small kingdom on the borders of the Gaia Continent. It was famous as a chef’s kingdom, a nation overflowing with sweet fruits and delicious grains that tasted better than any other place.

The chefs of Gorodis Kingdom were all skilled and excellent, and they lived up to the name of the chef’s kingdom. Almost 50% of the most outstanding chefs in the Gaia Continent hailed from the Gorodis Kingdom.

The Gorodis Kingdom constantly produced outstanding chefs for many reasons, although one reason was that their lives depended on it.

“Sir Balvark, are you sure you don’t want to run away?”

Balvark, the owner of the Azure Leaf Restaurant, had devoted his entire life to it and wanted to protect its future until the very end. But the shaking chefs standing before him could not understand what he was thinking.

“The Gourmet is about to come. You should know that the bastard does not intend to let us live!”

“Indeed,” Balvark nodded at the dozens of chefs before him.

Who was the Gourmet? He had received the protection of the rulers of the Gaia Continent. After tasting their food, he would take it and present it to the continent's rulers like an offering. If the Gourmet, who visited them once a month, were not satisfied with what was given to him, then the chef who presented the dish would be subjected to food torture on that spot.

What was food torture? It was a type of torture where the Gourmet would force the other person to continue eating food. Most humans would already feel full after eating two total servings. By the third serving, their stomachs would start to bloat, and they would feel it was tough to breathe. What would happen if they were forced to eat another serving in that state?

‘They would feel as if they were going to die.’

But the problem was that the Gourmet would continue to force them to eat even if they were already in that state. It was just as it meant: food torture.

Although the torture would not kill them, the Gourmet possessed an extraordinary power. If they failed to endure, he would completely take away the sense of taste of that person. Taking away a chef’s sense of taste was like a death sentence to them. It was even more so the case for those who have devoted all their lives to cooking.

This was one of the reasons why the chefs of Gorodis Kingdom were so outstanding. After all, they had to use their best ingredients and serve their best dishes for the sake of living. The Gorodis Kingdom might seem to have the most outstanding chefs, but in reality, it was just a kingdom being exploited by the Gaia Continent.

It all started with one incident. A man working in one of the restaurants had poured the Gourmet with a glass of alcohol. But that day, it seemed like the Gourmet was in a bad mood.

–The alcohol tastes bitter today.You have given me a bad experience and made me feel bad. When I return, you must treat me to your most delicious dish. If you cannot satisfy me, then everyone here will be subjected to food torture.

After that, he left.

Everyone was left dumbfounded. It was utterly absurd. He was threatening them just because he felt that the alcohol was bitter today? But such absurd and unconventional things were natural for the Gourmet. He treated them as bugs. Would humans have any scruples killing a mosquito? Of course not.

Of course, the Azure Leaf Restaurant had been preparing for this moment. They had found difficult-to-find ingredients and the best recipe to cook them. But by some strange coincidence, their prepared ingredients had disappeared.

Balvark smiled bitterly. “All of you should run. I’ll maintain the fort and protect this place against the Gourmet.”

The other chefs were speechless. They realized Balvark was still trying to showcase the most incredible flavor he could muster despite their meager ingredients.

“It’s those bastards from the Black Moon Restaurant!”

The Black Moon Restaurant was the Azure Leaf Restaurant’s rival. The truth was the Azure Leaf Restaurant’s sales were higher than the Black Moon Restaurant. The only difference was that they had the backing of the Black Merchants, the largest merchant company in the kingdom.

Balvark stroked the old yet still sturdy wooden pillar supporting their restaurant. He thought, ‘I want to protect this place for a long time.’

This restaurant has been around for four generations now. But it seemed like it would meet its end on this day.

Then, at that moment, a commotion erupted outside.

“Are you not going to get lost?!”

“You f*cking beggars!”

“You want to eat at someone’s restaurant even though you have no money?! F*ck you! Tsk, beggars!”

Balvark and his chefs rushed out to see the commotion. That was when they saw two men dressed shabbily as if they had been wandering outside for a very long time, being cursed at by the chefs of the Black Moon Restaurant.

“Our restaurant only caters to the nobility and the royalty! Get lost!!!”

The two wanderers stepped away with bitter looks on their faces.

This street was called Flavor Street. It was the most famous street in the kingdom, home to hundreds of restaurants.

When Balvark saw the other restaurant owners stand by and watch the two beggars being thrown away, he realized something.

‘All of them must have turned the two of them away.’

Balvark could not understand the other owners.

‘A restaurant that only caters to the royalty and the nobility?’

It was ridiculous. Cooking should be available to everyone. Of course, it was only natural for people without money to find it challenging to eat expensive dishes. But ordinary people would sometimes save up enough money to try such dishes. However, these restaurants prohibited the entry of ordinary people, citing their lack of status or rank.

The two wandering beggars wandered with their shoulders drooping. The chef standing next to Balvark sighed at the sight.

“Sir Balvark, we can’t. Not today. Today, we have our problems to deal with…”

“Hey, you two!” But Balvark ignored the chef's words. “Would you like to eat?”

Balvark smiled faintly as he pointed at the restaurant behind him. The chefs of the Azure Leaf Restaurant could only sigh and laugh at their owner. This was the kind of person that Balvark was. He just could not let hungry people go.

“Just like usual, the Gourmet will arrive at six. We still have some time. It’s enough to feed the two of them.”

The chefs looked resigned. They all knew that they could not stop Balvark no matter what they said.

Meanwhile, Balvark was left in awe when he caught sight of the beautiful appearance hidden beneath the beggar(?)’s shabby and dirty look. He thought, ‘He’s very handsome and tall too.’

Looking embarrassed, the man said, “I’m strapped for cash. Would it still be alright?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s not difficult to share a meal with those who are hungry. Come in.”

A wind passed by the moment Balvark’s words ended. The two men were seated at the table when he opened his eyes.

Rumble–!

Rumble–!

The loud sound akin to a thunder echoed from the stomachs of the two men.

“I’ll serve you the dish that I’m best at. Make sure to enjoy your meal, and then go home. All right?”

“Thank you very much. I will repay you for this grace.”

“It’s fine. I’m good as long as you enjoy my dish.”

“You’re a very nice person…” The handsome man said, tears welling up in his eyes.

Balvark smiled at the man. Initially, he wanted to serve them a noodle dish but switched to fried rice.

‘Rice is much better for the stomach of the hungry.’

Obviously, they had not eaten in a while, so it was much better for them to eat the rice. He even doubled the amount.

The dish that Balvark made for the two men was none other than shrimp fried rice. The moment the bowls of shrimp fried rice were placed in front of them, the two began to devour everything.

Slurp, slurp, slurp–!

Munch, munch, munch–!

Chomp, chomp, chomp–!

Seeing the handsome man eat so well made Balvark laugh unknowingly. He poured water for the two before looking at the time.

“It slowly. There are still four hours left before the Gourmet arrives.”

The chefs went out of the backdoor with sad looks on their faces. Left alone, Balvark continued to cook fried rice for the two, who were still eating.

“Thank you very much! I’ve been starving for a week!”

“And I’ve been starving for 213 days! I have been looking for him!”

Balvark could not understand what the two were talking about. Then he said, “We’ve cleaned up the restaurant today, so our ingredients are not enough. I usually make this with more ingredients, so I feel a bit sorry for only being able to provide this for you.”

“No, no.” The handsome man said, “This is the most delicious dish I have ever tasted. Wouldn’t a dish be extremely valuable if someone eats it happily?”

Balvark smiled at the pleasant words that the man said before stepping out to organize the kitchen.

“Shrimp fried rice, huh? It’s not a bad dish for those with insignificant palates.”

“...!”

Balvark’s eyes grew wide. Sitting by the corner, the Gourmet had arrived much earlier than the original schedule.

“Bring me the dishes.”

“...Yes.”

Balvark looked behind him. The two men, who were eating happily, looked confused. He hurriedly pointed to the door and gestured for them to get out quickly.

“I’m famished.”

But the words of the Gourmet made him hurry back into the kitchen.

“Can I do it?”

At that moment, the words of the handsome man appeared in his head.

‘Yes. The ingredients may not matter.’

Even though he would not be able to use Elbania’s Grain, the ingredient that he spent an entire month finding, as long as the person eating it feels happy, he could still make the best dishes.

Balvark forgot the fear gripping his chest. Then, he finally began cooking. He made aglio e Olio, a basic pasta dish with few ingredients. Although it had few ingredients, it could give someone the purest taste of pasta.

Balvark’s control of the flames was excellent. Not long after, the scent of roasted garlic began to fill the kitchen. He did his best.

‘I am the chef of this kingdom who can make the best dish with the least ingredients.’

He was proud of the dish that he made.

[The dish is Legendary grade.]

He could still make a legendary grade Aglio e Olio despite only having the most basic and ordinary ingredients. Perhaps even the Gourmet would be satisfied with this dish. With an excited expression, Balvark placed the dish before the Gourmet.

The Gourmet, wearing a white chiton just like the clothes the gods wore in Greek mythology, grabbed his fork and spoon. He scooped up some pasta and rolled it up. Then, he put it in his mouth and smirked.

‘Even though the most basic ingredients have been used, you can still taste the richness of the dish's flavor. The more you chew, the more savory the flavor in your mouth is. The oil also coats your mouth, which whets your appetite more.’

The most important part was that Balvark had seen through the essence of the ingredients and had shown it in this dish.

‘The ingredients used are just that but…’

But the Gourmet soon put down his spoon and fork. He said, “This is disgusting. Did you think you could serve me a dish using the trashiest ingredients?”

“Huh? But the dish tastes the best regardless of the ingredients…”

“Do you think you have the right to decide that? That’s quite rude.”

The Gourmet slowly stood up.

Only at this moment did Balvark realize that it did not matter whether the ingredients were good or not or whether it was delicious.

‘It seems like he just wants a place to vent his anger, huh?’

The Gourmet enjoyed and reveled in the pain and suffering that those who were subjected to the food torture experience.

“Very well, I would like to treat you to 100 servings of dishes myself.”

“...”

Simply put, he wanted to kill Balvark by making his stomach burst.

Balvark’s face turned pale as a hundred dishes appeared around the Gourmet.

“There’s a variety of delicacies here. Isn’t this great? The more you eat, the more power you can take from me?”

The dishes presented by the Gourmet could give someone power whenever they eat them. However, they must finish the stipulated number of dishes. If they failed, they would lose their sense of taste.

The Gourmet pressed on the shoulders of the trembling Balvark and forced him to sit on the chair. Then, he whispered, “Well then, shouldn’t you eat it quickly?”

“...”

Balvark stretched out his trembling hands and grabbed the fork and spoon before him. It was a human’s instinct to want to live and survive. Ultimately, he could not resist and was forced to eat the first dish.

“If you eat five bowls, I will give you strength.”

Hope bloomed in Balvark’s heart. If it was five bowls, then perhaps he could try it. So, he ate like crazy.

Eating the first bowl was fine, but finishing the second bowl made him feel full. When he tipped back the third bowl, he felt full to the brim, his stomach aching from being too full. By the fourth bowl, he felt suffocated. He even felt as if he was about to regurgitate the food.

“Umph…”

But he wanted to live. So, he forced the food down his throat and finished the fourth bowl. As for the fifth bowl, he crushed the food in the bowl. It made his eyes roll to the back of his head.

The problem was the Gourmet was still there. When Balvark failed to put food in his mouth, the Gourmet waved his finger. Balvark’s mouth dropped open following his fingers, and the food was pushed down his throat.

“Now, now. You have to swallow it, you know? Hmm? Fufufufufu!” The Gourmet watched Balvark suffer, delight flashing on his face.

In the end, Balvark was able to finish all five bowls. He felt as if his stomach was about to burst. Even his breathing had turned ragged to the point where it would not look strange if he collapsed right away. He even felt as if his internal organs were being squished and twisted together. Nevertheless, he was relieved. After all, he was still alive.

[You have gained 1 STR.]

This was the power of the Gourmet.

“Alright. This time, you have to eat ten servings.”

“...”

Balvark had already realized that the Gourmet had no intention of keeping him alive. The thought of eating more food made Balvark want to throw up. He wanted to give up right then.

“Sir Balvark!”

“STOP!!!”

The chefs, who had left earlier, appeared carrying various items, including kitchen knives and frying pans.

“Ugh… ugh! A-all… of you… go… quick…”

They ignored the words of Balvark, who was trying his hardest not to throw up anymore, and lunged at the Gourmet. But it only took a single wave of the Gourmet’s finger to control their movements.

The Gourmet looked at them, who could not move as if he was enjoying himself. Then, he said, “Since I’m feeding him, I’ll feed you too.”

The sixth bowl appeared. And Balvark? His consciousness was already turning hazy. He had already reached his limit. He could no longer eat anymore. But the Gourmet did not care. He grabbed Balvark’s chin and forced his mouth open.

“Alright. Here’s the next dish~”

At that moment, Balvark, whose consciousness was already turning hazy, suddenly caught sight of something.

“Enough.”

“...!”

“...!”

“...!”

Everyone turned to look in the direction where the sound came from.

The Gourmet muttered, “There’s no sound?”

When Balvark heard those words, he wondered what would happen next. He had also read countless fantasy novels as a child. In situations like this, those who stepped up to address the unjust situation would draw their swords in a beautiful arc and slay the enemies.

The man reached for his waist and said, “The dish you gave me is the most delicious dish in the world. I have told you before that I will repay the grace you gave me.”

“...”

At this moment, Balvark realized that his thoughts were correct.

“Lord Minhyuk… you don’t have a sword right now.”

“Ah, that’s right. I don’t have a sword right now, don’t I?”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

Balvark, the chefs, and even the Gourmet looked at the man incredulously. Balvark realized that his thoughts were nothing more than hope.

But then, the man walked over and sat in the place Balvark had been seated in before.

“You said we will gain strength if we eat your food, right?”

“What the hell… what’s the matter with you, you bastard?” The Gourmet said, his expression filled with interest.

Then, the man said, “I’ll eat in his stead.”

“Ridiculous…” The Gourmet looked at the man incredulously. Was he going to eat in place of someone else?

From the looks of it, the man was just a shabby beggar trying to be heroic.

The man continued, “Let’s make a bet.”

“...?”

“For every ten bowls of food I eat, you will eat one bowl yourself.”