Gourmet Gaming

Chapter 310: Juicy Drink

Minhyuk’s smile grew wider in satisfaction. The title was unexpected, but it was most definitely welcome. The effect of the title ‘The One who Exploits the Legends’ was not anything grand. However, it would make him sound more reliable and trustworthy whenever he tries to lie to legends. After checking the title, Minhyuk turned to look at the field.

[Mother’s Touch]

[The roots will follow the Mother’s warm touch and move on their own.]

The roots felt the force coming from Mother of Life Eden’s pickaxe and popped out of the ground to harvest the fruits. However, despite the roots working hard for her, Eden continued to strike her hoe in order to dig more fruits. It seemed like she really wanted to drink that juice as fast as possible. On the other side, a spectacular sight unfolded when Sword and Shield Crusoe struck his pickaxe on the ground strongly.

[The Teacher’s Summons]

[Crusoe summons and awakens the hundreds of talents that studied under his tutelage.]

Hundreds of people formed from dirt and soil appeared. These people looked at Crusoe in doubt, wondering why he suddenly summoned them.

“Heed my orders!”

“Yes, sir!”

The hundreds of men quickly stood in perfect line at Crusoe’s words that were, strangely enough, filled with dignity and majesty. This was their teacher’s first order after hundreds of years of slumber!

“Dig up the fruits! Focus on the fruits that give off a dark light! Quickly!”

“Ye…yes, sir!”

Crusoe’s hundreds of disciples summoned from the earth looked at their teacher in doubt as they started to harvest the fruits in the field. Meanwhile, Louis…

“My Lord… I really, really want to drink watermelon juice… Please, please grant them the strength that will allow us to drink watermelon juice…!”

He was praying to God, granting buffs to the soldiers that Crusoe summoned, as well as the residents of the territory that were working on the field.

“Minhyuk is sick. We won’t be able to drink fruit juice today if we don’t harvest these fruits.”

“Let’s all work hard together!!!”

“Uwaaaaaaaah!!”

Suppose the regular wage for labor work was around 50,000 gold, while an ordinary fruit, like apple, was around 1,500-2,000 gold. One could assume that the price of the ingredients used for the juice that everyone was craving for was only around 1,500 gold. That meant that Minhyuk only spent 1,500 gold to make the residents of the territory and the three legendary figures work for him, saving himself dozens of platinum worth of wages.

‘Oooooh! It’s steadily increasing! It’s going up!’?

Minhyuk looked at the rate of harvesting that was displayed on the upper left corner of the quest window. Yesterday, the rate sat at 3%. But after pretending to be sick today, the rate of harvesting that was initially at 3% suddenly shot up at an incredibly shocking pace. It only took one hour to increase by another 3%. It would take at least around three to four hours for a person to dig out and harvest a withering fruit alone. But with hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of people working together, the rate of harvesting rose rapidly.

‘Well then, shall we give them some proper motivation?’

Minhyuk’s body shook as he stood up.

“Minhyuk, your complexion looks a little bad…” Mother of Life, Eden, said.

However, Minhyuk just told her, “You’re all working so hard for me, I can’t just rest like this and let you do all the work. Cough!!!”

Minhyuk’s body staggered as he heaved a cough out. Eden rushed to help him thinking, 'Aaaaaaah! I can’t believe a person can be this admirable…! Even though he’s sick, he still wants to make us some drinks because he saw how thirsty we were…! His character is really wonderful!!!’

[You have received Eden's favor.]

[You have received Eden's favor.]

[You have gained +10 in all five basic stats.]

[You have gained 20 REP.]

‘What’s this?’?

Minhyuk looked confused, and he thought about the reason why his five basic stats and reputation increased along with his favorability with Eden.

‘Aaah…!!!’?

That was when Minhyuk remembered an incident in the past. The same thing happened when his favorability with Ellie increased back then too. So, Minhyuk tried to find what the common ground was between these two incidents.

‘Maybe it’s because it’s hard to increase favorability with people like Ellie Noona and Mother of Life Eden? Ah! That must be why the system gives out additional rewards whenever someone increases their favorability with them!’

Minhyuk had completely figured out the system. Then, Crusoe and Louis approached the two of them.

“What happened?”

Seeing them approach, Minhyuk thought that it was the perfect time for his play to start.

“I’ll make drinks for everyone, no matter what! Even if my body breaks down!!!” Minhyuk yelled as he walked away from them.

‘W…what tenacious mental power… His lips are even bluer than before…!’

‘Brother Minhyuk is really cool…!’?

Minhyuk made sure to add a fancy flare to the finale of his act.

Thud―

He pretended to faint and collapse on the spot. Then, the notifications rang wildly.

[You have received Crusoe's favor.]

[You have received Crusoe's favor.]

[You have gained 50 CHA.]

[You have gained 40 STR.]

[You have gained 20 REP.]

[You have received Louis' favor.]

[You have received Louis' favor.]

[You have gained 50 holy power.]

[You have gained 30 REP.]

It did not end there. The residents heard the commotion and rushed to where Minhyuk and the three legendary figures were. They saw Crusoe hugging Minhyuk as if he was hugging a fellow soldier who had been hit by a bomb. Crusoe was crying passionately, “He…he fainted trying to make drinks for us… He said that he would do it!!! Even with his sick and weak body!!!”

“Aaaaaaaah!?Minhyuk!!!”

“Aaaaaaaaaaah!?He must have felt pressured since we kept on asking for drinks. That must be why he tried to meet our demands even with his sick body. But in the end…!”

“Sob!”

[You have received Beirgen’s favor.]

[You have received Richard’s favor.]

[You have received Robert’s favor.]

[You have received Kennedy’s favor.]

Notifications about the increase in favor with the residents of the territory flooded Minhyuk’s ears, and his lips had curled up into a smile, hidden completely by Crusoe’s arms.

***

Dwarf Lant had stayed in front of the Food God’s statue for a few days, so he was completely shocked at the sight in front of him.

‘He harvested 64% of the total fruits?’

“Wh…what kind of nonsense is this…?”

Minhyuk was working three out of the four legendary figures in this territory to the bones without even lifting a single finger. He even made sure to always give them a carrot after the stick.

“It’s a bit hard, right? Please have a drink to cheer yourself up.”

“Th…thank you! Thank you! Thank you very much!!!” One of the residents said as he received a cup of drink, bowing several times in succession to show his deep gratitude. Then, he began to work harder.

Minhyuk approached Lant with a dark smile the moment he saw him appear in the vicinity, asking, “Isn’t it hot? Have a cup of watermelon juice. The drink goes in, glug, glug, glug, glug~ until when are we going to do the~ shoulder~ dance~”

***

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

The entire Special Players Management Team was left speechless at what they saw.

“N…No… Th…that… Sigh…” President Kang Taehoon smiled helplessly, not knowing what to say while Team Leader Park just supported his forehead.

Meanwhile, Lee Minhwa…

‘A cup of Juicy right now sounds delicious… Heh…’

…was craving for a cool and refreshing sip of Juicy?watermelon juice herself. A cup that was as cold, or maybe cooler, than the situation that they were in right now.

“No… Who in their right mind will think of tempting the residents of a territory with a cup of drink to make them work like slaves?”

That was right. Slaves.?The word seemed perfect for the situation. Minhyuk… No,?he was just pretending to be sick, blending drinks comfortably, while he made the residents of the territory and the three legendary figures, scratch?that,?now it should be…

[I’ll sharpen and clean your farming tools so you can harvest fruits better!!!]

…four legendary figures, work to the bone.

The prideful and majestic Golden Hammer Dwarf Lant also became like putty in Minhyuk’s hands after drinking a cup of watermelon juice made by him. He even helped the residents sharpen and clean their farming tools, making them more efficient and faster in harvesting the withering fruits.

“How can they become like that with just a cup of juice?”

Lee Minhwa, the ‘Prospective Eating Captain’ among the employees, answered President Kang Taehoon’s question, “They had been slumbering for hundreds of years. Of course they would be like that. In fact, even if we ignore that and assume that they were back in their era, it would still be hard for them to find any kind of iced drink. Besides, it must have been very delicious since the one who blended it was Player Minhyuk, a player with over 2,000 DEX… They must have heard some sort of heavenly voice the moment they drank it.”

“...S…so that was the case.”

Everything made sense after they heard Lee Minhwa’s perspective. There was even the ‘Sea Honey’, an addictive ingredient, added into the juice. However, no matter the reason or the cause, what Minhyuk achieved was something amazing. The trial had a time limit of two weeks. Only a week had passed since the trial had started, and he already collected almost all of the withering fruits.

“What will happen if he clears every trial like that?” Lee Minhwa asked.

Team Leader Park Minggyu could only sigh as he said, “The territory will have overflowing wealth just from the seeds alone. They will also have the best offensive and defensive capabilities, as well as outstanding artifacts. And…” Team Leader Park continued to speak, “The territory will be equipped with the recovery function. An overly powerful territory will literally be born to the world. It will probably be comparable to the Atlas of the past.”

***

Meanwhile, male players had gathered around a woman in a small village in Asgan Continent. The woman said, “Come to our shop…”

Then, she slightly lifted her skirt and continued to say, “Do you want some ramyeon~? Ah, heung~”

“Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!!”

“I want to eat!!! I will eat!!! I will definitely eat!!!”

“Please give me five bowls over here!!!”

Countless male players continued to gather in front of a small handcart shop.

“Irasshaimase!!” Conir greeted the customers with excitement, using the greeting that Mei Wei had taught him as he began making ramyeon.

“Hiyaaah…” Player Adle sighed in satisfaction. He was the first person to successfully sit down in front of the shop. Adle was a bonafide member of the ‘No Girlfriend Since Birth’?club! He was struck in awe when he saw the woman selling ramyeon, and ended up lining up to buy a bowl.

“Customer, here’s your ramyeon!” said the little boss, as he handed the bowl of ramyeon to him.

The bowl was filled with chewy noodles with chopped green onions and boiled eggs on top. No matter how he looked at it, all he saw was just some normal ramyeon, right?

‘It might not even taste good, since the one who made it is the young little boss…’

However, the taste did not matter. After all, the employee was a beauty. It was a win-win situation no matter what.

“Hurry up and have a taste. Customer~ Hoho~”

Adle’s eyes were trained on Mei Wei’s face as he hurriedly picked up his chopsticks at her charming urge.

“Yes, yes, I will,” he said as he took a bite of the ramyeon.

“Sluuuuuuuurp!”

‘Hiyaaa. She’s so beautiful. I might mistake my nose for my mouth with how distracting her beauty is… huh?’

Adle’s stray thoughts came to a complete halt.

‘Wh…what the hell?’

The ramyeon in his mouth tasted somewhat different. So, he tried another bite to make sure.

“Sluuuuuuurp!”

This time, he also ate a piece of kimchi with the noodles.

‘Wow, even the kimchi…’

Adle could not stop his mouth from moving anymore. Then, the little boss looked at him with his bright, shining eyes as he asked, “How’s the taste, customer?”

“Please give me some cold rice,” was what Adle said, instead of answering the boy’s question. The little boss hurriedly brought over some cold rice. Adle immediately added the rice, and the hot ramyeon soup cooled down a bit. Then, he scooped a huge spoonful into his mouth.

“Wh…what’s this?”

A line had already started to form behind Adle while he was crazily slurping the bowl of ramyeon in front of him. Adle grabbed the entire bowl and drank every last bit of the soup. He licked the bowl clean, not leaving a single grain of rice behind.

“Phew…?One…one more bowl please…”

“Boo!”

“There are people waiting behind you!!!”

Boos echoed loudly behind Adle, but he did not pay them any mind. He only stood up after he finished eating another bowl of ramyeon. Adle was left in a daze as he stood up from his seat.

“Wh…what’s wrong?”

“How is the taste?!!!!”

“It’s… freaking… delicious.”

“What?”

Adle turned to the person asking and spoke clearly, “The flavor is heavenly! This is the most delicious bowl of ramyeon I have tasted in this world!!!”

“R…really?”

“I, I didn't even have the mind to look at that beautiful woman the moment I took the first bite!!!”

“Gasp!!!”

Conir, the owner of the shop, was smiling brightly as he said, “Conir’s ramyeon business is a great success!!! I’m rich now!!! Wow!”

True enough, Conir’s ramyeon shop was booming.

***

Mei Wei was shocked after seeing Conir’s ramyeon business earn one platinum in just a single day, from word of mouth that his ramyeon was delicious, no less. The main reason why they were able to achieve one platinum in sales was because most of the customers were generous and gave a lot of tips. This came as a surprise to Mei Wei, since she did not know what it tasted like due to her anorexia. Then, Mei Wei received the quest completion notification.

[You have completed the Hidden Quest: Help Conir’s Business.]

[Conir wants to give you a bowl of the most delicious ramyeon in the world.]

Mei Wei nodded in understanding.

Then, Conir said, “Uwaaah, Conir!!! Conir can make two bowls of the most delicious ramyeon in the world! Conir will give one bowl as a gift to Noona.”

The boy proceeded to make ramyeon, while Mei Wei looked with both anticipation and worry. While Conir turned on the heat and placed the pot filled with water on the stove, he turned towards Mei Wei and said, “Conir!!! Conir wants to ask Noona a favor.”

“A favor?” Mei Wei asked in confusion.

“The person Noona is looking for, the Food God? That person is actually Conir's Hyung! Conir's very cool and handsome Hyung!”

“What…?” Mei Wei’s eyes shook as she asked in disbelief. Mei Wei and Conir had plenty of conversations before. She had told him that she was looking for the player called the Food God. Back then, Conir had only nodded.

But now, Conir said, “Conir will give you ramyeon, so don’t fight with Conir's Hyung. Conir will give you hundreds, no thousands, bowls of ramyeon so protect Conir's Hyung instead! Conir knows Noona is strong! Don’t fight Conir's Hyung and just protect him!”

Conir smiled widely at her. It seemed like he wanted the two of them to be friends and did not want to see them fight. As it turned out, Conir had misunderstood her, thinking that Mei Wei was trying to find Minhyuk, because she wanted to fight with him. Instead of fighting against each other, Conir wanted her to fight for him instead.

So, Mei Wei replied with a big smile on her face, “Conir, you misunderstood. I have no intentions of picking a fight with your Hyung. And since you’ve gone to this extent…”

She smiled gently at the boy as she continued to say, “I’ll make sure to protect him no matter what.”

1. song for the drinking game loser.

2. Welcome to my shop! in JPN. One of the many formal ways to welcome their customers

3. leftover rice, rice that has been left to cool down for sometime