Gourmet Gaming

Chapter 662: The Land of the Forgotten Heroes

Fwoosh—

God of Money Henry, or Michael, got out of his Athenae access capsule. His face was overcome with great fury. This was because the Food God had told him that he was not worth dealing with before he was forced to log out.

‘F*cking bastard.’

If Michael were to be honest, he truly felt like trash when facing the Food God. He had even been hit hard with the debt that he incurred with the God of Money. Even if he was the head of the Money Bag Merchant Order, it was still too much for him. Michael was aware of how much of a thieving bastard the God of Money was. It did not matter if Michael was his successor, he would still be slapped with a 30% monthly interest for his debt.

Michael could not endure his anger any longer and ended up accessing the private chat room with the other ‘God’s Children’.

[Michael: …omitted. I’ve lost a lot because of the Food God. I’m in urgent need of your help. If you help me go against the Beyond the Heavens Kingdom, then I will promise to give you a generous reward.]

Henry’s position among the God’s Children was actually very low. Perhaps the only reason why he could remain with the other God’s Children was because of the large amount of potions and subsidies that he distributed to them. If it were made known that Henry, the owner of the largest merchant group, Money Bag, had a low position, it would truly be unbelievable.

The God’s Children had been active since Athenae’s early days. However, they had maintained their secrecy and kept their status as a secret. Some of them were powerful enough to subdue Alexander, while some were already shaking the continents and having them in the palm of their hands.

However, there was one thing for sure. Even if they looked like a ‘team’, they were not interested in helping each other. Of course, there were rare cases where they cooperated. But this was mostly because they were familiar with one other. It did not take away the fact that they were people that only pursued individual activities.

At that moment, one of the men replied.

[Rex: It seems like you don’t know how to judge what’s right or wrong, Henry. Did you really think that your bowl was that big?]

“…!”

At this point, Michael’s anger reached his tipping point. Those words hit the nail on the head. That fact made Michael want to throw his phone away. However, he could not follow through with his thoughts.

Rex was very influential and had a huge presence among the God’s Children. If Michael were to be honest, his cool-headed judgment was correct. He was the one that tried to tackle Food God Minhyuk first. However, instead of them hitting Minhyuk in the back, he was the one that got hit in the head. And after being forced to log out, he came here to whine and asked for help from the people that were stronger than him.

Henry immediately calmed down.

‘Think about how you joined the God’s Children.’

Joining their group was the greatest honor for Henry. Continuing this relationship with them would be very beneficial once he had the entire continent in the palm of his hands. By that time, some of them would already be continental emperors, some gods, and others, supreme existences in Athenae.

[Henry: I’m sorry. I was too careless. Please pretend that you did not hear that.]

In the end, Henry lowered his tail. The situation that they would encounter would probably be unpleasant even if all of the God’s Children banded together and attacked the Beyond the Heavens Kingdom. In other words, the God’s Children that he was acquainted with would not be able to help him either.

[Rex: Perhaps, the Beyond the Heavens Kingdom will soon come into my hands.]

“…?”

Henry looked at the message in doubt. The Beyond the Heavens Kingdom would come into Rex’s hands? Henry was aware that Rex was not a man of empty words. He often gave them notices like this every once in a while. Everything always happened just like he declared. Henry was also aware that Rex would not go back on his words. It was likely that he would not be able to hear the answer if he asked about it himself.

That was when Rex continued.

[Rex: I hope you’ll be there to support me once the time comes.]

The corners of Henry’s mouth split open into a vicious grin.

At the same time, in the Luvien Empire.

The only continent that the Luvien Empire failed to invade was the continent where the Eivelis Empire and the Beyond the Heavens Kingdom were. The failed invasion was a very bitter memory.

To make up for that disgrace, Nerva Sephiroth and the Luvien Empire continued to invade other kingdoms, empires, and continents. As he continued with the invasions, Nerva Sephiroth’s powers and the army that he was leading also grew stronger. This was the power of those that inherited the power of the Battle God.

Currently, Nerva Sephiroth was sitting on his throne and staring at the man that entered the room. The man, whose slender figure was clad in leather armor, walked forward.

Nerva Sephiroth looked at the man in interest, ‘A very interesting guy.’

In a small village on the outskirts, this man, together with only 5,000 vigilante-level troops, lasted an entire week against the Luvien Imperial Army. After lasting for a week, the man immediately gave the village up and asked to have an audience with Nerva.

Nerva heard that the man was the owner of a tremendous power. However, he used various tactical strategies and did not show much of his power.

‘Smart. He used the village to get an audience with me.’

He had no intention of saving the village in the first place. He just wanted to meet with Nerva and be recognized.

“I have seen you, Your Majesty Nerva,” the man said, bowing politely. Then, he immediately and bluntly told him about his goal, “Do you want to destroy the Beyond the Heavens Kingdom?”

“What? Hahahahahahahahaha!!!” Nerva Sephiroth laughed loudly at his boldness.

This man was none other than one of the God’s Children, Rex. Then, he said, “If you give me a chance, then I will dedicate the Beyond the Heavens Kingdom to you.”

***

After forcing Henry to log out, Minhyuk began collecting his spoils of war. He collected everything. The drops, including the ones from the Five Reapers and the elite troops, were all expensive items. Even their gold drop rate was tremendous. All of the soldiers of the elite troops dropped nearly eight platinum each.

‘An unexpected harvest?’

Minhyuk had judged that unless Henry was a fool, he would not easily think of attacking the Beyond the Heavens Kingdom. If a war suddenly broke out, then people would try to look for the reason. If they continued to chase after that truth, then they would probably reveal all of the atrocities that he had done.

“More than that…”

Minhyuk began to scroll through the notifications that he had received from killing the Fake Sun Wukong.

[You have killed the Fake Sun Wukong!]

[Fake Sun Wukong has received the God of Money’s Grace!]

[Those that hunt the ones that received the God of Money’s Grace would be given 10% of the gold used!]

[This will be given in addition to the platinum that the Fake Sun Wukong has dropped!]

[You have gained 88,431 platinum!]

The amount of platinum that he received was quite huge. That was on top of the valuable items that the Fake Sun Wukong had dropped, far more valuable items that the other Named Monsters did not have.

[You have acquired Fake Sun Wukong’s Necklace.]

[You have acquired Luwamma’s Gloves.]

[You have acquired Kotryni’s Armor.]

[You have acquired Ambos’ Longsword+3.]

Minhyuk could tell through the notifications that Henry and Fake Sun Wukong had joined hands prior and put many players to death. There was actually no case whatsoever of a monster dropping a reinforced artifact. However, the Fake Sun Wukong had even dropped those.

[You have acquired the Jade Emperor’s Jade Seal.]

[You have acquired the Tears that God Shed for the Poor and Pitiful.]

[You have acquired Fake Sun Wukong’s Summoning Ring.]

Among those drops, the Jade Seal stood out. The Jade Emperor was like a god in Daoism, the strongest and greatest god that ruled the Heavens.

‘He’s probably like Athenae in the Land of the Forgotten Heroes, right?’

Because of that, one could expect that the ‘Jade Seal’ that he owned should be an item with considerable power.

‘Don’t tell me…’

Henry had been cooperating with the Fake Sun Wukong but he suddenly turned against him and tried to kill him. Minhyuk wondered if the reason was because of this ‘Jade Seal’. So, he immediately checked the details.

(Jade Emperor’s Jade Seal)

Rank: God

Special Abilities:

?The Jade Emperor will grant the one that used the Jade Seal with one wish. However, there is a chance that the Jade Emperor will not listen if the wish is impossible to begin with.

?The Jade Emperor’s Jade Seal can make the item user a king or an emperor.?

Description: This is the Jade Emperor’s Jade Seal. You can tell the Jade Emperor one wish once you return this to him. However, if your wish is impossible to grant, there’s a chance that the seal will just disappear. Be careful.

“…”

This was by far the most amazing thing that Minhyuk had acquired during the course of playing Athenae. The Jade Emperor was literally the god of this new world, the Land of the Forgotten Heroes. It seemed that this very same Jade Emperor could grant a wish. Maybe Minhyuk could get a God-rank artifact or obtain some kind of delicious delicacy from him. Or just like what the description said, he could also ask the Jade Emperor to make him a king or an emperor of this new world.

‘This must be why Henry coveted it.’

The next thing that he checked was the Tears that God Shed for the Poor and Pitiful.

(Tears that God Shed for the Poor and Pitiful)

Rank: Legendary

Special Abilities:

?One of the few tears that the benevolent God shed when he saw the plight of the poor and the pitiful.

?The Tears that God Shed for the Poor and Pitiful has the power to temporarily prevent or cure a sick person.

?You can use these tears on everything that you made, including potions, food, parchment and many other things.

?However, if a low-grade item comes out, there is a possibility that the item will not improve but degrade.

“…”

It was quite an unusual item. Depending on the grade of the item that came out after the tear had been added, it would either improve or worsen.

‘This will depend on how you pour it.’

Finally, he checked the Fake Sun Wukong’s Ring. The ring was literally a summoning ring that could summon the Fake Sun Wukong.

‘It’s this amazing?’

Of course, it was not that hard dealing with cases regarding Named NPCs like Sun Wukong. However, if one handled it well, the Fake Sun Wukong would be able to give them a huge boost in strength.

‘To be honest, that punk was strong.’

Although it might seem that Minhyuk had won easily, the truth was not like that. The hit from Spear God Ben that made him collapse, as well as the three Sword of Absolute Death that were cast upon his body were the main reason why the Fake Sun Wukong died so easily.

“Well then, shall we go now?” Minhyuk said, as he began to move.

It was now the time for him to go to the Land of the Forgotten Heroes. The notifications rang the moment he stepped out into the light at the end of the cave.

[Unknown Land.]

[You have arrived at the Land of the Forgotten Heroes!]

[You have gained 500 REP.]

[Your EXP acquisition and item drop rate will double for two weeks.]

[You will receive special rewards for every achievement you made in the Land of the Forgotten Heroes.]

They were notifications that Minhyuk had expected to hear. However, the following notifications took him by surprise.

[The Sealed Bull Demon King has returned to his hometown!]

[The Sealed Bull Demon King will return to his original form upon his return to his hometown!]

[The Sealed Bull Demon King’s memories of you will turn hazy and vague!]

[You have lost your ownership of the Sealed Bull Demon King.]

“What kind of bull…!” Minhyuk shouted, his expression turning stiff. Hanwoo was a friend and companion that laughed and talked with him. They even held a conversation just a few moments prior.

Then, another set of notifications rang in his ears.

[The map you have obtained from the Corrupted God’s Mysterious Bundle is responding.]

[The map will show you the path and the method to awaken Obren!]

[There’s a high chance that the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal knows how to awaken Obren!]

[The Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal is the greatest king and monarch in the Land of the Forgotten Heroes. He is also known as the King of Wisdom.]

“…F*ck,” Minhyuk cursed.

Since the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal knew a lot of things, there was a chance that he might know not only about Obren’s awakening, but also about Hanwoo.

Minhyuk stared at the wide expanse of the Land of the Forgotten Heroes and began to move.

***

Among the five kings of the Land of the Forgotten Heroes, the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal was the one that had sat on his throne for the longest time. He was both a legend and a myth.

He was famous for being one among the kings that participated in a war against another world, a world that was not the Land of the Forgotten Heroes, and for preventing millions of enemies from invading hundreds of years ago. The inhabitants of the Land of the Forgotten Heroes called that great war the ‘War’s Path’.

Based on that story, it could be said that Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal, along with the other kings, were figures that exerted power far beyond that of the kings and emperors of the other world. The story was also proof of the failure of that world to pioneer the Land of the Forgotten Heroes, despite several continents joining hands in that war.

One could see how great the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal was. After all, he was a king then, and was still a king now. He was someone that aimed his weapon against the Jade Emperor. Just this fact alone could tell everyone that he possessed power beyond their imaginations.

Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal, or Sun Wukong, had taken the form of a man. He had a beard so long that one had to braid it to keep it out of the way. His eyes, nose and lips were manly and tough. That was on top of his sturdy and bulky body that carried his Ruyi Jingu Bang on his back.

Currently, Sun Wukong was furious.

“Who the hell can?!”

Rumbleeeeee—

Sun Wukong’s royal palace trembled and shook at his words.

“Tell me?! Who the hell can let the queen’s eyes see?!!!”

All of his subjects and retainers could only grit their teeth and bow their heads under the fury of their king. His voice was so loud and furious that it could shake the entire castle.

This was the man that even the Jade Emperor feared. Yes. This man was the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal. When the Fake Sun Wukong judged that he could fight and kill him, it was nothing but useless arrogance. The true Sun Wukong was very powerful. Perhaps his power could be comparable to Great Demon Verus in his heyday.

But now, this mighty man was shedding tears, “How can my wife’s eye and condition worsen after drinking the potion made by the best alchemist in this land?!!!”

Although the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal had reigned as a king and created many legends over a span of hundreds of years, he was only able to meet his beloved queen a few decades ago.

With his love for the queen, the queen finally gave birth to their first daughter. Although the cause was unknown, his wife suddenly became sick after giving birth.

Sun Wukong’s wife was blind since birth. He wanted to give her a present, a present that could allow his beloved wife to see his ugly monkey face and their daughter’s lovely one.

However, the potion that was created by the greatest alchemist of this land, the potion containing the tears of the benevolent god, worsened his wife’s condition.

In this Land of the Forgotten Heroes, the land that was called ‘Edea’, the citizens faced a huge restriction and limitation. Unlike the world where the ordinary players played, the people here had abyssmal DEX. In other words, there was no one with dexterous hands in this place.

After venting his anger out, Sun Wukong visited his beloved wife’s bedroom. His wife’s skin has started to turn dark. It was obvious that she was already dying.

‘Why?! Why does my wife have to die without being able to open her eyes and see her husband and daughter’s faces! Someone… please… someone… help me. Please help me give my beloved queen her final present!’ Sun Wukong, the king of ‘Edea’, crumpled the blanket covering his queen and begged.

At the same time.

“…”

Holding Hanwoo’s necklace with the word ‘Hanwoo?’ written on it, Minhyuk finally arrived in Kingdom of Rama, the kingdom that was being governed by the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal.