Gourmet Gaming

hese simple ingredients! If I put ripe kimchi on top of it then…
Ah!” 

“…” 

‘This person is really relaxed and comfortable.’ Ruwan thought as he started to eat his portion of the fried rice to fill his fullness stat.
Then, he stopped and thought, ‘…It’s really delicious.’

The fried rice was so delicious that Ruwan closed his eyes in bliss.
It was just a bowl filled with stir-fried rice, onions, carrots and ham, but he had to admit that it was really excellent.
It was impossible to be bored of the taste.
Ruwan’s spoon did not stop moving.

“De…delicious…”

“It’s like the tension in my body is gone.”

“It’s really delicious!”

The miners started to eat with great vigor.
They ate like there was no tomorrow.
After all, they were also quite hungry since they did heavy work earlier.
After eating, Ruwan suddenly heard a notification in his ears.

[You have eaten Fried Rice.]

[Your stats will be increased for 10 hours: attack power +14%, defensive power +15%, STM +40.]

“Gasp…!” Ruwan gasped loudly in shock.

Meanwhile, the miners felt that their body was filled with strength.

“Oh, ooooooooh…!”

“I just ate fried rice but my fatigue has disappeared!”

“H…how can this be?!”

Everyone started to exclaim in surprise.
Ruwan looked at Minhyuk in awe, unable to see through him.
Minhyuk, on the other hand, looked at his almost empty bowl and sighed sadly, “I already ate it all…
That’s too bad…” 

The Fruit of Carrot would give him a permanent +20 boost in his STM.
However, it was changed into a buff effect.
So, instead of a permanent boost in his STM, it turned into a temporary buff effect with a double increase in STM.
It might not be permanent, but for the short term, especially in their current situation, it was a huge boost in their strength.

Thud!

Thud, thud, thud!

Just then, monsters started to appear one by one, like what their enemies said earlier.
This time, what appeared were Iron Golems, monsters that were at Level 170.
They broke through the walls of the mines and appeared in front of them.
Minhyuk quickly finished his meal and attacked the Iron Golems.

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[Rampant Sword.]

[A flurry of rampant swords with additional 30% attack power will be created for 5 seconds.]

Rumble!

[You have dealt a critical strike.]

Rumble!

[You have dealt a critical strike.]

Crumble!

One solid and imposing Iron Golem fell with a thud and along with its death…

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

…Minhyuk’s level rose.
Ruwan also joined the fray and fought against the monsters.
Even though his level was much lower compared to the monsters, the buff from Minhyuk’s dishes had excellent effects.
Of course, it was only to the point where he could protect the miners from the monsters’ clutches, and from getting hurt or injured.

‘He looks like he’s the one at Level 170…’ Ruwan thought.
He wondered how Minhyuk’s stats could be so high despite his low level.
At the same time, he also thought that they would be able to hold out until Minhyuk's mysterious noona arrived and rescued them.
But…

‘Who the hell is his Noona?’

This was Ruwan’s greatest concern.
Then, he thought, ‘I think the barrier is going to break soon…’

Although he was hunting and killing off the monsters in front of him, Ruwan was still thinking about what would happen to them once the barrier was broken.

***

Kald was inside the Bretley Mines.
Since he was wearing a mask, even the members of the Horden Guild could not recognize him.
He had followed the other guild members into the different mining areas.
He thought, ‘It’s not here either.’

The person who used the black key was the only person who would be able to see the entrance.
However, there was no passageway or entrance in the first to the fourth mining area.
The only area left that he was not able to check was the fifth mining area.

Kald sent a whisper to Brony, who said that he was in a difficult situation due to the players in the fifth mining area.
However, he also said that the transparent barrier was going to break soon.
So, Kald prepared to exit the fourth mining area.
He thought, ‘I’m sure that the entrance is in the fifth mining area.’

Then, he started walking towards the fifth mining area.
However, the member of the Horden Guild who was walking in front suddenly came to a stop.

“…”

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“What’s the matter?” Kald asked, tilting his head in confusion.

One of the guild members also tilted his head as he looked towards a certain direction and said, “I…I don’t understand the situation right now.”

“Yes?” Kald asked in confusion again as he followed him out of the mines.
The moment they got out of the mines, he finally saw the situation that they were in.

Troops armed with bright and impressive plate armors bearing the mark of the phoenix were marching from afar.
A woman, wearing bright red armor marched at the very front, with her long blonde hair tied tightly with a string, and her sword gleaming brightly on her waist.
Anyone, even if it was a one-year-old child connected to Athenae, would be able to recognize who this person was.
No one in Athenae would fail to recognize the empress of the Eivelis Empire.
The woman hailed as the Sword Emperor.
Ellie.

Right now, there were people moving quickly around her.
The imperial mages were already moving to prepare to cast their magic while the soldiers aimed their bows towards them and waited for Ellie’s orders.

Step, step, step, step━

Ellie slowly looked around the mines until her eyes met with Kald’s. 

‘Gasp…!’

Kald might have connections with the kingdom’s Marquis, but Ellie was a different matter altogether.
If the Marquis was a cat, Ellie was a tigress that could lead a group of full-grown tigers, despite tigers being known to be solitary creatures.
Her sharp gaze made Kald flinch.
Then, she opened her mouth and said, “So, you’re a blacksmith.”

“…!”

Kald knew that his identity was exposed just with Ellie’s words alone but he still kept his mouth shut since he did not know what to say.
Ellie continued to say, “And you’re the culprit behind this mayhem.”

Ellie was talking about the corpses of the Barras Kingdom’s soldiers scattered all over the place.
Kald gulped, his throat turning extremely dry at Ellie’s words.
Then, Ellie waved her hand as she declared, “Let’s see your mug.”

Crack, crack, crack, crack!

Kald’s mask cracked and shattered, revealing his face.

Crumble━

“…!”

“Ka, Kald…?”

“The Blacksmith Kald? The second in the Blacksmith Rankings?!”

The guild members of the Horden Guild quickly realized who he was once his mask was removed.
It was then that Kald realized the situation that he was in.
He thought, ‘I’m f*cked…’

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