Gourmet Gaming

Chapter 529: Gaining an Uncle

[Slaughterer’s Absorption]

[There is a 3% chance that you will be able to convert 50% of the damage that you have dealt to your opponents into HP.]

Around 4% of Minhyuk’s HP was recovered immediately. Minhyuk looked down at his hands as he hurriedly checked the Crazy that had increased by +3 levels.

(Crazy)

Artifact Skill

Level: +3

Mana Required: None

Cooldown: None

Effects:

?When using Crazy Mode, there is a 50% chance of triggering a sword wind with 1,100% additional attack that can rip through anything and everything in its path when attacking with a basic attack.

?When using Crazy Mode, there is a chance of consecutively triggering Crazy Mode.

?There is a 40% chance of triggering the Crazy Mode two times in a row.

?There is a 20% chance of triggering the Crazy Mode three times in a row.

?There is a 10% chance of triggering the Crazy Mode four times in a row.

?There is a 5% chance of triggering the Crazy Mode six times in a row.

?There is a 2% chance of triggering the Crazy Mode eight times in a row.

?In Crazy Mode, there is a 20% chance of bringing the opponent hit by your attack into a five-second stunned state.

?In Crazy Mode, there is a 35% chance of turning the Continent Destroyer Sword’s Active Skill: Armor Break into a passive skill and triggering it to destroy the opponent’s sword.

Additional Explanation: Thanks to the Food God’s buffed dish, ‘Lightning’ was increased by +3 levels. As a result, the effects of the skill ‘Crazy’ under Lightning has become better.

‘This is really insane…!’

There was no other word that Minhyuk could use to express what he felt. In the first place, Crazy was a skill that was beyond ridiculous. It had a 30% chance of triggering a sword wind just by using a basic attack. In other words, even if Minhyuk only attacked his enemy three times, he could guarantee that one of those three attacks would deal an additional 1,100% damage. But now…

‘Did you say 50%?’

…the power of Crazy could be triggered once every two strikes. Even the probability of triggering Crazy Mode continuously had increased significantly. Minhyuk had a 40% chance of triggering it twice in a row, a 20% chance of triggering it thrice in a row, a 5% chance of triggering it six times in a row, and a 2% chance of triggering it eight times in a row. Minhyuk had been very lucky to trigger the 2% probability and hit Raldo eight times in a row, which caused huge damage to the Overlord.

‘I really want to have it as my own.’

Because it was only due to the buffed dish’s effect, Minhyuk could only use the power for three minutes. Considering the fact that it was miles stronger than the artifact skill Lightning’s Explosion and Destruction, it would be a lie if Minhyuk said that he did not want this in his arsenal.

Then, a voice suddenly rang from where Raldo was, “That’s right. You should attack me like that too. That way, I can think of you as someone that should be killed, and not my father.”

Badump, badump, badump—

Minhyuk’s heart thumped violently. He was fully aware that Raldo hated his father. But Raldo, who stood up while saying those words, looked sad despite the blackness that covered his eyes. Minhyuk, who knew about the matter…

“Your father was not crazy.”

…decided to tell Raldo the truth.

***

The entire Beyond the Heavens Kingdom was suddenly thrown into an uproar after a huge tower made of blood suddenly rose in the Louvre Forest, near the vicinity of the kingdom and did not disappear, despite the days passing by.

“We need to make sure that we have control on the information. If what I think is right, then the person currently inside the blood tower is Ascar.”

When the blood tower appeared, Haze already knew that it was because someone was pioneering a new path. This tower did not pose any harm to the Beyond the Heavens Kingdom. Besides, the tower only appeared after Ascar received Asura’s Successor’s Ring from Minhyuk. Also, she had not been seen in the kingdom or anywhere in Athenae from when she came back from the world of the foreigners for the past few days.

‘Ascar.’

Haze looked up at the blood tower. She knew that Ascar entered the trial to inherit the powers of Asura. For Haze, Ascar was a strong woman. Ascar might be someone that silently performed her duty and had always been a shadow amidst the people of Beyond the Heavens Kingdom, but Haze knew that her heart was warmer than anybody else and that she cared for Minhyuk deeply. Haze couldn't help but worry since days had gone by with no signs from her.

Nevertheless, Haze knew that she could not tell her to just give up out of exhaustion. All Haze could do was mutter to herself, “Climb higher, Ascar. I know you can do it.”

***

Blood Tower.

In order to inherit Demigod Asura’s powers, one had to clear the trial that he had set and obtain the qualifications that would allow them to be recognized by Asura himself. Ascar had been trapped inside this Blood Tower for days on end, trying to climb her way up to the tenth floor.

“Urk…!” Ascar threw up a mouthful of blood as she came up to the ninth floor. As the blood dripped down her chin, Ascar recalled the words that President Kang Taehoon once said in the past.

‘Athenae is a new world. And the character in this new world is another you.’

A sudden burst of laughter escaped from her mouth as she thought, ‘I’m in a new world, that’s why this trial feels so real.’

Athenae was a virtual reality game so the players did not feel that much pain when compared to NPCS. However, when faced with things that the player could not endure or hold out against, they would consume a huge amount of their mental strength and physical abilities until they reached their limits. That was what was happening to Ascar right now. Her mental strength had been completely drained.

However, Slaughter God Asura still stood in front of her with his arms crossed while asking Ascar a question, “Is that all you’ve got?”

Asura was very disappointed initially, when he saw the girl as the first challenger that would challenge his trial in his successor’s ring. That was mainly because this woman named Ascar, the woman trying to inherit his power, was much weaker than he expected. Asura believed that the woman would not even be able to cross the wall of his second floor.

And yet, Ascar proved him wrong. She was able to reach the end of the seventh floor with her amazing mental strength alone. Asura acknowledged her mental strength, because while all of the trials in this tower could be challenged infinitely, there were penalties accompanying each challenge if the challenger chose to undergo the trial over and over again.

Even though Ascar kept on falling and collapsing, the woman would always continue to stand up and challenge the trial in front of her.

Click—

Ascar staggered, standing up with the support of her katanas. Then, she dashed forward to continue fighting the desperate battle against Asura’s clone in front of her. Asura’s clone might be weaker than the real Asura, but the power that he possessed was still too much for any of the players to deal with on their own. It was the reason why Ascar had died countless times over under his hands. But through those countless deaths, Ascar was able to find a method to attack and defeat the man in front of her.

Slaaaaaaash—

Asura’s clone was split in half.

Swoosh—

Ascar could only take in ragged breaths as she watched Asura’s clone disappear into thin air. Just like that, she reached the tenth floor once again. It was the worst level. On the tenth floor, Ascar had to fight against nearly 60,000 monsters and get Asura's bloody greatsword stuck on the ground not too far away from her. Ascar had already died more than fifty times at this stage.

“Haa… haa…”

Ascar was breathing roughly. Her voice sounded like iron grating against each other. And just like before, Asura asked the staggering woman, “Is that all you’ve got?”

Ascar had heard these mocking words from Asura hundreds, if not thousands, of times. Truth was, Ascar wanted to quit. She wanted to log out, lie down and sleep in her bed. But every time the thought flashed in her head, she would recall the words that he told her before he transferred.

‘I know that you’ll be a model. Because you’re someone that won’t fall and even if you do, I know that you will get back up. So, I’m sure that we’ll meet each other later.’

Ascar was such a person. Others called her a genius. What a funny thing. She was not a genius. It was just that she was a person that did not give up and chose to work more than the others. So, Ascar stood up and pointed her two katanas at Asura.

“Hey.”

“…”

Asura was an evil god that stained the continent with blood, while Ascar, with her eyes glinting sharply and viciously through the gaps of her silver hair, said to him, “You f*cker. Shut your trap and just keep on watching.”

Then, Ascar rushed towards the 60,000 monsters.

***

“Your father was not crazy.”

Raldo not only needed to be freed from his curse, but to also know the truth about the object of his hatred, Ravanberg. Raldo needed to know that his father literally gave everything up for him.

“Are you even resorting to lies now?”

Raldo’s face was distorted with anger. Minhyuk only had two minutes and twenty seconds at most with his buff effect.

“I’m not lying. Your father…”

“Shut up!!!” Raldo shouted fiercely as he sent another attack.

Minhyuk immediately received damage the moment he blocked Raldo’s ‘Warrior God’s Sword’.

[You have triggered Crazy two times in a row!]

[You have dealt an attack with 2,000% additional damage on your enemy.]

Baaang!

Minhyuk ignored the damage he received as he countered Raldo’s attack, forcing the man to falter in his steps from the two consecutive damages dealt to him.

“You have killed your trusted subordinates and betrayed my trust and respect in you. You’re crazy! The name Ravanberg the Great is dead! Only Ravanberg the Tyrant remains!!!”

The staggering Raldo immediately corrected his balance, moving forward to pressure Minhyuk. But Minhyuk was able to use ‘Slaughterer’s Absorption’ and ‘Asura’s Shield’ appropriately, which allowed him to withstand the onslaught of Raldo’s attacks. On the other hand, Raldo, who did not have the same power as Minhyuk…

Bang, bang, bang, bang!

…flew back once again as Crazy was triggered four times in a row.

“Your father was not crazy!!! He fought alone to protect you. His trusted subordinates urged him to kill you, his son, who was getting stronger by the day! But Ravanberg did not do so! He chose to kill his loyal subjects in order to protect you!!!” Minhyuk shouted hurriedly at the still reeling Raldo.

Tears started to flow from Raldo’s pitch-black eyes. He did not shed these tears because he believed in what Minhyuk said, but because…

‘I miss my father…?’

Raldo had always declared that he hated his father. But at this moment, he realized that he just kept the longing and love that he had for Ravanberg locked deep away inside his heart. For a moment, the white returned to his eyes.

“My father killed his subordinates to… protect… me…?”

But Raldo’s eyes immediately returned to black.

“Liar!!!”

Crackle—

“…!”

Minhyuk felt his breath stop at the sight. Raldo, who was devoured by his curse, once again expressed his power, the same power that came from the God of Death, and the reason why Raldo had been cursed. The very same power that Minhyuk saw in Raldo’s dreams!

‘The Overlord’s Technique…!’

Along with that, the air in the small and narrow space turned heavy. The Overlord’s Technique was a very powerful force that wiped out nearly 30,000 troops in one go.

“Damn…!”

If the Overlord’s Technique was triggered in this small and narrow space, then forget about Minhyuk, even Raldo himself would die. Minhyuk rushed to Raldo while swapping the Slaughterer’s Armor with the Monarch’s Armor. Then…

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang—

A huge explosion engulfed the surroundings as the sword with black flames struck out.

***

“Your, Your Majesty Raldo…! Your Majestyyy…!” Evan called out to Raldo anxiously as he peered through the barrier and the black flames that devoured the space inside.

Crack, crack, crack—

The Overlord’s Technique was so strong that it even left hairline cracks on the transparent barrier that separated Minhyuk and Raldo from the rest of them.

“Evan!!!”

“Run away!!!”

“Your Majesty!!!!”

The guild members of Beyond the Heavens Kingdom rushed to evacuate the crying Evan.

Shwaaaaaaaaa—

Enormous flames licked the walls as a huge explosion broke the transparent barrier and devoured the inside of the castle. After escaping the fire, Evan could only look tearily at the place where the fire was breaking out.

“Your, Your Majesty…”

.

Evan felt his knees weaken as he collapsed on the ground. The king that made this kingdom stronger, the king hailed as the Sacred Monarch and was loved by his people, and the king that chose to fall into a deep sleep to protect his people and his kingdom until the very end. This king had initiated his own destruction.

“N, nooo…! Nooooo…!”

Evan, who was on his knees, tried to crawl back into the fire.

“No!”

“You can’t!”

The guild members of the Beyond the Heavens Kingdom hurriedly stopped Evan from rushing to his own destruction.

“Your Highneeeeeeeesss!!!” Tears trickled down Evan’s face as he wailed loudly in despair.

But then, a warm voice suddenly rang from inside the fire, soft like the gentle and loving touch of a loved one, “Your father watched you enter the garden. Until the very end, he was still worried about you. He tried to tell you about the location of the secret scroll but his life ended before he could do so.”

Crackle—

With the smoke clearing up, the figures of two people in front of the throne, surrounded by blazing flames appeared in the eyes of everyone present. Minhyuk had collapsed, his entire body embracing and protecting Raldo from the flames. And Raldo, who was supporting his body to stop him from falling, could not take his eyes away from his face, tears falling down on his cheeks.

“Your father, who died at the hands of his own son while lying in bed, said…”

Minhyuk smiled bitterly as he squeezed out the last of his energy.

“I love you, son.”

In the end, Minhyuk’s body turned gray and slowly disappeared from Raldo’s arms. Raldo cried, hugging Minhyuk’s disappearing body. Then, he smiled widely and said, “Thank you…”