Gourmet Gaming

Chapter 1224

Chapter 1224

Minhyuk listened to customers’ feedback and opinions. So, he immediately reassigned the grumpy Beanie from delivery man to kitchen worker. Then, he placed God of Origin Athenae’s review in the most conspicuous place in the store.

‘From this point on, this will be the real beginning.’

Just like that, the third day passed.

[Your current sales after three days: 245 platinum.]

With the advent of Athenae’s review and the several customers who ordered earlier, Minhyuk felt that his store was about to undergo significant changes.

At that moment, a very welcome voice came in.

[God’s Voice.]

[The God who Rules Over the Dead says...]

[...]

“...”

They were thrilled to contact each other but still felt awkward. That was the relationship between the God of Death, Louis, and Minhyuk.

The God of Death, who used his own God’s Voice, went silent for quite a long time.

[It’s been a long...]

“Uhm...”

As always, the two remained awkward. Another round of silence passed by.

“Would you like me to recommend something from the menu to you? At this time...”

The amount of a certain type of food sold varied depending on the time of day. For example, coffee and simple rice meals were popular during the day, and late-night snacks were popular in the evening.

“How about trying some jokbal?”

[O-okay.]

Now that he had taken the order, Minhyuk immediately cooked the dish and sent it to the God of Death.

***

A hint of a smile appeared on the face of the God of Death.

His days had always been the same monotonous routine. He would always sit on his old, rusty, almost decaying throne and stare blankly at this place's desolate and annoying sky. Therefore, his lover, Hella, wanted him to change.

And now, food was being delivered to this terrible place that was out of human reach, a place where no one could and dared to come to.

“...”

The God of Death felt something new as he looked at the food delivered. There was a note left on top of the food.

[I gave you some makguksu for free.]

“...”

Perhaps Minhyuk’s appearance was why change had started to appear in this desolate land. The changes that he had made also changed Louis bit by bit.

As he read the note, he recalled what Hella wanted to do.

‘Friend...’

The loneliest, gloomiest, and saddest god in the world was now smiling faintly as he read the note, with a detailed explanation of how to eat the dish written on the back. Then, he began to eat.

The God of Death was a bit afraid. Although he had enjoyed the coffee, he had never enjoyed food since Hela’s death. After all, he had no appetite and did not want to put any garbage from hell in his mouth.

God of Death Louis gently picked up a piece of the lean meat. As Minhyuk advised, he dipped the jokbal in the salted shrimp. The moment he put it in his mouth, the tender yet chewy jokbal’s flavor spread and changed his expression. He, who had been afraid, was now smiling brightly as he ate his first full meal in decades.

Then, he spread a piece of lettuce, added some ssamjang, a piece of meat, some garlic, and a bit of red pepper paste, wrapped them all together, and ate them all in one go. Louis could not help but exclaim lightly as the harmony of the crispy, fresh vegetables and the savory jokbal meat blended. He smiled happily as he chewed and savored the wrap.

Minhyuk also sent him some soft tofu jjigae next to the jokbal. The spiciness of the soft tofu jjigae immediately washed away the greasiness that was starting to coat his mouth when he ate a bite.

A note was also pasted on it, saying, ‘Make sure you eat it like this!’ Louis followed the instructions. He placed a piece of the jokbal on top of a mouthful of makguksu and put everything in his mouth.

“...!”

The God of Death’s eyes snapped open at the unexpected yet delightful flavor that burst in his mouth. The combination of the sweet and sour makguksu, the crispy vegetables, and the savory jokbal seemed to have brought the harmonies from heaven into hell.

After that, he made another wrap. However, just like Minhyuk said, this time, he added some makguksu to everything before putting it in his mouth.

“...”

The God of Death, unknowingly smiling, stopped and looked up at the sky.

‘This...’

Perhaps this was what Hella wanted for him. It was something so close yet so far away.

‘This must be happiness, Hella.’ @@novelbin@@

Minhyuk made God of Death Louis realize many things with the tiny gestures he made for him.

And just like that, the God of Death finished his meal. At that moment, he saw the delivery man, who had been waiting for him despite being scared out of his wits.

Then, he told the delivery man that he also wanted to participate in the review event. It was not because he wanted to eat the freebie. He, who was both awkward and shy, just wanted to help the only person he recognized as a friend.

The God of Death pondered over the words that he wanted to say for a very long time. Alas, he could not write anything. This was mainly because he had never written something like this before. After pondering the matter for quite some time, God of Death Louis still ended up writing the words his usual self would write.

***

Everything unfolded just as Minhyuk had expected.

The gods, who were walking with their aides, began asking.

“Is- Is this for real? Lady Athenae really ordered and drank coffee from this store?”

“Of course. Can’t you see the review posted in our store?”

“I did not expect even Lady Athenae to say it’s delicious. But why is the delivery man rude? Are you saying that there’s someone who will treat Athenae rudely?”

“...Anyway, it’s delicious.”

For the ordinary gods, the God of Origin Athenae was an absolute being. Of course, the same was true for humans. The thing that not only piqued their interest but also captured their hearts was the reviews sent by the Absolute Gods.

[Your current sales after four days: 433 platinum.]

[Your current sales after four days: 458 platinum.]

[Your current sales after four days: 571 platinum.]

[Your current sales after four days: 613 platinum.]

Orders started coming in droves. However, Minhyuk felt as if it was still not enough.

‘If I can get more than double the 2,000 platinum sales target, Brau will receive a better merchant’s ability.’

The merchant Brau had wanted to live his life for the sake of the Beyond the Heavens Empire. If he became the most excellent merchant, he would aid in the revival of the Beyond the Heavens Empire and help them gain something that even the Luvien Empire did not have. If things continued at this rate, then the only thing that Minhyuk could achieve was the 2,000 platinum sales target. After that? Nothing more.

After the fiasco with Beanie and Athenae, Minhyuk mainly employed people from the Land of the Gods as his store’s delivery men. At that moment, one delivery man returned after his run. He, still sporting a pale face, handed out a white paper to Minhyuk.

The delivery man said, “The God of Death has left a review.”

Minhyuk’s eyes grew wide. “That guy?”

Minhyuk was surprised because he knew the guy did not like participating in things like this. He immediately checked the review.

[God of Death: It’s delicious.]

“...”

It was brief yet intense and straight to the point—just like the God of Death. Minhyuk could not help but chuckle when he saw the paper without flowery and useless words. He felt moved that someone like the God of Death would write something like this and help him.

And as usual, Minhyuk hung the review on the wall. At that moment, something completely unexpected happened.

“...Is this true?”

Many gods showed interest in the store when Athenae’s review appeared. However, many of them chose to remain silent and did not order. Many were more astonished than in awe when these people saw the God of Death’s review.

“H-he... who... built the walls between... death... and our... Land of the Gods... H-he...”

The gods were even afraid to call his name directly.

‘What’s this? Is he Voldemort or something...?’

Anyway, they were more shocked to see this review than when they saw the review given by Athenae. As for Minhyuk? He had already started to feel the vast changes that would happen in his store.

[There are a lot of delivery orders.]

[The Gods’ Voices are constantly ringing.]

Minhyuk began to get busy in the kitchen as a considerable influx of delivery orders came in after they saw the God of Death’s review.

***

A strong wind of change began to blow in the Land of the Gods.

“Is it true? Did he really order food from Minhyuk’s Restaurant?”

“My goodness! How can he eat that kind of food... What?! He left a review too?”

“WHAT?! He said that it was delicious? This is unbelievable...”

“Shall we try and order some too? Ah. The Absolute Gods love to drink their coffee.”

The ordinary gods could not hide their shock when the Voldemort-like God of Death suddenly appeared. They were all left curious about the restaurant and began to order food out of curiosity.

All of them were surprised when they tasted the coffee and amazed when they tasted the food. By the fifth day since the bet had begun, people wearing uniforms with the words ‘Fast Delivery’ could be seen dashing all over the Land of the Gods. Now, when the gods gathered, they would no longer sit around and just gather.

“Haha. How about some coffee? It’s my treat. Ben’s Coffee is really amazing!”

“It’s a bit late into the night. Do you want to eat something? I’m a bit peckish... Haha. Ah, wait. It’s a bit strange to say that I’m peckish.”

They were not hungry. Regardless, the gods, who had been living for eternity, seemed to have been injected with vitality. These people had everything. And since there was nothing that they did not have, they no longer had any greed for things. So, their lives were nothing but a continuous cycle of boredom.

Even for humans, food was considered the cheapest and most accessible way to comfort themselves amidst their monotonous and repetitive lives. This was more so the case for the gods, who had lived and had been living a much longer life than the humans.

The best part? They did not gain weight regardless of how much food they ate. They also were so rich that they didn't even know the actual value of their money. With both of these conditions in hand, the gods continued to visit and order dishes from Minhyuk’s restaurant, a place that boasted dishes comparable to that of the God of Cooking.

“I have to order some snacks.”

The God of Alcohol ordered three times a day from Minhyuk’s Restaurant.

“What should I eat for lunch?”

The gods were now thinking about what they would want to eat and order.

“You guys should try having a meal at Minhyuk’s Restaurant.”

They even graciously recommended and treated their servants and aides to a meal.

While selling a lot of food, Minhyuk also introduced another change: a new banner was posted in front of the store.

[After Minhyuk’s Restaurant, a new store has been opened! Minhyuk’s Bookstore is now open!]

At this point, the gods thought he was being too much. After all, a Library of the Gods existed in the Land of the Gods, and it contained many books, including the greatest ones that humans had no access to. Having a book delivered to them to ease their boredom was ridiculous in their eyes.

[Why Did The Prince Go Out Tonight? Written by Aruvel.]

[Aaaah~ My King. Written by Aruvel.]

[The Maid and the 101 Strange Magic Tools. Written by Aruvel.]

[Highly Recommended! New release: The God Peeking Next Door. Written by Aruvel.]

“...?”

The titles were unusual. One entire volume was even free for them to read. Since the first volume did not cost money and had a unique title, the gods began ordering them.

On that night, many of the gods could not sleep.

***

The God of Merchants was shocked to see the strong wind of change blowing in the Land of the Gods. He had also ordered some coffee and a meal from Minhyuk’s Restaurant yesterday, and he could not deny his pure awe and admiration of the taste.

‘The power of the Liaison Merchant and the Food God combined...’

The meal was as delicious as a meal made with God-grade ingredients. The best part? The price was extremely low, considering its delightful flavors.

He found the review system most commendable. Because of this system, the chessboard he had set up was ultimately overturned.

[The current sales after seven days: 8,797 platinum.]

“...”

The sales that they achieved were beyond imagination.

Minhyuk’s Bookstore contributed the most. Although it only recently opened, its presence is why sales increased by 3,000 platinum yesterday.

Of course, the God of Merchants knew this was just a temporary boom. After all, books would reach their limits. Once they had bought them, they would never repurchase them. Had Minhyuk not opened this, the God of Merchants was sure he wouldn’t even be able to exceed 5,000 platinum.

The God of Merchants, as mentioned before, was the one in charge of the economy of the Land of the Gods. He was also in charge of procuring and distributing supplies all over the land. Among humans, he was well-known for being the greatest god of business.

In his eyes, Minhyuk was a very hateful thing. He was someone who the God of Merchants would always view with gritted teeth.

‘How dare he use the name of the next generation Battle God and say that he will achieve what I haven’t achieved before?!’

He had laughed and mocked the young man.

‘Now that mockery will be directed at me.’

A bitter smile hung on the corners of his lips. However, the God of Merchants ultimately acknowledged this fact. After all, the next-generation Battle God had done what he could not and outsmarted him.

The God of Merchants stood silently before Minhyuk for a very long time. He was laughing, but he could not meet the eyes of the next-generation Battle God because he was ashamed.

“You’re amazing. You have achieved more than four times the sales target that we have set. As promised, I will give Brau my power.” The God of Merchant carried an expression filled with self-depreciation as he continued to speak. “How is it? Do you think I’m ridiculous? Do you despise me?”

He even demeaned himself. He kept thinking, ‘Why didn’t I do it like him?’ Of course, he was undermining himself because he felt he should be mocked and done with it quickly.

“How do you feel about me, who laughed and mocked you...” The God of Merchants said, looking up at Minhyuk for the first time.

This was the first time the God of Merchants had seen Minhyuk’s expression. However, there were no signs of mockery or laughter on the young man’s face. There was even a bitter smile on his face.

“I completely understand where you are coming from.”

“...”

“If I were you, the God of Merchants, I would also think that the man hailed as the next generation Battle God was crazy and ridiculous for saying, ‘I can do it. I will do it,’ especially since you are good at it.”

As the next-generation Battle God spoke, the God of Merchants thought that this was how the Battle God should be—the kind of person who would have the backs of his men.

“I have never laughed at you. I believe the only reason I could do this was because of a combination of luck and hard work. On top of that, the things that I have offered were just enough to feed the boredom of the gods.”

The next-generation Battle God was only twenty-one years old this year. As for the God of Merchants? He was already over 2,000 years old. Yet this young man carried so much wisdom.

The God of Merchants looked silently at Minhyuk.

“I still have a long way to go. I have a lot left to learn. Besides, I know how powerful and amazing you are, God of Merchants.”

Then, Minhyuk began to recite the myths and legends that the God of Merchants had created on earth and the stories about his contributions to the Land of the Gods. As the God of Merchants listened to Minhyuk, he felt an unknown thrill pass through his entire being.

‘He...’

He was humble and unpretentious.

‘He...’

He knew how to capture people’s hearts and win their loyalty.

‘He...’

He might be the greatest god, but he said, “The path that I will take in the future will be rough and difficult.”

The God of Merchant’s heart thumped wildly.

‘He’s such a young man, yet he’s already this broadminded and generous! He’s this kind of person!’

“I wish that such an outstanding god like you would walk on that rocky and perilous path with me,” Minhyuk said with a small smile. “Would you like to walk this path with me?”

“...”

The God of Merchants remained silent. However, he did not need to answer because his answer had been sent to Minhyuk as a notification.

[The God of Merchants’ favor has reached MAX.]

[The God of Merchants strongly supports the next generation Battle God.]

[You have won the bet with the God of Merchants.]

[One of the rewards for the bet with the God of Merchants stipulated that he would assist you with some of your business in the Land of the Gods.]

[The rewards have been changed.]

[The God of Merchants wishes to take charge of the operation and run Minhyuk’s Restaurant.]

[If he is given the right to run Minhyuk’s Restaurant, he vows to work hard and make Minhyuk’s Restaurant the most outstanding restaurant in the Land of the Gods for all eternity.]

The God of Merchants, who answered with the notifications, smiled lightly at Minhyuk.

“If you become the Battle God, I will willingly walk that path with you.”

He vowed to walk shoulder to shoulder with Minhyuk and be with him on this rocky and challenging path.