Chapter 127: How a High-Level Newbie Wins at the Festival (4)
Although a theft had taken place, none of the elves noticed. This was due to their blind faith in the sentries at the entrance and the layers of security barriers set up inside.
‘It should be fine for at least a few hours.’
Even if they noticed quickly, it would take that long.
Jinhyuk’s hands moved diligently. Cooking, another highlight of the festival, had to be completed perfectly if he wanted to leave a lasting impression.
[Lv3 ‘Otherworldly Diner’ is activated!]
A skill that could satisfy even the tastes of different species.
As his understanding of cooking surged, Jinhyuk’s hand movements became even more splendid. Various vegetables and herbs were trimmed in an instant.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The cutting board, knife, and pots he bought from the coin exchange all served their purposes excellently.
[Moist Soy Meat]
Michelin Stars: ★★★★
Description: Vegetable meat made from white beans and olive oil. The perfect harmony with the accompanying rosemary sauce showcases the craftsmanship of a master!
Typically, a single star denotes ‘edible’ food.
This includes skewered chicken, cup rice, udon from street vendors.
Two stars are akin to the course meals in fine-dining restaurants or Japanese eateries.
When considering a treat to indulge in on special occasions, think of such food.
And three stars or more earn the thumbs up even from gourmands.
But what about when it surpasses four stars?
This would make even the wildest youngest son of a noble family return home overnight as a virtuous gentleman.
It indicates a taste and addictiveness in a completely different dimension.
Chewing mouths exclaimed in admiration.
“Oh!”
“Ahh…”
“Kuh.”
Exclamations erupted from everywhere.
Despite activating his skill and with Silvia and Ellis assisting, the speed of cooking couldn’t keep up with the rate of consumption even by a tenth.
Plates made of leaves were emptied like lightning, piling up like mountains.
No sooner had the dishes been served than they disappeared into the mouths of the elves.
“So delicious…”
“Me too. I don’t think I can eat any other food from now on. What should I do?”
“Can we ask Jinhyuk to stay in our village forever?”
“If not, maybe we should kidnap him. There’s an empty room in my basement…”
“Yeah, that’s good. Humans like dumplings, so we should feed him that and make him cook for the rest of his life.”
Somewhere in the conversation, things took a turn for the terrifying.
The elves had lived in moderation and eco-friendliness, so Jinhyuk’s cooking came as a drug to them.
The crowning touch was a mushroom dish Jinhyuk made while sweating profusely.
[Sour Mushroom Gratin]
Michelin Stars: ★★★★★
Description: Made from ‘Sour Mushrooms,’ notoriously difficult ingredients, yet if cooked correctly, they transform into gourmet materials even in the Tower. This dish is a masterpiece, crafted without a single mistake throughout the process.
The leaves were folded in four directions so that the sauce wouldn’t spill.
There was a delicate consideration for those who would eat it.
Silvia, who was helping with the cooking, was struck with amazement beyond the mere surprise.
She began to doubt whether the one before her, who showed excellent skill in combat, musical instruments, and now cooking, was truly human.
‘He really is remarkable. This mushroom was thought to be impossible to cook…’
Initially, when he said he’d cook ‘Sour Mushrooms,’ she thought it was a joke.
Who would agree to eat something poisonous?
But those concerns melted away as Jinhyuk grasped the knife.
It was… the realm of art.
The situation was just as perplexing for Ellis.
‘Hmm. Even the personal chefs of the nobles haven’t managed to handle that…’
Ellis, one of the Tower’s absolute beings, had seen and experienced innumerable things.
Yet, none of them managed to successfully detoxify sour mushrooms.
‘I knew his combat skills were outrageous, but he’s great with instruments and cooking as well.’
A slight twist formed at the corner of Ellis’s mouth.
Indeed.
Thinking back, agreeing to a contract with Jinhyuk was a choice with no regrets.
‘Well, of course, if he’s my contractor, he must be at this level.’
Yes, that’s right.
He had to be the strongest among humans to match with her.
Ellis nodded contentedly.
After exerting a great deal of magic power on this occasion, she had planned to extract a generous amount of blood from Jinhyuk.
However, seeing him gain everyone’s recognition, she even considered being a bit gentler to him.
At the same time.
Jinhyuk tilted his head, sensing an inexplicable chill.
＊＊＊
As the night deepened, the boisterous festival quietened down.
Most had fallen asleep right where they lay. Only a few rangers remained, dozing off while keeping watch.
Of course, they wouldn’t last long either.
As dawn approached and the boundaries between night and morning blurred, Jinhyuk woke Ellis.
“Uh… Huh?”
Ellis slowly opened her half-closed eyes, then, realizing who had awakened her, jolted up in surprise.
“What’s this? You’re not telling me to start preparing ingredients at this time, are you? What time is it now…”
“It’s 4 AM.”
Jinhyuk smiled and added another line.
“Whether it’s humans or elves, it’s the best time for them to let their guard down.”
“Let their guard down?”
“Yes. Actually, our sweet potato caused a little trouble. So we better slip away before we’re noticed, once daylight breaks, the chances of getting caught increase.”
“Kyle… Kyle…” Goguma, the sweet potato beside Jinhyuk, tried desperately to make its case.
Its yellow eyes blinked incessantly.
However, Jinhyuk coldly ignored the pitiful defiance.
Although it was true he disabled the barrier allowing Goguma to steal the fangs and molars of the cave, that was just laying the groundwork.
Ultimately, Goguma was the one who took out the relic.
“Shh!”
“Kyle… Kyle…”
Since nobody could speak the language of the ancient species, this incident would forever be buried like a secret.
“What if we get caught by the elves while sneaking out? You said their pursuit is tenacious, didn’t you?”
“Don’t worry about that. That’s why I added lots of vegetables and herbs that induce deep sleep to last night’s food.”
The ‘mountain lettuce’ and the ‘five-colored leaf’ common in the Elf Forest.
All are ingredients used to alleviate insomnia.
With the skill ‘Otherworldly Diner’ amplifying the effects of each ingredient, the elves would not wake up from dreamland until the sun was well risen.
“Amazing. So, you treated the elves generously just to enable a perfect crime?”
Hmm…
The original intention wasn’t that, but to really try our best.
Things had somehow taken this turn.
“Let me make it clear again, it’s not my fault. We ended up like this because I had to cover for our cutie’s mistake.”
“Ha. No matter how you look at it, it seems more like something you’d do, but it’s meaningless to argue now.”
“Yeah, something like that. Anyway, that’s the end of the festival for us. So come into the ring, I’ll let you see the outside again later.”
“Got it. It’s a shame, but we have no choice.”
Ellis took one last look around. She couldn’t complain as her manifestation outside would consume too much power.
But even this brief moment was to be cherished.
However, it was only for a short while.
[The Ring of Braham absorbs the bound soul.]
Ellis’s form disappeared.
It was time to go.
Jinhyuk cautiously moved forward.
‘Let’s meet again.’
He lightly greeted Sylvia the low-ranking ranger and Elder Fenheim who were still sleeping, and also showed respect to Teslon, still donned in an unbelievably accurate cosplay.
Even he, the icy elf, didn’t seem all that bad anymore.
With that farewell, Jinhyuk said goodbye to the elves he had been with for so long.
Once he left the festival area, his pace quickened.
Considering the possibility of a pursuing squad catching up, he had to get as far away as possible.
Using the ‘Sword Demon Sovereign’s Step,’ the scenery around him changed in an instant.
Toeuk… Tap!
At the moment his foot touched a branch, he darted towards the next tree… Naturally, he was fast.
How long had he run with all his might?
Finally, he reached the outer boundary of the forest.
This was where the elves would give up the chase. In other words, he was now completely safe.
Then, Ellis spoke up.
[But are you sure about leaving things like this? If the Central Continent Guild comes back here, the elves won’t have a way to stop them, right?]
Ho.
Pointing to a sharp aspect of the situation. They wouldn’t take it lightly after such a big loss.
If they brooded over revenge and even involved Wulin, it would be troublesome.
With the current power of the elves, it would be impossible to stop them.
Eventually, the same tragedy would repeat itself.
But…
Jinhyuk had anticipated all these possibilities.
After the battle, he had devised a way to protect this place and had already prepared.
“Watch this.”
With a sly smile, Jinhyuk snapped his fingers.
Snap!
That instant.
[8-star barrier ‘Great Fortress’ is activated!]
[3-star barrier ‘Dimensional Severance’ is activated!]
[3-star barrier ‘Qi Men Dun Jia’ unfolds!]
Along with the blue status window, a massive magic circle spread across the ground.
A colossal barrier encompassing the entire forest, the result of three weeks of extensive work, began to exert its power.
“Whether it’s Central Continent or Wulin, they can’t underestimate this place.”
Even if Namgung Cheon himself came, it would be futile.
“I will make sure to protect what’s mine.”
＊＊＊
In the ‘Cathedral of Hatred’ within the Tower’s third floor.
Currently, more than thirty Mages are gathered, engaged in a serious conversation.
“Damn it. What the hell happened? Suddenly the 11th floor opened.”
“Unknown… That damned guy. Everything he does just seems to sprinkle chili powder on our issues.”
“An unexpected event, but we need to develop a response plan. Complaining won’t solve anything.”
“Shut up! Do you think we’re complaining because we don’t know that? It’s because there’s no solution! There’s no solution!”
“We can’t lose the relic just like that. If we keep disappointing him, we’re all going to die horribly!”
Indeed.
The reason for the heated discussion was the sudden opening of the 11th floor, which exposed its hidden relic to potential seizure.
The problem was that only Unknown, who had defeated the 10th floor’s boss monster, and the players with his permission could enter.
‘This is getting troublesome.’
One of the senior officials of the Mages Assembly and a member of the Round Table, a Ranker known by the alias Lancelot, frowned and mused.
‘We can’t possibly flatter Unknown now.’
To move carefully from the 7th to the 9th floor would take far too long.
‘It would still be impossible even now that the 10th floor’s boss has fallen.’
The relic on the 11th floor would only appear for exactly one week after the floor’s opening before moving to a higher floor, so there’s no time to spare.
‘Haven’t seen a situation get tangled up like this.’
Just as Hosenville sighed, something happened.
Paztz…
An alien magic power was perceived at the entrance of the cathedral.
A magic filled with profound disquiet that no one here could feel, except Lancelot, who detected the faint trace.
‘Could it be…?’
Hosenville’s eyes narrowed.
Something approached.
And it was approaching very quickly.
