Leveling Up Through Eating

Chapter 1191

Athenae was a game that the operators did not touch or control recklessly. It had grown to the point that Joy Co. Ltd. had opened many Athenae branches worldwide. It could be said to be a true world on its own.

Despite that, experts worldwide still predicted a steady decline in the number of Athenae players. Shockingly enough, the results were different from their predictions. The number of Athenae players was steadily increasing. With the opening of the new continent and the gradual return of players who left the game before, their numbers have already reached an all-time high.

Because of this, each department from each branch worldwide had to hire additional employees. The newly hired employees were sent to Korea’s Special Players Management Team, considered a highly intensive environment yet the best at its job.

“Hello, everyone?”

The employees worldwide were set to monitor Team Leader Park Minggyu and Employee Lee Minhwa for twelve hours. Right now, they were all looking at Lee Minhwa in admiration. She had thick dark circles under her eyes, looking more like a panda than a panda could.

The way Lee Minhwa’s hand tapped along the keyboard as she watched dozens of monitors at the same time was like an art. The shocking part was that she could eat a tremendous amount of jellies and snacks as she worked.

As time passed, the employees who came to visit gradually grew tired.

‘My head is aching.’

‘How can a normal person sit for five hours straight and just look at the monitor?’

They had heard rumors about South Korea being a country of intense work. It was natural for them to go to work at 9 in the morning and leave at 10 at night. They also heard that it did not pay overtime and was filled with coffee addicts.

Not long after, Team Leader Park entered the room.

To all of the branches all over the world, Team Leader Park was considered a legend. Although he never got promoted beyond the team leader position, everyone knew it was because he didn’t want to, not because he hadn’t been offered a promotion.

The appearance of someone who had earned top honors at Harvard left the visiting employees at a loss. At one point, their eyes were fixed on one monitor, which showed Minhyuk inside Hera’s Dungeon.

Smith, the most enthusiastic among the visiting employees, said, “An NPC decided to increase the level of difficulty of a dungeon as they pleased… Isn’t this considered a bug?”

If a player entered thinking that the dungeon was Level 100 and suddenly found himself inside a Level 150 dungeon, he would certainly think that it was a bug.

Nevertheless, Team Leader Park shook his head and said, “It might seem that way, but you must remember that Athenae has a high degree of freedom. Because NPCs are given that much freedom, many unexpected things like this will happen.”

Smith looked like he could not understand what Team Leader Park was saying. He asked, “Then, wouldn’t the players be the ones who would take the brunt of the damage?”

“Of course, the players could suffer and take the brunt of the damage. However, an increased difficulty level means they could also receive unexpected rewards.”

Smith voiced his personal opinion as politely as he could. “Personally I believe that it still needs to be controlled a bit.”

Team Leader Park shook his head. “But if our Joy Co. Ltd. interfered with the NPCs’ freedom, then do you think Athenae will be as fun as it is now?”

Team Leader Park’s short yet bold answer made everyone present understand how the players would react. If the operators interfered and adjusted Athenae as they pleased, the players would lose their interest in the game.

Meanwhile, the monitor showed Poseidon’s display of power. When everyone saw it, they were shocked.

“I believe everyone has read through the non-disclosure agreement and is aware that you are strictly forbidden from saying anything about what you have witnessed here, no?”

Indeed. Everyone present could never speak about everything they saw or heard in this place.

“Well, even if I don’t explain anything about Poseidon to you, I’m sure you’ll understand things somewhat.”

There was no one here who did not know who Poseidon was. He was one of the main gods who led and governed Olympus. Poseidon, the God of the Sea, differed slightly from the current continents' Absolute Gods.

Absolute Gods did not necessarily rise to their position just because they were strong. Every single one of them excelled in their fields and possessed abilities that were far beyond anyone else’s own. The God of Cooking, the Battle God, the God of Death, the God of Will, and the other gods were proof of this.

However, Olympus’ Poseidon was different. Just like Zeus, he was extremely strong. Of course, all of his abilities and skills had dropped by 25% when he descended into Hera’s Dungeon. Nevertheless, there was one certainty—Poseidon was the strongest in the Gaia Continent.

Yet, it did not take too long for the visiting employees’ mouths to drop open in shock again.

Minhyuk had summoned the Transcendental, Bender. He was a prominent figure among those who knew him, though such people were few and far between.

A commotion broke out among the visiting employees when they saw Bender cut down Poseidon.

“Wait, no. Does this even make sense? Can a single player summon someone like that?”

“Isn’t this a balance breaker?”

“A single player summoning a Transcendental who looks even stronger than the Battle God is a bit…”

In this situation, the one who stepped up was Smith. He said, “Team Leader Park, we just don’t understand. How can a single player summon such a being?”

Smith looked utterly unconvinced. In his eyes, this could be considered as a balance break.

Team Leader Park replied, “Mr. Smith, if you can do it, go and get close to the Transcendent yourself. You'll be close enough to always meet with him and receive his help whenever you need it.”

Smith unknowingly blurted out, “No. I’m just a player. How dare I even think of getting close to someone like that…”

Only then did Smith realize how contradicting his words were.

Team Leader Park shook his head. “This is not a random summon. Minhyuk had requested the summon, and Bender approved it himself.”

He looked at the visiting employees and said, “Meeting those people and building a relationship with them is his strength. Making that relationship and bond grow stronger and tighter is also his strength.”

***

The shrewd and manipulative Hera knew that Zeus and Poseidon were two of the most powerful beings. They were people that no one could dare handle. She did not know how the two would fare against the so-called Pillars from the other continent. However, common sense dictated that no one else could overpower or outmaneuver Poseidon on this continent—at least, that was the case as far as Hera knew.

Hence, Hera confidently increased the dungeon’s level of difficulty. It was also why she let her opponent summon someone he knew or had a close relationship with.

But right now, a piercing scream was being ripped out of Poseidon’s mouth. The vast and overwhelming energy restricted and restrained even Hera in her current state.

[Transcendental’s Eminence]

[The Transcendental’s Energy overpowers all the enemies in the surrounding area!]

The countless powerful monsters fighting against Minhyuk’s twenty knights began to suffocate and collapse on the ground because of the man who had just appeared in the dungeon.

[The Transcendental’s Eminence temporarily cancels and neutralizes your powers.]

Hera’s power was temporarily canceled and neutralized inside the dungeon, and her state of invisibility was released. This meant that her flustered appearance was now visible to everyone. Hera hurriedly tried to make herself invisible again.

[Transcendental’s Control]

[The Transcendental’s power suppresses the neutralized power; you cannot activate it again!]

Hera was in disbelief. Poseidon looked at Hera as his blood splattered all over the dungeon, his expression one of disbelief. ‘What the hell is going on here, Hera?’

Every time Hera borrowed Poseidon’s power. It had been in exchange for offering to Hades the souls of the many heroes who had perished in this dungeon.

Poseidon had voiced his concerns in the past.

–There is no such thing as the strongest in the world.

His words of concern had been a plea for Hera to stop, but she had simply snorted in response.

–No one on the Gaia Continent is stronger than you or Zeus. Even if there was, why would an outstanding person like that fight for the weak?

A powerhouse was usually arrogant and was never kind to the weak. If there was ever a case like that, the strongman fancied their future potential or greatly benefited from them. So, she believed that it was impossible.

Alas, the man called the Battle God had summoned someone outrageous. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Bender glanced at Minhyuk. They did not even need any words to communicate. The anger that was blazing in Minhyuk’s eyes was enough to tell Bender everything.

Bender asked, “So, I have to kill them all?”

His words sounded completely ridiculous.

Just when Hera scoffed at his foolish words, the Nemesis’ Immortal Lion that leaped in the air suddenly split into a hundred pieces before falling to the ground.

“If I do it like this, then it wouldn’t be able to take advantage of its immortality, no?” Bender said.

“...!”

Hera staggered back in shock.

At the same time, the heads of the Hydra, which had to be cut off in just 0.9 seconds to prevent them from regenerating, fell to the ground.

Bender continued, “If I do it like this, then it wouldn’t be able to regenerate, no?”

Immediately after that, the charging boar and bull were split in half simultaneously.

“If I do it like this, then they wouldn’t be able to hit me, no?”

The Monstrous Bird tried to put several layers of shield before it to stop Bender’s attacks. But Bender’s sword easily broke through its shields and cut off its head.

“If I do it like this, then it can no longer make me weak, no?”

The monsters, duplicates of the tasks that Herakel had taken a very long time to complete, fell one after another.

Artemis’ Deer, the fastest deer in the world, darted all over the walls, ground, and air, surpassing what the naked eye could see.

Swoosh–

However, Bender just stretched his hand out, grabbed it by its neck, and slammed it on the ground.

BANG–!

“If I do it like this, then it will not be able to run around anymore, no?”

“If I do it like this, then we’ll be able to win, no?”

Minhyuk and Bender shot out at the same time.

“Black Dragon Armor.”

A black armor wrapped around Minhyuk’s body as he continued to run forward.

“Sword of Carnage.”

Minhyuk cut down Poseidon, while Bender used another chapter of his Heaven Destroyer to cut the God of the Sea at the same time.

In the first place, Bender was someone on par with or perhaps even stronger than Poseidon. If they fought one-on-one, they would be at a standstill. Nevertheless, in this situation, things were obviously different with the variable named Minhyuk added.

Poseidon was not a foolish god. He understood the situation right away. If it wasn’t for the restriction placed upon him by Hera’s Dungeon, he would be able to overwhelm the two easily. But now, all of his abilities and skills had reduced by 25%.

Since it had come to this point, Poseidon no longer fought as desperately as before. After all, he was still a god.

He smiled and said, “Are there so many powerhouses in the other continent?”

Bender said, “If I do it like this, then—”

No, he answered differently this time. “Is this how you people speak bullshit? We are strong.”

“...!”

Poseidon, who had chosen to accept their attacks calmly, suddenly gathered his strength. Bender’s remarks made it so he could no longer accept everything as it was and die easily. But even if he chose to fight back now, Minhyuk and Bender’s attacks had already torn most of him apart.

When Poseidon tried to gather his powers, Minhyuk immediately used Overpower and Absolute Monarch at the perfect timing. Bender also used Submission to restrict Poseidon’s movements.

In the end, Poseidon could only give up. He glanced back at Hera and asked, “You are not used to suffering pain and torture, right?”

“...!”

Poseidon had been temporarily summoned here. So, even if he died here, he would not die an actual death. Of course, the same was true for Hera. Even if she died here, she would just come back to life in Olympus.

Hera’s eyes widened as she noticed the meaning behind Poseidon’s words. She had to pay the price for making him suffer such disgrace and humiliation.

“I’ll remember you,” Poseidon said as he looked at Minhyuk and Bender before slowly disappearing with the wind.

Bender slowly approached Hera, the most noble and beautiful goddess of the Gaia continent but also the most manipulative and shrewd.

Hera staggered back.

At that moment, she recalled the words that Minhyuk said.

–I will make you pay a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand times.

If Hera died here, she would just reappear in Olympus, but she would lose a lot. First, the path leading to Hephaestus, hidden in this place, would open. This sin would also be placed on Hera’s head. Second, as Poseidon said, she would have to pay the price for what she had done in this dungeon.

[You will have to pay the price for increasing the dungeon’s difficulty level as you please.]

If the dungeon collapsed, she would have to receive the penalty for disregarding the rules. Yet, the most frightening part for her was the pain of dying.

Hera was not a god focused on combat. She was a graceful and elegant goddess who manipulated and ordered the people around her from behind. She had never even felt the pain of a thorn stuck in her flesh.

As she took one step after another, Hera’s voice trembled as she asked, “Wh-why… Why would a man like you go to such lengths for such a weak man?”

Bender answered, “He’s a very close friend of mine. I know him quite well, and I have never seen him that angry before, you know? But that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t get angry. If he’s angry, then there’s one thing that I’m sure of.”

“...”

Hera gulped dryly.

“The opponent must have done something so bad that he wouldn’t be satisfied even if they were killed.”

Bender’s sword moved. Hera, whose back was now to the wall, showed the most servile and subservient look on her face for the first time.

Nonetheless, it did not work on Bender. He stabbed his sword into the wall right next to Hera’s head.

“If I do it like this…” Bender said as he stepped back.

Immediately after that, Minhyuk appeared in front of Hera and finished Bender’s sentence. “Then you would be able to feel it as if it’s f*cking real, no?”