Leveling Up Through Eating

Chapter 1151

For some, it was normal to sit at the table and eat while looking at the faces of their family members. It was normal to look into their friends' eyes and see their smiles while talking with them. For others, it was normal to look up at the blue sky and let everything go whenever they felt stuffy and heavy in their hearts on a bad day.

Yes, most of these things were routine for ordinary people. But for Leo, someone born blind, it was his long-cherished dream.

How blue was the sky? How spectacular and beautiful were the views from the mountains? What did being handsome or pretty mean? Leo was very curious about a lot of things. Seeing the world, this was a dream that he longed for. It was a wish that he wished more than creating the Greatest Weapon.

Leo held a bit of expectation. He wondered if some almighty being would make a deal with him once he created the Greatest Weapon and let him see the world. But that did not happen at all.

When he was still an ordinary human being, he searched and searched for every means possible, but he could not find it.

‘I want to see you.’

–I’ll be your eyes.

He wanted to see his wife's face when she told him that. He wanted to make eye contact with his daughter, who said she was very pretty. He wanted to check if his dear friend Bharal, who had protected him for a long time, was genuinely handsome. After all, he always said, ‘I’m very, very handsome! When you can see it later, you will definitely be surprised!’

Now, most of the people he wished to see had already returned to the earth. Even so, he still wanted to try. He came to this place called the Supreme because he still hoped that he might be able to see even for a short while. But even after staying in this place for a very long time and even becoming a slave of this nation, he still could not find a way.

And the same was confirmed today, too. With the help of his assistive cane, he came to his smithy and struggled to set up the fire. Although he could not see it, he could still use his hands to feel it. And he was using it to hammer a beautiful sword in existence.

But for some reason, something felt very different today.

“Leo! Please let me treat you to a meal!”

“A meal. We’re not that free.”

The Pandemonium’s Country was still suffering. They had to continue working harder as revolutionaries to save it from this suffering.

Although it was unusual, the man said, “Just for today! Isn’t it fine? It’s just for a bit. Bharal also came back today.”

“Hmm. Alright.”

It was also a pleasure and a delight to learn that his dear friend Bharal had returned.

With a playful smile, he said, “Is Bharal really handsome? I have to see his face before I die.”

“???”

“That punk, whenever he opens his mouth, he will say, ‘There are only a few good-looking people like me.’ He also said that the saying that gods were carved from stone came because of him.”

“???”

Minhyuk glanced at Bharal. Indeed, Bharal was different from ordinary gods. Most of the gods were good-looking but Bharal? To be honest, Bharal was quite ugly.

“...” Bharal quickly dodged Minhyuk’s questioning gaze.

Soon, they started walking.

***

Leo smiled happily when the cool and refreshing wind brushed his cheeks. Minhyuk had taken his hand and led him up the hill.

“This feels nice, but I don’t understand why we have to come all the way here just to eat.”

“The food will taste even better if you eat it while looking at a nice scenery.”

Leo thought that Minhyuk had just made a slip of the tongue.

‘That’s right. They say it’s nice to eat while looking at the beautiful scenery.’

The problem was that he could not see. But it was fine. Although he could not see, he could still feel, hear, and smell the hills. He could also hear the young man cooking.

That was where the strange thing was. He had been hearing small rustling sounds all over the place. The sound was a bit quiet, but his sensitive ears could still pick it up. What was that sound? It did not sound close, though. Maybe it was just the animals moving around.

“Bharal, are you there?”

“I’m here.”

“Can you tell me about the scenery?”

“It’s very beautiful.”

“I’m really glad I’m having a meal with you again after a very long time.”

“Me too.”

Minhyuk said he would cook ramen. Leo heard that the savory broth and chewy noodles tasted fantastic. He kept on listening to the clinking sounds of cooking and the sound of tableware bumping at each other. Then, he heard the sound of a bowl being placed down. Maybe the cooking was all done.

‘I’m curious about what cooking looks like too.’

With a small smile, Leo held the chopsticks that Minhyuk had given him with all his might. Then, he grabbed the hot bowl. Since he could not see, he could only hold it. Even if it was hot, he had to endure.

“Please try it. Ah, Bharal, I made your portion. You can eat together if you want.”

“Did you make it separately? Why did you have to do something bothersome? You should have just made them together.”

With an embarrassed voice, the young man named Minhyuk said, “It tastes better if you make it one by one.”

Leo could not see anything but could feel the steam rising from the bowl and hitting him in the face. When he felt something on his chopsticks, he clamped it and lifted it. Then, he put it in his mouth and slurped loudly. A pleasant smile naturally settled on Leo’s face as the chewy noodles filled his mouth.

Then, he caught something heavy with his chopsticks. Leo thought, ‘Is this meat?’

Leo slowly put the meat in his mouth. It was so tender that he could just swallow it whole. Every bite left him in a very good mood, and it tasted delicious.

Leo held the bowl tightly as he drank the broth. “Fwaaaaaa.”

It was very, very delicious. The gentle wind slowly dried and cooled the sweat that dotted Leo’s forehead.

“Food is even tastier if you eat outside.” Leo smiled.

Then, a question suddenly popped in his mind. Why? Why couldn’t he hear the sound of Bharal’s tableware clinking together? And why was the wind tickling his face even though they were sitting face to face?

At this moment, Leo realized, ‘Ah. I’m not sitting in front of Bharal right now. I’m sitting facing the hill.’

But why? They asked him out so they could eat together.

Then, something strange happened. The darkness that had always greeted Leo slowly started turning lighter. Finally, it turned hazy. And this hazy view slowly began to gain color. At that moment, he saw something spread out in front of him. This something was the tree that smelled good to him.

Leo’s heart began to thump wildly. He could see the vast hills in his eyes. But before the joy could seep into his entire being, the fear appeared—the fear of something unfamiliar.

“Bharal… Something’s not right. Suddenly, my eyes…”

When he turned around, he saw Bharal crying his eyes out with the bowl of ramen untouched in front of him.

“That’s what blue is.”

And standing behind the weeping Bharal were thousands of blacksmiths. They were all watching him with bated breaths. Even though Leo had never seen them, he could tell that the blacksmith who could not control his tears was Pars and that the blacksmith who was wailing loudly was Migaden.

Standing right behind the blacksmiths were over a hundred thousand revolutionaries. They came here just so Leo could see them with his own eyes.

Pars bowed. “We greet the Greatest Blacksmith, Leo!”

Leo was still in disbelief as he watched them kneel before him. And Minhyuk? He smiled faintly and nodded at him.

‘Yes. What you’re thinking is correct.’

Leo looked up at the sky. “So, this is what blue is.”

He looked behind him. “So, this is what ‘spectacular and beautiful’ is.”

He looked around him. “So, this is the world I have never seen before.”

Blacksmith Pars, holding a picture in his hands, approached him step by step. The photo was of his dearly departed wife and daughter.

“This…”

‘I wanted to see you. I missed you.’

But Leo could not say those words because he could not see them. For him, the words ‘I wanted to see you. I missed you’ were more like he wanted to feel and hear them. But it was different now.

“Are they my wife and daughter? The two people that I wanted to see so much?”

The tears that he had been holding back were now coming out. Tears started to stream down his face. He raised his finger and traced the features of his two most precious people in the photo. He caressed the photo from one corner to another before holding it tight in his embrace.

“I wanted to see you. I really, really wanted to see you. I just miss you.”

This was the first time he had allowed himself to say those words. “I wanted to see you.”

And now, he was looking at them. It was fine for him as long as he could see them briefly.

“I’ll remember. I’ll remember everything.” Leo’s body trembled as he cried and laughed at the same time. “Because your faces will always remain in my head.”

He was happy just to see them for a second. Why? Because he could remember them and smile at the memory. Leo cradled the picture tightly.

After a long time, Bharal finally approached Leo. The closer he got, the more tears Leo shed. To Bharal, Leo was like a family. After all, they had stayed by each other’s side for a long time.

Leo caressed Bharal’s face. “I see. So, this is what you look like. Bharal, you look like this…”

Bharal smiled brightly at the crying Leo. On the other hand, Bharal was also thinking like this: If he were the one Leo saw for the first time, then his standard of beauty would depend on him.

“Why are you so ugly… huh? Sob, sob, sob!”

“...?”

‘Was that not the case?’

Bharal looked at the sobbing Leo and said, “What are you saying? I’m the most handsome…”

“Even if I’m seeing you for the first time, I know you’re not handsome.”

Anyway, the two embraced each other warmly. Leo held him tightly for a very long time. When they separated, Bharal held onto the picture that Leo was holding.

Of course, Leo knew that someone must have helped him to see, even if it was just for a moment. He turned to look at Minhyuk.

Minhyuk’s heart thumped wildly. Leo was the creator of the Greatest Sword. When he released the third and last seal of the Sword of Aeon, Minhyuk had heard some of the world messages. The unsealing of his sword also released the other eleven weapons he had made for the world.

With the release of his weapons, Leo had heard notifications about how the God of Blacksmiths wanted to check one of his Greatest Weapons. This happened right after his meal. Even so, Leo accepted and put forward the artifact and the information about him for him to see.

Minhyuk said, “I’m sorry. I wanted to make it so you can see even in the future, but…”

That was the truth. He hoped that Leo could live his life while seeing the entire world.

But the crying Leo shook his head. “I have already seen everything. It’s enough. Sometimes, it’s better not to see the world.”

Leo had already achieved his long-cherished dream. Even if he died now, he would die with no regrets.

He knelt on both knees and looked up at Minhyuk. Everyone present was shocked by the scene. But that was not the end. In a strange turn of events, this scene was transmitted all over the world.

“I will never forget your grace and kindness, even until I die. Just like I promised you, I will try improving your armor. This time, I will not make a weapon. I will make the Greatest Armor.”

“...!”

Minhyuk was rendered speechless from shock.

***

Meanwhile, Joy Co. Ltd. was almost overturned when they heard Leo’s words. President Kang Taehoon’s pupils trembled as he thought, ‘The Greatest Armor in Athenae is not yet in the plans.’

That was right. The Greatest Armor was no different from an item that Player Minhyuk had created.

***

Minhyuk and Leo both went down the hills. They stood in front of a room called Infinite Smithy.

“Time passes by slowly in this place.” Leo smiled faintly. “This is where only one day will pass outside, even if you spend thousands of days inside.”

Minhyuk knew more than anybody else how Leo worked, so he said, “Please don’t overdo it.”

Leo even held the Sword of Aeon in his hands right now. This was because Minhyuk had told him the other day that he hoped that the growth conditions of the Sword of Aeon would include ‘Swinging for Ingredient Collection.’

“Do your best, but please don’t overdo it.”

Nevertheless, Minhyuk could not hide the trembling in his hands as he watched the greatest blacksmith in the history of Athenae, the man recognized by the God of Blacksmiths Hepas, enter the Infinite Smithy. After a thousand days in that place, in other words, a day in the outside world, he appeared with the newly evolved Transcendental’s Armor and Sword of Aeon.

And along with his appearance, a notification rang all over the world.

[The Greatest Armor has appeared in the world.]