Leveling Up Through Eating

Chapter 966

The entire world was in an uproar.

Articles were being written and published non-stop all over the world. That was not all; news and other media outlets had been sharing stories about Minhyuk and the Beyond the Heavens Empire.

[Beyond the Heavens Empire: The ones who did not give up when everyone else had given up.]

[All of Helenia’s Fragments have been completely swept away and cleared. The chances of players successfully being able to hunt Helenia in the months to come have significantly increased.]

[Changes in Athenae: The Sun has fallen and given way to a new Sun's birth.]

[Is the Second Era over? Will this be the start of the Third Era?]

[Minhyuk had received overwhelming votes for “The Player I Want to Become the Most” with 73% of the total votes.]

[Minhyuk became the Battle God. Ilhwa Group’s stock prices had reached an all-time high by the end of the trading session.]

[Minhyuk’s level increased by ten?! What in the world happened?]

[God of Shields Valentino: Dominating the number one entry in all portal sites.]

They not only dominated the articles and media reports, but they were also the main topic of discussion in all of the community sites worldwide.

[He’s Our Lord, the Food God. I can’t believe a player has climbed to the position of the Battle God, an Absolute God.]

[Hehe. Agreed. But what’s more surprising is that the Battle God is only Minhyuk’s sub-class.]

[Wasn’t the Battle God Minhyuk’s original class?]

[Nope, nope. It’s Food God.]

[Woah. His sub-class is Battle God. Pfft. Shit, that’s crazy sick~]

[Hey guys, did you notice? In this inheritance video, Minhyuk’s vassals did not kneel despite facing the Battle God and the other gods. It’s so cool~]

[Ah. That’s right! The Spear God, Sword of the Gods Luo, Brod, Elpis~ Kghhk. Even the gods will have a hard time dealing with them.]

[The Beyond the Heavens Empire has a lot of different NPCs. And they all have their personalities and attitudes. They’re overwhelming with coolness!]

[To be honest… I want to see how the NPCs live their daily lives. Agree?]

[Agreed!]

[Then, move to the Beyond the Heavens Empire. Or join the Minhyuk Religion.]

[But I’m so attached to the kingdom where I belong now… *sigh*…]

[Me too. ‘Sides, an empire is too big and complicated for me. I should remain active in a small kingdom and grow quietly.]

Many players were curious about the Beyond the Heavens Empire. It was only natural. After all, the ones who actively hunted Helenia’s Fragments while they were all in despair were the Beyond the Heavens Empire. And it was even the empire ruled by the new Battle God.

After the succession and inheritance ceremony ended, Minhyuk checked all of the articles and comments published about him and the Beyond the Heavens Empire before again accessing Athenae.

Once connected, Minhyuk looked up and said, “Do me a favor, Obren.”

[You always bother me. So annoying, for real.]

Minhyuk had obtained the Growth Authority. He needed to find someone who could meet the conditions of The Ever-growing One. And Obren, the guardian deity of the Beyond the Heavens Empire, had a keener eye than Minhyuk regarding things like that. That was why he was asking him a favor.

[Even though you became the Battle God, nothing much has changed. Haa… I can’t believe you’re using me just to try and find a single person.]

A faint smile appeared on Minhyuk’s face when he heard that. Then, he said, “Fortunately, you’re by my side, Obren.”

[Ahem, ahem. Although I’m very reluctant, I’ll try and look for one. But! Only if I have the time.]

Minhyuk chuckled deep inside when he heard Tsun-Bren’s answer. This was a testament to the fact that he had reached the maximum level of training when it came to Obren.

At that moment, a notification rang in Minhyuk’s ears.

[The Luvien Empire has proposed a six-month ceasefire. Once approved, the Luvien Empire and the Beyond the Heavens Empire will enter a truce for six months.]

Minhyuk did not hesitate to answer, ‘Yes.’

[The Luvien Empire and the Beyond the Heavens Empire have entered a truce for six months.]

Haze entered the office with a brief knock and began reporting, “Your Majesty, the Luvien Empire has sent fifty million platinum. We already have the list of the selected players among those who have lost their valuable artifacts.”

Some of them could not laugh even though they had won. Most of the 300 players who had participated in the battle had lost their precious artifacts and EXP. They had selected the ones who had suffered the greatest loss in terms of artifacts and would send them to the Luvien Empire’s Treasure House.

Then, Haze said, “We only have six months. During this time, the Luvien Empire will try to find a new emperor and quickly regain their stability. We have to use this time to grow as quickly as possible.”

Fifty million platinum was a considerable amount of money. There were even some empires that could not dream of managing a vast sum. They could only use the money left over from buying and managing their hundreds of territories. However, this money was still insufficient for the Beyond the Heavens Empire to catch up with the Luvien Empire.

“We have to secure more funds. We also have to strengthen the Minhyuk Religion.”

“I know, Haze.” Minhyuk nodded.

Haze, who was about to leave, said, “Sir Valentino’s evaluation has improved greatly.”

Minhyuk had also watched the video. Valentino, who hurriedly connected with the broadcasting station, sacrificed himself to save Athenae. During the process, Valentino’s level dropped, and he lost many of the artifacts he cherished. It was evident in the video that Valentino had sacrificed himself for the sake of the Beyond the Heavens Empire and Athenae. And from what it looked like, Haze was also aware of it.

“Because of that, I think it would be better for the Beyond the Heavens Empire to relax some of the restrictions we have placed upon Sir Valentino and give him a small portion of the profits that he would gain from here on out.”

Minhyuk found it completely unexpected that Stingy Haze was the first one to propose giving Valentino money. Well, Valentino of today was the type of person who deserved this much.

“We’ll give back 4% of his profits.”

“...?”

But just as expected, Haze was extremely stingy.

With an awkward smile, Minhyuk said, “Let’s keep it clean and make it 5%.”

Haze, sporting a solemn look, pondered the matter for a long time before nodding and agreeing. “I understand.”

With that, she left.

At this moment, Minhyuk was about to check the Food God’s quest that he received when he reached Level 650. But before he could do so, someone knocked on his door again. This time, it was Godly Editor Carron.

“I’m sorry for barging in; I was in a hurry.”

“What’s the matter?”

“How about doing a broadcast showing off the NPCs of the Beyond the Heavens Empire?”

“Do a broadcast that shows off the NPCs of the Beyond the Heavens Empire?”

“Yes. After Your Majesty has successfully inherited the position of the Battle God, many have grown curious about the daily lives of the NPCs of the Beyond the Heavens Empire. Isn’t it good to strike while the iron is hot? I think this will generate quite a lot of revenue for us.”

“But I’m busy…”

Minhyuk wondered if such a brief live broadcast would truly give him huge profits. To be honest, he was very busy.

“I have to go and eat something delicious. I also have to check the Food God’s quest.”

“But you’re not in any hurry, no?”

Minhyuk was actually in a hurry to eat something delicious. But Carron had always performed beyond his expectations and given them outstanding results. Besides, he had not been telling him to do a broadcast for a long time. He just wanted him to do it today.

“Do I only need to focus on the lives of the NPCs? Will I even have viewers? Aren’t the profits for broadcasts dependent on the number of views?”

Then, Carron said, “The money would roll in via a sponsorship system. The number of views wouldn’t matter.”

“Carron. How much do you think we can gather from sponsor donations?”

“More than half a billion.”

“...?!”

Minhyuk was beyond shocked. Could a broadcast done in just a single day truly earn more than 500 million in profits?

“Right now, there are a lot of people in the world that are grateful to the Beyond the Heavens Empire. I’m very sure that we will be able to reach this estimate.”

The Beyond the Heavens Empire was in dire need of funds.

‘Well, even if I do those things tomorrow, it would still not be too late.’

And just as Carron said, this was when the Beyond the Heavens Empire was in the spotlight. They had to strike while the iron was hot.

So, Minhyuk went out with Carron to continue their conversation.

***

The entire world was still buzzing. The players who loved Athenae dearly were extremely grateful to the Beyond the Heavens Empire and clamoring to show their gratitude.

[I’m thankful. Thank you for protecting my only comfort zone after work. ㅠㅠ]

[Agreed… I’m still currently in the process of finding a job. Every day has been exhausting, but playing Athenae for an hour every day has given me joy.]

[Even our country’s politicians and businessmen all enjoy playing Athenae after work. Ho.]

[Thank you, Beyond the Heavens Empire! Thank you, Minhyuk!]

People had been heaping praises on Beyond the Heavens Empire on various community sites worldwide. Even Ilhwa Group’s stocks had soared by 30% today. Then…

[Hey, hey! I think Minhyuk is doing a live on ZTube?]

[Don’t f*ck with me.]

[Minhyuk’s probably eating, no?]

[Yep, yep. Minhyuk’s most definitely having a meal. Right?]

[How do you guys know that?]

[The Food God would eat eight out of the fourteen hours he was logged inside the game…]

[...?]

[What about the remaining six hours?]

[He drank for six hours. Hehe.]

[???]

A spark was lit in the community sites. Most of them were talking about how ridiculous Minhyuk was regarding eating.

[Hey. Is this for real…?]

[Go and check ZTube.]

[Minhyuk’s live is called ‘Emperor’s Vlog.’]

[For real?!]

[Hey! Shit. Wait, let me go and sponsor him!]

[Hiyaa! It’s on a sponsorship system.]

The people began to flock to Ztube, clicking on the live video named “Emperor’s Daily Life Vlog” as quickly as they came. Then, the scene on the live unfolded in front of them.

“Good meal!”

[What does he mean by “good meal”?]

[I think it means “Good morning, let’s have a meal”???]

[Yep, yep. You got that right. It’s so awkward but… so cute…]

The comments exploded the moment Minhyuk appeared on their screens. Minhyuk said, “Today, I’m going to show you how the people of my empire go about their daily lives. To be honest, I don’t think it’s anything special. It’s just everyone’s normal daily routine. I don’t know if many of you will like seeing it.”

[Kghhk! I’ve been waiting for this! Beyond the Heavens Empire’s daily life, let’s go!]

[We have been waiting for a Beyond the Heavens’ vlog for a very long time ㅠㅠ]

[Bean’sDad has donated 1,000,000 won.]

[Delicious Meat has donated 10,000 won.]

[HoorayChubby has donated 200,000 won.]

[500FrozenRunnyNose has donated 2,000 won.]

The broadcast had just started, and many people had already begun donating through the sponsorship system.

Although the viewers could not tell if the amount was already huge, everyone could see a constant stream of donations. These donations came from young students, college students, office workers, professionals, and others who were grateful to the Beyond the Heavens Empire.

To top it off, the vlogger’s face was extremely handsome. So, even those who did not know about Athenae started to join the live broadcast.

Minhyuk planned to just walk through the Beyond the Heavens Empire and capture anything and everything that he could see in the empire. As he walked, the first NPC finally appeared on the screens of all curious viewers. The first NPC was in the middle of the street and spread out on a sunbed with a tray table carrying a glass of mojito right next to it. This was none other than Beanie.

Beanie had a pair of sunglasses perched on his snout, was lying down on the sunbed, and was working on his tan. When he saw Minhyuk, he raised one of his paws arrogantly in greeting. Then, he stopped paying attention to him and turned to the mojito beside him. He grabbed the straw and drank everything in one go.

[No. Lolololol. He’s so freaking chic. Lmao.]

[Did you see that? He just raised one paw in greeting, then ignored Minhyuk again. Lololol.]

[What’s even funnier is that the people around him look used to it and don’t even care. Hahahahaha.]

[So cute… A pig is getting a tan…]

[A black pig…?]

[Lmao. What’s with the sudden black pig joke?]

[If a pig gets tanned, then it becomes a black pig… True…]

[CutieBeanie has donated 5,000,000 won.]

[TigerKiWon has donated 30,000 won.]

[Beanie’sBellyMeme has donated 50,000 won.]

Donation notifications continued to ring. On everyone’s screens, they saw Minhyuk walk past Beanie to find the next person.

***

One of the richest men in the world, Jeep, owned a company called Blue. He used to run a small site where he sold books and finally created his own success story after he dipped his toes into various businesses.

Jeep’s estimated assets were worth around 200 trillion won, making him one of the top ten wealthiest men in the world. Although he became one of the world’s wealthiest at such a young age, there was something that he could not achieve no matter what he tried.

As he sat in his private jet, Jeep looked at the articles about him on various social networking sites.

[Jeep’s Assets: 100 points.]

[Jeep’s Abilities: 100 points.]

[Jeep’s Hair: 0 points.]

“...”

That was right. Jeep might have everything he ever wanted, but he just could not eliminate the curse of baldness. Of course, he had learned not to pay too much attention to it now. But in that small corner at the back of his mind, there was still this lingering heaviness and sadness.

Then, at that moment…

“It seems like Mr. Minhyuk is doing a live vlog.”

“A vlog?”

Jeep was a young entrepreneur, not like those old-fashioned chairmen. As a young chairman of the new generation, he also went and played Athenae to relieve his stress. He was Minhyuk’s fan and was very grateful to him for what he and his people had done for Athenae.

Hearing that Minhyuk was doing a live, Jeep hurriedly pulled out his tablet and clicked on the vlog. Jeep chuckled when he saw the baby piggy lying on the sunbed and working on a tan.

Then, he heard Minhyuk speak.

[It seems like they’re in the middle of a sacred ceremony now. We have to be quiet. Got it?]

Jeep tilted his head in confusion when Minhyuk started to whisper. Then, he turned the camera and showed the scene before him.

He saw a kneeling man crying loudly as a man stood in front of him and gently held his head. Jeep jumped from his seat when he saw this. Why? Because the crying man on his knees was bald.

Although Jeep played Athenae and was a fan of Minhyuk, he was not clear about the intricate details of the Beyond the Heavens Empire. After all, he was too busy to pay attention to everything and anything.

The man, who looked like a paladin, asked on his screen.

[Was it hard?!]

“It’s hard.”

Jeep started to lose his hair in his early twenties. He might have everything, but he could empathize with the person.

‘You have no hair, huh?’ He had heard these words so many times that he felt like he would have calluses in his ears.

Then, the kneeling man shouted, despair tinting his voice.

[It was hard!]

[Have faith!!!]

[I have faith!]

[Do you want them to flutter with the wind?!]

[Y– Yeaaaaaaaah!!!]

[Then, follow me. Grow hair! Grow! Grow!]

[Grow hair! Grow! Grow!]

[Louder!]

[GROW HAIR! GROW! GROW!]

Sweat pooled in Jeep’s hands. His throat had gone dry, and he could feel the tension in his body. Then, he saw a bright light shine from Corr’s hands as black hair grew from the kneeling man’s once shiny head.

‘U– Uwooooooooooh!’

The kneeling man shed tears of joy. And Jeep? A tear trickled down his chin as he watched the scene. Jeep empathized with the man's hardships, adversities, and pain.

People played games, read fantasy novels, and watched ZTube so they could live vicariously through others and feel the same satisfaction they felt. And right now, Jeep was laughing in delight and satisfaction when he saw the man obtain something he could not even get in this world.

With tears dripping down the delighted smile on his face, Jeep donated to the live.

[BaldEagle has donated 5,000,000,000 won.]