Leveling Up Through Eating

Chapter 989

After receiving the whisper from Carron, Minhyuk immediately headed back to his office. When he entered, he saw Haze and the editor sitting and waiting for him.

‘The Battle God’s advertisement video.’

The thought alone was enough to send his heart into overdrive. An advertisement video focusing on the greatest god, the Battle God, would attract many viewers. And that was not all.

“This is an opportunity for us to recruit troops for the Heavenly Army under the Battle God’s command.”

Many from the Beyond the Heaven's Empire had witnessed the moment when Minhyuk succeeded the throne firsthand and were fully aware of the meaning of the words that the Battle God had said back then.

Make your Land of the Gods. Gather the Gods who will stay by your side on your own.

In other words, it would be more appropriate for them to view the gods serving the current Battle God separately from Minhyuk.

‘In the first place, Joy Co. Ltd. will never give a single player the authority to lead all the gods.’

That was only natural. If a single player gained the authority to rule over all of the gods, then the balance would be completely and utterly broken.

The skills that Minhyuk obtained when he became the Battle God were a testament to that fact.

“That’s right. Suppose we release the Battle God’s advertisement video; not only will we gather many of my supporters. In that case, we will also be able to gather many people in the Beyond the Heavens Empire.”

It was also a way for the Beyond the Heavens Empire to grow rapidly and pull ahead of the Luvien Empire before it could gain stability.

Carron said, “This is the best time to release the video. Since plenty of players are looking forward to what the Battle God has in store for the future, we can achieve quite a good effect if we do it now.”

Minhyuk looked at Carron in confusion. Carron's mention of the word “quite” meant they could not achieve maximum efficiency.

“Is there something else that we need?”

Haze and Carron both shook their heads at Minhyuk’s question. Then, Carron said, “Yes, there are quite a lot of things that we need. The most important thing is to bring many people from the Luvien Empire to our Beyond the Heavens Empire. However, we have no reason to entice them to move to the Beyond the Heavens Empire except for their expectations for Your Majesty as the ‘Battle God’.”

Minhyuk understood what Carron was saying. Even if the player was only a novice, they had every right to choose what nation they would belong to, whether it was the Luvien Empire, the Beyond the Heavens Empire, or any other empire or kingdom.

No nation would deny them entry, except chaotic players, even if they were only novices. After all, once these players belonged to their nation, they could collect taxes from them.

Because of that, all players tended to choose a nation that would bring them more benefits and profits.

“There’s also the fact that those belonging to the Luvien Empire will face various penalties if they choose to leave and move to another nation. These penalties include being unable to go back and join the Luvien Empire again, a decrease in their EXP, and a drop in favorability with all of the citizens of the Luvien Empire,” Haze added.

“We need tangible benefits. Something more than mere ‘expectations for what the Battle God has in store for the future.’ If we can bring that to the table, then the Beyond the Heavens Empire will be able to usher in an unprecedented number of migrants.”

Perhaps they could even usher in more than a million people.

“Aside from the advertisement video, what else can entice the novice players to feel that it would be more beneficial for them to stay in the Beyond the Heavens Empire than the Luvien Empire.”

Minhyuk’s dishes? Or maybe Guardian God Obren? But all of these were temporary. Many people needed to see something more permanent that would benefit them long if they chose to stay in the Beyond the Heavens Empire.

[You’re non-stop chattering is annoying. You don’t even have any awareness. You already have the answer to your problem.]

Then, at that moment, Obren’s voice rang.

A flash of confusion appeared on Minhyuk’s face. The number of migrants that they wanted to entice to move to the Beyond the Heavens Empire was not in the thousands, so they needed something more concrete. But Obren was saying that Minhyuk already had something that would make them feel that it was more beneficial to stay and live in the Beyond the Heavens Empire.

[Temple Evangel.]

“...!”

Among the tens of thousands of temples built worldwide, there was one temple and one alone that was considered mythical. This was the temple created by Kronad, Obren’s friend and enemy. Evangel had the power to bestow buffs. It also can allow its master to choose ten Evangel Knights and give them buffs.

However, although Minhyuk had Evangel in his possession, it was nothing more than an incomplete temple. It could still bestow buffs, but its effect would remain only ten minutes. It could also only allow him to choose ten knights.

These were the buff effects that Genie had received during that time:

[All of your skills and stats will change!]

[Your HP and MP have increased by 50%!]

[All of your stats have increased by 39%!]

[Your whip’s striking power has increased by 60%!]

[Your whip’s skill damage has increased by 50%!]

[You have received Evangel’s Blessings. Attack and defense will increase by 40% when facing evil beings.]

[The buff will last for one whole day.]

Even if Minhyuk looked back at it again, only one word could help him describe it. Overpowered. However, Evangel was incomplete. And this power could only be given to ten people at most.

“Obren. Evangel can only give buffs to ten people at the most.”

Its effects did not fit the purpose of what they were discussing right now. After all, they needed everyone migrating to their empire to see an impact. But then, Obren continued.

[Are you an idiot?]

[The Evangel in your possession is the incomplete Evangel.]

It was as Obren said. Minhyuk needed to reach Temple Level 7 for Evangel to be completed. In other words, Minhyuk had to increase Evangel’s level to seven.

[The power that you used and applied to the ten knights before is nothing but an incomplete power. If you go beyond a certain level, there is a high chance that Evangel will become a completely different temple.]

“...!”

[Kronad did anything and everything to complete Evangel. Did you think he would not spare those efforts just to create an Evangel that would give power to only ten people?]

Obren has the highest credibility among them. However, even his words were just mere speculations.

‘What if Evangel can bestow strength upon all who visited the temple…?’

The chances of that were high.

Haze, who was also listening to Obren, jumped to her feet. “Your Majesty…! I’ve devised a method to help us gain a huge sum of money!”

Minhyuk immediately understood where Haze’s thoughts were going. “If everyone who visits the temple can receive a buff, then we can charge them with a certain amount of gold, no?”

He completely agreed with her thoughts. The value of a temple, which could give buff as it was without the need to consume any materials or ingredients, was undoubtedly astronomical. And it was not that they could not convert that value to money. After all, they could just charge a certain amount of gold for all visitors since they could receive buffs, right?

‘Many people will migrate to the Beyond the Heavens Empire to visit my temple.’

However, there was one crucial factor.

“But Obren… Evangel is still at Level 1.”

“...”

Both Haze and Minhyuk turned sullen at that.

The complete Evangel would not be available to them until it reached Temple Level 7. Since it was a mythical temple, it was only natural that its requirements would be difficult to achieve before it could be used. On top of that, there was no way for Minhyuk to increase Evangel’s level. No, to be exact, that was just what Minhyuk was thinking.

[There’s a high chance that you have already met Evangel’s requirements.]

“Huh?” Minhyuk hummed in confusion.

Evangel’s level was still currently at Level 1. That was what Minhyuk saw. But Obren was saying that he had met the requirements already.

[Come on, think for a minute. You haven’t applied Evangel to any temple yet. Evangel does not have requirements to level up by itself. Why? Because you have to apply it to a temple under your name.]

Only at this moment did Minhyuk know how to increase Evangel’s level. Evangel was not a stand-alone temple. It had to be applied to an existing temple. Only after applying Evangel to a temple would he be able to increase its level.

It wasn’t as if Minhyuk had never thought about this at all.

‘Applying it to the Food God’s temple would be a waste.’

Of course, Minhyuk loved and cared deeply for the Food God’s temple, or, in other words, Minhyuk’s Religion. However, he was fully aware that the impact between the Battle God’s Temple and the Food God’s Temple was on completely different levels. That was also the reason why he immediately ordered the construction of the Battle God’s Temple right after he inherited the position.

And from what Minhyuk had heard, the temple's exterior was nearing completion. So, after hearing Obren’s words, Minhyuk immediately headed towards the place where the Battle God’s Temple was being built.

***

Various noises clashed in the Battle God’s Temple while dust flew around as plenty of construction workers worked under Roadol's leadership.

Among these construction workers was Alvier, a builder who specialized in building temples. Alvier had built countless temples in this era. Rumor has it that numerous gods lined up so that he could build them a new temple. That was how big of a bigshot Alvier was in building temples.

‘A Battle God in name alone, huh?’

In fact, Alvier was hostile to Minhyuk because he had once built a memorial hall for Nerva.

Surprisingly enough, all of the building materials that Alvier encountered would come alive. These living and breathing materials would shake and vibrate when they met a superior master. The greater the reaction, the more influential the master.

Alvier could never forget how the materials cried when Nerva first entered the completed memorial hall. That was why Alvier only accepted Nerva as the “true Battle God.”

In the end, he shook his head. ‘I just need to get paid.’

The construction of the temple would soon end. Minhyuk would have to complete the various items that symbolize Minhyuk, like statues and portraits, needed for the temple separately.

‘This is quite a huge temple.’

Alvier could confidently say that this was the largest, highest, and most beautiful temple he had ever built.

‘I wonder when I can do it?’

Alvier had already reached the transcendental level when it came to construction. However, there was just one wall that he could never go past to become even better. And the reason for that was simple.

‘Because I haven’t created a real and true god’s temple.’

A god who could become the master of the true temple—a true temple that could house that true god. If he could make such a temple, then his level would definitely grow higher, and he would be able to make better temples.

At that moment, the surroundings grew noisy. When Alvier turned to look at the direction from which the noise was coming, he saw Beyond the Heavens’ Emperor Minhyuk walking towards them.

“Uncle, when will the construction end?” Minhyuk greeted Roadol.

“I think we will finish by tomorrow.”

“Thank you for responding to my call.” Minhyuk also greeted Alvier, who had just come out from the temple.

“It was nothing, Your Majesty,” Alvier greeted in return. However, he was sighing to himself.

The man’s fresh smile and polite way of speaking showed no sign of his dignity as an emperor. On the other hand, when Nerva first walked into the memorial hall that Alvier had built, he felt like a fierce and gigantic tiger had walked in and was left feeling numb all over.

It was only when the construction workers took a break that Minhyuk slowly walked toward the temple. The construction workers were all watching him nervously. And Alvier? He was not that interested.

‘I’ll have to hurry and finish this so I can go and build the temple of the God of Love.’

The thought just flashed in Alvier’s head.

Rumble–

“...?”

Alvier’s body turned stiff. Everything happened so suddenly. One moment, everything was quiet, and the next, the temple was crying loudly in his ears. These cries were something that Alvier could only hear.

The trees said…

[I will burrow deeper and become a more robust tree for him.]

The earth said…

[I will hold on to the bricks tightly and withstand any typhoons or calamities for him.]

The air said…

[I will breathe the cleanest and freshest air for him.]

The stones said…

[I am going to become stronger and sturdier so I can protect him.]

Rumble–

Every single material would cry out with every step that he took. They were worshiping him. All of the materials used to build this temple were worshiping Minhyuk, the temple's master and owner.

Then, something surprising happened as Minhyuk continued to walk deeper into the temple.

The trees stretched their branches and roots out and produced leaves and red roses that beautifully decorated various parts of the temple. One look at the soil revealed that it had grown highly fertile and rich. Even the stones shined and reflected light like the most precious of gems.

All of the construction workers present were left in shock. Then, one of the workers murmured, “The true god recognized by a temple…”

That was right. Some legends had been passed on to the construction workers. And according to those legends, a temple would change if it met its true master.

Of course, Alvier’s powers could also be said to have contributed to this.

‘No. This is beyond what I can do.’

Alvier’s breathing became rough because of how shocked and amazed he was. All of the materials displayed a stronger reaction than when Nerva entered that memorial hall.

However, the surprise was not yet over. The Beyond the Heavens Emperor stood inside the temple and said, “Apply Evangel to the Battle God’s Temple.”