Leveling Up through Eating

Minhyuk frowned at the sudden appearance of the uninvited guests. These uninvited guests were Master of Nature Verodun, the strongest contender for first place, and Pillar of Death Boleyn, the current first place.

Verodun had naturally become Minhyuk’s enemy. That he appeared here with Boleyn proved that the situation was developing in a very unusual direction.

There was a bigger problem.

“I have never allowed your entry to my empire though?”

If a big shot like them appeared, the guards would come to report to Minhyuk. But no guards came to report, which meant that there was a high chance that they had been injured.

“I only put them to sleep,” said Pillar of Death Boleyn, whose face was covered with a black mask.

A commotion erupted at the appearance of the greatest and hottest powerhouses.

“What’s the matter, then?” Minhyuk asked although he seemed to have already known their reason for coming here.

“We stepped up because we believe that the votes this time are not justified,” Master of Nature Verodun said.

Minhyuk glanced at him. He had a video stored with him which he had used to threaten Verodun. That was why he thought Verodun could not attack Beyond the Heavens recklessly.

‘If the two of them came here together, then…’

Was he implying that he did not need to hide this video? It was obvious that the two had decided to cooperate. There was even a high chance that Verodun had asked for the cooperation of Boleyn, the current number one in the votes.

Boleyn said, “I heard that the candidate named the Pillar of Gourmands had obtained a lot of votes in such a short period.”

Boleyn was the head of Immune, the greatest intelligence service in Athenae. Their group must have had a huge number of lackeys who watched the situation and sent reports.

“There’s something that I can’t understand.” Boleyn continued.

“Something that you can’t understand?” Minhyuk asked, maintaining a facade of politeness. After all, he could not just clash against Pillar of Death Boleyn without justification.

Immune was a group that could probably rival several empires combined. Also, Boleyn was a powerhouse that surpassed Level 1,000. If he teamed up with Master of Nature Verodun, then the safety of the Beyond the Heavens Empire was not guaranteed.

“I heard you have made a surprising feat and cooked twenty God-grade dishes in a row. It seems like you have garnered a lot of votes because of that.”

Minhyuk nodded.

“However, I want to ask. Is that power truly your power?”

“...?”

“Improving your DEX by eating the dishes you made yourself, well, that is indeed your power.”

It was a dish that Minhyuk made, and his class was called Food God.

“But using an unidentified branch and using the help of the archangels, can that even be considered your power?”

Those words began to cause a stir among the players. Those were certainly not Minhyuk’s power. They were powers that would disappear in just a few days. At this point, he would not even be able to use the power of the archangels anymore.

“You have put on a very great show.”

This was the truth.

“You collected the most precious and noble things and grandly used them all to put on this facade.”

Boleyn spread his hands widely.

“Many people watching you have been tricked into voting for you because they were dazzled and misled by the temporary things you can show instead of the real you. They don’t even know that it’s nothing but a mask.”

Everything they said was the truth. However, what was important was why they came to play this game of charades with Minhyuk.

Boleyn’s nose and mouth were covered with a black mask, so only his curved eyes were visible. He was smiling.

The reason why they came here was evident.

‘It’s to stop people from voting for me.’

They must have felt flustered when they saw Minhyuk’s votes growing higher and higher. If things continued at this rate, Minhyuk might win first place. However, although they would no longer be able to do anything about the votes that had been cast, exposing the truth would prevent Minhyuk’s votes from rising any further. There was still a 5% difference between Minhyuk and Boleyn’s votes. They could still mend the situation.

The viewers were not stupid either. Although Minhyuk's power was temporary, they were all aware that this was just him trying to make some noise. But there would always be people who would stop voting for him after hearing Boleyn’s words. Boleyn’s appearance had stopped Minhyuk’s steadily increasing votes.

Minhyuk was fully aware of the situation.

‘If things continued at this rate, then…’

Minhyuk indeed would not be able to win first place. His votes had already stagnated because he could not deny their words. This meant that the increase in votes brought about by the twenty God-grade dishes was over. If that was the case, then he needed another breakthrough.

“That’s right. I asked for help from the archangels and used items I had painstakingly gathered to put on a great show. Is there a problem with that?”

“You admitted it so easily. That’s great.” Boleyn shrugged, acting like a gentleman.

This admission from Minhyuk alone was enough to give him confidence that Minhyuk’s votes would never exceed his. This thought put a satisfied smile on Boleyn’s face.

But then, Minhyuk counter-attacked.

“Master of Nature Verodun, Pillar of Death.” Minhyuk looked at the two, who were about to turn around and leave in satisfaction. “No. Let’s start with Master of Nature Verodun.”

Minhyuk’s gaze landed on Verodun.

“Are you saying that you have never done anything grand and reckless like I did to get the people's sympathy and votes? Let’s say, for example, deliberately making the disaster bigger and stronger?”

Verodun was already aware that a video existed. But since he decided to cooperate with Boleyn, he no longer thought it necessary. He thought the most important part was for Boleyn to become a Pillar. Of course, he would also deny this fact for the time being.

“I have never done anything like that, though. Are you trying to frame me and Candidate Boleyn, huh?” Verdun emphasized Boleyn’s name as a threat.

Even if Verodun could call for disasters, he could never exert any influence or pressure on the Beyond the Heavens Empire. But it was different for Boleyn.

If Boleyn turned his back on Beyond the Heavens Empire and decided to become a Pillar by killing everyone here, they would not be left unscathed. Minhyuk and the Beyond the Heavens Empire would surely suffer tremendous damage.

To put it simply, something that Minhyuk could not handle would happen. And Verodun was threatening Minhyuk with that.

“Is that so? Ah, according to rumors, Sir Boleyn…”

Minhyuk knew that the method he was about to employ was dangerous. Even so, he believed that he had to do it. Otherwise, he would not be able to get first place in the Advanced Polls.

Did he even need to risk everything to get first place in the Advanced Polls? No. However, if he did not take the initiative here, others would eventually devour him.

“I heard rumors about how you assassinated the emperor of the Rubarp Empire.”

“...!”

“...!”

The eyes of both Verodun and Boleyn snapped open at those words. The emperor of the Rubarp Empire was suddenly pronounced dead three months ago. There were rumors that someone had assassinated the emperor. Of course, there weren’t that many people capable enough to assassinate an emperor. So, the suspects were narrowed down a lot.

There was something of interest. Boleyn was actually a citizen of the Rubarp Empire. After looking at the various relationships and connections, the one who was most likely to assassinate the emperor was Boleyn. Although they made such assumptions, no one dared say it carelessly.

Boleyn’s eyes sank. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. It seems like you want to die, huh?”

“Well, you shouldn’t get too agitated, no? Are you saying that the both of you had never done anything like that? And are you confident that you have never used any temporary items that can make you grow more powerful or presented an exaggerated show like I did to gain more votes?”

“Never…”

“Are you sure?”

Boleyn’s eyes curved at Minhyuk’s question. Anyway, there was no way for the man in front of him to confirm the truth of the matter.

“Never. You’ve been slandering us and saying such bullshit…”

Of course, Boleyn would never let Minhyuk off for doing something like this.

The problem was that Minhyuk had already activated another power. A scale covered with bright light appeared in front of everyone. This scale was something that Minhyuk obtained from Archangel Michael and could help him distinguish the truth from the lies. The Scale of Truth had weighing pans hanging on each side. The left weighing pan represented the truth, while the right weighing pan represented the lies.

Minhyuk started with Verodun’s words.

[The Scale of Truth is distinguishing the truth from the lie.]

Creak–

Verodun had been presenting himself as a good person. He worked hard to suppress the natural disasters that mere humans could not do anything about. He even went so far as to make it rain in places suffering from drought and stop the rain in places suffering from floods. He had won a lot of votes by doing this.

But now, the Scale of Truth had revealed that everything he had done was a ruse. The scale tilted to the right.

[It is a lie.]

“...!”

Verodun’s face grew ugly.

“At least I did not gain votes by creating an even bigger and more threatening disaster that could risk the lives of the people.”

Many of the people who voted for Verodun regretted their choice at this moment.

[The Scale of Truth is distinguishing the truth from the lie.]

The scale was pointed at Boleyn. Perhaps it was truly as Minhyuk predicted, perhaps it was not. Not long after, the scale finally tilted and a notification resonated all over the world. Then, a smile appeared on Minhyuk’s face.

[It is a lie.]

Boleyn’s expression grew distorted.

Minhyuk grinned. “Was it for the money? Or was it for pure entertainment only? Why did you kill the emperor of the empire where you were born?”

Boleyn was the father of assassins. Perhaps he was also someone who possessed the most valuable information in the world. The mere fact that Boleyn turned his back on Minhyuk would probably be very painful for him in the long run.

Nevertheless, one thing was obvious. Boleyn’s votes had stagnated. On the other hand, a notification appeared in front of Minhyuk that made him smile. The gap between him and Boleyn was gradually narrowing.

[1st place: Pillar of Death Boleyn. Percentage: 34.1%]

[2nd place: Pillar of Gourmands Minhyuk. Percentage: 32.7%]

Even so, it seemed like things did not turn out the way Minhyuk had expected it to be. There was still 2% left.

Then, Boleyn spoke coldly, “There’s something I’m curious about.”

Shiiiing–

A dark smile appeared behind Boleyn’s mask as he pulled out his sharp dagger.

“Is the Battle God truly strong?”

An overwhelming killing intent erupted and enveloped the entire area. It seemed like Boleyn had finally decided to turn sides.

“I wonder what will happen if I kill everyone here?”

There was no distinction between good and evil among the Pillars. The only thing that was important was their influence, power and their potential that would unfold in the future.

What would happen if Boleyn killed Minhyuk here? What would happen if he trampled and humiliated Minhyuk right here and now? Boleyn’s votes would definitely rise. And more ways to widen the gap between them would unfold for him.

“That’s right. That’s nothing but a mask. This is the real me.”

Boleyn did not assassinate the vicious and troublesome people for the sake of the people. He just did it because he was very curious about the privilege that he would receive if he obtained first place in the Advanced Polls.

So, now, he was going to show his true colors.

“Shall I crush all of your outstanding vassals?”

Minhyuk stepped back as if he was flustered.

‘Well, I expected the situation to turn out like this.’

Perhaps he would lose many of his vassals including Brod, Ben and Elpis. In fact, Minhyuk had to admit that it would be difficult to stop a Pillar Candidate like Boleyn here if the man ever decided to go berserk.

‘Just look at Boleyn’s level after he released that overwhelming killing intent.’

[Boleyn. Level 1,001.]

Of course, Minhyuk could stop him somehow. But fighting against him might just turn the capital and at least half of the Beyond the Heavens Empire into dust.

“Don’t move! This is an order!” Minhyuk raised his hand and prevented his vassals from making a move and fighting against Boleyn.

Boleyn, who loved to trample and humiliate his targets, laughed. “Ho? Are you going to deal with me by yourself?”

“To be honest, I don’t think I can handle you alone?” Minhyuk drew his sword. “So, let’s do this two-on-one.”

It did not matter how high Boleyn’s votes were or how the Pillars did not distinguish between good and evil. If he indiscriminately slaughtered the people here, then the results would very well backfire on him.

Besides, a 2v1 would be a very interesting topic. If Boleyn crushed two opponents at the same time, then his reputation would definitely skyrocket. And after considering the difference in their skills, this could be considered to be a fair game. Minhyuk’s side was a team while Boleyn was alone. If he won, then the votes would naturally be drawn to him.

“Alright.”

At Boleyn’s answer, Minhyuk nervously and carefully said, “Ah. There’s one more thing.”

“Beyond the Heavens’ Emperor, aren’t you dragging for time a bit too much?”

“If I defeat you, you cannot attack anyone from the Beyond the Heavens Empire first no matter what. Of course, your Immune is also included.”

To be honest, Boleyn found this to be very funny. The man in front of him was like a helpless victim trying to survive for five more seconds even if they knew that they would die in his hands until the very end. Whether it was one person or two people, Boleyn was confident that the results would be the same.

“Alright. I agree.”

With this, Boleyn would never be able to put pressure on the Beyond the Heavens Empire in the event of his defeat.

“How about the other one?”

Minhyuk looked at Boleyn’s arrogant expression and said, “They’re coming.”

“Then, it’s the two of us first.”

Shwaaaaa–

“Shall we start?”

Minhyuk was taken aback when he saw Boleyn appear in front of him.

Although Minhyuk was running against the other candidates, he was someone who knew what the candidates were truly like. Even though they carried the name “Candidate,” in reality, they were all Pillar-level individuals.

Just like Beradon.

Of course, he did not know if Boleyn could truly be a match for him. Nevertheless, the power that a Pillar Candidate possessed was already beyond imagination. There was also the fact that Boleyn’s ability to assassinate was far superior to Helenia’s abilities.

“Overpower.”

The flustered Minhyuk activated his skill on instinct. After activating the power to tie his opponent up for two seconds, he immediately used Frenzied Blade and attacked Boleyn non-stop.

Shwaaaaaaa–!

Although the attacks all landed squarely on Boleyn’s body, the result left Minhyuk flustered.

[Steel Body.]

[There is a 5% chance of triggering the Steel Body. Once triggered, all damage will be considered null and void for 3 seconds.]

The notification left Minhyuk shocked. This was because Boleyn’s passive had been triggered and his attacks resulted in nothing.

Minhyuk hurriedly used Like the Wind to increase the distance between them and immediately equipped the Black Dragon’s Armor.

Swoosh–!

Then, he immediately tried to use another skill.

At that moment, Boleyn declared, “Thirty seconds. That’s more than enough.”

Boleyn’s dagger immediately stabbed through Minhyuk’s back. At the same time, various colors popped out in Minhyuk’s vision. It was as if he was suddenly plunged into an illusion.

One of the reasons why Boleyn was among the best of the best in his own field was because he used a variety of mind control magic along with his excellent assassination techniques. There was also his Absolute Abnormality which allowed him to neutralize any and all skills that resisted abnormal statuses.

Boleyn’s dagger stabbed all over the body of Minhyuk, who was still in a daze.

“Your arm.”

Stab–

[Your HP has dropped below 94%.]

[It will now be difficult to move your arm.]

“Then, your leg.”

Stab–

[Your HP has dropped below 87%.]

[It will now be difficult to move your leg.]

“Your chest.”

[Your HP…]

“And your heart.”

Shwaaaaa–!

[Your HP has dropped below 60%.]

If Minhyuk knew about Boleyn’s use of mind control magic, he would not have been able to be beaten this easily.

As for Boleyn? He has never used more than ten seconds when dealing with an enemy. Dozens of daggers rose in the sky and pointed at Minhyuk’s neck. With one wave of Boleyn’s arm, they would all stab through that vital point. But at that moment…

“...?!”

Boleyn looked behind him.

He had actually stationed thousands of assassins all over the Beyond the Heavens Empire the moment he entered this place. Each and every single one of these assassins were strong enough to be on par with the elite knights of any empire. And every single one of them were connected to Boleyn.

‘What?’

But in just five seconds countless threads that connected him and his assassins had been broken. He could also hear thousands of his still surviving assassins being chased from a distance.

‘What the hell…?!’

Shock dyed Boleyn’s eyes as the threads of the assassins connected to him continued to break with every passing second.

At that moment, a woman stepped out of the crowd. Dozens of assassins immediately jumped out to stop her. However, the assassins fell down one after another with every swing of her sword.

“...!”

“...!”

Meanwhile, the players were all struck dumb by the notifications that rang in their ears.

[Hegemon King Ellie has descended!]

[Warning.]

[Warning.]

[Warning.]

[Hegemon King Ellie has temporarily transcended the limits of a god.]

[Hegemon King Ellie has temporarily approached the level of a Pillar.]

The woman, with her bright blonde hair fluttering behind her, said, “Which bastard dared to touch my little brother?”

[Hegemon King Ellie. Level 1,221.]

“...?”

Boleyn’s breathing stopped for a moment. The moment he heard the words “little brother,” he knew that she was referring to Minhyuk. This realization made goosebumps rise all over his body.

Boleyn unknowingly hid his dagger behind his back.