Leveling Up through Eating

Chapter 1218

Huang Yifei, the director of China’s Sky Psychiatric Hospital, rushed toward the wards when he heard the sound of sirens.

His eyes grew wide when he saw fifteen or so Korean men in black suits standing to the side with a tall, mature man who looked Russian. Then, Huang Yifei’s astonishment grew when he saw the man emerge from the dark, desolate room with the girl, whom they called Piggy, in his arms.

“Mi-Minhyuk?!”

Anyone who played Athenae knew who the man was. After the surprise faded, he finally saw the dozens of nurses lying around. Huang Yifei’s face grew red.

Huang Yifei was a relative of a Chinese Communist Party official, so he could hide anything unethical inside this psychiatric hospital. He had also intercepted many of the government subsidies sent to the hospital.

“What are you doing right now…?! Do you think you can get away with what you’re doing now?!”

The tall, mature Russian man, wearing dark sunglasses, stepped forward and blocked Huang Yifei from approaching. He was none other than Beyond the Heavens Empire’s Informant Abel. Surprisingly enough, Abel was a former member of the Russian Intelligence Service. Because of his former job, he was quite fluent in many languages. And he discovered the girl, who was now named Philos, at Minhyuk’s request.

“You have embezzled funds and used it to deal drugs. You even took in people without any mental illnesses and locked them up here just so you can sell them off to an island.”

Abel’s reach for intelligence was beyond imagination, even in reality, which was why he could obtain this information.

Regardless, Huang Yifei thought he had nothing to fear. “You think you can lock me up in jail?! One of the officials of the Communist Party is my relative! Do you think you’ll get away with assaulting nurses like this after coming to another country?! And drugs? Fufufu. You must be the one using drugs.”

Huang Yifei was frantic. He wanted to cover up how he dealt drugs by saying that Minhyuk was the one dealing with it.

Minhyuk took one step after another toward him and said, “Is your relative that amazing?”

Huang Yifei was stunned and unable to move when he met Minhyuk's cold, glaring eyes. Minhyuk was only twenty-one years old this year.

‘What’s with his eyes…’

Minhyuk’s eyes were devoid of emotions and were only filled with mind-numbing coldness. Huang Yifei flinched when Minhyuk finally stood in front of him.

However, Minhyuk did not hit him.

At that moment, Minhyuk’s phone rang. Minhyuk answered the call and talked briefly before hanging up and saying, “Ah, the phone call?”

Minhyuk placed his hand on Huang Yifei’s shoulder.

“It’s a call from someone with a much higher position than the Communist Party official that you’re talking about.”

“...?!” Huang Yifei’s eyes grew wide.

Minhyuk had a vast reach and influence. It was said that he had a much greater reach and influence than BTS, the boy group that shook the world in the past. However, no matter how much influence he had, he was still just a single player.

“...”

Huang Yifei could not open his mouth anymore. Why? Because he finally realized that the men around them were holding cameras. He was now in a situation where he was caught between a rock and a hard place. Not only was there evidence all around him, but there was also evidence above him. He could not deny it.

“Did you know? I just got a definite answer from that phone call.” Minhyuk leaned forward and whispered in his ears. “Do you like this country?”

Huang Yifei trembled.

“You see, I don’t like or hate this country. Nonetheless, there’s one thing I can think of that this country has that is better than mine. Do you know what that is?” Minhyuk’s voice grew lower as he continued to whisper in his ears. “It’s the death penalty.”

In this country, people could be sentenced to the death penalty if they were involved with severe and violent crimes like drug trafficking, human trafficking, and even embezzlement and misappropriation of government funds. Most of the criminals sentenced with the death penalty would be dealt with right away.

Huang Yifei, aware of this fact, could no longer control his bladder. He ended up wetting his pants as he fell to his knees.

Not long after, the officers of the Public Security Bureau came inside. They did not touch Minhyuk and focused only on restraining Huang Yifei and his nurses.

***

Present time.

Minhyuk received a call just after he logged out of Athenae.

[...he has been executed.]

Just like that, the bastard’s blood flowed and disappeared in the execution grounds. Perhaps it was the natural outcome. After all, considering the crimes that Huang Yifei had done, he deserved to die a hundred times over.

Minhyuk immediately went to meet Jinhwan.

“Our main reason for trying to find Miss Philos is to cross-check your case with her. We wanted to see if we could find something to help with the treatment. No?”

This was the truth. Philos, at the young age of three, has been reported to be a patient suffering from eating addiction. However, she promptly disappeared right after. Minhyuk had started to search for her a few months after he started Athenae. Alas, he was only able to find her now. She was now ten years old.

“Everything that she’s experiencing is similar to you, Minhyuk. She’s currently undergoing diet control and is exercising following your schedule. She was actually in a very dangerous condition before she came here, even worse than yours, before you started Athenae, Minhyuk.”

“She’s similar to me.”

“Yes. She’s quite similar but also different. Just like I told you, she’s following the same schedule that you’re doing.”

Jinhwan’s voice was colored with surprise when he said, “To be honest, I thought that a ten-year-old girl couldn't follow the same schedule as you, Minhyuk.”

Then, he pointed to the graphs and tables on the paper.

“We have switched her food to vegetables. Even though the young lady is still eating like crazy, she’s starting to show signs of losing weight. We’re sure that she will eventually reach a plateau, just like what happened with you, Minhyuk. By then, we must subject her to the same treatment as you.”

Minhyuk knew what Jinhwan meant. He was talking about bringing the girl to Athenae. Of course, he did not forget to explain the quest that he had received to the doctor.

“I see. I understand why your expression is not that good, Minhyuk. You must feel like you’re using her for your gain, no?”

“I won’t deny that.”

Minhyuk helped her and wanted to be her companion and fight her eating addiction beside her. This sentiment grew deeper when he heard that she had been sent to the psychiatric hospital because she had lost her parents early on in life. This just made him feel as if he had to save her.

“You don’t feel that way at all, do you? Besides, based on what you have said, the conditions set by the system are what would determine if she is qualified or not. No?”

That was true. In the end, she had to receive recognition from the system.

“And you and I know you’re going to ask Miss Philos again if she wants to play Athenae with you, no?”

Yes. That was true. Minhyuk would only proceed if he had her consent.

“If she starts playing Athenae and shows signs of improvement just like you did, Minhyuk, then…” Jinhwan fixed his horn-rimmed glasses. “...it means that two cases have improved with the help of this treatment. This will definitely help the medical community and allow us to take one step further in our research.”

***

The young girl named Philos woke up early in the morning. Unlike the hospital, the people here were kind. They even gave her a warm and soft bed!

There were just some things that they did not give her. They were none other than flour, meat, or anything instant. And Philos wanted to try those things. She was very curious about those instant meals. After all, she had not eaten a proper instant meal yet.

Today, Minhyuk, the patient with the same disease as her, went to her and asked, “Do you want to try it?”

Of course, she said that she wanted to! Goodness! There was a place where she could try all of the things that she wanted to try?!

Philos, surrounded by kind and gentle people, slowly sat inside the capsule. Minhyuk looked at her and said, “You have to ensure that your starting town is in the Beyond the Heavens Empire’s Caiden Village. Understand?”

Philos nodded. Before she activated the capsule, Minhyuk told her again, “Philos, you have to have fun. Everything’s fine as long as you’re having fun.”

Minhyuk told her exactly the words his father had told him in the past.

Philos pondered, ‘I should have fun.’

Then, she connected to Athenae. She made her ID and changed her weight to that of an ordinary child. Philos, who had now lost weight, turned out to be quite a beautiful child.

Finally, she accessed the game.

“I am Conir!”

“...?”

A few years older than her, the boy held out a wooden sword. Then he pointed to the scarecrow and explained, “Conir will give you bread.”

Philos' mouth watered when she heard the word bread.

“But! You have to hit the scarecrow 100 times!”

Philos grabbed the sword and struck the scarecrow with all her might. She quickly finished the 100 strikes and got her bread. When she got her ten loaves of bread, she looked a bit disappointed. It seemed like she felt like it was not enough. She immediately grabbed Conir’s collar before he could turn around and run away.

“...”

Philos, the mysterious girl with silver hair and grey eyes—big and pretty—looked at Conir. Then, she blinked.

“Co-Conir! Conir’s having a heart attack!”

The boy named Conir immediately gave her a few more loaves of bread. Philos enjoyed her bread. It tasted superb, with a flavor she had never experienced before, and it made her happy.

After eating her bread, she immediately went back to hit the scarecrow. She repeatedly hit the scarecrow and ate her bread. The bread she got the next time was remarkable. It wasn’t the tough bread from before but a soft one. The bread that she received from Conir was called castella. Conir even gave her some milk along with it.

Conir, with a red flush on his face, said, “Ahem, ahem! Conir! Conir is very happy to find a younger sister. Philos, from today onward, you’re Conir’s younger sister! Come, let’s go to this hyung’s house and eat!”

Philos listened to his words as she ate the soft castella with her milk. The castella melted in her mouth as she ate the two together. When she finished her meal, a strange notification rang in her ears.

Then, Conir, pretending to be imposing, suddenly told her he would teach her his swordsmanship. However, Philos did not show any interest.

“Conir will give you bread.”

Philos immediately smiled.

“...She’s like Minhyuk hyung.”

She learned his swordsmanship. And surprisingly enough, she had talent. Afterward, she went to Conir’s cabin in the evening and ate some bread and soup with him. Somehow, there was something strange.

‘The bread and the soup are shining… Why?’

Although she did not know why, she did not stop enjoying the bread and soup. After eating a dish with a flavor she had never tasted, a series of strange notifications rang in her ears again.

Then, a guest arrived.

“Hoho. My name is Ben.”

The old man’s hands were full. His hands were carrying plenty of delicious food.

‘From this day forward, this grandfather is my grandfather. He’s so nice.’

The grandfather fed her well and then made her coffee. When he saw Philos frowning at the taste, he chuckled and made her some cocoa. Similarly, there was something strange about the cocoa—an unknown glow on top of it. The moment she drank the sweet and delicious cocoa, she felt like her entire body was melting.

Then, Philos’ newly acquired grandfather gave her a gift.

“Goodness, my baby! You’re eating well. Hohohoho!” Her grandfather laughed happily as he handed over a spear to her.

An unknown wave of energy spread when she held the spear, and another series of strange notifications rang in her ears. Regardless, Philos did not care.

Then, her grandfather asked, “How about learning spearmanship from this grandfather?”

‘I don’t want to. I only want to eat something delicious.’

However, this grandfather had already experienced this kind of situation and was, therefore, very skilled in this area.

“I’ll give you cocoa.”

Philos had never been so focused like this in her life. She swung the spear like crazy until she fell asleep.

The next day, Philos went to the place where the chickens were. There, she saw a huge man who resembled a wolf. She followed his teachings and hunted chickens for the first time. She could also fry some chicken and taste them for the first time with his help. The taste of the chicken was the most delightful flavor she had ever tasted in the world. The crunchy texture made her squirm in happiness.

The man, Brod, looked at her with shining eyes and said, “Goodness, my dear daughter. Hahahaha!”

Today, Philos became his daughter. And just like the others, he said, “How about you try and learn the mercenary’s swordsmanship from this uncle?”

‘Ah! For real? Why does everyone I meet always try to make me do something? This is annoying…’

“I’ll give you chicken.”

Philos decided to do her best right then and there. Thus, she learned another skill, swordsmanship, and left the novice village.

***

Minhyuk had gathered all the documents needed to become Philos’ guardian and submitted them to the court. He finally got their approval today. Now that Minhyuk was Philos’ guardian, he could use Athenae’s guardian mode to view her status window. What he saw in her status window left Minhyuk speechless.

Minhyuk stood before Conir, who kneeled with both hands raised to the sky. Ben and Brod stood to the side with sullen expressions.

“What did you guys do? Conir! I obviously told you to look after her. What did you do? You fed her elixir-infused castella, garlic bread, and even a legendary-grade soup!”

“Co-Conir… What should Conir do? Philos is just too cute. Conir thinks it’s only natural for an adult to want to feed the baby something delicious!”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Minhyuk had no choice but to accept their logic.

‘No. This is not it.’

“Fine. But why did you give her the Sword God’s Blessings?”

Conir wasn’t the only one.

“And Grandpa Ben! Why did you feed the child the legendary grade cocoa?”

“Ho- Hoho… The child is just too cute. How can I feed her ordinary cocoa…”

‘Ah. I guess that’s true too.’

That was not all.

“Alright. Regardless of that, why did you give her the Kiddie Legendary Rank Spear? It doesn’t even have a level restriction! Where on earth did you get that?”

“Ho- hohoho! I got it for our dear Philos! Hahaha!”

‘I have never seen someone with a severe case of granddaughter-con like this before.’

“My god! You even taught the child the Absolute Pinnacle Spear?! No. Wait a minute. What is this?!” Minhyuk looked through the status and shrieked, “NOOOOO! Brod! Why did you teach her the Mercenary’s Pinnacle Swordsmanship?!”

“Haha. I can’t and will not allow my children to get hit or bullied outside. I’d rather clean up their mess and pay for their misdeeds than let them be bullied.”

“Fine. But that doesn’t mean you must teach a child the Mercenary’s Pinnacle Swordsmanship…”

“Then, Your Majesty, are you saying that it would be better for Philos to get hit and bullied outside?”

The three Philos-con glared at Minhyuk.

“...Of course, I don’t want that to happen. I also want to raise her to become strong.”

Regardless, this was too much. Minhyuk once again looked at Philos’ status window.

(Philos)

Level: 1

Class: None

HP: 1,021 MP: 866

STR: 108 AGI: 121 STM: 9

WIS: 67 INT: 89

Fullness: 100%

Skills in Possession:

•Active Skill: Kiddie Absolute Pinnacle Spear

•Active Skill: Kiddie Mercenary’s Pinnacle Swordsmanship

Special Effects in Possession:

•Sword God’s Blessings

Bonus Point: 108

“...”

Philos was still at Level 1, but her uncle was the Sword God, her grandfather was the Spear God, and her big daddy was once a Battle God candidate.

Minhyuk sighed. He asked them to look after her, but they gave her weapons even though she was only at Level 1. On top of that, they even looked proud of what they had done.

Suddenly, a chill ran down Minhyuk’s spine. He said, “Wait! Who’s stationed outside the village?”

Ben answered, “Hoho. Beanie and Guardian God Obren will be there. There’s also Elpis, Elizabeth, Mandala, and…”

“...”

Minhyuk, who could already tell what would happen next, was completely speechless.

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