Chapter 1000

Chapter 1000

Joy Co. Ltd.’s conference room was engulfed in silence.

For Minhyuk to complete the Restriction of Frustration, he had to reach a score that was at least 70% of Rocado’s score. However, none of them expected that a result like this would come out. Even Supercomputer Athenae said his chances of completing this trial were only at 0.01%. But Minhyuk beat Rocado thoroughly.

‘Of course, Rocado’s score during the last competition was meager.’

It meant that Rocado’s luck was not very good toward the end. On the other hand, Minhyuk’s score was unusually high. The process that Minhyuk went through to reach this result today was something that not only amazed everyone but also brought them great shock.

“If it’s like this, what rewards will he receive...?” Manager Kim Dae-Il asked as he looked at the other executives.

The mouths of everyone present snapped shut.

If Minhyuk reached 70% of Rocado’s score, he would immediately complete the final trial. But Minhyuk achieved that and even went beyond and won against Rocado. Of course, this was primarily thanks to the temporary increase in his chances of producing higher-grade items. However, it was also right to say that this situation happened because of Minhyuk’s efforts.

Soon, the Production Team’s leader said, “Rocado will probably set the rewards. The problem is that we wouldn’t know what rewards he would give either.”

Even though they had yet to catch a glimpse of the rewards, they were sure that the rewards set by one of the Eight Pillars, the Jack-of-all-Trades, would be huge.

“And if it’s a skill related to DEX, then it will create an effect with a tremendous synergy with Player Minhyuk and the dishes that he would make in the future.”

The executives nodded their heads. None of them piped up to contest and argue why Minhyuk would receive such a tremendous reward. All of them believed that it was only natural.

They all turned to look at the monitor. They held their breaths, and worry and anticipation were present on their faces as they waited for Minhyuk to obtain the rewards.

“Doctor Han-Wool, are you not going home yet?”

Kim Han-Wool’s work was already over. This meant that he could freely leave and go home.

Han-Wool laughed awkwardly and said, “It’s so interesting and fun to watch it like this. Also, I’m looking forward to the rewards he will get.”

***

[Your total score is 518.]

[Rocado’s total score is 515.]

Minhyuk was not expecting much. But when he heard the results, his face immediately grew brighter. He did not know how long he had been trying to get 70% of Rocado’s score. But now? He felt like the words “walking on air” accurately describe his feelings.

‘I won against Rocado?’

Perhaps this was something that even Rocado did not expect to happen. Rocado had already judged that no challenger could reach 70% of his clone’s score.

Minhyuk flopped down on the ground. He looked at his hands while thinking, ‘I did it.’

The fulfillment that he felt at this moment was greater than ever. He thought that the only reason why he was able to pass the Trial of Restriction: Frustration was because of his perseverance.

At that moment, a series of notifications rang in his ears.

[You have gained victory in a competition against Rocado.]

[You have cleared all of the trials inside the Cave of Restriction with outstanding results.]

[Your achievement will increase significantly.]

[Your overall achievement has reached 96%.]

[Congratulations on patiently overcoming the Cave of Restriction’s Restriction of Frustration.]

[Your DEX has increased by 15%.]

[Jack-of-all-Trades Rocado is the one who made the Cave of Restrictions.]

[Jack-of-all-Trades Rocado has left a special reward for those who will clear the Cave of Restriction’s Frustration.]

[...active skill: Hands of Almighty...]

[The distribution of rewards has been interrupted.]

Minhyuk looked at his notifications window in confusion. Why was the distribution of rewards interrupted? Then, additional notifications rang.

[You have surpassed Rocado, albeit temporarily.]

[The rewards that will be distributed will be better.]

[The existing Hands of Almighty will be changed to a skill suitable for you.]

[You have acquired the active skill: Food God’s Almighty Tool.]

Minhyuk was shocked to see that the system had changed his reward and given him a skill better suited for him. Of course, he immediately checked the skill.

(Food God’s Almighty Tool)

Rank: PillarGeett the latest novels at novelhall.com

Active Skill

Level: 1

Mana Required: 5,000

Cooldown: 2 hours.

Effects:

“...?”

“...?”

“That’s an amazing power. This is a revolution.”

That was right. The world-renowned psychiatrist Kim Han-Wool, was a certified homebody.

***

Minhyuk, who was leisurely enjoying the skill that allowed him to achieve his lifelong dreams, heard a series of notifications.

[To obtain the Pillar Ingredient, please meet with Rocado.]

[To reinforce your artifact once, please meet with Rocado.]

Minhyuk nodded. ‘The Rocado I had faced this time was truly an extraordinary man.’

If Minhyuk’s DEX and his chances of producing higher-grade items did not temporarily increase, perhaps he would never be able to overcome this trial in his lifetime.

Minhyuk was actually very curious about many things. The first one was why someone like Jack-of-all-Trades Rocado lived alone in a secluded place.

‘I think it might be related to Eirin, who Herakel mentioned before.’

Minhyuk, who wanted to meet Rocado immediately, received a shocking notification.

[Rocado is in a critical condition.]

“...!”

Minhyuk thought that he had to hurry now.

[You have exited the Cave of Restrictions.]

Just like that, he disappeared in a flash of light.

***

Jack-of-all-Trades Rocado, who had fainted earlier, had returned to his senses. However, everything around him felt hazy. He felt like he had just woken up after drinking some sleeping pills.

Rocado tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids did not move, and he could not twitch. What about his sense of hearing? He could not hear anything in this darkness. Was he now in the process of falling into his eternal rest?

‘If I go, will we be able to meet there?’

Rocado held some expectations. He thought that if she were there, then this death would be very comfortable. But when he thought of her, another person came to mind. This person was none other than the young Herakel.

A memory flashed in Rocado’s head. It was their first meeting with Herakel. They had decided to marry and adopt Herakel as their son. Before she died, she told him.

–Please take care of Herakel.

The moment the memory surfaced, Rocado struggled and resisted desperately from this growing sense of death.

‘Did he... die in the end?’

As his senses slowly returned, he remembered the reckless man who dared to challenge the last trial of the Cave of Restrictions. That man was such a fool.

‘I can’t believe that he chose to fight against me.’

Even the Patience, the restriction hidden inside the Frustration, was something no one could achieve.

Rocado, desperately fighting for his senses to return, finally started to feel the pain and hear his surroundings.

“Uweeeeeeeeek!!!”

Despair slowly crept upon him as he vomited mouthful after mouthful of blood. All his senses, which had been sealed before, returned to him. Rocado desperately fought his heavy lids. When he blinked them open, he caught sight of the crying Herakel.

‘One more time.’

He wanted to meet her just once, even if it was in hell. That was why he wanted to fulfill the conditions stated in the legends and paint ten thousand paintings. The day he completed ten thousand paintings would be the day that he would meet her. He did not want to meet her because he wanted to do something special for her. There was just something that he wanted to say to her.

Rocado, who kept on opening his eyes, started to close once again. He suddenly saw a very unexpected figure appear in front of him. He was the one who dared to challenge the Restriction of Frustration. Although Rocado was very surprised to see him here, he no longer had the energy to speak or respond to him.

Rocado, with his heavy eyelids, desperately murmured something. “Ei... rin... once more...”

The man also said something in response. “What I want... is... you...”

However, Rocado could not understand or hear what he was talking about. He just answered, “Alright.”

After leaving that answer, Rocado felt like he was about to fall into another deep sleep. Even in his sleep, his mind was still filled with the figure of one woman and one woman alone.

Legend said he could meet with the departed if he could finish drawing ten thousand paintings. He had kept on living, running after that legend. Rocado knew it was the only way for him to meet her again.

Rocado wanted to risk it all and ask the God governing Hell to meet her. However, he knew the God of Death was the most stubborn and difficult god. He could only let this idea die down. What if he asked the God of Death, and she was implicated by it?

At that moment, he felt like his mouth was being filled with dark red blood. And blood had started to choke him. He wanted to throw up. However, for some strange reason, his consciousness began to slowly return to him even though he felt like he was going to throw up again.

“Rocado.”

He saw her. She stood there, tears in her eyes, as she gently touched his cheeks.

Meanwhile, a notification rang for the man standing behind her.

[You have completed the Sudden Quest: Rocado and Eirin’s Reunion.]