Chapter 27 - A Virtual Banquet

[You have completed the Mine Iron Ores quest.]

[You have received your recommendation letter from the Mining Association.]

After Broken received his recommendation letter, he was filled with hope that Fokil would recognize his hard work and reward him with something interesting. He felt it was time to return to the Dwarf Blacksmith and present his efforts.

As he walked back to the smithy, he suddenly felt a pang of hunger in his stomach. He thought to himself that he needed to eat something. It was indeed a combination of real hunger from his physical body and the game's hunger system, which required players to fulfill their needs. While food in the real world genuinely satisfied his hunger, in-game food merely removed the hunger status. Eating in the game could also restore stamina, health, and mana.

[You are on the brink of starvation, as you haven't ingested any food in days. Your stats have been reduced by 30%.]

[Go to the nearest food stall and fulfill your eating desire, or else you might collapse from hunger on the street like a dead rat.]

"Thanks for the advice, system. I know you do this just to make me spend my money, right?" he thought to himself.

He pondered, "But it seems I've been playing for an especially long time today, and I haven't even had breakfast yet. I think I should look for food in the game before logging out and getting something to eat in the real world to satisfy my physical appetite."

Broken walked toward the market, eager to find something more enjoyable to eat than the bread he'd been consuming for too long.

"Maybe I'll buy some real food this time," he thought. "I have enough money for that, right?"

He stepped into a food stall and, without hesitation, took a seat. A male waiter abruptly threw a menu paper at him and, in an annoyed tone, demanded, "What do you want? Please be quick."

Broken furrowed his brow. Why are the NPCs in this game so unfriendly? Are they designed that way, or do I look like a beggar?

"What do you recommend?" he asked.

"Please be quick. Buy the most expensive item; it makes my job easier," the waiter replied.

Broken sighed and shooed the waiter away. "I'll call you again once I've read the menu."

The waiter left with an irritated expression.

[Goblin Skewers: Marinated chunks of goblin meat threaded onto skewers and grilled to perfection.]

[Phoenix Wings: Crispy, golden-brown wings of a phoenix, served with a sweet and tangy dipping sauce.]

He thought to himself, "What the heck are these menus? They can't actually be trying to sell me phoenix wings, can they?" He then called the waiter and asked, "Is this the real deal? Is it a phoenix's wings?"

The waiter scoffed, "Of course not. Just order quickly and save me the trouble, okay?"

"I want this one, Minotaur Burger," Broken declared.

The waiter swiftly departed, only to reappear minutes later with a burger that was five times larger than a standard real-world burger.

To his surprise, the meat itself was huge - approximately one kilogram - making him gasp in awe. 

"Look at the size," he uttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "Can I finish it?"

He could feel his physical body drooling just by looking at the burger in front of him, and even the aroma was palpable through his game senses.

"I would never have been able to finish something like this in the real world."

The food in front of him was quite a luxurious meal for a beginner, costing him around 10 silver. As he bit into the burger, he was filled with curiosity. Closing his eyes, he felt a sensation he had never experienced before.

"Man… How can something taste like this really feel on my tongue?" he exclaimed in amazement. "I mean, dammit! The capsule device injecting this kind of taste directly into the brain is truly amazing."

Every player in Immortal Legacy wouldn't actually be full in their physical body, but there was still a limit to the amount of food one could eat at one time. Their virtual body could still become full, even though the amount they could eat was many times more than in the real world. This limitation was implemented to prevent addiction to in-game experiences. Despite many demands to remove this restriction, the developers seemed indifferent to the outcry.

There were even people who played the game just to satisfy their food cravings. Here, they could find things they might not be able to get in the real world, even though the price could be higher. The sensation of eating delicious food in large quantities without having to travel far was an irresistible deal for everyone.

Broken savored every bite of the massive burger, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction. "This is incredible," he thought. "I might just spend my entire time in the game eating if the food always tastes this good."

He truly savored every bite of the burger. Even the bun tasted incredibly savory and melted in his mouth, while the cheese and meat combined to create a rich flavor that danced on his tongue. It was an extraordinary experience. Broken didn't let a drop of sauce go to waste, licking his plate clean. He didn't let any part of the burger go to waste. The meal's price was quite high; he could feed an entire household for the same amount in the real world. But with this kind of experience, he felt it was absolutely worth it.

He had earned money by mining ores all night in the cave. He still had enough coins left to spend on other things, so he was okay with indulging a little. This motivated him to work even harder and earn more money, and he wanted to share this experience with Lily, too.

Broken had devoured the food with relish, forgetting that his actual physical body was also hungry. After finishing the meal, the content look on his face made it clear he had thoroughly enjoyed this kind of lifestyle.

"Let's do more things like this in the future," he said, thoughtfully pausing for a moment before adding, "I wonder if I could bring Lily to a game center and let her experience this kind of sensation too."

As he finished his meal, he felt rejuvenated and realized he could probably eat another burger. But he decided to save that indulgence for another time. He was now ready to continue his quest.

"Now, I need to see Fokil," he said.

[You have eaten a large portion of the Minotaur Burger.]

[Random stats will be given temporarily.]

[You gain a Strength stat increase of 10 for 24 hours.]

[You gain a Stamina stat increase of 10 for 24 hours.]

Broken nodded slowly after he had finished his hearty meal. "So, this kind of stat bonus makes food like this even more valuable. With a bonus of 20 stats, which can be equated to two level increases, it's a major boon. Anyone planning to go on a monster raid would find it worthwhile to consider eating something this expensive, or even more expensive than this."

He earned a significant amount of money in one night's worth of mining in Immortal Legacy. Even though it was still in-game currency, if he converted it into dollars, it was equivalent to a week's salary from his previous job at the convenience store.

"At least, if I focus solely on mining, it's already a better outcome than my old job. But then, I can do even better and greater than this," he said confidently.

He hastily exited the diner, and with the lingering taste of the meal still on his tongue, he hurried towards Fokil's smithy. It only took him a few minutes to arrive, and just as he did, he noticed the door to the smithy was slightly open.

"Excuse me, Mr. Fokil," Broken said quietly, but he was sure that the dwarf could still hear him. "I brought a recommendation letter that I want to show you."

But there was no answer. "Where is he?" he thought.