Gourmet Gaming - Chapter 142: Ballad’s Cup, Shabu-shabu

On December 11th, the apocalypse began. A new, mutated coronavirus—the Zeta variant—spread worldwide, and it was far more deadly than any version before it. Those infected without strong immune systems turned into zombies, and within two days, chaos reigned, wiping out 80% of humanity.Zack, an ordinary guy, found himself in the middle of this nightmare, struggling to survive. Lacking the skills to fight off the zombies, he was soon overwhelmed and met a tragic end… or so he thought.When Zack suddenly finds himself alive again, he’s back at the start of the apocalypse but with one huge difference—an advanced AI has armed him with powerful technology. Equipped with a zero-point reactor, power armor, a super serum, and much more, he now has the tools to turn the tide.Follow Zack as he builds a new civilization from the ruins and fights to reclaim the world in this thrilling journey of survival and innovation.

10 years ago, after “the Gate” that connected the real world with the monster world opened, some of the ordinary, everyday people received the power to hunt monsters within the Gate. They are known as “Hunters”.

In humanity’s final war against the Demon Lord, the strongest heroes fell—not by the enemy’s hand, but by their own, twisted into madness by a cruel illusion. Betrayal. Bloodshed. Despair… and then, silence.Only one person remained: Riley—the weakest warrior of them all. Powerless. Ignored. Forgotten.But he saw through the Demon Lord’s deception. The tyrant was on the brink of death—so weak even a fly could’ve finished him off.And Riley did just that, drawing every last ounce of strength to bite off the demon’s head.Victory? Not quite. A final, desperate strike from the Demon Lord pierced him from behind, killing him instantly.But fate wasn’t done with him yet.Riley awoke ten years in the past—when the online game [Apocalypse] was launched. Before demons descended. Before monsters overran the world.And this time, he wasn’t starting from nothing. He had a decade of experience—and a second chance.Even more shocking, he didn’t awaken his old D-rank Strength Boost talent. This time, he received something far more terrifying: an SSS-Rank Gluttony talent!He could now devour anything—monsters, items, talents, even traits—and gain their power.Ding![You have devoured: Iron Fang Wolf][Acquired: +4 Strength, +2 Agility, Skill: Bite (F-rank)][You have devoured: Goblin ShamanAcquired: +8 Intelligence, Skill: Mana Bolt (E-rank), Talent: Minor Spellcasting Efficiency][You have devoured: Flaming Salamander Drake][Acquired: +22 Endurance, Trait: Dragon’s Resilience, Skill: Flame Breath (C-rank)]Now, there is no demon, no god, no monster who will stand in his way. He will devour everything—and save the world.But the power of Gluttony was a double edged sword. If he wasn’t careful… he could be the one getting consumed.

“God, please. If you are real, make my one last wish come true. Let me live.”When Callisto got diagnosed with an incurable genetic disorder at age 5, she was expected to live for only ten more years.With her life on its last leg, Callisto underwent an operation that has a one in a million chance of success called the Mutated DNA Fusion, granting her wish to live. However, the operation gave her more than what she wished for.With her black hair turned silver, cat ears overhead, and a tail from her behind, Callisto now has to live her life as a half-human and half-animal, a catgirl.