Chef in the Apocalypse

A large stele standing over 10 meters tall sat conspicuously atop a makeshift stone platform, looking like a monument more than anything else. The stele was covered in unintelligible scribbles, yet it did not look messy, rather, it emitted an ancient and mysterious air.

The stele was situated in a large crater, at least 2 kilometers in diameter. It was as if the Stele itself was the cause of the crater, as its position was directly in the center and at the lowest point.

Suddenly, the air around the Stele began to thicken, before motes of light started to materialize. At first there were only a few, but before long they began to multiply, lighting up the Stele with a mystical light and enhancing its mystery.

As the motes of light reached a certain density, they began to take physical form, revealing humanoid figures. Before long there were 21 figures which appeared inside the motes of light, floating towards the ground gracefully.

"I can never get used to the feeling of being teleported." A large man carrying a wooden shield said gingerly as he massaged his temples.

"Ay Kumar, it’d probably be easier if you weren’t so damn fat." One of the younger men quipped back, causing the surrounding people to break out in laughter.

Kumar’s face twitched in annoyance, hearing the others laugh at his expense. "Just remember which fat bastard saved your neck not even 2 hours ago."

The younger man came over to lay a hand on the larger man’s shoulder, his eyes filled with thanks. "My bad, I’ll be a good boy this year so please remember to drop off some presents on Christmas day please Santa."

There was a short silence followed by raucous laughter. To add to the comical situation, Kumar began to chase the young man around, flames of anger burning in his eyes. "Slow down you bastard!"

A little further away, a man in a black robe looked upon the scene with disdain in his eyes. Shadow despised these types of people, thinking them weak and undeserving of life. ’My Shadow Garden has to team up with these imbeciles?’ he thought with dissatisfaction.

He turned his head, laying his gaze upon their leader. "Your team looks rather... carefree." he spat out, not bothering to disguise his annoyance.

Flame Caster leant on his staff, seemingly ignoring the words from the assassin beside him. There was a touch of amusement in his eyes as he watched his faction members play around in front of the ancient looking Stele.

He lifted his staff, knocking it on the ground gently. A pillar of flames materialized, gathering the attention of everyone in the vicinity. Kumar and the younger man stopped in their tracks, turning towards their leader with a sheepish grin on their faces.

"Let’s head back." He said simply, before turning around and leading the way.

"Yes Leader!" the group responded, their earlier playfulness forgotten as they trudged along.

Kumar ran forward, catching up to his Leader and walking beside him, a little out of breath. "I’m sorry if I embarrassed you Agni. Uh, I mean Leader." He said, flashing a look towards Shadow.

Agni smiled warmly, shaking his head in response. "Don’t worry Uncle Kumar, you could never embarrass me."

Hearing the heartfelt words, Kumar rubbed the back of his head letting out an embarrassed chuckle. "It’s a little hard to keep up with you kids, but I’ll do my best to protect you all from danger, just like old times."

At these words, Agni’s face stiffened for a moment before his smile returned. Kumar had been his only male role model growing up, protecting and nurturing him as he matured. It was not only himself, all the children in the neighborhood had been the beneficiary of Kumar’s big heart.

When the Apocalypse descended, he rounded up whoever he could, putting his life on the line to ensure that people could evacuate in time. It wouldn’t be inaccurate to say that Kumar was the reason that most of the people in his faction had survived.

His faction, Dante’s Inferno was composed of people from his neighborhood that he had grown up with, and their family members. Before he was summoned by Rubick and told about the supporters list, he was already the de-facto leader of these people due to his strength.

He wasn’t sure why he was given the Inferno Mage class, nor why he was given a place in the supporters list. Having only played Cataclysm a few times due to how poor his family was, there was no logic to the situation. Or at least no logic that he could identify.

Agni decided not to think about these things, choosing to instead focus on ways he could not only survive the Apocalypse, but also thrive. Coming from a poor background, he saw an opportunity now that the Apocalypse essentially reset the previous division of the poor and rich.

Therefore his goal was to gather resources and get stronger, becoming a king in this new world, bringing along his closest friends to the pinnacle.

After being told about the Dungeon by Let me Cook, he was initially a little skeptical. His paranoid nature was formulated from growing up in a densely populated area where no one would do things without benefiting themselves. It had taken him years to be able to trust Kumar, despite the large man’s countless selfless acts.

Yet the opportunity was too alluring to pass up. He decided to grab his faction and relocate, leaving his neighborhood which was in shambles, turning into a free for all between all of the survivors.

Surprisingly, the #1 supporter had not lied. Leading him to a stockpile of riches and a consistent training ground for his faction members. They had farmed the dungeon every seven days for the past 6 months, increasing their strength and resources gradually.

He would have loved to farm the Dungeon every day, but it seemed that it only reset every week. However, it was better than nothing.

Agni walked along, leading his group up the outsides of the crater like they had done many times before. It was then that he received a notification, prompting him to open it.

[Let Me Cook #1: When and where are we meeting?]

A sly smile crept onto Agni’s face as he read the message.

[Flamecaster #4: Nepal in 2 weeks. I’ll send you the coordinates]

***

At the end of the forest, a large clearing appeared. It was a sudden break in the forest’s green canopy, a space where the sunlight kissed the earth below. This was a place that lay hidden away from the eyes of the world, known only to a select few.

Leading a group of thirty individuals into this pristine sanctuary was a young man of striking appearance. Clad in a deep crimson robe that seemed to absorb the very light around him, his attire was a stark contrast to the lush greenery of the forest. His spiky red hair danced like flames upon his head, a vivid crown atop his brow.

The most alluring feature, however, were his eyes—piercing emerald orbs that held an enigmatic depth. There was an unrelenting ambition hidden beneath their gaze, as if the owner would do anything and everything to achieve their goals.

The clearing itself seemed to be a waypoint, before one had to brave the dangers of the forest that lay ahead. A few massive boulders, clearly dislodged from the colossal mountain to the left, lay scattered around the place.

A huge mountain stood defiantly at a near-vertical angle, hiding the view of its peak. Its stone face seemed to touch the very heavens, and the rugged terrain bore testament to its enduring might. The boulders that had tumbled from its heights lay here like fallen soldiers, forever frozen in time.

To the right, a dense and ancient forest loomed, its towering trees reaching heights of over thirty meters. They were colossal sentinels, standing guard over the secrets of the woods. Unlike the forestry they had just come from, these trees seemed dark and ominous, as if inhabited by the shadows themselves.

As the red-robed man’s gaze drifted towards the forest, a sly grin crept across his face. It was a grin that hinted at mischief and hidden agendas, as though he knew something that others did not.

"Make yourselves comfortable, we might be here a while." Agni said, finding a spot to rest against one of the boulders that had found a home in the clearing.

[Flamecaster #4: We’re here.]

Agni stared at the message, his heart beating in in anticipation.

[Let Me Cook #1: We’ll be an hour at most.]

A sly smile appeared once more on the young man’s face, making him appear as a mischievous youth. Kumar looked on, shaking his head in exasperation. Every time he saw the young man smile like that, it was never good news for someone else.

Agni turned to the forest briefly, holding up 1 finger for a few moments before crossing his legs and meditating.

’Not long now.’