Chef in the Apocalypse

[You have consumed Vegetable Sushi Roll +10 Vitality for 4 hours]

[You have consumed Meat bun +10 Strength for 4 hours]

[You have consumed Leftover Pasta +10 Dexterity for 4 hours]

Jayce began to stuff his face with the vast amount of back up food that he had in his inventory, choosing foods which he would be able to eat quickly. The shaking of his surroundings only further increased the urgency in which he shoved the morsels into his mouth.

The whole den was abuzz with activity following the mournful and hate-filled roar that had sounded out from one of the adult Draconic Panthers. Jayce felt as if he had shaken a hornet’s nest, yet instead of running to the river where he would be safe, he was forced to endure their wrath.

’Why is my luck so bad? Is 200 not high enough?’ He shouted in his heart, yet not stopping his relentless feast.

If the system had a voice, it would surely scold him. How could you willingly walk into a Beast Den and then curse your bad luck when they get pissed off?

Unfortunately, Jayce wouldn’t have heard the system even if it had spoken, he was too busy gorging on his snack reserves while he watched his stats increase incrementally. It was only a matter of time before the Draconic Panthers made their way into the tunnel and discovered him.

Of course, this was under the assumption that there was only one exit in the cavern. However, he was not feeling very optimistic at the small probability of multiple exits, therefore it was always better to prepare for the worst.

If there was another exit, then it would be great if the Adult Draconic Panthers left to go pursue the culprit, leaving the smaller and weaker offspring in the cavern. That way, he would have the opportunity to either sneak by them, or quickly finish them off and escape before the strong one’s returned.

All Jayce could do was continue to stuff his face, feeling his jaw hurt from chewing so much. However he persisted, ignoring the protests of his stomach which was threatening to return the unwanted food back into his waiting hands.

The tunnel shook once more, the vibrations getting more intense after every moment. Jayce felt danger approaching and instantly knew that there was an danger heading his way, likely at a rapid pace. Holding back a pained sigh, he quickly swallowed the food in his mouth, doing his best to keep it down. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Retrieving his Bloodfang Dagger, he used his Master of Stealth ability at the last moment disappearing amongst the shadows instantly. Within a second of him vanishing, a huge Panther came around the corner, its Dragon-like face looked furious as it trudged along the tunnel with heavy footsteps.

Just as it was around 2 meters away from Jayce it suddenly stopped, causing his hair to stand on end. It began to sniff around the area, sensing something that was off. Its head moved around, trying to locate the smell, before turning to his direction.

Jayce gripped his Bloodfang Dagger, feeling a sense of danger assault his senses, as the head which was large than his body inched closer to him. However, at the last moment its head moved to the ground, sniffing something at his feet.

’What the f*ck!?’ Jayce screamed internally, seeing the half eaten sushi roll which was currently at his feet, giving away his position. The Draconic shaped head looked like it was not going to move any time soon, sniffing the foreign object with a sense of curiosity and vigilance.

His Master of Stealth skill would only lasted for 10 seconds, which meant he only had a few more seconds before he would be revealed to the monstrous beast in front of him. Jayce gritted his teeth, there was no way he would be able to make it past its huge frame unnoticed, therefore he had no other choice but to strike now.

Gripping his Bloodfang Dagger, Jayce steeled himself. He couldn’t allow the Panther to notice him, or he’d be no more than a morsel in its den of predators. His heart raced, but there was no room for hesitation.

With a surge of determination, Jayce lunged forward, driving the Dagger deep into the Panther’s skull.

[6x Critical strike has been activated]

The blade found its mark with a sickening crunch, and in one swift, brutal motion, the Draconic Panther’s head was decimated. A spray of bright blood erupted from the fatal wound, and the creature emitted a guttural, shuddering death cry.

The increased stats from the entire buffet’s worth of food Jayce had eaten caused his strength to soar. This paired with the 6x critical strike ability of the Bloodfang Dagger was enough to pierce the hardy scales and thick skull of the monster, putting it at deaths door in one strike.

Jayce materialized a moment later, his brand new tier 4 class equipment already soaked in the bright red blood from the beast. However, there was no time to lament, nor think about permanently dyeing the clothes red in order to cut down on cleaning times in the future.

Striking while the iron was hot, Jayce pushed forward with all of his might, sending the dagger into the now exposed neck of the reeling Draconic Panther, in an attempt to stifle its cries. The dagger slid cleanly into place thanks to his Analyze skill which could easily pinpoint the vitals of monsters.

The sound of blood gushing to the floor ricocheted off the tunnel walls, sounding more like a rushing waterfall than what it truly was.

[Congratulations, you have slain Draconic Panther (Adult)]

[Congratulations, you have leveled up!]

[Congratulations, you have leveled up!]

It was then that he heard a cacophony of roars in response from within the cavern, signaling that they knew one of their kind had just perished. ’Damn it! Nothing has gone right for me since I entered this stupid tree.’ Jayce complained inwardly.

Despite the massive tree looking like Yggdrasil which was meant to be the world tree, it had brought him nothing but troubles.