Chef in the Apocalypse

Jayce looked upon the fairy-like woman who was floating in front of him with mixed emotions. The voice which had rang out earlier lacked her usual tone, it held an underlying feeling of disdain. Something that he had never heard from Lianna in all the time that they knew each other.

If that wasn’t enough to give him pause for thought, the fact that her usual green robe was now adorned with thin vines which wrapped around her slim figure tipped the scales. While the aesthetic was pleasing, emphasizing her large bosom and soft curves, it was completely out of character for the usually reserved Lianna.

"Who are you?" Jayce spoke out, already knowing in his mind that the person in front of him was not Lianna.

A wicked cackle escaped the lips of the fairy, as if she found the whole situation hilarious. "Oh Jayce honey, it is me, Lianna. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten me already?" She said, turning her lips into a pout.

Jayce frowned, feeling that something was definitely wrong. He didn’t believe for a second the words that were coming out of her mouth.

Seeing that her pout had not worked, she shrugged her shoulders, replying in a disdainful tone. "You men are all the same, always just looking for a place to put your co–"

She was suddenly cut off by the sound of rushing wind echoing throughout the cavern, startling her. Lianna saw that Jayce had already charged at her, wielding his Dagger, ready to strike. A disdainful smile appeared on her lips before she waved her arm, placing a shield in his direct path.

Jayce’s face did not falter, intending to break through the force field which stood in his way. He kept his gaze on the disdainful smile painted on the fairy-like woman’s face, waiting for the last moment to act.

Suddenly, the dark flames which had been spread throughout the whole cavern disappeared without warning. Lianna’s face fell, her earlier bravado escaping, only to be replaced by panic. In response, Jayce’s face turned up into a smile before he broke through the shield with ease.

The shield shattered like a pane of glass, sending resplendent light throughout the surroundings. His speed did not falter at all, bridging the gap between the two in a matter of moments, poised to strike.

He had deactivated his Domain skill, which shared his permanent and temporary buffs with his Faction members. Thus, Lianna, who was still a part of his Faction, stopped receiving the benefits, dropping her stats significantly.

Jayce’s dagger landed on its intended target, causing a screech of pain to come out of Lianna’s mouth, however there was no blood. With relative ease, he positioned himself behind Lianna, wrapping his legs around her and getting to work.

Using his dagger as leverage, he began to rip the vines which had firmly attached themselves to Lianna, digging into her soft skin like a leech. His overwhelming strength allowed him to not only subdue any resistance from her, but also rip the vines out like one would a band-aid.

The screeches echoed off the cavern walls, almost causing Jayce’s eyes to water as he continued removing what he could only assume was similar to a parasite that had taken hold of Lianna. They began to fall to the ground while continuing the struggle.

There was a sense of urgency in Jayce’s movements, resulting in him being rather rough with her body. Upon pulling out the vines around her chest, her green robe was torn, revealing her soft and supple skin for all to see.

That was not all, by the time they reached the ground he had already torn most of the front of the robe off, along with nearly all of the vines. In the next moment, they crashed into the cavern floor, sending dust flying into the air.

Falling at this height with his usual stats would have resulted in Jayce having the wind knocked out of his lungs, however he was fully powered up now, making not only his exterior tough, but also his internal organs. The impact felt similar to a slap on the back from Colin, slightly annoying.

While he was still attached to Lianna’s back, he suddenly felt the vines which were in his hands begin to struggle violently, the tendril-like body thrashing around in his hands. It was then that it began to slide up his arms like a snake, constricting itself around him.

The head of the vine lifted itself, turning sharp before plunging towards Jayce’s arms as if it wanted to enter his body and take control of him. However, the desired result did not happen. The head of the vine bent at an awkward angle upon its contact with his tough skin, causing it to let out a shriek of pain.

With that, the vine seemed to have understood that it was in deep shit. It began to weave around its body, changing its exterior from a bunch of vines into another being. The vine which Jayce had been holding morphed into the neck of the being, startling him slightly.

"P-Please, I didn’t come here to hurt anyone. Let me go, I can be your ally."

A pleasant voice rang out from the being in front of him. Its appearance was both beguiling and haunting. Her skin was like the bark of an ancient tree, with an ethereal luminescence that gave her an otherworldly aura. Verdant leaves adorned her head like a crown, cascading down her back in a tangle of vines. Her emerald eyes gleamed with a wild, untamed energy, and her body was slender, yet exuded a dangerous grace

Jayce frowned, feeling the words start to penetrate his mind. The plea sounded sincere and filled him with the urge to protect the beautiful being that was in his arms with all of his might. Yet in the next moment, a feeling of pure disgust rose up from within him.

The hand that was holding the creature tightly began to glow a fierce red, red hot mana flowed into his hand relentlessly, as if wanting to purge the parasite eternally. The being screamed loudly, but they were quickly cut off as she burst into bright flames, illuminating the cavern brightly.

[Time remaining 0:02 minutes]

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[Dinner Rush has been deactivated]

[Player is now in Exhausted status - Stats reduced to 20%]