Chef in the Apocalypse

The party passed the remaining hours of the day in their campsite, capitalizing on the safety provided by their noise traps. They relished the taste of roasted wolf meat, a delicacy Jayce was familiar with thanks to his Ingredient Analysis skill. As the evening approached, Jayce retreated into his own tent, the canvas walls offering a semblance of privacy to collect his thoughts.

The past 24 hours had been a tumultuous whirlwind of adventure, carrying him from the abyss of despair to the brink of defeat, only to ultimately emerge victorious alongside his loyal comrades. Yet, the cryptic journey into that otherworldly place orchestrated by Rubick lingered heavily in his mind.

The contents of their conversation with Rubick were deeply disconcerting, forcing Jayce to reassess everything he thought he knew about the enigmatic entity. It was unnerving to witness Rubick’s genuine anger and distress when he broached the topic of the other supporters progress towards the World Quest, resorting to violence and torture as expressions of his frustration.

Jayce pondered his own actions and decisions over the past month or so, weighing the potential consequences of different choices. He acknowledged that he could have likely completed the quest more swiftly had he acted with greater disregard for safety, yet due to his concern about the well-being of the shelter’s residents, he had delayed for an additional week before setting off.

As he reflected, he remembered that the other 99 supporters had not even dispatched 50 goblins yet. This revelation left him feeling disheartened and anxious for humanity’s future. He questioned whether this had happened in his previous life, and if so, how humanity had managed to endure until the 10th World Quest.

An expression of disappointment played across his features. He resolved to engage with other supporters in the future, ensuring they were on the right path. They were all humans, united in their fight for survival in this unfamiliar world.

His thoughts, however, soon shifted to another unsettling aspect of Rubick’s revelation: the revelation that he and his colleagues had monitored Jayce’s every movement from the very beginning. Every battle, every interaction, every decision he had made had been under constant surveillance. This realization left him with a furrowed brow and a growing sense of unease.

In the midst of these unsettling revelations, a glimmer of hope shone through. Jayce realized that Rubick remained unaware of his regression, granting him a significant edge in this new world. Despite lacking any knowledge of Rubick and the other supporters from his previous life, he retained his accumulated battle experience and insights into future events.

A sense of relief swept over him, knowing he held this clandestine advantage. He had refrained from divulging any of this information to his companions, wisely keeping it hidden within himself. He was now acutely aware that if Rubick or his enigmatic colleagues had become privy to such a unique variable, they would have been eager to eliminate it from their carefully laid plans.

Resting against his pillow within the confines of his tent, Jayce stared upward at the canvas ceiling, deep in contemplation. Another aspect of their conversation had piqued his curiosity: Rubick’s cryptic mention that no one had completed their first World Quest in under a month since... since when? A mystery hung over those words.

He began to speculate about the possibility of Earth having faced multiple Apocalypses. After all, historical records spoke of the dark ages, a time when civilization’s history remained shrouded in uncertainty. Could this not have been due to a past occurrence of this world-altering event? Or perhaps Earth was not the only planet to have suffered an Apocalypse?

Jayce’s thoughts danced through various scenarios, entwining his mind in a web of uncertainty. While Earth’s technological capabilities might not allow for long-distance space travel, the same might not hold true for other advanced civilizations.

The notion of Earth having witnessed more than one Apocalypse opened the door to a future where this calamity could be averted, and life might return to a semblance of normalcy. However, he held back from embracing this theory wholeheartedly. The absence of concrete information left him with more questions than answers.

As his mind grappled with these questions, Jayce recognized the futility of making firm conclusions without a more comprehensive understanding. He decided to let these thoughts simmer, realizing that opportunities to glean further insight from Rubick would present themselves in due time. Until then, he resolved to navigate the World Quests alongside his loyal party, safeguarding humanity’s fate unbeknownst to anyone but those who bore the title of supporter.

Now that he had organized his thoughts, he decided it was time to check his status and notifications that he had not had a chance to look at.

Name: Jayce

Title: N/A

Class: Chef

Subclass: N/A

Level: 30 (MAX)

EXP: 2300/2300

Health 1050/1050

Mana: 420/420

Strength: 35 (+28)

Dexterity: 35 (+23)

Intelligence: 35 (+18)

Vitality: 35 (+39)

Luck: 157

Stat Points: 49

Skills:

Basic Cooking (lvl. 6)

Ingredient Analysis (lvl. 6)

Taste Enhancement (lvl. 6)

Rallying Cry (lvl. 1) - This cry inspires allies, granting a significant boost of 10% to all their stats for a duration of 10 minutes

Nimble Fingers (passive)

VIP15 (max)

Executive Chef (passive):

Jayce read through his stats and skills with satisfaction. Prior to entering the fray with Jackie’s Goblin Staff, he had thrown his remaining stat points into luck to give him the best chance of activating the Berserk status on the wolves.

To be honest, he wasn’t even sure if the ability could be triggered by using melee attacks, however his bet had paid off, becoming the catalyst for their triumph.

Seeing that his level was capped, Jayce smiled wryly. This had been the source of his anxiety over the past couple of weeks, now seeing it become a reality he should probably feel devastated. However, that was before he found out his Class upgrade prerequisite from Rubick.

Remembering the savage look in his eyes after he asked the question, Jayce shuddered a little. Perhaps by asking the question, he had given away the fact that he had some knowledge about the new world, but ultimately he did not care.

He would rather ask the question than be stuck bumbling around for the next few months, unable to grow any stronger. Plus, Rubick himself had said that he would answer a question as a reward for finishing the World Quest so quickly, so he could not punish him for that reason alone.

Which brought his mind to his next point of business: The World Quest reward...