Chef in the Apocalypse

Colin soon returned, dragging a massive table with him, its size matching the magnitude of the upcoming feast. Jayce gave him a nod of approval and then promptly shooed him away, signaling that he needed some space to work his culinary magic. As Colin retreated with a grin, Jayce rubbed his hands together with anticipation.

Opening his inventory, he muttered to himself, "What better way to have a feast than a giant wolf on a spit?" A chuckle escaped his lips as he retrieved the enormous Alpha Bloodfang Wolf, all 5 meters of it. With a deft hand, he placed the impressive beast on the massive table before him.

His inherent skill, Ingredient Analysis, manifested without conscious thought, showing him the optimal way to prepare the massive wolf for consumption. Equipping his trusty sashimi knife, he marveled at the proficiency he had developed with it. This proficiency allowed him to deftly skin the wolf, separating the hide from the layers of fat with practiced ease.

By the time his task was complete, sweat dotted his brow, and a sense of accomplishment swelled within him. The alpha wolf’s pelt lay on the ground beside him, an impressive weight indicating the massive size of the creature. Though marred by their fierce encounter, the rest of the pelt was in impeccable condition, its potential for crafting leather armor or coats not lost on him. He stowed it away in his inventory for future use.

With the skinning complete, it was time to prepare the wolf for roasting on the spit that was currently under construction. Though he had not cooked wolf meat often, his ingredient analysis skill informed him that its flavor profile was most akin to pork. Therefore, he decided to keep the seasoning simple.

After gutting the wolf completely, he opted for a blend of salt, garlic powder, and thyme, Jayce wiped the sweat from his brow with a tea towel and set to work, rubbing the seasoning onto the meat with practiced hands.

Not long after, Dion returned with the large makeshift spit and almost fell over after seeing the gigantic wolf upon the table. "W-What is that?" he stammered, pointing in horror.

"Ah, it’s just one of the wolves we took down on the way here." Jayce replied nonchalantly.

However, it was not enough to fool Dion. He had seen the notification that was sent out to all the other supporters when Jayce had slain the Alpha Bloodfang Wolf Boss, therefore he had an inkling. A light of respect shone in his eyes, not only for the feat of slaying the wolf, but by also agreeing to share it with him and the people of this town.

The workers however did not have the same knowledge as Dion, therefore their eyes held a little fear when looking at the smiling chef behind the massive corpse. After placing down the newly made spit, they quickly left the scene.

"Is there anything else you need from me?" Dion asked politely.

Jayce nodded, motioning to the large wolf on the table, "I need to get this guy on the spit rod."

Dion gulped, although he did not shy away from gory things due to his current position, there was something unsettling about shoving a large pike into the rear end of an animal and out of its mouth, especially one this size.

Ignoring the reaction of Dion, Jayce called out to Colin who was in the process of whispering sweet nothings into his wife’s ear. "Ah, coming leader." he replied, giving Jackie a pat on the rear end before coming to join the two men.

Unlike Dion, Colin had no qualms spearheading the operation. Firmly grasping the spit rod, he used his overwhelming strength to create a path with ease, making the operation look simple, albeit painful. Thankfully the Alpha Wolf was long dead, though if its soul was still here to witness the deed, they may have heard howls of pain haunting them at night.

The trio placed the wolf above the now burning flame, Jayce then motioned for Colin to leave with a gesture, leaving Dion and Jayce the only ones remaining. Silence stretched out for a while as the two watched the wolf begin to get licked by the tongues of fire.

"Dion. What do you think of this new world?" Jayce asked in a small voice.

Despite the tone in which they were said, Dion knew that this enigmatic Chef was testing him. He suddenly began to feel nervous, his usual stoic face showing a bit of discomfort.

In the next moment, he let out a sigh, "It feels like we’ve returned to ancient times where humanity is no longer the apex predator. Yet unlike in those times, humanity is weak and not united so we’re at a disadvantage." Dion shook his head before adding, "Hell, we may not even survive."

Jayce listened to the man, nodding in response. To someone who had lived for 10 years in the apocalypse before regressing this was an apt description, he suddenly gained a newfound respect for the stoic Paladin.

"Your words are true and cut right to the heart of the matter. For us to survive, we must band together and fight for our world." Jayce replied matter-of-factly.

From these words, Dion could detect an overwhelming sense of purpose and determination. For the most part, this had cleared any doubt that he had of Jayce’s motives for coming to the city in the first place, so he began to subconsciously let down his guard.

A wry smile appeared on Dion’s dark lips as he replied, "How can we band together? All of Earth’s technology has been destroyed, we cannot contact anyone. It’s like we’ve been forced into the Dark Ages on purpose."

"Yes, technology no longer works. But did you forget how we came into contact with each other?" Jayce responded, gazing at the swarthy man with a smirk.

"But we can only talk to other supporters with the system messaging facility."

"Bingo. We need to rally the supporters and band together. We cannot afford to be weak, the fate of humanity is on our shoulders. If we somehow fail a World Quest, that will be the end of us all."

Jayces words were like bombs exploding in his mind, causing Dion’s vision to blur for a moment. Rubick had once referred to them as the "Heroes of Humanity". While it had sounded sarcastic at the time, it could very well be that it was said with disdain rather than as a joke.

Dion’s mind whirred, suddenly his grand idea of creating a safe city sounded pale in comparison to Jayce’s grand ideology. He turned his gaze to the man who looked young enough to still be in school and peered into his clear blue eyes.

In the next moment he almost recoiled. Was it his imagination, or an illusion? For a moment it felt like the eyes that were staring back at him were that of a seasoned veteran, a person who had lived and died on the battlefield their whole lives.