Chef in the Apocalypse

Inside his modest tent, Jayce sat cross-legged on the ground, his brow furrowed in contemplation. The soft, flickering light of a candle cast elongated shadows upon the fabric walls, creating a sense of solitude that allowed him to focus.

The night was silent, save for the occasional distant hoot of a nocturnal creature or the gentle rustling of the wind through the nearby trees. It was a tranquil setting, conducive to deep thought.

He pulled up his status window, something he often did while alone.

Name: Jayce

Title: N/A

Class: Chef

Subclass: N/A

Level: 30 (MAX)

EXP: 2300/2300

Health 1350/1350

Mana: 610/610

Strength: 35 (+58)

Dexterity: 35 (+55)

Intelligence: 35 (+45)

Vitality: 35 (+68)

Luck: 206

Stat Points: 0

Skills:

Basic Cooking (lvl. 10)

Ingredient Analysis (lvl. 10)

Taste Enhancement (lvl. 10)

Nimble Fingers (passive)

Rallying Cry (lvl. 3)

Reroll (max)

VIP15 (max)

Executive Chef (passive)

Seeing that he was still stuck at level 30, Jayce couldn’t help but feel a hint of annoyance pulse through him. Despite trying to stay positive, it felt a little jarring having to look at it every time.

Thankfully he had still been making use of the VIP15 skill, allowing him to not remain stagnant while his other party members continued to grow stronger. Otherwise he would likely be forced to stay inside Bastion until he figured out how to complete the class upgrade quest.

Speaking of the quest, Jayce changed the window.

[Executive Chef class upgrade Quest (Main)]

Kill Boss Monsters: [3/3] ✓

Prepare and cook Boss Monster: [1/1] ✓

Recruit Staff: [50/100]

Prepare dishes: [2347/2000] ✓

Faction: Hell’s Kitchen

Leader: Let Me Cook

Vice Leader: Divine Shield

Faction Level: 1

Members: 50/50

Average level: 24

Jayce scratched his head in frustration. His initial timeline was to complete the class upgrade quest within a few weeks, after all he had completed the toughest portions, leaving only the easiest for last.

However no matter what he came up with, he had yet to figure out a way to level it up. It was a stifling feeling, he was so close to stepping through that critical junction, yet it was so far away.

Jayce’s mind was consumed by the pursuit of power and progress, not only for himself but for the rest of the world. Bastion had grown steadily since its inception, its residents having made good progress towards restoring the city. Yet, Jayce was well aware that the challenges ahead were daunting, and to truly ensure their survival and dominance, they all needed to get stronger.

His thoughts drifted to the supporters, whom he was able to contact through the system. Although he felt a little reluctant, it looked like he had no choice but to spam messages to each person in hopes that someone had managed to increase their faction level.

He inwardly hoped that the system did not have an automated spam protection function like the other social media sites that he used to use. Letting out an exasperated sigh, he began to message everyone on his supporters list.

Let Me Cook #1: Hi, do you have a level 2 faction yet?

NarutoLover #44: Nope

Cloud #97: Nah not yet, but I’ve got a spot for you in Avalanche if you’re interested?

PixieTrixy #88: Still level 1 hun.

FlameCaster #4: My Dante’s Inferno has reached level 2... Why?

Jayce’s eyes flashed open wide, seeing his last message. However, after seeing the name he let out a pained sigh. ’Why did it have to be that maniac?’ he complained inwardly.

Just to be safe, he waited to hear responses from more people. Yet after another hour of patiently waiting, the only responses he had gotten were negative. Letting out another sigh, he replied to FlameCaster.

Let Me Cook #1: Just wondering if you would be willing to share some information. I’m trying to get my faction to level 2.

FlameCaster #4: What’s in it for me?

Jayce scratched his head in annoyance, ’Damnit, I knew it wouldn’t be easy.’

Let Me Cook #1: What do you want?

FlameCaster #4: What can you give me?

Feeling a headache coming on, Jayce composed himself, utilizing every ounce of his patience. He had to think what would be enticing enough for the eccentric Inferno mage to be willing to part with such information.

From what he remembered, FlameCaster was located in India which was one of the worst struck by Cataclysm descending. Due to the huge population of India, the fatalities were too many to count. Dehli in particular due to its high density was left in a sad state of affairs.

He racked his brain, trying to remember any information that he could use to exchange. It was then that it hit him, some information that he was going to distribute to the supporters in the future anyway. His mouth morphed into a grin, finally feeling relieved of the headache that was still in its nascent stages.

Let Me Cook #1: What do you know about dungeons?

FlameCaster #4: I’m listening...

’Hehe. Don’t blame me for this. After all, you were the one of the overlords who had monopolized them in my previous life.’

Let Me Cook #1: Where are you located right now?

FlameCaster #4: 100km east of Delhi

Let Me Cook #1: Good. If you return to Delhi and travel north, you’ll come across a large crater with a stele in the middle. If you place your hand on it, the system will ask if you want to enter the Dungeon...

Let Me Cook #1: Just make sure that you have at least 20 people and plenty of AOE damage. If you don’t have a healer, make sure you have a lot of health potions, your Guardians will need it.

FlameCaster #4: ... How can I trust this information?

Let Me Cook #1: You can go see for yourself. We’ll be dealing with each other a lot in the future, so it’s in my best interest to be sincere.

FlameCaster #4: Ok. I’ll trust you this once. If you want to level up your Faction to level 2, you’ll need to kill 300 monsters with all of your faction members present. As for the prerequisites for level 3, you’ll know once you get to level 2.

Jayce blinked a few times, staring at the words in front of him. ’That’s it??’