Chef in the Apocalypse

The giant Mantis’s scythe slashed down upon Jayce with terrifying swiftness. Caught off guard, he failed to react in time. The searing pain that followed was indescribable as the slash carved a gruesome path from his left shoulder down to his waist. The wound wasn’t immediately fatal, but it unleashed a torrent of agony that coursed through his entire body.

As Jayce gritted his teeth against the pain, a barrage of arrows suddenly whizzed through the air, aiming for the monstrous Mantis. Only one arrow found its mark, while the others bounced harmlessly off its tough exoskeleton.

Jayce, despite the agony, seized the opportunity presented by the Mantis’s momentary distraction. His right hand clutched his dagger, and he struck with swift precision, targeting the joint where the monstrous arm transformed into a lethal scythe. The metallic shriek that ensued echoed in the forest as his dagger struck true.

The scythe remained attached, but it hung limply from the joint. Jayce’s strike had severed the tendons, rendering the Mantis’s arm momentarily useless. The creature screeched in agony, tearing the scythe off its own limb with brutal force, much like a crab shedding a limb.

This cacophony drew the attention of other nearby monsters, who began converging on the source of the commotion. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Aware of the growing threat, Jayce swiftly issued an order to retreat to Zane. He activated his Master of Stealth skill, slipping away from the melee with practiced stealth, his heart pounding from both the pain and the danger. However, the trail of blood he left behind painted a clear path for any pursuers, a crimson marker leading them directly to his escape route.

Jayce fled through the dense forest, each step sending searing pain coursing through his body as blood continued to ooze from his grievous wound. Despite the intense agony, he pushed himself to run faster, his adrenaline-fueled determination allowing him to keep moving.

His Master of Stealth skill could only be activated for 10 seconds at a time with a cooldown of 1 minute, which was enough for him to lose the monsters, at least initially. Yet, the trail of crimson droplets he left behind marked his passage like a gruesome breadcrumb trail.

In the distance, the anguished screeches and growls of the pursuing monsters grew closer, their numbers increasing. The scent of his blood had drawn them in like sharks to prey.

Meanwhile, Zane, following Jayce’s orders, remained hidden, perched atop a tree with his bow at the ready. He watched the approaching horde with steely resolve, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Jayce’s breaths were ragged, and his vision blurred from the blood loss, but he pushed himself to continue. The merciless pursuit of the relentless monsters never seemed to wane.

Just when it appeared that he might succumb to his injuries and the relentless chase, a rain of arrows suddenly descended upon the pursuing creatures. Zane’s precise shots found their marks, incapacitating several of the monsters and slowing their advance.

Thankfully, these monsters were not as tough as the Mantis they had faced earlier, allowing for Zane’s arrows to land effectively.

Jayce, though barely conscious, recognized the timely intervention. Renewed determination flooded through him as he summoned every last ounce of strength to break free from the chase. He took the time to produce a health potion, downing it in one gulp as he continued to run away.

Health potions had always been miraculous in the new world, people could recover from mortal injuries so long as their HP had not reached 0. The only thing they could not fix however, were missing limbs, that would require a healer with the correct skills and abilities.

The pain began to subside, bringing with it an itchy sensation. The wound began to close up, preventing the fresh blood from dripping onto the ground and revealing his escape trajectory. A lot of monsters also had a great sense of smell, yet thankfully the forest was already filled with the corpses of previous escapees.

He continued to run West through the forest, his eyes continuously scanning for dangers along the way. It wasn’t long until he found another group of monsters who were skulking around. Jayce grit his teeth, now was not the time to kill these monsters, despite the fury burning within his heart. He activated his Master of Stealth ability once more, turning invisible and going around them.

A few hours passed by, yet it felt like an eternity. By the time he reached the end of the forest, he felt exhausted and frustrated, but at least he had survived. Although he had not met up with Zane just yet, he was not worried. If there was anyone who could get out undiscovered, it was that man.

As if being summoned, Zane dropped down from one of the trees on the outskirts of the forest, his handsome face covered in sweat. He looked at Jayce, his eyes drifting to where the wound had once been, "You okay?"

Jayce nodded, "It’s fine now. We need to hurry back." he said, looking back at the forest with trepidation.

Zane frowned in the next moment, feeling a little uncomfortable. "L-Leader, I’m sorry I couldn’t stop the Mantis." he said in a small tone. "If my arrow hit the mark, we could have sa–"

Jayce lifted his hand, stopping Zane’s next words, "It’s not your fault. It all happened too quickly, I should have known it was a Boss monster when my Ingredient Analysis skill couldn’t see through its weaknesses." he replied matter-of-factly.

He then placed his hand on Zane’s shoulder, comforting him, "We did all we could with our meager abilities. Now let’s head back to Bastion, we need to prepare for the beast tide."

With that, he turned around and began to walk away, leaving Zane to stare at his back.

What he did not notice however, was that Jayce’s fist was clenched so tight that he had drawn blood, his nails digging into the flesh of his palm. His expression however, remained stoic as he walked, keeping his emotions within.