Chef in the Apocalypse

After discussing a few strategies together, it became apparent that Jayce, Kane and Dion were all exhausted. Jayce had yet to sleep in the past 5 days, which meant his reserves were running on empty, despite having a stronger constitution.

Kane was not much better off, having stayed up for 3 days straight, setting up the Ballistae and traps out front of Bastion. Dion had been a hands-on leader, ensuring that the City Walls were being built efficiently without sacrificing quality.

Jayce was the first to leave the office, if he were not so tired he probably would have suggested they hold a city meeting. However he decided to leave that to tomorrow, wanting nothing more than to have a warm bath and fall into the embrace of a comfy bed.

As he walked around the corner, he caught sight of Lianna who was chatting with some girls around her age. The setting sun casting an orange glow upon her white complexion, giving her an exotic air. Jayce cursed inwardly, smelling the stale sweat and grime that had accumulated after so long in the jungle.

He looked around, trying to find a way to sneak past, there was no way he wanted to meet her at this moment. He was actually surprised that Jackie had not retched after embracing him earlier.

Thankfully she had her back turned towards him, giving him an opportunity to slip by. At least that was the case, until she turned her head suddenly as if an invisible wind had attracted her. Yet as she turned, she saw nothing.

"What is that smell?" Lianna pinched her nose, gazing in the direction the stench had assaulted her from. As if right rehearsed, all of her friends did the same, cursing and spluttering thanks to the assault on their senses.

Jayce, who had used his Master of Stealth ability from the Bloodfang dagger, wanted to cry but had no tears to shed. ’It’s not my fault!’ he groaned inwardly, feeling embarrassed. Due to the 10 second limit of the ability, he quickly slinked away so as not to be discovered.

After a minute or two, Jayce finally made it to his quarters. Stripping off, he considered burning his trademark Chef Equipment, yet quickly decided against it. The boosts that it gave to preparing food were not to be underestimated.

Leaving them aside for now, he was thankful to see that the bath was filled with clean water, in fact it also felt a little warm. His thoughts moved to Jackie, it was probably her that organized the bath while he was in discussions with Dion and Kane.

"Ah, such a thoughtful person." he muttered aloud, dipping his hand into the warm water. "Is this what it’s like having a wife? Colin you lucky bastard." Jayce thought aloud, stepping into the bath and dunking his head.

The first thing he did was grab the soap bar and vigorously scrub all of the sweat and grime that had accumulated over the past week, enjoying the sweet fragrance that it emitted. After ensuring that he was finally clean, he inspected the water that had now turned a browny black color with a look of disgust.

"Damn it." he muttered, disappointed that he could not soak in the bath for just a bit longer. With a sigh, he pulled the plug and made his way out of the bath. Jayce’s body had changed drastically over the past few months, in small part due to his work ethic, but in large part thanks to his attributes.

The once sallow skin now seemed full of life, glistening over the taut muscles that were coiling from beneath. Jayce had always had a wiry frame as a boy, it wasn’t until he began to swing a sword that his shoulders began to increase in size, filling out his chest and making him look imposing.

Of course he was referring to before his regression, where all he did was swing a sword for 10 years. Yet this time, it was as if his body had matured early, filling out in all the right places. If he had to guess the reason why, it would probably be the abundance of nutrition that his body had been consuming thanks to his cooking abilities.

Not only did his cooking skill allow him to receive stat boosts, his Taste Enhancement skill also increased the taste and nutritional value of all the dishes that he cooked. This was invaluable, especially during the beginning of the Apocalypse where food would become a scarcity.

He grabbed a towel and wiped himself down, taking a moment to look at himself in the mirror. He was still not used to the young face that stared back at him, however he could recognize the clear blue eyes. Despite his current youth, the eyes that stared back at him held a deep maturity, looking fierce and determined.

"I will stop this Beast Tide no matter what." He declared in a resolute tone, leaving no room for argument.

Having now cleaned himself up, the fatigue that had built up over the past 5 days began to sink its claws into his psyche. His eyes became heavy as he searched for some clothes to put on before bed. Eventually he settled on some briefs before climbing into the soft bed, leaving his dirty chef gear in the bathroom.

Within moments there were soft snores coming from the bedroom, filling the room with a sense of comfort and vulnerability.

***

The next morning, Jayce awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside of his window. He stretched his tight muscles and let out a satisfied groan, feeling well rested after sleeping in a soft bed all night.

He reluctantly got out of bed, searching for some clothes to put on before remembering that he had left his dirty Chef gear in the bathroom the night before. "Ah, damnit." he cursed inwardly, the things had probably grown some mold overnight based on how much they stank.

With trepidation, he opened the bathroom door, expecting to see visible stench within the air above his dirty clothes. However, what greeted him was a pristine bathroom that had been thoroughly cleaned, with no evidence of his scrubbing affair last night.

Jayce tilted his head in question, unsure of what had happened. As his eyes moved towards the window, he saw his Chef attire hanging up neatly to dry, in pristine condition.

"Huh? Did I wake up with a wife or something?" Jayce questioned with a bizarre look.