Chef in the Apocalypse

Chapter 9: You want me to Cook?

Jayce recognized some of the people from his previous life. The guardian who had answered the door was named Colin, he was the owner of the club and had single-handedly saved most of the people that were present in the club.

He was the one who had found him after a harrowing night of survival on the streets and guided him to the makeshift sanctuary previously. Jayce gazed over at Colin with a look of gratitude, he never thought he would see this man once more.

Unfortunately, he gave up his life to evacuate the survivors when…

There was no point in thinking about that now, Jayce's face lit up with determination. He would not let history repeat itself, losing a good man who did not deserve to die.

As they settled into seats to catch their breath, a middle-aged woman approached them. Her gentle blue eyes and shoulder-length brown hair marked her as Jackie, Colin's wife. She wore a flowing blue robe, signifying her class as an Ice Mage. Jayce remembered her well—kind-hearted and always ready to lend a helping hand.

"Hi, I'm Jackie. Are you two okay?" Jackie's voice carried genuine concern.

Jayce nodded, his gaze filled with appreciation. "I'm Jayce, and this is Lianna. We're alright. Thankfully, we only had to face one Goblin."

Jackie's face turned pale, her eyes widening in disbelief. "A Goblin? You fought one of those creatures?"

Her voice carried enough volume to catch the attention of those nearby. Suddenly, all eyes were on Jayce, the weight of their scrutiny making him flush with embarrassment.

Colin, drawn by his wife's alarmed tone, approached the group. Despite his imposing stature, Jayce knew him to be a man of kindness and compassion.

With a deep voice laced with doubt, Colin asked, "You mentioned fighting a Goblin?"

Before Jayce could respond, Lianna, who had been silent until now, found her voice. Her timid nature seemingly forgotten, she spoke up in Jayce's defense. "Yes, he did. I saw it with my own eyes. Jayce slew a Goblin with a Sashimi knife."

Gasps and whispers filled the room at Lianna's revelation. While most had only heard of the Goblins' might from Colin and others, few had witnessed the creatures firsthand.

Jayce looked at Lianna with surprise, a smile of gratitude tugging at his lips. Her unexpected support bolstered his spirit. "It was luck. I'm truly not that strong," he humbly admitted.

Colin shook his head, his expression filled with curiosity. "Luck alone would not be enough to kill one of those creatures. What is your class?"

A sour taste settled in Jayce's mouth as he hesitated. The truth of his assigned class left a bitter aftertaste. "Chef," he responded, his voice tinged with disappointment. "I didn't get to choose my class. It was assigned to me."

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence, the air heavy with skepticism and confusion. Murmurs rippled through the survivors as they exchanged puzzled glances. Doubt hung in the air like a heavy fog.

Colin cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Ahem, that's fine. It might even work in our favor. Would you be able to prepare a meal for everyone here?" he asked, his voice tinged with a glimmer of hope.

Jayce's eyes widened at the unexpected request, a mix of nervousness and determination settling within him. "Ah, sure, I can give it a try," he replied, his voice laced with newfound confidence.

His mind raced with thoughts. Though his previous attempts at cooking had been less than successful, he reminded himself that he was a chef by class, and chefs knew how to cook. Taking a deep breath, he offered himself a self-assured pep talk.

Gratitude shone in Colin's eyes as he directed Jayce to the kitchen, leaving Jackie to attend to Lianna. Jayce stepped into the culinary domain, his gaze sweeping over the array of cooking apparatuses that greeted him. Some were unfamiliar, their purpose shrouded in mystery, and a sense of unease washed over him.

"There is no electricity, so you'll have to cook with gas. That shouldn't be a problem, right?" Colin's voice carried a hint of reassurance, echoing Jayce's own silent relief.

'Ah, thank goodness,' Jayce thought to himself, the absence of electricity simplifying his task. With a stove at his disposal, he felt a glimmer of confidence rekindle within him. Cooking on gas should be manageable... or so he hoped.

"Let me know if you need anything else," Colin offered with a warm smile, his presence radiating support, before exiting the room.

Before he started, he wanted to check out his status since gaining a level. With a thought he brought up his status window.

Name: Jayce

Title: N/A

Class: Chef

Subclass: N/A

Level: 2

EXP: 0/200

Health 70/120

Mana: 60/60

Strength: 3

Dexterity: 3

Intelligence: 2

Vitality: 4

Luck: 20

Stat Points: 7

'Not too bad.' he thought with a small smile. When he was a Swordsman, he would be given 5 additional stat points to assign per level, yet now he had 7!

While this didn't seem like much, it would add up over time. It may even be enough to bridge the gap in starting stats and lack of combat skills if he was prudent enough.

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