The Military Chef of a Ruined World

After returning from my conversation with Jeong Soo-ah, I opened the refrigerator to prepare dinner when this sudden message appeared before me.

“What on earth is this?”

A completely unexpected notification.

In a flurry, I opened the status panel.

[Divine Power: 1]

A brand new stat has emerged.

Divine Power.

‘Must be due to eating the Pope’s flesh.’

When I prepared the dish using the Pope’s flesh, there was mention of some effect being applied.

Now it seemed some elusive condition had indeed been fulfilled.

Based on the explanations, it seemed similar to a divine stat…

I decided to ask the guild’s priest, a fellow Awakened.

“Divine Power…? Ah, you mean Divine Strength. Yes, of course, I have that. My Divine Strength exceeds 30…”

“Not that, just Divine Power.”

“Well, that’s not something I’ve ever heard of.”

It was surprising that even the priest didn’t recognize this stat.

While I might have obtained traits or skills, receiving an entirely new stat was a first and thoroughly bewildering.

I hoped it was not something bad.

‘Just like my regenerative ability. This mysterious stat as well.’

Recently, I felt a growing acceleration in my development.

It brought back memories of the early days of awakening.

“Who’s stronger, an Awakened or a soldier with a gun?”

The conclusion back then was, unsurprisingly, the soldier with the firearm.

Even if one was an Awakened, getting shot was fatal all the same.

However, as time passed, conversations along those lines added a new caveat.

“At least for now.”

Someday, it felt plausible that an Awakened could defeat a gun-wielding soldier in hand-to-hand combat.

With the regenerative abilities that I possess, perhaps this hypothesis could hold water.

Lately, I often pondered whether I have crossed over from the realm of ordinary humans.

“Well, perhaps it doesn’t really matter.”

Thus far, I have survived against the odds.

Various abilities have extended my life.

That in itself was what mattered.

‘This stat will surely come in handy someday.’

The days that followed were marked by a similar routine.

Today, I reached into the shadows to retrieve ingredients for the unit’s meals.

Suddenly—

“Your Lordship’s benefactor!”

A vampire, busy moving things inside, spoke out.

It was unusual for those typically obedient to suddenly address him directly.

Curious, I decided to listen.

“Carrots, cabbages, leeks, garlic—everything is nearly gone.”

“Ah.”

“Not to mention, the oil is almost depleted as well, though we still have a decent amount of potatoes.”

The words seemed too realistic, coming from a vampire.

The refrigerator’s vegetable bin was emptying fast.

Back when we left the ammunition battalion, we had stocked up so much that it seemed there would be excess abundance.

And if I use the [Five Loaves and Two Fish], it could sustain the unit for years.

‘[Five Loaves and Two Fish]’ is a skill that utilizes magic…

When preparing meals, I have deliberately avoided using this skill as it takes a huge troll on magic power.

“Vegetables are already running low?”

While there was an abundance of meat brought by the city’s Awakened members, the vegetable quality…

‘Compared to the meat… the quantity of the vegetables is just lacking.’

The vegetables were coming from an Awakened farmer near the village by the ammunition battalion.

He sent only the freshest produce from his yield.

In fact, they were incredibly fresh compared to the subpar vegetables that I used to receive back in the days when I was an ordinary cook.

The issue was…

[Ground Meat of Hauwan Honmar]

[This is the front leg meat of Hauwan Honmar, which exerts great power through its forelimbs.]

Monster meats inherently contained magical energy, so cooking them resulted in statements suggesting that “the magical energy contained in the dishes seeps into your body.”

They exhibited effects incomparable to standard beef or pork.

But vegetables…

“While they are fresh, compared to the meat, it’s just not the same.”

As my cooking skills improved, I began to notice the limitations of ordinary vegetables more and more.

“Still, I can’t just serve no greens.”

I resolved to make a trip to Inje-gun soon to replenish the supply of vegetables.

While considering all this, I suddenly received a message.

[Seamstress: Excuse me, Commander?]

Was there something important?

A message came in from his dear confidante.

The ammunition battalion in Inje-gun had stabilized to a certain extent.

One of her tasks was managing the area and recruiting people into the unit: it was none other than the talented Seamstress, Lee Sang-ah.

She had been magnificently managing the base since they established it.

Thanks to the stable home base, the expeditionary force could devote ample time to dungeon exploration.

Furthermore, it had played a critical role in planning their settlement in Chuncheon… However…

[Seamstress: … I think we’re in need of a bit of assistance.]