The Military Chef of a Ruined World

As the submerged city was freed, thousands of awakened individuals were unleashed back into the world. However, a looming crisis awaited them.

While there were thousands of capable fighters, the food supply was alarmingly scarce. If the situation deteriorated, it would be no surprise to see waves of desperate robbers emerging.

Thud!

“I’ve brought the monster corpses you mentioned.”

What used to be a typical commercial building was now enveloped in a formidable gray barrier, reminiscent of steel. The atmosphere reeked of military presence.

“The Steel Legion… they really live up to their name,” he thought, surveying the surroundings with skepticism. “You promised food in exchange for these corpses, didn’t you? I came here knowing I might be tricked, but honestly, it’s hard to believe. If this is a scam—”

“Let’s see… Yes. Confirmed. Please sign your name here and come back in two to three days,” the soldier replied, unimpressed.

“…Hmph.” The man reluctantly signed, half-listening to the soldier’s assurances. After all, those monster corpses were practically worthless to him. Even if it turned out to be a scam, he had nothing to lose. With a lingering sense of unease, he turned to leave.

Days later…

Thud. The bag he brought was half-filled with jerky. Upon seeing it, he frowned. “I brought several monster corpses; is this all there is?”

“I told you the commission is 80%, didn’t I?”

“Eighty percent…?”

The soldier’s laugh was derisive. “Trust me, 80% is a steal.”

The man’s expression soured. This was a ludicrous cut for what they were handing over.

“Is this acceptable for soldiers to profit so excessively?”

“Anything I say now will probably sound sarcastic to you. But once you try it, you’ll understand,” the soldier smirked, crossing his arms.

How much effort had been expended to hunt those monsters? The man shook his head, grumbling under his breath. ‘Being weak is a crime.’

As he stepped away, he felt bitterness linger in his throat. At least he had food now.

“Okay, I’ve got jerky,” he said to himself, pulling out a piece and taking a hearty bite.

In that moment…

“…Huh?”

Surprise washed over him. The moment the meat hit his tongue, it melted like butter. Each bite burst with juicy flavor.

“This is delicious,” he mumbled, completely taken aback. He had tasted high-end jerky before, but this was on another level.

“What’s going on? Am I just hungry…? No, the flavor is extraordinary.”

He quickly devoured the remaining jerky, savoring every morsel.

Then something strange happened.

‘My body feels lighter.’

It was more than just relief from hunger.

He opened his status window, and to his astonishment, saw his stats had received a boost.

The man recalled getting minor buffs from an awakened priest previously, but nothing compared to this.

“Compared to that buff, this is on a whole different level!” he exclaimed, his excitement building.

The surge in his abilities was invigorating. Although it was temporary, his combat potential nearly doubled from that simple meal.

Suddenly, everything clicked into place. ‘If the combat rations provide this level of boost, hunting monsters will be a lot easier with them.’

An 80% commission now felt trivial. In fact, he felt they owed the soldiers something for helping them so much.

“Haha… Those soldiers are pretty decent folk after all.”

Looking at the bag, filled to the brim with jerky, he couldn’t help but smile.

Recently, my routine had expanded to include mass-producing combat rations.

‘In the past, creating a single batch took ages.’

But now, thanks to the [Talent: Large Scale Cooking] ability, things had changed dramatically.

[Significant Increase in Cooking Speed]

Preparing jerky from a single monster was almost instantaneous, and while drying the meat took a couple of days, it was manageable.

[Combat rations are complete]

[You have acquired Experience Points]

Earning experience for such minor efforts was fantastic.

“Food is piling up,” I said, surveying the storage room filled with supplies.

At that moment, a soldier managing the food supply approached.

“Sergeant Shin.”

“Yeah?”

The soldier scratched his head, looking troubled. “I’ve finished processing the materials you brought, but… some people are insisting that they can’t wait a few more days for their food.”

“How difficult can waiting be?”

Honestly, I found it a bit ridiculous. They could have easily handled this with another soldier’s help. Despite their combat skills improving, many still acted like amateurs in administrative tasks.

I intended to provide proper guidance when…

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