Trash in the Apocalypse

Mia Logro learned that different types of food have different types of effects. Any kind of pre-apocalypse food provides satiety increase and energy recovery buff after undergoing a chef's hand.

The person who was cooking the food matters! Chef and experts have a higher chance to "enchant" the food with recovery buffs depending on the level of their skill.

Also, post-apocalypse food has an additional stat increase effect together with the recovery buff.

Upon further studies, each type of food can only stack twice before losing effectiveness. Additional consumption of that type of food would only refresh the buff timer.

For example, Jun already ate a steamed crab and a fried milkfish. If he ate another seafood, he won't receive another buff and would only have their duration refreshed. If he wanted to increase the efficacy of the buff, he needs to eat a different type of food.

All the food we eat can be divided into basic categories. The seven food categories are (1) Vegetables, (2) Fruits, (3) Grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, (4) Meat and poultry, (5) Fish and seafood, (6) Dairy foods, (7) Eggs.

Jun already ate fish and seafood. Among the dishes on the table, he could find five food categories except for the dairy foods, which is the hardest type of food to get considering the current circumstances. Hopefully, they could find living cows, or sheep, in the future.

Everyone who was eating at the banquet were shocked. Only Marvin, who has knowledge about Mia Logro's cooking, remained calm.

Mia Logro felt exhilarated watching Jun eat everything served before him. Stir-fried vegetables, sliced fruits, rice, barbecued pork, marinated chicken, and a finely cooked sunny side up egg.

Jun got a massive boost with his energy recovery together with free temporary stats that lasts the same time. However, the free stats would not get refreshed unless he ate another post-apocalypse food with the same effect.

Jun drank water and felt slightly disappointed. He was expecting something to happen, but the water was just regular water. He was reminded of Mike's lemonade and wished for one right now. 

"That was such a satisfying meal that I ate everything. I apologize for that. You prepared everything here?" Jun asked Mia Logro with a satisfied expression.

"I did most of them, but the small tasks were done by my apprentices." Mia Logro replied feeling appreciated. Although he wanted to claim the credit for himself, his humane instincts kicked in reminding him of how he got this far in the apocalypse.

"How did you do this?" Jun casually asked, filled with interest.

Mia Logro didn't think for a second and immediately answered him. His life was saved by him and even supported him in his hard times.

The old man thought it was Jun's idea to hire them as the town management's private kitchen, but it was entirely Marvin's idea. After tasting Mia Logro's cooking, he longed for it every day, resulting in the catering crew getting hired. Unfortunately, Marvin didn't know about Mia Logro's reverence to Jun and the two worked together in misinterpretation.

There were hundreds of people cooking their own food. However, Jun never hear of a mystical restaurant that offers additional food effects when you at their place.

The secret wasn't really a secret. It was such a common knowledge that people tend to overlook it.

One must have the profession of a chef or a cook for them to get a bonus food effect. Additionally, the individual must acquire the cooking skill, obtained after toiling hard and perfecting several dishes from the seven food category.

Everyone can cook, but not everyone can cook good food.

Housewives are a great example of this.

They can cook a lot of variety of dishes using a limited amount of ingredients. However, the quality wouldn't be guaranteed even if they paid more attention while cooking. Unless they studied culinary skills, chopping and serving would have slight differences than professionals.

Mia Logro's apprentice was mostly cooks. A group of apprentices who perfected less than four dishes from the food category. The easiest category were; grains, which can be perfected by cooking rice, together with vegetables and fruits.

Vegetables needed to be cooked at the right temperature and placed on a plate at the right time. If it was overcooked or has too much oil, the dish would be considered average.

Fruits on the other hand were the easiest ones. Just make sure to cut them cleanly and present on a platter. A good example was apples and mangoes, they can be easily cut and presented. Unfortunately, the stocked ingredients were about to run dry.

After understanding Mia Logro's way of thinking, Jun became dumbfounded. He realized that he must think simpler for some things to work, He was reminded of his cousin's suggestion about catching the lake fishes with fishing nets. 

The world change, but it didn't change the way how things work! 

At this time, his mind wondered why Mike never got any bonus food effects. It didn't take him long to realize the problem. 

Instead of calling Mike a chef, Mike can be considered a butcher. The man only likes cutting and butchering things. He probably had the basic skills for cooking but hasn't achieved perfection.

Then this train of thought begs the question; why?

How was Mike able to produce lemonades that give almost the same buffs?

With his curiosity piqued, Jun brought two energy fruits and handed them to Mia Logro. "Please make lemonades with these. A friend of mine made lemonades and they're quite magical. I hope you can use this and use cooking once again."

Mia Logro stared wide-eyed at the fruits displayed in front of him. He recognizes the energy fruits and knows of their corresponding function. He wanted to buy one when he was at Black Haven but he couldn't find it anywhere in the market. He also learned the ways to find it but doesn't have enough credit points nor agent points to buy the fruit.

With trembling hands, he extended his hands and accepted the energy fruits. "I'll do my best." 

After receiving two energy fruits, Mia Logro wasted no time and run back to the kitchen. He calmy juiced the energy fruits and mixed them with water. He learned that the fruit doesn't need any sweeteners. It was already sweet on its own!

With two fruits, he was able to make two liters of lemonade. He brought one pitcher to Jun while the other would be given to the guests. 

Jun only drank one glass since he already knew that drinking more wouldn't give him any more results. He gave his pitcher away and it got around so that everyone could have a drink.

The only difference was the additional satiety and energy recovery the energy lemonade gave.

While everyone was getting merry, Jun's expression twisted up.

A worrying notification appeared in front of him. He had been expecting it to come, but it should have happened tomorrow.

[First Wave will come in 5:00]

—

In a place surrounded by darkness, a pair of furious eyes stared forward. Nothing could be seen in front of him except for the Mandatory Monthly Siege that lords with territory must resist.

After escaping Jun's spiritual realm, his consciousness returned back to this dark place. He's been trapped in the darkness for hundreds of thousands of years.

The only time he could escape from here was when he's possessing other people. Every time he goes out, he wanted to enjoy his time. It was also the reason why he favors certain groups of people to cause havoc and harm.

If everything was peaceful, he would get bored again! And he doesn't like that feeling!

One could say he has turned crazy from loneliness and was doing things for fun. Whether it was the truth or not, only Yetu knows.

For someone who came from the Origin Era, After waking up from a deep slumber, he found out that everything that surrounded him was new and fragile. The living beings were weak and couldn't control energy, they were weak beyond compare and couldn't even fly!

Unfortunately, he was still sealed and couldn't get out. He doesn't know what the reason for his awakening, but it must be something related to what these humans have done. 

He also discovered that these humans liked to play games, especially on small square things called computers. To entertain himself, he performed a global corruption skill and allowed everyone to play his game. He set up the theme with the Era of Dark Ages that he liked when he was still a young man.

A world that was full of chaos and a place where only the strong could survive. Unfortunately, he didn't expect the skill to eat every last bit of his energy, making him incapacitated for some time. 

In games, it would be the downloading and uploading period. It was also the time when humans received the system, causing the splitting headaches that caused the corruption to become active after they die.

When Yetu woke up, he found out that every time his energy recovers slightly, it would get used up. He had to meditate just to equalize the consumption.

Yetu had billions of energy, however, he could only meditate to keep himself alive. Later on, things stabilized as humans started to die. The energy used was returned in small packets while the stress on himself got lighter. As more people died, Yetu had an easier time managing his energy.

Yetu glared at his screen. It was an area map of a certain town. The four general directions were filled with regular and evolved carriers that would come in waves. The wave cycle would still proceed clockwise starting from the west.

After waiting for a million of energy to recuperate, he set the final wave as a mid-tier muscle head and continued with his approach.

"Let's see if you can survive this! I ignored you for a while and now you think you can step over me! B*stard!" Yetu scoffed, then chuckled.

Then he chuckled some more.

Then started laughing maniacally.

"Hahaha!"