The Military Chef of a Ruined World

“Actually… since you’ve arrived, there’s something I must tell you.”

He leaned closer, with a serious tone.

“That jungle isn’t just any ordinary jungle.”

“Well, that’s evident just by looking at it.”

“No, it’s more than it seems!”

I was puzzled about what he meant.

“It’s telling me as a [Novice Farmer] that there are things growing inside that could ignite the very soul of a farmer!”

…That was interesting.

“Sounds tantalizing.”

“Careful!”

One of my soldiers leaned a bit too far toward the jungle.

Suddenly, a rustling sound erupted.

“Woah!”

The roots that had been encroaching began to move quickly.

A soldier nearly tripped, jerking backward just in time.

He looked back, drenched in cold sweat, staring at the roots.

Sang-ah sighed at the sight.

“I considered sending someone inside, but it’s as I suspected.”

“Hmm.”

They don’t react if you just trim back the edges, but once you venture deeper, they attack fiercely.

“Cutting down these trees won’t make any progress, right? Because they aren’t the real monsters!”

“How can you tell?”

“I never got experience points from them.”

Indeed, pressing into the jungle would only waste the troops’ stamina.

So what’s the plan?

“Hmmm.”

I turned and stepped back a little, approaching a tree that had been standing there since long before.

Crack.

I plucked a branch off it.

“Commander?”

“Just a moment.”

I tossed the branch into the jungle, giving it a spin as I did.

The result was…

“….”

“What are you doing?”

There was no response; it was eerily quiet.

Sure enough.

“It’s not reacting to moving objects.”

Next, I reached into the shadows again to pull out a chunk of raw meat.

Swish!

It was a waste of food, but sometimes sacrifices must be made.

After giving it a similar spin, I threw it into the jungle.

Crack…!

The roots surged forward, drawn to the meat.

I began to grasp the situation. The trees ignored the branch but responded to the piece of meat.

“It seems it’s not about whether something is alive or not; it’s about whether it’s plant-based or animal-based.”

“Oh…!”

The soldiers now understood my reasoning.

This was how the jungle distinguished its enemies.

“But.”

“Did learning the attack conditions change anything?”

We didn’t have any plants among our troops to worry about.

It was logical for them to think there wouldn’t be a significant shift in tactics.

However, knowing that not everything that moves is attacked could open up some possibilities.

[Blue Drop Jelly]

[Would you like to apply the second effect of Absolute Palate (Enhanced)?]

[Temporarily acquired the trait – Environmental Camouflage]

“Ah!”

Sang-ah gasped as I popped the jelly in my mouth.

“Are you seriously about to do something dangerous again…?!”

“That’s exactly it.”

According to Cheol-wook, something extraordinary was hidden within the jungle.

Perhaps it was the source of this ongoing crisis.

Burning down the entire jungle should only be a last resort.

It was the only way to truly find out.

[Environmental Camouflage]

My body melds with the surrounding environment.

While it offers invisibility, the essence of the trait is about becoming one with the surroundings.

Stepping into the jungle, I felt the trees and roots accept my presence without any aggressive response.

“Commander!? Wait! It’s dangerous!”

I took slow, deliberate steps further into the depths of the jungle.

* * *

Crackle…

Even though the trees refrained from attacking, traversing deeper into the jungle was far from easy.

‘The density is so overwhelming… I feel like cutting a path through while moving.”

The thick growth blocked every human-friendly path, making it a struggle to navigate.

I contemplated using my knife like a machete to clear a way, but at the same time.

‘That would cross a line.’

Even with Environmental Camouflage, acting aggressively wouldn’t be overlooked.

“Gasp…”

I moved past the vast expanses of the Ammunition Depot toward the mountains.

Though the way was obstructed by trees, no matter how resilient I was, exhaustion crept in.

At one point, I rested on a nearby tree, surveying my surroundings.

“It’s a breathtaking sight.”

Immense trees that before only existed in pictures surrounded me.

Despite their previous lack of vigor, these forest giants now towered all around.

‘What sort of creature could generate a jungle of this scale?’

After a brief rest, I began to worm my way between branches, pressing onward into the heart of this jungle.

If there was indeed a creature responsible, it would certainly be near the center.

After navigating through a considerable distance, I caught a hint of something in the air.

‘Smoke?’

I peered through the trees.

It wasn’t smoke.

[Combat Power Evaluation]

The aura emitted by the monsters, visualized in waves rising into the air.

At that moment, I froze.

The color of the aura…

“…It’s blue.”

Which meant it was extremely ominous.