The Military Chef of a Ruined World

“Blue…”

The [Combat Power Evaluation] trait categorizes enemies’ strength by color: red, orange, yellow, green, and blue.

‘Even yellow is considered quite strong.’

A green monster would be formidable enough that even our squad members would have to band together to take it on. But a blue monster…

Truth be told, it wasn’t my first encounter with a creature radiating a blue aura.

Right now, I could sense it lurking within my shadow.

‘The Night Nobility was exactly a blue-type.’

However, the shade emanating from Ariella was very faint. She was barely teetering on the edge of the blue spectrum, which said a lot about her current strength, particularly given her title of “Junior Baroness.”

In contrast, the entity before me was…

‘Not entirely dark, but definitely not faint either.’

This meant it was a monster stronger than Ariella.

I didn’t lack confidence. If I had, I wouldn’t have entered this place alone to begin with.

“Should we take action, master?

There were a hundred troops hidden in the shadows with me. Sunlight barely penetrated the thick jungle, so our fighting capacity wouldn’t be compromised.

But the real issue lay in the environment.

‘A creature that manipulates the jungle…’

If that creature could control the trees around us, then our odds of winning wouldn’t be 100 to 1.

‘It would mean fighting the entire forest.’

I might not lose outright, but the damage would be staggering.

After a moment’s contemplation, I made a decision.

‘I’ll assess its appearance first and then retreat.’

After all, my strengths didn’t lie in initiating confrontations while information was lacking.

[Chef’s Eye]

[Ingredient Identification (Enhanced)]

These two abilities allowed me to recognize the enemy’s weak points and gather pertinent information.

Moreover, I could respond dynamically to those weaknesses through my cooking buffs.

Utilizing the synergy between these abilities was the core of my battle strategy.

Thus, I had no need to engage right away.

However, to employ these strategies, I needed to get a good look at the enemy first.

[Chef’s Eye] wouldn’t activate without focusing on the target.

I muted my steps and cautiously edged forward.

A silhouette emanating a blue aura came into view.

Just as it began to reveal itself, I heard a sudden crack.

“…!?”

An unsettling sensation tightened around my ankle.

The tree roots beneath me had ensnared my foot.

‘This is crazy.’

Had I been discovered?

I quickly checked if my ability, [Environmental Camouflage], was still active.

This meant that I was still blended into the jungle.

But how…?

No.

“Damn it! It’s a blue-level creature!”

It could do anything—it wouldn’t be surprising.

Especially since this forest was its domain.

Even if I was [Camouflaged], letting my guard down was a grave mistake!

Suddenly, the roots that clutched my ankle began to stretch and pull me away.

I couldn’t be sure, but it didn’t seem motivated to do me any favors.

“Prepare for combat…!”

I shouted towards my shadow, fully aware that there was no turning back now.

Even if the vampire troops fell, I had to fight.

I steeled my mind for battle and hastily drew my sword. My plan was to deflect the next attack and then sever the roots that had ensnared my ankle.

…

But then nothing came.

“What…?”

The roots that had grabbed my ankle had abruptly halted their movement.

Cautiously, I scanned my surroundings, but there was no sign of an imminent attack.

Just as I turned my head back, I was startled to find…

“…What the hell?”

Right in front of my face, I locked eyes with an entity.

[Ingredient Identification (Enhanced)]

[Alraune]

[Chef’s Eye]

[Acquired Intermediate Grade Cooking Secret: Enlightenment of Alraune Preparation’]

What stood before me was… a tiny tree.

Among the tightly packed giant trees of this dense jungle, it appeared far too diminutive and frail.

The distinguishing feature of this tiny tree was its unusual pattern.

You know those patterns that look like human faces?

This one was no different.

The center of its trunk bore markings that distinctly resembled human facial features.

But then—

‘This isn’t good for mental health.’

The face, seemingly carved into the tree, began to awaken. Its eyes rolled around, locking onto me, and I realized—

‘Those markings weren’t just patterns, but an actual face!’

A face, covered in bark, stared blankly at me.

Engaged in what felt like a showdown of wills, I started an eye contest. Nonetheless, I quickly realized this was not a healthy endeavor.

It looked absolutely grotesque!

“….”

The staring contest dragged on.

No attacks came, just that thing continuing to gaze at my face in silence.

“Master? Should we attack?”

“No… No. Just hold your position for now.”

At that moment, I found myself suspended upside down with my foot still ensnared.

I felt my blood rushing to my head, which wasn’t very pleasant.

While it wasn’t ideal, the creature didn’t seem intent on attacking me.

“If it ever thinks of attacking me, retaliate immediately. If necessary, you can lose all your subordinates. My life comes first.”

“Understood.”

With that, I gave my command, then looked back at the tree before me.

“Cooking its head, eh…?”