The Military Chef of a Ruined World

Chapter 51

“We’re going to blow up the ammunition depot.”

Gwang-il’s eyes widened for a moment, but he didn’t ask any further questions.

“We’ll close the ammunition depot doors… Closing them should be possible with just two or three members of the combat squad.”

“The problem lies elsewhere, right?”

“Yes. There’s no way those monsters will quietly stand by and let us close the doors.”

The resistance would be intense.

“…Will it be very difficult?”

“It will be, but—”

Gwang-il grimaced momentarily, stroking his chin.

“If it’s not possible, we’ll make it possible, right?”

“Yep. Now you’re getting it.”

“Combat squad! Change of plans!”

The squad leader’s orders came down.

“Daewon! Han-il!”

“Yes!”

“Han-il, reporting sir!”

“You two, move to the door. Each of you, take a side and close it!”

“Yes!”

“The rest, push the monsters inside! Now move fast!”

“Sir, yes sir!!!”

As soon as the brief command ended, the soldiers’ actions changed noticeably.

Instead of trying to take down the monsters guarding the Queen and somehow reach her, they shifted focus to driving the monsters inside the ammunition depot.

The scattered soldiers regrouped.

When the formation of the awakened combat specialists was ready,

“Sergeant Shin! The magic you asked for is ready! There’s a three-minute delay!”

The mages completed their incantations.

“Fire now!”

All the flame mages cast their spells into the wide-open ammunition depot.

The monsters, realizing the spells weren’t aimed at them, didn’t bother to block them.

Soon, the magic stuck to the various shells inside the depot like adhesive bombs.

“The reason the ammunition battalion’s grounds are so extensive… is to minimize the damage from accidental explosions.”

If an explosion occurred, the distance between buildings would prevent nearby structures from being affected.

To ensure this, the distance between buildings is maximized, resulting in a larger site area.

Originally, even within the ammunition depot, there are spaces between the ammunitions to prevent chain explosions.

Normally, a minor explosion wouldn’t cause significant problems, but…

“Now the inside is covered with spider webs.”

In this situation, even a small explosion could easily spread to other areas.

If the ammunition depot exploded under these conditions, the damage would be catastrophic.

It would devastate the surrounding area.

“If such an explosion occurs with the door open, our forces would be almost wiped out.”

Therefore,

“Close it quickly!”

Creak…

The massive iron door.

Warriors on both sides began to push it shut.

Shaaaaaa?

As the allies started closing the door, the monsters, who were desperately guarding the Queen inside, seemed to notice something.

Kieeeek!

“Those bastards are trying to escape!”

“Don’t let them out!”

The monsters attempted to burst out of the depot, but—

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Thudududududu…

The warriors pushed the monsters back inside with their bodies, while the rear line of marksmen and mages fired relentlessly.

Instead of exterminating the monsters, they were forcing them back into the ammunition depot.

Pushing the monsters inside was a simple matter of brute force.

“We can’t let them push us back!”

“Put more strength into it!”

The monsters inside were desperately trying to escape.

Under normal circumstances, they might have succeeded, but—

Kieeeek…!

Kkrrk…!

The wounded monsters couldn’t withstand our unit’s firepower.

They were gradually being forced further inside.

“The door is almost closed!”

“Just need to lock it…”

“Good job!”

Almost there! Just as the door was about to close completely, and we thought all that was left was to secure the lock and flee—

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Kieeeeeeek!

With a deafening screech,

Clang!

Two impossibly large blades burst through the closing door.

“Ugh!”

The soldiers near the door were knocked back by those blades.

These blades, resembling giant front legs, were twice—no, three times—the size of a normal person.

Even the immature and the fully matured monsters didn’t have front legs of this size.

The owner of those blades was—

“The Queen.”

The Queen, who had been casting buffs and protecting herself from the rear, finally stepped forward in this moment of crisis.

The Queen’s power showed us why she was called the Queen of the Spiders – it wasn’t just an empty title.

“Ugh…”

“What kind of strength is this?!”

Even though the door was nearly closed, as soon as the Queen wedged her two front legs into that gap, it refused to budge. In fact—

‘It was slowly opening up.’

Despite the immense strength of all the warriors pushing to close it, the door was slowly being forced open by the Queen’s overwhelming power.

“Damn it, fire at her!”

“We’re on it!”

The mages and marksmen bombarded the Queen’s body with firepower, but her sturdy blades seemed unaffected.

I recalled the handling of these creatures.

‘These monsters’ front legs are incredibly tough.’

The legs were both formidable weapons and large shields.

There was no time left before the explosion.

If the blast went as planned, the Queen wouldn’t come out unscathed, but if we couldn’t close that door, we wouldn’t either.

‘In that case.’

I quickly formulated a plan, drew my sashimi knife from my belt, and turned to shout:

“Flame mages! Initiate your spells!”

“Yes! Shall we aim for the Queen?”

“No.”

It would be fortunate if that could kill her, but the firepower likely wouldn’t be enough.

“Shoot here.”

I pointed to the area just above the Queen’s legs, where the door and the massive blades met.

“Huh?”

“What?”

“That’s…”

The mages showed confused expressions at my command.

“It’s a kitchen knife, though?”

“Good, now shoot at my knife.”

“Did I hear that wrong?”

“My knife. Heat it up as much as you can.”

The target wasn’t the monster.

It was the kitchen knife that I was holding, which needed to be heated with flame magic.

“We don’t have time. Hurry!”

“But if we heat the knife, Sergeant Shin, your hand won’t survive.”

“I’ll deal with that. Just do it.”

I ordered them firmly.

The flame mages hesitated but then directed their flames towards my knife.

Soon, the magic-infused flames roared, and the blade began to glow red from the heat.

‘This looks just like something out of a blacksmithing YouTube video.’

The long sashimi knife that I had received from a fellow junior…

That I have been using ever since, turned deep red.

The heat was so intense that I could feel it searing through the handle.

For an ordinary person, this would be enough to melt their skin off their hand.

But for me,

‘I can handle it.’

[Skill: Junior Grade Fire Affinity]  

Chefs are resistant towards heat.

“Everyone in the rear, retreat.”

“What? But—”

“If the ammunition depot explodes, the entire area will be devastated. Staying here means certain death. Go now.”

There was no time for hesitation.

After confirming that the soldiers in the rear were retreating in their combat vehicles, I tightly gripped the now-red-hot knife and approached the Queen, who was holding the door with her two massive blades.

“Those aren’t just for show. They look incredibly tough.”

Indeed, they had been withstanding the combined firepower of magicians and shooters.

A normal slash wouldn’t cause much damage.

However,

“I see quite a few wounds on your royal body.”

Like the other mature monsters, the Queen’s body had several injured spots.

Some of these injuries were on the bladelike front legs, particularly at the joints.

These wounds were healing but not fully recovered, likely able to withstand bullets but not much more.

I remembered the “handling” instructions for these creatures:

[Their skin is tough, but if heated, it becomes softer and easier to remove]

I swung the red-hot sashimi knife towards the wounded joint, which was hot enough to make the air around it shimmer.

Stab!

Slash.

Crack!

The knife plunged into the joint, the heat allowing it to slice through the tough skin and ligaments.

The intense heat and precision of the blade did the rest, severing the Queen’s leg with a satisfying crunch.

The blade tumbles to the ground, accompanied by a painful scream.

Even if she had eight arms,

Losing one was excruciating.

Unable to bear the pain any longer,

The Queen’s body, which was trying to reach outside, drew back.

“Now’s the time! Close it!”

Thunk!

Now, only one blade remains.

Stuck between the door, as if refusing to let us close the door.

“Come on, just a little more!”

I swung the heated blade towards the joint connecting the front leg and body.

“Get in there!”

Slice-

The remaining sharp front claw was also severed.

Thunk!!!

Finally,

With a loud clang, the massive iron door was closed.

Confirming the door was shut, I quickly turned around and shouted,

“Everyone, take out your combat rations and retreat behind the combat vehicles!”

We had successfully trapped the monsters inside.

Now, all that was left was to escape.

[Light Foot Slypa Jerky made with care by a Junior Chef]

[The magic power of ‘Light foot Slypa’ contained in the dish permeates your body]

[Acquired Temporary Attribute – Slypa’s Light foot (Deterioration)]

” Sigh, I had sworn that I would again, damn it.”

The largest ammunition depot within the battalion.

No matter how thick the iron door is,

The explosive force is enough to blow open the door, if not the entire depot itself.

“Quick, get out of here!”

“Yes sir!”

I also pushed my legs to the limit to get as far away from the ammunition depot as possible.

I surveyed the surroundings, while moving away from the ammunition depot at a speed that outclassed even most vehicles

“The others seem alright.”

Fortunately, the rear guard with weaker physical abilities had retreated by boarding the combat vehicles.

With the protection of combat vehicles, they should be able to shield against the fragmentation from explosions.

The warrior fellows who closed the door with me also seemed fine.

Their warrior status was not for naught.

They were already running at speeds rivaling vehicles, and with the monster’s attribute added on top.

Those fellows had even acquired the characteristics of demonic beasts.

Those fellows were already running far ahead of me.

“As for those who are falling behind….”

And finally.

I turned around just in case.

……

There was no one.

“….Huh?”

Behind me.

There was no one.

“Could this possibly mean…”

Does this mean I’m the furthest behind?

Unlike the warrior awakened in combat roles.

As a chef, my physical abilities, while enhanced, still fall a bit short of superhuman levels.

No matter how much I push myself,

I will inevitably be the last one to escape.

In other words.

“Am I the only one who will be screwed?”

There wasn’t much time left until the explosion.

Sensing that things had gone terribly wrong, I gritted my teeth and ran with all my might.

“Sergeant Shin! Quickly, this way!”

“These crazy bastards! Aren’t you taking care of Sergeant Shin?”

The warrior fellows who were running ahead.

From a distance, I came to the stark realization that I was considerably falling behind.

And then, in that very moment.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!

A tremendous noise erupted from behind.

“Shit…!”

A massive ammunition depot.

Inside it, an enormous amount of ammunition.

It started with a small explosion.

Normally, even if a detonation occurred, it shouldn’t affect other ammunition unless triggered by internal detonators.

But the spiderwebs stacked inside acted as fuses for the explosion.

It would have set off the detonators and fuses of other ammunition and shells.

The fact that such a massive amount of explosives went off in an instant meant that soon,

It would create an explosion large enough to engulf the entire ammunition depot.

Just like this.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!

Following the immense noise,

What came next covered my back.

“Ughh…!”

Intensely scorching.

An enormous wave of heat.

Despite having already fled far enough that the ammunition depot was barely visible,

I couldn’t escape fully and was completely exposed to the heat.

However,

[Skill: Junior Grade Fire Affinity]  

[From its origins, cooking has always been associated with fire.]

[Before the scorching flames, wielding a steel pan is the destiny of a chef!]

[Steel Leather Command Combat Uniform]

[Made from the products of powerful steel lizards, particularly those of chieftain-grade specimens. It has extremely high resistance in various aspects and retains traces of the chieftain’s mana, bestowing various effects]

Even though I could feel the flesh on my back melting,

Somehow, I gritted my teeth and endured the heat.

“Ughhh….”

Using the recoil from the explosion as propulsion.

I flung my body forward with even greater speed.

Shrapnel from the exploding ammunition depot scattered in all directions.

The dry sky turned crimson.

In a state of frenzy, I ran for quite some time.

“Damn it, Sergeant Shin!”

The warriors reached out, pulling my body behind cover.

The pain in my back…

It felt like the heat was melting my flesh.

‘Damn it.’

It hurts so much.

It really hurts so much that I might die from it.

But…

‘I’m not dead.’

Gasping for breath, I looked up at the sky.

The sky, stained crimson red by the explosion, was visible.

“The explosion… has it stopped?”

“We must take Sergeant Shin to the medic! Hurry!”

Today, once again.

I managed to survive without dying.

Heh

The last thing I saw was lying on Sergeant Jeong Gwang-il’s back and the sight of priests and medics rushing towards me.

“Sigh… Military life is really tough.”

Damn it.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Translator: One Force

TL Note:

Good day, readers.

This is the first and last additional chapter of the day for NU votes milestone completion.

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