THE APOCALYPSE CHEF AWAKENED THE PREDATOR'S KITCHEN SYSTEM

2 - FIRST BLOOD, RAW MEAT

The skinless hellhound lunges through the shattered front window with its massive jaws wide open, and Bastian screams in sheer panic as he scrambles backward against the cold metal kitchen stoves.

"F-fuck, get away from me!" Bastian shouts at the top of his lungs while his left hand blindly reaches behind his back to search the stovetop for any kind of weapon.

His trembling fingers wrap around the thick iron handle of a deep pot that he filled with heavy frying grease earlier this morning, and he lifts the heavy vessel without thinking about the weight.

He swings the iron pot forward in a desperate arc to throw the scalding hot oil directly into the mutated dog's face right before its teeth can clamp down on his neck.

The boiling grease hits the exposed muscles of the beast with a loud sizzle, and the creature lets out a horrific screech while dropping onto the dirty kitchen floor.

Bastian feels a few drops of the hot oil splash against his white apron, but he ignores the stinging heat because he knows the monster is still a deadly threat.

The blinded hellhound thrashes wildly across the wet tiles while snapping its powerful jaws at the empty air in a blind attempt to bite its attacker.

"I am not dying in this kitchen today," Bastian tells himself through heavy pants, and he grips the black handle of his standard chef's knife with both hands.

He forces his shaking legs to step forward into the dangerous striking range, and he raises the sharp blade high above his head while the monster rolls onto its back.

He brings the knife down with every ounce of physical strength he possesses, and he drives the steel blade deep into the vulnerable side of the hellhound's thick neck.

The beast gurgles as dark blood spills out over the white tiles, but the creature continues to kick its hind legs against the wooden prep tables in a desperate fight for survival.

Bastian pulls the knife out with a wet tearing sound, and he stabs the monster in the neck a second time to make sure the horrifying animal stays down.

The hellhound gives one final violent twitch before its heavy body goes limp on the floor, and a foul smelling puddle of blood begins to pool around its head.

Bastian drops to his knees beside the dead creature, and he breathes in heavy gasps while his heart pounds against his ribs.

He stares at the blood dripping from the edge of his favorite knife, and he stutters in absolute disbelief at what he just accomplished.

"I actually killed it, I really killed the monster," Bastian stammers to the empty room while checking his arms and legs for any hidden bite marks.

His hands are covered in dark blood and slippery cooking grease, and he wipes them against his dirty pants because his stomach churns with intense nausea.

He tries to look away from the grotesque carcass, but the glowing blue digital screen flashes into his field of vision once again to demand his attention.

The translucent panel hovers right over the dead hellhound, and the text glows with a bright blue light that illuminates the dark corners of the kitchen.

[First Blood. Harvest required,] the system displays in bold white letters, and Bastian reads the words out loud while shaking his head in protest.

"I am a line cook and not a butcher for mutated monsters," Bastian argues with the digital screen, but the prompt refuses to disappear.

He remembers the system telling him that it gave him a specific skill for appraising meat, and he assumes this prompt is connected to that strange new ability.

"Fine, I will play your stupid game if it helps me survive this nightmare," he grumbles under his breath while trying to ignore the terrible smell of scorched flesh.

He swallows the sour taste of bile rising in his throat, and he moves closer to the dead beast while treating it the same way he would treat a fresh delivery of livestock.

Bastian uses his culinary training to locate the major joints of the creature, and he runs his fingers along the ribcage to find the best angle for his knife.

The exposed muscle is extremely tough and difficult to cut, so he has to use his body weight to push the sharp blade through the thick yellow tendons.

"This is the most disgusting thing I have ever done in my entire life," Bastian mutters as he pulls back a flap of skinless muscle to expose the inner chest cavity.

He expects to see normal animal organs inside the chest, but he finds a strange cluster of glowing veins pulsing near the center of the ribcage instead.

He uses the tip of his chef's knife to carefully separate the glowing tissue from the surrounding bone, and he makes sure not to puncture the strange veins.

The task takes a lot of intense focus, and thick drops of sweat roll down his forehead to sting his eyes while he works on the bloody floor.

He finally manages to carve out the strange section of flesh, and he sets his knife down on the tiles so he can grab the prize with his bare hands.

He pulls out a large chunk of muscle that radiates a sickly green light, and the glowing meat feels unnaturally warm against his palms.

A terrible toxic odor wafts from the green meat, and the foul smell resembles a mixture of rotten eggs and harsh chemical bleach.

"This does not look like any kind of food humans are supposed to eat," Bastian says to himself while holding the glowing chunk up to the light of the window.

The blue digital screen flashes bright red to grab his attention, and the harsh color change makes him flinch in surprise.

The system text updates immediately to analyze the strange item he just harvested from the dead hellhound.

[CONSUME RAW = 100% DEATH. PURIFICATION REQUIRED,] THE RED SCREEN WARNS HIM IN SIMPLE AND DIRECT TERMS. 

Bastian lets out a heavy sigh of relief because he had no intention of taking a bite out of the glowing green muscle anyway.

"You do not have to worry about that, because I am not crazy enough to eat radioactive dog meat," Bastian replies to the floating screen while placing the meat onto a clean metal tray.

He turns toward the sink to wash the thick blood off his hands, but the red digital panel flashes a second time to display a new message beneath the first warning.

[WARNING: INTRUDERS APPROACHING,] the system reads, and the urgent notification causes Bastian's blood to run cold.

He stops moving and strains his ears to listen to the sounds outside the diner, and he realizes the chaotic street noises have grown much quieter over the last few minutes.

The sudden silence makes the new sounds inside his restaurant much easier to hear, and a loud crunching noise echoes from the front dining room.

Heavy boots step directly onto the shattered glass of the front door, and Bastian can hear multiple people shuffling through the ruined entrance.

He quickly crouches back down behind the stainless steel prep counter, and he reaches out to grab his bloody chef's knife off the floor.

He holds his breath and waits in the shadows of the kitchen, and he prays the strangers will just grab some food from the front counter and leave him alone.

The heavy footsteps move past the cash register, and they stop right in front of the swinging wooden doors that separate the dining room from the kitchen.

"Hey, is anyone alive back there in the kitchen?" a gruff male voice calls out through the wooden doors, and the man sounds out of breath from running.

Bastian stays silent and tightens his grip on the handle of his knife, because he does not know if these people are friendly survivors or violent scavengers.

"We heard a lot of screaming a few minutes ago, and we need a place to hide before those flying things come back," a second voice speaks up, and this one sounds much younger and more terrified.

"I am armed, and I will defend myself if you try to hurt me," Bastian shouts back from his hiding spot, hoping his warning will keep them from rushing through the doors.

The wooden doors slowly swing open with a loud creak, and the gruff man steps into the kitchen while holding a heavy metal pipe in his right hand.