Chapter 24: Shield

[Congratulations on creating a Faction]

[Your quest has been updated]

Objectives:

Create a Faction (minimum 20 players) [✓]

Faction members reach an average level of 10

Kill 50 Goblins

Kill 50 Bloodfang Wolves

Jayce couldn't help but feel relieved as he exhaled deeply, the tension finally dissipating. The success of his suggestion had hinged on the supporters' cooperation, and he was grateful that they had embraced the idea.

The man in his late forties approached Jayce with newfound vigor, his eyes shining with enthusiasm. "Excuse me, Mr. Jayce. I feel much lighter suddenly. Is this because I joined your faction?"

Jayce pondered for a moment before nodding, "Yes, to some extent. I possess a skill that allows me to share my attribute bonuses with members of my faction."

As he said this, Jayce realized he was able to use the Executive Chef skill on these individuals even before the formation of Hell's Kitchen. Curiosity led him to check the skill description once more.

Executive Chef (Passive): As a faction leader, you are in charge of your kitchen and your staff. Your staff will share your temporary and permanent buffs, so long as they are within 100 meters of you.

His eyes widened as he focused on the key phrase "As a faction leader..." It dawned on him that he had completed a hidden quest after his rousing speech, making him the leader of a faction even before the system officially recognized it.

"Woah, I got pretty lucky," he mused inwardly. Had he not completed the hidden quest before the gathering of supporters and the activation of the faction function, he would have missed out on the incredible Executive Chef skill.

Seeing Jayce's absent look, the man in front was at a loss. "Uh, Mr. Jayce, does this mean my body will improve as I gain additional stats?"

Jayce was woken from his train of thought and looked at the man with confusion and said nonchalantly "I thought that was obvious?"

The man frowned for a moment and retorted in exasperation, "What about any of this is obvious?"

"Ah. Sorry, I misspoke." Seeing the obvious irritation from the crippled man, he remembered that Calamity had only just descended 24 hours beforehand. Judging by the man's age, he also likely did not have experience with RPG games and systems.

Addressing the room once more, Jayce spoke up in question, "Who here has experience with RPG games, or even the VR game Calamity?"

Looking around the room, he saw a few hands raised, around 50% of the entire shelter in fact. Nodding, he continued, "Very good. Those of you who have no game experience, please talk to these people with their hands raised. You will need to get familiar with how they work, this is valuable information that may save your life one day."

With that, Jayce departed from the room, his stomach growling in hunger. The flurry of conversations had tickled his appetite, and he was eager to prepare something delicious for himself. As he entered the kitchen, a massive figure blocked his path. Looking up, he saw Colin with a dazzling grin still plastered on his face.

"Um, can I get into the kitchen?" Jayce asked politely, his neck feeling strained from gazing up at Colin's towering presence.

Colin, not only tall but also broad with burly muscles hidden beneath his shirt, exuded a powerful aura. Jayce suspected that if starting stats weren't capped across all classes, Colin would have started with over 15 vitality and strength. However, that wasn't the case, for better or worse.

"Jayce, you really are a good guy," Colin said, pulling Jayce into a bone-crushing embrace that almost completely squashed him. The air was forcefully squeezed out of Jayce's lungs, and he quickly tapped on Colin's back, just like he had seen in mixed martial arts tournaments. Alas, there was no referee to intervene and save him, so he had to tap furiously until the giant finally let go.

After what felt like an eternity, Colin released his grip and stepped back, allowing Jayce to breathe once more. Before Jayce could scold the big doofus for nearly crushing him, he noticed Colin reaching up to wipe away a few tears from his eyes.

'Huh? Why is he crying?' Jayce's words caught in his throat, leaving him utterly perplexed.

"Thank you for looking after us. Not everyone would willingly take on the responsibility of caring for others, especially in a world like you described," the big man said with a warm smile.

Suddenly the two figures of Colin overlapped in his mind. The one that sacrificed himself to buy enough time for the shelter's inhabitants to flee the oncoming monsters in his previous life, and the emotional man in front of him.

Remembering the broad shoulders that seemed like they could hold up the world, he felt a hint of melancholy rise up inside of him. This time would be different, he couldn't bear losing such a man like Colin.

Jayce shook his head and laughed, squeezing past the big guy and patting him on the arm. "I'll make us all some food, before we discuss what to do next."

Colin laughed and retorted, "Yes Chef!" before walking out of the room.

As Jayce watched him walk away, a notification popped up in front of him.

[Divine Shield has joined your Faction]