Apocalypse: I Have A Multiplier System-Chapter 504: Alchemist & Cook-E

The figure smiled slightly, raising their hand again. "Would you like me to demonstrate one of my recipes, Master Host?"

Su Jiyai nodded quickly. "Yeah. Let’s see what you’ve got. Start with a Basic Health Potion."

The Alchemist bowed gracefully. "Very well."

With a flick of their fingers, another green panel shimmered to life beside the recipe list.

[Basic Health Potion]

Ingredients Required:

Spring Water x1

Crimson Leaf x2

Healing Herb x3

Clear Vial x1

Su Jiyai scanned the list. "Alright, I should have all of that."

[Would you like to provide the ingredients from your inventory or use points to purchase them?]

"Points," Su Jiyai replied again. "Not wasting my mission points on something basic."

[Confirmed. This will cost 392 points.]

"Proceed."

The materials appeared on a floating wooden tray that shimmered into existence in front of the Alchemist.

With practiced movements, the Alchemist picked up the herbs one by one and began preparing them.

No tools—just glowing fingers and a few muttered incantations.

Leaves crushed themselves gently into powder. The vial floated mid-air while spring water poured in on its own, forming a glowing red swirl.

A soft glow built in the Alchemist’s palms as they focused, infusing the mixture with energy.

The whole process took about a minute.

When it was done, the Alchemist turned and presented the finished potion to Su Jiyai with both hands. The red liquid inside shimmered with faint golden light, and the vial felt warm when she touched it.

"Whoa..." she breathed. "This is just a basic potion?"

The system chimed cheerfully.

[Yes. However, the Alchemist’s special technique increases the effectiveness of even low-rank items by approximately 20%.]

Su Jiyai stared at the vial, then glanced over at the system store again.

[Basic Health Potion – System Price: 4,500 points]

Her eye twitched. "...Okay. Okay. That’s it. I’ve been robbed before."

She looked back at the Alchemist with newfound respect. "You’re seriously amazing."

The Alchemist gave a small bow again. "You flatter me, Master Host. I simply serve as I was designed."

Su Jiyai narrowed her eyes, thoughts racing. She pulled up the upgrade menu in her interface and hovered over the Alchemist’s profile.

"If this is how good you are at Level 1, then at Level 4 with custom potions... and Level 5 with soul-bound stuff and evolution serums... you could actually make legendary-tier buffs and rare transformation brews."

Her hands curled into fists. "I need this. I need this."

But she hesitated.

"I still haven’t tested the cooking robot," she muttered to herself.

[Would you like to store the Alchemist now and summon the Cooking Robot?]

Su Jiyai let out a long breath. "Yeah. As tempting as it is to dump all my mission points into you right now... let’s keep things fair."

The Alchemist gave a respectful nod. "Until we meet again, Master Host."

A swirl of green light wrapped around the figure, and they vanished like mist in the sun.

[Now summoning the Cooking Robot.]

There was a small pop.

A tiny metal cylinder, no taller than her knee, dropped onto the ground. It looked like a cross between a rice cooker and a trash bin, with stubby arms, a glowing blue eye, and a big red chef hat plopped on top.

"...You’ve got to be kidding me," Su Jiyai whispered.

The Cooking Robot beeped cheerfully and rolled forward, waving a spatula in one hand and a soup ladle in the other.

"GREETINGS, MASTER HOST! I AM COOK-E, YOUR PERSONAL KITCHEN COMPANION!"

It even spoke in all-caps.

Su Jiyai stared. "This thing looks like it came out of a children’s cartoon."

[Do not be fooled by appearances. Cook-E is programmed with over 100,000 recipes from over 40 dimensions. It can adapt meals based on the host’s current nutrition, stamina, or elemental needs.]

Cook-E beeped again. "DO YOU WISH TO SEE THE MENU?!"

"...Yeah," Su Jiyai said slowly. "Show me."

A floating menu appeared in front of her.

[Cook-E Menu - Level 1]

Spicy Energy Rice

Monster Meat Stew

Jungle Berry Smoothie

Basic Defense Dumplings

Charred Healing Skewers

Fire-Boost Omelette

Sweet Slime Cake (???)

"Wait... ’Sweet Slime Cake’?" Su Jiyai squinted.

"VERY POPULAR ON SLIME PLANET!" Cook-E chirped proudly.

The system chimed again.

[Cook-E’s food provides temporary buffs depending on ingredients used. Buffs last from 10 minutes to 1 hour at Level 1. Higher levels allow longer duration, stronger effects, and even cooking-based healing.]

Su Jiyai blinked. "So you’re telling me this thing can cook food that gives me buffs... like a potion, but tastier?"

[Yes. Also, Cook-E’s food restores stamina and morale, and may reduce side effects of overusing superpowers.]

Su Jiyai put her hands on her hips, staring at the stubby little machine in awe.

"So between the blacksmith rabbit, the fantasy alchemist, and this... roly-poly chef bot—I’m basically running a crafting empire right now."

[That would be accurate.]

She cracked a grin. "Alright, I’ve made my decision."

She swiped her interface open.

Su Jiyai’s finger hovered over the interface screen, her eyes darting between the three helper profiles: Blacksmith, Alchemist, and Cook-E.

Each of them had impressed her. The blacksmith rabbit could craft system-grade weapons for a tenth of the price. The alchemist could brew potions that glowed like artifacts. And Cook-E... well, Cook-E looked ridiculous, but those buffs sounded way too useful to ignore.

She tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"I could upgrade all of them to Level 2," she muttered, voice full of temptation. "That way, I’d have a solid crafting team to support me no matter what."

Her hand moved toward the upgrade-all button.

But then she stopped.

Her expression shifted, the spark in her eyes flickering with hesitation. Qin Feng’s body still had those burned marks.

She needed a custom potion tailored just for his condition. Something no regular system item could make.

She glanced at the Alchemist’s profile again.

"Custom potions... only available at Level 4..."

There were barely any skilled alchemists left in the world, and the few that existed weren’t exactly available for private commissions. And even if she found one, who knew if they could be trusted?

Su Jiyai inhaled deeply, then swiped decisively.

"I’m upgrading the Alchemist to Level 4."

[Confirmed. Upgrading Alchemist... Level 1 → 2 → 3 → 4...]

Her mission points began to drop rapidly.

[10,000 → 0]

[Balance: -500 → -1000]

Su Jiyai’s eyes widened. "What—wait, wait—"

She looked at the air above her, where the numbers glowed ominously red.

"System?! You said I had to only give 10,000 mission points for an upgrade to level 4! Why the hell am I in the negatives now?!"

There was a beat of silence. Then the system responded with a soothing tone.

[Please calm down, Host. The -1000 points will be erased once you complete the linked trial mission.]

"Linked trial? What trial?" she snapped, still flustered.

[It is related to the 7 powers you absorbed from the Devil’s remnants. You must test each one at least once. The mission rewards 1000 mission points.]

Su Jiyai’s breath caught.

The 7 powers.

How could she have forgotten?

She stared at her hands, slowly curling them into fists. "So I really did take them in fully..."

[Would you like to test them now, Host?] the system asked smoothly.

Su Jiyai was about to nod, but then her eyes flicked to the clock in the corner of her interface.

"Wait—Qin Feng and Qiang Zhi said they’d bring food. I can’t suddenly start exploding powers all over the room before that. I’ll test them later."

[Understood.]

"Right now," she said, refocusing, "I want to get that custom potion going."

She tapped the Alchemist’s icon. "System, pass all the herbs I’ve collected so far to the Alchemist."

[Confirmed. Transferring inventory to Alchemist.]

Glowing packets of herbs, bottles, and rare roots floated into the air one by one before drifting down into the alchemist’s workspace, which had subtly expanded with the level-up.

New tables had formed around them, covered in tiny glassware and glowing glyphs.

The Alchemist bowed gracefully as the last ingredient fell into place. "Shall I begin, Master Host?"

"Yes."

The Alchemist’s glowing violet eyes flickered with understanding. "Very well. This will require precision and time. Estimated crafting duration: 10 days."

Su Jiyai blinked. "Ten... ten days?"

[Custom B-Rank potions are complex, Host. It involves timed alchemy reactions, mana synchronization, and soul-energy compatibility testing.]

"...Fair enough," she muttered, then sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I guess I can’t rush genius."

The Alchemist had already started, moving with elegant speed. Potions hissed. Herbs were ground into fine powders and mixed with steaming fluids.

Magical glyphs floated in midair, spinning slowly as if calculating alchemical reactions in real time.

Just as Su Jiyai was about to sit down and watch the alchemist work its magic, a knock came from the door.

"Jiyai!" Qin Feng’s cheerful voice called out. "We brought food!"

Su Jiyai jolted. "Oh no—!"

She quickly turned toward the glowing alchemy station. Tables full of magical ingredients, runes spinning in the air, liquids bubbling in floating glass vials—it looked like something straight out of a fantasy movie.

Before she could do anything, the door creaked open.

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