Chương 58: Chapter 56. Dinner

The sun was starting to set when Adom finally called for them to make camp. They'd been walking for hours, covering good ground despite the encounters. He was grateful this dungeon had a proper day-night cycle - his last expedition had been to one of those perpetually dark dimensions, fighting a vampire of all things. Not his idea of a good time.

"Here looks good," Adom said, pointing to a small clearing.

"High ground, good visibility, defensible position." Cassandra nodded and started unpacking the camping gear Adom had bought her. She worked with practiced efficiency, setting up the barrier stones first - small enchanted rocks that would warn them of approaching monsters. The tent came next, a clever piece of engineering that unfolded into a shelter big enough for five.

"John's taking first watch," Adom announced. John nodded, already moving to find a good vantage point.

"Not eating with us?" Yann asked. John shook his head and pulled out his sword then wrote in the dirt: "Ate an EverFeast before entry."

"Those nutrient pills?" Sam's eyes widened.

"The ones that cost ten gold each?" Even Cassandra looked impressed. Ten gold was serious money - enough to buy a decent spell kit or a month's worth of quality ingredients. The pills were fascinating pieces of alchemy, designed to release nutrients slowly over days or even weeks, keeping a person perfectly fed without the need for actual meals. Adom could have afforded one himself.

But watching Yann unpack his cooking supplies, the air already filling with the promise of good food, he knew he'd made the right choice. An EverFeast might keep you alive, but it couldn't replace the simple pleasure of a real meal shared with companions. The healer was setting up his portable stove with military precision, methodically arranging his ingredients and tools.

"Beef stew," Yann said, his naturally stern expression softening as he worked.

"Something we used to make in the Imperial Army, but better."

"You cooked in the army?" Sam asked, watching Yann sear chunks of beef in a heavy pot until they developed a perfect brown crust.

"Healers had to," Yann explained, the meat sizzling as he worked in batches.

"Especially healer mages. Part of our job was understanding how to maximize the nutritional value of whatever we had. A well-fed soldier heals faster, fights better." He added thick-cut onions to the pot, letting them caramelize in the meat drippings.

"Plus, when you know exactly how the body processes different ingredients, you learn to make food that does more than just fill the stomach." He deglazed the pot with dark wine, the aroma making everyone's mouths water. Carrots and potatoes went in next, along with herbs that Yann explained were specific varieties that enhanced mana recovery.

"The secret," he said, carefully measuring out a portion of red slime from a sealed container, "is knowing which monster parts can enhance regular ingredients. Red slime, when processed correctly, adds a deep, rich savoriness to food - the kind you get from aged meats or fermented beans. But you have to neutralize its mobility properties first, or..." He demonstrated by dropping a bit of untreated slime into a separate bowl - it immediately tried to crawl out.

"That's not what you want in your stew." The treated slime, however, melted into the broth like butter, turning it rich and glossy. Yann added mushrooms he'd preserved from a bag.

"In the army, we had to feed hundreds with whatever we could find," he continued, stirring the pot as the most amazing smell began to fill the air.

"You learn to be creative. But here, with good ingredients and time to do it right..." He tasted the broth, nodded, and added a pinch of something that made the stew's color deepen to a beautiful reddish-brown. Adom's stomach growled audibly. Even Cassandra had stopped writing in her journal to watch the cooking process. The stew was starting to look like something from a high-end tavern, not a dungeon camp meal.

"Almost ready," Yann said, looking more relaxed than they'd seen him all day.

"Just needs to simmer a bit longer. The slime needs time to work its magic." Soon enough, Yann lifted the ladle to his lips with almost ceremonial gravity, tasting the stew while the others watched in anticipation. His serious expression held for a moment, then cracked into a warm smile.

"Dinner's ready." The cheer that went up was probably loud enough to alert every monster in the vicinity. Even Cassandra's usual reserve melted into a genuine smile as they gathered around with their bowls. Steam rose in fragrant clouds as Yann ladled out generous portions, placing a thick slice of garlic bread alongside each serving. Adom couldn't wait. The stew was still bubbling hot, but he dipped his spoon in anyway, bringing it to his mouth.

The first bite nearly scalded his tongue, but he didn't care - the flavors were too perfect to resist. The beef practically melted, rich and tender, carrying the deep flavors of wine and herbs. The broth was velvety smooth, coating his mouth with layer upon layer of savory complexity. Each vegetable had absorbed the essence of the stew while maintaining its own character - the carrots sweet and tender, the potatoes perfectly done.

"Mhmmmm," Sam moaned around a mouthful, already reaching for his garlic bread. The bread was a marvel in itself - crusty on the outside, pillowy soft within, fragrant with herbs and butter. It soaked up the broth perfectly, adding another dimension to each bite. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Thank you for the meal," Cassandra said softly, her bowl already half empty. Yann was eating too now, looking pleased as he watched their reactions.

"You honor me," he laughed.

"It's just a simple army stew, really."

"Simple?" Adom shook his head, dragging his bread through the last of his broth.

"This is better than most tavern meals I've had." When they finally moved on to the rice pudding, Yann turned to where John sat keeping watch.

"You're missing out, my friend." John nodded, making a gesture that somehow managed to convey both gratitude and regret. The golden sweetmilk sauce caught the firelight as Adom served portions into their bowls. This was a perfect end to their first meal together as a team.

"We should rest soon," Cassandra said, making notes in her journal.

"Long day tomorrow."

"Yeah," Adom agreed.

"I'll take the second wat-" A twig snapped in the darkness. Adom's hands were already moving, weaving a [Fireball] spell even as Sam raised his own defensive ward. John's shield came up smoothly, the golem moving to cover their exposed flank.

"Help!" A feminine voice cut through the night.

"Please, somebody help!" They exchanged glances. Sam mouthed "Mimic?" but Cassandra shook her head.

"We'll see soon enough."

"Could be real," Adom said quietly.

"Could also be something smarter than a mimic." Footsteps approached through the underbrush, accompanied by labored breathing and occasional sobs. The voice called out again, closer now: "Is someone there? Please... I saw your fire..." A figure emerged at the edge of their light - a woman in torn adventurer's gear, limping badly. Her armor showed signs of recent combat.

"That's far enough," Adom called out.

"Stay where you are." She stopped, swaying slightly. Her breathing was ragged, uneven. Blood darkened her left leg, dripping slowly onto the forest floor.

"Please," she gasped.

"They killed everyone else. I've been running for hours..."

"Who killed them?" Yann asked.

"Gankers," she spat the word, then doubled over in a coughing fit. When she straightened, there were tears in her eyes.

"They waited until after we'd cleared a monster nest. We were exhausted, low on energy..." She leaned heavily against a tree.

"Six of them. They didn't even want anything specific, just... whatever we had..." Adom shifted uncomfortably. Gankers were a known problem in dungeons - adventurers who preyed on other teams, letting them do the dangerous work of fighting monsters before swooping in to claim the loot. It was cowardly, but profitable.

"How did you escape?" Cassandra asked.

"I..." the woman hesitated, her voice breaking.

"One of them got cocky. Left an opening. I ran. They chased for a while, but I think I lost them in the dark. My party... they weren't so lucky." Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. Something about her story niggled at Adom's instincts. It was perfectly plausible - gankers often attacked after teams were weakened by monster fights. The blood was real, the tears seemed genuine, but...

"You're bleeding," he noted.

"Yann's a healer. He can take a look, but you'll need to submit to a binding spell first. Standard precaution." The woman looked between them, desperation and fear warring on her face.

"A binding spell? But if they're still out there... I wouldn't be able to defend myself..."

"That's the point," Cassandra said quietly.

"We can't take chances."

"Please," the woman whispered.

"I understand your caution, but I'm losing blood. I can't... I can't keep running. If you turn me away..." She swayed dangerously. Adom met Yann's eyes. The healer gave a slight nod - the blood loss was real, at least. If they turned her away and she was telling the truth, they'd be condemning her to death. If she was lying... they'd be letting a predator into their camp.

"Sam," Adom said quietly.

"What do you think?" Sam was the most trusting of them. But now he just shrugged helplessly.

"I..." He looked at the woman, then down.

"I don't know. She seems genuine, but..."

"We can't just let her die out there," Yann said, his healer's instincts clearly warring with caution. The woman took a stumbling step forward, then her leg gave out. She caught herself against the tree, a quiet sob escaping her.

"Please... I don't want to die out here..." Adom looked at his team.

"Thoughts?"

"We can't leave her out there," Sam said immediately. Yann nodded.

"The blood loss is real. That much I can tell from here." John kept his shield ready but gave a slight nod. Only Cassandra hesitated, her pen tapping against her notebook.

"It's a risk," she said quietly.

"John's on watch anyway," Sam pointed out.

"And we're rotating shifts. Someone will always be alert." Adom watched the woman - she'd slid down to sit against the tree, her breathing labored. If this was an act, it was a damn good one. And if it wasn't...

"Okay," he decided.

"Yann?" The healer was already moving.

"I've got her." He approached carefully, Adom following as backup.

"Ma'am? I'm going to help you to our camp, alright?"

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Gods bless you all. I thought..." She started crying again as they helped her up.

"I thought I was going to die out here." They got her settled near the fire. Yann knelt beside her.

"I need to look at that wound. May I?" She nodded, helping him roll up her torn pant leg. The wound was ugly - a sword slash that had gone deep into the muscle. Amateur attempts at field dressing had stopped the worst of the bleeding, but the edges were red and swollen.

"I had to keep moving," she explained, wincing as Yann examined it.

"Couldn't treat it properly. They kept following..."

"Animals," Cassandra muttered, watching from her position by their supplies.

"Hold still," Yann said.

"I'm going to stop the bleeding first, then we need to prevent infection. After that, I can start closing it."

"Thank you," the woman said again.

"All of you. I... I know how dangerous it is to trust strangers out here."

"What's your name?" Adom asked.

"Sonja. We... we were just a regular party. Nothing special. But after we cleared that nest..." She shuddered.

"Six of them. Two women, four men."

"Can you describe them?" Cass asked. Sonja closed her eyes, concentrating.

"The leader was tall, broad-shouldered. Had this nasty scar across his jaw. Dark hair, tied back. One of the women had red hair, really bright. The other was shorter, stocky. There was this guy with a crooked nose, like it had been broken..." Something clicked in Adom's memory. Two faces from the morning - he remembered seeing a pair in the back who matched those descriptions. But he couldn't be sure. There were hundreds of examinees, and a scarred jaw or crooked nose weren't exactly unique features.

"What else about them?" he asked. He needed more details before jumping to conclusions. Sonja continued describing the attack while Yann worked on her leg, but Adom's mind was turning over possibilities. If they were the same men from the morning... but no, he couldn't be certain. Not yet. Better to gather more information first.

"Listen," he said after she finished.

"We're heading north. Once Yann's done treating you, you're welcome to travel with us until we reach the next safe zone."

"Really?" The relief in her voice was palpable.

"I... thank you. I don't know how to repay-""Don't mention it," Adom cut in.

"Just focus on healing for now." He caught Sam's eye and nodded toward their packs. They needed to discuss watch rotations anyway. As they stepped away from the fire, the golem silently shifted position, maintaining its vigil. Even if Adom's suspicions were wrong - even if Sonja wasn't what she seemed - they weren't exactly helpless. Three combat-capable mages, and a golem like John made them a hard target for anyone looking for easy prey. Still, he'd keep watching. And wondering.