God Ash: Remnants of the fallen.-Chapter 1097: A Large Pot of Mutant Beast Stew.

Cain let out a tired yawn as he jumped down from the back of the kneeling {Longhorn Mare} and into the hard ground.

They had finally gotten through the area with the {Clotspore} plants and were now in the clear.

Unlike the others, thanks to the traits of his {Bloodflame} skill, he didn’t have to worry about the spores as they were incinerated and devoured by his blood the moment they entered his body, working as quite the convenient antibody again nasty little buggers.

Still, it was rather rewarding to finally have a moment of rest. For some reason, the journey felt more stressful than it had been, and he was already exhausted despite the stop two days earlier.

’Well, that wasn’t really much of a rest, but...’

He sighed.

Hopefully, they would get to rest properly tonight.

If all went according to plan, they would reach the Dome of Blood in a few days, at most, a week.

Whoever, he didn’t think they would need to get there. He had a feeling they would be intercepted well before they made it to the blood dome.

So before that, he had to make sure all the combatants were in their best shape.

The camp was being rapidly set up.

He stretched his body that had gotten a bit stiff after the ride and began walking.

They had decided to set up camp in an area relatively far from the next pool of Devil Miasma, meaning the terrible smell was not as intense as before, which was a relief.

The area was a large depression in the ground before an upward slope, making it a bit safer on their end as it would help reveal any incoming enemies.

Tonight, the watchposts would also be situated at the top of the slope for better, unobstructed vision of the terrain.

He watched as different people set up their tents and got ready for a night of rest. With their eyes, it was easy to tell when the moon had come out, and even though the need for sleep was mostly gone in most, if not all of them, the desire to rest was not.

If anything, it was more prominent than ever.

Even he was a victim of such desires.

He had begun to crave the simple things of life as it once had been...

A warm meal. A nice roof over his head. A bed to sleep on. Those things...

He grimaced. Unfortunately, he had left those things behind in Valestorm.

He sighed.

Eventually, he stopped at the large clearing at the center of the camp.

Just like the need for sleep, the need to eat was also mostly gone.

To recover lost energy or stamina, most of the time a simple recovery potion, or meditation to recover Ki and Mana was more than enough for most.

However, the joy of wolfing down a warm meal was second to none.

Cain caught sight of Susan. The warm light from the magic lamps hit her face and features in a way that made him unable to take his eyes off her.

On the fire befor her was a large cauldron filled with something that drew his attention in.

But what sealed the deal was the aromatic fragrance wafting into his nostrils.

Gathered all around her were drooling men and Beastmen, each one intently focused on the potential filled with the meat stew that seemed to glow with an austere light of holiness.

Even those trying to keep the peace could not help but swallow down gulps of saliva when the incredible fragrance stole their attention.

Most of them, even when they would enjoy a meal, often had to resort to simple roasted mutant beast meat.

Or anything more luxurious, only the diners in Valestorm could offer anything even remotely manageable.

However, it was rather difficult to properly cook the meat of Mutant Creatures. Despite being incredibly rich in nutrients and energy, even after death, the flesh remained extremely tough, making most mutant creatures inedible.

To tenderize it cooking for long periods of time was often the preferred method.

However, that was just one problem. The second problem, was actually the taste. For the most part, mutant beasts with decent taste were often quite hard to chew.

However, those that were easy to chew, were often hard, perhaps even impossible to swallow for one simple reason—

They tasted horrible.

The flesh of some were even toxic.

To navigate such a stringent world, one had to be careful in selecting the ingredients.

However, Susan had a few tricks up her sleeve, most of which were secrets.

And unlike most of those gathered around, Cain had the luxury of tasting her cooking almost everyday for the past six months.

He wore a smug smile on his face as he moved in closer, careful not to let his expression be too readable, lest he was killed by jealousy.

He chuckled and found a secluded spot to rest.

A few moments later, the sound of merriment rose to the dark grey sky above as they all ate and drank.

Staring at the bowl of stew with chunks of beast meat and other things he couldn’t quite identify, he picked up a spoonful and placed it into his mouth.

The soft warmth, followed by an explosion of flavors and delicate textures assaulted his very soul.

He groaned in pleasure.

"This is too damn good." He said, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes.

"I’m glad you like it."

Cain’s eyes widened and he turned to the side,

"Susan..."

With a smile on her face and her locks of hair swirling around her, she was like the manifestation of a goddess to him. An angel.

A truly divine being.

Almost instantly, he felt several dagger-like stares drilling into him. However, he paid them no mind.

He wore a genuine smile on his face,

"Yeah. I like it. I like it a lot. Just as always."

A wide smile appeared on her lips,

"That’s good to hear."

Off in the distance, a tearful Vincent mumbled through a mouthful of food,

"What a lucky bastard!"