Free Web NovelChapter 192: A giant shadow that blocked out the sky
Eva felt as though her eyes were playing tricks on her. Why was there only one meat dish on the table?
Though she had eaten her fill yesterday, she wasn’t about to refuse more meat.
She turned to the chef, who was peeling potatoes with a straight face, and swallowed her question.
"I have asked the chef to make some dessert for you. Let’s eat first." Ethan assumed she was looking toward the chef to tell him about the desserts.
"Oh, but why is there only one meat dish on the table?" Eva asked in a raised tone, wanting the chef to hear and give her an explanation.
The chef turned a deaf ear to her words and continued peeling the potatoes with full concentration.
Eva’s lips twitched, convinced that the chef was ignoring her on purpose.
Julian, who arrived, instantly understood the reason when he laid eyes on the food spread across the table.
It was a mix of vegetables, porridge, braised noodles, stewed meat, fish, and braised potatoes.
"You almost finished the poor man’s spices, and you expect him to give you a full meal. You’re lucky he didn’t spit on it." Julian muttered, pulling out his chair to sit.
Eva’s eyes widened in realization, and she immediately mellowed, sitting down without asking further questions. However, that didn’t stop her from complaining.
"He’s so petty. I only used a little, and he removed my daily meat portion. Aren’t I one of his bosses?" she murmured under her breath, not daring to speak loudly for fear that the chef might go on strike if angered.
If that were to happen, she felt there was nothing left to live for. The man had real skill in the kitchen, and now there was a variety of seasonings, spices, and foods available. His cooking was on another level.
Ethan chuckled softly at her words. He had finally seen who could control Eva. He noticed she didn’t want to anger the chef too much, for fear he would stop cooking.
"Isn’t the barbecue yesterday enough? You need something light after yesterday’s meat feast," Ethan said as he scooped up a bowl of rice for her.
Julian moved the vegetables closer, thinking she needed something lighter. His action drew a glare from Eva.
Eva frowned but picked up her spoon. She took a bite and ate slowly, though she didn’t have much appetite.
No wonder she conceded quickly; if not, she would have taken the whole plate of stewed meat for herself.
Julian’s brows rose at her delicate chewing, and he leaned forward to check her temperature. freewёbnoνel.com
"Did you catch a chill? Why aren’t you eating as much as usual?" he asked with concern. Her temperature was normal, so why wasn’t she rushing to pile her plate before anyone else?
Eva pulled his hand from her neck before responding lightly.
"I’m okay. I just don’t have an appetite today."
Julian turned to Ethan with a questioning look, and Ethan mouthed in response, ’Her period.’
Julian nodded in realization. He was right. Her sudden, delicate, birdlike eating wasn’t normal.
"Alright, eat more and then go rest in the tent. I asked the chef to make some dessert for you," Julian said as he scooped stewed meat and potato chunks onto her plate."
"I have already told him." Ethan chimed in, nodding toward the chef, who was in the middle of backing a potato cake.
Julian hummed and returned to his meal. They ate in silence, their gaze occasionally falling on Eva, who was still on her first bowl since they started lunch.
She felt the spoon in her hand was heavier than usual. She really wanted to go inside and lie down at that moment.
’Sigh... Ethan and his jinxed mouth. Now it seems my period will come later today. Haa...’ she sobbed inwardly as she absentmindedly stirred her food.
"Here." Ethan pushed the steaming cake closer.
"Eat this instead," he added as he cut a piece for her.
Eva was drawn in by the aroma and took a bite. The sweet potato’s natural sweetness burst on her tongue, with a slightly sour, crispy texture, and she hummed in surprise before taking another piece.
"This is good," she praised sincerely. The chef had proved himself once again.
Ethan was glad she was able to eat the cake and quietly took away her half-empty plate of rice.
Julian shared the other cake with Ethan, leaving a whole cake for Eva.
After a satisfying meal, Eva strolled along the stream’s shore, her gaze falling on the swaying green grass as a figure flashed through her mind.
"Um, why did I dream of a snake? Maybe it’s Julian’s beast." She muttered absently, shrugging the thought off.
Unaware that Ethan had disposed of the dried-up corpse of the snake.
Feeling her food had digested, she returned to her tent to sleep, not before taking the chef into her space.
Julian practiced his fighting moves in the clearing, his sword slicing through the air with each strike.
He was feeling bored, so he decided to exercise a bit before exploring his surroundings.
Ethan kept his hands busy with the wolf’s fur. He had to skin the remaining wolves Julian brought back, cutting the meat into chunks for later.
Each was busy with their personal affairs, and the day passed uneventfully.
As the evening sun turned the sky yellow, Eva was struck by her dreaded period. She woke up to a dull ache in her stomach, and when she felt the wetness on her thighs, she nearly sobbed in frustration.
She dashed into her space to freshen up. Luckily, the bed covers weren’t stained.
The journey ahead was delayed by four days. They stayed in the clearing beside the stream, spending their time uneventfully, with no signs of beasts except for the deafening chorus of crickets and insects at night.
...
Meanwhile, at another location, Zoey lay on her cheetah’s body, using it as a pillow as he observed the five men whose attention was fixed on their beasts’ eggs ever since they returned.
She wasn’t surprised that they all passed the dungeon test. Given their strength, failing it would have been more shocking.
The firewood cracked in the fire as they gathered around the campfire, each sitting with their beast egg.
"When is it going to hatch? I wondered what beast I got," Daniel asked out loud for the ninth time.
Zoey remained silent, her throat dry from repeatedly explaining that it wouldn’t take long and that they shouldn’t pay it much attention.
Daniel was bothered by the lack of response. He was just talking to himself, trying to release some excitement, or he might not sleep tonight.
"I hope I get a flying beast. It would be so much fun to soar through the sky while looking down from such a height," Adrian said, caressing his egg as if the beast inside could hear him and grant his wishes.
Even Cole, who was usually spaced out, showed rare attentiveness toward the egg beside him. The fire illuminated a gleam of curiosity in his gaze.
Everyone of them had an expectation of what they wanted their beast to be. But only when the eggs hatched would they know the final result.
"So that test was preparing us for the surface. That harsh weather might be something we will face in this place. We have already fought those huge beasts." Alex said as he withdrew his gaze from his egg.
He could remember the tearing cold in his lungs and his fingers and toes turning blue with cold.
Alex shivered unconsciously, as if he had returned to that snow-covered landscape in the tower test.
His words made everyone recall the extreme cold and scorching heat of the volcano.
"I hope we don’t encounter the volcano. My feet were almost blistered from that scorching ground," Marvin muttered, wiggling his toes, which were clearly not red.
"Since we have encountered those huge beasts before, they will definitely have to go through that extreme weather," Adrian said with certainty, his words making them frown in distress.
They had thought the cold on the mountain peak was severe, but when they faced the tower test, they felt the true cold.
"Then we have to save up on beast fur for the coming cold," Alex added, his gaze falling on the crackling fire.
Zoey, who was listening to their conversation, realized that all the clothes she had in her space bag were light and not suitable for such weather.
Her heart ached with regret. If she had remembered such an important thing, she would have skinned those beasts they had fought along the way here. freeweɓnovel.cøm
"Alright, everyone, let’s rest. Your talk of the weather has doused my excitement about getting my beast egg. Spoilsport," Daniel grumbled, sounding annoyed, though he knew their fears were important.
"See who is talking? I knew you almost froze—" Marvin’s words were cut off by a loud, deafening roar.
"Roar!"
The ground trembled from the force, and the sound was coming from farther away.
Adrian and the others were startled, almost sliding off the mountain due to the sudden tremor.
They looked in the direction the roar was coming from, their breath held, their eyes widening in terror.
Cole reacted instinctively and doused the campfire with water, instantly extinguishing it.
Hundreds of meters away from them stood a giant shadow that blocked out the sky.
They couldn’t make out its features in the faint moonlight, but its red, slit-like eyes glinted ominously in the dark.
