Chapter 97: Delicious
However, she didn’t make any absolute guarantees, wanting to avoid trouble if anything went wrong later. With that said, she gave Kevin Keane and the others a slight nod.
Miles Dawson had always trusted his older sister implicitly. Seeing this, he immediately grabbed a bowl, ladled it full of broth, scooped up a few pieces of snake and chicken, and eagerly took a bite. The moment it hit his tongue, a burst of savory flavor exploded in his mouth. His eyes went wide as he mumbled his praises around a mouthful of food.
"Oh my god! This is incredible! Both the snake and the chicken are impossibly tender, but they have this light, savory richness without any gamey taste at all. It’s got the perfect amount of chewiness too. The two meats mixed together—it’s dangerously delicious! I can’t even tell which is the snake and which is the chicken!"
As soon as he spoke, Kevin Keane and Evan Olson each served themselves a bowl. After just a couple of bites, their eyes lit up and they nodded in enthusiastic agreement, clearly won over by the taste.
Seeing them eat so happily, Luna Dawson finally picked up the bowl of soup that had already been set aside for her. She blew on it gently and took a sip. The broth was rich but not greasy, and exceptionally savory. A comforting warmth spread from her stomach, relaxing her tired limbs. She thought to herself that her culinary skills were truly excellent and continued to eat at a leisurely pace.
Noticing the young soldier nearby eyeing their meal with evident longing, Evan Olson ladled out a bowl and handed it over.
"Have a taste, if you don’t mind," Luna Dawson offered. "We theorize that as long as the snake’s skin isn’t brightly colored, it should be non-venomous. Though, it would be best for the base’s researchers to run a proper test when they have the time."
Larry Wright’s mouth had been watering for quite some time. It had been ages since he last had chicken soup! He eagerly took the bowl. "Thank you! I’m Larry Wright, from Battalion Commander Finn Pierce’s unit. If this is actually edible, the base will have a whole new food supply!"
He carefully blew on the broth before taking a sip. As the warm liquid coated his tongue, its rich, savory flavor slid down his throat, banishing the biting chill from his body. The snake and chicken were firm but far from dry, growing more flavorful with every chew. The delectable taste burst across his palate, and his eyes fluttered shut in sheer delight.
"This is amazing! The snake meat is fantastic! I haven’t had food this good in forever!"
The mere thought of the field rations and hardtack sitting in his backpack made him want to weep. He offered his heartfelt praise, his eyes practically sparkling as he looked at Luna Dawson, the creator of this masterpiece.
A short distance away, his comrades were frantically winking and gesturing at him. Seeing him happily slurping down snake stew, they were dying for a taste. Having battled the swarm of snakes from morning until late afternoon, they were all absolutely famished. Worse, the biting winter wind had nearly frozen them stupid.
Noticing that these young soldiers were around her brother’s age, Luna Dawson waved them over. Immediately, seven or eight strapping young men bounded toward them. Evan Olson pulled Miles Dawson aside to stand guard over the massive pile of snake carcasses so the soldiers could eat in peace.
Kevin Keane silently stepped in front of Luna Dawson. Wearing a stoic expression, he methodically ladled out a bowl of snake stew for each of the young grunts. Between the seven or eight of them, the large pot was quickly scraped clean.
The soldiers stared in awe at the bowls in their hands, occasionally casting glances over at the mountain of dead snakes. Seeing the others willingly standing guard for them filled their hearts with such immense gratitude that their eyes turned red as they finally dug in.
"This is so good!"
"It’s been so long since we had a hot meal."
"Thanks, man!"
"Thank you, miss!"
Over the past month, they had dealt with so many survivors who cursed at them, physically attacked them, constantly complained, and even tried to steal their rations and weapons. It was a relief to finally meet some genuinely decent people. Between bites, the young soldiers continued to pour out their thanks. They eyed the massive haul of snake meat; there was enough here to feed their unit for quite a while!
Just as everyone was reveling in the glorious meal, a group of survivors approached from the riverbank. Judging by their purposeful strides, they were heading straight for them.
A few of the sharp-eyed soldiers immediately noticed the approaching crowd. They downed the last of their stew in a few quick gulps, wiped their mouths, and scrambled to their feet. Luna Dawson didn’t waste any time either; with a wave of her hand, the pots, pans, bowls, and even the table and chairs vanished into her spatial storage.
The soldiers quickly split into two squads. One squad moved to relieve Evan Olson and Miles Dawson, profusely thanking them for watching their backs. The second squad, led by Larry Wright, marched forward a dozen meters to intercept the approaching crowd and ask what they wanted.
Luna Dawson narrowed her eyes at the group. There was a familiar face among them—wasn’t that the younger of the Kramer sisters? It had been months since Luna had taught her a lesson, and they had only crossed paths once since. She had practically forgotten the girl even existed.
Miles Dawson, having just been relieved of his guard duty, sidled up beside her and muttered, "Did she not get beat up enough last time? Is she here to pick a fight?"
"We’re bored anyway, might as well watch the show," Luna Dawson said with a shrug. "I’m in a good mood today. Let’s see what kind of tricks she’s trying to pull."
Ever since the military had stationed themselves in the villa district, many of the vacant properties had been repurposed to house survivors. The outsiders who had previously squatted in those empty houses were forced to either turn over supplies to the military in exchange for residency rights or squeeze into the homes of relatives who owned property in the district.
Sure enough, Shay Kramer was walking toward them, her arm intimately linked with a handsome man. She leaned in and whispered something into his ear. The man’s brow furrowed immediately at her words. His gaze cut through the crowd and landed squarely on Luna Dawson, his eyes filled with calculation.
This man was Jasper Payne. Before the apocalypse, the Payne family and the Kramer family had been close business partners. After the military took over the villa district, Shay Kramer had taken the initiative to invite Jasper’s family to move into the Kramer family’s villa. Jasper was twenty-seven years old and a Wind Ability User. His younger brother, Jesse Payne, was twenty-two and possessed a Gold Element superpower.
On the night the apocalypse broke out, Jasper’s father had unfortunately mutated into a zombie. It was only thanks to his mother, Joan Caldwell, decisively locking her husband on the balcony that she and her two sons had survived.
The Payne family had previously owned a massive, nationwide chain of warehouse supermarkets. However, the apocalypse had struck too suddenly. The vast majority of their storefronts and distribution centers had been looted dry by panicked survivors, leaving them with only two intact warehouses’ worth of supplies. In the current harsh conditions, many of those goods were difficult to preserve. Even worse, the seeds and root vegetables they had stockpiled had all turned into mutated plants after the apocalypse!
They certainly didn’t dare eat those now. Coupled with the logistical nightmares of navigating the post-apocalyptic world, the Payne family had long since lost its former wealth and glory. Extreme frugality was now their daily reality.
Initially, out of a sense of pride, Jasper had been reluctant to impose on the Kramer family’s home. However, after Joan Caldwell laid out a pragmatic analysis of the pros and cons, he had swallowed his pride and agreed to move in.
Joan Caldwell was a deeply scheming woman. Realizing that the Kramer family had been reduced to just two orphaned sisters—and that Yolanda Kramer was a rather dim-witted, gullible Superpower User—she secretly plotted to have one of her sons marry Yolanda. That way, she could smoothly take ownership of the Kramer family’s villa for herself. As for the older sister, Shay Kramer, who was just an ordinary human, Joan didn’t consider her a threat at all.
Yolanda Kramer hadn’t been thrilled about outsiders moving into her home at first. But at the thought of having the two superpowered Payne brothers acting as her personal bodyguards, her reluctance quickly morphed into excitement. During their time living together, Joan frequently dropped subtle hints, remarking on how the children were of similar age and what a beautiful thing it would be if their two families were to become one. She was carefully, quietly advancing her own agenda.
Back in the present, Jasper turned to a man lying on a stretcher beside him, murmuring a few quiet questions. The man on the stretcher replied with something indiscernible. Jasper nodded slightly, his brow remaining furrowed. He cast another glance in Luna Dawson’s direction, the doubt in his eyes growing even deeper.
Shay Kramer clung to his arm and leaned in to say a few more words, her tone lightly dripping with coquettishness. Jasper hardly paid her any mind, his eyes still fixed on Luna as though he were trying to recall a distant memory.