NOVEL NEXT Chapter 304: Fish Skewers
"My lord… you might have to wait a few hours," Marty said, stacking the chopped meat into a much larger bowl.
His claws worked fast, and even Azel had to admit the man was frighteningly skilled… cleaner than he was with a blade.
"There's no issue there," Azel replied with a small smile. "Take as long as you need… wait—"
He pointed at Marty's chest. "Don't take till tomorrow."
Marty chuckled, ears twitching. "No, my lord. I'll have it ready by sundown."
"Good."
Azel nodded once, then turned to leave.
Selene followed him out into the streets of Lycas.
He took a deep breath, stretching a bit.
'I'll head back and clear the daily reward,' he thought as they walked. "Let's go check on the Protective gear in the box."
Selene nodded silently beside him with her tail swaying behind her.
"Anywhere you go, I'll follow my lord."
…
My lord…" Selene said softly, watching as he pried open the massive lid of the box. "Do we really need to wear these if we want to hunt?"
"Yes," Azel said flatly, pulling out one of the glowing armor suits. It seemed the System had been foreshadowing the issue… there was no way he would let them go to that damned forest without a bit of protection.
"Completely. The forest's stronger than expected, and the monsters aren't exactly shy about eating people alive."
She tilted her head, her voice sounded a bit hesitant. "But… this doesn't look like it would fit a werewolf body."
"It will, just watch how to wear it." Azel said, flipping the armor over in his hands.
It was lightweight… The complete opposite of what you would expect one to wear when going into a forest full of predators.
He turned toward her. "Let's test it. I want to see how it looks on someone."
Selene blinked and nodded, stepping closer.
"Lift your hands."
She did so obediently, her cheeks completely red as she noticed Azel's eyes land on her chest.
Azel slipped the armor over her… her head fit through easily, and her arms slid into the sleeves.
But the rest stopped short, barely reaching her waist.
"It's small," she muttered, embarrassed at how big she felt.
The instant she said it, the armor glowed softly and expanded… stretching and reshaping until it perfectly fit her body.
In seconds, she was encased in smooth white plates.
It hugged her figure tightly, but not uncomfortably. The breastplate merged into a flexible lower guard that covered her legs.
Only her head remained exposed with this.
"How does it feel?" Azel asked, circling her once.
Selene raised her arms experimentally.
"It feels… nice. And very light my lord. But I don't know if it's durable."
"Let's test that out," Azel said, rolling his shoulders.
He grinned slightly, cocking a fist back.
She smiled. "Feel free, my lord."
'I thought I told her to stop saying that,' Azel sighed inwardly. But arguing wouldn't help…
He punched.
The impact sounded like thunder. The armor didn't even dent, but the force still launched her backward.
Selene flew several meters and landed on her feet, sliding to a stop.
Azel shook his hand. "That's solid."
Selene blinked, completely stunned. "I… didn't feel pain. But the armor was vibrating."
"Good," he said, satisfied. "Means it can absorb most of the kinetic force."
She focused for a moment, and the armor began to retract… shrinking away from her arms and legs until only a compact chestplate remained.
She lifted it off, staring at the protective gear for a few seconds.
"Thank you, Master," she said sincerely, bowing slightly. "As for the rest, I'll summon the hunters and Vargan here to equip them and explain how to use it."
"Thank you," Azel said, nodding once. "I'll leave that to you."
As for him, he would retire to his room and try to reach the Plane… It had been quite a while since he heard Nyala or Kyone's voices in his head and he wanted to know what they were busy with…
In truth, he missed the noise.
So he would visit them right now.
He was still deep in thought when he felt a tug on his pants.
A young boy stood before him.
"Lord Uncle!" the child said brightly, palm extended like he was demanding payment.
Selene blinked in confusion, opening her mouth to scold him for his rudeness but Azel sighed before she could.
Without a word, he materialized a fish skewer in his free hand and placed it into the boy's palm.
"Thanks, Lord Uncle!" Ravik's son chirped and ran off, wagging his tail.
Selene stared. "My lord, what was that?"
Azel twirled another skewer between his fingers and waved it lazily. "It's a skewer. Haven't you heard of it before?"
She shook her head. "No… they don't sell that up there."
"Right," Azel muttered. "Karan Town's still behind on the good stuff. Not even a single street vendor selling these."
How could one live without fish? Was that a life worth living?
He lifted the skewer toward her. "Here. Have this one."
Selene hesitated, looking between his eyes and the offered food. "Are you sure?"
"Of course. Consider it a test for the lady of Lycas."
Her cheeks flushed at the title.
She reached forward, taking the stick carefully.
The skewer was glistening… small pieces of grilled fish coated in some reddish glaze that smelled savory and sweet.
She took a cautious bite.
And froze.
Her tail stiffened and her ears twitched.
The flavor hit her all at once… The sauce melted on her tongue, and the fish broke apart softly.
Her golden eyes widened, and she covered her mouth, chewing slowly like she didn't want it to end.
"This… this is incredible," she whispered, voice muffled.
Azel grinned slightly. "Told you."
She blinked up at him, still holding the skewer delicately between her fingers. "What do you call this again?"
"Fish skewer," he said. "It's a common snack where I come from."
She nodded, still chewing. "It tastes… peaceful."
"Peaceful?" Azel chuckled. "That's a new way to describe food."
Selene blushed, ears drooping slightly. "I just mean… I've never had anything like this before. Can I have one more, my Lord?"