Chapter 1008
Wine, Meat, and Slaughter
The grand banquet of the Shadow Realm was held as scheduled.
Upon entering the castle, descending just one level led to the banquet hall.
The scorching heat, akin to a blacksmith’s shop, made Arsen feel his skin burning.
The aroma of roast meat, stewed meat, and wine mingled together, rushing over.
It remained dark here, just like outside. Even at the feast, no torches or candles were visible.
However, in this basement devoid of lightning, it was actually much brighter than outside.
There were peculiar round tables of various sizes. The tables resembled donuts or pizzas, with the outer rim being higher. The inner rim was lower and even hollowed out. The floor beneath the tables was open, with visible flames steaming within. These flames licked the inner round tables, which resembled wire mesh, continuously roasting the meat placed upon them.
These flames illuminated the entire room. Although it was still somewhat dim by outside standards, for Eivass and Arsen, who had fully adapted to the dark world outside, these flames were so bright they made their eyes hurt.
The warriors did not use knives and forks. In a sense, it was similar to chopsticks—when eating roast meat, they used tongs that looked like long-handled pincers.
They would pick up the raw meat they wanted from the basket beside them and place it on the wire mesh of the low central table, letting the intense flames lick it. After it was cooked or charred, they would pick it up again to eat. Alternatively, they would place small pots of stewed meat on the inner ring in the center, letting it boil for a while before moving it to their own place. Some even used it to heat iced wine in their bowls, turning it into room temperature or hot wine…
Despite the dim environment, every warrior ate until they were covered in sweat.
The warriors’ styles varied. Some ate meat silently, some ate and drank simultaneously, while others focused on drinking games.
Some witches weaved through the tables, constantly refilling everyone’s baskets with meat, placing bowls of seasoned stew in the center, or continuously serving bowls of iced strong liquor to the warriors, one bowl after another.
These witches had enchanting figures and beautiful appearances, but about seventy percent of them possessed some or other animal features—for example, their lower bodies were giant pythons, or they had cat ears on their heads. A few individual witches even had blue or green skin… These were all proof of the different creatures they had fused with.
Some witches even sat directly on a warrior’s lap. Perhaps because the Shadow Heavenly Envoy had not yet arrived, some warriors were already engaging in games with the witches by the table.
As if encouraged by the atmosphere, the number of warriors choosing to play a game gradually increased.
Only when the Shadow Heavenly Envoy descended with Eivass and the others did the warriors and witches quickly become serious, separating to do what they should. Just like students pretending to read aloud when the teacher approaches, their eating and drinking sounds seemed to grow louder.
This was actually something the Shadow Heavenly Envoy could not possibly miss—however, this small “rebellion” was also permitted by the Shadow Heavenly Envoy. Rather, it was considered a kind of ambiance.
“…It’s all meat.”
Arsen pretended not to have seen the scene just now and quickly exclaimed, “Not bad.”
The Shadow Heavenly Envoy, narrowing his eyes while scanning the banquet, turned back and smiled, “Rather… things other than meat are rare items here.”
Upon hearing this, Eivass immediately thought of Avalon from the original “Shadow of Avalon” incident—
Just as the Fallen Heavenly Envoy overlapped his domain with the Material Realm when he descended; the same happened when the Shadow Heavenly Envoy descended. However, after the Shadow Realm overlapped with the Material Realm, most of the plants withered and died. Within the shadow domain, almost all plants could not grow. Only oaks and shrubs could withstand the corruption of the shadow aura, becoming pitch black while retaining their ability to bear fruit. With just these, even herbivores could not be sustained.
Although animal ingredients could still be consumed, they could not last long.
And within that domain, even if a light was lit, the light could not penetrate far, as if wrapped in a black fog. Therefore, even if soil corrupted by shadow power was not used, but soil brought from the outside, or even hydroponics, was used, it would be difficult for plants to survive due to the greatly weakened light.
The most crucial point was that in this place, mortals would turn into undead upon death. And a large number of undead would obstruct the transport of goods.
If it weren’t for Isabel from the original timeline exchanging for the Queen of Flowers’ abilities, allowing Avalon’s land to regain its vitality… it’s likely that after the Shadow Heavenly Envoy descended, Avalon would have become history.
It wasn’t that she had great malice… but the shadow domain itself would make humans unable to survive. Just like how the Abyss Heavenly Envoy’s descent would submerge cities with the sea—for sea monsters, it would mean an expansion of their comfortable living space; but for land creatures, it would mean death.
The Shadow Heavenly Envoy led the few people to the uppermost table—which was also the largest table. Apart from the Shadow Heavenly Envoy, Eivass, Arsen, and Viness, only one other person sat there: Ares, the Nation Destroyer. These people did not even fill a third of this table.
Unlike the “self-service roast meat” below, this largest table was filled with already cooked delicacies. It was only here that a very small number of vegetables could be seen.
If one were to describe the meal on the Shadow Heavenly Envoy’s table in one sentence, it could simply be called “Hunter-style cat food.”
“Does Ares usually sit here to eat?”
Eivass looked at Ares with some surprise.
He had probably underestimated Ares’ status in the Shadow Realm.
Ares and the Shadow Heavenly Envoy, two giants, exchanged glances and smiled in unison.
“No,” Ares explained good-naturedly, “because I am the Champion today.”
Upon hearing this, Eivass suddenly understood.
Because Eivass was to sit with the Shadow Heavenly Envoy and Viness… Arsen, not wanting to sit next to Viness, sat on the other side, next to Ares.
He slightly turned his head and asked Ares in a low voice with some confusion, “Champion? Did you have some kind of competition?”
“We compete almost every day. Or rather, our day is divided by competitions. When everyone is full and energetic, and has nothing to do, we hold competitions. Whoever is free starts one, and whoever is free joins in. Sometimes it’s small-scale… that is, duels among a few people; if everyone is awake, or most people are free, we hold large-scale competitions. The winners and those who perform exceptionally well gain the Queen’s favor.”
Arsen asked with some doubt, “Compete in what?”
“We compete in anything, long jump, running, throwing, archery… whatever we disagree on, we compete in. But the most common is fighting each other. Like today’s competition.”
Ares said with considerable pride, “I just killed all of them, so I am the Champion today.”
“If it’s fighting each other…”
Arsen hesitated, “Then…?”
He didn’t have any doubts about “people being able to revive after death”… it was just that he had already learned from Eivass that Ares was once a Disciple of Supreme Heaven and had the terrifying title of Nation Destroyer.
“—Can others still win?”
“Hahaha!”
Hearing such certainty, Ares laughed heartily, clearly delighted by Arsen’s words. “Well said! Come, have a drink!”
He originally wanted to pat Arsen on the back, but then he stopped his hand. Clearly, he was afraid of directly patting Arsen to death.
So, he instead offered Arsen a bowl of wine and then picked up a basin of wine himself and drank it all.
It was probably a stone basin the size of a washbasin, which was just right for Ares to hold with one hand.
“Ares, that kid is ignorant!”
Someone below shouted, “Let him see!”
“Alright!”
Ares, hearing this, readily agreed, “Come! Fight!”
He said, finishing the iced wine in the bowl, chewing on the ice cubes, and picking up the flame-wielding long spear, he walked down.
Several warriors were eager to fight, grabbing a piece of meat and putting it in their mouths, chewing as they clapped their hands and stood up.
They didn’t even do warm-up exercises and started fighting without any warning—
Ares skewered the giant warrior who lunged at him with his spear, then lifted him and smashed him onto the iron rack in the middle of one of the tables, searing him with a sizzling sound.
He laughed wildly, and with his other hand, he grabbed a human warrior’s arm and tore it off!
“Good!”
“Give it! Give it to me!”
The others at the banquet were in an uproar, with some continuously clamoring for the bloody arm.
Ares threw the arm directly, sending the person who asked for it flying and pinning him to the wall with the arm!
