Chapter 137: Chapter 137: Dinner of the Damned

​A rich, savory aroma drifted through the seams of the dining hall doors, welcoming Dayat and Dola even before they crossed the threshold. There were sharp traces of wild spices, the scent of meat smoked over aromatic wood, and a primal freshness of forest herbs that defied simple description.

​The dining hall itself was an architectural masterpiece of cold efficiency and haunting beauty. A long table crafted from the same polished black Obsidian-Glass as the corridors dominated the center of the room. Uniquely, the tableware—plates, utensils, and crystal glasses—seemed to have been molecularly integrated into the furniture since the moment the star-ship transformed into this fortress. Everything was precise, futuristic, yet possessed a tactile familiarity that anchored the human senses.

​At the far end of the table, Lunethra was busy arranging a large bowl filled with succulent slices of pinkish meat. On the other side, Kancil was enthusiastically chewing on a piece of bright purple forest fruit, his cheeks bulging like a squirrel’s.

​”Oh, Brother Dayat! Sister Dola! You’re finally here!” Kancil cheered, his voice muffled by food. He quickly swallowed and hopped off his chair. “Look! Sister Lunethra cooked a massive feast!”

​Dayat offered a thin, tired smile, feeling a warmth that contrasted sharply with the cold metallic chill of the corridors. “It smells incredible. You made all of this, Lunethra?”

​Lunethra turned, wiping her hands on a linen apron that had somehow been provided by the castle’s automated facilities. Her silver hair was tied back in a simple knot, giving her an air of maturity. However, the moment her gaze met Dayat’s, a faint, unmistakable flush crept onto the tips of her pointed ears.

​”The ingredients were limited,” Lunethra replied, her voice carefully neutral. “Fortunately, Kancil managed to hunt a few Mutant Lagomorphs near the forest perimeter while you were still recovering. Dola also assisted me in identifying which mushrooms were free of mana-toxins.”

​Dola, who still had her arm firmly looped through Dayat’s, walked toward the table. She stared at the spread with her electric blue eyes, an invisible light flicking across the dishes as she performed a nutritional scan.

​”The protein density of the Mutant Lagomorph is exceptionally high, though its muscle fibers are significantly tougher than the common rabbit. However, the way Lunethra smoked it using young Ironwood has successfully broken down the collagen fibers perfectly,” Dola commented with a hint of pride, sounding like a high-tier culinary critic.

​Dayat took a seat at the head of the table, and Dola immediately claimed the chair directly to his right—sitting so close that their shoulders brushed. Lunethra, witnessing the display of intimacy, froze for a split second, her serving spoon hovering mid-air.

​”Please, try some,” Lunethra said, serving a generous portion of the horned-rabbit meat onto Dayat’s plate. “This is the haunch. I marinated it in Light-Bloom sap to neutralize the bitter aftertaste of the wild mana.”

​Dayat took his first bite. The texture was firm yet melted on the tongue, releasing a sweet-savory juice he had never tasted before. “This is… extraordinary. You’re truly talented, Lunethra.”

​Hearing the praise, Lunethra’s face lit up with a sweet, hopeful smile. “I’m glad you enjoy it. If you wish, I can cook for you every day. Back at the palace, I used to sneak into the kitchens because I couldn’t stand the boring, formal meals they served.”

​Dola, who was cutting her meat with surgical grace, suddenly cleared her throat. The sound wasn’t loud, but it was enough to make the temperature in the room feel as if it had dropped several degrees.

​”The meal is indeed commendable,” Dola said with a saccharine-sweet tone that held a razor-sharp edge. “However, as the Wife of my Husband, I feel it is necessary for me to master these techniques soon so that Lunethra does not have to exhaust herself serving us.”

​Silence fell over the room like a heavy shroud.

​Kancil, who was mid-chew, suddenly choked. He stared at Dola with wide eyes, then glanced at Dayat, who had gone stiff. Lunethra’s face drained of color instantly. The spoon in her hand clinked softly against the edge of the plate.

​”Wife?” Lunethra repeated the word, her voice trembling slightly. Her emerald eyes searched Dayat’s face, looking for a denial, a laugh, or at least an explanation that this was one of Dola’s strange digital jokes. “Dayat… what is she saying?”

​Dayat stopped eating. He swallowed his food slowly, meeting Lunethra’s devastated gaze. He knew her feelings for him ran deep, and he was acutely aware of the sacrifices she had made. But looking at Dola—who was now watching him with a gaze of absolute, obsessive devotion—Dayat made his choice. He wouldn’t lead Lunethra on with false hope.

​”It’s true, Lunethra,” Dayat said, his voice low but firm. “Dola has been with me since the very first second I stepped into this world. Now, she is more than just a companion on the road… she is my life partner. I have chosen her.”

​Lunethra felt as if the world beneath her feet had collapsed more violently than it had during the burning of Lamping. Her hatred for Verene had already cost her her home, and now, she felt the loss of the only emotional anchor she had left. Her heart felt as if it were being crushed, yet years of royal training forced her to stay upright, even as her eyes began to shimmer with unshed tears.

​”I see…” Lunethra whispered. She looked down, busying herself with her plate so they wouldn’t see the grief in her eyes. “I apologize, I was just… a bit surprised. I’m happy for the both of you.”

​Kancil, usually the loudest in the room, remained silent. He looked at Dola with a mix of awe and terror. To him, Dola was still the amazing ’Sister Dola,’ but now she felt more alive, more dangerous, and frighteningly possessive.

​”Wow, congratulations Brother Dayat! Sister Dola!” Kancil tried to break the tension with an awkward, forced laugh. “Does that mean if you have a baby, the baby will be able to shoot laser beams too?”

​Dola let out a light, melodic laugh that sounded like silver bells. She reached out and playfully ruffled Kancil’s hair. “That is an intriguing proposition, Kancil. Perhaps I shall integrate a combat module into the genetic code during synthesis.”

​”Dola, don’t scare the kid,” Dayat scolded, shaking his head, though a faint smile touched his lips.

​The atmosphere eased slightly as they continued the meal, though Lunethra remained largely silent, picking at her food. Dayat eventually wiped his mouth with a napkin and looked at each of them with a grave expression.

​”We can’t stay in a defensive loop forever,” Dayat said, steering the conversation toward the future. “This castle is magnificent, our location is secure, and our food supply is stable for now. But there are only four of us. If Verdia, Brassvale, or the other kingdoms realize we are here, they won’t just send another battalion. They will send an annihilation force.”

​Lunethra lifted her head, trying to regain her focus. “What is your plan? The Forest of Lamentation is feared because of its monsters, but for the Great Kingdoms, it’s only a matter of time before they find a way in.”

​Dayat leaned back in his chair, his eyes reflecting the dark obsidian of the table. “I want to build something more than a hideout. I want this place to be the epicenter of a new power. A faction that is not bound by the laws of gods or the whims of kings.”

​He paused, staring at his own reflection.

​”I am founding a Guild. A sanctuary for those discarded by fate. People betrayed by their kingdoms, those who have lost everything to the selfishness of rulers, yet still possess the talent and the burning desire for vengeance or simple survival.”

​”A Guild?” Kancil tilted his head. “Like the adventurers’ guilds in the big cities?”

​”Similar, but darker. And far stronger,” Dayat replied. “The name is the Wailing Horde. The Horde that wails… because we were born from the cries of destruction, and we will make our enemies wail the moment they hear our name.”

​Dola nodded in agreement, her eyes glowing with a calculated intensity. “Strategic analysis: Building an alliance with alienated individuals will grant us a specialized workforce without the risk of ideological betrayal to their home nations. I can prepare registration modules with binary encryption to ensure absolute loyalty.”

​Dola then turned toward Lunethra and Kancil with a slightly mischievous, predatory smile. “Truthfully, I considered casting Lunethra and Kancil into the forest so I could have Dayat to myself in this castle forever. It would have been far more efficient for resource management.”

​Kancil choked again, harder this time. Lunethra’s eyes widened in shock.

​Dola then broke into a vibrant laugh. “I am joking. Only forty percent of my system truly desired that. The rest realizes that Dayat requires your presence to maintain his mental stability, lest he go mad from staring at my perfect face for too long.”

​Dayat let out a long, weary sigh. “Dola, your sense of humor has become increasingly strange since your Maiden memories awakened.”

​”It is called personality evolution, my Husband,” Dola replied nonchalantly.

​”So,” Lunethra interrupted, her voice steadier now despite the lingering sadness. “Who will we recruit first? Not just anyone can walk into the Forest of Lamentation without dying at the hands of a Shadow Stalker.”

​”No names for now,” Dayat shook his head. “I don’t want to recruit people just because they are strong. I want those who have a reason to hate the world as it is. For now, let the forest be our natural selection. Anyone who can reach the outer gates of this castle alive possesses the talent we need.”

​Dayat stood up, walking toward the massive window that showcased the eternal darkness of the forest outside.

​”As of today, we are no longer fugitives. We are the Wailing Horde. And the continent of Aethera will never be the same once they realize what we are building here in the dark.”

​Kancil pumped his fist with excitement. Lunethra nodded slowly, accepting her new destiny as part of this organization of outcasts. As for Dola, she stood by Dayat’s side, gripping his hand tightly, ready to dismantle anyone who dared to threaten her husband’s vision.

​The dinner of the damned had ended, but a new history had just begun in the heart of the Forest of Lamentation.

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