Night fell.
The entire border town was brightly lit.
In the central square, the seven- to eight-thousand-meter-tall Ten Thousand Beasts Divine Mountain stood silently, like a black monument gleaming with an eerie light beneath the bonfires.
More than a hundred cooking stations had been set up around the divine mountain.
Every chef in town had gathered here.
There were tavern chefs, hotel head chefs, veteran street-stall cooks, and dedicated logistical chefs from the Hunter Association. Dozens of people bustled around the divine mountain in full swing.
Leib stood at the front like a commander-in-chief.
"Left side! Cut the Black-Scaled Behemoth tenderloin into thick slices and make teppanyaki!"
"Right side! Marinate the Poison Fang Wolf leg meat and make skewers!"
"Back! Slice the Ironclad Lizard meat for sashimi!"
"That Spiked Giant Tortoise skirt meat! Save it! Braise it!"
"Three-Headed Lion tenderloin! The most tender part! Set it aside separately! Make steaks!"
His voice was loud, and his commands were steady.
The chefs each performed their duties. Blades flashed, oil pans roiled, and the aromas of grilled meat, stewed soup, and fresh sashimi blended together, filling the entire town.
It could be smelled from several kilometers away.
The town's residents, hunters, and merchants all swarmed over. They packed the square three layers deep inside and out, staring fixedly at the food on the cooking stations as drool streamed from their mouths.
"It smells incredible..."
"What kind of meat is that? Why does it smell so good?"
"I heard it's monster meat from the Forbidden Land..."
"The Forbidden Land? Monsters from a place like that can be eaten?"
"They can! They absolutely can! Just smell that!"
"When can we eat... I'm starving to death..."
Morel stood at the edge of the square. Looking at the lively scene, then at the Ten Thousand Beasts