The purple mist outside the tent drifted slowly in a hypnotic rhythm, as if breathing in sync with the ancient runes that now glowed brighter, like the heartbeat of a giant awakening. The vibrating aura from the newly opened inner layer still lingered faintly, calling to them with a power that was both tempting and threatening. The dark energy crept through the air, raising the hairs on their skin even inside the tent. After six straight hours of relentless slaughter, all three of them felt a deep exhaustion seeping into every fiber of their human muscles. Even their extraordinary soul regeneration needed time to fully restore these mortal bodies.

Sylvia sat leaning against the tent wall, legs stretched straight out, staring at the small fire beginning to flicker in front of her. The golden-orange light danced across her cold, beautiful face, playing with the shadows on her cheeks and jawline. "We’re not going in today," she said softly but firmly, her low, cool voice breaking the silence inside the small tent. "Even though the gate is open, today has been enough. Our bodies need complete recovery, not just a short rest. Tomorrow we’ll enter in prime condition."

Stacia, who was stretching her shoulders and arms with flexible movements, nodded in agreement. Though her sharp eyes still sparkled with an adventurer’s spirit that was hard to extinguish. "Honestly, I’m really curious about the inner area... the aura behind that gate feels like it’s calling out. But oh well. The tent is already set up nicely, and I don’t feel like dismantling it just to move. Entering tomorrow morning with full stamina will be much safer. We’re not reckless beginners."

Alicia carefully leaned her simple wooden staff against the side of the tent. Her silver hair, still slightly damp, cascaded over her shoulders and back. The white-and-silver tank top she wore was still wet with sweat in several places, clinging tightly to her curvaceous figure. "Agreed. The aura behind that gate is incredibly dark... much thicker and heavier than what we faced earlier. It’s better if we enter in prime condition. Besides..." Alicia placed a hand on her stomach and smiled faintly, "my stomach is starting to protest loudly. Six hours of slaughtering monsters made me forget I was hungry, but now it feels like there’s a gaping hole here."

The three of them chuckled softly light laughter that was rarely heard in the darkness of this dungeon. After the long, exhausting battle, their true hunger finally surfaced, reminding them that no matter how strong their souls were, their human bodies still had natural limits.

Sylvia smiled thinly, then closed her eyes for a moment as she accessed her system storage with her mind. With a smooth, elegant wave of her hand, she took out several bundles of dry firewood, from small twigs to medium and large logs. The wood was perfectly clean and dry, carefully collected from the forest outside Nocture earlier, all chosen so they would burn easily without producing too much smoke.

Not stopping there, Sylvia waved her hand once more. Thud! The carcass of a massive wild boar appeared in front of the tent with a heavy sound. Its size was enormous, nearly 800 kilograms. Its coarse black fur was still intact, long curved tusks sharp like scythes, and the dense muscles on its shoulders and thighs clearly visible even in death. This was a prize Noir had hunted some time ago a monster boar far too large for a normal party to eat in one sitting.

"Whoa... here’s the big guy," Stacia muttered as she stood up and approached the carcass with sparkling, excited eyes. She touched the coarse fur on its back. "Noir really caught a huge one. Should we roast it all night? Fresh meat after six hours of fighting is going to taste amazing."

Sylvia nodded. "You two handle the meat. I’ll prepare the fire and roasting setup."

Without much discussion, the division of tasks flowed smoothly as usual. Sylvia stepped outside the tent and cleared a flat area between the tall stone ruins that formed a natural shelter. She arranged large stones into a sturdy, stable fire ring, then stacked small twigs in the center as kindling. Alicia helped with a light fire spell, and the bonfire immediately blazed brightly. The dry wood crackled comfortably, crack... crack... in the middle of the cold, damp mist.

Meanwhile, Stacia and Alicia worked together to prepare the giant boar efficiently. Stacia used her dual daggers, sharp as razors, to skin the animal and remove the coarse fur with quick, skilled movements. The blades danced nimbly, peeling away the thick hide without wasting any meat underneath. Alicia used a gentle wind spell to blow away the flying fur so it wouldn’t dirty the area around the tent. They carefully removed the internal organs, then washed the body cavity with clean water from their storage until it gleamed.

"Lots of salt and spices, okay," Alicia said as she took out several bottles of premium seasonings that Sylvia had stored. They rubbed the entire surface of the meat with coarse salt, fragrant black pepper, dried rosemary, thyme, and several special spices from Nocture that would give a sweet smoky aroma when heated. Stacia stuffed whole garlic cloves, bay leaves, and slices of ginger into the body cavity to deepen the flavor.

Sylvia finished preparing the roasting setup. She took out a special steel spit from her storage. With Stacia’s help, they slowly and carefully pushed the spit from the boar’s mouth to its tail so the meat wouldn’t tear or crack. The spit was then placed on two tall stone supports, allowing the boar’s body to hang perfectly over the bonfire, ready to be roasted.

"Start turning," Sylvia said.

The three of them took turns rotating the spit at a steady rhythm. This traditional turning technique required patience and coordination so the heat would reach every part evenly. At first the fire was kept low, just to dry the outer skin. Once the skin began to harden and turn golden, they added larger pieces of wood to raise the flames to medium strength. Fat from the boar started dripping into the fire, creating a tempting sssttt... sssttt... sound. The rich, savory, smoky aroma of roasting meat spread far, mixing with the purple mist and overpowering the metallic scent of dark blood in the surroundings.

Sylvia turned the spit with steady movements, her athletic arm muscles clearly visible under the dancing firelight. A thin layer of sweat reappeared on her neck and chest, making her black tank top cling even more. Stacia was in charge of adding wood and basting the meat’s surface with a mixture of honey, dark soy sauce, olive oil, and a bit of dried chili using a makeshift brush made from broad leaves. Alicia occasionally blew controlled warm wind to keep the fire from getting too big and burning the outside while the inside was still raw.

The roasting process took nearly two full hours. They kept turning, basting, and adjusting the distance of the spit from the flames. The boar’s skin gradually turned into a glossy golden-brown crust, its fat melting perfectly and dripping, occasionally making the fire flare up with a whoosh. The tempting aroma spread deep into the mist. Occasionally, faint monster roars could be heard from afar, as if drawn by the scent, but none dared approach because of the powerful, oppressive aura of the three sisters.

"It’s almost done," Stacia said while wiping sweat from her forehead with her arm. She sliced off a small edge piece with her dagger and tasted it. "Mmm... incredibly tender. Juicy inside, crispy outside. Noir really got a good one."

They carved the meat into large portions. The crispy, savory skin, the juicy pink meat with fat that melted on the tongue, and the ribs that had become tender after long roasting. They sat around the bonfire, using plates and forks from their system storage. The dinner felt luxurious and extraordinary in the middle of the deadly dungeon ruins.

Sylvia bit into a large piece of thigh meat, its warm juices flowing down her chin. "This is so good. After this, we’ll sleep in shifts. One person on guard, two resting. Don’t let your guard down even though we’ve cleared the area."

Stacia nodded while chewing heartily, her cheeks puffed out. "I’ll take the first watch at midnight. You two rest earlier. Tomorrow morning we’ll enter the inner area in the best condition."

Alicia stared at the fire while holding a still-hot rib. "The runes are glowing brighter every hour. Tomorrow will definitely be tougher. But... I feel like we’re ready. Our levels rose quite significantly after those six hours, and our soul bonds have grown even stronger."

Their conversation flowed casually between the crackling of the fire and the occasional dripping of fat. They discussed strategies for the next layer, possible stronger bosses, dimensional traps that might exist, new monster types, and the rewards they might obtain. Sylvia occasionally glanced at the mist outside the circle of firelight, her mind already drifting toward the next evolution that was drawing closer.

The night grew late. The purple mist seemed to dance around their firelight but didn’t dare come closer than ten meters. After eating until their stomachs were full and warm, Stacia took up guard position at the tent entrance, dagger on her lap, eyes remaining alert. Sylvia and Alicia entered the tent and lay down side by side on the thick, soft layer of fabric.

Before falling asleep, Sylvia whispered softly in the darkness, "Tomorrow we’ll see just how deep this darkness really is."

Alicia only murmured in agreement, her eyes already closed, her breathing slowly becoming steady.