God, Help Us All [Monster Evolution/Progression/LitRPG]-Chapter 106: The Festival Night

The festival was in full swing.

Night draped over the canyon, the stars like scattered embers above, while flames from the massive bonfire flickered against the sandstone walls. The air was thick with laughter, music, and the scent of roasted meats, the sounds of drums and flutes weaving a lively rhythm through the air.

It was all for me, of course.

A grand feast, an offering, a pitiful display of desperation disguised as honor.

I didn't care.

Not about the half-dressed dancers twirling around the fire, their furred bodies moving in fluid, hypnotic motions. Not about the elaborate performances, or the chants sung in old tongues, praising me as the Demi-God of Destruction.

No.

My focus was on something far more divine.

The food.

I tore through a massive slab of braised warthog, juices dripping from my claws, my fangs ripping into the tender meat as I barely chewed before swallowing. I downed mouthfuls of something that tasted like buttered serpent eel, its flesh delicately charred with hints of spice.

Platters of roast sand-crab legs, split open to reveal sweet, steaming meat, were next. I crushed one in my grip, sucking the marrow out, the taste unlike anything I'd ever had.

And then there was the ashfruit pudding, a dark, smoky-flavored delicacy that sent a shudder of pleasure down my spine. Sweet. But not too sweet. Smooth, but thick enough to be satisfying.

Heaven.

It had been so long since I had real food.

Ever since coming to this world, it had been raw meat, blood, and whatever I could hunt and devour.

Finally. Finally. A real meal.

I was so engrossed that when the chief of the village timidly leaned forward and opened his mouth, I turned to him slowly, my eyes burning red.

He froze.

"What is it?" I growled, my tail lashing once against the ground.

The little rabbit-wolf anthromorph swallowed hard. "I-I was merely wishing to ask… if the feast was to your liking, Great One?"

I stared.

The audacity.

Interrupting me while I'm eating?

I didn't even answer. Just kept staring, my third eye swirling, my claws still dripping with fat and meat juices as I took another slow, deliberate bite.

The chief got the message.

He cleared his throat, turning away immediately to the other idiot sitting beside me.

"Ah, young traveler," the chief said hurriedly, "are the festivities to your liking?"

James, who was slumped lazily against a wooden bench, looked up blearily.

His eyes were unfocused, his face flushed, and the jug in his hand was almost empty.

A single sniff confirmed what had happened.

Hah. He got drunk off the village's strongest alcohol.

Idiot.

James blinked sluggishly, then gave a wide, lopsided grin.

"Yes! Very… very… nice."

The chief chuckled at his slurred speech. "You remind me of someone," he mused. "A young human warrior I once met long ago, when he was your age. He also drank that same spirit, thinking it was water."

James waved dramatically, clearly enjoying himself. "I am a warrior! I travel… with a demi-god." He gestured wildly to me, then almost toppled off the bench before catching himself.

The chief's ears perked, his gaze sharpening. "Oh? And who might you be, young one, to accompany such a being?"

James grinned drunkenly, puffing out his chest.

"I am the disciple of the Human Avatar, A!"

The music stopped.

The entire village went silent.

The chief's brows shot up, his ears twitching. "A?" His voice lowered with awe, as if speaking the name aloud would summon the man himself.

James nodded eagerly. "Yup! My master is the A." He tapped his temple. "Smartest guy I know. Real strong, too. Real scary when he's mad. But nice! Most of the time. Just don't piss him off."

The chief blinked, then laughed softly, shaking his head. "So, you are his student." He exhaled, eyes filled with nostalgia. "How time flies… I remember when he was but a boy, traveling these lands."

I kept eating, but I listened closely now.

Interesting.

The chief's gaze softened as he looked at James. "You even move the same way when drunk. Tell me, how has his journey been?"

James opened his mouth, blinking sluggishly as the chief's words registered through the alcohol haze in his brain. He slumped back against the wooden bench, rubbing his face before exhaling a long, dramatic sigh.

"Master…" he muttered, voice heavy, "Master's been trying to figure out why the elves started this war."

The chief's ears twitched sharply, his old eyes narrowing. "I see…"

James hiccupped, wiping at his mouth as he pushed himself up. "It's not just conquest, you know? They're not just trying to dominate the world. Master thinks there's something deeper." He frowned. "He's been searching for clues, looking into old treaties, lost records… but it's like someone's erased history itself. The moment the elves turned on the rest of the world, the reasons behind it vanished."

The chief's ears folded slightly, his expression darkening. "A war with no true cause… only destruction." He shook his head, his graying fur ruffling with tension. "And with the Elven Avatar leading them, it will only grow worse."

I listened.

Between bites of roasted serpent eel, I flicked my third eye toward the old rabbit-wolf, studying the way his fingers curled into his robes, the quiet way his tail thumped once against the bench, betraying the weight in his heart.

"This year's Sacred Rite…" the chief began softly, staring at the fire. "It is meant to be soon, isn't it?"

James looked at him blearily. "Sacred Rite?"

The old man let out a deep breath, his fingers tightening around his wooden staff. "The sealing of the Black Dragon of Annihilation."

The night air seemed to still.

Even the fire flickered lower, as if respecting the weight of those words.

James' drunken stupor faltered, just for a second, as he stared at the chief. "You mean… the Apocalyptic Dragon?"

The chief nodded slowly, his throat working before he spoke again. "Every five hundred years, five Avatars—one from each race—perform the Sacred Rite to reinforce the dragon's bindings." His fingers drummed against the staff, his voice turning grim. "But now… with the Elven Avatar on their side… tell me, young one, do you truly believe this year's sealing will be completed?"

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James said nothing.

He couldn't.

Because he knew the answer.

The elves wouldn't just refuse to seal the dragon—they would do everything in their power to unleash it.

The final disaster.

A being whose roar alone cracked the heavens, whose flames melted entire continents, whose existence demanded destruction.

And yet…

That wasn't what interested me.

No.

My fingers tapped against my plate, and I felt a slow grin stretch across my lips.

The strongest being sealed beneath the world?

I wonder… how strong it truly is?

James, however, wasn't thinking about that.

He sat there, hunched over, staring at his drink, his mood swinging downwards like a stone sinking into deep waters. His drunken mind swirled with thoughts too heavy for a kid his age.

The chief saw it.

And sighed.

"You remind me so much of him…"

The old rabbit-wolf chuckled, shaking his head. "He came here when he was your age. Just as reckless, just as lost." He took a slow sip of his drink, sighing. "He got drunk just as quickly too."

James snorted, rubbing at his face. "That… sounds about right."

The chief grinned, his old eyes twinkling. "I remember when he drank his first shot of sandfire whiskey." He laughed. "One sip and he thought his soul left his body."

James giggled like a fool, his shoulders shaking. "No way. Master?"

"Oh, yes. He collapsed onto the ground, rolling around like a panicked armadillo, screaming about how 'his ancestors were calling him.'"

James howled with laughter, pounding the table. "I CAN'T—"

The chief smirked, tail swishing. "Then he tried to spar with a rock. And lost."

James was crying now, barely able to breathe between laughs. "Master fought a ROCK?"

"And lost."

James collapsed against the table, completely gone.

I sighed, taking another bite of my food.

Idiots.

The chief chuckled at James' state, but then his gaze softened. "He was just a boy then. Just like you." His ears twitched. "Burdened with expectations, trying to become something greater than himself."

James slowed, his laughter dying down.

The chief continued, voice gentle.

"A grows stronger every year. But he was not born an Avatar. He became one. With time. With hardship." He tapped James lightly on the head. "And so will you."

James stared at the old man, his drunken thoughts swirling, his heart aching with something he couldn't name.

"…But what if I can't?" he mumbled, slumping down. "What if I'm not strong enough?"

The chief smiled.

"Then keep walking."

James blinked.

The old man nodded toward the canyon beyond the bonfire. "The path forward is always there. Some will run. Some will crawl. But those who stop moving… will never reach their fate."

James exhaled slowly, staring at the flames.

A long silence.

"…Thanks, chief."

The chief just patted his head.

And then—

"ENOUGH!"

A furious, drunken voice shattered the moment.

Heads turned toward the source.

Standing near the bonfire, his fists clenched, his breath heavy with drink, was Lak Hok.

The hunting captain.

His teeth bared, his tail bristling, his eyes wild with defiance.

"I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!"

The village stiffened.

The chief's face paled instantly.

I put down my half-eaten rib and finally looked up.

Oh?

Lak Hok staggered forward, his muscles tense, his ears flattened in anger.

"I won't stand here and let everyone grovel before a mere god-beast!" His voice rose, raw with frustration. "I am the protector of this village! I am the one who will keep them safe!"

Silence.

Then—

Crack.

I stood.

The wooden table beneath me shattered under the sheer force, sending food and plates flying as I rose to my full height.

The music stopped. The dancing stopped. The world stopped.

I smiled.

A wicked, sharp-toothed grin.

"So, you want to duel me?"

The fear in the air was palpable.

Lak Hok stood firm.

Drunk. Stubborn. Stupid.

And yet…

I saw no fear in his stance.

Amusing.

The young mutt squared his shoulders, inhaling sharply before announcing, "Meet me in the Duel Circle. Midnight."

The chief gasped audibly.

I laughed.

A deep, rumbling sound that echoed through the canyon walls.

"Fine." I cracked my knuckles, letting the power hum beneath my skin. "I'll lower my power to a peak first-stage fighter. Give you a chance to entertain me."

Lak Hok gritted his teeth, eyes burning with determination.

My tail lashed, smashing into the floor, sending dust and embers scattering.

This…

Would be fun.