Chapter 28: The Challenge

"Your name is Drako."

Yeah... cliché, I know.

But under pressure, the only other names my brain could come up with were Mochi, Pebbles, and Momo, and none of those exactly screamed ’powerful’.

So Drako it was.

The lemur’s ears perked up, and with a high-pitched yet surprisingly fierce "Rrrraaah!" it threw its tiny arms into the air as though it had just won a glorious battle.

The smug little grin spreading across its face left no room for doubt. It absolutely loved the name.

I couldn’t help but shake my head, a laugh escaping my lips.

"Alright, alright. Don’t let it go to your head."

While I was busy humoring the overexcited furball, Zephra remained silent, her arms folded across her chest as those golden eyes carefully studied me.

After a long moment, she finally broke the silence.

"Most outsiders panic when they’re thrown into unfamiliar situations," she said, her voice calm and measured. "But you... you seem unusually calm."

I turned to face her, raising an eyebrow.

"Well," I replied with a small shrug, "I don’t exactly have a choice."

It was adapt or die, and I had no intention of dying anytime soon.

She let out a thoughtful hum, as though weighing my words, before a small grin tugged at the corners of her lips.

"Still," she said, "it’s impressive. I like that."

There was something about the way she said those words that made my stomach tighten, though not in an unpleasant way, and I found myself staring at her for a second longer than I probably should have.

Maybe I was imagining things, but... was she flirting?

A goblin, flirting?

The idea was absurd.

But... not exactly unwelcome.

I wasn’t exactly an expert at reading signals, yet the way she looked at me with those steady, amused eyes that lingered just a little too long made it difficult to think of any other explanation.

Before I could say something dumb, something that would either ruin the moment or somehow make it a hundred times more interesting, a deep, resonating horn suddenly echoed throughout the village, its powerful blast cutting through the night and silencing everything else for a heartbeat.

I blinked and glanced toward the source of the sound:

"What is that?"

Zephra turned in the same direction, a faint smile touching her lips:

"The feast is starting. You should come."

Never one to turn down free food, I nodded without hesitation and followed after her.

By the time we arrived, the entire village had come alive.

Massive bonfires blazed across the clearing, their flames crackling as spirals of glowing embers drifted lazily into the night sky.

The air was thick with the mouthwatering scent of roasted meat, mingling with the earthy fragrance of fresh herbs and the rich aroma of sizzling fat until it was impossible not to feel my stomach growl.

Goblins gathered in noisy clusters, tearing into hunks of meat with sharp teeth as their guttural laughter boomed over the clanking of mugs and the deep, rhythmic beat of war drums.

Nearby, some wrestled for sport, slamming each other into the dirt hard enough to make the ground tremble, while others drank straight from barrels the size of tree stumps. It was raw, savage, and completely unfiltered.

And I loved every second of it. So, naturally, I ate. A lot.

The juicy, well-cooked meat was charred around the edges yet bursting with flavor, while the thick, hearty stews were packed with roots and wild vegetables that somehow tasted far better than they looked.

Even the strange, spongy fruit carried a tangy sweetness that lingered pleasantly on my tongue.

Every bite sent a comforting warmth through my body, replenishing the energy I’d burned through the day, and before I realized it, I just kept eating.

Then a familiar notification flickered across my vision.

Ding!

[Iron Gut converting excess food to energy...]

[You have received +1 point to Strength]

I paused mid-bite, chewing slowly as the realization settled in.

Oh.

I didn’t know [Iron Gut] could do that... converting excess food directly into pure strength.

If that was the case, then I could eat as much as I wanted without ever having to worry about putting on weight.

A grin spread across my face as I popped another piece of meat into my mouth.

Might as well keep going.

Seated beside me, Zephra watched with undisguised fascination as I tore through the food like a starved beast. I wasn’t trying to put on a show, but apparently I was, considering I was eating far more than someone my size had any business consuming.

And it wasn’t just her watching.

The female goblins whispered among themselves as I ate, occasionally stealing glances in my direction. Some looked amused, others intrigued, and a few simply watched with open curiosity, as though trying to figure out what made me so special.

The male goblins, on the other hand, didn’t seem nearly as impressed.

One of them, in particular, stood out.

And it wasn’t Gunther, surprisingly. The big guy was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, a goblin roughly the same size as him stood with his arms crossed, his body covered in jagged scars that crisscrossed over bulging muscles like old battle trophies.

His amber eyes remained fixed on me with such burning intensity that it felt like they could set the surrounding trees on fire.

[Bruz - Level 11 Goblin]

Great.

Another anti-fan of the chosen one.

He stalked toward me, each heavy step thudding against the packed dirt until his shadow fell over where I sat. A low, guttural growl rumbled from his throat as he glared down at me.

"You eat well for someone who has done nothing to earn it."

I looked up from my meal, meeting his eyes without stopping my chewing.

"Our hunters bled for that meat," he continued, his voice carrying across the clearing for every goblin nearby to hear. "Our tribe gathered these fruits. Yet you gorge yourself as though you belong among us."

I finished the mouthful, swallowed, and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand before looking him straight in the eye.

"This isn’t about the food... is it?"

The goblin frowned, and that alone told me everything I needed to know. So I was right. This was about the elder calling me the chosen one.

His jaw tightened, and when he finally spoke, his voice carried an edge of restrained anger.

"A stranger cannot lead our people."

I actually agreed with him. I had no interest in leading any clan, but there was no reason to reveal that just yet.

"And why not?" I asked calmly.

"Because you have shed no blood for this tribe!" the goblin shouted. "You have earned no respect, and you know nothing of our suffering."

I considered his words for a moment before giving a slow nod.

"Fair enough."

The simple response seemed to catch him completely off guard.

"But tell me something."

I set the half-finished bone beside me, pushed myself to my feet, and brushed the dirt from my hands before meeting his gaze.

"If being born here is enough..." I said evenly, "...then why are things still this bad?"

The murmurs surrounding us faded almost at once, and the warrior’s eyes narrowed into a glare.

"You dare..."

"No." I cut him off, my voice calm and steady. "I’m asking a simple question."

Taking a slow step toward him, I held his gaze without the slightest hint of hesitation.

"You say I haven’t earned the right to speak. Fine." I met his glare without flinching. "Then tell me... what have all of you earned?"

He said nothing.

I took a slow step forward, refusing to break eye contact.

"You’ve lost your land."

Another step closed the distance between us until I was standing directly in front of him.

"You’ve lost your magic."

My voice remained calm, but every word struck like a hammer.

"And now you’re standing here arguing over whether an outsider deserves dinner."

The feast fell silent.

Every conversation died where it stood, and dozens of eyes shifted toward us.

The warrior’s breathing grew heavier as his chest rose and fell, his claws slowly curling into tight fists.

"You talk too much."

"Is that the case?" I replied evenly, meeting his glare without flinching, "or is it that you just do not want to hear the truth?"

Whatever restraint he had been clinging to finally snapped.

He took a heavy step forward until his towering frame loomed over me.

"I challenge the Chosen One to a duel," he declared, his voice carrying clearly through the feast. "Fight me and prove your worth."

The lively atmosphere died in an instant. Conversations cut off mid-sentence, laughter vanished, and every pair of eyes turned toward us.

I let out a slow sigh.

Well... that escalated quickly.

The moment those...