The gang was celebrating.
The sky turned purple as ten blood-crimson moons rose up, illuminating the world with crimson rays.
In front of the gates, between the grass and trees, a fire was burning, sparks floating from it.
Mama Sli, Little Sli, Nobara, Lily, Cow#1, Bull#1, Wolf#1, and Averon sat surrounding the fire.
Cattle, wolves, and slis were playing around in the back.
Wolves and Aquacorcodile kept an eye on the others.
Averon, in his sli form, took a sip from a bottle almost twice his size.
Lily watched him for a mont before suddenly grinning.
"What's wrong?" Averon asked, as a faint redness spread across his multicoloured body.
"You're cute—that's all," Lily laughed softly, resting her chin on her hand.
The sight in front of her made her smile.
A tiny sli with short jelly arms held a bottle bigger than itself and took a sip from it.
Just the re image of slis was enough to lt hearts.
But a sli trying to drink from a giant bottle twice its size?... That was a sight one couldn't forget.
Averon imdiately changed into his humanoid form.
Lily sighed.
"You are a plushie now," she added, chewing her at slowly. "But I like it more when you are in your sli form."
"You're embarrassing ," Averon waved his palm as he took a sip.
'It's smooth and has a sweet aftertaste,' he comnted on the wine.
Lily had dragged several beasts earlier—their carcasses were now roasted above the flas.
The sll of cooked at filled the air.
For a mont, the world felt peaceful.
'No battles. No blood. Just food, and laughter.' Averon took a bite from the roasted at and then another sip from the bottle.
'I want this… I want this ti to last forever,' his gaze slowly moved across the group.
Little Sli was wobbling drunkenly near the fire.
Nobara scolded him, "You drank too much." He pulled the bottle from his hands.
Mama Sli sighed. "Let him enjoy—it's only for today." She was cooking at with a few spices over the fire.
She finished roasting a large goat leg.
After carefully turning it a few tis above the fla, she bounced over and handed it to Averon.
"How is it?" she asked, wobbling.
Averon took a bite.
Juice from the at ran down his sli fingers.
He chewed for a mont before raising his thumb. "It's good."
Mama Sli grinned.
"Boss! Boss!" Little Sli suddenly bounced toward him, his body glowing red from the alcohol he had clearly consud far too much of.
"How was the trial?" he gurgled loudly.
Nobara imdiately frowned. "You drank too much."
Little Sli swayed. "No… no… I'm perfectly fine…"
He imdiately fell sideways.
Lily burst into laughter.
Mama Sli grinned.
Averon chuckled quietly.
Bull#1 and Wolf#1 had engaged in a drinking competition, which attracted everyone's attention.
"Three bottles," Bull#1 exhaled from his nose.
"Hmm, fourth one," Wolf#1 raised his fourth bottle, clenching the bottle's head with his teeth.
He gulped it down instantly.
"I'll join as well!" Little Sli echoed drunkenly.
He bounced, reaching out to a bottle near Bull#1. He fell down twice in the middle.
A bubble escaped his mouth as he fell asleep.
Everyone burst out laughing.
Even Elder Nobara couldn't stop a faint smile.
The trees swayed as a calm, cool breeze spread.
For a brief mont, the world itself seed to celebrate with them.
Cow#1 patted Bull#1 and spat, "That's enough."
Bull#1's head had turned red.
Wolf#1 turned to Averon and asked, "Lord, how about a battle?"
He raised his bottle.
Averon glared at everyone and questioned, "How about it? Everyone?"
"Are you sure?" Lily asked back, raising her brows.
"Sure," Averon nodded.
"Good," Mama Sli grinned.
"You are too early to battle ," Nobara snarled.
The fire crackled louder.
Everyone picked up bottles and gulped them down.
After a few monts, everyone except Averon, Lily, Mama Sli, and Nobara collapsed.
"You are cheating?" Averon hissed, glaring at Lily.
His vision was spinning.
He flared with aura, wiping out the drunkenness.
"You figured it out," Lily sighed, with a playful smile.
He glanced at the three who were calm as they kept drinking.
"You can do it, child," Mama Sli handed him another bottle.
"I can," Averon picked it up. 'After knowing they are using energy, I can never lose.'
Under that strange sky, they celebrated.
Averon looked at them once more as he used his aura to wipe out the drunkenness. He gulped down another bottle.
'My kingdom must be happy like this… every day, no worries,' he mused, as he reached out for another bottle near Nobara.
For a day, he forgot everything and let himself go with the flow.
His core, his feelings—peaceful for once in his entire life, from the beginning of looping.
Averon didn't know yet how fragile that peace truly was.
---
A while ago—
Elena, folding her hands behind her back, said, "I heard you have failed the Demon King heir trial."
Maldrak hissed, "I asked whether he is strong?"
Pulling a seven-ter-tall yellow mace with the sharp, pointed pikes, covered with dried blood, from thin air, he pointed it at her.
He roared, "Did you co here to mock ?"
"No," Elena shook her head.
With a bitter glare, she said, "The Moon God—my God—has peeked into the trials and found out how the sli passed."
"Sli," Maldrak gritted his teeth. "How did the Demon Kings recognize a re sli? Only the powerful must be recognized."
He yelled, flaring with demonic force. "And why did you co here? Just to point out that a sli passed while I failed?"
Elena shook her head and added with a wide grin, "Don't you want to get the King's Mark for yourself?"
"What?" Maldrak's eyes widened. His entire body shook.
"The King's Mark can be stolen," Elena added, pulling a flask of black liquid from thin air. "This is a gift from my God."
She threw the flask at Maldrak, who caught it with his left palm. Glancing at the flask, he asked, "What do you want from ?"
Elena tapped her lower lip, thoughtfully, and replied, "Nothing much—just wanting to cause chaos in the world."
"Chaos," Maldrak clenched the flask tightly.
"Whoa, whoa, there is only one flask—be careful with it," Elena exclaid.
She continued bitterly, "If you don't want to, then I'll find another general."
"Why chaos? And what would be good for you?" Maldrak questioned, placing the flask in thin air as it disappeared.
Elena answered with a sigh. "Not many people pray to my Moon God. Our Lord is so generous—he took the curse of others upon himself. Despite knowing this—"
"Get to the point," Maldrak hissed, cutting her.
Elena coughed. "Because if there is chaos, many people will pray to my God."
"So that's your plan," Maldrak nodded. "Consider it done."
Elena knitted her eyebrows. "I'll give a heads-up."
"Heads-up?" Maldrak asked.
"The sli is going to create a kingdom in the future," Elena snorted. "Don't make my God's efforts go to waste. Take everything from him—even the King's Mark."
"Okay," Maldrak nodded. "I'll use it to my advantage."
Elena coldly warned, "You'll have to succeed, or else face the wrath of my God."
"How dare you!" The Ogre raised his mace, erupting with demonic force. "Great Demonic Slam!"
Maldrak's mace crashed down, shattering the ground beneath Elena as she caught the mace, with the golden aura flaring.
Reviews
All reviews (0)