Chapter 33: Feast & Scamming Gremlins

Mike wiped the sweat from his forehead as they finally reached the village. The massive Tusk Beast was dragged in behind them, its sheer size making the warriors wheeze and curse under their breath.

But as they stepped through the village entrance, Mike froze.

The border wall… was done.

Not halfway. Not almost. DONE.

Towering stone and reinforced wood stretched across the village, making it look like some kind of fortress.

Brutus whistled. "Huh. That was fast."

Kiera blinked. "Wait… wasn't this supposed to take at least a month?"

Mike turned his head and spotted Loran standing near the entrance, arms crossed, looking way too pleased with himself.

Mike marched up to him. "Okay, how the hell did you build this wall so fast?"

Loran grinned. "Oh, you don't wanna know."

Mike raised an eyebrow. "Loran."

Loran chuckled. "Alright, alright… Flashback time."

---

Flashback: The Great Gremlin Scam

Loran stood on a wooden platform, looking down at the army of Mud Gremlins below him.

"Alright, boys! Today is your lucky day!"

The Gremlins all perked up, excited.

"You have been chosen for the most prestigious job in the entire village!"

One Gremlin tilted its head. "Really?"

Loran nodded seriously. "Oh, absolutely. Building a wall isn't just ANY job. It's an honor! A duty only the strongest and smartest Gremlins can handle."

Another Gremlin scratched its head. "Uh… so we get paid?"

Loran gasped. "Paid? PAID?! My dear, foolish Gremlin, do kings get paid for ruling? Do heroes get paid for saving the world?"

The Gremlins whispered among themselves. "No…?"

Loran clapped his hands. "EXACTLY! They do it for the glory! The legacy! The HONOR!"

The Gremlins oohed and ahhed in admiration.

Another Gremlin raised a hand. "So… we get honor?"

Loran nodded solemnly. "Yes. And exposure. You will be known across the land as the Gremlins who built the Great Wall of—uh… whatever we name this place later."

The Gremlins cheered.

Loran grinned. "Alright, now start working!"

What followed was 48 hours of non-stop, unpaid Gremlin labor.

They hauled stone, chopped wood, hammered nails—all while chanting:

"HONOR! LEGACY! EXPOSURE!"

Loran, meanwhile, sat in a comfortable chair, sipping juice as they slaved away.

At one point, a Gremlin collapsed.

"Sir… I can't feel my arms…"

Loran patted him on the head. "That just means you're ascending to legendary status."

The Gremlin teared up. "R-really?"

Loran nodded.

And so, the Gremlins worked harder.

By the time the wall was finished, half of them were lying on the ground in exhaustion, and the other half were crying from happiness because they thought they had become legends.

Loran clapped his hands. "Excellent work! Now go rest, my little champions!"

The Gremlins cheered weakly before collapsing in place.

Loran smirked. "Easiest labor project ever."

---

Back to the Present…

Mike stared at Loran.

"…You scammed them."

Loran shrugged. "I prefer 'creative motivation.'"

Mike facepalmed.

Brutus nodded approvingly. "Smart man."

Kiera sighed. "Loran, this is why no one trusts you."

Loran smirked. "And yet, I get things done."

Mike looked at the Gremlins, still lying on the ground groaning in exhaustion.

"…Yeah, okay, that tracks."

---

The Feast Begins!

With the wall finished and the Tusk Beast ready, it was time for a FEAST.

Bonfires were lit. Meat was roasted. Drinks flowed freely.

The village was alive with laughter, music, and the delicious smell of victory.

Mike stood on a table, raising his mug.

"Tonight, we celebrate!"

The warriors cheered.

"For our strength! Our victories! And our amazing, totally-not-exploited Gremlins!"

One of the Gremlins weakly raised a hand from the ground. "Hooray…"

Mike grinned. "EAT! DRINK! AND ENJOY! Because tomorrow… we train again."

The warriors groaned.

Loran smirked. "Oh, c'mon. Think of it as… training for honor."

The warriors all glared at him.

Mike just laughed and took a big bite of roasted Tusk Beast.

For the first time in a long time… things felt good.

And soon, with his Evolution Points, they were about to get even better.

TO BE CONTINUED…

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This keeps the humor high, especially with Loran basically running a scam on the Gremlins. Hope you like it! Let me know what happens next!