Tulong the Great is the strongest warrior in all of Ruse, or at least that's what he thinks. He embarks on his most challenging quest to date: defeating a level 80 boss, twenty levels above his own, deep in a powerful dungeon. The quest turns out to be even more daunting than he expected and he finds himself biting off more than he can chew, both figuratively and literally...

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A buff tiger, with chest puffed and head raised, strutted into town with a large sword swung over his shoulder. He caught the attention of a young wolf, who abandoned his toys and ran up to the strong adventurer.

“Wow!” the boy exclaimed. “Are you Tulong the Great, the warrior known far and wide for his tremendous strength and power but who has recently become bored of defeating the same old monsters and bosses and so has returned to town despite his distaste of its run-down appearance and filthy peasants in hopes of obtaining his most challenging quest to date?”

Tulong turned his head left and right, admiring the large crowd that gathered around him, before chuckling in a deep tone. “That’s right, Awkward Run-On Exposition… Ah, Isabel Anne Stone! You’ve grown a lot since I’ve last seen you!” He picked up the small vixen beside him and twirled her in the air. She giggled childishly as he nuzzled his forehead against hers. The crowd reacted appropriately, cheering and awing the act of affection.

With children on his shoulders and admirers at his side, Tulong barged into the town’s old-fashioned tavern. As his boots clanged on the creaking, wooden floorboards, the wife of the tavern owner briefly stopped wiping a table to glare at the tiger. He pulled up a stool at the bar, pounding his fist against the counter as he sat down.

“Finworth!” Tulong shouted in a friendly tone. “It’s been a while since I’ve last seen you!” The bartender was as unamused as the owner’s wife, staring at him with equally piercing eyes. Tulong coughed. “I’ve come for another quest, but don’t hold back on me. I want the toughest one you’ve got!”

The proposal made Finworth smirk. “The toughest, you say?” he said with exaggerated enthusiasm. “Right away, sir!” He knelt down and retrieved a foot-thick, leather-bound book, slamming it on the counter with a heavy thud. He flipped to the end of it, letting out a devious chuckle when he found the perfect quest for the ambitious tiger.

“Here we are!” Finworth flipped the book around to Tulong, motioning him to scan the page. “The dungeon is nasty by itself, but its boss is a whole ‘nother beast, even if he isn’t a beast himself. He’s but a mere mage, no taller than six feet, but the level 80 wizard is equipped with a powerful spread of spells. What really makes him notorious, however, is the punishment he deals out to those who fail to defeat him...”

Tulong put his paw up. “I’ll pass,” he said. “I can’t possibly take on something twenty levels above me. Maybe ten or fifteen would be more appropriate.”

Finworth let out a forced gasp. “You’re kidding, right?” He leaned his arm against the counter and smirked. “You’re Tulong the Great! You’re strong, powerful, unstoppable. Surely, you should be able to take on a flimsy wizard with your impressive power!” He emphasized every adjective with a raise in pitch and elongated syllables, but his sarcasm flew over the tiger’s head.

Tulong laughed heartily. “I’m flattered, but I think this quest is a bit outside my comfort zone.”

“Come on, Finworth!” called out another voice. Tulong turned to face the speaker, a tatter-clothed fox. “Nothing’s too tough for you! Show us what you’re made of!”

Similar words of encouragement popped up throughout the tavern. Soon enough, the entire tavern was chanting Tulong’s name in unison. “Tulong the Great! Tulong the Great!” He smiled at the overwhelming support. If these villagers thought he could do it, he reasoned, then maybe this quest wouldn’t be so tough after all.

Tulong stood up and addressed the crowd. “Citizens of Ruse!” he boomed. “I promise to take on this quest and emerge victorious. Mark my words, I will return with bountiful rewards!”

The crowd applauded his speech. As Tulong strode out of the tavern, the villagers followed behind him, chanting his name the entire time. With the tavern deserted, the bartender chuckled to himself. He had a feeling he’ll never have to see the cocky tiger ever again. He choose this quest specifically for its crippling punishment. If the tiger failed to conquer the dungeon, he’d have to suffer the consequences for the rest of his days...

~

Tulong grinned and flexed his arms as he stood outside the dungeon’s tall, stone archway. His past hour of partying and celebrating left him energized and confident. He felt he could take on an elephant if it appeared in front of him, so a simple wizard should be a piece of cake. After lighting a torch, he took his first step inside the dark cave.

He traversed no less than a hundred feet before a monster appeared in front of him: a humungous fly with a height twice his and eyes that glared like hawks. It hovered motionlessly, clearly not eager to make the first move. The well-armored warrior grinned as he unsheathed his sword, thinking this would be good, easy practice.

Tulong slashed forward, but the fly dodged in a snap. His sword, still in motion, dug deep into the dirt floor. Caught off guard by the fly’s speed, he took note to be more watchful with his next attack. While he tried to free his sword, a sharp spike penetrated his back. Tulong let go of the handle and gaped in pain. His hesitancy gave the fly an opportunity for a second attack, biting the tiger on the shoulder with sharp fangs.

Tulong shrieked and knelt to the floor. His face was a mix of anger and embarrassment. He couldn’t be bested by a fly, no matter how huge it was. In a fit of rage, he blindly swung behind him, but the beast swiftly disappeared once again. Tulong whipped his head at the sound of buzzing. Examining the creature that towered over him, he fully realized how powerful the monster was and dropped his sword in fear. Its entire body was suited with horrifying weapons, from his drill-like arms to his sword-sharp tail, and they all seemed to be pointed straight at him.

The fly lunged towards him, but Tulong rolled over just in time. Grabbing his torch and sword, he ran as far into the dark cave as he could. Even when the fly’s furious flapping was inaudible, he sprinted out of sheer terror, only stopping when he was completely drained of energy. Shakily, he turned around, half-expecting the fly to appear in front of his face, but all he saw was darkness. Relieved, he collapsed on the floor, searching his bag for potions and bandages to heal his wounds.

Once his fear dissipated, Tulong grumbled in annoyance. He thought it was unfair for a creature to be so strong yet so quick as well. It gave him no advantage point by which to best the beast, and he assumed the same held true for other adventurers who traversed this dungeon. The creature was, by his reasoning, overpowered. He ignored the fact this dungeon was designed for travelers twenty levels above his. It also didn’t cross his mind to turn back despite his humiliating retreat. His mind was set on defeating the wizard and he wouldn’t leave until he did so. After fully healing himself, he stood up and continued down the dark cave.

A few minutes later, a different creature emerged from the pitch blackness. The eight foot beast had the shape of a rabbit but the features of a shark. Its teeth were razor sharp and its back was equipped with a fin made of a saw blade. However, it had no wings, and that was a considerable improvement in Tulong’s eyes.

The tiger, after unsheathing his sword, slashed at the rabbit’s feet. He made contact, but was dismayed at how little damage he did. The rabbit leaped off its hind legs and lunged at the tiger. Tulong leaned back, dodging the bunny’s leap, but soon felt a sharp claw plunging into his back. He gritted his teeth at the sharp pain. He was momentarily confused, seeing as the bunny who lunged at him was several feet away, until he turned around to find another snarling rabbit at his side. Tulong growled. If the creatures can’t cheat with wings, they’ll cheat with numbers.

Tulong swung his sword with noticeably more rage. He hit the rabbit, but did no more damage than his prior attack. The creatures rearranged their positions, one taking the tiger’s front while the other took his back. The front rabbit kicked him in the chest, knocking him onto the other rabbit’s saw-fin. Tulong was met with excruciating pain. He attempted to get himself up, but the standing rabbit pushed his hind leg onto Tulong’s chest, forcing him deeper into the other rabbit’s sharp fin. Yelping in pain, the tiger felt his health drain rapidly. Dignity drove his next actions; if he was going to die, it wouldn’t be to a group of rabbits.

Clenching his fist, Tulong swung it across the rabbit’s face. He knew it wouldn’t do any damage, but it accomplished what he wanted: the rabbit was lifted off his chest. He elbowed the other rabbit, giving him enough time to free himself from its torturous saw. With the rabbits temporarily distracted, he darted away, though his pace was faltered by his aching back and tired limbs.

Peeking behind him, Tulong was terrified to find the rabbits hopping after him at a speed outmatching his. They were bound to catch up within seconds and finish off his weakened body. As a last resort, he chucked the torch to the side and hid inside a faintly visible crack in the wall. The rabbits, puzzled by the tiger’s disappearance, stopped in their tracks and lifted their noses in the air. Tulong closed his eyes and breathed in slowly, relieved the creatures couldn’t see him. He sat still for twenty minutes until the rabbits finally gave up and galloped away. His racing heart calmed down soon after.

With a scrunched face, Tulong ripped open his bag, frustrated he had to waste even more potions and bandages. He was getting tired of these clearly overpowered creatures, each of them tough enough to be bosses on their own. It should have hinted him that the wizard was much more powerful than he initially suspected, but he was convinced his potions would give him a significant edge. Speaking of, he peered into his bag after healing up to find there was only half of them left. If he kept fighting monsters so frivolously, he wouldn’t have any potions left for the final boss. The last thing he wanted was to re-trek this horrible dungeon just to restock.

Tulong decided he would sneak through the rest of the cave, avoiding as many enemies as he could. Was it cowardly? Sure, but the same could be said of those sleazy creatures. He was convinced they were too powerful to be mere dungeon roamers, dishonestly portraying themselves as ordinary monsters. Wizards, on the other hand, were fair and predictable. No matter how weak or strong, he knew all of their tricks. Even obscure spells were just derivatives of basic ones. Whoever won would win off of skill alone. Tulong, exceedingly confident about his strength, was certain he’d be victorious.

Using a basic fire spell he learned in his youth, Tulong traveled deeper in the dungeon. The rest of it went smoothly. Whenever he spotted a monster in the distance – always a hundred times bigger and a thousand times stronger than its base species – he flattened himself against a wall until they passed by, then continued on his way.

Minutes later, Tulong came to a dead end. Along the dirt wall in front of him was a wide, metal door. He smirked, suspecting the boss of the dungeon was just ahead. Kneeling down, he skimmed through his bag to recheck his supplies. Despite losing a lot of health early on, he still had a fair amount of health potions left over, and his strength potions remained untouched.

Tulong threw his bag around his shoulder and smiled in confidence. He had a simple but effective strategy for defeating bosses. He’d gulp down several strength potions at once, then slash away at the boss relentlessly. He wouldn’t defend much, meaning he’d take quite a bit of damage along the way, but that was what his health potions were for. With a couple minutes of hacking away and a few pauses to refuel his health, the boss would fall lifelessly to the ground.

He used this strategy countless of times before to defeat bosses effortlessly. Although this wizard was stronger than he was used too, he was sure it would only mean a slightly longer grind. He rubbed his hands together, excited to defeat his very first level 80 boss.

Tulong took a long step forward and kicked the door open. It swung out all the way, colliding against the adjacent wall with a loud bang. “Feeble wizard!” he exclaimed as he strode into the massive, nearly-bare room. “I, Tulong the Great, have come to challenge you!”

The blue-robbed figure stood at the far center of the classroom-sized cell with its back arched away from the tiger. He straightened himself, then turned around and threw back his large hood. The faint light that shone through the window above illuminated his face, showcasing its orange-black stripped fur and long whiskers. Tulong realized the wizard was a tiger just like himself.

The wizard smiled and chuckled manically. Its tired eyes revealed its old age. “Tulong, eh?” it said in a distinctively masculine voice. He chuckled louder, eventually putting a paw to his mouth to shush himself.

Tulong narrowed his brows. “Do you dare mock me?” he snarled.

“No, no...” The wizard coughed twice, ceasing his laughter. He cleared his throat and spoke in a deeper, stabilized tone. “I’m Jinjun, pyromancer and guardian of this dungeon. Pardon me for laughing. It’s just that your name... Well, I’ll suppose you’ll find out when I defeat you like all the others who ventured here.”

Tulong let out a scoffing laugh. “I wouldn’t declare victory so quickly if I were you.”

Jinjun’s lips craned smugly. “Why shouldn’t I?” he countered. “I’ve remained undefeated for years, and nowadays everyone seems too scared to take me on. I certainly didn’t expect someone of your likes to come around here. You look far too inexperienced to be around these parts.”

Tulong puffed his chest in pride. “Level 60 ‘inexperienced’, to be exact.” Jinjun went wide-eyed, then burst into a round of laughter. Tulong smiled at the wizard’s mocking. “That’s exactly the reaction I hoped to see. I assure you, you won’t be laughing when you find a sword pinned against your neck.”

Jinjun ceased his laughter with a humoured sigh. “Oh my, I didn’t think you’d be this cocky. I almost feel bad about fighting you… but not really, of course.” He gulped, then regained his smug grin. “I’d love to beat you to a pulp, but since I’m so generous, I’ll give you the chance to escape through this window and save yourself the embarrassment.”

Tulong briefly looked up at the window – a rectangular hole barred with vertical metal rungs – before confidently shaking his head. “The fact you’re giving me a way out proves you’re not as tough as you claim you are.”

“On the contrary!” Jinjun countered. “I just feel so inclined to help the less fortunate, but you give me no choice but to make you pay for your words. I’m the greatest wizard for miles around, and a measly tiger like you is a walk in the park for someone as powerful as I!”

Tulong gritted his teeth. The wizard’s arrogance was starting to grate on him. He unsheathed his sword, eager to get this battle over with.

The wizard smirked as he pulled out his sapphire wand. “Since I’m a gentleman, I’ll let you have the first-”

Tulong charged forward with a booming roar and swung his sword across Jinjun’s chest. The wizard hopped back, evading the tiger’s blow. With a quick flick of his wand, he conjured a ball of fire. With another flick, he hurled it towards the warrior. It hit him in the chest, sending him a few feet backward. It wasn’t enough to knock Tulong off his feet, but it still did a significant amount of damage. He suspected he’ll have to use his first potion sooner than expected.

Tulong grumbled as he dusted off his armor. Leaping forward, he attempted to strike the wizard again, this time at his shoulders, but Jinjun ducked his head. Stepping back, Jinjun put his palms out as if he were pushing out the air. He moved them in circles until a blue, foggy shield appeared in front of him.

The wizard chuckled. “I was going to say ‘strike’, but your swings look more like flimsy slaps. With this physical barrier shielding my body, it’ll be even harder to defeat me.” He smiled mockingly at his opponent’s growls. “Aw, is this poor little kitty frustrated he can’t hit me?” he teased. “If its too tough for you, I’ll give you one last chance to climb out the window. You might as well take it. You won’t be able to defeat a wizard as powerful as I.”

Tulong growled. He felt like pounding his fist through the wizard’s punchable face, though slicing him with his sword would be just as satisfying. “Sorry, but I’m not giving you an easy out!” he shouted. “I haven’t even unveiled my secret technique. When I do, you’ll regret ever opening your annoying, self-centered mouth.”

Grunting, Tulong swung his bag over his head and opened it up. Rummaging through it, he took each strength potion and uncorked them one by one. As soon as Tulong drank his second potion, Jinjun shook his head in pity. The wizard didn’t bother stopping him, instead chuckling at his naivety.

When Tulong chugged his last potion, he swung his bag back around. His body buzzed with incredible power and strength. He grinned, certain the battle would be over soon. With quick feet, he charged at the wizard and sliced him with incredible vigor. Halfway through his swing, he became troubled by two things: one, that the wizard didn’t dodge, and two, that he took the hit with a taunting smirk.

As Tulong examined the results of his attack, he realized why the wizard didn’t bother moving: his attack only did several hundred points of damage. It was only a miniscule fraction of the wizard’s enormous health bar. Tulong was as shocked as he was confused. How did the wizard know his attack would fail miserably?

Jinjun chuckled at Tulong’s horrified expression. “My defense is leagues above your strength. Even if it was low enough for you to carry out your elementary ‘secret technique’, one potion would have sufficed. A warrior of your experience should already know strength potions don’t stack, along with every stat-boosting item.”

Tulong stood jaw-dropped. “You can’t be serious...” He refused to believe he was misusing his strength potions all this time. He swore he felt a difference with each strength potion he consumed. Yet, nothing else could explain his underwhelming attack. For the first time, Tulong began to doubt everything he thought he knew. The strength gained from his potions withered away, along with his once impenetrable confidence. Shaken, he knelt to the floor and wrapped his arms around his aching forehead.

Jinjun shook his head as he walked towards the warrior. “You are the striking example of someone far too confident for their own good. Walking into a dungeon twenty levels above you? Sticking to a single, static strategy? Not even knowing how strength potions work? I bet you leveled up through mere hacking and slashing, not putting any thought or reasoning into your combat. You think you can take on any old thing, but who’s the one kneeling on the floor?”

Fueled with rage, Tulong growled and leaped to his feat. Jinjun, ten steps ahead of him, sent a fireball in his direction, knocking the tiger on the ground. Tulong gritted his teeth as he felt his health sink to dangerous lows. He considered chugging a health potion, but with no viable way to defeat the wizard, there was no point. The wizard was in the middle of creating an even large sphere when Tulong put both paws up.

“I-I surrender!” he stuttered. “You win, alright?”

Jinjun smiled, then giggled, then erupted into a booming laugh. The fur on his face began to shred and gather on the floor. From the top of his body down, his skin turned a sickly green. His claws receded. His furry fingers became wet and webbed. He removed his robe, exposing the rest of his scaly body.

Tulong’s eyes widened as he witnessed the transformation, realizing his opponent wasn’t a tiger at all. When it finished, he was staring at a lime green reptile, who cackled as he looked down to his collapsed opponent.

“Surprised, aren’t you?” the lizard said smugly. “Honestly, I thought you would have caught on by this point. You see, I have the ability to sense whoever ventures into my dungeon. While I wait for them to arrive, I transform into their species and read into their mind well enough to get a taste of their personality. If there was anything you despised or admired about me, it likely holds true for yourself as well.”

Tulong was taken aback by the wizard’s confession. He never took a step back to analyze his behavior, and if he was even a sliver as annoying as the ex-tiger… Thinking back over past incidences, he was stunned by his narcissistic dialog and crowd-pleasing behaviors. Even his decisions had an air of overconfidence. Was was he thinking, stepping into a dungeon meant for adventurers much stronger than him?

The tiger turned to the wizard with an apologetic look. “I-I repent myself!” he stammered, his forehead wet with fear. “Truthfully, I never wanted to come here. I knew better. But those villagers, they egged me on. They would shame me if I didn’t accept this challenge.

The lizard solemnly shook his head. “You just don’t get it, do you? Alas, it’s too late for you anyways. I must punish you for your foolishness.”

“Not if I can help it!” Tulong stood up and shoved Jinjun to the side. He ran until he reached the wall, then leaped up and clutched his fingers on the window’s ledge. The wizard sighed and shot a fireball towards the escapee, scolding his pants. Yelping in pain, Tulong let go and fell to the floor.

Jinjun furrowed his brows in annoyance. “Will you stay put, or will I have to make this more difficult for you?” Tulong gritted his teeth, but relaxed them upon realizing that acting aggressively wouldn’t do him any favors. Drooping his lips, he shook his head.

Jinjun smiled. “Good!” he said with excitement. “Now we can get started!”

With a giddy smile, Jinjun twirled his wand in the air. As Tulong watched, he wondered whether the wizard would cast another fireball or shield, but it was neither of those. In fact, the resulting creation was so bizarre that he was left more confused than scared. Hovering in the air was a long train of food, materialized from pure magic, each item complemented with its own porcelain plate.

Jinjun was puzzled by the tiger’s bewildered expression. “Why do you act so surprised?” he asked. “I thought my feeding antics would’ve gained town-wide notoriety by now...”

Tulong gulped. “Feeding… antics?”

Jinjun sighed, frustrated he had explain himself yet again. “Every adventurer who loses or surrenders to me suffers the same fate: an unrelenting stream of delectable, fattening entrees and desserts, designed to force them to weigh in on their failures and faults in the most literal fashion.”

Now Tulong was scared. “No, no, no,” he muttered as he backed against a wall. “I’m a warrior! If I get fatter-”

“You won’t be able to fight?” the wizard finished. He chuckled. “You should have thought of that before deciding to fight me.”

“I didn’t know!” Tulong screamed defensively. “No one told-” He stopped mid-sentence as he recalled the scene in the tavern. Typical to his cocky self, he stopped the bartender mid-briefing and barely skimmed the page in front of him. If he’d been more patient, he would have learned of the wizard’s gimmick and never dared step foot here. He only had himself to blame for getting into this predicament.

The wizard shrugged. “Well, isn’t that a shame. It is surprising, though, that people apparently still haven’t heard of me...” He grinned. “Maybe creating yet another blob will send a clear warning to the town.”

“A… blob?” Tulong didn’t like the sound of that, but he knew there was no escape for him. He only hoped it wasn’t as terrifying as it sounded.

With an elaborate hand motion, Jinjun started up his caboose of food. Each dish looped in a twister before heading towards the tiger’s mouth. Within seconds, a turkey pushed against his lips. Tulong didn’t think he could swallow a turkey whole, but a glare from the wizard told him not to resist. He reluctantly opened his mouth and let the roasted bird slide inside.

Tulong never found eating more uncomfortable in his life. His mouth stretched painfully wide from the turkey’s size, and its scorching texture scolded his gums. He was too distressed to bother wondering how a bird can get so hot without proper heating in the first place. Eventually, he managed to devour it with a loud gulp. He panted heavily, surprised by how taxing it was to devour something so huge. Before he could get a moment’s rest, another fat bird entered his mouth, a steaming chicken this time.

Jinjun chuckled, marveling his automated, magic-powered conveyor belt. “Don’t have such a frown,” he teased. “You might as well enjoy the exquisite flavors bouncing around in your mouth. It’s the only pleasure you’ll extract from this experience.” While Tulong admitted the meats tasted delicious, its flavors were drowned by the pain of eating, along with the introduction of an unfamiliar sensation from below. The tiger was terrified when he looked down.

Tulong witnessed his stomach bulge out, pressing against his tightly-fitted steel armor. Soon enough, he felt an uncomfortable pressure in his limbs. Raising his arms, he was horrified to find them thickening, gradually testing the durability of his metal sleeves. He even felt his flat bottom bubbling. He blushed in embarrassment, certain this extra weight would send him back a few levels of stat boosts. He feared he was only going to get much fatter and, consequently, weaker from here on out.

The wizard frowned as he walked around the chubby tiger. “I think you’ve gotten a hang of this. Let’s speed this up a bit.” Before the tiger could muffle in protest, Jinjun whipped his finger in the air.

The train of food began chugging at twice its pace. Tulong tried his best to swallow as quickly as possible, but it was no use. Before he could finish devouring his current dish, another one jammed itself inside his mouth. The tiger found it difficult to breath. His face turned blue as he choked on the thick meats. The wizard rolled his eyes, then whisked a fireball towards Tulong’s mouth. He cried out as his gums burned, but the meals soon burned to ashes. His throat and jaws relaxed instantly. He swallowed the small particles easily, but grimaced at its unpalatable taste.

With teary eyes, Tulong hastily chewed on the next meals to prevent a repeat of before. He began fattening significantly faster than before. He felt his neck thicken to the width of a tire, and it quickly dawned on him he wouldn’t have to worry about chocking anymore. The thought brought him relief, at least until he realized a fattened neck should bring him anything but. It meant he was becoming even fatter than he feared. Examining the rest of his figure, his eyes widened in horror.

Tulong saw his belly round into a giant pumpkin, stretching his chest plate to the point where it could snap at any second. His armor failed to conceal most of his cylindrical limbs and bulging butt. Feeling his face, he found it too was cursed with blubber. His once sharp chin was now three sagging piles of fat, and his once thin cheeks bulged. Any sign of muscle or strength vanished from his frame, replaced by a body that made him look like he’d been eating heartily his whole life.

A wide grin spread across Jinjun’s face. He dug his fingers into the stomach fat that poked out of Tulong’s armor, pleased to see them sink a full two inches. “You’ve gotten quite big already,” he remarked. “It won’t be long before your armor bursts apart, letting your true size sway freely.”

True to the wizard’s words, Tulong’s armor began squeaking and groaning with increasing intensity. As his fat dug painfully into his armor, he gritted his teeth in anticipation. With a loud snap, the fiber bindings of his chest plate burst apart, causing the segmented fragments of silver to slide off his body. Free from its metal prison, his stomach lunged out three whole inches. Tulong gaped, amazed yet horrified at how much fat his armor concealed.

As the rest of Tulong’s armor broke apart, his body parts bulged out and wobbled. It looked like he gained a hundred pounds on the spot. He was incredibly ashamed of his enormous body, along with the fact he was left in only his underwear.

Jinjun cackled at the tiger’s near-nakedness. “Don’t you feel so much freer now?” He sneaked behind the tiger and pulled the top of his briefs. “I wonder what brand these are made of. I may need to get some for… special purposes.”

Embarrassed by the invasion of privacy, the tiger flushed madly. He hit the wizard, but his bloated arms were as flimsy as fat noodle sticks. It reminded him of how much of his strength had already melted away. He felt weaker than a level 10 warrior, maybe even more so.

A small tear appeared on the tiger’s boxers. The hole enlarged until it split his underwear in half. The scraps fell to the floor, exposing his round, orange booty to the lizard. “I take that back,” the wizard said. “I guess those underwear aren’t that flexible after all...” Tulong looked behind him, ashamed to see his rear spreading out wider than two chairs.

As Tulong ate, all he could focus on was how fat he was becoming. Within a minute, he saw his stomach stick out two full feet. Thick disks of fat wrapped around his arms and legs. His neck lost its flexibility as it sank into a quicksand of fat. He felt his rear spread across the cold floor, but was too ashamed to look behind him.

Soon enough, Tulong’s stomach enlarged past twice its size. He wanted to put his arm beneath it to get a feel for its weight, but soon came to the startling realization he couldn’t. His arms were coated with layers of fat, unable to stretch or rotate. His thighs were thicker than the birds he ate earlier, and experimentation told him they were just as useless as his arms.

If any trace of cockiness remained on Tulong’s face prior, there certainly wasn’t any now. Without mobility, he would never be able to fight again, the thing he loved the most. He was nothing more than a blob of fat, incapable of doing anything worthwhile. However, even as he passed immobility, he was terrified to find the magic train of food chugging as fast as ever. How big was the wizard going to make him?

Jinjun chuckled as he climbed onto his victim’s belly. “Look at yourself,” he scolded. “Your stomach alone is big enough to be a lardy mattress. You’re not even a hundredth the warrior you once were. I could leave you as you are right now, but I won’t stop until you’re punished properly. Imagine each pound you’re gaining is a representation of each time you’ve said a snide comment or been overly cocky. A warrior like yourself doesn’t deserve the right to adventure. I’m doing the world a favor by sheltering you from society.”

Tulong looked to the wizard with pleading, puppy-dog eyes. “I-I’ll change!” he stammered between the brief gaps in his meals. “P-please change me back to normal. I can’t live as an immobile blob, locked in this bleak cell!”

“But you’re already changing – changing into a wobbling mound of lard. Sorry, but punishments don’t always fit the crime, as you found out when you burst through your armor. You just happened to come across the wrong dungeon.” Jinjun snickered as he dug his hands in the tiger’s thick flesh. “Remember my chuckling when we first met? I was thinking about how you’d eventually grow Tulong for the room! Well, not literally, but I never said I was a level 80 bard.”

As Tulong’s eyes widened, the lizard jumped off the tiger’s belly. He stepped back to admire the bloated being before heading towards the door. “I’ll be back in an hour to see your brand new size,” he stated. “Don’t worry, the spell will automatically turn off before you burst through the room.” Tulong let out a muffled protest, but the wizard already disappeared behind the door.

Tulong frowned as his body grew fatter. With each meal he consumed, the vast space around him became less so. His fat lifted him higher, giving him an enhanced view of the room he was destined to fill. As his limbs spread apart, it became difficult to feel them beneath his dominating lard. Soon enough, his body spread over half of the enormous room.

The whale of a tiger was indistinguishable from his lithe self. His moobs alone were bed-sized jugs of fat, and they looked miniscule atop his mammoth belly. He felt his rear spread wall to wall, and was embarrassed it was hundreds of times bigger than even an elephant’s rear. The comparison ashamedly reminded him of his boastful claim he made earlier. The only thing he could take an elephant on now was a size contest, and he wouldn’t exactly be thrilled to win first place. He never felt larger in his life, though never in his cockier days would he have imagined largeness to come with a defeating sense of helplessness.

After consuming what seemed like hundreds of fat-overdosed foods, Tulong’s fat squeezed into all corners of the room. Unable to grow horizontally, his body rose like dough, drowning the room in lard. When the ceiling came a foot from his face, he whimpered, wondering if the wizard intended for him to literally fill every square inch of the massive room.

A second later, the train of feeding popped out of existence, leaving him with just enough room to breathe. Tulong was startled yet relaxed by the sudden conclusion of his feeding. His pleasantness lasted as long as Tulong could take his eyes off his body. However, once he did take a glace, he felt nothing but gloom as his eyes transfixed on his atrociously bloated figure.

In front of him was a wobbling dome of stomach fat, big enough to swallow a whole guild of adventurers. It took up half the room, and while his moobs were larger than bedrooms, they looked like pillows compared to the monsterous pile of lard. His rear was equally enormous, though they were rounder and more sensitive. His butt cheeks constantly clanged against each other and the surrounding walls, a sensation that made him blush deeply. Neither his fat-smothered limbs nor flattened neck were operational, thought if he tried hard he could wiggle his tail between his enormous butt cheeks. He lost every ounce of strength he once had, his body so immense that not even a lifetime of exercise could bring him back to mobility. He had a sick feeling the wizard would keep him like this forever as a reminder of his overconfidence and foolishness.

From outside, an excited wolf crawled on the grass and pointed through the window’s steel bars. “Look!” he shouted. “There’s Tulong, the ex-warrior turned blob who regrets ever letting his confidence get to him and only wishes that no one stumbles upon him and notices his bloated body so he could mope in his own misery!”

Tulong heated up, but he couldn’t turn around to confront the boy, which only made him feel worse. “Awkward! Get away from there!” an older woman snapped. She frowned and shook her head, sad that yet another adventurer fell victim to Jinjun’s ways. She draped a cloth over the window, draining Tulong’s only source of light and, along with it, the last of his hope.