This dragon is really starting to feel the pressure of his task...

—-

Once the spirit said those fateful words, the steam of the room became oppressively thick, shrouding the walls thoroughly. Still, Yingfu stood, stalwart still, even as he turned to see the doorway behind him seal completely before the door became completely shrouded by mist.

The dragon was nevertheless eager for battle. With a hint of annoyance, his booming voice rang out, “Great Spirit, I tire of your posturing - give me my weapons to face my foes!

“Young Yingfu, wield the... “weapons” before you, so that you may face my challenge.”

A dainty, blue-furred hand came from the fog, brushing across the air above the table, before retreating into the mist. In its wake lay two simple wooden chopsticks. The great dragon’s mouth was agape in confusion, his defined yellow brow furrowed as he looked at the utensils. Nonetheless, the dragon had a duty - one that he would fulfill no matter the tool.

“Now, bold Yingfu, I will graciously sate your hunger for the honor...”

And that is when something truly unexpected occurred. The dragon squinted his eyes as he looked into the mist. There was something... moving in it. Yingfu adjusted his stance, wielding his chopsticks with a mighty ferocity. The foreign object moved closer, and closer... although he would never admit it, the dragon felt something truly alien to himself - fear.

And then, like that, his fear evaporated, replaced by pure confusion. As the object came into view he realized that it was not a monster... it was a bowl of noodles. The bowl descended from the fog at a slow, even pace, before gliding onto the table, the hearty helping of steaming noodles jiggling slightly as it came to a stop on the table.

“Now, Yingfu, if you wish for me to grant you my power, eat.” The spirit said, a hint of mirth lingering in its voice.

Yingfu laughed in disbelief. Noodles? Seriously? It was going to be this easy? Wasting no time, the dragon pounced on the steaming bowl of noodles. And wouldn’t you know it - they were actually pretty good! The smooth texture meshed well with the heaviness of the chicken-flavored noodles, making it a rather appetizing meal. He swiftly devoured the meal, closing his eyes and taking a pause to rub his slightly distended cream-colored belly plates once he was finished.

As he prepared to gloat about the ease of the trial, he opened his eyes to be greeted by a somewhat alarming sight. From the mist, more and more food began to drift out - all coming straight for him. He furrowed his brow but remained steadfast. He eagerly plucked a floating dumpling from the air, plopping it into his eagerly awaiting maw.

He wasted no time savoring the succulent pork inside of the morsel, as he swallowed it down and grabbed another dumpling. And then another, and another, and another...

He gulped down bowl after bowl of heavy noodles at a steady pace, desperate to beat the challenge before him. As the dragon gorged, his stomach bloated outward considerably, obscuring the definition of his fabled form. The dragon’s firm belly plates began to separate, revealing the distended red flesh beneath them. He belched slightly, but it did little to relieve his bloated hide. Still, he pressed onward, gulping down yet another oversized mouthful of heavy noodles.

Eventually, the mounting pressure of his stomach proved to be too much for the mighty dragon. With his mouth still full of noodles, he paused for a moment, massaging his massive beachball of a belly carefully. As he rubbed the distended organ, it sloshed slightly beneath his claws, making the dragon wince in discomfort. He squinted his eyes and furrowed his brows, whimpering slightly at his situation. Still, he simply had to keep going, no matter the damage enacted upon his waistline.

“Savor your break while you can, young Yingfu...”

The amused honey-like voice of the spirit said as the onslaught of dumplings and noodles closed in on the dragon. The dragon’s eyes widened at the sight of the tide of food. He gulped heavily, partly to free up space in his maw. However, truth be told, that gulp was mostly dedicated to fear.

“After all, the fun’s only just begun...”