Four days...
That was how long it had been since the Oakhaven Academy became a battlefield. The stench of blood and burnt flesh still clung to the air there. A grim reminder.
Four days ago... Not long after Vale banished the Devil, reinforcements from the Town Transcenders had arrived. They moved with brutal efficiency. Sweeping through the remaining demons. Ending the skirmish.
The academy grounds, however, were a wreck. The loss was immense. Seven teachers were dead. Thirty-two students from various classes had fallen. Most of them were non-transcenders and the un-awakened-yet students.
Many parts of the buildings were structurally compromised. Walls torn away. Classrooms reduced to rubble. Oakhaven Academy was closed indefinitely for repair and recuperation.
The silence that had descended upon the usually bustling school halls was heavy. Broken only by the work of cleanup crews. And the mournful chirps of displaced birds.
Jester spent most of these four days in a grim routine. Mornings were for the hospital. Accompanying Vale. Vale's recovery was quick actually. The [Recovery Cabbage] had healed the bleeding and the initial shock. But it couldn't regrow lost limbs for a non-Toon Body.
Vale was missing both legs below the knee. A brutal fact. He mostly sat in the sterile white bed. Or on his wheelchair. Humming catchy tunes. Ignoring his lost legs.
He still enthusiastically talked about music. About new compositions. About their plan for the great movie project. About how lucky he was that his hands were fine.
Jester, and Daisy, could only listen and responded with the same enthusiasm.
However, a knot of impotent rage was tightening in Jester's gut. If only he wasn't too weak. He could have helped Vale. He could have helped those who died. Sunny... Ben... Clara...
...
Jester spent his afternoons and evenings at home. He hadn't touched his computer since that day. Instead, he trained.
He shadow-fight against the imaginary Devil. He swung his nunchaku, stabbed his spear, punched the air, kicked the invisible target... He practiced the basic Rogue maneuvers he had been taught. He worked on his footwork until his muscles screamed. Again and again.
He felt too weak. The Devil had ripped his arm off like it was tissue paper. He needed more strength. More battle power. Much more. As quickly as possible. The world was not safe. Sherra was not safe.
Every night, as the clock advanced, Jester slipped into Toonworld. He didn't waste a second. Gone were the casual explorations of the Toon Forest Village. Gone were the relaxed interactions with anthropomorphic NPCs.
Nightclown, his grey hare avatar, was a creature of singular purpose now. He went straight to the dungeon. Bypassing the planned Northern Hill completely.
The dungeon's lower levels were a blur of repetitive, violent action. He wasn't exploring. He was grinding.
He barreled through mobs of Furball Chompers and Winged Jellies. His [Thunder Nunchaku] turned into a flurry of blows. His [Lightning Spear] became a darting, piercing projectile.
He sought out every fight. Every monster that gave him XP. Experience points were his currency. Levels were his desperate goal.
He focused mostly on the Third Level. The Winged Jellies there were a common nuisance. But they were the source of XP, gold, [Jelly Cubes], and steal-able [Silver Ores].
Nightclown used them to perfect his [Steal!] skill. Jumping toward them. Flipping acrobatically. Activating the skill on air. Swiping the metallic motes from their wobbly forms. And then retreating. Or engaging.
He moved like a bouncing shadow. A blur of grey fur and blue clothing. Driven by an urgency that mirrored Jester's own anxieties.
Cammy, his [Toon Camera Recorder], zipped faithfully alongside him. Its lens were recording the relentless, almost frantic efficiency of his combat. The storage capacity of the cartoonish camera recorder seemed boundless.
Hours blurred into a single, focused effort. He gained three levels during these four days. Coins piled up in his inventory. Useful for future upgrades.
He accumulated stacks of [Jelly Cubes] from the fallen Jellies and [Chomper's Teeth] from Furball Chompers. And his system inventories were also filled with the stolen [Silver Ores] and [Iron Ores] from both types of monsters.
He even stumbled upon two treasure chests. One was tucked behind a stone pillar. The other was hidden in a false wall. They yielded more coins, four precious [Recovery Cabbages], and two potent [Power Berries] that promised temporary boosts.
Now, on the fourth night, Nightclown stood at the precipice of the Third Level's final challenge. He had cleared every other room. Slain every lesser monster. This was it. The BOSS chamber.
...
Nightclown pushed open a massive, groaning stone door. Cartoonish rather than grim dark. Heavy with unseen slime.
An enormous chamber stretched before him. Illuminated by bioluminescent fungi clinging to the cavernous ceiling. Air currents, strangely warm, drifted through the space. In the center, hovering silently, was his target.
It shimmered. A translucent, iridescent mass. Wobbling gently in the air. Three pairs of bright, plasma-like energy wings beat with a surprising speed. Propelling its gelatinous form. This was the dungeon's BOSS for the third floor.
He quickly used his System Appraisal.
[Six-Winged Jelly (BOSS)]
[Description: A hovering, translucent creature composed of iridescent, wobbly jelly. It possesses three pairs of bright, plasma-like energy wings, that beat with surprising speed, allowing it to move quickly through the dungeon air. Despite its seemingly fragile composition, its body is surprisingly resilient. It is fiercely territorial and will aggressively shoot prey with its sticky bullets.]
[Abilities: Gelatinous Grapple! Sonic Scream! Toon Swell! Bullet Shot!]
[Resources: 11,000 XP, 1850 Coins, Jelly Cubes, Iron Treasure Chest, Speed Radish (Rare)]
Nightclown took a deep breath. The cartoon air there was surprisingly crisp. He needed to be fast. The description warned about speed and resilience. He wouldn't get many clean hits.
He wished he had ranged weapons. But he had spent all of his [Shurikens] to fight the Devil in Sherra. And he didn't really have any chance to recover them. And he couldn't buy ranged weapon in Toon Forest Village. It was still night time in the Toonworld. The stores were still closed.
He could only use his melee weapon now. Against a flying, amorphous blob like this, the [Thunder Nunchaku] would be pretty useless. He had to use the [Lightning Spear]. It could be thrown, deliver focused damage, and be retrieved later... Theoretically.
Nightclown made a decision and activated his primary movement skills. [Sprint!]. A surge of cartoon energy coursed through his legs. His speed stat spiked. He turned into a blur of grey fur and blue clothes as he launched himself forward.
The Six-Winged Jelly immediately detected his presence. It began to pulse with a low, internal light. Its multiple wings beat faster. Creating a quick, rhythmic hum that vibrated through the chamber floor.
As he closed the distance, Nightclown hurled the [Lightning Spear] with all his might. It turned into a streak of glowing projectile. Aimed directly at the shimmering core he could see vaguely deep within the Jelly's clear mass.
[Toon Penetration] was activated. The spear struck with a wet THWACK. Sinking into the Jelly's wobbly form. It missed the core. The speedy Jelly managed to evade the attack.
But, it still hit the blob. Pushing and stretching the creature's body like a cartoon arrow hitting a rubber target. Before bursting out from its back. Not that the back was any different from any part of the Jelly's body.
The Jelly shivered. A ripple passed through its entire body. The [Electric Shock] was also activated. Immediately, arcs of sapphire lightning erupted from the penetrated blob. Crackling violently within the Jelly. The creature convulsed. Its wings were flapping erratically. Its movement was becoming jerky.
The BOSS was electrocuted. This was his chance. Nightclown activated [Stretch!]. His arm was elongated. Reaching across the cavernous room. Grasping the neck of his spear that burst through the monster's body.
He yanked it free. The SCHLORP of its exit echoing loudly. The spear snapped back into his hand.
The Six-Winged Jelly recovered quickly. Its brief paralysis was fading. It let out its first attack... [Sonic Scream!].
A high-pitched, piercing shriek ripped through the air. It wasn't just sound like what other Winged Jellies emitted. It was a physical force. A wave of concussive energy that slammed into Nightclown. Pushing him back. Tumbling across the floor.
But his rubbery [Toon Body] absorbed most of the impact. He rolled with it. Coming up on one knee. Already preparing his next move.
The scream subsided. Leaving his ears ringing.
He couldn't stand still. The BOSS was already unleashing its next attack. From its body, dozens of smaller, glowing projectiles detached themselves. Accelerating towards him like like arrows. [Bullet Shot!].
Like living plasma rounds, the jelly bullets whizzed through the air. Leaving trails of faint light.
Nightclown quickly moved to avoid them. He twisted and turned. Relying on his [Shrink!] and [Sprint!] for evasion. He somersaulted, ducked, and weaved.
Several jelly bullets almost hit him. But he managed to evade. The struck ground behind him were now filled with sticky goo as the result.
He drew his [Lightning Spear] backward. Elongating his throwing arm for leverage. And then, he threw it again. Still aiming at the core. And, he launched the spear for the second time. Much stronger and faster.
[Toon Penetration]! The skill was activated. The spear pierced the gelatinous mass. A faint, internal glow emanated from the Jelly as the spear point scraped the outer part of the core. And pierced through its body completely.
The Six-Winged Jelly shrieked. Its translucent body began to swell. Growing larger. More oppressive. [Toon Swell!] power inflated the monster's size. Its mass was expanding rapidly. Filling a significant portion of the chamber.
Nightclown saw the danger. He activated [Sprint!] and [Stretch!] to recover his spear. And then, he bolted away. He needed to keep his distance. Hit and run.
But then, he saw the Jelly's movement. Slow. It turned slower than before. The bigger it was, the slower it got.
He immediately sprinted again. Dodging a slow, lumbering mass was easier than a fast one. He circled the periphery of the expanding Jelly. Looking for an opening. The spear hummed in his hand.
He found it, a spot where the internal core of the Jelly seemed to be significantly closer. He quickly hurled the [Lightning Spear] once more.
[Toon Penetration] was activated once more. The spear plunged deep. Hitting the core accurately. Better still, [Electric Shock] was also incidentally activated. More lightning electrocution.
The Jelly rippled violently. Its expansion faltering. It didn't fully contract, but it stopped growing.
Before Nightclown could retrieve the spear, the monster retaliated.
Barrage of glistening, viscous projectiles appeared again. [Bullet Shot!]. They splattered against the chamber floor. Leaving tenacious, sticky residue.
Nightclown weaved and dodged. Activating [Shrink!] and re-applied [Sprint!]. His small size and enhanced agility serving him well.
After escaping from the barrage, he popped back to his original size. And immediately stretched his arm. Retrieving the spear.
The Boss was no longer twitching from the electrical assault. Time for the final clash...