Kapitel 46: 46, Iron Fists and Kangaroo Kicks A Brawler's Ballet
"Got it; show me what you've got, fighter!"
Following TT, I spotted a kangaroo-like monster, its hands transformed into dangerous iron balls. Upon seeing it, TT equipped a knuckle duster and pulled out a stone to crush.
"Here we go, cat-bear-deer!"
As he shouted the animal's name, TT's arms and legs bulged with muscle. The kangaroo assumed a fighting stance at the sound of his voice.
"Blasting knuckle!"
With a single step, TT closed the distance and collided fists with the kangaroo, overpowering its punches.
"Assault kick!"
TT unleashed a flurry of kicks, the number uncountable.
"Smash kick!"
He delivered a final, powerful blow that sent the kangaroo sprawling.
"Wow, that strength isn't something you achieve alone..."
"Phew, it's not as strong as it seems... My MP drains quickly, and the cost of MP pots is a major downside. Plus, I need to restore MP at crucial moments, so I'm not cut out for long battles."
As TT returned after using a potion, I realized the reason for his limited combat endurance was his low MP.
"My fighting style relies on shouting the names of animals to trigger status-boosting buffs, which allows me to deliver powerful punches or execute rapid kicks. Keep that in mind for our battles on the snowy mountains," I explained.
"Got it. When TT needs to replenish MP, I'll take the lead," TT replied as we strategized, making our way toward the snowy mountains.
We encountered a few skirmishes, but TT dispatched our foes effortlessly, and we finally reached the entrance of the snow-capped terrain.
"Wow, it's freezing!" I exclaimed.
"It's so cold… Lena," TT shivered, his body shaking uncontrollably.
With trembling hands, I gave Phoebe a potion for warmth, followed by one for myself. The shivering stopped almost instantly. I still felt the chill, but it was no longer the life-threatening kind.
"Phew… that's better," I sighed.
"You two must be feeling the effects of wearing swimsuits; the cold is hitting you hard," TT observed with a chuckle.
After consuming a stamina potion, he added, "I've got the cold resistance now, but my feet are freezing!"
"Well, of course, if you stick your feet in a pile of snow while wearing sandals, they're going to get freezing cold!" I shot back.
"Isn't there any way to change just my shoes? No? Ugh, this won't do…"
While we felt no damage from the cold due to the potion, the chill was quite uncomfortable. I wondered if we'd end up with frostbite later on.
"Let's move on; I don't want to linger in a place like this," I urged.
"Right, let's get going," TT agreed as we pressed forward.
As we begin our ascent up the snow-covered mountain, we encounter two rabbits with unnaturally long fangs. Aside from their fearsome teeth, they look like ordinary, adorable rabbits. However, their fangs are stained a deep crimson, erasing any charm they might have had and replacing it with an unsettling aura.
"Wow, those rabbits look like they could deliver a deadly strike. Be careful! Those cute-looking ones often use instant death moves or status effects," TT advises.
Instant death... I suppose I've got some resistance to that. Still, I should use Firelight just to be safe; it seems like many enemies in this snowy terrain have a weakness to fire.
"I'll take on one over here! Firelight!"
"Speed up! Power up!"
"Got it, Cat-Deer!"
With Phoebe providing supportive magic, I charge in with Firelight! The rabbit blocks the attack with its long fangs, but the flames erupting from Firelight singe the fur around its mouth.
"Ji!"
"Now's my chance!"
As the rabbit lets out a cry and hesitates, I push through, slicing it down! It emits a slightly appetizing scent as it disappears in a burst of red.
"Dive Kick!"
TT effortlessly deflects a quick attack from the other rabbit with a kick, then follows through with another kick that crushes its jaw.
That's such a slick way to fight.
"Phew, the snow is really slowing me down..."
"Yet you're still landing your kicks perfectly..."
"If you master programming, you'll be able to do this much," TT boasts.
"Don't kid yourself; programming won't strengthen your legs!"
"Is programming a martial art?"
"Exactly! Especially your fingertips are crucial."
"Hey, don't teach Phoebe lies!"
I jabbed TT with Archie's handle.
"Hey, if you hit me harder than that, I'll lose HP! And by the way, there's a mining spot over there—can you mine it? I'm not very efficient at it."
"Got it… Just keep an eye out for enemies."
I looked in the direction he pointed and saw a rock covered in shiny ore, shimmering with effects.
After poking it repeatedly with Archie, I managed to mine some ore for the event quest. But the sought-after giant ice crystal didn't drop.
At least I could gather event points to exchange for the giant ice crystal later, so I'd better keep mining.
"I'm done mining!"
"Oh, that was quick! I would have taken much longer."
"I'm using a good shovel."
I brandished Archie in front of TT, who had been keeping watch during the mining. However, his expression remained stiff… a forced smile, perhaps.
"I-I see… I don't really understand, so I'll move on, okay?"
"Don't understand? You don't have an appraisal skill?"
"Nope, but I can see enemy stats."
He didn't grasp the value of Archie… But whatever, let's keep going.
"Archie is an amazing shovel, Lena!"
"Ah, thank you..." As I absorbed Phoebe's praise, we continued our ascent up the snowy mountains.
The sun shone brightly as we climbed, and around the midsection, we spotted a red piece of ski gear, accompanied by a blue winter jacket nearby. "What could this be?" I wondered aloud.
"It's winter wear, but it offers almost no protection," Phoebe replied. "This can't belong to a player..."
"That's probably a shard from the Valley of Rainbows," TT said as he returned after scouting ahead. Despite the deep snow, there was no sign of him struggling to keep his footing.
"'Valley of Rainbows?'" Phoebe and I exchanged puzzled glances. TT paused, considering, then asked, "Are you two okay with gruesome stories?"
"I'm not really good with them, as you know from when we played that zombie game," I admitted.
"I'd rather not hear it," Phoebe added.
"Then let's forget it and head this way. Don't look down the edge of that cliff, and Lena, don't search for the Valley of Rainbows, okay?"
"Got it…" I nodded, obediently following TT. After all, I'd made the mistake of ignoring his warnings before and ended up screaming at some grotesque images.
But what had TT seen down there? Just as that thought crossed my mind, a deep rumbling began to resonate!
"What's going on?!"
"Get ready, Lena! We might have an avalanche coming!"
"Got it!"
TT transformed his weapon into a Katar and drove it into the ground, anchoring himself as he prepared to withstand the tremors. Suddenly, ice began to surge from the earth, gathering snow to shape a towering golem, its arms formed of snow and its body and legs of ice.
"I see, so this is the boss around here? Better than an avalanche, that's for sure."
With quick movements, TT swapped his Katar for a knuckle duster, clearly planning to smash it apart.
"Is this really a boss? Isn't that too soon?"
"Given the mountain's height and position, it's more of a mini-boss, Lena. The tremors have revealed a mining point over there. I'll draw its attention. You start mining first, then jump into the fight! Bear!"
"Hey, that's way too laid-back! I'm trusting you!"
TT lunged at the ice golem while I sprinted towards the mining point hidden behind it.
"Speed it up!"
"Right!"
I plunged Archie into the ground, starting to mine. With Phoebe's supportive magic boosting my efforts, I excavated quickly... I wished for a drill, but those didn't exist in this fantasy world.
"Oh, ice crystals... But they aren't massive... just small."
"Lena! No time to be disappointed! How long can TT hold out...?"
"Don't worry, if TT's armor holds up, he won't take damage consecutively."
"Ugh?!"
TT's cry drew my gaze back to him, just in time to see him being hurled toward the cliff... This was bad. Below TT's HP bar, I saw it was already below half. Would he die from fall damage?!
"TT!"
"Bird!"
With TT's shout, wings sprout from their back. What on earth?
As TT glides effortlessly through the air, they gulp down a healing potion, and at the edge of my vision, I see TT's HP bar gradually recover.
But the ice golem points its snowy arm at TT and launches it!
"We can't mine any longer, Hikari!"
"Buster Knuckle!"
TT shatters the incoming snowy arm. Isn't that strength a bit too much!?
No time to gawk! I hoist Archie onto my back and take Hikari in hand.
"Element Boost!"
"Flame Blade!"
I drive Hikari into the ice golem, and flames erupt, quickly melting the icy behemoth.
The ice golem swings its other arm at us, trying to retaliate, so I swing Hikari back, partially melting the snow but not completely—maybe about half of it.
"Guh!"
"Regenerate!"
I've melted away half, but the remaining chunks hit me and explode! The snowy arm shatters, revealing solid debris that strikes me squarely on the head!
Phoebe quickly casts a healing spell.
"Ow! What kind of monster puts rocks in snow?!"
"Flame Meteor… Knuckle!"
As I complain about the ice golem inflicting minor damage, TT, now adorned with wings, dives down from above and collides forcefully with the ice golem!
"Ahh?!"
With Phoebe's scream, the shock from TT's fall sent snow cascading over us like powdered sugar, chilling us to the bone.
Crap, my vision is completely white, and I can't even see my HP bar!
"Phew, that was close. I almost let my guard down," TT mumbled, shaking off the snow.
"Hey, that was really dangerous! You nearly took a hit, and you're almost dead!"
TT's HP bar was nearly empty, likely a result of that reckless fall attack. If he dies, we'd have to descend to regroup, so I hoped he'd be more careful. And what about the ice golem? Did it really get obliterated?
"I'll handle the remaining mining while you heal up."
"Got it, but don't accidentally die, okay?"
I shot a sideways glance at TT, who was downing potions, then went back to the remaining mining spots to extract ore. Should I collect some wild herbs too? Maybe they'll come in handy for an event quest later, despite not having taken any gathering quests for plants.
After clearing out all the items from the mining points near where the ice golem had been, we pressed on with our ascent.
Maybe the lack of enemies was due to the brutal environment? The snow was so deep it slowed our climbing speed significantly; it was up to our knees.
If this were real life and we were out here in swimsuits, we'd be absolutely doomed… Yet, I pushed that thought aside and calmly took a cold-resistance potion with Phoebe.
"Be careful, Lena! This area is icy and slippery; a bad fall could send you tumbling down and seriously injure you."
"I-I know! But aren't we taking a path that's not really a path? Are other climbers even coming this way?"
"Other players are scaling duplicated mountains, so there are no traces of them here."
Despite saying this, TT is advancing effortlessly, almost as if using some special item—his steps are light and quick compared to mine.
"Hey, TT, how far is it to the summit?"
"We still have a ways to go, but our goal is to collect that massive ice crystal, right?"
"True, but now that we've come this far, I want to reach the top."
We've endured so much to get to this height; it feels only right to push on to the summit.
"What's this? Are you thinking of switching from blacksmith to mountaineer?"
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein