The challenge was clear. Although, the special spider was twice as fast, a direct engagement with [Weakening Bone Darts] and a spear thrust might work.
But Nightclown wanted that [Power Broccoli] intact. He needed to [Steal!] it. And to do that. He needed control.
The [Immobilizing Mystic Iron Darts] were the strongest control option. They completely immobilize the target.
His timer showed Time Remaining... less than four minutes. Not enough time for multiple complex maneuvers. This had to be quick and decisive.
First, [Hide!]. He vanished. Becoming an almost invisible presence against the dungeon wall. The red spider scurried past. Seemingly sensing nothing. It was fast, indeed.
He loaded an [Immobilizing Mystic Iron Dart] into his [Ambusher Blowgun]. He had the plan. He had just needed to follow it through.
He aimed. The spider paused briefly. Twitching one of its legs. Perfect. He inhaled deeply. Channeling Glitch energy. First mode of [Puff!]. The silent one.
Pfftt!
The dart shot out. A projectile blur. It struck the red carapace. Piercing the fragile armor.
[Status Effect: Immobilized (12 seconds)]...
The spider was frozen. Completely still. Its legs splayed in a frantic, mid-scurry pose. It worked. Good.
Nightclown immediately moved. His hand was already extended, He activated his [Steal!] skill. Targeted at the spider's [Power Brocolli].
[Failed attempt!]...
Damn it. He knew it wouldn't be easy. The spider would be free in about nine seconds. But his [Steal!] Cooldown was 5 seconds. He had another chance.
He jumped on top of the spider's back. Waiting for the cooldown. 3... 2... 1... Cooldown reset.
Nightclown quickly activated another [Steal!].
[Failed attempt!]...
The toon hare grimaced. But he quickly reacted. Pulling his [Ambusher Blowgun] loaded with another [Immobilizing Mystic Iron Dart]. He inhaled deeply. Channeling Glitch energy. And used the first mode of [Puff!].
Pfftt!
The dart shot out. A projectile blur reappeared. It struck the red carapace again. Piercing the fragile armor.
[Status Effect: Immobilized (12 seconds)]. The status effect was re-set.
Nightclown waited for a while. And re-activated his [Steal!].
[Successful attempt!]
[Item acquired: Power Broccoli (x1)]
A wave of relief washed over him. He had it. The permanent stat boost. Now it was time to defeat the monster.
Still on top of the spider, Nightclown drew his [Lightning Spear]. He aimed for the head of the spider. And made quick multiple thrusts without stopping.
CRACK! BZZZTT! BZZZTT! BZZZTT!
The [Lightning Spear] pierced through the head of the spider. Penetrating and stabbing several times. Electrical energy coursed through the weapon. Delivering a final, lethal shock.
The special Gloomfang Spider shuddered once. And then simply dissolved into particles of light. Leaving behind its resources.
[Gloomfang Spider (Special) defeated!]
[Experience Gained: +90 XP!]
And he also gained 2500 Coins. Not bad. He still have a little time left. It should be enough to check and consume the [Power Broccoli], shouldn't it?
Nightclown pulled a big green broccoli from his inventory. The [Power Broccoli]. It glowed bright in his hand. A vibrant green in color, like a cartoonish vegetable. He quickly read its description.
[Power Broccoli]: A super rare, mystical consumable that permanently increases Power by one star. Consumption is immediate and irreversible.
Just as he had expected. Without hesitation, he brought it to his mouth. And bit a large chunk. It tasted like concentrated freshness and raw energy. He chewed. Swallowed.
A notification immediately appeared.
[Power has permanently increased by one star!]
[Power: ✪✪]
[Effect: Increase muscular strength by 30%; increase efficiency of power exertion by 50%; reduce the energy consumption of power-based skills by 30%.]
Nightclown grinned. A cartoonish triumphant expression. The permanent boost was excellent. Higher strength. More efficient moves. Nice!
And... at least, the only attribute he had with only one star was the [Charm] one. Everything else had been two stars or more.
He glanced at his watch. It was about time to return back to Sherra.
...
The familiar sense of dislocation yanked Jester. One moment, Nightclown stood victorious. The taste of [Power Broccoli] was still fresh on his tongue. The next, the vibrant, ink-drawn world dissolved into a fleeting static.
He felt a sudden lurch. A fading hum. And then the soft, familiar texture of his bedsheets.
He was back. Jester Eventide. Lying face-up in his own bed in Oakhaven. His body still tingled with residual energy. A phantom echo of the raw strength he had just gained. He blinked. Adjusting himself to the muted reality of his bedroom after the explosive colors of Toonworld.
It was still midnight. He still had about five hours to sleep before he needed to get up. Time to take a rest.
...
The next morning...
The school remained closed. Oakhaven Academy was still under heavy reparation. The air in town still held a faint unease. Though the increasing number of transcenders assigned by the kingdom assured everyone the threat was contained.
Jester, like many other students, found himself with unexpected free time. He wasn't complaining. More time for training. More time for getting stronger.
Before the dawn broke, Jester had headed to the small, makeshift training area he had set up in the backyard.
A punching bag fashioned from old tarps and sandbags hung from a sturdy tree branch. Skipping rope lay coiled beside it. And multiple parkour obstacles were set there too.
He went through his daily routine... A series of stretches. Then shadow boxing. Focusing on the characteristics of his Rogue class movements. Agility. Precision. Quick strikes.
He felt the significant shift in his physical capabilities. The [Power Broccoli] hadn't just increased his Toonworld avatar's strength. It had boosted his base physical Power in Sherra too.
His punches felt crisper. Less effort expended for greater impact. He slammed a fist into the punching bag. The dull thud echoing in the quiet morning. Satisfied, he moved on to calisthenics.
And then, he followed with acrobatic parkour. Nunchaku and spear wielding practice went after that. He pushed himself hard. Sweat plastering his black hair to his forehead. Taking a short break for breakfast. And cold bath.
And then, he started more sets of practice. His transcendent constitution made him capable and fine to do these continuous physical exertion.
He finished his extreme routine just past ten. Cooling down with some light stretches. He was toweling off, heading back inside, when he saw them. Vale and Daisy.
Daisy was pushing Vale's wheelchair up the short path to his front door. Vale, looked even more calm and composed compared to when he attended the Award Ceremony. His white hair gleaming in the sunlight.
Daisy seemed to return back to her energetic, tomboyish look. The last time Jester saw her, she looked... terrible. Not surprising as she lost her close friend in the terrible invasion.
But now, some of the tension that had pressed her hard since the attack seemed to dissipate. Not completely. But enough to make her seem normal.
"Yo, Jest!" Daisy called. Offering a big grin. "Mind if we crash your place for a bit?"
"Come on in." Jester replied. Opening the door wider. "What's up, Girl? Bard?" He grinned. Keeping his usual cheerful demeanor. He was genuinely glad to see them.
Daisy maneuvered Vale's wheelchair through the doorway. Into the living room. Vale's green eyes met Jester's. "We have business to attend to, Clown. Enough break. Let's continue the project."
"The cartoon movie?" Jester confirmed. Leading them to his room.
It was slightly messy. A testament to his recent single-minded focus on training. Clothes were draped over a chair. He quickly cleared a space.
"Indeed." Vale said. He gestured at the disc in his hand. "I've arranged some new musical pieces. Background themes, action sequences, a triumphant fanfare for when the hero inevitably wins."
He continued. "And Daisy has assured me she has recovered. Ready to face the world of animated pixels once more."
Daisy nodded. "Yeah, it took a while, but I'm good now. Doing this might even help." She looked around Jester's desk. "Got your computer ready?"
"All yours." Jester said, stepping aside.
His desktop PC, a fairly powerful model for the time, sat waiting. Daisy approached it, her eyes narrowing in focus.
Her Soulheart Gear, the [Cyber Ghostbird], manifested. It was a shimmering, spectral avian form. Translucent and faintly glowing. No bigger than a pigeon. With a silent flutter, it zipped directly into the computer's body. Passing through the plastic casing as if it wasn't there.
The monitor flickered to life. Rebooting. Then, when it was done, the mouse cursor began to move on its own. Clicking through folders. Opening Jester's video editing software.
Daisy's eyes followed the cursor's movements. Her mind was clearly connected to it. "I've learned more about video editing these days. It should make things easier for basic cuts and organizing footage." She stated.
"Right, footage." Jester said. Rubbing the back of his neck. "About that… I've been a bit… single-minded lately."
He gestured vaguely. "Since the academy incident, I've pretty much gone straight into the Northern Dungeon every time I enter Toonworld. Farming XP, coins. So, most of my footage is… combat-oriented. And dungeon exploration. Not a lot of scenic village shots or long discussions with anthropomorphic NPCs."
Vale raised an eyebrow. "Expected. Practical. But challenging for narrative continuity."
Daisy's Ghostbird clicked open a file folder labeled 'Toonworld Raw'. Thumbnails of frantic battles with Gloomfang Spiders. Shots of Nightclown dodging attacks, charging through dimly lit dungeon corridors, and collecting loot... filled the screen.
"He's not wrong." Daisy commented. "Looks like a highlight reel for non-stop fighting. We'll have to be creative with what we have."