Skit Hero

Hiro marched south through the redwood trees. He weaved around the hulking trunks, crunched autumn leaves under his boots, and hacked at shrubbery in the way. Rippling noises guided him closer to water. Fallen trees and haphazard growth created walls of bark. Walls led to mazes. Hiro had stumbled into a forest dungeon, found a dead end within seconds, and sighed. "I took a vacation to get away from these mazes!" He swung his grass blade upward at the nearest bark wall. The blade unfurled into a grappling hook of grass and clung onto the wall's top. With a grunt, he pulled himself onto the fallen trunk. From there, a river slammed its water from side to side as if it struggled to leave its natural confines to go on land. (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//Huh, that's strange.//] His stomach growled. (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//I hope it's not violent enough to scare away the fish.//] From trunk to trunk, he leaped across until his boots reached the river's damp edge. The water current thrashed about, which slammed a salmon from the middle of the river to the edge closest to Hiro. He stabbed at the fish with his sword as the blade undid itself to reform into a net, wrapped around today's food. (text-colour:#68F53D)[Obtained Raw Salmon x1!](set: $GotFish to true) (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//What's next on the agenda?//] { (if:$GotFirewood is false)[[Chop firewood.]] (if:$GotFirewood is true)[[Return home.]] }

Hiro faced the closest tree, a redwood. Its bark would laugh at his grass blade if the tree could laugh. He pointed at the tree. "Who said I was going to use my grass blade?" With one hand, surrounded by manifested lava, he grabbed the rocks by his boots. They magnetized and molded together to create a stone sword in his hand, now engulfed with ice to cool the hilt. (text-colour:#68F53D)[Obtained Emblazed Sedimentary Blade! Its attack is 100.] (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//As accurate as that name is, why does it have to be so long? I'll call it a rock sword.//] Like a hot knife through butter, his rock sword cleaved the tree's trunk from its roots. Hiro held out his other hand toward the crackling tree in its descent over him. Birds perched above flew off. "Time stop!" The falling plant froze in place. Meanwhile, red, yellow, and orange leaves fell from the other trees. The birds in flight continued their fleeing. He chucked the rock sword at the closest frozen branch and made a sweeping motion with his arm. A gust of wind directed the spinning weapon to sever the branch. Hiro repeated this for the rest of the branches and the main trunk until it became ten towering logs. "Do me a favor, wind spirits. Move these logs behind my house." Air buzzed by his ears as a cyclone appeared under the frozen logs before it swept them away. He waved at the mini-tornado. "Thanks, you guys! I'll be sure to repay the favor." (text-colour:#68F53D)[Obtained Redwood Logs x10!](set: $GotFirewood to true) (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//Next up is...//] { (if:$GotFish is false)[[Catch a fish.]] (if:$GotFish is true)[[Return home.]] }

Back home, nine redwood logs lay on their sides behind his boulder house while one log towered over Hiro by the doorway. His rock sword had wedged its blade inside the log near the bottom. (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//Heh, those wind spirits knew I was going to cut more firewood, so they left one out for me.//] "I guess I owe you all two favors. How about some fried fish?" A breeze tugged the grass net-caught salmon in his hand toward the doorway. Hiro let go, and the wind carried it inside. He yanked the rock sword from the log. (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//How should I cut some firewood?//] [[Use the Time Stopping Flurry technique.]] [[Use the Time Slowing Gash technique.]] (set: $Sawdust to false)

Hiro held his breath and emptied his mind. "Time Stopping Flurry!" Falling autumn leaves froze in place. He slashed at every inch of the log with his rock sword, but even with clean cuts, the wood stayed still. Then, Hiro caught his breath. Autumn leaves continued their descent, and the log in front of him collapsed into red and yellow sand. "Time—!" Before he could stop time, sawdust buried the bottom half of Hiro's body. "Welp, that was overkill." He dug himself out of the sawdust pile and shook his clothes on the way home. (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//I'll use the emergency firewood under the hay.//] (text-colour:#F56E25)[Lost Redwood Log x1 and Emergency Firewood x1.] (text-colour:#68F53D)[Obtained Redwood Sawdust Pile x1.] [[Fry salmon.]] (set: $Sawdust to true)

Hiro breathed in sharply and filled his mind with thoughts of firewood, fried fish, and wind spirits. "Time Slowing Gash!" Falling autumn leaves slowed their descent. He slashed at every inch of the log, but the moving splinters and wood chunks shrouded what was cut and what wasn't. Then, Hiro let out his breath. Autumn leaves continued their descent at a normal pace, and the log in front of him collapsed in haphazardly cut chunks. Their combined fall amounted to a thundering slam noise. He picked up a few wooden blocks. "Not too shabby." (text-colour:#F56E25)[Lost Redwood Log x1.] (text-colour:#68F53D)[Obtained Redwood Firewood x100.] [[Fry salmon.]]

Before Hiro could walk through his house's doorway, Seyedkic appeared in front of him. She wore a purple robe that covered her slim body from head to ankles. The woman stood a few inches shorter than him, but a levitation spell brought her bare feet that many inches above the ground. She furrowed her eyebrows while her green eyes pierced through him. On instinct, he backed away. "Whoa, I mean, hey, Seyedkic! What brings you here on our vacation?" "You cast time magic just now, didn't you? While the rest of the world is affected, those blessed by the Time God, such as you and I, aren't. I was busy painting, and you made me screw up!" "S-sorry..." She looked at the log's remains. "Seriously? You cast time magic for { (if:$Sawdust is false)[sloppy wood cutting] (if:$Sawdust is true)[sawdust making] }?" "(if:$Sawdust is true)[Actually, I was trying to make firewood. ]We might as well use our new abilities in our daily lives." He pointed at her feet. "Like how you're using levitation to avoid putting on shoes." Seyedkic crossed her arms. "W-well, at least I'm not disturbing others with my levitation. Just try not to use time magic unless you really need to, okay?" She vanished. [[Fry salmon without interruption.]]

Hiro chuckled to himself while he fried salmon on a stone pan over his fireplace. It's only been a week since he and Seyedkic last went on an adventure, but he loved the lively banter he had shared with her back then. How would a new journey with her play out now that they're so powerful from learning God-blessed spells and abilities? Should he pursue another adventure when others could be heroes instead? [[Embark on a new adventure!]] [[Stay home to enjoy the vacation.]]

(text-colour:#40F5F0)[//Vacationing is boring.//] Hiro wolfed down half the fried fish and left the rest outside for the wind spirits to erode as their way of eating. "See you whenever I'm back, wind spirits." He grabbed his ice chest and trekked north toward Dryad Desert, Seyedkic's home. (text-colour:#68F53D)[Obtained Ice Chest x1!] The sun fell below the horizon with every step he took. Autumn leaves crunched under his boots for a few hours as he passed fewer and fewer redwood trees until the dirt path beared little to no vegetation. [[Enter Dryad Desert]]

(text-colour:#40F5F0)[//I'm too overpowered for postgame content, so I'll let the other protagonists have fun.//] Hiro nibbled half the fried fish and left the rest outside for the wind spirits to erode as their way of eating. "Good night, wind spirits." He lay on his hay bed and shut his eyes. (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//What kind of painting was Seyedkic working on?//] That last thought led to dreams of smeared paints on a blank canvas that shifted into volcanoes, deserts, and icebergs. Something heavy thudded on Hiro's chest. [[Check what's there.]]

(text-colour:#40F5F0)[//One loading screen transition later, I'm finally here at Dryad Desert.//] The starry night sky and crescent moon lit the sand dunes Hiro crossed. He conjured a forcefield around his body as a sand tornado loomed in the distance. It flung gusts and sand at him, but the reddish yellow grains bounced off. (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//Why did I leave the airship with Seyedkic? She can teleport, and I can't! Ugh, past me was so stupid.//] With more thoughts of self-criticism racing through his mind, Hiro strolled through the sand tornado as if it was another windy day. However, the sandy pellets that peppered his forcefield soon grew to skull-sized rocks. A blanket of the stuff blurred his vision. One look to the side—a clear view turned to that of hazy sand in an instant—told him all that he needed to know. (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//This sand tornado isn't natural.//] [[Stride to the Storm's Eye.]]

(align:"=><=")[//Skit Hero// by Cowdan Thy] Hiro must find a way to combat boredom at home. [[Begin Hiro's Vacation.]] (set: $GotFish to false) (set: $GotFirewood to false)

After a world-saving adventure, Hiro and Seyedkic had returned to their homes for a much needed vacation. It only took one week for Hiro to run out of food. The man pulled his hazel eyes off the empty never-melt-ice chest that he stored his food in. This one-room stone house he crafted with earth magic only held the essentials: a pile of hay for a bed in one corner and this food chest. By the doorway stood a fireplace that held black ashes. //(text-colour:#40F5F0)[I guess my first quest today is to get some food.]// Hiro waved his hand over his orange pajamas to cast a shapeshifting spell over them. Now, he wore a grass-green tunic and pants. //(text-colour:#40F5F0)[Perfect for camouflage.]// He strode out the doorway to Bygone Forest, damp from morning dew. Gray clouds blotted out the sky. The grass brushed above his iron boots to tickle his ankles. (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//Wow, the lawn's already this overgrown?//] Hiro jumped and spun with his arms outstretched. Then, a razor sharp air current shaved all the grass around his boulder of a house. The cut vegetation gathered to form a broadsword in his right hand. (text-colour:#68F53D)[Obtained Grass Blade! Its attack is 0.] (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//I didn't expect much from grass even if it was magically molded together, but c'mon, zero attack?//] He sighed. (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//What should I do first?//] [[Catch a fish.]] [[Chop firewood.]]

The rocks of sand hurled at Hiro magnetized to form a boulder. In one forcefield-protected punch, he launched the unnatural projectile back where it came from. "Enough playing around! Only I get to do that," Hiro said. A humanoid figure, made entirely of reddish yellow sand, sprung below Hiro with its hands under his boots! It flew into the air as Hiro adjusted his balance on the monster's palms. From its back, the figure birthed another sand arm that stretched out to grip Hiro's throat. "Begone," it said in a high-pitched voice. The new hand flung him aside. In his descent, the grass blade reformed into a grappling hook. "That's my line!" Hiro slung the grass blade's hook around the creature and tugged himself back in its expressionless face. "Miss me, Whatever-your-name-is?" (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//This thing needs a name, like how other monsters in games have names.//] "How about I call you Sandy?" (text-color:#40F5F0)[//Anyway, what awesome move should I use to finish Sandy off?//] [[Cast Torrential Freeze.]] [[Cut it apart with the grass blade.]]

(text-colour:#40F5F0)[//Time to make this Dryad Desert not so dry!//] Black rainclouds covered the sky and barraged the sand tornado with water. Each drop collided with sand, wrapped around, and froze until every grain was captured in transparent blocks. The turbulent wind settled since the flooded and frozen ground had become uneven. Hiro slammed his heel down on Sandy to release it from the grass blade's hold. The abomination bellyflopped on the ice-pool and froze instantly. Hiro cast wind magic under himself to keep his feet from touching the ground's water. With the sand tornado out of the way, Hiro could see his destination clearly. Seyedkic's Titan skull home stood out like a sore thumb among the sand dunes. Farther in the distance, a black dot with wings flew toward her residence. He squinted his eyes to see that it was a dragon! (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//No more easygoing stroll. She's in danger!//] [[Zoom across the desert with wind magic.]]

(text-colour:#40F5F0)[//Time to put this grass blade to the test!//] The grappling hook reformed to a fishing net, wrapped around Sandy. Then, it returned to being a sword by moving every blade of grass through the creature's body. The monster crumbled into loose sand that fell along with the tornado's strength. Hiro cast wind magic under himself to keep his feet from touching the ground. With the sand tornado out of the way, Hiro could see his destination clearly. Seyedkic's Titan skull home stood out like a sore thumb among the sand dunes. Farther in the distance, a black dot with wings flew toward her residence. He squinted his eyes to see that it was a dragon! (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//No more easygoing stroll. She's in danger!//] [[Zoom across the desert with wind magic.]]

(text-colour:#40F5F0)[//I could use time magic to ruin the suspense—I mean, dragon, but Seyedkic did say to only use it when necessary.//] In a matter of minutes, Hiro flew within a mile away from her home. She had chosen to use a Titan's skull as a makeshift house in the desert. It had finished decaying years before she moved there, so no flesh or hair remained. The airship was nowhere to be seen. (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//Is this really a good time to describe the scenery when a dragon is just as far from her as I am?//] A lightning bolt shot out of the skull's eye socket and pierced the black dragon from head to tail. It crashlanded into a sand dune. With a boom, clouds of dust erupted from the impact. "Whoa, she doesn't mess around." "I hate wasting time," Seyedkic said. [[Turn left to face her.]]

Hiro flew in place and turned to face Seyedkic, still in her purple robe and levitating in the air. "Aw, but flashy moves are cool to wa—!" She stared daggers into him. "Not only are flashy moves a waste of time, but they're also inefficient." "Aren't you saying the same thing?" "Shut up and look how 'Sandy' is like." She pointed to his left where a gigantic version of Sandy plowed through the desert with every step. Despite it being miles away, Sandy would close the distance within minutes, especially since the monster grew with the sand it collected into its body. "You're not getting away!" It said. [[Ask Seyedkic what she would do.]]

"Okay, what would you do?" Hiro asked. Seyedkic's eyes scanned the ground below Sandy. "An elemental being like that must have a core hidden somewhere." Her eyes widened. "There!" She pointed and summoned a beam of darkness from her fingertip. It ruptured the ground under Sandy to reveal a blood-red glowing orb, now skewered with pitch blackness. Sandy ceased its giant steps and fell apart as inanimate sand. A deafening whoosh blew past the duo. Hiro elbowed her arm. "Nice work, partner." [[Ask for another adventure.]] [[Ask about the airship.]] (set: $AskAdventure to false) (set: $AskAirship to false)

"Up for another adventure?" Hiro asked. "Is that your way of saying, 'Let's catch the mastermind responsible for sending a dragon and elemental being to kill us,' or did you not figure that out yet?" "Of course that's what I meant!" (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//Not really, but let's roll with that.//] { (if:$AskAirship is false)[[Ask about the airship.]] (if:$AskAirship is true)[["What town should we check for clues first?"]] } (set: $AskAdventure to true)

"Did something happen to our airship?" Hiro asked. "I sold it to a knight named Traynee, so I could buy more magic tomes." "Why? It was so fun flying on that!" She outstretched her arms and pointed below. "Do you see what we're doing, or do I need to say why we don't need it?" "Okay, party pooper, I get it." { (if:$AskAdventure is false)[[Ask for another adventure.]] (if:$AskAdventure is true)[["What town should we check for clues first?"]] } (set: $AskAirship to true)

Seyedkic facepalmed. "We're not beginners anymore, so there's no need to travel across The Whirlduh to gather intel. Just pick one town where we established an info network. Surely, all of them know what evildoer is wreaking havoc in the world." Hiro crossed his arms. "You really want to go back on vacation, huh?" "And you don't?" [[Refuse.]]

The dust clouds cleared where the dragon had landed, and its burned corpse sunk beneath the sand. To Hiro's left where Sandy had crumbled, a breeze shaved off the grainy mountain's top. (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//Seyedkic definitely got stronger, and those magic tomes she bought are probably why. Refusing her advice could lead to a fight where she tries to knock some sense into me, but I didn't come all this way to give up my dreams of adventure!//] She put her hand on her hip. "Hello, are you there?" (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//And now she's trying to ruin the tension I'm building with my inner monologue. I need to deliver an epic speech, fitting for a final boss, if I want to persuade her to understand my decision. It's time to use my maxed charisma stat to its fullest potential.//] Seyedkic waved her hand in front of Hiro's unblinking eyes. "Hey, snap out of it. Whatever it is." [[Deliver the speech.]] (set: $GameOver to false)

Hiro grasped Seyedkic's hand. It felt like ice against his fingers, but he tightened his grip on it with his hands. "Partner, I have something important to say." Her cheeks turned rose-red as she stared at his hands. "W-what is it?" "I don't feel alive unless I'm with you on an adventure. Our conversations, whether it's joyful or bickering, make me feel whole. I would love nothing more than to spend as much time with you on as many adventures that The Whirlduh has in store for us." She brought her other hand to hold his. "I... I love you, too!" He pulled his hands away. "Whoa, what? First of all, that doesn't make sense. We're complete opposites, and don't give me that bogus about opposites attracting. Second, I wasn't even confessing my love. I was trying to persuade you to go on adventures with me instead of going on vacation." Sparks crackled around her hands as she clenched her teeth and glared at Hiro. "You're such a numbskull!" [[Vocally calm her down.]] [[Forcefully calm her down.]] (set: $HiroHP to 9999) (set: $HiroDeaths to 0) (set: $SeyedkicAnger to 1) (set: $SeyedkicPacify to 1) (set: $SeyedkicLvl to 100) (set: $SeyedkicOriginalDmg to 100) (set: $SeyedkicNewDmg to 100)

Hiro waved his hands defensively in front of himself. "I admit that I chose the wrong dialogue options, but it's not my fault that you misinterpreted what I said." "I don't want to hear another word from you!" Seyedkic punched his stomach, and from her knuckles, electricity surged throughout his body. (text-colour:#F56E25)[Hiro took 5000 damage! He has (set: $HiroHP to $HiroHP - 5000)$HiroHP/9999 HP remaining.] "Holy damage numbers, Seyedkic! We can't have the protagonist dying before the final boss fight, right?" She laughed maniacally. "I'll use a revive spell every time I kill you, so it'll be like nothing ever happened." (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//Yikes, I don't think I've ever seen her this mad. Should I try my luck with pacifism again?//] [[Pacify.]] { (if:$SeyedkicAnger is 1)[[Fight. ->Forcefully calm her down.]] (if:$SeyedkicAnger is 2)[[Fight. ->Use the ultimate attack.]] } (set: $SeyedkicPacify to 2)

"You need to chill out!" Hiro sweeped his arms to the right as ten human-sized icicles appeared by his left side and flew at Seyedkic. She outstretched her palm in the direction of the ice pillars. They exploded into icy dust over her. "We have similar powers, idiot(if:$SeyedkicLvl > 109)[, but I'm much stronger than you now, ahahaha! Even you should feel the difference between us]. You're not beating me." { (if:$SeyedkicPacify is 1)[[Charm her. ->Vocally calm her down.]] (if:$SeyedkicPacify is 2)[[Charm her. ->Pacify.]] (if:$SeyedkicLvl < 110)[ [[Use the ultimate attack.]] ] (if:$SeyedkicLvl > 109)[ [[Use the ultimate attack. ->Game Over?]] ] } (set: $SeyedkicAnger to 2)

Hiro held his belly with one hand as his next words pained him to say. "You're wasting your strength, which we need for whoever's the mastermind behind the attacks on us." "And you're wasting your breath." Seyedkic covered his mouth with her palm, and from it, black rays disintegrated Hiro's head from his neck.(set: $HiroDeaths to $HiroDeaths + 1) (text-colour:#F56E25)[Hiro took (set: $SeyedkicNewDmg to $SeyedkicOriginalDmg*$SeyedkicLvl)$SeyedkicNewDmg damage! He has 0/9999 HP remaining.] (text-colour:#68F53D)[Seyedkic gained one million experience! Her level increased to (set: $SeyedkicLvl to $SeyedkicLvl +1)$SeyedkicLvl.] Light rays replaced the darkness as she said, "Revive!" His body parts reassembled as if time rewound. (text-colour:#68F53D)[Hiro gained 9999 HP! He has (set: $HiroHP to 9999)$HiroHP/9999 HP remaining.] He flew back a few inches and touched his face. "A-are you satisfied yet?" "I only killed you (text-colour:#F56E25)[$HiroDeaths] time(if:$HiroDeaths > 1)[s]. Besides, I'm getting stronger with every victory. Why would I stop now?" (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//Not good. She sounds hellbent on repeatedly killing me for who-knows-how-long!//] [[Try saying the same things again and hope something different happens. ->Vocally calm her down.]]{ (if: $GameOver is true)[(text-colour:#40F5F0)[//DO NOT MAKE HER STRONGER THAN ME AGAIN!//]] (if:$SeyedkicAnger is 1)[ [[Fight. ->Forcefully calm her down.]] ] (if:$SeyedkicAnger is 2 and $SeyedkicLvl > 109)[ [[Fight. ->Game Over?]] ] (if:$SeyedkicAnger is 2 and $SeyedkicLvl < 110)[ [[Fight. ->Use the ultimate attack.]] ] } (set: $SeyedkicPacify to 1)

Fire, earth, and wind materialized in Hiro's right hand. Water, lightning, and darkness manifested in his other hand. "Holy light, come forth." He brought both hands together and pushed them forward to create a white laser, directed at Seyedkic! Her hands conjured the same elements and summoned the same laser. "Holy light, come forth." When their lasers collided, a blinding explosion shook the planet and launched Hiro and Seyedkic across the world in opposite directions. They lost consciousness from the blast. [[Wake up.]]

Fire, earth, and wind materialized in Hiro's right hand. Water, lightning, and darkness manifested in his other hand. "Holy light, come forth." He brought both hands together and pushed them forward to create a white laser, directed at Seyedkic! She giggled as the laser ricocheted off her chest to blast the sand dunes beneath the mid-air duo. Blinding explosions left craters that nearby sand filled in. "See? I've killed you so many times to get stronger that even your toughest attack doesn't faze me. Here's what my version feels like." Her hands conjured the same elements and— (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//I'm gonna wear my plot armor shamelessly here and rewind time to my speech. I won't question why you wanted to see her kill me so many times. Maybe you're a sadist, like her, or maybe you don't like me. Those are totally fine reasons, but there's no way I'm getting a Game Over here. Do not try pacifying Seyedkic!//] [[Rewind Time. ->Deliver the speech.]] (set: $GameOver to true)

Hiro's body ached as his mind stirred from slumber. He lay in the middle of a stone crater beside a gray castle. (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//Wait, isn't this...?//] A fire ball appeared in his palm as he waved it around the castle's wall. (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//It really is Evale's castle, but Seyedkic and I destroyed it when that witch transformed this structure into a monster.//] "Oh well, time for round two!" He hurled the fire ball at the wall. The flames turned into an explosion upon impact, but only smoke and the scent of charcoal lingered. (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//No burn marks? What did Evale feed this thing?//] "I had a feeling you made the explosion," Seyedkic said. Above Hiro, she peered over the wall's ramparts and levitated herself to him. "Evale's probably the mastermind behind the attacks against us, especially since her castle's back." He fell to his hands and knees in front of Seyedkic. "Is there really no hope for more adventures with you?" "Um... don't count on it yet because I'm not sure how Evale's back from the dead. Cheer up, so we can investigate her castle." [[Investigate the gatehouse.]]

The iron gate hung above, like it welcomed all visitors to enter. Seyedkic looked around and behind herself. "Remember the first time we came through here to stop Evale? She transformed animals into monsters, blocked our vision with fog, and separated us with a snap of her fingers. However, we thought we never left each other because a doppelganger monster impersonated the missing person." (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//Can you make it more obvious that you're not Seyedkic? I'll continue to go along with this only because I don't want the adventure to end yet.//] "Uh huh, I remember." Hiro sat on one of the holes where the iron gate's bottom spike would enter. The doppelganger glanced at the iron gate. Its black frame dropped and bounced off Hiro's forcefield-protected head. "O-oh no! Are you okay?" [["Peachy."]]

Hiro shoved the gate back up with one hand. "Peachy." He walked past the doppelganger and said, "Let's continue, Faker—I mean, Seyedkic." (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//Oops.//] The man turned around to see Evale instead of the Seyedkic disguise. She wore a tattered and charred witch dress. The sleeves had been shredded, but strings wrapped parts of them to her arms. Her shoulder-length blonde hair seemed wilted closer to the tips as if it didn't get enough water or nutrients in her case. "How long did you know I wasn't Seyedkic?" "Since you appeared from the ramparts. My partner would've teleported next to me because she hates wasting time." He sat down on the bumpy stone path. "I'm guessing you want revenge because Seyedkic and I killed you?" Evale pulled out a wand from the inside of her sleeve and pointed the tip at him. A blood-red laser shot out! [[Flick it back.]] [[Yawn.]]

Hiro snapped a finger at the laser, so his forcefield-protected finger reflected the beam to Evale. When it hit her, she melted into a black puddle. "Oh, I guess the adventure's over now." [[Leave Evale's Castle.]]

Hiro stretched his arms up and let out a yawn. By mere chance, the angle at which the laser hit his forcefield-protected chin allowed the beam to reflect back to Evale. When it hit her, she melted into a black puddle. "Oh, I guess the adventure's over now." [[Leave Evale's Castle.]]

The puddle swirled and rose its liquid into the air before it reformed into Evale. She grinned at the bored Hiro, still on the ground. (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//Hey, only heroes get to use retry. What gives?//] "Is there some trick I'm not doing to keep you dead?" "A wicked witch had cursed me with self-reviving as long as you or Seyedkic are alive. This means—" Hiro jumped to his feet. "Seyedkic and I can always be on an adventure because you'll be alive to fight us!" "Uh, I guess, but once I have my revenge, I can finally rest in peace." "Yeah, sure. See you later, Evale!" Hiro flew into the air. "I'm off to tell Seyedkic the good news once I find her." [[Continue the adventure.]]

At the other end of the planet, Hiro found Seyedkic in a similar crater to the one he woke up in. He shared the news with her about Evale's curse. She didn't want to believe that her vacation wouldn't return soon until she witnessed Evale's resurrection with her own eyes. "Not another adventure with this idiot!" Hiro laughed. "C'mon, we've got another witch to find somewhere in the world." (align:"=><=")[''THE END''] [[Replay the adventure from the beginning. ->Title Screen]] [[Try the alternate storyline. ->Stay home to enjoy the vacation.]]

A canvas laid its backside on Hiro's torso. While birds chirped on his boulder home's roof, morning sunlight beamed over the horizon into his doorway. Fish bones in a stone pan clacked against the sides as a fishy scent wafted in. "Good morning to you, too, wind spirits." He lifted the canvas to look at the back. Purple painted words spelled out, "You can keep the painting you ruined." Upon turning it around, his eyes widened at the sight of his painted figure, unleashing a white beam attack from his palms, joined together, toward Evale's castle. Its walls had sprouted from the ground to form arms and wings while the black gate curved into teeth. "Whoa, this looks amazing!" He wondered where Seyedkic messed up, but it didn't take long to see. Tan smears stretched from one of his fingers into the white beam, like the attack ripped his skin off. "Ooh, yeah, I can see why that's not good." (text-colour:#68F53D)[Obtained Almost Perfect Ultimate Attack Painting x1!] [[Catch more fish for food.]]

The never-melt-ice chest in his room was still empty. (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//Let's fix that.//] Hiro strode outside, ready to go fishing again. (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//I hope there's more than one fish this time.//] He remembered how unnaturally violent the river's current was, which impacted how many fish could swim through. Rustling noises and stomping footsteps approached from the thicket of redwood trees in front of him. A knight burst from the shrubbery and dug his or her sabatons' heels into the dirt to slow down. "A-are you Hiro?" a masculine voice said behind the helmet. Based on the long and wide hilt by his left side, he was armed with a greatsword. "That's my name, and don't wear it out." The knight bowed in front of him. "I finally found you, Hiro!" When he rose back to attention, his gauntlet covered hands lifted the helmet off to reveal nothing under it where a head and neck would be. "My name's Traynee and—" [[Raise the grass blade against this possessed suit of armor.]] [[Scream in terror.]]

Hiro brandished his grass blade in front of the headless suit of armor. "Have at you!" Traynee backed away while fumbling with his helmet. "W-whoa, please calm down." He put his helmet on backwards. "If you're worried that I'm here to kill you, don't be. There's no way I'd win." His shaky fingers turned the helmet around to the proper side. [[Analyze Traynee's fighting aptitude.]]

Hiro slapped his hands on his cheeks and screamed, like //The Scream// by Edvard Munch. Traynee backed away. "W-why are you screaming? Surely, you've seen more frightening monsters on your past journey than me." He put his helmet on. "If you're worried that I'm here to kill you, don't be. I probably couldn't beat you in a fight even if I got the first strike." [[Analyze Traynee's fighting aptitude.]]

The green text above Traynee's helmet that only Hiro could see read, "(text-colour:#68F53D)[Level 1]." The greatsword by Traynee's left side had floating green text of "(text-colour:#68F53D)[Attack: 10]." "Yeah, I can see why," Hiro said. "So what can I do for you, Traynee?" "The Whirlduh is in chaos! Evale came back from the dead and is sending monsters everywhere, destroying everyone and anything. Not only that, but she's also obtained control over mother nature and has been devastating wildlife and farms. People have been reaching out to you and Seyedkic, but Evale's minions keep intercepting. Please, you've got to stop her!" "I'm on vacation." "That's great to hear. Wait, what?" His metalic finger scratched the side of his helmet, which let out a grating noise. "Um... Evale might ruin your vacation by harming whatever food source you get. Isn't that something you should take care of?" [[Refuse Traynee again.]]

"I'm leaving her for other heroes to deal with." Birds ceased their chirping and flew off. As the wind blew harder against Hiro's face, a dull flapping grew louder. "In that case, could you mentor me to be that hero? I can't die unless my master perishes or unsummons me." That flapping sound drew closer from above the redwood trees. "If Evale's going to send a dragon to disturb my vacation, I guess I can't say no to you." "D-dragon?" A bloodcurling roar turned Traynee's helmet around and up to face a black dragon, flapping its wings in the air. "Aah! Quick, Hiro, do something!" [[Chuck Traynee at the dragon.]]

"Think of this as training." Hiro lifted Traynee off the ground and threw the suit of armor, helmet first, at the winged monster. "Give it your best shot!" Traynee unsheathed his greatsword. "Okay, here I come, drago—" The dragon poked Traynee with a talon, which slammed the knight through the roof of Hiro's house. Shattered remains of Seyedkic's painting lay under Traynee. (text-colour:#F56E25)[Lost Almost Perfect Ultimate Attack Painting x1.] Hiro ran to the pieces of art and caressed the one that showed his face. "You've gone too far, Evale." He leaped into the air and hovered with wind magic to face the dragon. "It's one thing to disturb my vacation, but no one ever tarnishes a gift from my partner!" [[Use the ultimate attack. ->Obliterate the dragon.]] [[Push the dragon to outer space.]] (set: $UltimateUsed to false)

Fire, earth, and wind materialized in Hiro's right hand. Water, lightning, and darkness manifested in his other hand. "Holy light, come forth." He brought both hands together and pushed them forward to create a white laser, directed at the dragon! His opponent breathed fire in retaliation, but the laser pierced the flames and the dragon's body from head to tail. Only the outer parts of its body remained, which started to plummet as the wings ceased moving. The laser raced across the sky and enlarged. Hiro zipped through the dragon body's gaping hole as the laser finished circling the globe. Now ten times the original size, the white attack disintegrated the rest of the dragon before it returned to Hiro's palms as its prior elements. [[Check how Traynee's doing.]] (set: $UltimateUsed to true)

Hiro zoomed under the dragon's belly with his wind magic and pushed up while flying higher. The winged beast flailed and breathed fire as it didn't know what to do against a man lifting it into the sky. The higher their altitude became, the less fire the dragon breathed as its source of oxygen diminished. When the dragon grew limp and the stars became clear to Hiro's vision below, he knew the deed was done. Thankfully, his forcefield protected him from outer space. [[Check how Traynee's doing.]]

Once Hiro flew back to his caved-in home, Traynee had reassembled the smashed painting, like a jigsaw puzzle. Seyedkic leaned back against the stone wall near the doorway. "I know he's stupid, but I don't think he's dumb enough to care about this trashy painting of mine." "He seemed really angry about the dragon tarnishing your gift," Traynee said. "Seyedkic, I'm so sorry you had to see your painting like this, but I dealt with the dragon responsible for destroying it at least." She facepalmed. "Geez, you really are that stupid." A near replica of the painting appeared in her other hand. "I just painted a perfect version of it, so cheer up." (text-colour:#68F53D)[Obtained Perfect Ultimate Attack Painting x1!] "(if:$UltimateUsed is true)[Could you not use your ultimate attack willy-nilly, like you did? What if something got hit around The Whirlduh that you didn't intend to destroy? ]Anyway, I'm heading back home to enjoy my vacation. Good-bye!" Traynee held out his hand toward where she was. "Wait! Aw, I forgot to ask her for help against Evale." "She'd probably say no. Just like me, she wants to enjoy her vacation." [[Ask what Traynee's next step is.]]

"What's the plan from here, hero trainee? Grind some levels, find better gear, or do sidequests?" Traynee's helmet tilted to the side. "I'm not sure what you just said, but I'll do whatever you recommend, so I can stop Evale." [[Make Traynee fight for level-ups.]] [[Shop for better gear.]] [[Direct Traynee to people in need.]] (set: $TrayneeLvl to 1) (set: $TrayneeBlade to "greatsword") (set: $Grinded to false) (set: $Shop to false) (set: $SQ to false) (set: $TrayneeSwords to 1)

Hiro guided Traynee over the redwood trunk maze to the river Hiro caught a salmon from. Its water current whipped the murky liquid against the sides, like the entity responsible threatened any who approach. "We're here to quell Evale's elemental being in this river as part of your training." Traynee held his $TrayneeBlade in front of himself. "I'm ready, but where is it?" "Closer than you think," Hiro said before he dove into the river. A gelatinous humanoid figure, murky like the river's water, emerged from the diving spot with Hiro's lower half stuck inside its blobby hand. A blood-red orb glowed between the figure's legs, and an aquamarine longsword poked its blade out of the other hand. The creature let out a high-pitched scream at Traynee, who stood at half its height. "Whoa! Hiro, what do I do?" "Isn't it obvious? Slay this thing to save me!" (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//I don't actually need saving because of my forcefield, but saying it like that raises the tension for him.//] [[Watch Traynee fight.]]

Hiro brought Traynee to Mur Chen Dice, a stone plaza full of merchants and their carts of goods. (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//From weapons to food, these folks supply the demand, especially during times of world chaos when people need them the most.//] Because of how often merchants come and go, it's not unusual for the four dirt roads around the place to get new bumps and holes. "Go sell your sword(if:$TrayneeSwords > 1)[s] for a better one at a weapon cart while I buy some grub." A wagon carried cheese wheels, bread loaves, and jars of anchovies. The hanging sign on the wagon's side had text that read, "Fresh from Fah Erm." Three stools gathered around a box, a makeshift table. On the box's side with no stool was a muscular man who counted silver coins in his callus-covered hand. "I'll have an anchovy and cheese sandwich," Hiro said. He sat on the stool across from the man and slid a brown pouch toward him. "Keep the change." One look inside the pouch widened the merchant's green eyes. "Oh my! Thank you very much, kind sir." Traynee rushed to Hiro's side with a new sword in its hilt. "Uh, the weapon seller said this suits me based on my level. Is this sword good?" [[Inspect Traynee's new sword.]]

Hiro strode with Traynee to Fah Erm, a farming village that Traynee's master summoned him from. The nearby beach provided fish produce, and dark brown patches of soil allowed wheat to grow. A few wooden huts between the farmland and beach had teenagers and kids playing dice while older folks worked outside. One dirt road ran parallel to the huts, but unlike the other adult women, one lady stood alone on the road with a blue exclamation mark above her blonde head. "See that woman on the road? She's got a problem that us heroes can solve, so go ask her about it," Hiro said. "How do you know she has a problem? What if she's taking a break from farming and fishing?" "I've got protagonist powers. Now, hurry along." [[See what the lady's sidequest is about.]]

"Of course, but where do I attack?" Traynee said. "This thing is huge and mostly made of water and mud!" "Between the legs." "But isn't that a low blow? Isn't there a more respectable weakpoint to attack?" Hiro facepalmed. "I'm being threatened, and that's what you're worried about? Besides, that's where the core is at!" (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//It sure is convenient that this monster—let's call it Mud Man—stayed still the entire time Traynee and I talked.//] "Oh, right!" As the trainee charged at the core, Mud Man swung its sword arm, but Traynee's armor collapsed underneath it before reassembling together. He stabbed the tip of his $TrayneeBlade into the blood-red orb. A shriek erupted from Mud Man while the core disintegrated and the gelatinous body fell apart. (text-colour:#68F53D)[Traynee gained one hundred experience points! His level increased to (set: $TrayneeLvl to $TrayneeLvl + 4)$TrayneeLvl.](set: $Grinded to true) Hiro landed on his feet and picked up the aquamarine blade that Mud Man had. Its attack was 30. "{ (if:$TrayneeBlade is "ice blade")[Aw, it's weaker than what you got from the sidequest. What a letdown, Traynee.] (if:$TrayneeBlade is "crystal blade")[Aw, it's weaker than what you got from the merchant. What a letdown, Traynee.] (if:$TrayneeBlade is "greatsword" or "lightning blade")[Not a bad weapon upgrade, Traynee.] } Here's the spoils of war for saving me." "Thanks. What should I do next?"{ (if:$TrayneeBlade is "greatsword" or "lightning blade")[(set:$TrayneeBlade to "aquamarine blade")] (if:$Shop is false)[ [[Shop for better gear.]] ] (if:$SQ is false and $Shop is true)[ [[Direct Traynee to people in need.]] ] (else-if:$SQ is false)[ [[Direct Traynee to people in need.]] ] (if:$Shop is true and $SQ is true)[ [[Tell Traynee to fight Evale.]] ] } (set: $TrayneeSwords to $TrayneeSwords + 1)

"Okay, you've got some levels, a stronger sword, and did a sidequest. It's time to stop Evale," Hiro said. "But I don't feel that much stronger." Traynee stared at his $TrayneeBlade and said, "Is it really possible for me to win against her?" "Sure, speedrunners do it all the time. You wouldn't happen to have some means of transportation, would ya?" "I traded some of my master's tomes for an airship, but the vehicle didn't have much fuel left after its owner rode on it for hours according to what Seyedkic said. Unfortunately, it needs dragon oil to refuel it, and I don't know how to get that." "Ah, what a bummer." (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//Please don't blame me, please don't blame me, please don't blame me...//] "I'll just have to carry you to Evale's castle, assuming it's still in the same location." [[Bring Traynee to Evale's castle.]]

Hiro unsheathed Traynee's new sword. { (if:$TrayneeBlade is "greatsword")[(text-colour:#40F5F0)[// It's a lightning blade with an attack of 20.//(set: $TrayneeBlade to "lightning blade")]] (if:$TrayneeBlade is "aquamarine blade")[(text-colour:#40F5F0)[// It's an inferno blade with an attack of 40.//(set: $TrayneeBlade to "inferno blade")]] (if:$TrayneeBlade is "ice blade")[(text-colour:#40F5F0)[// It's a crystal blade with an attack of 60.//(set: $TrayneeBlade to "crystal blade")]] } "It's better, but not by much. How many silver coins did your old sword(if:$TrayneeSwords > 1)[s] sell for?"(set: $Shop to true) "(set:$TrayneeSwords to $TrayneeSwords*2)$TrayneeSwords." With a frown, he sheathed it and returned the weapon. "I figured. No matter the effort us heroes do to get new weapons, they're never worth much to a merchant." The man across the box table slid Hiro's anchovy and cheese sandwich, wrapped in a napkin that failed to hold the foot-long meal. "Thank you for your business." "You're welcome." After Hiro got off the stool, he stashed the whole sandwich into his pocket. "I'll eat this later." (text-colour:#68F53D)[Obtained Anchovy and Cheese Sandwich x1!] Traynee brought his hands to the sides of his helmet. "W-wha...? How did you do that!" "Do what?" The knight poked the pocket that held Hiro's sandwich, but not a single bulge portrayed the existence of anything inside. "You stuffed a sandwich as long as my forearm in here, and it fit without making your pants stretch! How is that possible? Aren't you worried about the mess inside? What if it spoils?" "Shh, you're asking too many logical questions. Let's move on."{ (if:$Grinded is false)[ [[Make Traynee fight for level-ups.]] ] (if:$SQ is false and $Grinded is true)[ [[Direct Traynee to people in need.]] ] (else-if:$SQ is false)[ [[Direct Traynee to people in need.]] ] (if:$Grinded is true and $SQ is true)[ [[Tell Traynee to fight Evale.]] ] }

"Excuse me, Miss. Did you have a problem that I can help with?" Traynee said. The lady turned to the knight and shook her head. "No, I don't." Hiro cleared his throat. "Excuse me, Miss. Did you have a problem that I can help with?" She turned to him and nodded. "Yes, an ogre killed my husband before we arrived here, and it's blocking the only way back to my hometown up north. Please, do something about it!" Traynee waved his arms by his side. "Lady, did you not hear what I asked?" "Shh, let's do what she wants." Hiro pulled Traynee away while they marched north. "You're too low level for her sidequest, but I'm not. Think of it as her trust and the difficulty of the mission." "But if you think I'm able to do her sidequest, doesn't that mean I'm qualified to accept it, too?" "Yes, but that makes too much sense." The trainee grumbled on their way to the north gate where an ogre, twice the size of them, stared ahead with its back facing the heroes. [[Whisper a strategy to defeat the ogre.]]

(text-colour:#40F5F0)[//Time to introduce a new mechanic this late into the game.//] "The only way you'll be able to slay this ogre is to creep behind and butt stab it to ignore its defense stats," Hiro whispered. "Don't you mean backstab?" "Well, it's twice as tall as us. How are you going to stab its back?" "Fair point." Traynee crouched, and with his $TrayneeBlade unsheathed, he nudged behind the ogre. Once he came a few inches from the rear, the knight drove his sword through. A howl burst from the ogre's mouth before its whole body turned to ash. Gusts blew them away to reveal a wooden chest where they piled up in front of Traynee. (text-colour:#68F53D)[Traynee gained two hundred experience points! His level increased to (set: $TrayneeLvl to $TrayneeLvl + 5)$TrayneeLvl.](set: $SQ to true) "How did a chest appear from its ashes?" Traynee said. "It's called loot, which us heroes need to open. Go on." He reached out toward the chest, and its lid flew open without Traynee touching it. A sword made of ice with an attack of 50 lay inside. "Uh, I'm going to stop asking questions and roll with this."(set: $TrayneeBlade to "ice blade"){ (if:$Grinded is false)[ [[Make Traynee fight for level-ups.]] ] (if:$Shop is false and $Grinded is true)[ [[Shop for better gear.]] ] (else-if:$Shop is false)[ [[Shop for better gear.]] ] (if:$Shop is true and $Grinded is true)[ [[Tell Traynee to fight Evale.]] ] } (set: $TrayneeSwords to $TrayneeSwords + 1)

Thanks to Hiro's wind magic and maxed out strength stat, he bridal carried Traynee across the sky toward Evale's castle. They rushed past the iron gate as Seyedkic stomped over Evale, motionless on the stone tiles. "Took you long enough, Hiro," she said. "While you were off doing who-knows-what, I single-handedly defeated Evale and saved the world." A high-pitched cackle spilled from Evale's lips. "That's what you think!" With one flick of Evale's wrist, a blood-red aura surrounded Seyedkic and launched her through the castle's wall behind Hiro and Traynee. "Seyedkic!" The knight turned to his mentor. "Sir, aren't you going to help me? She attacked your partner!" With a scowl, Hiro pulled his rock sword and grass blade from his pants' pockets. "Of course I'll help. No one lays a hand on her and gets away with it." Traynee's helmet cocked backward as he gasped. "Wow, you're being uncharacteristically serious for once." "A wicked witch had cursed me with self-reviving as long as you or Seyedkic are alive," Evale said. "This means I can finally have my revenge against—" [[Decapitate Evale.]] [[Bisect Evale.]]

With a fire ball in her palms, Evale grinned at the duo. "Are you done sharing your farewells? I'm about to sear mine into your flesh, ahaha!" "Not unless I take a permanent vacation." Hiro turned his back to Traynee, and he winked at Seyedkic, who emerged from a pile of rubble. "I leave this world to you two." A sharp pain surged through Hiro's butt as Traynee pierced his defense stats. From bottom to top, his body and Evale turned to ashes. Before his head disintegrated, he could hear Seyedkic calling him an idiot. (align:"=><=")[''THE END''] [[Replay the adventure from the beginning. ->Title Screen]] [[Try the canon storyline. ->Embark on a new adventure!]]

Hiro lunged at Evale's throat and swung his swords left and right to scissor her head off in one motion. Before her blonde hair touched the ground, bloody tendrils from her neck shot out to plug themselves in the detached body part. They yanked the appendage back to its place, and the skin around the wound healed as if nothing happened. "You're not getting rid of me that easily, Hiro." Traynee shuddered. Clanks followed from his armor shaking. "First of all, ew. Second, we need to do something to stop her reviving! What if we searched for that witch who cursed her?" Her body levitated several feet into the air. "If you had let me finish talking, you'd know that I also grow stronger with every revive. Seyedkic killed me over and over, hoping to brute force whatever trick she thought I used. Little did she know that I grew powerful enough to defy even the gods themselves!" "I don't believe you," Hiro said. A blood-red laser shot out of Evale's index finger and pierced Hiro's forcefield-protected right shoulder. He screamed in pain, hand gripping the bloody hole left there. "O-okay, I believe you. However, I've still got a trump card up my sleeve." [[Channel the power of friendship into the ultimate attack.]]

Hiro jumped above Evale's head and swung his swords left and right to scissor her body straight down the middle with one motion. Before her limp hands touched the ground, bloody tendrils from her severed halves shot out to plug themselves in the seam between themselves. They yanked each other back to place, and the skin around the wound healed as if nothing happened. "You're not getting rid of me that easily, Hiro." Traynee shuddered. Clanks followed from his armor shaking. "First of all, ew. Second, we need to do something to stop her reviving! What if we searched for that witch who cursed her?" Her body levitated several feet into the air. "If you had let me finish talking, you'd know that I also grow stronger with every revive. Seyedkic killed me over and over, hoping to brute force whatever trick she thought I used. Little did she know that I grew powerful enough to defy even the gods themselves!" "I don't believe you," Hiro said. A blood-red laser shot out of Evale's index finger and pierced Hiro's forcefield-protected right shoulder. He screamed in pain, hand gripping the bloody hole left there. "O-okay, I believe you. However, I've still got a trump card up my sleeve." [[Channel the power of friendship into the ultimate attack.]]

As fire, earth, and wind materialized in Hiro's right hand, memories and voices echoed in his head. The wind spirits at home had carried Hiro's fish in a grass-made net. Traynee had finished scratching the side of his helmet when he said, "In that case, could you mentor me to be that hero?" Seyedkic was about to hand her art masterpiece to Hiro when she said, "I just painted a perfect version of it, so cheer up." The sandwich merchant had grinned when Hiro handed him payment. "Thank you very much, kind sir." That quest lady had described her ogre problem before she said, "Please, do something about it!" (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//Eh, good enough for that last one.//] Water, lightning, and darkness manifested in his other hand. "Holy light, come forth." He brought both hands together and pushed them forward to create a white laser, directed at Evale! [[Watch the credits roll.]]

The white laser shrunk and disappeared into Evale's outstretched palm, like water through a pipe, until she completely vacuumed his attack. "Was //that// supposed to be your trump card? I'm not impressed." (text-colour:#40F5F0)[//Impossible! The power of friendship always works in these games! Is it because I didn't meet that many people in this postgame adventure?//] Hiro backed away. "I, uh..." From right behind him, Traynee's voice whispered, "I'll distract her. Grab Seyedkic and find that witch who cursed Evale, so you two can stop the reviving." "No, this is your story. Go and be the hero who saves The Whirlduh." Hiro turned to Traynee and smiled. "All mentor characters die early, so I ought to exit stage left now." "I didn't understand that last part, but I know what you want me to do." Traynee grips his $TrayneeBlade. [[Brace for impact.]]