Jester was soon back to his home. The place, usually filled with the painful silence of the past tragedy, felt different when he finally arrived.
He realized it now. His home was always a haven for him. A sanctuary. Especially now that he needed a shelter to recover from the sudden, jarring violence he had witnessed. And participated in.
He locked the door behind him. The click of the latch was unusually loud in the quiet house. He didn't bother with food. He didn't try to engage in any distracting activities.
He just sought the comfort of his simple bed. Lying there fully clothed. Staring at the ceiling.
The images replayed in his mind. The spatial crack. The charging Horned Wereboar. The innocent child... gone in an instant. His own reckless charge. The ineffective blows of his nunchaku. The sickening impact that sent him flying...
He closed his eyes. Forcing himself to breathe deeply. This was the reality of Sherra. This was the world he had been reborn into. A world where everyday life could be shattered by a rogue tear in reality. Unleashing nightmares.
He had played hero. Or at least, acted on pure, unfiltered anger. And it had almost cost him everything. He needed to be stronger. Much stronger.
Sleep didn't come easily. But exhaustion eventually claimed him. He drifted into a fitful slumber. His dreams were filled with roaring demons. And the clang of his nunchaku against monstrous hide.
...
He woke up a few hours later. It was already evening. He moved to his living room and turned on the TV. The local news channels buzzed with reports of the Market District incident.
The transcenders were hailed as heroes. Oakhaven was safe. For now. Jester, however, had made sure he was just another face in the crowd. One of many who had fled. No one from the authorities had come knocking. Thankfully.
The dusk settled. Casting long shadows across his room. Jester felt refreshed now after sleep, bath, and dinner. He spent his time reading. Studying more about his chosen power class... Rogue.
Late that evening, he felt the familiar pull of another world. He lay on his bed and summoned his Toonworld Watch. The brass artifact gleamed softly in the dim light.
He gripped it tight. The cool metal calmed down the lingering unease in his mind. This was the key to his escape. His training ground. His source of power. He still needed to get stronger. Much stronger.
"Toonworld!" He whispered. And activated the watch.
...
He was no longer Jester Eventide now. He was Nightclown. The anthropomorphic grey hare. Clad in his standard blue T-shirt and joggers. His small, athletic form stood on the road. Still within the Toon Forest Village.
He checked his HUD. The familiar transparent interface appearing in his vision. His status panel was steady. He still carried the [Wild Nunchaku] in his toon inventory.
He took a deep cartoonish breath. His mission for today was clear. Reach the North Dungeon. Explore. Test his weapon. Practice toon combat. And gain experience.
He took the path out of the village. Through the unguarded northern gate. Into the vibrant, stylized garden-like forest. Unlike the rainforest-like South Forest, the trees here were a riot of reddish greens, orange, and brown. Like in Autumn Season.
The leaves on the trees were rustling with a gentle, whooshing sound. The path was a winding dirt track. Well-trodden by other toon adventurers.
As he walked, his mind drifted back to the Market District. The raw power of the transcenders. Their coordinated attacks. He had been a fly compared to them.
His nunchaku hadn't been enough on its own. He needed combat techniques. More levels. More stats. More items. And obviously, more powerful abilities.
Toonworld was where he would get them. And he got limited time daily here. He had to make full use of it.
Nightclown moved at a quick pace. Half running. His long ears were twitching. Listening to the exaggerated calls of toon birds and the rustling of toon-bushes.
The North Dungeon was, as its name suggested, to the north. A good ten-minute brisk walk from the village center. Today, he would get there and complete his objectives.
After a few minutes into his trek, the trees began to grow taller and the path a little more overgrown. And then Nightclown sensed something peculiar. Similar to how he sensed the [Growth Carrots] in Ironwood Zone.
He followed his indescribable senses and strayed from the track. Quickly reaching the source of the peculiarity.
Tucked away in a small, secluded patch of vivid green undergrowth was a cluster of unusually vibrant cabbages. Almost completely hidden by towering, cartoonish ferns. They glowed faintly. A soft, emerald light.
He pulled them into his inventory. His HUD immediately registered them. Another system chime sang.
[ITEM ACQUIRED: Recovery Cabbage (x6)]
[Inventory > Healing] updated.
Nightclown opened his inventory again. Navigating to the newly populated 'Healing' tab. He tapped on the icons of green cabbage.
[Recovery Cabbage]: A wild super-charged leafy vegetable. One of the primary ways to instantly restore damaged health from physical injury. Higher levels require more Recovery Cabbage to completely restore health.]
"Healing items!" Nightclown muttered to himself. A small smirk forming on his muzzle. "Just what I need before a dungeon crawl."
This was good. He had gone into the demon fight just today in the real world. With nothing but his weapon and... luck. Having consumables would make a great difference.
With his new provisions secured, Nightclown resumed his journey. The air grew perceptibly cooler as he approached the North Dungeon.
The trees became darker. Their branches more gnarled. Though they still retaining their characteristic toon-ish exaggeration. And autumn theme.
The path widened into a clearing. And there it was... The entrance to the North Dungeon.
It wasn't a foreboding, gothic structure. Like something out of a horror movie. This was Toonworld after all.
The dungeon entrance was a gaping maw in the side of a large, perfectly spherical, grey rock formation. There was a crude, hand-drawn sign above it proclaimed... NORTH DUNGEON! Test Your Might! (And maybe your bowling skills).
Nightclown stopped for a while. He could hear a faint, rhythmic bouncing sound emanated from within.
Nightclown took a deep breath. His heart, or rather, his toon heart, thumped loudly. With a mix of anticipation and a mild, cartoonish anxiety.
This was his first real dungeon. He had his nunchaku. His newfound cabbages. And the determination borne from yesterday's brush with death.
He stepped inside.
The interior of the North Dungeon was surprisingly well-lit. Despite the lack of obvious light sources. It was a series of interconnected, wide, circular tunnels.
The walls were made of the same smooth, grey rock as the exterior. But here and there, crude, painted targets were visible. Bullseyes. Bowling pins. Even caricatures of angry faces.
The rhythmic bouncing intensified. Growing louder as he ventured deeper.
Around the first bend, Nightclown spotted his first opponents. Creatures that truly lived up to their name...
[Bowling Bouncer]
[Description: A hostile, oversized bowling ball with sharp eyes. It moves by bouncing and rolling, and attacks by attempting to strike its targets with powerful, crushing force. It has two different form: the rubberry Bouncing Form and the solid Rolling Form.]
[Abilities: Bouncing Guard! Rolling Charge!]
There were two of them. Each was about the size of a small barrel. A glossy black surface reflecting the ambient light.
They had tiny, beady eyes that seemed to glow with a dull, red light. They were currently bouncing idly in the middle of the tunnel. The source of the rhythmic thumping.
As Nightclown stepped fully into their view, their beady eyes swiveled towards him. A low, rumbling growl emanated from them. Like a bowling ball rolling down an alley. They immediately ceased their idle bouncing. And began to roll towards him. Picking up speed.
"Alright, Boys!" Nightclown muttered. A grin spreading across his face. A stark contrast to his serious demeanor just hours ago in Sherra. "Let's see what you've got."
He pulled out his [Wild Nunchaku]. The twin ironwood branches materialized in his hands. Connected by a short, sturdy iron chain.
The weapon felt balanced. Familiar. He whirled them once. The chain whistling softly.
The lead Bowling Bouncer launched its first attack. It accelerated into a full [Rolling Charge!]. Its round body becoming a blur as it rolled accurately for Nightclown. The ground vibrated slightly. Under the impact of its heavy body.
Nightclown sidestepped. His small, agile frame effortlessly weaving out of the attack path.
The Bowling Bouncer was unable to change direction quickly. It tried to brake. Screeching sound reverberated. But it still slammed into the grey rock wall with a cartoonish CRASH!
A small crack appeared on the wall. Emphasizing the impact. A visible buzzing sound effect appeared. Along with blinking stars and rotating halo above its head. The Bouncer was momentarily stunned. Its eyes were swirling in confusion.
Before it could recover, Nightclown was on it. He lashed out with the nunchaku. The ironwood shaft of his weapon darkened faintly as he channeled his intent.
It rotated swiftly and elongated slightly. Before slamming into the Bouncer's hard body. WHACK! The sound effect was loud and clear. He followed with another swing. Striking again. THWACK!
Despite having no mouth, the Bowling Bouncer let out a pained, guttural GRRRRAAAAH!
It recoiled. Its body was wobbling. Its durable shell was tough. But it clearly wasn't impervious. A small dent was now visible where the nunchaku had struck.
Seeing its comrade under attack, the second Bowling Bouncer began its own Rolling Charge. This one was faster. More aggressive.
Nightclown had to disengage from the first Bouncer. And quickly backpedal. Darting further into the tunnel to create distance.
He recognized the pattern. These foes were straightforward. Heavy charges. Powerful impacts. He, as a rogue, needed to use his speed and agility.