The second Bowling Bouncer was foiled in its charge. It braked and tried to pivot 180 degrees. After evading, Nightclown dashed. Chasing the monster. And swung his nunchaku.
The Bowling Bouncer glowed blue just before the nunchaku's shaft struck its body.
BOINK!
It was instantly launched away like a rubber ball. And ricocheting on the walls and the ceiling. With no sign of damage. It was the [Bouncing Guard!] skill.
Nightclown suddenly felt danger. And turned his head to the direction it came from.
The first Bouncer had already recovered from its head-on collision. Its beady red eyes were now fixed on him. The second one had also stopped bouncing. Ready for another charge.
Two threats. This was not going to be a simple brawl.
He needed space. He also needed to understand their patterns. The first Bouncer had been vulnerable after its charge. Stunned against the wall.
That had been a lucky hit. A result of its inability to change direction quickly. He couldn't rely on them making such mistakes constantly.
The first Bouncer charged again. Closing the distance quickly. Nightclown feigned left. Then sharply cut right.
The Bowling Bouncer was committed to its roll. It scraped past him. A cold gust of air accompanying its passage. It didn't slam into the wall. But it did have to spend precious seconds braking and turning.
"Got it!" Nightclown muttered. Spinning and dashing with the momentum of his dodge. Charging and bringing the nunchaku around in a wide arc. Striking the braking Bouncer.
WHAM! The ironwood shaft connected with its side. The sound was flat. Yet powerful. The Bouncer was thrown off its trajectory. Crashing into the wall.
Nightclown quickly understood his opponents. They were fast in their Rolling Form. Dangerous. But they were also less maneuverable. And that was when they took damage.
When they shifted to their Bouncing Form, they were less of a threat. But his nunchaku attacks seemed to just bounce off their rubbery hides.
Before he could follow up with more attacks, the second Bouncer charged. Nightclown gritted his teeth and sprinted to the crashing first opponent. Evading the charge while attacking.
He needed to be quick. He launched a flurry of strikes at the still-recovering first Bouncer. THWACK! WHUMP! WHAM! Each hit seemed to land with more force. Now that he understood the vulnerability.
The grunting sounds from the Bouncer intensified. Growing more desperate. Its shell began to crack. Thin lines spider-webbed across its glossy surface.
He heard the rising rumble of the second Bouncer's charge. No time to finish this one. He disengaged. A quick backward flip. Just as the second Bouncer rocketed past the spot he had just vacated.
The air pressure shift was palpable. He needed to separate them, or at least deal with them one at a time. This tunnel was too narrow for elaborate dodging with two charging at once.
He watched the second Bouncer struggle to turn. Its momentum carrying it further down the passage. This was his chance.
The first Bouncer was battered and slower. It was still wobbling. It tried to shift into its Bouncing Form. Its body slowly glowing blue. Softening. But it wasn't fast enough.
Nightclown lunged. A swift, low strike aimed at the base of the Bouncer. The whirling nunchaku struck. CRACK! The sound was sharper this time.
The Bouncer shuddered. A final, pained growling sound escaped from its whole body. Its shell shattered. Pieces flaking off like black paint chips. It deflated. Collapsing into a heap of pixels and debris.
A notification flashed in Nightclown's HUD...
[Bowling Bouncer defeated!]
[Experience Gained: +50 XP!]
No time to celebrate. The second Bouncer was already turning. Its charge gaining speed. This one seemed angrier now. Its beady eyes glaring. Nightclown braced himself. He now knew their weakness. He just had to exploit it.
He waited. Letting it come close. Closer than he was comfortable with. He saw the shift, the subtle tightening of its form as it committed to the [Rolling Charge!]. It roll-jumped. Targeting his head.
Nightclown ducked. Letting it scream overhead. The blur was some centimeters away from his head.
He was already spinning. Bringing the whirling nunchaku up in a vicious, upward arc. It connected with the Bouncer's underside. As it rolled past him, a blind spot.
WHUMP! CRACK! The heavy Bouncer flew high off the floor. Crashing against the ceiling. Before it dropped down. Disoriented.
It tried to recover. Shifting into Bouncing Form mid-air. Attempting to cushion its landing. But Nightclown was already there.
He slammed the nunchaku down. Aiming for the top of its still-hardening shell. CRUNCH! The Bouncer hit the ground with a soft thud. Then instantly shattered.
[Bowling Bouncer defeated!]
[Experience Gained: +50 XP!]
He took a deep breath. His heart was pounding. That was more intense than he had expected. His hands still tingled from the vibrations of the nunchaku strikes.
He looted their remains. Gaining... [Coins: 11] and [Mystic Iron Ore: 1].
The ore was a smooth, dark grey pebble. Strangely warm to the touch. He picked it up and placed it into his inventory. Eleven coins. Not bad for a first real fight.
He wasn't in a hurry to continue his exploration. Instead, he moved cautiously. Checking the tunnel for any other immediate threats. None.
He allowed himself a moment to lean against the cool rock wall. Wiping an imaginary bead of sweat from his brow. The cartoonish nature of the world, with its sound effects and blinking stars, didn't lessen the real danger.
And, it wasn't as difficult as the real life. Those demons he had faced back in Sherra had been too strong. These Bowling Bouncers were... more reasonable as his opponents. He could fight them. It wouldn't be easy, but he could win.
He continued exploring. The dungeon tunnel branched. He chose the path that seemed less traveled. A narrow fissure that snaked into deeper darkness. The ambient light here was dimmer. Forcing him to rely more on his toon-enhanced vision.
Around a tight corner, the rhythmic dull thumping began again. This time, it was louder. And more complex.
He peered around the bend. Pressing himself against the rocky wall. Three of them. Three Bowling Bouncers. Idly bouncing. Occasionally rolling into each other with soft, 'BONK!' sounds. They were clustered in a small. Wider cavern section of the tunnel.
Nightclown took a moment. He had experience now. He understood their characteristics. He knew when to strike. He also knew getting surrounded by three charging Bouncers would be a death sentence.
He needed to draw them out. He picked up a loose stone from the ground. About the size of his fist. He lobbed it with a soft PLINK! sound into the cavern. It bounced off the wall near the furthest Bouncer. A classic distraction.
All three immediately stopped their idle bouncing. Their red eyes swiveled. Focusing on the source of the noise.
One of them, bigger than the others, let out a low rolling sound and launched a [Rolling Charge! Directly at the spot the stone had hit.
Nightclown waited. As the first Bowling Bouncer passed his concealed position, he darted out. Moving swiftly.
The second Bouncer was already starting its charge. He wouldn't let it get full momentum.
He ambushed the first Bouncer. Striking at its side as it passed. WHUMP! A satisfying impact.
It recoiled. Trying to shift into Bouncing Form. But Nightclown was already on it. A rapid-fire succession of strikes. THWACK! CRACK!
The toon physics of the nunchaku made each blow effective. The sound effect made it even more satisfying.
The Bouncer shrieked its cartoonish mouthless pain. Its shell cracked before Nightclown delivered a final, decisive blow. It burst into pixels and debris.
[Bowling Bouncer defeated!]
[Experience Gained: +50 XP!]
Now two remained. They were already hurtling towards him. He needed to deal with one of them immediately.
He didn't wait. He sidestepped the first opponent. Avoiding its path.
However, he met the second's charge seriously. With a feint. A quick sidestep. And a deflecting strike from the side. Hitting its upper side with a powerful downward swing.
The Bowling Bouncer lost its balance mid-air. Slammed down heavily. Crashing the ground. It was momentarily stunned. Stars swirling above its hard shell.
He didn't give it a chance to recover. Six swift hits with the nunchaku. Each landing on a new crack that formed on its shell. With a final, explosive POP, it dissipated.
[Bowling Bouncer defeated!]
[Experience Gained: +50 XP!]
The last Bouncer was now fully turned and angry. It moved with more deliberate speed. Its [Rolling Charge!] felt much stronger and faster.
But Nightclown was in a rhythm. He understood the timing.
He let it come. Then danced around it. Striking its sides. Then its top. Then its back. Especially, whenever it exposed a vulnerable spot.
Nightclown weaved in and out of the monster's reach. He was a blue and grey blur against the black, living iron ball. Each of his blows chipped away at its resilience.
Finally, a loud CRUNCH that seemed to reverberate through the air ended it. The last Bouncer was annihilated, Exploding into golden coins and faint pixels.
[Bowling Bouncer defeated!]
[Experience Gained: +50 XP!]