He parried the initial bite. Pushing the Chomper back with the shaft of the spear. His movements were stiffer. Less fluid than with the nunchaku.
He wasn't twirling and swinging. He was focused on thrusting. He tried to keep the monster at bay with the spear's length.
The Chomper was persistent. Darting in and out. Trying to get past the spear's reach. Nightclown found himself relying on quick jabbing motions. Aiming for the enemy's huge body.
One of his initial thrusts glanced off the Chomper's tough hide. Another barely scratched its face. His grip felt awkward at times. His balance was slightly off.
"Come on!" Nightclown muttered to himself. "Think quarterstaff. But with a pointy end."
He remembered basic thrusts, defensive blocks, and sweeps. He focused on keeping his opponent at a distance. He tried a more powerful thrust.
The spearhead punched forward. But the Chomper managed to twist. Absorbing the blow on its body. The hit dealt damage.
But it didn't feel as devastating as the nunchaku's [Toon Momentum] or its [Thunder Blast].
He needed to activate the spear's special abilities. [Toon Penetration] for defense-breaking. And [Electric Shock] for control and damage.
He decided to go for the [Toon Penetration] first. Another feint, a quick step back to create distance. The Chomper launched into another [Jumping Bite!].
Nightclown met it head-on, not dodging, but thrusting the spear with focused intent. It hit. But the Chomper's tough hide deflected the thrust. The penetration failed.
He didn't mind that and rolled away to evade. He immediately re-did the thrusting act once he regained his footing.
This time, the tip of the [Lightning Spear] glowed faintly. It seemed to rotate like a cartoonish drill. Focusing its energy into a needle-thin point.
WHZZZZZT!
The spearhead didn't just hit. It burrowed. The [Toon Penetration] bypassed the Chomper's natural resilience. Allowing the spear to punch through its tough hide. And sink deeper than a normal strike would.
The monster roared in pain. A high-pitched shriek. Its tough exterior, which had shrugged off his earlier, less focused jabs, was now compromised. A stylized crack appeared in its hide where the spear had struck.
Nightclown pulled the spear back instantly. Feeling the slight resistance as the specialized penetration effect wore off. The Furball Chomper was reeling. Its movements turned sluggish.
This was his chance for the follow-up.
He pushed forward. Keeping the spear active. He did the thrust again. Aiming for the same point. It didn't precisely hit the same point. But, it didn't miss.
But, this time, as the spear connected, a crackle of pure energy erupted from the tip. [Electric Shock].
Arcs of blue lightning danced across the Furball Chomper's body. The monster convulsed. Its muscles were spasming uncontrollably.
It let out a guttural shriek as the electricity coursed through its system. Overriding its nervous responses. It froze for a moment. Rigid. Smoking faintly.
Nightclown, seeing the effect, pressed his advantage. He continued to thrust and jab. Focusing on landing hits while the creature was stunned. He wasn't just relying on raw damage. He was exploiting the de-buffs.
The penetrative hits severely damaged it. And the electric shocks paralyzed it. Creating openings. He was utilizing the weapon's unique properties.
Finally, after a few more thrusts, the Furball Chomper shuddered. Its eyes rolled back. It collapsed. Fizzling out of existence with a small, theatrical puff of smoke. Leaving behind another burst of scattered coins and a single [Chomper Tooth].
Nightclown leaned on his spear. Adjusting his grip. His arms felt a little sore. But his mind was invigorated.
The spear was tricky. But potent. It allowed for different combat approaches. The nunchaku was for close-quarters. Blunt. Combo-heavy devastation. The spear was for precision. Defense breaking. And mid-ranged crowd control.
He still needed more practice with both. Especially the spear's accuracy. But he felt a distinct step up in his ability.
Cammy floated closer. Its recording light was still on. Nightclown knew he would have some interesting footage to edit.
The awkwardness of his initial spear usage. Followed by the effective application of its abilities. It showed growth. A narrative arc. Good content.
He checked his timer. He still had about forty minutes left in Toonworld. Enough time for more exploration. He looked around the now-cleared section of the second floor.
His eyes caught a peculiar shimmer near a large, cracked pillar. It wasn't just glowing fungi. It was a hidden distortion in the very fabric of the toon landscape.
He approached. Spear at the ready. The shimmer resolved into a barely visible archway. Almost transparent. Like a ripple in water. It was easily missed. Blending perfectly with the dungeon's stone architecture. A hidden pathway.
As he touched it, his HUD glowed.
[Hidden Passage to North Dungeon Level 3 Discovered!]
Nightclown felt a surge of excitement. This was exactly the kind of unexpected discovery that made for good television. He grinned. A wide, hare-like smile.
"Alright, Cammy!" He said. "Let's see where this passage lead us to."
He stepped through the shimmering archway without hesitation. The air immediately changed. It became cooler. With a strange, sweet scent. Like mint and candy floss.
The dungeon walls here were a lighter shade of green. And the glowing fungi pulsed with a brighter, more ethereal light. Ahead, the path opened into a vast cavern. Its ceiling were lost in shadow.
And then he saw them. Floating near the cavern ceiling. Gently bobbing. He immediately activated his system appraisal.
[Winged Jelly]
[Description: A hovering, translucent creature composed of iridescent, wobbly jelly. It possesses a pair of bright, plasma-like energy wings, that beat with surprising speed, allowing it to drift silently through the dungeon air. Despite its seemingly fragile composition, its body is surprisingly resilient, and it emits a faint, high-frequency hum. While it appears docile at rest, it is fiercely territorial and will aggressively ensnare prey with its sticky body.]
[Abilities: Gelatinous Grapple!, Sonic Scream!, Toon Swell!]
There were three of them. Translucent and shimmering. They drifted slowly in a loose formation. They looked fragile. Almost graceful. Deceptive.
Their faint, high-frequency hum was starting to become audible. A low thrum that vibrated through the cavern air.
One of the Winged Jellies, the largest, noticed him. Its gelatinous body pulsed with a faint inner light. And its flimsy wings beat faster.
It began to descend. Slowly. Deliberately. The other two followed suit. Their collective humming were growing louder.
Nightclown tightened his grip on the [Lightning Spear]. This was a new challenge. Flying enemies. And presumably, sticky ones.
This was going to require a different approach.
The lead Winged Jelly swooped lower. The humming intensified. A high-pitched whine that unnerved Nightclown.
The jelly's body seemed to ripple. And a sticky-looking tendril began to ooze from its underside. It was preparing to use its [Gelatinous Grapple!].
Nightclown instinctively brought his spear up into a defensive stance. He knew he couldn't sweep them or poke them effectively while they were airborne. He needed ranged attack. And he needed to break their formation.
The jelly creature was now directly above him. Its energy wings beat faster. The sticky tendril elongated. Dripping with a translucent goo.
Nightclown dodged to the side as the tendril shot downwards. Narrowly missing him. It splattered on the floor. Leaving a shimmering, viscous puddle that hissed faintly.
The other two jellies began to circle. Their humming harmonized into a disorienting chorus. [Sonic Scream!]
Nightclown felt his vision blur slightly. He shook his head. Trying to clear it. He needed to act. He couldn't just stand there and wait.
He made a violent thrust. The Winged Jelly easily evaded with its surprisingly agile airborne maneuvers.
His spear had long reach for a melee weapon. But it still wasn't ideal for hitting fast-moving aerial targets reliably.
He thought about the spear's abilities. [Toon Penetration] was for breaking defenses. [Electric Shock] was for stunning. Neither seemed particularly useful against the opponent that was out of his reach.
He looked at his [Lightning Spear]. And he remembered one principle of Rogue's Dirty Fighting techniques. Think out of the box.
Who said melee weapon didn't have long range? Spear was not that much different than javelin. It could be thrown.
A risky maneuver. As it would leave him weaponless for a short time. But it should be worth the risk.
He looked at the lead jelly. Which was now performing a slow, menacing loop directly overhead. Its wings seemed to shimmer with contained energy. He decided to gamble.
Taking a deep breath, Nightclown shifted his stance. He reverse-gripped the spear tightly. Feeling the familiar hum of its latent energy.
He didn't need to activate any specific ability. This was about raw projectile power. He took a step back. Preparing his throw.
The jelly creature began its descent again. Its sticky tendril poised. This was his moment.
With a grunt, Nightclown hurled the [Lightning Spear] with all his might. It flashed through the air. Trailing a faint blue arc of electricity.
The Winged Jelly, focused on Nightclown, didn't react until it was too late.
The spearhead found its mark. Luckily.
SCREEE! CRACK!
It struck the Winged Jelly in its gelatinous core. The creature let out a high-pitched squeal. a sound that was abruptly cut short.
The spear didn't just pierce. The built-up kinetic energy. Amplified by the spear's inherent toon properties. It seemed to explode within the jelly's translucent body.
A cascade of iridescent goo and crackling energy erupted outwards. The Winged Jelly convulsed violently. Its plasma wings flickered. And then, it dissolved into a sticky, shimmering rain. One that splattered harmlessly on the cavern floor.
The humming of the remaining two jellies ceased abruptly. Replaced by an unnerving silence.
Nightclown stood panting. Spear gone. He watched as the goo evaporated. Leaving behind burst of scattered coins and a glowing white cube.
He had done it. He had taken down one of them. Now, he just needed to get his spear back.