Chapter 11: Snowman Costume Pixel Head

"You're not a swordsman? How did you do that..."

Xiat's eyes were filled with astonishment and confusion. She had heard of certain mages who signed contracts to summon bizarre creatures to fight for them, and of holy knights whose hammers could bring a person to their knees in sudden repentance, but she had never heard of a swordsman capable of commanding monsters.

Furthermore, he didn't even have a Ghost Hand!

"Don't get curious about me. Curiosity is the first step toward obsession, and if you're not careful, you'll end up falling in love with me sooner or later..."

"Shameless!"

Yelin smiled nonchalantly, even appearing to enjoy it. Compared to the toxic gamers who could spew insults, curse entire families, and recite a lineage in three seconds flat, "shameless" was a remarkably refined term.

He remained unfazed, regardless of Xiat’s wide-eyed glare and gritted teeth. As long as she didn't strike him down, his teasing would continue, and his dignity would remain firmly discarded.

"What about these wounds on you? Will they leave scars?"

He slashed through a patch of black thorns ahead, killed a lurking cat monster in passing, grabbed a handful of ramie leaves he stumbled upon, and continued wandering deep into the gloom of the forest.

"They won't. Because of the Metastasis energy in my body, I’ll likely be fully recovered in two days. I loathe the source of this power, but I have to admit, it is formidable."

"That's good. Too many scars on clean, fair skin is an eyesore to me."

"Shameless! Scoundrel! See if I don't gouge your eyes out!"

"I believe you, I believe you..."

"Anyway, I plan to spend some time heading toward the Thunderland ruins to scout the situation. You should look after yourself; that mutant goblin is no simple foe."

"Oh..."

Xiat responded, then suddenly froze, her expression one of shock and disbelief.

"You're going to the Thunderland ruins? Even when I wasn't injured, I didn't have a hundred percent confidence in taking down that mutant goblin."

There was an ancient legend among the goblin race: every hundred years, a goblin with special powers and intelligence is born, possessing terrifying abilities that make others tremble at the mention of their name, destined to rule the goblin race.

The special goblin of this generation was none other than Kaino of the Thunder, wielder of lightning!

The bounties placed on Kaino by the Alchemist Guild and the Mage Guild had reached an astronomical figure. Whoever could retrieve Kaino's prized fur and eyeballs would receive a reward that could last for several years.

Greed drives men to madness. Countless adventurers had charged into the Thunderland ruins, only to never return.

Kaino of the Thunder, the Poison Cat King, and Tau King Saota had become the three entities in the Forest of Grand Flores that were not to be trifled with.

"I’m just going to check the perimeter and try to track down the location of a hidden map."

Yelin made a reassuring gesture. This goblin, capable of summoning a dozen lightning strikes with ease, was certainly not trash that could be finished off with a single blow. If a gunner using technology were here, they might be able to pull off a sneak attack and one-shot Kaino, but with metal blades...

Kaino would teach you exactly why you shouldn't play with ironware during a thunderstorm!

***

Thunderland

The two leaned against a collapsed stone wall. The area was filled not only with the misty haze of the forest but also with broken stone pillars and statues, mottled with gray-white lichen. Traces of past habitation were vaguely visible—likely the remnants of the Elven race.

In the distance, a dazzling bolt of lightning pierced the murky fog of the forest. A few seconds later, a thunderous roar echoed and spread through the eerie ruins.

Xiat covered her ears, her face pale, biting her lip. Every clap of thunder made her shoulders shrink, her body trembling uncontrollably.

"Are you afraid of thunder?"

Yelin was somewhat surprised. Although Kaino was terrifying, it shouldn't be enough to scare a professional adventurer like this—after all, she was someone who had managed to survive a pack of bloodthirsty cat monsters.

"Thunder is piercing, sharp, and leaves no trail. It's just like the Empire's search parties. I despise such sudden, overwhelming threats."

Rarely, this female ghost swordsman, who deeply hated the Empire and slightly disliked him, admitted it openly without her usual haughtiness.

"Then stay here and don't wander off, or just head back. There isn't a single safe spot in the Thunderland ruins. Not only are there monsters, but there are man-eating swamps, carnivorous flowers, and shrieking grass."

Terrified by Kaino's immense power, many cat monsters and Taus had defected to his side, forming a significant settlement. This meant that not only would he have to deal with Kaino, who could call down lightning, but he would also have to manage nearly a hundred minions—a truly tricky situation.

It was only after seeing the effect of his "Command" skill on the Cursed Cat Monster that he had the sudden inspiration to come to the Thunderland ruins.

On one hand, it was indeed to expand the map and find the hidden Dark Thunderland and Bone Prison; on the other, it was to slowly grind down the entire settlement!

One or two at a time—as long as he had the patience, and since the monsters wouldn't respawn, he could eventually clear out the ruins and then face Kaino of the Thunder.

"There's a black-hearted inn run by Seria at Elvengard. When you get there, find the attendant Seria or Tana, and just tell them you're my friend. Put the room and board on my tab; you can pay me back when you have the money."

Yelin spoke while watching the lightning that flashed from time to time. The lightning within the ruins was random, and the closer one got to Kaino, the higher the probability of being struck. A single bolt could easily incapacitate a person.

"Let's go together."

Xiat shifted her feet but didn't take a step. She still felt she couldn't leave him to walk into his own death alone. If they were together, even if they had the misfortune of encountering Kaino himself, she could unleash the Metastasis energy within her for a desperate final stand to repay the debt.

"Are you sure? 'Not seeking to be born on the same day, but hoping to return home as a couple'?"

"Shameless!"

Regardless of whether she was doing it to repay a favor or just to watch him get struck by lightning, Yelin felt a small touch of warmth that she was willing to brave this with him.

"Then we need a plan. If there are two of us, the probability of being struck by lightning doubles..."

Yelin frowned in thought. The map of the true Arad world had changed; he couldn't rely on game memory to head straight to the Dark Thunderland. Moreover, the name "Dark Thunderland" didn't exist yet; he held the exclusive naming rights. That meant if he wanted to, he could rename it Seria's Thunderland or Yelin's Thunderland, and no one could stop him.

"I've got it!"

Suddenly, he snapped his fingers, a flash of inspiration hitting him!

"Come on, let's change clothes."

"Shameless! I will not submit to you!"

"It's not about submission, don't be so dirty-minded! These are snowman outfits and pixel-head costumes. They can completely wrap a person up. They're made of fabric and leather, so safety is guaranteed!"

To maintain their shape, the snowman outfits and pixel heads were filled with leather and thick padding, which could perfectly shield them from accidental lightning strikes. Although movement and attacking would be slightly inconvenient, he had the "Command" skill!

A few minutes later, two chubby snowmen waddled into the Thunderland ruins.