Chapter 8: Candy war 1
The gummy bear warrior charged again, its sticky red fists glowing with the threatening aura of Bloody Sugar Punch. Lucian stood his ground, his battle axe Mediodis gleaming in the candy-coated sunlight.
"Oi, big man," Lucian shouted, his voice filled with mock confidence. "You think you're tough just cause you're built like a flipping fridge? What you saying, bro? You on creatine or something?"
The gummy bear roared In reply, swiping at Lucian with surprising speed. He ducked under the swing and countered with a wide slash of his axe, carving into the warrior's chest. To his dismay, the gummy flesh instantly sealed itself, leaving only a faint scar.
"Fam, you're telling me you heal that fast? What you got in your blood—Haribo magic juice?" Lucian grumbled as he rolled away from another punch.
The other candy warriors joined the fray. A squad of cookie men leapt forward, swinging their candy cane swords with surprising precision. One of them hurled a Cookie Grenade at Lucian's feet.
"Man's out here throwing biscuits? What's next, tea bags?" Lucian muttered as he jumped back, narrowly avoiding the blast. The grenade exploded into a cloud of powdered sugar, briefly obscuring his vision.
From the cloud emerged a licorice archer, its bowstring drawn back and loaded with a sharp Sugar Spike. The projectile shot forward with deadly precision, but Lucian's reflexes saved him. He raised Mediodis just in time, deflecting the spike into a nearby gumdrop tree.
"Oi, Robin Hood of the sweet aisle, calm down, yeah?" Lucian growled.
The gummy bear warrior took advantage of Lucian's momentary distraction, rushing in with a crushing blow. Lucian felt the impact against his axe as he blocked, the sheer force sending him skidding backward. His boots dug into the ground, leaving long trenches in the sugar-coated dirt.
"Man like you thinks you're a heavyweight, yeah?" Lucian taunted, his voice strained. "Lemme show you what real power looks like."
Summoning his lightning affinity, Lucian channeled electricity through Mediodis. The axe crackled with raw energy, glowing a brilliant blue. With a burst of speed, he closed the distance between himself and the gummy bear, delivering a devastating overhead strike.
The gummy warrior screamed as the lightning coursed through its body, melting parts of its gelatinous form. It staggered but didn't fall, its sticky fists swinging wildly in desperation.
"Still standing? Nah, you're moving mad now, bruv. Just melt already!" Lucian yelled, spinning Mediodis for another strike.
Behind him, the cookie men advanced again. One of them lunged, its candy cane sword aimed for Lucian's back. Without looking, Lucian swung his axe in a wide arc, slicing the cookie man clean in half.
"Anyone else want to get sliced and diced? Man's handing out two-for-one deals today!" he shouted.
The licorice archers took aim, launching a volley of Sugar Spikes. Lucian somersaulted forward, dodging the projectiles as they whizzed past him. He closed the gap between himself and one of the archers, slicing through it with a single, precise strike.
The gummy bear warrior roared again, its massive form regenerating faster than before. Lucian sighed, exasperated.
"Big man, I swear you're violating the laws of biology. What's in your diet, anabolic frosting?"
The gummy bear swung both fists downward in a brutal hammer motion. Lucian sidestepped, planting his foot firmly and pivoting for a powerful upward slash. The strike cleaved through the gummy warrior's torso, sending chunks of its body flying.
For a moment, the battlefield fell silent. The gummy bear wobbled, its form struggling to hold together. Finally, with a shudder, it collapsed into a sticky puddle.
Lucian wiped his brow, smirking. "Yeah, that's what I thought, fam. Stay melted."
The remaining candy warriors hesitated, their sugary forms trembling. Lucian grinned, raising Mediodis.
"Come on then! Who's next? Man's got time and an axe, and I'm not afraid to use either!"
Lucian stood amidst the sugary carnage, breathing heavily but grinning like a madman. Shattered cookie men, melted gummy warriors, and licorice archers lay strewn around him, their remains glistening in the sunlight like grotesque, sugary art. He wiped the sticky residue off his axe, shaking his head in mock disbelief.
"Oi, you lot really thought you could take me? Nah, not today. Man's on a mission, and you're just a side quest," he muttered, his voice laced with roadman swagger.
The last group of candy warriors—an imposing trio of gummy juggernauts and a squad of licorice archers—closed in, their sugary forms gleaming with malicious intent.
"Alright then, last round. Let's make it sweet and quick, yeah?" Lucian quipped, spinning Mediodis and charging forward.
One of the gummy juggernauts swung its massive fist, aiming to crush him. Lucian ducked low, sliding under the strike and delivering a precise slash to its leg. The gummy beast wobbled and fell, its gelatinous knee severed.
"Man like you forgot leg day, innit?" Lucian mocked as he leapt onto its back. With a burst of electricity, he drove his axe into its head, melting it into a gooey mess.
The licorice archers retaliated, launching a flurry of Sugar Spikes. Lucian zigzagged through the barrage, closing the gap between himself and the archers. He hurled Mediodis, the spinning axe slicing through two licorice archers before returning to his hand like a boomerang.
"Yeah, I'm built different," Lucian smirked.
The final two gummy juggernauts roared in unison, charging at him from both sides. Lucian planted his feet and grinned.
"Two-on-one? You must think you're bad." He clapped his hands together, summoning lightning that arced wildly between his fingers. "Let me show you why they call me the storm."
With a roar of his own, Lucian unleashed a massive lightning strike, the electricity ripping through both juggernauts. Their gelatinous forms bubbled and melted under the onslaught, leaving nothing but puddles of sticky goo.
As the last licorice archer tried to flee, Lucian hurled his axe one final time, impaling the creature and pinning it to a gumdrop tree. He strode over and yanked Mediodis free, wiping the blade on his coat.
"That's 30. Man's cleared the level," he said, brushing a stray bit of cookie dust from his shoulder.
Suddenly, the system chimed in his mind.
Ding…
Army of Sweet and Delicious Defeated (30/30)
Quest Complete!
Lucian smiled and stretched his arms. "Finally, now I can—"
Before he could finish, the ground began to quake. The candy-coated earth cracked, and a shadow loomed over him. Lucian slowly turned, his face dropping as he saw the monstrous form emerge.
A five massive dragon, Their scales shimmering like crystallized sugar, rose from the ground. Their wings were made of brittle candy canes, and their eyes glowed with molten caramel. Smoke poured from their nostrils, filling the air with the sickly-sweet smell of burnt sugar.
Ding…
Here Comes the Candy Dragon!
Lucian groaned, gripping Mediodis tightly. "Of course. Why wouldn't there be a flipping dragon? Fine. Let's get this over with."
The air was sweet—too sweet. It was suffocatingly sugary, like someone had poured an entire bakery into the atmosphere. Lucian wrinkled his nose, gripping Mediodis tightly as he surveyed the rainbow-colored battlefield before him. His boots crunched against what appeared to be peppermint shards scattered across the ground.