Sadly, when Oogorim tries to pull the trigger of his beloved Gatling gun, it is stuck by something. Confused, he notices parts of the weapon covered in ice, and the frost creeping across it like a slow vengeful curse.
At the same time, Elea's fireball is also coming to him. Oddly, an arrogant smile occurs on his face. He confidently covers his face with his Gatling gun, intending to melt the ice on the gun by using that fireball while also protecting himself at the same time.
He thinks that he is so smart for coming with this idea in a short time. However…
Blff!!!
The fireball not only melts the ice on his Gatling gun, but also ignites some bullets in it. Noticing this, he immediately throws that weapon away. Unfortunately, the gun blasts when it is still quite close to him.
The fireball melts the ice, all right, but it also ignites the bullets inside the Gatling gun. Oogorim's face shifts from smug satisfaction to cartoonish panic as he yeets the weapon away like a hot potato.
Unfortunately for him, the gun explodes mid-air, blasting when it is still quite close to him, sending a shockwave that knocks him off balance.
"Bastard!" he roars, glaring at Elea with a half-burned face. But instead of worrying about his injuries, he points a furious finger at her. "You've ruined my beloved Gatling gun!"
Yes, he is still able to show his madness. He is injured, but still alive.
Before Elea can respond, Aezel chimes in, her voice calm but cutting. "With a brain like yours, losing that gun might be the best thing that's ever happened to you."
Oogorim spins around, only to find a Gnoll charging at him with a pole. Fortunately, the monster's arm is frozen solid up to its shoulder, courtesy of Aezel's ice magic. Oogorim stares at the icy Gnoll, then at Aezel, piecing it together.
He believes she was the one who froze his Gatling gun earlier. He opens his mouth to say something but wisely decides against it, opting instead to smash the frozen Gnoll's head like he's playing whack-a-mole.
"Hff!" A hot steam blows out of his big nostrils.
After smashing the top part of the frozen Gnoll, he turns to leave the battle entirely, only for Aezel to clobber him on the head with an empty plastic jug.
"There are still some Gnolls to kill here! Idiot!"
"How am I supposed to fight without a weapon? You are already here. Can't you kill them all yourself?"
Aezel picks the dead Gnoll's pole, and gives it to him. "Don't make me waste all the water I just hauled only to clean up your mess."
Still looking annoyed, Oogorim confronts the two Gnolls who are currently attempting a sneak attack at Aezel's back. And Aezel, of course, doesn't bother to look back and nonchalantly walks toward the bus with a full jug of water.
Elea smirks as Aezel approaches. "Back so soon from the Reflecting Valley? Did you find enlightenment?"
"You should thank that useless Seed E," Aezel says, tilting her head toward the truck. "If he hadn't found the oasis, we'd still be wandering in the dark."
Curious, Elea glances at the truck, and freezes. There's Irvine, fighting off a group of Gnolls while protecting the truck like it's the last slice of pizza at a party.
"You just left him out there? By himself? What if they kill him?"
Aezel raises an eyebrow. "If you're so concerned, why don't you go help him, your lovely Seed E?"
Elea frowns, confused by Aezel's nonchalance, but all she gets in response is a chuckle as Aezel climbs onto the bus.
Meanwhile, Irvine is in the thick of it, struggling against six Gnolls Muckfangs armed with spears and wooden shields. The odds are not in his favor. Despite them having smaller size than him, his short saber barely matches the reach of their weapons.
To make things worse, Atniel has decided to turn this life-or-death situation into a training session.
<< No army knife for this fight. And don't get scratched. This is to help you grow. >>
<< It's a good thing that your unique mana allows your body to heal wounds quickly. But often times, such things cause people to become naive, and too reckless in battle. >>
"Naive you say?" Irvine snaps, ducking another spear thrust. "Even though my body can heal quickly, those wounds still hurt!"
<< Pain builds character! But too much pain dulls your instincts. Don't let that happen, or you'll be as clueless as Oogorim. >>
"For the love of, can you not bring up Oogorim right now?!"
For the umpteenth time, Irvine has the chance to bypass a Gnoll's thrusting spear. As another spear lunges for him, he barely sidesteps, trying to counterattack. However, his saber clangs against a Gnoll's shield, leaving him open to be attacked by the other Gnolls.
Forced to retreat, he goes back running around the truck, avoiding danger while looking for openings.
"How am I supposed to kill them like this?!"
<< Figure it out. If I give you all the answers, what's the point of the training? >>
Thankfully, the Gnolls are oddly cautious about the truck, treating it like sacred loot. One even gets scolded by the others for accidentally scratching it.
Irvine notices their hesitation and sticks close to the vehicle, using it as a shield while running circles around the monsters.
<< Good observation! Now, think! Your saber may be short, but there's still a way to use it effectively. >>
"I know it can cut their wooden spear poles, but…"
Actually, he's tried before, only to leave small scratches. The Gnolls are annoyingly good at deflecting his strikes.
"They're too quick! They keep parrying my sword before I can cut their weapons!"
<< Then use their speed against them. Redirect their strikes, disrupt their balance, and… >>
"Wait a second… I can do that!" Irvine's eyes light up with realization.
Still running, he spots a lone Gnoll slightly separated from the group. Timing it perfectly, he deflects the monster's spear with enough force to knock it off course. Before the Gnoll can recover, he slices through the wooden pole with his saber.
Srak!
The Gnoll stares at its now-useless weapon in shock.
"I did it! I did it!" Irvine cheers, a wide grin spreading across his face.
<< Stupid! Don't waste your chance and immediately kill that monster! >>
"Oh, right!"
Irvine lunges forward, determined to take out the disarmed Gnoll before the others catch up.
Unfortunately, that one Gnoll goes ultra defensive mode, retreating like trying to preserve its high score in a video game. Irvine glares after it, ready to chase it down, but nope, the rest of the Gnolls are already poking at him with their spears.