Chapter 14 - Lavender Melons

Obviously, Ivan was joking about running off to fight the Maguu Kenki. Paperwork might be tedious, but it wasn't going to kill him. Probably. Well, mainly, he received two quests to help Yae Miko and Ayaka with some things while waiting for the Crux to arrive in Ritou. As such, after Yae Miko informed Kano Nana that she would be heading to the publishing house, he followed her down the mountainside stairs. 

"Ah, I kinda forgot, but do you happen to have any swords I could borrow for self-protection?" Ivan asked shortly after leaving.

"We don't really have any at the shrine aside from decorative ones," Yae Miko replied, "Since we are heading into town, you should be able to pick one up at the smithy there. If you need Mora, I can lend you some with minimal interest."

"I'm good. I should have enough, and I already feel like I owe you more than you'll let me pay back," Ivan said, taking on a joking tone at the end of his sentence. 

In response, Yae Miko just raised a brow at him without halting her steps.

Along the way down the mountain… nothing actually happened. He didn't trip on any rocks. No squirrels attacked his face. Automatons and Hilichurls did not leave their normal routes to come bother him or his travel companion. He couldn't help smiling, but at the same time, his body felt uncomfortable as though something was missing from his life.

'Is this Stockholm Syndrome towards my bad luck or something?' Ivan joked to himself in his head.

Another thing that surprised him was that even after reaching the bottom of Mount Yougou, he still had plenty of stamina to spare. Even well along the path toward Konda Village that he recognized due to the somewhat familiar scenery, his body felt fine. The lack of pain, soreness, and tiredness compared to only a day prior surprised him.

Suddenly, Yae Miko halted her steps. 

Wondering if there was an enemy or something, Ivan stopped and observed his surroundings. A sentence from the pink-haired shrine maiden settled his nerves, though.

"Those Lavender Melons look quite ripe over there. You are quite tall, so would you be so kind as to go over and grab them?"

Ivan rolled his eyes, but then nodded after seeing a new detail pop up under his active quest along with a potential reward of Mora.

He casually ambled toward the tree. Several Lavender Melons gently swayed in the breeze amidst the branches. Unlike in the game, he could see far more than three fruits, which he happily welcomed with a small nod.

Shortly before reaching the tree, he accidentally stepped on the abnormally soft leaf of a small bush. Then, the bush shuddered. A familiar sound of rustling leaves entered Ivan's ears. He immediately hopped backward. Underneath where he had been standing, a creature sprung up from within the dirt.

Jagged purple leaves sprouted from an ovular head like a hat. Two beady yellow eyes stared blankly at Ivan. The plantlike body swayed rhythmically like a flower in the wind. 

Clicking his tongue, Ivan cautiously observed the Electro Whopperflower as well as the Electro crystals rotating around its head. 

Then, he glanced at Yae Miko. He saw her summoning a purple catalyst that looked like a golden metal poker surrounded by three gold and purple rings. Most of it glowed with sparks of Electro, making it hard to see the details.

'I'm sure she can handle it despite it being the same element, but it's a good opportunity for me.'

Thinking such, he focused on the Whopperflower just in time to see it zip toward him. Purple arcs flashed outward from it while it tried to tackle him. 

Almost taking inspiration from the game on a subconscious level, he kicked off the ground and dashed sideways. Unfortunately, his kick was so much stronger than he expected that he tumbled and skidded several meters across the grass. Several grass stains marked his clothes along the way. 

At the end, he rolled onto his knees. His eyes blinked several times in surprise. He then patted some clumps of dirt and grass off his body while keeping an eye on the Whopperflower. 

Nearby, he already saw three Electro turrets shaped like foxes. Each one summoned lightning from the sky that struck the Whopperflower. It flinched each time the lightning struck it but also displayed some level of resistance. Yae Miko also casually cast Electro-element bolts at the creature. She almost looked bored.

Sighing at the sight, Ivan decided to take the opportunity to test his own Electro element. Ever since it unlocked, a particular image remained seared in his mind. Following the inherent understanding of the flow of elemental particles granted upon him the moment his first curse was removed, he cast the skill. 

He lifted his palm toward the sky. A pulsing purple orb of Electro manifested above his palm. Several small sparks arced around it in chaotic fashion. Then, he raised his arm toward the sky.

Above the Whopperflower, a crack split open in the air, revealing a dark abyss. From within, a massive ray of light purple lightning burst toward the earth. An explosive roar echoed outward, and countless chunks of dirt and grass burst out along with it. 

Struck directly by the large ray of lightning, the Whopperflower smacked face first into the dirt. Numerous sparks danced around the small impact crater there for a second or two before shooting back toward Ivan.

Although it was his first time using the skill, Ivan showed no signs of surprise upon seeing it for the first time. The only reaction he displayed was a wide grin due to the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

When the sparks jumped back to him, Ivan reached out a hand and caught them. They then danced around his fist, causing a slightly numbing tingle. Having seen similar skills in the game, he immediately knew what to do. 

Before anything else, he glanced at Yae Miko who was standing not too far away since he didn't want to get in the way of her casting. Upon seeing her slightly widened eyes staring back at him, he smiled.

"Will I get in your way if I run over there and beat that thing up?" He asked.

Expression returning to normal, Yae Miko smiled a little and answered, "No. Do as you please."

"Heh. Cool. I feel like I'm walking on clouds right now and need to vent some of this energy."

Although not geared toward fist fighting, the Iwakura Sword Art basics did give him a semblance of a foundation for combat. Firm like a blade slicing through stone, his foot stepped forward in accordance with the basic footwork and stance techniques.

Ivan darted toward the Whopperflower that was now swaying dizzily. Fist crackling with a dazzling array of lightning, he punched the plant right in the face. He felt the soft and bulbous face indent. Then, he sent it flying. 

The moment it hit the ground, the Whopperflower bounced back up. It charged back at Ivan in reckless abandon. It cast sparks of retaliation, but Ivan's fists absorbed all the Electro element before punching it multiple times in succession. Angered, it flailed wildly and tried to smack him with any part of its body that could reach him.

A few smacks stung Ivan's skin, but he still rained down punches on the plant creature that sharply cracked against its bulbous body and face. Even while punching, his arms whipped at the creature almost as though swinging a sword. Without a weapon to use, he gave the techniques his own spin, albeit a straightforward and reckless one. 

Perhaps due to adrenaline, a grin remained plastered on his face the whole time. He could feel the energy spent to cast the initial ray of lightning steadily recovering under his skin, and each punch made him feel like the Electro element recovered more quickly.

Mid-punch, the sparks dissipated like a flame that had lost oxygen to fuel its existence. Ivan's fist smacked the Whopperflower's face, but this time, the punch only indented its face and made it flinch a little. Its eyes flashed.

"Well, shi-"

Ivan didn't even get to finish his expletive. The Whopperflower tackled him into the dirt. It then thrashed him with its leaves and Electro bolts.

Nearby, Yae Miko watched, her eyes and smile betraying her amusement since she could tell that Ivan could tank a few smacks with his physique that had magically improved after the removal of one of his curses. 

Battered and bruised, Ivan eventually escaped by kicking the creature and darting away. He was steadily adjusting to his improved strength. Although he doubted it was anything special within this world, it was enough to excite him. Even the bruises and Electro burns couldn't take that away.

So, he cast another ray lightning. The relatively quick recharge rate brought a grin to his face. Again, the ray of lightning exploded down from a small crack in space. While the Whopperflower bounced off the ground after the lightning strike, he dashed forward, pulled the remaining sparks into his grasp, and started pummeling the creature with Electro-imbued fists again.

This time, the creature finally fell. It disintegrated back into the ground and left behind a single common drop of nectar.

Giving a thumbs up to Yae Miko, Ivan grinned and said, "Thanks for letting me jump in. That's the first fight I ever won."

"Well, fufu~ Congratulations, then. Go eat some of those melons, though. Your face looks more puffy than that Whopperflower."

"Hm. Yeah, I guess my body hurts a little."

From there, he walked toward the tree, though his walk steadily morphed into a pained limp. Once underneath the shade of the tree's leaves, he reached up and pulled all the ripe Lavender Melons into his inventory, though he did not know the exact count. He then pulled out several for himself and a few for Yae Miko who followed him over.

"That is a useful ability," She commented.

"The storage or Electro skill?"

"The former. Your Electro ability is nothing special, to be honest, though I am surprised you can use it without owning a Vision."

Slightly pained by her comment, Ivan felt a pang in his chest as though stabbed by an arrow. She mocked his cool new ability so easily. 

Quickly setting aside his hurt feelings, he focused on the more important part of her statement and glanced at the earrings hanging from Yae Miko's fluffy ears, particularly the purple orbs that had Electro symbols in them. 

"Maybe I should get a fake Vision or something so that people don't ask me about it all the time in the future," Ivan said.

"That is a good observation."

"Yours is fake, right?" Ivan offhandedly asked, vaguely recalling some dialogue from this woman's character profile. Then, he lowered his brows and regretted asking such a thing since he didn't really know if it was true or not based on how the dialogue was worded.

Purple eyes wide as saucers, Yae Miko stared at him silently, but only for a second or two. She subsequently recovered and muttered, "Well, who can say? Perhaps it is, but perhaps it is not."

"Okay, then," Ivan mumbled while scratching his temple.

In an attempt to avoid the iffy subject, he bit into one of the Lavender Melons. The fruit's sweet juice and flesh melted in his mouth, but it also sparked with a hint of sourness. It was unlike any fruit he had ever tasted, and the explosion of flavor almost brought tears to his eyes.

While chowing down on Lavender Melons, Ivan's body steadily recovered at a noticeable rate. His bruises and cuts rapidly healed. 

Yae Miko joined him in nibbling one of the fruits he had handed over to her. At the same time, she silently observed him with equal hints of caution and inquisitiveness.

"Hm, well… I guess that puts my fight record at 352 to 1? I'm off to a great start."

"Pft~" Yae Miko almost spit out the Lavender Melon she just bit into.