The Mint Choco Boom Explodes! (2)
Mint chocolate boom is coming!
There is no such thing as a mint chocolate scent. To be precise, it's just that I perceive it as mint chocolate, but this aroma could actually be called by another name. For example, Kim Penril's butt smell.
Just kidding. Kim Penril doesn't smell like butt; she gives off a mint chocolate scent. In other words, it's the "unique scent of the wind attribute." Mana has fragrances. The wind attribute's scent is like mint chocolate. This is official lore from the Breadcademy developers, and all characters whose primary attribute is wind love mint chocolate. That means people who like mint chocolate are inherently more likely to have a wind-attribute disposition in their mana. Those who hate it either have very little wind attribute in their bodies or a much higher concentration of attributes that clash with it.
In terms of the mana ratios in a human body, those with higher wind attributes prefer mint chocolate. Because mint chocolate is the scent of wind-attribute mana. And the Kim Penril dwelling within me is the origin of that wind attribute—the foundational entity of wind mana itself. But one infused with demonic energy. To be exact, a pure wind attribute, different from the earthly kind.
—Earth's mana contains angel power. The moment even 0.01% angel power mixes in, that mana has a completely different texture from our pure mana. The Seven Dukes, including the Archduke of Hell, were all like that.
—It's not that we have demonic energy. It's that their mana has been tainted by angel power. From a color perspective, if the highest brightness and saturation color is demon realm mana, then earthly mana has a very faint mix of 'white' angel power. In RGB terms, not 255, 255, 255, but 255, 255, 250.
—To Milletian eyes, they're completely different colors. Puhuhu.
She's right. As someone who was once a Milletian, these two are definitely different colors. So, when discussing colors, which side could be called more "turbid"? If the beings who harbored the pure mana existing on Earth since primordial times were driven to the demon realm, and earthly mana became faintly mixed with angel power, then which is the turbid mana? Which side has truly been "infused with demonic energy" in the true sense?
It's the earthly frame. For ages, angels persecuted the demon realm and demonkin, and after the demon realm's defeat, they lost any way to appeal their injustice on Earth. Humanity ended up living unknowingly with angel power in their veins. But deep down, humans crave it—the pure mana etched into their genes. They yearn for the origin without the angel corruption constantly making TS Amta pop into their heads or whatever. Humans—no, all earthly lifeforms—hold that longing for root mana.
Therefore. To cut to the conclusion.
Kieeeek!!
The monsters are swarming. I climbed the ramparts with Mana Bread [Mint Choco Ho-bbang], and the monsters are frantically trying to scale the walls with ferocious momentum.
"What the hell...!"
Even veterans like Esta and Rydmila are baffled by the situation, but they quickly snap out of it and shout to those around them.
"Taunt!! They've pulled aggro, so focus fire!!"
"We have to stop them from climbing! Support over here!!"
"O-Oh!!"
The hunters shake off their daze at the two women's commands and start moving. They fire magic barrages down at the base of the wall where I'm positioned, sniping monster cores with mana-infused arrows. Everyone's confused, but monster hunts follow a basic pattern: tanks taunt, dealers deal damage, supporters back them up. Right now, the grand wall is tanking, and the aggro is being pulled by my Mana Bread.
"What in the...?"
"It's nothing much."
I turned to the flustered folks behind me and conjured another Mana Bread [Mint Choco Ho-bbang].
"I remotely analyzed their mana patterns, then inserted an element that makes them 'stronger' into those patterns via this Mana Bread."
"What?!"
"Simply put, to them, this Mana Bread is like a kind of [Evolution Fruit]."
Even though it's bread.
"Monsters grow by devouring other monsters. It's basically expanding their core. Not efficient, but they can get stronger by absorbing cores from kin or whatever."
I lightly gripped the newly made second Mana Bread [Mint Choco Ho-bbang].
"Unia. Can you embed a spell in this for now? Like stuffing red bean paste into a ho-bbang."
"Uh, um, what spell?"
"Like this."
I whispered the spell so only Unia could hear. She looked at me with wide-eyed surprise.
"You mean...?"
"Possible?"
"Not impossible, but it'll take a bit."
"Good. Handle this then."
I handed the second Mana Bread [Mint Choco Ho-bbang] to Unia and dashed along the ramparts.
"They're piling up too much on one side, so shall we split the front line?"
Kieeeek!!
The monsters trying to crawl over the ramparts whipped their heads left and right. Even the one that had nearly reached the top only to get knocked back by Rydmila's spear turned toward me.
Tatadak!
Running along the ramparts, I held up the third Mana Bread [Mint Choco Ho-bbang] high.
"No way...! Everyone, disperse aggro!! Hunters heading there, focus on the second 'symbol'!!"
Esta, who had been slicing monsters with sword auras, followed behind me and barked orders at the startled hunters charging my way.
"Damn it, I don't know what it is, but it's like a crystal tower, right!?"
Crystal tower. Massive mana stones in every city that draw mega-monsters because of their immense power. Like the turret or symbol players must defend in defense games or RPG waves where monsters swarm chaotically.
That's what my Mana Bread is right now.
Or more precisely, me.
Kiiiiik!!
The monsters split perfectly into three groups. One's fixated on the first Mana Bread [Mint Choco Ho-bbang], trampling their own dead without care to climb. Another senses the second and watches warily. The last bunch detects the third and charges madly in my direction.
Like rabid dogs foaming at the mouth with tongues lolling, the monsters lose their minds to the mint choco scent, racing along the wall before trying to scale it.
"Hya!"
Evangeline hurls her doll down from the ramparts. It instantly gigantifies, body-slamming the clustered monsters below and popping them like balloons. If they bled, it'd be grotesque, but only black wind bursts out.
Whoosh!!
The monsters crushed under the giant bear doll disintegrate. Dozens vanish in one slam, and the bear starts rising to advance.
"Evangeline! Reverse summon!"
"Uh, u-uh?! R-Right...!"
I shouted just as Evangeline fumbled in panic to obey—but
Kiiiik!!
Is it their fanatic obsession with mint chocolate? The monsters leap onto the rising bear doll, using it as a stepping stone.
"Eek, eeeek...!"
It looked just like swarms of bugs crawling up a person from below, and Evangeline screamed in horror.
Pang!
She cut the mana for reverse summon, but some monsters had already climbed aboard.
"Rydmila! While the 'big one' is awakening, hurl your spear!"
"...Got it!"
Rydmila, who had been smashing incoming monsters with her spear, gathered mana at my command.
"Hup!"
Like a major league pitcher, she gripped the Mana Bread [Mint Choco Ho-bbang] and hurled it forward with massive force.
Whooong!!
The Mana Bread [Mint Choco Ho-bbang] flew straight through the air. The monsters about to crest the ramparts turned toward the evolution fruit heading into their turf.
Soon.
Kiiiik!!
Even those who reached the top leaped back down with a pop, and monsters swarmed the spot where the bread would land, trampling each other to reach it.
"As I was saying before we got interrupted, this is like a... special potion for them."
In game terms, a cheat key.
"Mana that instantly fills the deficiencies in their makeup. The moment it embeds in the core, it slots into 99% empty space, bumping the core up a whole level—like a magic item."
To sum it up, it's like tossing an evolution stone to Eevee.
Chomp!
The fastest one bit the Mana Bread [Mint Choco Ho-bbang]. Others lunged to tear into its body—but
Paaaang!!
Mint-colored wind exploded from it like a storm, instantly blasting away the surrounding rushers. And centered on its core, the body began swelling—1m, 2m larger—
Kiiiik!
As its monster rank elevated, on the verge of becoming a higher-grade beast—
Pang!
Rydmila's mana spear nailed it right between the eyes.
Splorch!
Piercing the body, the spear shattered the core into pieces.
"That's how we lure them reliably."
"......."
"And it's not just for luring. Unia!"
"Yes!"
"Throw!"
"Yes!!"
Unia mimicked me, hurling the Mana Bread forward with gusto.
"Air Blast!"
She blasted it farther with a mana burst, and the monsters charged after the arcing cannonball.
"Sending it that far...!"
"It's fine."
Unia flashed a thumbs-up to everyone.
"I embedded an explosion spell in the filling!"
"Wha—"
A massive mint chocolate-colored mushroom cloud erupts across the plains.
■■■■■■■───!!!
A gigantic mint chocolate mushroom cloud bloomed over the plains.
"There we go."
I nodded, savoring the mint-choco-scented aftershock.
'Mint Choco Ho-bbang is a bomb.'
Mint chocolate. I could tolerate the ice cream if I had to a hundred times over, but stuff like mint choco ho-bbang deserves to explode like this.
Kim Penril might think so. But basically, this Mana Bread manifests from memories of food I've eaten.
'I fed them the microwaved version.'
[Ah.]
I'd eaten tons of mint chocolate, but in my personal ranking, mint choco ho-bbang was near the bottom.
So it exploded.
Mint choco boom. In a world where blowing it up is the right way.