Chapter 114: The Great Drought and the Non-Magical Mud-Wrestling
The "Gouda Incident" at the Palace had left the group with two things: a very large, delicious wheel of cheese and a realization that even without the System, trouble had a way of finding them. But the latest problem wasn't a holographic guardian or a vengeful Judge. It was something far more terrifying: The Weather.
For three weeks, not a single drop of rain had fallen on Twilight City. The once-lush gardens were turning into dust bowls, and the river—the city's only source of water—was shrinking faster than Aki's courage in a dark cave.
"I can't take it anymore!" Aki wailed, flopping onto the dry, crunchy grass of their backyard. "Rena! Use your water magic! Make a cloud! Make a puddle! I'll even settle for a very moist mist at this point!"
Rena sat under a withered oak tree, sweat dripping from her forehead. "Aki, for the hundredth time, I can't. My mana only works on things that are already there. I can move water, but I can't create it out of thin air anymore. The laws of physics are back in charge, and they're very strict librarians."
Von (Volt) was standing near the edge of the dried-up stream, looking at the distant mountains. Without his wings, he had to rely on his own two feet, and those feet were currently covered in dust. "The drought isn't natural, Rena. I can feel a resonance. It's not the System, but it's something left behind. A 'Residual Curse' from the Architect's deletion."
[INTERNAL DIALOGUE (Von): The world is healing, but the scars are deep. If we don't find the source of this heat, the city will burn before it ever learns how to live.]
The Expedition to the Dry-Wells
"Alright, everyone up!" Von commanded, grabbing a shovel. "We're heading to the High Peaks. There's an ancient reservoir there. If the curse is localized, that's where it'll be."
"A shovel?" Aki looked at the tool with pure disgust. "Von, I am a Master Thief. I handle daggers, jewels, and the occasional forbidden scroll. I do not handle... shovels. It's bad for my grip! I might lose my touch for picking pockets!"
"If you don't help us dig, Aki, I'm giving your share of the Gouda to Sai," Von said calmly.
Aki was up and holding the shovel in 0.2 seconds. "Digging is my passion! I've always said that the earth holds the true secrets of the soul! Let's go, team! For the water and the cheese!"
The Mud-Golems (The Low-Budget Version)
As they reached the reservoir, they found it completely empty—except for a thick, bubbling layer of mud at the bottom. But the mud was moving. It wasn't a System monster, but a natural phenomenon fueled by the residual mana.
"Look! It's... it's a Mud-Man!" Aki pointed, laughing. "He's so slow! He's like a turtle made of chocolate pudding! I can take him with one hand tied behind my back!"
Aki lunged forward, swinging his shovel. But instead of shattering like a skeleton, the mud absorbed the blow. Aki's shovel got stuck, and the momentum pulled him head-first into the creature's chest.
"Mmph! Mmm-ph!" Aki's muffled screams could be heard from inside the mud.
"Aki! Hold on!" Sai yelled, charging in with his shield. But the shield just got stuck too. Soon, it was a chaotic mess of limbs, mud, and Aki's muffled complaints.
Rena stood on the bank, face-palming. "This is what we've become. The saviors of the world, wrestling with a puddle. Von, please do something."
Von didn't use a sword. He used science. "Rena! The mud is held together by a high-frequency vibration from that crystal in the center. If we change the temperature rapidly, it'll lose cohesion!"
Rena nodded, gathering what little mana she had left. "Thermal Shock!"
She heated the mud while Von used a bag of 'Flash-Freeze Powder' Aki had stolen earlier. The mud creature let out a squelching sound and disintegrated into a harmless pile of dirt.
Aki emerged, looking like a very angry chocolate-covered strawberry. "I... I... I'm retiring. After the cheese is gone, I'm moving to a place where mud is illegal."
The Discovery
Beneath the mud, they found it: a small, pulsing device left by the System. It was a 'Weather-Anchor' that had glitched out during the reset, stuck on 'Summer Mode'.
Von smashed it with his boot.
Almost instantly, the sky darkened. The smell of rain filled the air. Within minutes, a heavy, refreshing downpour began to wash away the mud and the heat.
"Rain!" Rena laughed, spinning around in the downpour.
Aki opened his mouth to catch the drops, but then realized he was still covered in mud. "Wait! Now I'm just becoming a soup! Von! Help me wash this off before I turn into a brick!"
As they walked back toward the city, soaked and exhausted, Von looked at the thriving world around him. The System was gone, and things were harder, but every victory—even a victory over mud—felt more real than anything he'd achieved as a King.