Day XVII: Return of the Suspense

I started off with some succesful PvP. Thanks for the flowers, folks! Four adventures in the Castle netted me the needed mask. I was quite lucky finding astronomers, when buffed up. All in all a costly and hasslesome affair. Healing up is sooo costly. Constantly switching back and forth the lead necklace, to go visit Yeti peak. I ate some spicy enchanted bean burrito's (clover day - lucky break #1). The Bounty Hunter Hunter accepted Yeti Skin, I'd rather have it was Penguin Skin, but accepting any skin at all was a boon. (lucky break #2).

In the end, I got my star stuff within a reasonable period. Time to hit the Lair! Of course I breezed through the Entrance and the Hall (although I had to try the Digital Key Code twice, before getting it right). The Hedge Maze was tough. I thought a muscle strategy might work there, but even with a boosted muscle of close to 170 or so, I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. So, I switched back to the money-consuming Snapping strategy. I used both goofballs and flowers, had to visit the Peak for a refill, or heal at the campground and slowly but surely fixed the puzzle.

Hurray! Time for the tower. Taking all the saved gear from my Collossal Campground Closet, I thought it would be an easy 6 clicks. First level: Bowling Cricket. Wait-a-minute! I don't have that item. One adventure backfarming solved that. Second level: Finger of F8. Arrgh! Don't have that one either. But another single-adventure backfarm solved that too. (Lucky breaks #3 and #4). The rest of the tower went as planned. I hacked the access code in one attempt. Forgot to equip the shard, so had to recoup and spend another adventure...I was running a bit low on those. Pre-healing for my Shadow was another costly affair, but so be it. Next up: Familiar Battle!

Naturally, the first familiar required was the Barrrnacle. For which I had 0 kills yet. Luckily, I did fine on the poundage-gaining, and got a sucky decal (#5). By this time, I was autoselling whatever I didn't absolutely need anymore. The Legend Keys, the breathsprays, my star equipment, everything. The potato was next. I had 11 adventures left. I was full and nearly falling down drunk. Poundage gaining was not as efficient, but luckily, I got the many-eyed glasses (#6). 1 adventure left. Even more superfluous stuff was gotten rid off. I was able to fully heal and buy 13 elixirs. Time to cross my fingers and go for it.

A single adventure left. A single shot for the day.

It was the most tense fight ever. The first form was pretty tough. I tried to use elixirs, but only one worked. A single plot hole changed the balance, as did my dodecapede. The acid-squirting flower did it's work, but headbutts and regular attacks rarely connected. The spectral snapper was a waste. The second form was even more frantic, until I got a lucky break (#7!). Two elixirs and a plot hole went unblocked in a row. Some fighting further I got a photoneutron prototorpedo in. I was getting desperate and tried all my remaining elixirs, one of them worked and saved me! A combined effort of the dodecapede, the acid-squirting flower and some frigid ninja stars meant the demise of the second form. I stood back, and enjoyed the wondrous text of my anagramatic battle with the third and final form. The King was free!

All that was left was to take my Cheshire Bat, Grin Reaper, and jump into the gash.

Ascension.

Keypunch (#30036)
Level 11
Crocodile Lord
Ascended in: 1,898 turns, spread over 18 days.
Hardcore, No Path.