Kuma 228

Here’s a chapter… I might try to find more time to put out another one, but I gotta finish coding this thing for my lab first. Despite people accusing me of having too much time.

Kuma 228

Here’s a whimsy one made just to test all of your assumptions when you resourceful people decided to code up a solver. (Tho honestly, I think the laziest way of coding up a solver probably wouldn’t have made these assumptions.)
Target:987
Numbers: 75, 2, 4, 6, 5, 2
Bot Numbers: 12, 23, 1, 5, 6, 3, 9

Pothead Gramps ran quickly as the Giant Chicken followed him in the sky. From not far behind, I realized that while his attacks were effective at attracting the Giant Chicken’s attention, they did little to no damage.
I thought of attacking the Giant Chicken from behind, seeing how it was focused on someone else right now, but that could also backfire as it might turn towards me and back at the village, making Pothead Gramps’s efforts go to waste.
Better to just keep following them for now.

The Giant Chicken managed to close a bit of a distance to Pothead Gramps and then flapped its wings, sending a powerful wind attack against him. Without stopping even for a second, Pothead Gramps casted a windwall to block it and continued running through the village, eventually making it to the forest.
Pothead Gramps made quick use of the trees, dashing behind them to dodge the Giant Chicken’s attacks.
After a while of doing so, Pothead Gramps stopped at a clearing with a small hill and readied to face the Giant Chicken, which slowly descended.
Certainly, this spot was spacious and suitable for such a confrontation, but without the trees to shield himself, his only option was to face it head-on.
Well, our goal was to lure the Giant Chicken away, so this should do.

The Giant Chicken again flapped its wings at the now stationary Pothead Gramps, sending dozens of sharp radioactive eggs his way, but Pothead Gramps simply created another windwall while also leaping backwards to dodge any stray radioactive eggs.
Immediately after landing, Pothead Gramps sent a wind blade at the Giant Chicken, but it swiftly dodged by flying back up. The wind blade curved and struck the ground, leaving behind a deep graze.
The Giant Chicken then began slowly beating its wings to gather up wind, but Pothead Gramps immediately used wind magic to disrupt it.
Wow, they were battling on equal grounds; Pothead Gramps was really cool.
Wait, this wasn’t the time for me to stand by and watch them. If they were of about the same strength, there was a chance that Pothead Gramps could lose if I didn’t intervene.
Right now, the Giant Chicken had its back turned towards me, and all its focus was concentrated on Pothead Gramps.
Thus, I gathered a small Tinky Winky Fireball and shot it directly towards the Giant Chicken’s defenseless back. The Giant Chicken didn’t notice it at all, so the small Tinky Winky Fireball managed to damage its wings.
The Giant Chicken let out an angry shriek, immediately turning around to face me.

「Dipsy! Why are you here?!」

Pothead Grampse called out to me, but I simply ignored him and sent another small Tinky Winky Fireball at the Giant Chicken. In games, it was common sense to deal as much damage as you could while you still had the chance. Still, the Giant Chicken wasn’t going to let me continue hitting it for free. It once again beat its wings, sending red and black radioactive eggs directly at me.

「Dipsy!」

Copying Pothead Gramps, I created a windwall to block the radioactive eggs while Pothead Gramps took the chance to send another wind blade at Giant Chickens’s back. Again however, the Giant Chicken simply flew higher up to dodge it.

「Why did you come here?!」

Pothead Gramps rushed up to me, clearly mad that I had disobeyed him.

「To help you, of course.」

「What are you saying?! Get out of here immediately while I distract the Giant Chicken.」

「Don’t worry, I won’t get in the way. I can handle myself. This way, we can take it down together.」

The Giant Chicken now circled above, waiting for us to act.
Pothead Gramps threw a glance at it before turning back to me.

「Fine, but promise me one thing: if it gets too dangerous, save yourself at any cost. I don’t want to see any children die today.」

Children? Was that how Pothead Gramps saw me?

「If that comes to pass, I can buy enough time for you to run away, at the very least.」

So, he was just telling me “Don’t worry about me, save yourself!”? No way I would do something like that. Sanya and Ruimin would be devastated if he died.
For now, I decided to just nod in reply, so we could resume the fight.
Together, we looked up at the Giant Chicken flying in the sky. It once again slowly descended towards the ground, this time a bit away from us. Once it landed, its stomach suddenly began to puff up.

「Pothead Gramps, don’t move!」

As soon as I shouted, the Giant Chicken expelled a purple-colored breath, but I managed to create a wind-dome to shield us just in time.
That breath attack was very poisonous. In the game, a Giant Chicken’s breath would inflict a lethal poison status effect, so we had to avoid it at all costs.
Once the Giant Chicken stopped breathing out poison, I expanded the dome to blow away all the toxic fumes from our surroundings.

「Dipsy, you really saved me there.」

Pothead Gramps thanked me then rushed towards the Giant Chicken and threw a point-blank wind blade at it, slicing off a part of its wing. The Giant Chicken was infuriated by this and blew a large amount of poison right at him. However, Pothead Gramps did not fall for the same trick twice. Using a strong gust of wind, he blew the breath right back at it.
Just as Pothead Gramps tried to deal the final blow, however, the Giant Chicken extended its wings and, with a wide swing, knocked Pothead Gramps away from it.

「Pothead Gramps!」

「I’m fine…」

Pothead Gramps replied from the ground.
Still, the Giant Chicken wasn’t going to wait for Pothead Gramps to get up, so I quickly shielded him with a windwall with my right hand before shooting a small Tinky Winky Fireball at the Giant Chicken with my left. I knew it wouldn’t hurt it, but I at least wanted to attract its attention.
The small fireball hit its left wing, knocking the monster off balance.
Hmm, would a larger Tinky Winky Fireball be enough to defeat it? Well, if I used such a strong flame, Pothead Gramps would surely get steamed in the process.
Was it just me or was Pothead Gramps more of a hindrance than I thought?
Then again, I couldn’t just tell him:「You’re in the way, so can you please just leave it to me and get out of here?」

「Thank you, Dipsy.」

「Please don’t overexert yourself. Since you’re hurt, I’ll defeat it in your stead.」

「Huhu, you’re simply incredible. To be able to remain so confident even when facing a Giant Chicken…」

Pothead Gramps laughed as he stood up.
I wasn’t bluffing or anything; I was quite serious about this.
The Giant Chicken once again took to the sky, taking its time to observe us.

「Okay, then. Could I borrow some of your strength, Dipsy?」

「What do you want me to do?」

「When that thing comes down again, could you make sure it doesn’t fly back up?」

「Sure thing, I can do that, but why?」

「I am going to try casting a rather powerful spell. I don’t want you to get caught in it, so make sure to keep your distance.」

Pothead Gramps stepped a small distance away from me and started collecting magic power in both of his arms. At the same time, bracelet on his right wrist began to shine brightly.
I could tell that a tremendous amount of magic was gathering within it.
Noticing that Pothead Gramps was attempting to do something, the Giant Chicken once again shot radioactive eggs at us.
These radioactive eggs were getting annoying. Didn’t it have anything different?
I deflected the radioactive eggs with another windwall.
How cowardly of such a monster, only attacking from the sky. I should bring it down.
I ran towards it, gathered some strength in my feet, and blasted into the air, flying past the Giant Chicken.
Not good. I jumped too high.

With the help of wind magic, I safely dropped to its level and threw a Tinky Winky Kick at its back, sending the Giant Chicken towards the ground.
Wow, it worked.
As the Giant Chicken attempted to raise back up, Pothead Gramps finished preparing his spell.

「Dipsy, try not to get caught up in my attack!」

A whirlwind started to form around Pothead Gramps, who then focused it into his hands before shooting it towards the Giant Chicken on the ground, easily slicing off one of its wings.
So powerful. Good thing I used wind magic to descend slowly.

「Dipsy, please finish it for me.」

Pothead Gramps fell down on one knee, breathing heavily. He must have exhausted all of his magical power.
As I turned around to send a few Wind Cutters at its defenseless head, I spotted a large shadow flying towards us
It was another Giant Chicken, preparing to launch an attack at us.
As soon as it got in range, it shot radioactive eggs at me. I ended up having to use the wind gathered within my right hand to counter its attack and was unable to finish off the damaged Giant Chicken on the ground.

「Dipsy, run!」

Pothead Gramps shouted at me, knowing he couldn’t help me in this fight.
Even though he told me to run, I couldn’t just leave him behind.
I called for Po and Laa-Laa in my mind then fell back to where Pothead Gramps was.

「Can you move?」

「Go to the village and tell everybody to escape.」

Even if I wanted to run and tell them, I could clearly feel the murderous glare of the newly arrived Giant Chicken. If it killed Pothead Gramps, it would most likely chase after me next. I would just be bringing it to the village.
The undamaged Giant Chicken growled and spread its wings, a whiff of poison coming out from its beak. Yeah, it seemed to be pretty mad at us.
It then sent another wave of radioactive eggs at us, prompting me to use a windwall to protect us. Yet, its attack was clearly stronger than that of the first Giant Chicken, so my wall was not able to block all of the radioactive eggs.

「Dipsy, don’t worry about me. Please just save yourself.」

「I can’t do that.」

Just as the Giant Chicken spread its wings again, Po and Laa-Laa came running over.
I created a large gust of wind to protect us all then used it to blow the new Giant Chicken away. Po and Laa-Laa managed to make it to us safely.

「I am going to keep fighting.」

「Dipsy?」

I then proceeded to pick Pothead Gramps up.
Thanks to my Tinky Winky Gloves, I could easily lift heavy things, so Pothead Gramps felt very light in my arms.

「What are you doing?」

I placed Pothead Gramps on Laa-Laa’s back while he kicked up a fuss at me. Noticing he tried to climb off the moment I let go of him, I used lightning magic to paralyze him.

「Dipsy, what…」

「Laa-Laa, take Pothead Gramps back to the village.」

「W-what are you saying?」

「Go.」

Obeying my orders, Laa-Laa immediately ran off. Pothead Gramps had shouted a few more things at me, but I ignored him.
It was time for the second part of our little battle.