Cozy Warrior-Chapter 4: Traps, Stones and Ice

As the group enjoyed their breakfast, Jibo suddenly set his food aside, staring intently at Saishi.

"Alright, Saishi! Now tell us your damn new stamina stat!"

Saishi checked his A-ID. "It says... 54."

"Fifty-four?! In just three days?" Jibo's eyes widened. "Damn!"

"That training was something else, huh? HAHAHA!" Mo laughed, leaning back proudly. "Told you it'd work, Brother!"

But as the group kept chatting, Saishi's thoughts drifted. He couldn't stop worrying about Burk.

"I hope he's alright..." he mumbled under his breath.

-------------------------------------Scene Shift: Burk in Captivity-------------------------

"Hey! Wake up, you little shit!"

A loud voice echoed through the cold, damp prison cell. Water dripped from above, splashing into a filthy bucket beside a ragged blanket on the stone floor.

Burk stirred. "Y-yeah..." he groaned, his voice dry and cracking. He sounded terrible.

"Here's your food," the guard said, tossing a plate through the bars. "It's been four days. Your friends aren't coming. You'll die like the rest at the Riffs!"

"The rest?" Burk asked weakly.

The guard grinned. "Yeah, the others. You think you're special? Ha! Paron's been doing this every week—snatching weaklings from small groups and blackmailing them for minerals."

Burk's eyes narrowed. "So you kidnap people to extort resources? Pathetic. For a so-called guild, that's low."

The guard spat in Burk's face. "Shut your mouth, you little prick."

Burk wiped his cheek and asked, "What's your name, guard?"

The man snorted. "Darion. What, you gonna remember it for your diary?"

"No," Burk replied with a smirk. "I just want to know whose hand I'll shake... after I'm out of here."

The guard gave him a puzzled look, then left, muttering as he climbed the stairs.

Left alone again, Burk took a breath. He hadn't given up hope—but he knew he had to stay sharp. He meditated when he could, preserved his mana, and cast Protect occasionally to keep his body stable. He was beaten, tired, and trapped—but not broken.

His team would come. He believed that with everything he had.

-----------------------------------Scene Shift: The Plan Begins----------------------------

Back at camp, Hürs snapped his fingers in front of Saishi's face.

"Hey! Focus. We're talking strategy to save Burk!"

"Sorry, I'm listening now," Saishi nodded, shaking off his thoughts.

"Here's the plan," Hürs said, serious. "We need to lure Paron out of his base. Not just to the front gates—uphill, where it's exposed. We'll bait one of his lackeys in the city and set up a meeting point close by. Not too far, or that cockroach won't show. Once he's there—Jibo, your traps go live."

"So I just poison them and we're done?" Jibo smirked.

"At first, I thought so. But we need a backup plan. We'll cause chaos to draw their attention, so you can sneak inside and find Burk. We don't know where he's being held yet—"

"I do," Mo interrupted. "They've got an old prison near the ocean, east side of the peninsula, Brother."

"Perfect," Hürs continued. "Jibo, prepare everything tonight—make sure no one notices."

"I'll do my best," Jibo nodded. "But what about the minerals? If we don't bring any, they'll get suspicious."

"That's where we come in," Hürs said. "We'll collect regular stones and paint them with berries to make them look bluish. It won't pass inspection for long, but long enough to buy us time. Brother, do you have a cart?"

"Yeah, behind the bungalow, I think, Brother! HAHAHA!" Mo said.

"Then let's go."

----------------------------------Scene Cut – Preparation------------------------------

The team got to work. While Jibo brewed stun potions and hid them under the cart, the others gathered and painted stones. The night was falling fast.

"You all ready?" Hürs asked, tightening his gear.

Almost in unison, the group replied, "Let's go."

"Then let's roll out, Brothers!" Mo grinned.

They headed toward the great capital city—the heart of Sirca: Kalimar.

------------------------------------------Lore Note: Kalimar-----------------------------------

-----Kalimar is the largest city in all four countries. Known as the economic center of Hamriel, it houses the Adventurer Association headquarters at its core. Three enormous towers dominate the skyline:

A Tower (Assignments) – Where quests are posted and rewards are collected.

L Tower (Loot) – A bustling market for anything from goblin heads to rare gems.

X Tower (Exit/Fallen) – A memorial and recovery center for fallen adventurers. Their names and faces are engraved into its walls.-----

"Stay low," Hürs whispered as they neared the outer city. "We can't draw attention. Not with our bombs and fake rocks. We'll circle around and look for one of Paron's guys."

Halfway to the city, they set up a small camp in the woods to rest. It had been a long march from Portkar, and their bodies were heavy with exhaustion. Being this close to Kalimar, they didn't expect much danger.

Next Morning

By sunrise, they reached the city walls. Saishi dropped to the ground, panting.

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"Screw these damn rocks... I'm done."

"Get up, Saishi. We haven't found the target yet," Hürs barked.

"So how are we supposed to find him?" Saishi groaned.

"We don't," Mo grinned. "I'll send a message pigeon to the guild and then we play the waiting game at the entrance to the peninsula where their base is, Brother."

"Alright... so we head to the meeting point now?" Saishi asked.

"You go ahead. I'll send the pigeon, Brother," Mo said, heading toward the messenger stall.

---------------Scene Cut –1 Day Later a the Coastal Cliffside (Meeting Point)----------------------

The group arrived at a coastal clearing near the entrance to the peninsula where the guild's base stood.

Before they could do anything, Jibo tied a thin string to Hürs' boot.

"What's this for?" Hürs asked.

"When they check the stones, stomp hard. That'll be the trigger."

"As you say, Brother," Hürs nodded.

Just as they finished setting up, Mo arrived.

"Everything go smoothly, Brothers?" he asked.

"Nothing yet. We're just wa—" Saishi began, but was cut off by the sound of loud, mocking laughter.

Jibo instantly vanished into stealth mode.

Skill Note: Sneak

Sneak is a rogue-exclusive skill unlocked at 40 Dexterity. It renders the user invisible to most enemies — but it can be detected by:

Mages using Detect (requires 40 INT and a scroll),

Warriors with higher DEX than the user,

Archers trained in perception-based skills or those with higher Dexterity.

"Well, well, look who came crawling back with my minerals!" Paron sneered as he stepped forward with several armored men behind him.

As he approached the cart, Jibo had already slipped away, sprinting toward the prison.

"We brought the stones. Give us Burk," Saishi said.

"A deal's a deal, right?" Paron laughed, nodding to a soldier to check the load.

At that moment, Jibo hurled a small stone at Saishi's head.

Signal received.

Hürs stomped the ground with force.

BOOM!

The stun potions hidden in the cart exploded in a violent flash, sending shockwaves through the group and tearing Paron's man into pieces.

----------------------------Scene Shift: Prison Escape---------------------------

Jibo reached the prison as Darion bolted outside toward the explosion. Seizing the opportunity, Jibo slipped inside and rushed down the stairs.

"Burk!" he called out.

At the bottom, in a freezing cell, Burk lay soaked, bruised, and barely conscious.

"F-Finally... Get me out of here..." Burk coughed.

Jibo broke the lock and helped him up—but footsteps pounded behind him.

Darion was back.

He swung at Jibo.

"Look out!" Burk shouted. Jibo ducked just in time. Darion tripped and crashed to the floor.

Before he could recover, Burk tackled him and clamped a hand over his mouth. Darion bit down hard, but Burk didn't flinch.

He was done being weak.

With all the mana he had left, Burk raised his hand.

"Ice Spear!!"

A massive spear of ice erupted from his palm, blasting through Darion's skull and pinning him to the stone floor.

Jibo stared in shock. "Damn, Burk—I didn't know you could use that spell."

"I... learned it... from a scroll... a while back..." Burk mumbled—and fainted from mana depletion.

Jibo caught him gently.

"No mana. Got it," he said, hoisting him up.

Time to head back. The real battle had already begun.

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