Chapter 130: “Mountains of Madness (And Marshmallows)”

The group stood at the base of the next mountain, gazing up at its impossibly steep slopes. This wasn't just any mountain—it was a literal maze of sugary nonsense, dotted with floating platforms, inexplicable gravity shifts, and what appeared to be sentient marshmallow clouds floating ominously above.

"This is it," Ravynne said, hands on her hips. "The peak of our journey."

"Peak?" Kazuya groaned. "We've been through caverns, candy armies, and a kaiju made of cake. What could possibly be worse than all of that?"

As if on cue, one of the marshmallow clouds swooped down, its squishy form undulating with menace. It growled—or at least made a noise that sounded like an angry squish toy.

Sylvara smirked. "I think you're about to find out."

An Unstable Ascent

The climb began with what should have been a straightforward path, but the mountain had other ideas. Each step triggered some bizarre, reality-bending phenomenon. Ravynne's hair turned into rainbow ribbons. Cluckminster grew two extra legs, which he immediately used to stage a solo interpretive dance performance. Sylvara found herself floating upside down, completely unfazed.

Kazuya, meanwhile, stepped on a glowing stone that promptly transported him several meters into the air, leaving him clinging to a floating cotton candy bush.

"Is this mountain cursed or something?!" he yelled.

"Probably!" Sylvara called back, spinning lazily in zero gravity. "I mean, everything else has been."

Cluckminster, now wearing a tiny wizard hat he had mysteriously acquired, squawked an incantation that made the bush beneath Kazuya turn into caramel. It melted instantly, dropping him onto a licorice trampoline.

"Why does it always have to be candy?!" Kazuya groaned as he bounced uncontrollably.

The Marshmallow Menace

Halfway up the mountain, the group encountered a squadron of marshmallow clouds blocking their path. They floated menacingly, each puff brimming with sugary fury.

"Alright, what's the plan?" Ravynne asked, drawing her dagger.

Kazuya sighed. "Let me guess—they only respect the authority of the Candy King."

Sylvara winked. "Exactly. Time to show them who's boss."

Reluctantly, Kazuya brandished the Sugar Scepter. "Uh... marshmallow dudes? Can we get through, please?"

The clouds rumbled ominously before forming a single, massive face. "Only if you pass... the Trial of Sweetness."

"What does that even mean?" Kazuya asked.

The clouds exploded into a flurry of marshmallows, revealing a spinning wheel with various challenges written on it: Bubblegum Wrestling, Cupcake Catapult, and Marshmallow Karaoke.

Ravynne groaned. "Of course."

Bubblegum Wrestling

The wheel stopped on Bubblegum Wrestling, and before Kazuya could protest, he was hurled into an arena made entirely of sticky pink gum. His opponent? A massive marshmallow cloud wearing a championship belt.

Sylvara and Ravynne cheered from the sidelines. "Go get 'em, Candy King!"

The marshmallow launched itself at Kazuya, who barely managed to dodge. His feet stuck to the gum, making every movement a struggle.

"Is this supposed to be a trial or a humiliation?" he muttered.

The marshmallow retaliated by enveloping him in its squishy form. Kazuya flailed helplessly as Sylvara shouted helpful advice like, "Try biting it!"

Finally, he remembered the Sugar Scepter. With a dramatic flourish, he zapped the marshmallow into a pile of tiny puffs. The crowd of marshmallow clouds erupted in applause.

The Final Stretch

The group continued their ascent, now sticky, exhausted, and thoroughly done with sugary nonsense. As they approached the peak, the air grew thinner, and the marshmallow clouds became more aggressive. One attempted to steal Kazuya's scepter, but Cluckminster dive-bombed it with an impressive battle cry.

"I'll never look at dessert the same way again," Ravynne muttered, batting away a stray marshmallow.

Finally, they reached the summit. A glowing pedestal awaited them, atop which rested a bizarre artifact: a golden goblet filled with what looked like liquid stardust.

Sylvara approached cautiously. "This must be the Goblet of Infinite Indulgence."

"What does it do?" Kazuya asked.

"No idea," Sylvara said, picking it up. "But it's probably cursed."

To Be Continued...