As usual, ThermalMan only shielded himself from being splashed in the face rather than avoiding any kind of damage. While "Courser" was able to keep his distance, it was definitely getting more difficult to keep close to ThermalMan. The iron giant was now a little closer to the center of the lava pool rather than at its edge, thanks to the volcanic activity causing its expansion. "Little fella found something?" ThermalMan called out to "Riptide". Once he reported his findings, ThermalMan lumbered up into a standing pose.
"Aaaah... I'd just gotten to relax, really. What a bother. Turrets, right? Should be fine if I suit up," he said. Lifting his fists, he punched them together, causing hefty brown metal plates to materialize in the air and fall onto his body, folding themselves around his trunk and limbs with a few noisy clanks. Afterwards, he raised his hand to his head. His expression hardened for a moment, and he gestured silently with his head to nobody in particular, before lowering his hand again.
"Okay, let's go," said ThermalMan, moving up to the breach. As CourseMan had hoped for, the huge Navi seemed to have taken the bait somewhat, as he stepped through the breach cautiously. With a bit of hesitation, ThermalMan crossed the trip laser for the Dynamite, and it beeped briefly, causing him to instinctively jump slightly backwards. "Wh--" he blurted out, before the explosion tore open the ground in front of him in a show of pyrotechnics, leaving him unharmed save for perhaps a little ear ringing.
However, there was yet more to come. The loud sound and copious smoke from the Dynamite charge masked the subsequent sound of a barrage of needles from the smoke. As expected, however, ThermalMan's armor deflected one of the shots, while the other whizzed over his shoulder thanks to his earlier evasive action. "Eager, aren't ya!" he exclaimed, as he raised his arm and pointed it forward, his palm rapidly opening up into the barrel of a cannon. A floating green visor appeared in front of his face, looking poised to relay some targeting data to him.
"?! There's something under the turret?!"
Before he could discern the second target under his original one, the "something" exploded spectacularly, this time in a particularly devastating manner. Shrapnel flew out and shredded through ThermalMan's armor in moments, though it still managed to protect him from any actual damage while he retaliated with a shot back at the Needler. The giant's cannon shot landed, destroying the Needler in one go. Before he could celebrate his accurate marksmanship, though, a sudden smack clanged against his metal body, causing him to turn around in surprise--the "little fella" he had called out about before had snuck in a hit on him!
Before ThermalMan himself could react, a wooden pillar shot out of the ground in front of him, spinning the telltale three faces of a Totem chip towards "Riptide". However, as it spat out its plume of fire from its mouth, it was received with a quickshot of two pulses of water from the trickster's hands, while he retrieved his trusty revolver from his belt. The Magnum tore through the Totem's wooden body with ease, and ThermalMan along with it. With holes torn in both of his targets, the Totem disintegrated in blazes, while ThermalMan staggered to a standing position with a cry of indignant pain.
"Arrrrrgh! Should've known!" he roared, trying to dash forward, only to be greeted by the wall of freezing water that had suddenly come up from behind him. The burst of ice snaked through his metal arms as he roared in pain once more. "Give me the big gun!" he bellowed out, clearly enraged enough to not care about keeping operator communications private. As he said so, ThermalMan's rusty exterior began to click and snap, as his joints fused together and forced his whole body to become rigid in a position that kept him pointing forward with both arms. At the same time, his feet spat out some treads to move around with, and his eyes were covered with a large faceplate.
The cannon barrel that was on one of his arms was now much larger, with its barrel count now suddenly tripled in a triangle, in a configuration that would look very familiar to CourseMan. The cannon fired thrice at both of the "CourseMan" figures, as well as the Momogra. The real one managed to swerve out of the way easily, while the decoy and Momogra suffered the powerful Magnum shell head-on. Thankfully for the Momogra, it was protected by the barrier that CourseMan had the foresight to bestow on it earlier, while the decoy simply phased out. After the shot, the barrel froze over. "Ugh, really!? Cheeky bastard!" he cursed.
-- Aging and Active --
ThermalMan.EXE: 95 HP (Normal, next to Lava pool) (SteelBody: 1 Turn) (Frozen: 1 Turn) (Casing: 0)
![](https://execfera.github.io/rern/chip/Totem1.png)
Properties: Anchored, Element Shift
Object Damage: 100 + Impact
Damage Method: Telekinesis
Attack Damage: 100 Fire + Line Attack (3) / Healing 50
Accuracy: A / S
Description: Summons a Totem to breath fire and heal you. Attacks once per turn, and switches faces when hit.
Duration: 3 turns, or until destroyed.
Element: Fire / Wood
Special: Element Shift: This Object alternates between Fire element when Attacking and Wood element when Healing.
Trader Rank: D: DESTROYED
-- Cool and Collected --
CourseMan.EXE: 100 HP (Normal) (Barrier: 40) (Casing: 10) (Shield: 2)
(Decoy (Forked Streams): HIT)
(Trap: Forked Streams: TRIGGERED)
(Counter: No Peeking)
![](https://execfera.github.io/rern/chip/Momogra.png)
Damage: 15 + Backstab
Accuracy: B
Description: Creats a Momogra virus to aid you. Attacks with a shovel from behind, and has a constant Mole status that ignores terrain solidness when not attacking (unless the panel currently does not exist). Still affected by other effects of panels.
Element: Null
Special: Allied Virus: This virus has two actions per turn, and is fully controllable by the summoner. If no orders are given, it will perform actions at random, but will never intentionally interfere with or damage the summoner or their allies. Deleting this virus will grant no additional rewards to either side.
Trader Rank: C: 60 HP (Normal, next to CourseMan) (Barrier: 0)
-- Terrain --
70% Lava (Around ThermalMan)
30% Normal (Everywhere else)
-- Objects --
![](https://execfera.github.io/rern/chip/Needler2.png)
Properties: Normal, Mobile
Object Damage: 80 Null + Impact + Break
Damage Method: Ramming attack, Telekinesis, Throw
Attack Damage: 40 Null x 2 hits x 3 Targets
Accuracy: A
Description: Summons a gun platform that attacks up to 3 separate targets each turn with its trio of double spike cannons. It can also perform a defense piercing kamikaze attack.
Duration: Until destroyed.
Element: Null
Special: This chip's accuracy cannot be boosted or reduced by any means, including RP quality.
- This object may ram a target instead of firing needles, but is instantly destroyed in exchange.
- This object may dodge by trying to ram nothing, but if it hits something in this way, it is still destroyed and deals object damage.
Trader Rank: C: DESTROYED
![](https://execfera.github.io/rern/chip/Dynamite1.png)
Properties: Light
Object Damage: 100 Null + Blast2
Damage Method: Throw, Knockback, Microburst, Telekinesis, Gust
Attack Damage: 100 Null + Blast2 + Line Attack + Seeking
Accuracy: D (thrown) / A (trigger)
Description: Sets a lightweight laser trip bomb. When something crosses the sensor beam, the bomb detonates a shaped charge that blasts an entire line. It can see through Invisibility. This weapon is very dangerous to use, caution is advised.
Duration: Until destroyed or until it attacks.
Element: Null
Special: Laser TAG: Attack triggers when something moves through the targeting laser beam, no matter who or what that may be.
Trader Rank: D: EXPLODED
![](https://execfera.github.io/rern/chip/TimeBomb1.png)
Properties: Anchored
Object Damage: 50 + Impact
Damage Method: Telekinesis
Attack Damage: 100 + To-All-Clause (Enemies)
Accuracy: S
Description: Places a bomb on the field that will explode after two turns, damaging all enemies.
Duration: 2 turns or until destroyed.
Element: Null
Trader Rank: D: EXPLODED
Field Effect:
-- Volcanic Activity: At the start of each turn following the first, the volcanic crack will burst forth with Lava, increasing the area currently covered by Lava by 15%. Any non-Fire elementals caught in the vicinity take the same damage as standing in Lava for 1 action.