Breath of the Wild, Part 20: Really? Part 20?

I can't believe I'm already up to Part 20. Even taking into account how the recaps for other games included multiple days in one post, this is already the longest series and I've barely scratched the surface. Where will I be when I finish? Part 50? Part 75? I don't expect to make it to Part 100, but who knows!

When we last left off, I was getting ready to face a Guardian Stalker in a wide open plain. Just the idea of that is quite scary. Even scarier is that there were really THREE Guardians in close proximity. I did manage to take them all out, but each one managed to take me out a couple times too (I'm pretty sure their laser cheats and can shoot through them). Also, I used up all three of my Guardian weapons trying to take them out, so who's the real winner in this scenario?

The area I was in now is not technically Dueling Peaks, but Sahasra Slope (Dueling Peaks foothills, basically), and they were a wide open area that took forever to get around. To ease that pain some, and to fight some mounted Bokoblins, I caught a new horse that I eventually named Blackwind. Blackwind's stats are 4/3/4, which I think may be the best non-giant-horse stats in the game. I could be wrong about that. Maybe there's a 4/4/4. I do know that only giant horses have 5's, so I'm at least close.

There was another damn Stone Talus in this area, but this one I didn't fight. All I had on me were blades, and I didn't feel like destroying any of them. But that's all right. He'll be there when I come back.

On my way to the stable to register Blackwind, I rode through Kakariko again, and figured that was a good time to get a new heart container since the statue was right there. I did just that, so I'm up to six now.

A little past the village, I ran into a giant Korok named Hestu. He was almost as tall as a tree, whereas normal Koroks come up to about my shin, or my knee at most. He was surprised I could see him because it's been 100 years since anyone has. He was upset because monsters stole his maracas, and he said he would help me out if I returned them. So I went nearby and beat up some Bokoblins and got the maracas back, and when he returned them, he told me that he uses Korok seeds in his maracas, so if I have some Korok seeds, he'll take them off my hands and UPGRADE MY INVENTORY.

If I have some Korok seeds.

This cat wants to know if I have some Korok seeds.

Man, I have 100 Korok seeds. I'm about to be carrying all. kinds. of weapons in this bitch.

Or not. I mean, technically yes, but after two upgrades, he peaces off to Korok Forest and told me I'd have to find him there to get more. I don't even know what direction Korok Forest is in (I'm guessing southeast, but I suppose we'll find out), so it looks like it'll be a while before I get some more. Still, two weapons upgrades is still quite helpful. Thanks, Hestu!

Also, each upgrade apparently costs one more Koroks seed than the one before it, so they're going to get very expensive very fast. But by my calculations, that means I can currently get 11 more, and I'm just a couple shy from 12. By the time I find Korok Forest, that number could be up to 20 or more, and I'll still be able to get more after that. That's nuts.

Once I got to the stable, I met some interesting characters. The first was Hino, who studies the moon. He told me all about the Blood Moon, and I can talk to him at any time to find out what phase the moon is in. When I talked to him, it was a Seven Day Moon. I don't know how many phases there are.

I also met Prissen and Dak, short for Domidak. They're two brothers who are looking for the hidden treasure of an ancient pirate named Misko. They have a poem that's supposed to point to its location, but they can't decipher it. And they mistakenly told me this. They're not very good plunderers. I, on the other hand, am a quite good plunderer and I will definitely find it before they do.

The last thing I did was get back up to 100 Korok seeds, and I noticed one was near a frog statue. What's up with these frog statues? I've been seeing them all over Hyrule? Frogs and frog-shaped creatures are a recurring thing in Zelda games, is it related to them somehow? I need to know!