Chương 40: Chapter Thirty Nine

Part of him wanted to take the crab while it was still on the steps. The thing labored to get up each staircase, and he would obviously have the advantage if he attacked before it reached level ground. And that's the exact reason he didn't. Knowing full well that if he couldn't defeat this monster on even-footing, then he would stand no chance against its higher-leveled fellows. All the other D-ranks who hadn't debuffed themselves by choosing a stealth path.

Still, as its huge form continued to emerge – its main body being the size of a small ottoman – Bob found himself starting to second-guess his own decisions. Especially when its massive claw crashed through the water after he'd let the 'image' drift too close. The impact of its pincer snapping shut echoed through the hall. The sound and force being nowhere near what the Monsters on the roadways were capable of; but still powerful enough to make a shiver run through Bob's wooden body.

He was briefly shocked by the realization that a crab this size would have been a genuine threat even in his human form. Its claws seeming easily capable of cleaving their way through flesh and bone. He imagined that in an open area he'd likely be able to outrun it. But were he to be trapped in a room with one, especially without any form of weapon, he doubted he'd escape the situation alive. It was a very strange epiphany. One made all the stranger by the fact that he wasn't intending to run away now.

The fact that he felt more capable of combat as a foot-and-a-half tall box than as a nearly six-foot tall man settling oddly around his non-existent shoulders. Not that he would let the sensation stop him. He needed to know where he currently stood against this class of opponent, given it would directly affect his decisions moving forward. It did, however, kill off a bit of his enthusiasm for going 'mano a mano' with the beast.

Spending another five Mana to have his illusion pull it slightly further away from him so he could attack the crab from behind. Like the consummate coward he was. As the image drew the monster towards one of the hallway's corners, Bob silently began to creep up behind it. Breathing a mental sigh of relief when there was no reaction to 'Lifeless Disguise' being deactivated. The crab utterly focused on the mana that had finally stilled itself against the stone wall.

He felt his illusion shatter as he finally allowed the crab to 'catch' it. It's claw cleaving through the insubstantial shade and slamming with force into the indestructible stone the manor was crafted from. Something it clearly didn't expect to happen, if its pained and confused body language was any indication. And also, something which made a wonderful distraction. Bob's tongue shooting out to wrap around the joint of the crustacean's biggest claw. Already attempting to crush it even as he 'reeled' himself in.

He was initially worried about his new size. The ability to simply 'wrap' himself around his target now gone. If anything, however, it looked to be working in his advantage. With Bob's wooden form wedging itself between the crab's legs and greatly limiting its mobility. Though, Bob realized as he both heard and felt his boards begin to groan from the pressure, it probably wouldn't have gone quite as well without his seventy-eight points in Constitution.

'RIP!'

'KILL!' Bob winced slightly as – with a mighty yank that nearly popped him from where he'd stuck himself – the crustacean finally caught sight of him. The start of the fight being blessedly silent until then. He didn't worry himself much about it, however. It could take anywhere from ten minutes to an hour for the closest threat to climb its way up. Far more of his concern focused on the spiney exoskeleton caught in the almost muscled-seeming cordage making up his tongue.

More specifically, on the fact that he seemed to be doing absolutely nothing to it.

'REND!' Alert! -1 Health! Bob felt, for the first time, more of his tongue be pulled from him as he was suddenly shoved away from the monster. The length extending only just when he felt bits of himself beginning to tear. Though, moments later, a part of him couldn't help but think a little tearing might have been the better option, as the crab suddenly spun to face him. A claw already beginning to reach out. Ding! Mindful Evasion (D) has leveled up! Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve.

Read this novel on the original website. 1 – 2 The rest of him, however, was unconcerned. Two of his Skills instantly activating at once, even if only one of them had finally decided to increase in level. He watched as a shadow of the monster's claw snapped down on his tongue, easily severing it, even as his mind calmly calculated how to best deal with the situation. His tongue's length increasing with a thought before it slid over the coming attack.

Simultaneously letting go of the first appendage as he gripped onto the newly offered second. The crab seeming infuriated when he once again pulled himself back to its side. Continuing his attempts to vice inwards on the thinnest sections of its chitinous armor. To similar – unimpressive – results. Now activated, 'Battlefield Meditation' stayed in full effect. Allowing Bob to remain in a calm and unbothered state of mind as he considered the situation.

Trying to decide if he should attempt to use some of the larger bits of gold from his hoard to break through the shell, or simply switch his focus to the monster's thinner, more fragile legs. The crab he was riding on the other hand, was not so composed. Its seeming inability to dislodge him causing it to go absolutely apeshit. It began furiously charging into walls and through doorways in an attempt to scrape him off its back.

Attempts which only increased its fury as his skill duo and Dexterity allowed him to continually stay one step ahead. Dancing and bounding his way around its attacks and violent movements. Even as it quickly became apoplectic with rage however, Bob found himself also growing increasingly frustrated. Well, perhaps not frustrated given 'Battlefield Meditation's complete denial of negative emotion, but at the very least increasingly out of options.

He'd rather inconveniently forgotten that, what with his interior being five or so times larger, it was now significantly more difficult to simply 'grab up' something from within himself. Not that it would do much good anyway. Trying to crack through the crab's carapace feeling almost as hard as attempting to break parts of the building itself. And his failure didn't end there, either. His follow-up strikes on its legs almost bouncing off every time he made an attempt.

Their quick, jerking strength making them far harder to grasp onto compared to the slower, more powerful claws. It only took a few more rounds of dodging the crab's increasingly manic attacks – and continually failing to succeed in any of his own – before Bob came to an unpleasant conclusion. One which he refused to accept at first. Bending every last ounce of strength and will towards doing at least some mild damage to his opponent's armor. Or, perhaps better, towards causing 'Lesser Crushing Tongue' to level up.

Something which might solve all his problems in one fell swoop. Eventually, however, he was forced to admit that neither event was going to occur. At which point, he waited for the monster to spin itself into another wild revolution, before then releasing his hold and allowing himself to fly away. The crab didn't seem to notice his absence at first. Continuing to smash itself into things with wild abandon.

Bob already around the corner and half-way down the hall before a more-fervent-than-usual scream echoed through his head. And when it came, he was already prepared. Ding! Distant Temptation (E) Has Leveled up! 5 – 6 Admittedly, tempting an incensed monster away from its chosen foe was asking a bit much for an E-Ranked Skill. But Bob was banking on its flavor text coming through. Because right now, he couldn't imagine the crab desired anything more than to rip him into tiny, little splinters.

Something which was seemingly confirmed by the suddenly cut-off shriek. Bob hiding himself inside a room just in time to watch the crab angrily dash after the newly formed Bob-shaped image through 'Treasure Sense'. An event which was made even more enjoyable by the fact that the image was heading directly down the fourth-floor stairway. Witnessing the hefty monster, even if in a rather second-hand manner, fall down the steps brought a slight smile to Bob's 'face'.

The image of the 'blip' tumbling end over end doing quite a bit to remove the sting from what had quite obviously been a loss. Unfortunately, it didn't do much to change the situation. He used the greater portion of his remaining Mana to drag the crab back to the first floor. The process managing to raise the Skill's level to eight in just the course of an afternoon. A fairly impressive jump. Especially when compared to the seeming immovability of his other E-ranks.

Once he was the only existence remaining past the first two floors – minus, of course, the roof-crabs – Bob returned back to his copper and silver strewn war-room. This time with his feelings being slightly less celebratory. A funk he quickly shook himself out of. Realizing that he hadn't actually discovered anything that outside his expectations. He'd already suspected that his strength wouldn't be enough to deal any damage to the larger D-Ranks.

Having it confirmed in a situation largely within his control was far better than the alternative. Which he supposed was at least one 'plus' side to the encounter. Despite his inability to do any actual damage, Bob had been utterly in control of that fight. He'd already tested 'Mindful Evasion' and 'Battlefield Meditation' in combat, of course. But it had been hard to measure their real ability against F-Rank opponents. The roof-crabs standing no chance against him in the first place.

The same, however, couldn't be said about this last battle. He imagined that, without his Skills, the fight would have been a struggle from beginning to end. With the 'end' in question potentially being quite bad for him. With them, however, it felt almost like a pre-choreographed dance. Better, even; since Bob felt fairly certain he'd screw one of those up.

Between 'Mindful Evasion' giving him minor fore-warning of his opponent's actions and 'Battlefield Meditation' allowing him what felt like all the time in the world to respond to them, the only way he expected to be caught was if his enemy was simply faster than him. Something which, unfortunately, Bob expected would occur fairly soon. At the very least, the two remaining 'Stalker' crabs would beat him out. Especially the one at level twenty-six.

A monster which had honestly been causing Bob more stress than the building's C-rank, recently. Though, less due to it, itself. And more because of what it's presence here indicated. It potentially being only a few levels away from ranking-up meaning there were likely evolved versions of it somewhere out in the open sands of the city. Evolved versions of it that Bob hadn't been able to spot with his current 'Detection Level'. Still, that was a concern for later days.

Potentially far later days, if he didn't figure out a solution for himself going forward. Still, at least now he had a new Skill to power-level. As well as the potential to make an unknown number more. Bob having no idea if his solution would be found down the 'Illusion' path; but certainly having the time to give it a wander. It's not like he had much else to do.