Chương 58: Chapter Fifty Seven

The immense crab stuttered to a halt as the prey it was chasing suddenly disappeared. Glancing quizzically up and down the abandoned courtyard it had followed the smaller crustacean into as it searched for its snack-sized target. Only moments into its investigation however, the monster suddenly halted. The crab's body quivering slightly before its form seemed to almost blur in the water. As if it had become briefly out-of-focus from the rest of the world.

Then, in an instant – and with a POP – those blurred features seemed to almost mash together. The gargantuan arthropod collapsing to the ground in a wash of bubbles and erupting silt. Ding! Spatial Distortion (D) Has Leveled up! 3 – 4 Ding!' Dimensional Mage (A)' Unique experience gain activated 12 Experience gained for ' Dimensional Mage (A)' Ding! You have slain (1) Colossal Clipper Mad-Crab (C) Level: 8 324 Experience gained for ' Dimensional Mage (A)' 127 Experience gained for ' Treasure Hunter (B)' Ding!

Congratulations!' Dimensional Mage (A)' is now level 10! Intelligence + 10 Willpower + 6 Constitution + 4 Ding! Class Skill: ' Dimensional Weave (A)' can now evolve! Evolve Class Skill? Yes / No Bob felt a sense of queasy satisfaction as he stared down at the remains of his second C-rank Kill. Happy that his newest offensive ability was able to pierce its shell. It having done nothing to a slightly higher leveled C-rank the day before.

Him being forced to hide under 'Lifeless Disguise' for a few hours until the thing lost interest in looking for its attacker. Still, as the silt cleared to reveal the disgustingly disfigured body of the monster below him, he couldn't help but wish that his methods for combating the crustacean horde were a little less… gross. Gross or not though, it had managed to do the job. And at nearly twice the range 'Shattered Space' was capable of being cast.

That, plus a two-point lower mana cost, currently had 'Spatial Distortion' occupying his primary attack slot. This wasn't to say that the new ability was better in all ways. It was single target, rather than area of effect for instance; something which could potentially become an issue given the mob-like mentality of his current foes. It also, as previously noted, seemed to have problems working on higher ranking opponents.

Something 'Shattered Space' – which targeted the environment rather than the creature itself – likely wouldn't deal with. Though whether that environmental attack could damage the higher-ranked monsters' shells was another question entirely. The previous 'Burrower' crab having obviously abandoned a great deal of its armored defense in exchange for stealth. Either way, they were both superior to his only C-rank Dimensional Skill.

'Displacement' taking far too long to cast for anything not sleeping or stuck to be targeted. Bob only having to waste the greater portion of his mana twice due to spell-failure before he figured that one out.

'Friend! Food!'

'Sorry Buddy, got distracted.' Bob ignored the mixture of happy and disgruntled noises the creature made after his response. Having learned how to effectively 'mute' the octopus in his head over the last few days. Something which had become necessary given the monster's growing aggravation with its less-than-pleasant situation. A situation he might well soon be able to solve. At least, if evolving 'Dimensional Weave' turned out the way he hoped it would. Which he would get right to doing.

Just as soon as he was finished with the handy distraction provided by his sidekick. Even as he started down the stairs though, Bob realized he wouldn't be able to put the evolution off for long. The desperate need to find a fix for their current predicament far outweighing any discomfort he felt about upgrading his Class Skill. Though he'd admit to hoping the results of doing so ended up being a bit less… extreme than what he'd gone through originally.

Him not sure he could get behind the idea of continual lobotomization being his primary path to power. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Mind seeking a distraction, he found himself glancing out a passing window towards the larger cityscape now filling the horizon; this manor being the last stop before they entered the denser urban area at the valley's heart.

Bob having planned to camp out here until he had all his 'i's dotted and 't's crossed, not wanting to enter a new area while distracted and not at his best. Especially when the area in question had a massive, maleficent, terror living somewhere deeper within it. Though still well outside his actual range of detection, something lurking inside the city almost radiated danger.

A slowly growing aura of death and hopelessness that, for the last few days, had 'Treasure Sense' buzzing like a Geiger counter inside Chernobyl. It screaming ever more with each step he'd taken closer to the city. He couldn't imagine it was anything other than the 'boss' of the valley. It had to be. Bob not being able to picture the 'real' boss allowing such a threat to exist if it wasn't.

He also didn't think that a monster of the required gargantuan size could hide itself anywhere but amongst the fifteen to twenty story buildings at the city's center. The massive intake of fish and prior explosion of 'babies' not being able to come from anything less than near-Kaiju size. Though, on the plus side, this likely also meant that wherever the beast was, it didn't have much in the way of leg-room.

Frankly, it was only because of the creature's likely less-than-mobile state that Bob was even contemplating venturing inside the city limits. That and the expectation that the increased population density would make his gold-intake rise sharply. He'd managed to hit species level seventeen with what he'd gathered from the last two manors, but that now left him with a new grand total to hit of one thousand, three hundred and eleven gold. Which, as of right now, was six hundred and twenty-six more gold than he had.

Still, with each 'badge of citizenship' worth twenty, getting there shouldn't take long. Even if he just searched through the outskirts, he should be able to get himself to rank 'D' without a problem. And possibly a decent way into it as well, given it was likely to start from a single coin again. Bob shooed away his restless thoughts as he arrived at the manor's courtyard. Discovering when he did so that the effects of his newest Skill were even more disgusting up close.

Parts of the massive crustacean seeming to have been broken apart before being badly welded back together, while others appeared stretched and elongated like pulled saltwater taffy. Nothing fit quite right anymore, and he could see thick blue blood seeping out of the fissures between each distorted portion of shell. Which was actually quite handy, as it would likely make breaking the ex-monster apart a much easier endeavor. Bob's mouth certainly not flexible enough to swallow the beast whole.

He sent a questioning thought towards the octopus inside him, asking if it would like to do the honors of crushing the thing into pieces; but felt unsurprised to receive a negative response. While the monster was eager to send its spatially-enlarged tentacle out to capture living prey, it wasn't quite so happy to suffer the mild pain the act brought on doing menial tasks. Which meant they were left to him.

Luckily, it didn't take long to break the creature apart and lower it within his depths; the crab's remains crumbling at the first squeeze from his 'Crushing Tongue'. Him smiling as he realized the octopus was likely to gain at least one level from consuming the monster; though Bob doubted it could get all the way to level ten. Which was a shame, as he was interested to see if its next Trait pick was anywhere near as good as the one previous.

It frankly not seeming out of the question that it might find a way to leave his vault all on its own. Though he still felt slightly aggravated that he wasn't at least allowed to 'peek' at the monster's options. Hoping that perhaps a further sub-evolution down the road would allow him more of a personal touch with his 'minions'. As the last chunk of crab-flesh sank within him however, Bob realized he was now out of excuses.

Only allowing himself the time to find a hidden corner within the building before he finally set to evolving his Skill. Crossing his non-existent fingers when he did that he would come out of it roughly the same person. Ding! You have Chosen to Evolve the Class Skill ' Dimensional Weave (A)'! Let us show you your available Paths! Dimensional Distortion Choosing this Evolutionary Path grants the Class holder greater understanding of how to inflict chaos on a dimensional level.

Bending and twisting reality around them in painful and unseemly ways. Dimensional Folding Choosing this Evolutionary Path grants the Class holder greater understanding of how to fold Dimensional Spaces. Allowing distance to become merely a suggestion and 'here' to sometimes also be 'there'. Sub-Dimension Creation Choosing this Evolutionary Path grants the Class holder greater understanding of the nature of Sub-Dimensional spaces. Allowing for the creation of everything from secret storage to private worlds.

Dimensional Connection Choosing this Evolutionary Path grants the Class holder greater understanding of how to forge more precise Dimensional Connections. Allowing for a far lower failure rate for the transportation of matter across space. As Bob read the evolutions over, he couldn't help but notice that each felt like they held at least some connection to a Dimensional Skill or Trait he had already acquired. The 'available paths' line in the opening announcement also pointing in that direction.

Him wondering if 'Treasure Sense' operated differently, or if he just hadn't noticed anything due to his lack of 'Detection' Path Skills. He also found himself more tempted by the alternate options then he thought he'd be. When it first popped up, he had been ecstatic to see 'Sub-Dimension Creation' on the list; but it was hard not to have his eyes be continually pulled to 'Dimensional Folding'.

Him only being torn away from the potential ability to warp himself out of here by the last available option hinting that he'd turn himself into confetti attempting to do so. Which then, of course, had him eyeing the fourth option. Something he was only put off of due to the grumbling cephalopod in his stomach. That and the knowledge that even if it weren't there, he would still require more storage space if he wanted to make it even halfway through rank 'D'. Eventually, he forced himself to stop dithering.

Mentally reaching out to click the third option down. Hoping that the choice would both help him deal with his square footage issues and wouldn't leave him partially vegetablized. Ding! You have chosen the Evolutionary Path 'Sub-Dimension Creation' Congratulations! As soon as the alert faded away, Bob's brain felt like it was hit by a truck. A deluge of sudden 'epiphanies' rocking his mental landscape as he instantly found a good number of the answers he was looking for, as well as many thousands that he wasn't.

Realizing in moments that the main reason the dimension created by 'Shattered Space' failed wasn't due to how he had cast the spell itself. But rather where the spell was being cast. He had been trying to create another dimension directly inside this one, when instead he needed to craft it between this one and the one he was 'stealing' space from. Like a bubble trapped in a thin layer of water; doomed if it touched air on either side. The reason the Skill had felt so unstable was because it was unstable.

A chaotic spiral of space and matter that had to be balanced just so to prevent certain destruction. An act only attempted by the most learned and experienced of practitioners because they were the only ones with enough will and raw power to accomplish it. Not to mention the prerequisite insanity required to try. It took Bob less than a full second to realize that his attempts to create his own sub-dimension were doomed from the start.

The mana required to keep even the tiniest one together being enough to drain him dry in an instant. Not to mention the impossibility of him managing to correctly form it in the first place. That being a mathematical and magical nightmare he had no means of deciphering, much less putting into place. Luckily, he had to do neither.

Seeing as the System had already been kind enough to both put one together for him and pay to keep it stable; there currently being no maintenance cost listed for his tiny sub-dimensional domain. And the new information filling his brain was telling him he could leach off of that. The sheer power of whatever was binding the dimension to him being more than enough to withstand his attempts to broaden and expand it. Felt almost like it was intended for such things even.

Built to flex under the will and evolving form of the Trait-holder. And flex it Bob would. It would take time, the mana required for even another square inch potentially being more than his current total, but it felt like he should be able to make it work something like a one-way ratchet. The System's protective grasp pushed to widen out before then once again holding firm. As Bob felt himself fully recover from his evolution, he smiled.

Ignoring the gnashing sounds of the voracious monster within him as well as the dread aura of the undefeatable beast perhaps miles away. Mind focused on what for the first time felt like a true advantage he might be able to leverage. On a path to a better future.