Chương 63: Chapter Forty Five

He couldn't see what was laying in the middle of the room, but the sensations its mere presence was causing his mimic parts to have indicated it was something special. Bob feeling the newer aspects of himself almost beginning to shiver in ecstasy as he began dragging himself closer. Upon approaching the treasure's general location, his sole appendage began to slowly reach out of his form to search for it.

Less, it should be noted, in an attempt at caution and more because he simply lacked the ability to move any faster. Which turned out to be a good thing, actually. Given that he nearly cut his own tongue off as it was. Alert! - 1 Health! He barely felt the fibers of his prehensile limb glance across something before they seemed to simply come apart. Bob quickly jerking that portion of his tongue away as the system alert popped up. Not exactly having health to spare. He stood still for a few moments after that.

Unsure if he felt safe in continuing. Grasping around at what was either a weapon amongst his loot or some still-existing trap guarding the treasure that was here. Before then realizing he didn't really have much choice. The crabs would return sooner, rather than later, and he had no wish to be injured and on the first floor when they did. Still, he was far gentler with his next approach. Poking 'downwards' at the ground as opposed to dragging his tongue limply across the floor.

Immediately going still when he impacted something which felt smooth and metallic. After slowly creeping his way upwards along the object's form, he encountered what – after a brief bit of investigation – he eventually deduced was a guard. Followed by a grip and pommel. It shortly becoming fairly obvious what he'd cut himself on. A sword. The first he'd actually encountered in his who-knows-how-many-months-long adventure on a high fantasy world.

Part of Bob wondered if he'd be able to pick up a 'Weapon Mastery' Skill for it. The rest of him busy figuring out how to get it inside his body without killing himself. Eventually, he resorted to simply grabbing it by the hilt and slowly lowering it blunt side down into the rest of his form. It took a bit of patience but, helped by his rather expansive inner dimensions, the last portion of the blade finally dipped below his lid without dealing further damage. At which point, the fun began. Ding! Congratulations!

You have found a Treasure! You have acquired a ' Azcoran Blade of Office (C)' This item is Enchanted! (1) Enchantment of the (Durability) Path (1) Enchantment of the (Sharpness) Path Value is appraised at: 186 Gold Pieces! Next Level: 277. 14/163. 84 Ding! Species Level Increase! 14 – 15 Constitution + 4 Dexterity + 3 Willpower + 2 Intelligence + 1 Next Level: 277. 14/327. 86 GP New Skill Slot opened! New Species Trait Available! Ding!

'Treasure Hunter' Unique experience gain activated 1, 860 Experience gained for ' Treasure Hunter' (B) Congratulations!' Treasure Hunter (B)' is now level 17! Perception + 25 Dexterity + 20 Willpower + 15 Feeling his body repair itself was an intense mixture of pleasure and pain. His eye almost seemed to liquify in its socket as the cracks suddenly smoothed themselves out. The boards and iron rivets making up his form groaning and shrieking as they slammed back into place and regained their luster.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. When the sensations finally settled, he glanced around with his restored eye to find that he was sitting in a small, squarish room. One bereft of any lasting decoration or sign of luxury. He couldn't help but feel it seemed an odd place to store the manor's most expensive item, but, then again, he had no idea how the building looked some thousands of years – and billions of gallons of water – ago.

Not that it lingered on his mind terribly long anyway. With the newly-regenerated Bob being far more interested in something else. Ding! Congratulations! For elevating yourself to Species Level (15) you are awarded (1) additional Species Trait! Please choose carefully!

Armored Safe (F) Grants the Mimic armored plates/materials along the surface of their bag/chest Gains further access to (Armored Defense) traits/skills Constitution + 5 Thrice Binding Greed (E) Grants the mimic an additional two prehensile limbs Gains further access to 'Prehensile Limb' traits/skills Strength + 5 Dexterity + 5 Kintsugi Renewal (E) Allows the mimic to repair itself via the consumption of its horde Gains further access to (Consumption) traits/skills Constitution + 5 Willpower + 5 Sudden Step (E) Allows the Mimic to teleport short distances Gains further access to (Movement/Spatial) traits/skills Dexterity + 5 Intelligence + 5 As his options finished displaying themselves, Bob had to take a moment to gently lay the far-too-sharp sword down within him.

Worried he would drop it in his distraction and ruin the 'fresh jar of peanut butter' feeling that came with a full Health bar. Because goodness me, did those choices happen to be pretty ones. Luckily, the contents of his 'Empty Vault' didn't seem to move when he did. The whole space appearing entirely unaffected by the physical world; operating under its own gravity and only letting in or out what he wished it to.

Meaning he wouldn't need to cobble together some sort of sheath to stop it from poking holes in his sides. And could instead focus his attention on which of the three E-Rank Traits he couldn't bear to live without.

'Armored Safe', obviously, had been immediately tossed as an option. Not because it was in any way a bad Trait, with Bob honestly wanting all four, but because it simply couldn't compare to the others he had access to. The one he was initially most tempted by was 'Thrice Binding Greed'. He'd felt a desperate desire for additional appendages ever since he'd had to pass up the 'Tangle-Trap Mimic' evolution.

Something which, given his prior issues defeating the larger crabs, he'd actually ended up regretting a time or two in the last few weeks. However, those were prior issues. With Bob now intending to place himself firmly in the 'Mage' category, both increasing his strength and adding additional weapons felt far less pressing than they used to. Though that didn't mean he wouldn't appreciate having an additional two appendages.

It might not be quite as good as having an opposable thumb, but it would certainly be better than what he was currently working with. However, he wasn't sure that luxury or even the fact that it might help to enhance one of his 'stuck' Skills could outweigh the benefits that both the other Traits brought him. Up first was 'Kintsugi Repair'. A 'Consumption' Trait which was also the first offer of regeneration he'd come across; outside of the 'Patch Work' evolution. And, surprisingly, it was also already at Rank E.

This, despite the fact that he'd never taken an F-Rank option. Something which had always been required, previously. Bob wasn't sure if the category simply didn't have an F-Rank choice or if he had somehow cheat-coded his way past it and, frankly, he didn't care. Finding himself more intrigued, in fact, in how what looked to be a Japanese word got put into the 'system' of an alien universe. Not that he was really going to spend much time worrying over that issue either.

In the end, it was a very tempting choice; especially given recent circumstances. In fact, the only real concern he had about the Trait was exactly how much of his hoard it was going to be 'consuming' in order to heal him. The fact that he was pretty sure 'kin' meant gold in Japanese not exactly reassuring him on that point. Not a real deal-breaker, at least given what the Trait offered in return. But perhaps enough of one to see it passed by, considering its competition.

That being actual, honest to God, Teleportation. Minor teleportation, to be fair. But still, teleportation. Even if he was limited to only a foot or so away, the ability to bypass obstructions – and perhaps even warp through walls – would still be a game changer. It didn't even lose out in terms of oddness factor. Being that, while it wasn't skipping ranks, it was the first 'dual path' Trait he'd had access to.

Which wasn't even mentioning the fact that both of the paths involved happened to be ones he was currently specializing in. Or was planning to, at least. Bob suddenly remembering that he still hadn't chosen his E-Ranked Class. Which, now that he thought about it, was something he might actually want to do before choosing his Species Trait. The Class Skill he got from Dimensional Mage could well offer him teleportation abilities itself, for all he knew.

Or maybe it would help in some way with the creation of further Dimensional Path Skills. Something he would be all for. With Bob admittedly feeling a bit hesitant about trying to create another one independently, what with how his last attempt had turned out. That said, he still felt zero hesitation about the choice of his Class. As much as he'd been wracking his brain for the last few weeks trying to figure out how to increase his Strength Stat, he was more than happy switching to the caster role.

It suited his personality better, if nothing else. While he may have been able to garner a bit of entertainment from fighting the local crustaceans, he was never going to be a battle junky. Never going to be someone who could charge, unflinching, into a horde of enemies. He was the kind of person who hesitated. The kind who overthinks things and doesn't do well without a plan. The kind who – frankly – did his best work while behind a desk and far away from the actual problems he was trying to solve.

These were aspects he'd grown mature enough to accept about himself over the years. And while a rising Willpower Stat was making him feel a bit more confident and 'Battle Meditation' helped alleviate those issues while fighting, they didn't change who he was as a person. And that was ignoring the fact that even if he'd simultaneously picked up the top S-Rank Classes for his current species rank, he'd probably still choose 'Dimensional Mage' over all of them.

Because he couldn't imagine another Class with a better chance of sending him home. Or, if not home, then at least sending him someplace that wasn't here. Frankly, at this point he'd even take 'here', but also 'some few thousand feet higher than he currently was'. It wasn't like Bob was the biggest fan-boy of twenty-first century earth after all.

Shoddy global leadership, crumbling economies and the looming specter of a coming era of war and unrest didn't exactly have it standing proud at the top of his 'best realities to live in' list. And it wasn't like he had anyone waiting for him to get back anyway. Plus, while 'Dimensional Mage' might allow him to transport himself somewhere else, he doubted it would be able to simultaneously transform his body. Which would be an issue, given the noted lack of 'magical living treasure chests' in his home universe.

But that didn't mean that attempting to leave this plane of reality wasn't a viable – and perhaps even advisable – plan. It's not like he bore it any loyalty, after all. And what limited information he had indicated that the entire world was wrapped up in some great apocalyptic war. Something he obviously had zero interest in being involved in. Not that he imagined either side would care overly much about his vaunted neutrality. He'd want to be a lot stronger before he gave it a try, obviously.

And that was assuming that it would even, one day, be possible. With Bob figuring that there was a decent chance, whether due to energy constraints or simple inability, that actual dimensional travel would be off the table. Luckily, even if that were the case, the Class would likely still serve well for combat, defense and utility. Something Bob couldn't really say about 'Illusionist' or any of his other currently available options.

Besides, even if 'full dimensional travel' was a no-go, that didn't mean he wouldn't eventually be able to create something close to his own, private, sub-dimension. An accomplishment which would be near-as-good as leaving this place altogether. Only minus the nagging concern over potentially sending himself somewhere without magic. Or with incompatible magic. Or any other of a multitude of things which could result in his death.

Though entirely convinced, Bob still took the 'artificial construct' version of a deep breath before moving forward. Calming himself as he thought over his situation one last time. Trying to feel certain of his choice. It didn't take long, however, before he opened up his Class screen. Even if he hadn't been so in favor of 'Dimensional Mage', the chances of him happening upon another A-Rank Class were minimal.

He imagined any of the combat variety would require a bevy of weapon Skills which, even with his newly discovered sword, he felt less than confident about acquiring. And his only other option for a magic Class would probably require the 'Consumption' Trait to cost mana; given that both of his other options resulted from mana-using Trait picks. Something which, given it would already be taking a portion of his hoard, Bob wasn't sure he could root for just as a practical matter.

Not that it really mattered as, feeling quite confident in his choice, Bob mentally pressed 'select' on the window in front of him. Only for the mass of system alerts popping up to coincide with an ungodly screech ringing through the building.