Chương 24: Chapter Twenty Three

As the juvenile mad-crab finally pulled itself into the room, its miniscule brain was mildly surprised by what it found in front of it. It had begun journeying upwards after picking up traces of a fellow crab's blood and guts drifting down through the local waters. Though it should be said, less in an attempt to seek vengeance for its murder, and more to make sure it got its fair share of whatever was left over.

It didn't expect however, to find its brother's entire carcass – though mildly demolished – scattered untouched throughout the room. Significantly sized pieces still drifting through the water overhead. Completely unclaimed by any fellow scavengers. It had just taken a few steps forward, claws reaching out towards a particularly delectable bit of its family tree, when what had seemed a serendipitous day suddenly took a turn for the worse.

The crab hadn't even been aware there was an enemy nearby, its antenna not picking up any familiar scents, until its left side was utterly crushed by a massive impact. Three of its legs torn away and spinning off into the water. It had no time to regain its senses before a second strike lashed down. Quickly followed by a third. Before the fourth strike hit, the crab was already doomed. Pieces of itself drifting, destroyed, around it. It certainly put-paid to matters, though.

Landing with a massive, dull ' crack' as its torso was caved in and its entrails scattered through the water. At which point Bob stepped out of his not-really-a-hiding-place just to the side of the door. Not feeling terribly impressed with his former-enemy's powers of observation. But feeling quite happy indeed with the overall strength of his 'prehensile limb'. Ding! You have destroyed a 'LV: 3 Lesser Mad-Crab (F)' (4) Experience gained for Class: ' Treasure Hunter (B)' Bob smiled at the experience gain.

Realizing he now had fewer than ten left before he reached his next class level. Salivating mildly at the thought of all the delicious attribute points that would bring. And there were still dozens of blips reporting 'danger' all around him. A significant portion of them lingering directly below. In the pristine ruins sprawled beneath his feet. There were also the occasional blobs of abyssal blackness scattered amongst them.

What Bob feared may be examples of the 'furniture sized' crabs he'd seen during his glide down. But they seemed far rarer here than at the edges of his skills range; in the areas Bob assumed were outside the confines of the manor. Which meant they could be avoided. At least until he gained enough levels that he was confident they could be outrun. Something which, with his current top speed hovering around 'amateur speed-walker', he figured was still at least a few levels away.

Likely from both his species and class. Still, the plan seemed like it might just be doable. Though if so, only because of the insane utility of 'Treasure Sense'. Bob honestly felt himself grow more amazed the better his understanding of the ability became. It felt as if he had a strange sort of radar 'pinging' bloodthirsty crabs in a set diameter around him. A diameter which didn't seem insignificant, given he felt almost certain he was picking up threats outside the manor proper.

And not just threats, he was quickly reminded. He could also feel flickering shards of sunshine glistening underneath his feet. Standing out far more noticeably now that the sensation of impending mortality had lessened slightly. Treasure. A completely unknown quantity of it, but almost certainly enough to push him to species level five. Where, unless things had changed now that he'd evolved, he would obtain another Trait. This one likely rank 'E' A thought which had Bob genuinely shivering in anticipation.

But thoughts weren't going to be what got him there. With a shake, Bob pulled himself out of his daydreams and began making his way towards the staircase. A dedicated part of his mind focused on the ebb and flow of his skill as it detected enemies around him. The rest stationed behind his eye as it carefully peeked around the doorway. Not willing to bet all of his chips on his new ability being infallible. Luckily the tower stairway seemed just as empty as 'Treasure Sense' had promised it would be.

Something which allowed Bob to start picking at the nearest signals, trying to grasp their location relative to his own as he slowly made his way down the steps. Which, shockingly, was a far smoother process than he'd expected. Bob could only assume that his gentle glide down, as opposed to the sliding tumble he'd half-prepared himself for, had something to do with his Unique Trait's passive ability. His 'feet' seeming to cling to each ledge and sharp angle like a mountain goat.

With far more balance and poise than he'd had in his previous life, even. Though he credited at least some of that to his lower center of balance. He didn't allow the – admittedly rather agreeable – oddity to distract him for long, however. Continuing to monitor both his Skill and his surroundings as he continued downwards. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

As he crept ever closer to where the tower met the greater portion of the manor, Bob kept expecting a giant pincer to erupt through one of the windows. That the crab who'd nearly torn him in half would still be there, waiting. Looking for round two. Surprisingly enough though, these thoughts weren't tinged with any of his prior fear or anxiety. But rather with a sense of anticipation and subdued rage. Bob had spent every last moment of his existence in this world wallowing in fear.

His mind torn between a desperate desire to survive and a near-suicidal dismay at the horror of his situation. For a while, it felt like it would never get better. That he would forever be dangling from the bottom link of the food chain. But things were different now. Bob was different. Bigger. Stronger. Far more capable of both dealing and receiving damage. He had utterly changed in every appreciable way since his panicked arrival in this forgotten valley.

And as he made his way down the winding steps, he felt a desperate desire to show a bunch of chitinous bastards by exactly how much. Unfortunately, this sense of bravado wasn't allowed to linger much past the first few floors. As the stairs continued down beyond where the windows stopped, Bob felt many of the pulsing sensations which meant 'enemy' or 'treasure' begin to slide past him. The tower apparently not connecting with any of the manor's upper levels.

Something which might be a bit of an issue, given that most of the 'deadlier' sensations seemed to be situated on the lower ones. Bob couldn't help but feel his prior bloodlust begin to dim. The flames of his anger quashed as more and more dangerous 'blips' began surrounding him as he reached the bottom of the tower. Including at least one of the abyssal 'blobs' which promised his near-instant demise. Eventually he found himself on the final flight.

An empty doorway at the bottom of the steps leading into the rest of the building. And an intimidating bevy of enemies seeming to lurk on all sides. Bob stared at the top of the doorway for a long moment, feet refusing to move any further as his mind focused on the sensations lurking just beyond it. The feedback he was given not overly improving his mood. There seemed to be three presences directly past the exit. One within ten feet, and another two which felt smushed together another twenty or so past it.

'Treasure Sense' unfortunately not telling him whether any part of that 'twenty feet' was cut off by a wall. Which was problematic. Given that one of the 'smushed together' signals was potentially the largest and most dangerous in the building. Bob continued to stare at the door and the hall beyond it for another few minutes. Mind casting about for any better options before he eventually managed to regain control of himself.

Shaking his body almost like a dog would as he shed the fear and uncertainty which had been creeping back into his mind. There were no better options. The only other exits to the tower were the arrow-slit windows that ran along its length. And even then, only if he could somehow squeeze his newly evolved body through them. Both 'Toothless Grasp' and 'Articulated Undercarriage' might have gone a long way in making his rigid form malleable, but he wasn't sure they'd go that far.

And even if they did, all he'd end up doing was trapping himself back on the roof. A roof in open view of an army of crabs who furiously despised him for reasons outside his control. He doubted it would take more than ten minutes for them to dogpile their way up all four floors; so desperate were they to tear apart his tiny wooden body. In the manor he could at least hide.

The upper floors seemed mostly filled with crabs around his weight class, so if he could manage to sneak his way up there, he could claim and fortify a little area for himself. Use it as a forward base to start grinding levels. Only striking a target when he found it alone, quickly retreating if 'Treasure Sense' told him reinforcements were coming. He just had to make it there first. Something which, for all he knew, could be as simple as walking down these stairs and taking the first right turn.

Which was why Bob was about to go down there and, as sneakily as possible, peek his eye around that doorway. Any second now. After a few moments more, Bob's feet slowly – and not entirely of their own accord – began their decent down the final flight of stairs. His eye locked onto the opening as his mind lingered beyond it; trying to parse some understanding of the building's structure from his enemy's limited movements. The attempt not accomplishing terribly much.

As the steps slowly passed him by, Bob began planning for contingencies. If the largest of the 'threats' he was currently facing was indeed a comparable size to the scuttling horrors he'd seen during his glide down, then there was zero chance he could outpace it. However, there was also zero chance it would be able to scale the tower's winding staircase with anything close to his grace or dexterity. If it could get up at all; the monster's carapace potentially being too large to fit past the railing.

This meant he should be able to retreat before it could get within range to attack him. That is, as long as it didn't have some bullshit, rpg-style special ability that could hit him from thirty feet off. Which, given his luck, it almost certainly did. Bob found himself really, really hoping that the manor's architect wasn't a fan of long hallways.

He continued his slow and stealthy movements as he arrived on the landing, his form closely hugging the wall to his left as he walked a few more feet towards the doorway. After which, his body refused to go any farther. Stalled, just like his mind, by what lingered beyond those last few steps. The monstrous 'blob' further on might be attracting most of his mind's attention, but that didn't mean that the nearer presence – the one he was almost certain to have to fight – wasn't anything to be worried about.

While his skill didn't give any exact statistics, whatever was beyond that doorway felt far more dangerous than the crabs he'd fought further up the tower. Bigger too; in so much as he could discern such things from the amorphous sensations he was given. Which meant was almost certain to be 'E' rank. Potentially higher. Part of Bob wanted to try and tempt it towards the tower; further away from the other two signals.

Hitting level ten had finally opened up a third skill slot for him after all, which meant 'Taunt' was now back on his 'active' list. That idea, however, came with two problems. The first being that he wasn't sure there was really any point in using it. They already seemed pre-inclined to tear him to pieces from the get-go, after all. All he had to do was let the thing see him and it would be off running. There didn't seem much point in pouring gasoline on an already raging inferno.

The second was that he'd prefer, if possible, not to fight it in the first place. Frankly, it seemed like the kind of opponent he might 'test' himself on after gaining a bunch of levels on the upper floors. Even if it was a fight he could win right now, it would also certainly be drawn out and less than discreet. Which, given that that it also had a much bigger and meaner sibling possibly very close nearby, had Bob in preference of a non-violent solution.

Unfortunately, with its continued unmoving presence barely five or six steps past the exit, that was beginning to feel less and less like a possibility. Bob had just started re-entertaining thoughts of shoving himself through the tower's arrow-slits – considering the possibility of swinging to the fourth-floor windows via his tongue – when his cowardice was interrupted by sensing movement beyond the doorway. The closest 'blip' had just taken a few steps further down the connecting hall.

Which meant it was currently facing away from him. His mind screamed countless warnings, old refrains demanding caution and consideration, but Bob forced himself to ignore them. His entire life had been spent overthinking himself out of opportunities. Waiting and watching while others took action. It was a trait he needed to kill off if he was going to succeed in this new existence. In a world where hesitation meant death. Before the enemy had a chance to change position, Bob forced himself to move.

Stepping forward and shoving as little of himself as possible around the corner to peer into the hall beyond.