Chương 38: Chapter Thirty Seven

Having been down over twenty Health points, Bob found himself stuck in 'recuperation' mode for almost two weeks. A period which, despite his attempts to refrain from any combat, was actually both productive and surprisingly event-filled. The first few days were spent in something of a funk. Both the damage taken from the recent battle and the revelation that he'd already super-glued two Skills in place leaving him slightly despondent.

He got back to himself, or perhaps the new-and-improved version of himself with higher Willpower, fairly quickly however. Soon returning to the standard schedule he'd been keeping prior to facing the D-rank. This including regular scouting of his area, continued experimentation with 'magic' and the ever-present attempts to gain new Skills and/or Class options. All of which were instantly put on hold near the beginning of 'day five'; when a sudden rumbling began to echo from deeper within the valley.

Moments after it had occurred, Bob had made his way over to the only fourth-floor window he could see out of – the others requiring him to precariously stand on his 'tongue' – and looked out. Finding a fairly concerning scene laid out before him. The disorganized mass of crustaceans on the grounds outside were, for perhaps the second time in his memory, actually looking organized. The first time being when he'd originally arrived.

The lot of them having stood in place with their claws raised in the air as they waited for him to descend. Very much like they appeared to be doing now. For a moment, Bob was convinced that another sapient creature was about to appear. Twisting himself into uncomfortable positions attempting to get a better look at the water above him; hoping to see a figure slowly drifting down in the distance. Hopes which were quickly put to rest when a massive explosion boomed out from the valley's center.

The shockwave rippled through the city. Bob actually able to witness it surging through the water, tossing aside massive crabs littered along the distance, before it impacted. He'd been sent tumbling through the room, the entire building seeming to vibrate in place like a tuning fork as it weathered the explosion's aftereffects; the water rushing through each empty window bringing with it a deluge of sand and other debris. Though, thankfully, very little of either all the way up on the fourth floor.

He'd quickly picked himself up, luckily having suffered no actual damage, before rushing back over to the window. There he was shocked and horrified to see a black mass filling the valley's sodden skies. One which seemed to stretch and spread as it began to descend. Which it was doing, Bob realized moments later, really quite quickly. He briefly considered taking cover, fearful of falling rocks or something similar, but his trust in the building's indestructibility made him decide to stay.

That, and he was beginning to notice something… off about the dark cloud falling upon the city. Something strange about the way it moved and undulated through the waters above him. Something which became far more noticeable around ten to fifteen seconds later. Once Bob's enhanced Perception was able to start picking out a few more details. Details like hundreds of thousands of tiny, snipping claws and perhaps millions of quickly thrashing legs.

The actual number of individuals in the mass of life being impossible to calculate. Though no less terrifying for that lack of accuracy. As the mountain of infant crabs rained down upon the city, Bob – after quickly firing off a 'Lifeless Disguise' – could only watch in horror. Making a few attempts at fishing for a plan of action and coming up dry. Still, at least now he knew how all those crabs had gotten on the roof.

And, given how upset he'd been about running out, Bob supposed he should probably feel grateful that someone had the courtesy to restock them. The other crabs certainly were. Any concerns he may have had about this being an attack, or some attempt by a greater power to flush him out, quickly disappeared once he'd noticed the reaction of the other crustaceans to the situation. All of whom seemed to be standing on their tippy-toes, claws reaching towards what was obviously viewed as an all-you-can-eat-buffet.

Bob noticing, only seconds before the crab-fall hit, that the majority of his manor's inhabitants had also left the building to join them. Only the Crab Behind the Wall forced to stay behind. Something which briefly made him consider rushing towards the stairs, intent on mapping out the bottom floor and seeing if he could find a passage down to the basement. And then the first few crabs flew in through the windows. What happened next was a chaotic massacre.

The following few days spent with the larger crabs locked in a mass feeding frenzy and Bob attempting to, as quickly and quietly as possible, eliminate every baby crustacean in the upper floors before they could establish a foothold. Luckily, despite him occasionally allowing his victims to get off a scream, the other crabs seemed too occupied to pay him much attention. Some literally consuming multiple times their bodyweight in their own brothers and sisters. Enough that Bob was surprised they hadn't burst.

By the end of the third day, however, things had begun to calm down. The once massive horde of crablings dwindled to a number not much larger than he'd seen when he first arrived here. Bob not noticing until now how much the population of smaller crabs had decreased during the last month or so. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. That didn't mean things in the manor remained unchanged, however.

Because the crabs that returned to it had all significantly increased in level. At first, he wasn't even sure they were the same crabs. The inclusion of quite a few higher-level E-ranks and one first-level D-rank making him think that the manor had simply been occupied by a different group entirely. This opinion started to change when he noticed certain crabs taking up certain positions around the occupied floors.

The same contingent of D-ranks he'd been keeping his eye on having migrated back to their hard-fought territories. Only now, each one was between one and three levels higher. It didn't take Bob long to realize what was going on at that point. And, honestly, the explanation actually helped make sense of a good number of the crab's behaviors. He'd probably feel a bit more open to cannibalism too if it was the only way he could gain species levels. Although, it might honestly just be 'eating' in general.

Otherwise, he couldn't think of why the 'Boss' of the area – or whatever it was that had just given birth all over the local municipality – was summoning in wave upon wave of fish. Fish she apparently preferred to eat herself. Leaving her children to feast on… her other children. Certainly one of the more unique child-rearing methods Bob had heard of. Effective, though. With it giving him more than a few concerns about how his next fight would go.

The one he'd had with the lower-level 'Stalker' crab had given him both more and less information to work with than he'd expected. Mostly because it very clearly highlighted how… varied things were becoming now that he was fighting outside of the lower ranks. Were he to need to kill a D-rank crab identical to the first he battled; Bob would walk into that conflict with an immense amount of confidence. Especially considering the new and improved Skills he'd acquired during the last bout.

Unfortunately, it was never going to be the same crab. Up through the first two ranks, the Traits and abilities these monsters had access to seemed similar enough for it not to make much difference. One might have a slightly tougher shell, or another slightly bigger claws, but all were within the same general ballpark as far as combat ability. That wasn't true anymore. Not with the increased power level of D-rank Traits.

His last opponent likely only had one, outside of the starting trait that had kept it off 'Treasure Sense'. That being whatever was allowing its claws to sheer through the water without any resistance. Something it likely picked up when it hit level five. And also, something which had been absolutely destroying him until his panicked attempt at a Kirby impression. His Hail-Mary had worked, thankfully.

But that didn't erase the fact that the weakest D-rank in the building had come far closer than he'd prefer to killing him. Something which made him very reluctant at trying to take on any of its betters. Especially now that they'd gained even more levels. One of them even having acquired itself a new Trait. At least if they worked on the same leveling structure that he did.

The realization of how dangerous the rest of his opponents might be had caused Bob to work increasingly hard during the last week of his recovery time. Something which was assisted by his sudden replenishment of roof-crabs. An event he had previously been joking about but now, honestly felt quite grateful for. They, sadly, were still far too weak to allow him to level either of his teetering E-rank merged Skills; the percentages on both of them stubbornly lingering at 'ninety-nine'.

But they did allow him a living target to experiment on. Something which ended up being more useful than he'd previously expected. Much more useful, actually. Given it was responsible for him reaching a breakthrough in his attempts at accessing 'Magic'. After perhaps thousands of activations of 'Lifeless Disguise' he'd grown very comfortable with the feeling of manipulating the Mana inside himself. Could do it quite casually, in fact; even without actually using an ability.

He simply hadn't figured out how to actually accomplish anything with it after doing so. At least, until now. He'd already realized that the sense of slight emotional exhaustion he'd felt after activating 'Lifeless Disguise' was a necessary part of using a Mana-based ability. Or at least a Mana-based ability from the 'Mind Control' Path, at any rate.

It was only recently, however, that he realized this exhaustion came from first manifesting that emotion before then 'feeding' it to the mana within you; thus, activating the 'spell'. The system-given 'Lifeless Disguise' did this in an instant. Almost too quickly for him to even identify the emotion in question. After an unknowable number of repeated activations however, Bob finally caught it. Though probably only because it was a feeling that younger Bob had been intimately familiar with.

The instant before 'Lifeless Disguise' activated, he was filled with a brief blast of introverted sorrow. The feeling of being the lonely ignored person standing in a corner at the party. Of being the third wheel or the least-liked friend. Of wanting to curl up in a ball and not be perceived by the world. It took numerous attempts before he was finally certain of every emotional cue and lingering sensation, but once he was, he put it to the test.

Doing his best to hold onto the emotions required as he 'willed' the Mana to activate. Trying to replicate how the system did it in what felt like slow motion. For a decent period, there was no reaction. Bob feeling increasingly ridiculous as he forced himself to mope and sulk like a moody teen. Eventually though, it was almost like the emotions 'caught' on something. Whisked away and leaving him feeling slightly emotionally spent.

A glance at his status also showing him that he was one Mana shorter than he'd been previously. But, other than that, nothing. A lack of response which briefly left him unsure of his success. Before he remembered that the system wasn't likely to reward him over manually re-creating an already-owned ability. Still, just to be sure, he repeated his actions after situating himself on the third-floor balcony.

Nearly deactivating what turned out to be a successfully cast ability in celebration after watching multiple crabs glance over at him without raising the alarm. Before he then immediately turned himself toward the next step. That being creating something new. He spent the next several hours attempting to pull up emotions within himself. To find the right combination to make the mana lurking inside him react in some way.

Only finding success after deciding that, perhaps, it might be slightly dangerous to continue randomly attempting to create spells with himself as the target. At which point he began trying to 'cast' the Mana and emotions out of him. The most convenient target around being the mass of baby crabs still wandering the Manor's rooftops. And as he looked up at them, the emotion to use felt fairly obvious. That being the same one he tended to feel as he 'Taunted' them down from the roof above.

A spider-like, almost smugly seductive sensation. Bob having gotten so used to playing the part of 'food' that he felt like a successful character-actor as he sent his emotions along with the ethereal flow of magic. It still wasn't instantaneous, Bob making dozens of attempts as he sat, unmoving, on the third-floor balcony. Each time mildly modifying the emotional input before he 'threw' his energy at one of the crabs above. Finally, however, something 'clicked'.

The whispy, half-there flow of mana firming up and almost seeming to… carry off the emotions he'd been feeling. The arrogance, pride and condescension being drained from his body in a moment, and sent hurtling towards his target. As it impacted, the crab itself remained silent. Though its wild glances around indicated that something had occurred. The system however, was quite a bit more vocal. Ding!