Chapter Thirty Two

While briefly dazzled by the number of options available, it didn’t take quite as long as Bob had feared to make his choice. Most of the crabs still huddling around him as he finished up his inner debate.

This was helped by the fact that, after taking a moment to look them over, Bob realized he could toss half of them out almost right from the start. ‘Greater Constrict’, ‘Entwining Bind’ and ‘Lesser Rope Mastery’ simply not making the cut. Each either heading in the wrong direction for how he wanted his skill to develop or simply being a lesser version of one of the others available.

The only one of the three he had even the slightest interest in was ‘Rope Mastery’. And even then, only because it seemed very much the odd man out. Its name and ascetic not exactly fitting with the others.

A part of him was curious if a ‘Weapon Mastery’ Skill operated any differently than a normal one, but not enough to select it over his other options. Especially when it decreased his damage of all things.

Which left him with three routes to potentially go down for ‘Constrict’. A ‘Mind Control’ path, a ‘Armored Defense’ Path and the ‘Maw’ path. The last of which appeared to offer general improvements while the first two veered off to become slightly more specialized.

At first, Bob was greatly tempted by ‘Illusory Coils’. His current success with ‘Mind Control’ abilities already casting the evolution in a good light. And images of him being able to crush monsters before they’d even realized he was there only making it appear more enticing.

After looking it over a bit more closely however, Bob eventually let it go. Unlike his other options, the ‘Mind Control’ route didn’t offer anything in the way of increased control or physicality; seeming to be entirely focused on pushing the ability towards the mystical.

Something which, given his lack of strength boosts from both his class and species, he couldn’t really afford to have happen to his primary weapon.

Besides, he wasn’t even sure that making his ‘tongue’ invisible would help him out that much anyway. He’d still have to get his opponent alone, after all. And while his sole appendage might be able to disappear from view, he had no assurances that moving it wouldn’t end his use of ‘Lifeless Disguise’. Something which would kind of defeat the purpose of choosing the path in the first place.

After that, he was left with ‘Lesser Crushing Tongue’ and ‘Iron Cables’. And honestly, the competition wasn’t even all that tight.

It wasn’t that ‘Iron Cables’ was bad. After getting his tongue nearly chomped through, a decent portion of him was actually rooting for it. Unfortunately, much like with previous ‘Armored Defense’ options, it was dragged heavily by its downsides.

Given that his ‘tongue’ also operated as his only limb, suddenly having it drop in dexterity, flexibility and mobility was simply a bridge too far. Especially when what it was up against got rid of all those issues for what appeared to be a single-tier drop in comparable durability.

Besides, Bob liked the sense of potential that ‘Lesser Crushing Tongue’ implied. While all of the options, outside of ‘Greater Constrict’, seemed able to further evolve in their forms; the ‘lesser’ in the maw route’s title appeared to suggest at least two guaranteed evolutions in its future.

Something he supposed he could also say about ‘Lesser Rope Mastery’. Though that slight positive note didn’t get it any closer to being back in the running.

While it might not seem like much, that extra potential level could well be very important in the future. The difference between a ‘D’ rank skill and a ‘C’ rank skill possibly being quite large.

Really, the only possible downside he could see was that the Skill might possibly conflict with his choice of Species.

The ‘Thousand-foot Mimic’ option had listed the ‘Maw’ Path as restricted. Admittedly it had only listed it as restricted as far as ‘Traits’ were concerned, not Skills, but he was slightly worried that the system might punish him somehow if he tried to loophole his way around any of its arbitrary-seeming rules.

Bob lingered over the possibility for a while, before he eventually decided not to let his concerns dissuade him. “Lesser Crushing Tongue’ was the all-around best option, so he was going to take it. If the system had a problem with that, he would deal with the situation as it occurred.

Besides, it might be best to see how it deals with possible conflicts like this now; rather than during a more trying time in the future.

Ding!

You have chosen to evolve Constrict (F) into Lesser Crushing Tongue (E)!

Damage increased!

Strength increased!

Durability increased!

Restricted to ‘Maw’ route for ‘Constrict’ Skill

Bonuses received for Skill Evolution!

+2 Strength +2 Constitution

Bob’s non-existent heart was elated as he felt the changes rush through his body, especially without any complaints from the system. His entire form seeming to grow firmer and stronger as he felt his ‘tongue’ begin to rapidly evolve within whatever area it hid while not being used.

Much like when he’d first chosen ‘Taste for Gold’, he felt his body begin to swell and bulge as the massive transformation within him reached its crescendo. The wooden planks making up his boxy form pressed near-to-breaking as his new ‘tongue’ burst out of him and into the water.

Only now, it was starting to actually approach something ‘tongue-like’. The material of his ‘limb’ still being a strange and eclectic mixture of various cordage, but now larger; and appearing to move in ways much closer to ‘organic’ in description.

Bob was marveling at the ease and control he felt over the improved portion of his anatomy, when he realized that – in his present excitement – he had unfortunately forgotten something.

Though, it might be more accurate to say that it was pointed out to him.

‘TEAR!’

‘KILL!’

Bob found himself actually jumping in place when the words impacted his brain. Being almost as unprepared for the assault as the first time he’d heard their battle cry.

Which, unfortunately, lead to some fairly predictable consequences.

Alert!

– 2 Health!

Alert!

– 1 Health!

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The sudden attack from the near-by crabs got through entirely undefended. And to worsen matters, their long, spindly arms were far stronger than they had any right to be. The pain he felt as their pinchers clamped down being excruciating. Far worse than anyth-

Wait.

No it wasn’t.

Bob blinked. And where once giant, menacing monsters had surrounded him, now he just saw awkward, half-starved crustaceans again. Their thin claws barely even able to hold on to his wooden surface.

Though apparently the lackluster grip was enough to activate one of their abilities.

One of their mind control abilities.

The fury that erupted within him was both volcanic and unexpected. He would later attribute it to the unexplainable rage one drops into when seeing a videogame mob bind up your character with an annoying status-effect spell. Though, were he being more honest, he’d admit that the true reason was probably simpler.

No one likes having their mind fucked with.

Bob almost unconsciously swept his new tongue towards the largest of his surrounding foes; hoping to be able to quickly entangle it and mitigate its ability to attack him again.

Finding out almost instantly that none of that would actually be necessary.

Ding!

You have sla-

It took a moment for Bob to cancel out the window. Briefly shocked as the crab was utterly crushed by his new tongue’s initial grasp. The two other crabs surrounding him took this pause as an opportunity to attack.

Unfortunately for them, all this did was give Bob a chance to level up a neglected Skill.

Ding!

Dodge (E) has Leveled up!

7 – 8

As the Skill activated, Bob felt his fury dim. The familiar strange serenity encompassing him as he calmly compressed his form to slide beneath their blows.

He was tempted to try and hold onto it, but quickly decided that now wasn’t the time for experimentation. He had no idea whether or not their ability would be equally effective on him the next time it hit, and refused to chance dying on a ‘bad roll’.

These crabs needed to be killed. And quickly.

Luckily, as he swung his newly-improved appendage out for the second time, that didn’t seem like it would be a problem.

Di-

Bob didn’t even let the window begin to form this time; canceling it even as he ruthlessly crushed his opponent in a single grasping blow.

The last in the room seemed unfazed by the effortless destruction of its colleagues however. Still endeavoring to reach out toward him with far-too-slow claws.

All this allowed though was an additional level increase from ‘Dodge’, the pop-up almost pre-canceled by his mind, as he slid between its long legs.