Chapter Twenty Five

Ding!

Ropework Path Skill Acquired:

Constrict (F)

Congratulations!

Bob nearly hissed in pleasure at the acquisition. Before his sudden excitement was quickly deflated by both the crab spinning to face him, and a follow up message from the system.

Ding!

‘Constrict (F)’ Cannot be currently be used as your Active Skill Roster is full.

Replace Skill in Active Skill Roster with ‘Constrict (F)’?

Yes/No

A very inappropriately timed message from the system, he corrected. His calm slightly wavering due to the distracting, if mostly transparent, window appearing between him and the blow intended to slice him in two. His hasty refusal causing it to disappear just as the crab’s claw impacted the spot he once stood.

Ding!

Dodge (E) has leveled up!

6 – 7

The crab stumbled as its latest attack was again danced around, obviously still not used to its vastly different center of balance. It recovered quickly however, before then taking a few fast steps back. Obviously not wishing for a repeat of the last time he’d gotten within its guard.

Only to find out moments later that its worries were unfounded. Given that Bob had no intention of going on the attack at all.

The crab’s shocked expression as it watched the greatest opponent of its life – the destroyer of one of its limbs – abruptly flee the battlefield was wholly unearthly. Which wasn’t, to be fair, terribly surprising. Given that crabs on earth don’t exactly do ‘expressions’.

Unfortunately, Bob wasn’t able to appreciate the sight. Given that he had already turned around and made it past the doorway before it recovered from its stumble.

He managed to clear the entire first flight of steps before there was any noticeable reaction from the room below. And even then, it wasn’t movement. Instead, just a long, extended, rage-filled shriek which seemed to echo its way up the tower walls.

Which was perfect. Given that its loss of composure drastically reduced the distance he needed to travel.

Bob couldn’t currently kill the crab in the hall. This was made abundantly clear by how long it took him to break through what was likely one of the weakest spots on its body. He was using his prehensile tongue in a way that, arguably, it wasn’t truly designed for. And it showed.

Luckily, he now had a quick – if painful – way to fix all that.

He cleared another half-a-flight before a scraping ‘thud’ from below alerted him to his foe passing through the doorway. At which point he decided he was far enough, opening up his skill page and bracing himself.

Ding!

You have chosen to add ‘Constrict (F)’ to your Active Skill List.

Which Skill will be replaced?

‘Toothless Grasp (E)’

‘Dodge (E)’

‘Taunt (E)’

Bob felt the choice was fairly obvious. Unfortunately, that certainty did nothing to ease the still shockingly-potent sensation that ran through him the second he made it. Familiarity with the process apparently useless at suppressing the violent shockwaves the Skill Swap sent racing through his body.

Ding!

Skill swap successful!

Constrict (F) has replaced Taunt (E) in your Active Skill List!

Unfortunately, his newly-evolved form reacted to the whole-body assault in a near opposite manner than his previous. Unlike before – where his bag-body had fallen limply to the ground – now, if anything, he had grown more rigid.

He seized up. The prior unnerving malleability of what appeared to be wood and iron erased as his body, for what may well be the first time, actually resembled the chest he was supposed to be mimicking.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Something which, unfortunately, proved Bob’s prior fears of tumbling down the stairs to be somewhat prophetic.

He started to fall the instant the choice was made. The supernatural grip his ‘feet’ had on the steps disappearing as Bob got slapped with another factory reset.

Which may well be something of an issue, what with the rage-filled, one-armed crustacean which was just beginning to barrel up them. A feat it might not have previously been able to accomplish, sans amputation.

Fortunately, given their current underwater surroundings, his decent wasn’t terribly swift.

Unfortunately – also given their underwater surroundings – when Bob came-to upside down and floating towards his would-be murderer, he struggled to do anything about the situation.

A situation which the raging crab had quickly prepared itself to take advantage of. Stretching out its remaining massive claw to intercept him mid-flight.

Bob was struck by panic. His previous hold on the strange calming sensation that accompanied his ‘Dodge’ skill lost during the transfer. The brief attempt to spam it similarly failing; seeming unable to activate when he was incapable of preforming the needed action.

Something which didn’t bode well for Bob’s future structural integrity.

What did, however, was a certain ‘lack’ of structural integrity that – now conscious – Bob was able to self-impose.

As the monster’s claw neared its target, the box that it was reaching towards suddenly transformed. Bob’s lid opening and body lengthening as, instead of being crushed within its claw, his form ‘swallowed’ the upper portion of its pincer. Tongue quickly beginning to wrap around its dense, jagged surface.

Bob considered this to be a significant improvement over his other option. Unfortunately, it wasn’t perfect. As proven when the crab, with some force and a great deal of aggression, decisively slammed its pincer closed.

Alert!

– 6 Health!