Jeff took a step back from the noise. This thing sounded big.

He looked around for a path of escape. There was none. The System Pillar was on a large rocky outcrop that came to a point out over the valley below. It was wider near the area it met up with the rest of the cliff face, but that was near where the monster was climbing up.

"Did you just say this is your first fight too?" Jeff whispered.

"Uh, yes…yes it is."

"I thought you were the expert here! How do I fight a Monster?" He seethed through his teeth.

"I have read extensively on the subject and I'm sure we'll be fine." Kazi said rather loudly.

"Quiet down, it obviously reacts to sound and it may not have good eyesight."

"Oh, I guess I haven't said this yet, only you can hear me. I'm directing my voice's vibrations onto the bone around your ears." Kazi replied, it’s voice was way to calm for Jeff's liking.

"You still haven't said lots of things," Jeff protested in a whisper, "but now's not the time. Help me do the disc thing again."

A claw rose up over the edge and Jeff got his first view of a Myst monster.

The thing most resembled a crab, but it was an abomination to crabs everywhere. It was nearly the size of a bear and had a deep purple shell with a sickly yellow underbelly. Its legs had two more joints than he felt was natural. The claws were the most like a crab, but that familiarity didn't help here. Crab claws are plenty scary when they are small. The monsters claws were the size of a door.

"Listen," Kazi started, "think of the connection you had with the Myst. Use that spiritual yearning to create a disc."

What the Spore said made sense to him, but it wasn't easy to put into practice. The process was still foreign to him and he barely knew what he had done right the first time.

While staring down a car sized crab monster he tried to remember times he felt at peace skipping rocks at the lake.

Yeah, that's not going to work. He thought, feeling nothing akin to the spiritual yearning he did earlier.

The crab was looking at him, unmoving, as if assessing it's prey. Jeff could see the tension in it's sharp legs ready to scuttle forward at any moment.

Maybe if he just focused on the yearning feeling? Jeff really, really wanted something to throw at this thing right now. He pictured the golden disc he threw before and how it would feel coming out of his hands. The yearning came to him and he felt the Myst respond in kind.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

The crab shot forward, decreasing their distance alarming fast.

Jeff felt the weight of the disc in his hand just as he finished his wind up. He stepped, twisted and threw his arm forward aiming for the base of the right claw.

The golden disc flew true. It slid between the pincers of the claw then curved to hit where the claw met the body.

There was a sharp crack and the claw fell to the rocky ground. The crab reeled back. Half the golden disc embedded itself into the body before stopping and then disappearing into glittering Myst.

The crab looked infuriated, clicking its legs in pain against the rocks. Then it shot forward, more determined than ever.

Jeff took another step back and reached out spiritually for another disc. He felt the familiar weight and brought his arm across his body ready for a backhand throw. He threw with all his might hoping to hit the creature right in its face. If it had a brain to damage then that seemed a smart place to strike.

The glowing disc shot out of his hand horizontally on the crabs right side before starting to curve at its head. The giant creature turned its carapace to block just before it hit.

The disc skipped off the shell with a loud scraping noise. It disappeared at the top of its bounce when it lost its momentum.

The projectile hit hard enough for the crab to need a bracing step after the impact, but it recovered quickly and moved into striking distance.

"Look out!" Kazi cried, trying to help it's host.

Jeff tried timing the crabs movements and dove to the side without a claw. The other claw snapped shut on his ankle. He felt his movement come to a halt and he banged his head on the solid surface of the rocky ground beneath him.

Then the crab lifted him into the air, ready to insure the morsel it caught into its flesh rending mouth.

Pain from Jeff's leg screamed at him and he screamed at the crab.

"Eat this!"

Then he twisted his body and threw with as much force as he could muster. The disc flew vertically right through the monster's face, splitting its head in two. It continued on splitting the top of the carapace apart and stuck halfway down it's back.

The claw holding him up went limp and he dropped to the hard ground. He got his hands underneath him this time and avoided another knock to his skull. His hands came back scrapped and a bit bloody, but not badly damaged.

Jeff tried to tug his left leg out of the claw, but the vice-like grip stayed strong. He readied another disc as he looked the crab over trying to spot signs of life.

It had fallen to its belly. Blood oozed out of the two wounds on its front. A couple legs twitch, in an unconcerning matter. It looked good and dead.

He threw the disc he held at the claw holding his foot. It severed the smaller section of the claw and he was able to pry his foot out. He was sure the bones in his leg should be crushed, but they seemed strong. The skin around the spot however was bruised and bloody.

He hopped up and found he could place about 15 percent of his weight on it before his leg gave out. He hobbled away from the scene, trying to stay out of the oozing blood.

Once he was several paces away he sat down exhausted. A screen popped into his vision.

You defeated:

Monster Crab - Level 4

Myst Connections:

Big Body

Hard Shell

Accept Myst Rewards?

Yes/No