"[Ingrain Tab]!" Troy bellowed, slamming his shield down on the sandy ground. The flare of mana settled just in time for a cat-sized suckerfish to slam into the shell-based shield. Before the gulping bottomfeeder could move away, Troy stabbed down with his spear, punching through the skull in one motion.

As the fish fell limp, Troy looked down in disgust before he pulled his guild tag down to the fish. "[Storage]," he stated, and the dead fish vanished from sight. When no confirmation screen came up though, Troy frowned before he deactivated [Ingrain Tab]. "And that's twelve duds in a row," Truy grumbled, and worked to wade back to dry ground. He had managed to get two [Gutterdump] skills from them in the first five mudfish, so why couldn't he get the other two yet?

Troy spat in the water, and stepped onto dry land. As he looked up from shaking off his boots though, an explosion of sand made him turn. The sight of skybound silt slugs made him flinch, before a flurry of bolts skewered them midair.

As the slugs fell to the ground with wet splats, Troy sighed, then turned to give Efficere a thumbs-up. "Thanks for taking them out, Efficere!" he praised the dwarf, then looked around in confusion, "Where'd Alcydes get to?"

Before the dwarf could give an answer, a second explosion heralded the young elfkin, as Alcydes slammed down on top of a silt slug the size of a sleeping bag. As the slug's guts gushed out, Alcydes cut through the skin, then stood up. "That's number sixteen," he commented, and stored the dead slug in his Guild Tag. Once the body was pocketed, he looked around and asked, "Where's the next slug to hunt?"

Troy glanced around at the comment, momentarily spotting Alonz catching his breath on a toppled log, only to frown in thought. With how much they had been tearing the coastside apart, most of the landscape was more holes and craters than a sandy shore. While there were a few birds and slimes in the distance, the nearby area had no visible animals nearby. "Unfortunately, I think we might've overhunted this area," Troy admitted.

As a seagull fell in a sandy pit, Troy glanced around before he pointed towards a distant rocky peninsula. "How about we go try hunting over there?" he suggested, pointing towards the outcrop.

Alcydes looked in the direction Troy was pointed, and hummed in thought. "Looks a bit too rocky for silt slugs or mudfish," he commented, one hand idly cleaning his dagger, before he pointed further out in the water, "How about the island out there?"

Troy turned to look at where Alcydes was pointing. But as he squinted his eyes, he didn't see the intended spot. "Are you sure there's something out there?" Troy asked, one hand coming up to help block the glare, "I only see waves and mist out there."

"No, it's off the point, a bit to the left," Alcydes corrected, and grabbed Troy by the arm. Troy let himself be pulled down to Al's height, and Alcydes pointed out to a distant point and said, "See, over there? It's the big wavebreaker."

Troy squinted in the direction for a bit, but all he saw was more mist. "If it's out there, you've got better eyes than me," he said, then reached for his guild tag. When Troy pulled out his binoculars though, his eyebrows rose when he actually saw what Alcydes was talking about.

A good distance out in the water, a muddy sandbar barely breached the water's surface. Mostly made of mud, it hardly stood tall, with the biggest section being a cracked outcrop that Troy bet wasn't even a story tall. However, the general length stretched out in both directions, with enough ground over the surface to reach both ends of a hockey rink. As Troy moved his gaze over the sandbar, his opinion soared when he saw a mudfish flop on shore, only to be swallowed up by a blob hidden in filth.

"Alright, you've definitely made a good argument," Troy eventually said, then stood back up. As he looked around though, he frowned as a new problem arose. "Unfortunately, I don't see any easy way over there, unless there's a hidden way out at low tide or something."

"Wait, there's actually something out there?" Efficere cut in, causing both men to jump at the reminder she was actually there. The dwarven girl looked out at the water for a bit, then held up a hand and asked, "Could I borrow your spectacles there?" After a moment, Troy handed them over, and Efficere muttered something under her breath before she looked out at the water again.

"Unfortunately, it looks like the sandbar is mainly built off a fold in the bedrock," Efficere eventually stated, and looked up and down before she lowered the binoculars, "I'd say there'd be a weak point, but the mud tapers off more on both sides to let water pool in the marsh than act as a full tidebreaker."

"...That's all good to know," Troy slowly uttered, his eye twitching as he turned toward Efficere, "But how are you able to tell that? That has to be a quarter mile out!"

Efficere looked confused, then preened as she gave the binoculars back. "You can thank my [Grounded Sense] for that," she chimed, tapping the ground with her foot in emphasis, "I don't get to use it that often, but it lets me sense how deep it is to bedrock, ground level, or other height limits in an area I can see."

"That's neat," Alcydes commented, then paused as he thought the explanation over, "Wait, couldn't you use that to find buried animals and mining tunnels?"

Efficere let out a huff at the comment, crossing her arms as she did so. "Unfortunately, it's not that precise," she responded, and pointed out at the sandbar, "If I had the [Earthsense] skills, it'd be possible. But [Grounded Sense] only does general layers, so it's a rough shot for me."

Seeing Alcydes look disappointed at the explanation, Efficere glanced around before she added, "However, it can be used with a few skills in useful ways. For example, if I use it to combine with my [Remote Crafts - Stonework]..." Her words trailed off as she clenched a fist mid-air, then slowly rose. The pair watched her in curiosity until stones slowly rose up from a nearby crater to form a stone bowl.

Troy nodded in appreciation, and bent over to get a better look at the structure. "You know, I'm surprised that you don't use this with more of your inventions," he commented, a hand trailing over the outside, "I mean, you could easily use it for gears, or buildings. Why limit yourself?"

"Personal preference, really," she answered, and let the stones fall apart before she looked back at the waterside, "Unfortunately, it's looking like we're pretty stuck, without a boat or bridge out there." Troy nodded along, and glanced around the shoreline. While he had been traveling up and down the shore for driving and quests, the few boats he had seen were more at-sea fishing than coastline travel…

Troy froze when a thought hit him, then turned towards the town. "I think I might have a solution," he commented, his mind already working out how to ask for help, "Let me ask around, and I'll have a ride for us soon."

"Wait, what's this about a ride?" a cracked voice called out, stopping Troy in his tracks. Having recovered with a momentary rest, Alonz trotted over before he looked around, "I'll be honest, lads, I'm not feeling as energetic as I usually do," he commented, chest still faintly heaving, "So, if we're taking a ride further out, I might have ta pass."

"No, gramps, it's not that," Efficere commented, rolling her eyes, before she jerked a thumb out at the distant beach, "We're just aiming to go hunting out on the beach out there."

"What, on a beach?" Alonz balked, his visible face paling. He took a few unsteady steps back, then trodded towards Troy and the man's ATV, "I'll have to pass on that, Effi. You know me and boats never mix. Las' thing I need is to make a mess of it all."

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Troy shrugged, but helped Alonz onto the four-wheeler. "I think your stomach could handle a short distance, but better to know your limits," he said, and soon hopped behind the wheel.

"Oh, it's not his stomach that's the problem," Efficere cut in, "But it's probably for the best. Last thing we need is him dropping through the floor and making a huge hole."

Troy snorted at that, but as Alonz fumed and blustered, he suspected that there was a grain of truth. Rather than wait though, he turned the ignition on and drove away from the group. While he didn't know if he was still in town, Troy needed to find him as soon as possible.

----------------------------------------

Vitkor looked at the group skeptically from the other side of the table. "Let me get this straight," he asked, scratching his chest in contemplation, "You're just looking for a quick ride out to the old sandbar west of here for hunting low-level beasties. And rather than hire a regular fisherman, you came to me? Like I'm a cheap wave-skimmer?"

Troy winced at the summary, but gave a short shrug. "I mean, you're really the only guy I know with a boat, so it's not like I can just post a general ad for it on the bay," he commented, and looked over at Efficere and Alcydes looking bored. With only a couple other boats in the bay, it'd be hard to find another person to ride out with. Turning back to Vitkor, Troy added, "So, could you bring us out there? I'd be willing to make it worth your while with some jhodes."

Vitkor mulled it over, then finally nodded. "Might as well. It's been a slow week after the storm," he decided, and reached for his hat. As he looked back at Troy though, his smile turned vindictive. "However, it'll cost a bit more than normal. I wanna say… fifteen jhodes?"

"Fifteen?" Troy asked skeptically. When the amount registered though, his expression fell flat. "Ogir told you about the lesson bit, didn't he?" he asked Vitkor, one hand coming down to rest on the table.

"Possibly," Vitkor stressed, a faint smirk stretching his lips. When Troy gave him the coin with little complaint though, he happily snatched it up before he pulled away from the table. "Well, if you're paying, I don't see a reason to protest," he stated. As Vitkor looked out towards the sandbar though, he rubbed his chin in thought. "Still, I worry about what might attack us out there."

"What, are there actual predators this close to shore?" Troy asked, glancing out at the water, "I thought there were only those vampire eels we had to worry about."

"Oh, they're still a problem," Vitkor agreed, but pointed at the bay as he listed off, "But once we get to deeper waters like that, there's chum-feeders, floating razorclam spawn, whipfish, and worst of all, the wasteful scourge known as giant mudcrabs."

"You guys have crab here?" Troy exclaimed, and licked his lips in anticipation, "If I had known that, I would've brought some supplies to enjoy it. Nothing beats some fresh crab, dipped in lemon butter."

As Troy wiped away some drool, he paused when he noticed the looks he was getting. "What?" he asked, "Are they a sacred animal or something?"

"Sacred?" Vitkor stated, and spat on the ground before he said, "They wouldn't be worshiped by madmen and slaves. They keep swarming the shores, eating up waste like rats and snipping fishing lines. You can't even store their meat properly. The only good they have is being ground up as chum and fertilizer."

Troy looked at the others nodding in disbelief, then shook his head. "If you think that, you're really missing out on some great shellfish," he stated, but shoved his hands in his pockets, "Still, that's not what we're aiming for. Can you still take us out there?"

"I suppose so," Vitkor agreed, but still looked uneasy, "I just wished that we knew what was out there."

"I can help with that!" a high-pitched, faintly nasally voice cut in.

Troy and the others looked around, before a short man hopped onto a chair. While he didn't have the lush beard most dwarves had, his nose jutted out to a sharp point. The lack of a beard was contrasted by platinum blonde hair that stuck out in points, save for two tapered locks that reached his chest.

With the vivid blue robes fluttering in a nonexistent breeze, the man bowed to the group before he declared, "I am Telephax, gnome of great insight and high priest of Delphi! If you seek to know the journeys ahead, I would certainly be able to help!"

Troy rolled his eyes at the gnome's antics, then leaned over in amusement. "Alright, what kinda troubles will be out there?" he asked, skepticism tinging his voice.

Telephax scoffed at the question, and pulled out a polished mirror. "I will find that out momentarily," he proclaimed, and focused his gaze on the reflective surface. The gnome stared at it for several seconds, before he finally looked up in triumph. "According to my divinations, you will find mudfish, silt slugs and a couple mudcrabs waiting in hiding. If you want your best chance for hunting, they won't see you coming from the southeast side."

Troy looked at Telephax in disbelief, but when the others started to nod along, he turned his disbelief at them. "You can't actually believe that act, can you?" he asked, pointing a hand at the gnome.

At his question, Efficere and Vitkor both gave him shocked expressions. "How can you not believe in the gods?" Efficere protested, raising her hands in the air, "They affect the world weekly! Ignoring their priests is like ignoring the sun rising!"

"Or a storm on the morning horizon," Vitkor added. Troy looked at them with disbelief, but the oruk's expression soon turned pensive, "Then again, you are a Star Hero, so I guess you aren't too familiar with the gods…"

While Telephax looked affronted at the concept of not knowing about the gods, Troy rolled his eyes and put his hands in his pockets. "Look, we can argue about how real gods are later," he stated, then glanced out at the water, "Let's just get to the sandbar, and we can hopefully get one of the quests done."

"You got it," Vitkor stated, and grabbed his oar before he walked towards the door.

As the group began to walk towards the docks though, a sudden tug made Troy look back at Telephax. "Actually, if you're heading out there, I'd certainly appreciate being able to go out there," the gnome commented, and pulled a jar out as he offered, "If you want, I have a few tools and tricks that can help ensure victory."

Troy glanced in the bowl out of curiosity, only to let out a whistle when he saw what was inside. "Well, if you're bringing the dipping sauce, I won't refuse," Troy said. Telephax jumped for joy at that, then sprinted to the boat.

Soon, the five were sailing out of the port. But with Vitkor's boat being on the smaller scale, the five were rather cramped in there. "Stay still. We're in a bit of choppy water here," Vitkor called out. At the warning, Troy grabbed onto the edge to hold both him and Alcydes steady.

As they moved over the water though, Troy's eyes looked over the edge into the water. His face paled when he saw a man-sized scaled form dart through the water, and tightened his grip on Alcydes when the figure vanished from sight.

Thankfully, the water stayed mostly still, and the boat soon brushed up against the muddy shore of the islet. With the boat stuck, Troy carefully stepped onto the shore, then looked around as the others got out.

"Now, where could the mudfish be," Troy muttered, looking for the faint signs of their hiding spots. When he spotted a faint dip seven feet away from him, Troy pulled his spear out and reared back. "[Barbed Pierce]!" he proclaimed, and plunged the polearm deep into the mud.

While the body wasn't visible to anyone, Troy grinned when he felt the spear jerk about. With a faint grunt, Troy lifted the spear back out to reveal a mudfish wriggling on the end. Troy stabbed it deeper on the ground, tearing into the spine and killing it for good. When he held it up to his tag though, he grinned when a message popped up.

[Skill Harvest] has successfully

processed a skill from your kill.

Due to being a copy,

[Weakstone] has been added

to your Storage!

"And that makes three skills!" he stated, and turned back to look at the group, "You see any other mudfish yet?"

Efficere and Alcydes shook their heads at the question, but Vitkor looked past him pensively. "I think I see a cluster over there," the oruk commented, then drew his oar back before he swung it forward, "[Grip Tide]!" As Vitkor pointed the oar at where he intended, a sharp wave poured past him and dug into the mud. Several mudfish were forced to the surface, which the elfkin and dwarf quickly started attacking.

However, as the water calmed down, Troy noticed a polished surface now stood out. Any chance it was lost armor quickly vanished as the ground shuddered, before a crustacean rose from the mud. Unlike the crabs he saw at seafood shacks though, this crab was easily four feet tall, with pincers so heavy they dragged on the ground.

As Troy whistled at the size of those crab legs, then glanced at Efficere. "Think you can use Stonework to make a stone pot big enough for that beast?" he eagerly asked. Though she looked disgusted, Troy grinned when he got a nod. "In that case, you better get the fire started, because we're eating good tonight!" Troy proclaimed, and pulled out his spear before he charged at the crab. If they were able to take this down, he wasn't going to let this shellfish go!