“The Great System has seen fit to reward you for your assistance to me, I shall strive to return the friendship.” Bob’s voice seemed calmer and more sedate than before. Joe felt that he was getting a handle on reading the treant’s mood. Either that or he was simply anthropomorphizing the creature. However, he looked at it, though, he had come out of the recent encounter with another ally.
“So, Bob, I think that in the interest of getting you settled and fully healed, we should just head back to our city center now. Bixby and I were going to spend a few hours looking for survivors and dealing with any monsters still within the city limits, but your safety now takes top priority. Bixby will scout out a path that will allow you the best way through the streets and I’ll stay by your side while we travel. Does that sound okay to you?”
“Hhhhrmmm. That plan is acceptable.”
With a nod from Joe, Bixby disappeared into the dark streets. Joe and Bob made their way slowly down the main street of the village. The treant was not exceptionally quick and Joe calculated that they would have to skirt the river until they reached one of the intact bridges for Bob to traverse. They had only managed to travel a block before Bixby reappeared out of the darkness. A few barks and woofs told Joe why. Survivors.
Bixby led Joe and Bob through the streets, further away from the river, Joe noted and finally they came to a cul-de-sac that had buildings that were less weathered than the others. These had stone walls and roofs with very little wood involved. All in all, they seemed very sturdy. Unfortunately, they were so old and weathered that Joe had no idea what they may have once been. Bixby indicated that the survivors were in the wide building at the apex of the cul-de-sac. Joe narrowed his eyes and steeled himself when Bixby mentioned children. He hoped they were uninjured, but Bixby had also pointed out the pools of tacky blood in front of the building and sprayed upon the walls.
As they crept closer, Joe could smell the blood. His night vision, borrowed from Bixby, showed the world in a gray shadow-like landscape, bereft of colors, but bright enough to see into some of the shallower shadows. The pools of blood looked like off-colored tiles amidst the cobbled stones of the street. Joe whispered to Bob to stay close to the cul-de-sac entrance, while he and Bixby moved closer to the building.
When they were thirty feet away, Joe called out, “Hello to the building! My name is Joe Sherman and I am here to help!”
There were muffled voices and cries from within the building, most were young sounding, but one called out above the others, “Fuck off, homeboy! I ain’t falling for that shit again!” The voice sounded tired and young. It was also not the response Joe was expecting.
“Um, sorry my guy, but I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m from New Santa Cruz. You should have gotten a notification hours ago.” He looked at Bixby and shrugged.
The voices kept whispering and arguing and finally the same male voice called out, “Naw, esse! You tricked me and my homie last time! Ain’t no way I’m opening this door for you, unless it’s to kill your punk ass!”
Jesus! What the hell? Joe thought to himself, then he looked around in earnest. If this kid thinks Joe is a monster of some sort, then that means there’s really a monster out here. “Bix! There’s something out here. Something that tried tricking this kid. That means it’s smart. Keep an eye out.” Beside him, Bixby woofed, then Joe saw Bixby trotting towards him from down the street where Bob stood. “What the hell?” Joe exclaimed. The Bixby down the street howled and charged while the Bixby next to him clamped down on Joe’s arm with a vicious bite.
Immediately a headache formed as a notice popped up in front of Joe.
Congratulations! Your ability, Mental Fortress, has increased to 45%.
Joe could feel dirty fingers prying at his mind while his eyes insisted that Bixby was still biting his arm. That illusion burst as the real Bixby appeared from the shadows and tore into the creature attached to Joe’s arm. It was the largest crab that Joe had ever seen. If it even was a crab. It had a large, shelled carapace and many armored legs with two enormous, clawed arms, one of which was decisively attached to Joe. But the similarity ended there as the armor was translucent and showed some sort of coiled snake or perhaps octopus-like creature wriggling beneath. Its tentacles reached down into each limb, with two going into each main claw. There were strange lights, like fireflies blinking in the skin of the monster and each blink brought a fresh wave of pain to Joe’s head.
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Harrowed Crab (80)
HP: 15000
Status: Hungry
Reduced damage from bladed, crushing weapons and Cold attacks
Bixby’s Void covered teeth slid across the shell, leaving furrows behind as the armored chitin spun into nothingness, but the armor was deceptively thick. Pulled from his shock, Joe just said, “Nope.” And cast a spell. His armor sprouted its soul attacking spikes which pierced directly through the monster. And did absolutely nothing to the thing. Joe and even Bixby took in the results with amazement. “Crap!” Joe yelled and tried a different approach. He cast another spell, just as a wave of dizziness washed over him, causing the spell to fizzle.
Joe dropped to his knees as a screen appeared.
Warning! You are [Mana Locked] and cannot use Mana for 15 seconds. 14… 13…
Joe felt the pressure of the claw on his arm increase, but currently it was doing no significant damage. Dammit! Okay, no Mana, no problem! Joe called forth one of his swords to his left hand and swung it awkwardly at the claw holding his arm. The sword bit but did very little damage. The crab monster then yanked on Joe’s arm, possibly intending to pull Joe off his feet, but the beast did not factor in that Joe was many times stronger than it was and he resisted allowing Bixby the chance to rake his corrosive claws across the elbow joint of the large claw still holding Joe. That seemed to wake the crab beast up and a high keening sound came from it as Joe watched a significant chunk of its health evaporate.
That gave Joe an idea and he changed tactics. He dismissed his sword and spun himself until he was directly in front of the Harrowed Crab. He grabbed the other large claw as it swung towards him. The monster was half the size of a VW bug, but far lighter. Joe stepped back, lifted his arms and dark, smoking tendrils shot from the ground underneath it. The impact of the tendrils helped Joe with the leverage, and he simply fell backward, flipping the entire monster over his head and onto its shell. The keening noise grew louder; however, it had no time to try and flip itself back over, and no way to as Joe was on his back, holding it in place. Bixby took the opportunity and leaped onto the less armored belly of the beast and began shredding it with his claws.
Another blast of mental energy went out, but this time, Joe was ready, and he weathered the dizziness without any undue effects. Within a few minutes, Bixby had shredded the carapace and repeatedly bitten into the soft bodied creature inside. A few sharp tugs and Bixby managed to rip most of the octopus-like creature completely free from the shell. Two Void Fang bites later and Joe felt the familiar tingle at the back of his head that indicated that the monster was dead.
Joe pried the claw from his arm and stood up, “How the fuck was that thing so tough?” Bixby had no answer and casually placed a paw on the creature, looted it then stored the carcass. Joe saw the notice, “Thanks Bix.” He quickly checked the loot and found a good amount of gold as well as something called a Ghastly Pearl. He also received a piece of armor.
Plate Armor of the Harrowed Crab
Made from the exceptionally sturdy carapace of a [Harrowed Crab], this full set of plate armor confers 800 points of armor to its wearer. Additionally, the wearer may breathe freely and move unhindered while immersed in water.
“Huh. Someone will find that useful back in town, I’m sure.” He regarded Bixby, “You good?” At Bixby’s affirmative answer, he rubbed the dogs ruff and turned back to the stone building housing the survivors. “Hey kid! I killed the crab monster! It’s okay to come out now!”
There was a slight pause before, “Bullshit! You get all of them?”
“All of…? What? How many are there?”
“Three!” was the reply.
“Double fuck!”