Isabelle stood in the battered room of the tavern, covered in crab entrails. She looked to Tahsi and Sir Jingles, and then to the two Ozian Sect Warriors who had helped them fight the crabs.
[‘Rage of the Endangered’ Debuff Duration Remaining: 00:10:09]
[Spell Duration Remaining ‘Crabby Costume’ (Isabelle): 00:19:44]
[Spell Duration Remaining ‘Crabby Costume’ (Tahsi): 00:19:37]
[Notice: Another wave of crabs is on the way. You have 00:59]
“I’ll be fine, the crabs didn’t do too much damage to me,” said Tahsi, chomping on some bread. “Plus, I’ve got this delicious bread to heal me. ”
[Notice: Party member Tahsi ready to level up]
“Tahsi, doesn’t leveling up fill your hp?”
“I think so,” said Tahsi through a mouthful of bread. “But why go through all that trouble when you’ve got bread to eat?”
[Speechcraft Attempt: Intimidate]
Isabelle almost felt like slapping him. “Tahsi, get the bread out of your mouth and level up!”
[Speechcraft Failed]
“Don’t tell me what to do, Isabelle,” said Tahsi.
“Ugh,” Isabelle groaned, shaking her head.
[Speechcraft Attempt: Persuade]
“Tahsi, please level up. It’ll give you an advantage over the crabs. Your bread will still be in your inventory after we fight the second wave.”
[Speechcraft Succeeded]
“That’s fair,” Tahsi nodded his head and unequipped his bread. “Do, uh, would you like to spend my points for me?”
Isabelle was surprised. “Really? Do you want me to?”
“It only makes sense. It’s not like I’ve ever leveled up before, all of my leveling has been strictly outside of any specific players’ system. You probably already know more about what each thing does than me, and we’re party members, anyway,” said Tahsi.
“Okay,” Isabelle said with a nod. “Sounds like fun!” Maybe it would help her not be as jealous of how high Tahsi’s numbers were compared to her own.
Isabelle realized she wasn’t sure how to prompt leveling a party member up.
[Clarification: To level up a party member yourself, think ‘Open (party member’s name) character sheet’.]
Isabelle could’ve guessed as much. Isabelle thought, ‘Open Tahsi character sheet.’
[Notice: Tahsi has reached level 5!]
[hp restored to 85]
[Notice: You have attribute and skill points to spend]
[Would you like to spend your points now?]
[Y/N]
Isabelle thought yes.
Attribute Points to Spend: 6
Hp:
85
H-Regen:
0.2/sec
Mana:
20
M-Regen:
0.2/sec
Stm:
35
S-Regen:
0.5/sec
Tahsi got six attribute points to spend? So much for getting over her jealousy. Still, after taking a quick look at Tahsi’s current attributes, Isabelle felt like he could really use more stm. So, she decided to dump all six attribute points into it.
Skill Points to Spend: 6
Str:
21
Int:
17
Dx:
11
Wis:
23
Const:
18
Char:
8
Six more points to spend on skills. Was Tahsi’s wis really already 23? That was just insane. Isabelle definitely wasn’t going to put any more points there. Actually, the more she looked, the more Isabelle wondered how Tahsi’s charisma was so low compared to his other skills. Sure, it was better than hers and Sir Jingles, but compared to most of his other skills, Tahsi didn’t actually have that high of a score. So she threw five points into char, and then Isabelle also gave Tahsi one point to his int, because even though it was apparently already quite high she felt he came off as a bit simple.
Character Status
Name:
Tahsi
Gender:
Male
Level:
5
Class:
Baker
Race:
Kobold
Alignment:
Neutral-Good
Attributes
Hp:
85
H-Regen:
0.2/sec
Mana:
20
M-Regen:
0.2/sec
Stm:
41
S-Regen:
0.5/sec
Skill Points
Str:
21
Int:
18
Dx:
11
Wis:
23
Const:
18
Char:
13
Magic Ability Levels
Enchant:
0
Summon:
0
Heal:
0
Destroy:
0
Transmute:
0
Confuse:
0
Normal Ability Levels
Crafting:
15
Sneak:
0
Archery:
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
6
Lockpick:
0
Armed Combat:
6
Melee Combat:
8
Speechcraft:
6
Slight Of Hand:
0
[Congratulations, you’ve finished leveling up Tahsi]
“Wow, I feel great!” said Tahsi. “Maybe I ought to celebrate with some bread.”
“Tahsi, save your bread for after the next wave of crabs,” said Isabelle. “How’s everybody else doing?”
The warriors grumbled softly that they were quite alright. One of them then wiped crabs guts off his shield. Sir Jingles froze when Isabelle looked at him, as he’d been absentmindedly licking his anus.
[‘Rage of the Endangered’ Debuff Duration Remaining: 00:09:56]
[Spell Duration Remaining ‘Crabby Costume’ (Isabelle): 00:19:13]
[Spell Duration Remaining ‘Crabby Costume’ (Tahsi): 00:19:01]
[Notice: Another wave of crabs is on the way. You have 00:28.]
Isabelle then decided she ought to hurry up and try looting some of the dead Large Ozian Warrior Hermit Crabs while she still had a chance. She focused on the one at her feet.
[Loot ‘Large Ozian Warrior Hermit Crab’?]
Isabelle thought yes.
Inventory: Large Ozian Hermit Crab
Item
Traits
Crab Flesh
+2 hp, +1 carry weight
That was it? Isabelle scowled. She took the crab flesh anyway, though.
Inventory: Large Ozian Hermit Crab
Item
Traits
n/a
n/a
Four more crabs to check. Isabelle focused on the crab to her immediate right.
[Loot ‘Large Ozian Warrior Hermit Crab’?]
Isabelle thought yes.
Inventory: Large Ozian Hermit Crab
Item
Traits
Crab Flesh
+2 hp, +1 carry weight
Isabelle sighed. Another dud. Still, the crab flesh could heal her, so she took it.
Inventory: Large Ozian Hermit Crab
Item
Traits
n/a
n/a
Maybe the crab over to Isabelle’s left would have something more interesting. She had to hurry.
[Loot ‘Large Ozian Warrior Hermit Crab’?]
Isabelle thought yes.
Inventory: Large Ozian Hermit Crab
Item
Traits
Crab Flesh
+2 hp, +1 carry weight
Crab Claw Gauntlets
+4 damage (armed), +8 damage (melee) +2 carry weight
Woah. Crab claw gauntlets sounded pretty cool. Isabelle took both those and the crab flesh, just in case.
Inventory: Large Ozian Hermit Crab
Item
Traits
n/a
n/a
[Notice: Another wave of crabs is on the way. You have 00:05.]
Isabelle looked quickly, finding a fourth crab to loot.
[Loot ‘Large Ozian Warrior Hermit Crab’?]
Isabelle thought yes.
Inventory: Large Ozian Hermit Crab
Item
Traits
Crab Exoskeleton
+8 hp, +3 stm, +10 carry weight
Isabelle wasn’t sure what the deal with the exoskeleton was, but she took it. Not a moment too soon, either, as she could hear the scratching and clawing of more crabs on their way.
Inventory: Large Ozian Hermit Crab
Item
Traits
n/a
n/a
[Notice: You’re over encumbered. Please check your inventory.]
[Notice: the next wave of crabs is arriving now]
Isabelle opened her inventory so that she could equip her new items. Unfortunately, there was no time to check their descriptions now.
Inventory: Isabelle
Carrying capacity: 38.2/36
Item
Traits
Steel Morningstar
+3 damage, +5 carry weight
Potion of Lesser Health
+5 hp, +0.5 carry weight
Steel Domination Chain
+11 damage, +10 carry weight
Staff of the Crustacean
+5 mana, +2 carry weight
Crab Exoskeleton
+8 hp, +3 stm, +10 carry weight
Crab Claw Gauntlets
+4 damage (armed), +8 damage (melee) +2 carry weight
Emerald Amulet of Lesser Stamina
+2 stm, +0.5/sec s-regen
Peasant Robes (human)
+1 carry weight
Stale Bread Loaf x8
+10 hp (cumulative), +0.5 carry weight
Crab Flesh x4
+2 hp, +1 carry weight
Gate Key
n/a
Isabelle dropped three of the crab flesh items to clear up her carrying weight, then she equipped the crab claw gauntlets and the crab exoskeleton. She did not equip a weapon.
[Crab flesh dropped]
[Crab flesh dropped]
[Crab flesh dropped]
[Crab Claw Gauntlets equipped]
[+8 damage (melee)]
[Crab Exoskeleton equipped]
[+8 hp]
[+3 stm]
[‘One of the Crabs’ buff activated]
[‘Crabby Odor’ debuff activated]
[Combat mode activated]
The crabs had arrived, and they were clawing at everyone. The warriors groaned, taking apparently a lot more damage than they had last time. Isabelle couldn’t see how much though, as they hadn’t joined her party. Then, Isabelle focused on the crabs, and the green text of the system let her know why.
[Large Ozian Berserker Hermit Crab]
They’d sent in super strong crabs this time, apparently. However, Isabelle noticed none of these crabs were attacking her. Maybe it had something to do with that ‘One of the Crabs’ buff she’d just gotten from the exoskeleton? Isabelle thought ‘Learn More About One of the Crabs.’
Buff: One of the Crabs
Cause: Equipping Crab Exoskeleton
Description: Donning the exoskeleton of a crabs’ fallen comrade has an unexpected benefit—now any and all crabs consider you their equal and ally, and will not attack you unless you provoke them. Additionally, if you are wearing this outfit and someone else attacks you within <50 feet of a Large Ozian Hermit Crab, the crabs will descend upon them like the fire of hell itself.
Well, that was convenient.
Isabelle looked over the onslaught of the attack crabs. Unsurprisingly, Tahsi was holding his own quite well. The Ozian Sect warriors actually looked like they might be on their last leg, but Isabelle didn’t necessarily mind if they got mauled to death, especially if the crabs wouldn’t attack her.
Then she saw Sir Jingles, cowering in a corner as a Large Ozian Berserker Hermit Crab gnashed its claws at him.
Isabelle walked up behind the crab and raised her arm. She noticed that the crab claw gauntlet essentially added a long crab claw from the start of her elbow to the tip of her middle finger, making her entire arm into a sort of crabby blade. It was pretty fucking cool.
She slashed at the crab three times in rapid succession almost automatically, although she’d only tried to attack once.
[Sneak Attack]
[Critical hit]
[220 damage dealt]
[‘Large Ozian Berserker Hermit Crab’ is dead.]
[Sneak increased to level 2]
[Melee Combat increased to level 2]
[Stamina 75%]
The crab collapsed in a heap. Isabelle gasped. She hadn’t even meant to do a sneak attack!
“Shit!” said Sir Jingles. “Thanks. That was damn impressive.”
“Any time,” Isabelle smiled. It was nice to be able to help someone, and super nice to feel as cool as she did for stealth killing that berserker crab. It definitely made her feel better about being a lower level than she wanted to be.
Isabelle looked around. Four more of these extra strong crabs to go. Obviously it’d be the easiest if she could just pull some more sneak attacks out, so she looked to see what crabs weren’t facing her.
Tahsi was still holding his own quite well, but one crab had quickly become two, and he was starting to look a little overwhelmed. Maybe Isabelle could sneak around one of these crabs and take it out quickly. Isabelle crouched, in a bid to make herself a little harder for the crabs to detect.
[Current visibility: 200/200]
Damn. So much for that. Then again, if she had a current visibility of 200/200, how exactly had she stealth killed that crab earlier?
[Clarification: The current visibility counter is telling you your visibility to everyone right now. There are people in your immediate vicinity who can see you, so your current visibility registers as a 200/200. To see your current visibility for a specific entity, focus on them until their title comes up, then think ‘Show Current Visibility to (specific entity’s title)’.]
Isabelle figured that was worth a shot. She focused on one of the crabs attacking Tahsi.
[Large Ozian Berserker Hermit Crab]
Isabelle thought ‘Show Current Visibility to Large Ozian Berserker Hermit Crab.’
[Current Visibility (Large Ozian Berserker Hermit Crab): 0/200]
Much better. Isabelle crawled forward, slowly approaching the back of the crab. As it thrashed around, one of its eye stalks almost looked her way.
[Current Visibility (Large Ozian Berserker Hermit Crab): 5/200]
She would’ve flinched, but combat mode kept her in place, allowing Isabelle to supress her own stress and instead focus her energy on succeeding, and that made all the difference.
[Current Visibility (Large Ozian Berserker Hermit Crab): 0/200]
Awesome. Isabelle walked forward. She was getting a hang of combat mode, and it was growing on her. This time when she attacked she slashed six times semi-intentionally.
[Sneak Attack]
[150 damage dealt]
Isabelle was a little disappointed she didn’t make a critical hit, but she was able to let it go. She watched Tahsi smile and swing his mace at the crab’s head.
[Critical hit]
The top of the crab’s head cracked open, spewing blue gore forth like a geyser over Tahsi’s face. Maybe Isabelle wasn’t entirely jealous of him for getting that critical hit.
[301 damage dealt]
[‘Large Ozian Berserker Hermit Crab’ is dead.]
301 damage? That settled it, Isabelle was definitely still jealous, but she wouldn’t let Tahsi know that.
“Nice kill, Tahsi,” she said with a smile.
Tahsi tried to respond, only to get hit in the face by a crab claw.
[Tahsi -8 hp]
Isabelle wanted to strike the crab back, but figured it might be better to go check on those Ozian Sect warriors, especially when Tahsi raised his mace and walloped the attacking crab three more times.
[55 damage dealt]
[78 damage dealt]
[66 damage dealt]
“Thanks for leveling up my stamina, Isabelle!” Tahsi said to her with a smile devoid of any competitiveness. Isabelle responded with a forced smile that thankfully didn’t count as an attempt at speechcraft as she turned to check on those warriors.
Or, that warrior, actually. Since the two crabs attacking the two warriors had managed to kill one of the warriors. Bummer. The other warrior didn’t look like he had much longer to live, either. Feeling benevolent, Isabelle once again dropped to a crouch.
[Current visibility: 200/200]
She focused on one of the crabs.
[Current Visibility (Large Ozian Berserker Hermit Crab): 0/200]
Nice. Over to the crab’s back she crawled, preparing her gauntlets for action. As Isabelle prepared to attack, she noticed her knees bend, and then spring into action. She leapt onto the top of the crab’s head and thrusted both of her elbows into the crab’s shell, cracking it into bits with the power of her crabby gauntlets.
[Sneak Attack]
[Critical Hit]
[260 damage dealt]
[‘Large Ozian Berserker Hermit Crab’ is dead.]
[Sneak increased to level 3]
[Melee Combat increased to level 3]
Wow. Isabelle was thrilled to level up so fast. Then, she looked to the last crab. In a final stroke of luck, the lone Ozian Sect warrior raised his sword and stabbed the crab in the guts three times, leaving it a cold, dead husk.
“Fuck yes!” Isabelle said with a smile. She saw that Tahsi had killed the other crab, so they were finally done.
But her system did not take Isabelle out of combat mode. And then, instead of the ‘Rage of the Endangered Debuff’ counter that had almost grown invisible before her eyes, Isabelle saw another message.
[The final crab is on its way.]
What? Final crab? Why did there have to be a final crab?
[Clarification: There’s always a final crab. Figuratively speaking, of course.]
Isabelle scowled in response to her system’s message.
Then, the ground shuddered, like an earthquake.
“Shit, what’s going on?” asked Tahsi.
“I could really use some catnip about now,” said Sir Jingles.
“I’m getting the fuck out of here,” said the Ozian Sect warrior. The warrior turned around and scurried off, only to suddenly get hit by a large, crabby claw from down the hall and pushed back into the debris of battle.
As the warrior clambered to his feet, the walls of the hallway creaked and squeaked as the wood buckled to bits, splintering away as a huge crab walked forward on two legs. Isabelle gasped to behold it. The crab had what appeared to be the crab equivalent of a twelve pack of abs, and all of its arms looked to be bulging with muscles under its exoskeleton. It was also glowing a golden-yellow hue.
“Oh my gods,” said Tahsi. “You never should’ve killed that crab, Isabelle.”
Isabelle focused on this foe so that her system might tell her a little bit about it.
[Large Ozian Juggernaut Hermit Crab]
[Notice: Your ‘One of the Crabs’ buff is ineffective against this crab due to its own buff ‘Knower of the Humans in Crab’s Clothing’]
“Fuck! I’ve got to get the fuck out of here!” cried the Ozian Sect warrior, dashing to run around the Large Ozian Juggernaut Hermit Crab.
As a response, the Large Ozian Juggernaut Hermit Crab reached a large claw forward and snapped the warrior’s head off, spraying blood everywhere as the warrior’s body jerked and fell to the floor like a ragdoll.
“Well,” Isabelle looked at Tahsi and Sir Jingles with a nervous frown, “This is going to be interesting.”