Chapter 42: Preparation
Gray drifted through the kelp forest, his body still aching from the Broodmother fight. The familiar walls of the rock shelf overhang came into view, and he squeezed through the narrow gap with practiced ease. The sandy floor was cold against his bell, and the stone above him felt solid and reassuring.
[SHELTER: ROCK SHELF OVERHANG]
[Regeneration: +20%]
He let himself settle, his eight tentacles spreading across the sand. The warmth of the regeneration bonus seeped through his translucent flesh, slowly mending the lacerations on his bell margin and neutralizing the last traces of the Broodmother’s venom.
He pulled up his status screen, the golden text materializing in the darkness of the overhang.
Stats:
· ATK: 6
· DEF: 26
· SPD: 70
· INT: 52
· LUK: 15
Stat Points: 20
Skill Points: 6
He studied the numbers, his thoughts churning. Level 20 would bring evolution and with it, access to all five of his completed traits. Those were physical skills. And physical skills, if they worked anything like the games he’d played, would scale with ATK.
His ATK was six.
’That’s pathetic. I’ve been ignoring ATK because my build relied on venom and electricity. But after evolution, I’ll have physical options. If I don’t invest now, those new skills will hit like wet noodles.’
He allocated seven points into ATK.
[ATK: 6 → 13]
’Still not great. But better than six.’
Next, he needed survivability. The Broodmother had nearly killed him with her contact venom. Toxic Resilience would help with that eventually, but for now, raw DEF was his best defense. And INT boosted his MP pool and his skill damage. He needed both.
Five points into DEF.
[DEF: 26 → 31]
[HP MAX: 345 → 395]
Five points into INT.
[INT: 52 → 57]
[MP MAX: 440 → 490]
Three points into LUK.
[LUK: 15 → 18]
He confirmed the allocation and checked the updated stats.
Stats:
· HP: 395 / 395
· MP: 490 / 490
· ATK: 13
· DEF: 31
· SPD: 70
· INT: 57
· LUK: 18
’That’ll do. Now skills.’
Six skill points. He pulled up his skill list.
Skills:
· [Hollow Cloak] (Passive) Lv. 3
· [Neurotoxic Drift] Lv. 7
· [Overcharge] Lv. 6
· [EMP Shroud] Lv. 5
’EMP Shroud saved my life against the Broodmother. Eight seconds of sensory blackout is incredible, but the cooldown is still forty-five seconds. I need it available more often.’
Two points into EMP Shroud.
[EMP SHROUD — Lv. 5 → Lv. 7]
[Duration: 8 seconds → 10 seconds]
[Cooldown: 45 seconds → 35 seconds]
[MP Cost: 12 → 10]
[Radius: 4 meters → 5 meters]
’Ten seconds of invisibility. Thirty-five second cooldown. That’s almost a third of the fight I can spend completely undetectable.’
Two points into Overcharge.
[OVERCHARGE — Lv. 6 → Lv. 8]
[Damage: 50-62 → 62-78]
[Stun chance: 78% → 82%]
[Stun duration: 4 seconds → 5 seconds]
[Self-damage: 3% → 2%]
’Eighty-two percent stun chance. Five second duration. I can lock down almost anything.’
Two points remained. He stared at them, considering his options. Hollow Cloak was passive — more points would make him even harder to detect, but he was already nearly invisible. Neurotoxic Drift was already devastating at Level 7. EMP Shroud and Overcharge had just been upgraded.
’I’ll save them. Evolution might unlock new skills that need investment. Better to have points ready than to wish I’d saved them.’
He let his body relax against the sand, the regeneration bonus continuing its slow work. Outside the overhang, the kelp forest swayed with the rhythm of the deep. He closed his senses and let exhaustion take him.
Gray woke fully restored. His HP and MP sat at maximum, his wounds healed, his tentacles coiled with fresh energy. He squeezed through the overhang entrance and pulsed into the kelp forest, his Hollow Cloak rendering him nearly invisible.
’Time to find new territory.’
He drifted east, leaving the familiar volcanic slope behind. The kelp thinned gradually, the dense fronds giving way to scattered stalks and eventually to open water. The seafloor sloped downward, the rocky terrain transitioning to soft, pale sand that stretched into the darkness.
[LOCATION DISCOVERED: THE SANDY EXPANSE]
[Low creature density. Minimal cover. Not recommended for extended hunting.]
’This is too open. I need cover to ambush. Let’s try south.’
He turned and pulsed southward, following the edge of the kelp forest where it met the volcanic slope. The terrain here was a mix of scattered boulders and thick kelp stalks, with plenty of hiding spots. His enhanced senses swept the water, reading the electrical fields of dozens of small creatures.
And then he felt something larger.
A vibration. Slow and heavy, each pulse carrying a weight that made his tentacles curl instinctively. He drifted closer, Hollow Cloak swallowing his approach, until the source came into view.
It was exactly as he remembered.
[COLOSSAL CARAPACE CRAB — Level 14]
HP: 600 / 600
Threat Level: EXTREME
Weakness: Slow movement speed. Limited turning radius.
Gray hovered at the edge of its territory, studying the massive crustacean. The system’s analysis scrolled through his mind. Thick armor. Crushing claws. Nearly invulnerable to physical attacks from the front. Its shell could probably shrug off Neurotoxic Drift — the venom might not penetrate the gaps in its plating at all. And Overcharge, while powerful, would require him to get close enough to touch it.
’If I get close enough to use Overcharge, I’m dead. One grab from those claws and I’m crushed.’
He circled the crab slowly, keeping his distance. The creature’s eyestalks tracked him, but it didn’t attack. It was confident. Territorial. It knew nothing in this part of the reef could threaten it.
And right now, it was right.
’My venom might not penetrate its shell. My electricity might not be strong enough. And I have no physical damage to crack its armor.’
He thought about his completed traits. Three new physical skills waiting at Level 20. Exactly what he needed to crack that shell.
’I need those traits. Without them, this fight is suicide.’
He drifted backward, retreating from the Colossal Crab’s territory. The massive crustacean watched him go, its claws clicking once — a warning, or maybe a dismissal. It didn’t see him as a threat worth chasing.
’I’ll be back.’