Chapter 62: The power to protect

[What are you standing here for? Find something and catch a fish or two. If I were you, I would feel embarrassed to have my harem do all the job. Aren't you a Hero?]

-But what should I use... -

Vincent gazed at the cart to muster an idea. When his eyes reached the four pelts, and an idea flashed to his mind. To use the tough dry pelt like a net. However, he didn't know how long it would last.

[Are you going to try using the frames? The frame isn't that sturdy, so I suggest to use it as a ramp to fling the fish on land. The gut side should be slippery.]

Vincent liked the idea even better. He picked the sturdiest one and went to try his hand at fishing with a dried framed pelt.

The fish arrived. Ester and Lupa instantly filled the bucket as the fish didn't take time to notice their presence. It felt like a generous gift of the river sending a school of fish swimming without minding if they were getting caught.

The two smiled as their buckets were full to the brim. However, it didn't last long. They heard Vincent laughing a few meters behind them.

Ester and Lupa simultaneously turned their head back. Soon, their curious eyes picked up a surreal scene. Multiple fish flew in the air as if they could fly, mystifying the two girls.

They gasped in surprise. It was a feat that seemed impossible, yet their eyes saw fish fluttering in the air and then landing on the ground ripe for picking. It seemed the fish kept swimming full throttle on to the ramp.

"One, two, three." Ester began counting along with Lupa.

"Four, five, six..." Lupa continued counting until Ester stopped after realizing counting was useless. More than ten fish and increasing lay on the ground.

Instead of a net, the frame acted as a makeshift ramp, flinging the fast-moving school of fish like flyes. Regrettably, this lasted until the pelt's hardness wore off, and the frame broke soon after.

Seconds later, the school of fish quickly left. Vincent sighed in relief after checking the pelt was undamaged. Then he left to pick the fish on the ground. But the fish picker Lupa was already eagerly picking them with a grin, drooling on every fish her golden eyes laid upon.

"I count twenty-four fish! Vincent caught a lot without a barrel." Lupa excitedly said while picking the fist.

"Then Vincent won. I have twelve in mine. Your's too." Ester delivered devastating news to the poor Lupa. It made her check, but she had the same amount.

Vincent, Ester, and Lupa were near the cart, discussing the total amount of fish caught and who the winner was. However, their excitement didn't last long. The reason why the fish were swimming frantically while ignoring being caught was getting closer by the second.

"Hey! Is that shaking large rock moving?" Lupa said as her ears heard a strange movement in the river. As she focused on the disturbance, she continued, "Is that an adult mudcrab, like Ester mentioned?"

Lupa picked up an unusual sound of water splashing at a distance. That's when her eyes spotted an unusual rock approaching illuminated by the moonlight. It appeared larger, the closer it approached.

"Don't tell me the mother got alerted after we killed the mudcrab?" Vincent asked with a worried frown. His crab catch brought them unwanted danger.

[Name] Adult Freshwater Mudcrab

[Condition] Healthy, Enraged

[Detail]

A type of territorial crab that grows a hard carapace on their back resembling a rock. The older the mudcrab, the larger and more hardened the carapace is. Adults grow feelers under their jaw to navigate. The older the mudcrab, the more feelers it would have.

[I'm sorry for the death flag I rose earlier. I will do my best with Guidance Tactics since only you can fight. Ester can't help, and Lupa couldn't cut the carapace of an infant mudcrab. Only you can fight with your hard mutated skin.]

"Ester, Lupa, leave this fight to me. Only I can fight the Adult Mudcrab for ten minutes with my hardened arms. If it's too much, then Lupa will help us climb trees to escape its range." Vincent steeled himself for the next fight for survival.

"But..." Lupa objected. However, Ester nudged her shoulder. As Lupa turned her gaze, she saw Ester shaking her head with a sad frown. The two of them were too weak and unmatched to face this challenge.

Ester and Lupa retreated next to the campfire. They burnt many sticks and began tossing them along the river to increase visibility. The moonlight reflected on the river providing light. The more lighting the river had, the better the reaction for Vincent to act.

Vincent stayed in the middle of the river, acting as bait while waiting for the mudcrab to arrive. His heart raced from fear and anxiety, but his conviction ignited, giving him the courage to protect the girls.

Vincent saw the mudcrab approaching. At a few meters distance, he shouted, "Overheat!"

[Overheat activated.]

[Mutation starting to alter the host...]

[Mutation process finished.]

[Race altered to mutated human for its duration.]

A window displaying updating information appeared to his side. His arms quickly got covered with mutated blood until it hardened. His green eyes shone in the night, and steam escaped from his mouth.

The ability finished in the nick of time. The mudcrab suddenly got faster as it noticed Vincent standing in its path.

Vincent put on a guard raising his hardened green-skinned arms to block the attack. He steeled himself since dodging might backfire on him. With his legs planted in the sand, he prepared to stop the charge.

*Clang

The impact rang a loud sound, like two iron blocks colliding against each other. Vincent placed all his strength in his back and legs, not to get thrown away.

Vincent stayed steady with his perseverance to stand firm. His feet planted in the sand allowed him to resist such a violent clash. He got dragged six meters until he stopped the mudcrab's charge with his body.

Vincent swiftly unstuck his feet and pushed the mudcrab while jumping back. Shortly, there was a two-meter distance between them. That's when he could clearly see the monster he was up against.

It was a six-foot crab-like creature. The carapace that looked like a rock shell made the mudcrab resemble a sea snail, but with a four-foot boulder instead.

It had a total of six crab-like legs, including an extra pair of longer arched spider-like legs behind them. They seemed its source of sprinting power.

From inside the shell stretched out a terrifying head. Similar to a snail, it extended out from the boulder, revealing its monstrous head.

Its head kept extending for half a meter. However, it seemed more of a large mouth than a long head.

The mudcrab soon opened its large hard rock jaws. A set of sharp rock like teeth revealed themselves at the frowning Hero. It gave the impression of wanting to eat Vincent in one gulp.

[No wonder it could tear limbs with ease; its head appears to be hard, yet flexible to retract inside its shell. Be careful. This isn't going to be an easy one.]

Vincent nodded as he couldn't concentrate on replying. His legs felt weak after forcefully stopping the charge, and his hands trembled from the impact even if he felt nothing below his elbow. Luckily, there was no sign of cracks.

Upon closer inspection at the adult mudcrab illuminated by the moon and the many burning sticks, Vincent and Kazumi couldn't find its eyes.

[Where are its eyes? Wait! Didn't the monster info say something about feelers to navigate? Ugh... they look disgusting. Almost like slimy tentacles twitching and moving in different directions.]

'So those eight feelers might be its weak spot. No wonder games with show weakness skills are op. No, I need to focus instead of overthinking.'

Vincent shook his head to stop thinking and focus on the deadly monster in front of him. His life depended on it.

The mudcrab had terrifying defensive capability with its hard boulder shell. A hard rock-scale covered its eight legs. It seemed to be immune to sharp attacks, so Vincent was the only one that had a chance to do something. They might have been able to run away if it wasn't enraged and dead set on killing them.

*Growl!

The mudcrab growled, returning Vincent to his senses. Unfortunately, it was too late. The mudcrab used its two spider-like hind legs to lunge at him with terrifying speed. It opened its jaws, ready to tear his legs apart.

Vincent hastily took a step back, lowering his arm to get bitten instead. The hardened skin covered it, so he hoped it would be enough not to get bitten off.

The eight feelers under the mudcrab's jaw detected the change. That something else was closer than his legs. Like an automatic targeting system, its head turned to switch targets.

The jaws opened wide, showing a frightening scene. Its jaws quickly closed, biting the new closest target, his green-skinned forearm. Momentarily, from his fingers to half his forearm, it was under the terrifying jaws might.

Fortunately, the hardened mutated blood was more robust than he thought. It didn't break nor crack. Only a few dents appeared on his mutated skin.

However, the mudcrab didn't stop there. It released its jaws to bite again, and again, and again. Vincent was at the mercy of the fierce onslaught of devastating bites.

From the third bite onwards, Kazumi noticed the eight slimy feelers moving and following all of Vincent's actions. It was the navigational ability the monster information mentioned.

[Vincent, you can't keep this up!]

[When I tell you, swing an uppercut at its feelers. It should stun the mudcrab enough to break free of its hold.]

Vincent didn't have time to think. He took a deep breath to focus and waited for its next move. When the fifth bite connected, he raised his bitten arm with all his strength, lifting the mudcrab a few inches tilting it on its hind legs.

Vincent flung his other free arm backward. He tightly clenched his fist and shot an uppercut with all he had at its jaw. The hit connected, forcing the jaws to tighten on his hardened mutated blood skin.

*Clang

It was a critical hit. The mudcrab released its jaws while retreating a few meters from the shock. Vincent could see the mudcrab twitching its jaw, showing it felt devastating pain.

Kazumi noticed four of its feelers stopped moving. The other four franticly wiggled from the pain. The mudcrab didn't move an inch from the place it stood.

[Nice, half of its sensors are gone.]

"That's right! I'm not the old Vincent anymore. I'm afraid, but my body is screaming to fight. Kazumi, thanks for the info. I had forgotten about the weak spot while I thought I was going to lose another arm." Vincent said with an unwavering gaze. He didn't look like a person terrified to fight against death.

CREATORS' THOUGHTS
VisualKoFey

The MC encounters a fierce fight where any mistake means death. The third fight for his life begins. He doesn't want to see Ester or Lupa getting hurt, so he musters his courage with the will to protect. To use the power he always wished for and use it as he wished to be used.

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