"Hey Phil, you know how we're here guarding in case there's a dungeon break?"

"Yep."

"And you know how eventually ALL dungeons will break if they're not regularly cleared out?"

"Yep."

"And you know how the sea folk only live near the coast and the planet is seventy five percent water?"

"Uh-huh."

"Then how come all the deep sea dungeons haven't broken open and flooded the land, raining down monsters to kill us all?"

...

"You know you're the reason I drink right?"

--Conversation between two Guards, Lenorian Dungeon. Cataclysm Theories: Thoughts and Observations, AC 1622.

As I slowly return to consciousness, I'm glad to note that I'm still alive. I guess the enemy crabs either can't go through the illusion separating the rooms, or don't know it's there. I lay there, motionless, trying to figure out where the pain is coming from.

Ah, there it is. It's everywhere, the pain is coming from everywhere. I sluggishly bring up the notifications that blink in the corner of my eye.

'ding'

*******************************************

**Warning: You have a cracked shell. (-2 VIT)**

**Warning: You have a missing leg. (-2 DEX, -2 VIT)**

**Note: You have 9 of 10 legs remaining.**

**Warning: You have lost > 50% of base VIT.**

**Warning: Negative VIT results in Negative Health Regen.**

**Warning: Negative Health Regen results in death.**

*******************************************

I grumble,

"Thank you [System]. So kind of you to let me know that my life draining away will kill me."

*silence*

At least it isn't forwarding broken inquiries anymore. I sigh as I bring up my status.

Character Screen Name: Sir Crabby McCrabbington I Age: 8 Months Level: 2 Class: Apprentice of the Coasts Race: Elemental Crab Titles: Triumvirate Unveiled, Kiss from a Crab, Luck of the Crab, Lore Contributer II Health: 19/30 H-Regen: 0.03/sec Mana: 170/170 M-Regen: 0.19/sec Stamina: 22/100 S-Regen: 0.07/sec Basic Stats Strength: 4 Wisdom: 19 Vitality: 7 (-4) Intelligence: 17 Dexterity: 9 (-2) Charisma: 16 More...

It'll be a while before I recover. As I look at my health regeneration and my missing leg, I notice something wrong with my vision.

My sight goes blurry and I blearily wipe my eyes, trying to figure out what happened. I must have gotten sand in them, as even being submerged in water, they still feel wetter than they should. I also must have gotten something in my nose, because I start sniffling as well. The sharp pain from my body is joined by a dull ache from my chest, as I think about my journey so far.

"I..."

*sniff*

"I don't think I like this part of the adventure."

*sniff*

I remember when Erica told me a story. There was a shining hero in it who rode off to slay the dragon. It was difficult, but he had alot of fun and saved the village. Then he came home and married the princess. I look to my side.

"He didn't come home missing a leg."

*sniff*

I bring all my limbs close, huddling into a ball....

*sniff*

...and fall asleep.

***

I wake up still aching, but feeling better. My health has recovered to it's new max of 30/30. I'm still missing my leg and my shell is still cracked. I try to remember how I've fixed this before.

Let's see, the last time...

Well the last time was when I got sucked into the wake of Erica's teleport. Then all that stuff with the gods happened, and when I woke up it was better. Then again, everything was fixed then. I struggle to remember my life before I was [Sapient]. There was... yeah! I was attacked by a bird. I had lost a leg that time as well. It took a while, but eventually when I got older, I shed my carapace and I healed the damage.

I take a look at my current form. Can I make that happen right now? I concentrate, trying to imagine getting a shiny new shell and a brand new leg.

And.... Regenerate!

*silence*

Shed Skin!

*silence*

Grow Legs!

*silence*

Hmm. I might have to wait for this to fix itself naturally.

I put away thoughts of my shell for the moment and try to figure out what happened. Thinking back, it all started when I overreacted and threw myself off the ground. I scroll through my combat logs to confirm a growing suspicion.

**************************

[Dungeness crab] - Lvl 3 tackles you for -7 HP!

[Dungeness crab] - Lvl 3 attacks you for -10 HP!

You have left the ground.

Water & Earth no longer meet.

[Coast] -10% faster actions

**************************

Yep, once I was mid-water I slowed down. When [Scuttle] upgraded to [Coast] it gained the secondary effect of faster actions where Earth and Water meet. Apparently, breaking contact with the Earth deactivated that. Then, I was ambushed by the same tactic I had just fallen for. There was a slew of combo attacks, and I was unable to respond. Not only that, but the crab's timing and teamwork were impeccable. It's like they were controlled by the same intelligence.

I struggle to organize my thoughts and decide to just list out the problems.

There's two of them and they work as a team.

If I leave the ground, they can ambush me where I can't see them.

They're higher level.

I'm slower and have less health now.

I activate [Earth Manipulation] to test what I can do with it. There are no rocks in the area, the floor covered with sand, so I clench down with my mind, trying to *make* the rock form. With half of my mana pool and a few minutes of concentration I'm rewarded with a tiny pebble. Maybe I can throw it at the enemy?

I lift it in my claw and wind up to hurl. I swing my claw forward and as I do so, my back legs come off the ground as I do a half turn. The rock slowly drifts about two feet before gently tumbling to the sand.

Huh.

Using [Earth Manipulation] I focus on the rock, lifting it into the water and try to move it with speed. It leisurely wafts through the water.

Hmm.

I try to recreate what I did during my first combat, and activate [Earth] & [Water Manipulation] simultaneously, removing the water friction in front of the rock to let it move faster. I can manage it, but it takes all of my focus to juggle the two skills at once. It's much more difficult outside of the rush of combat.

Panting hard, I sit down, mind scrambling to think of an adequate strategy. For some reason, my mind keeps coming back to that bird who attacked me. I had been minding my own business, looking for seaweed, when it got tired of messing with a rock...

Wait...

That wasn't a rock. Think Crabby, think.

It was a hermit crab.

A hermit crab that carried someone else's shell.

Stalks glinting with a hint of malice, I summon [Earth Manipulation] again. Slowly, paying attention to the joints, I place layer on layer of sand around my form. My size increases, and the sand makes me twice as big as I normally am. When I'm done, I take a single pondering step forward, my muscles creaking with the strain. I take another step, focusing on moving the sand with my mind and body at the same time, while also removing the friction with the water. A single step, still half as slow as I can normally move, but twice as fast as the last step. My mandibles slowly curve in a crabby grin. I can get better at this, I know it.

[Water Manipulation I] is now level 3.

[Earth Manipulation I] is now level 3.

Time to train.