"[Witch] Beatrice, you have been found guilty of consorting with demon kind, summoning devils to curse your neighbors and all sorts of associated villainy. As such, you are hereby sentenced to be immediately burned at the stake. Do you have any last words?"

"Yer burnin' me at the stake, eh?"

"Yes."

"Well then, I imagine my last words will be snap, CACKLE, and pop?"

...

......

"Trial recorder, note the [Witch]'s wordplay as yet another example of her perversion and the reason she was brought to our attention."

--Trial Recordings, [Witch] Beatrice v. Inquisitors. From, "Puns and You: Safety Edition." AC 1258.

I hide behind my old shell as I let my carapace harden.

"Are you done yet?" Luna calls.

"I'm working on it!" I call back. I then mutter to myself, "Wisdom! You don't see me rushing you regrowing your legs."

"What's that?"

"Nothing! Nothing! Uh... just give me a little bit."

I huddle down, not wanting her to see me. Seriously? Who watches a crab molt? What kind of beach did she grow up on?

She didn't grow up on a beach silly, she grew up in a dungeon.

Oh yeah... well that's still no excuse for bad manners. As I sit motionless to let my resources recover and my shell harden, I decide to bring up my status.

"Status."

Character Screen Name: Sir Crabby McCrabbington I Age: 8 Months Level: 5 Class: Apprentice of the Coasts Race: Elemental Crab Titles: Triumvirate Unveiled, Kiss from a Crab, Luck of the Crab, Lore Contributor II, Bridge Between Health: 130/130 H-Regen: 0.13/sec Mana: 240/240 M-Regen: 0.27/sec Stamina: 300/300 S-Regen: 0.24/sec Basic Stats Strength: 11 Wisdom: 27 Vitality: 13 Intelligence: 24 Dexterity: 17 Charisma: 23 More...

Oh yeah! With the two level ups and my legs and shell fixed there are no more negatives! My health went from fifty to a whopping one thirty. That's not to mention my stamina. I'm sitting at a cool three hundred! As I review the battle against the boss crab, I'm pretty sure I can take it by myself now. I was already holding my own with the music buff, and with my health increasing, I can take ten hits from the crab. That's more than double what I could before. As I close my status, I check the progress of my shell. It's been about an hour and it's already started to solidify. Still...

This is taking too long.

As I'm trying to think of a way to speed it up, an inkling of an idea begins to form. Deciding to try it, I cross my claws, sinking into my thoughts as I have twice before. I ignore the shifting shadows for now, not needing to pull [Lore] from the [Akasha]. Instead, as Toriana had guided me, I venture to my mana core, taking a piece of it and bringing it back to the surface.

Just like the first time, it occurs in a mere instant yet it feels like hours had passed. The process seems a bit easier as well, and I turn my [Mana Sense] on so that I can see what I'm trying to do.

I send tendrils of mana through my shell, trying to reproduce the effects of the crab meat. The mana touches and then detaches, as if unsure of it's purpose. I bear my concentration down and start to run the mana through my carapace; imparting thoughts of stability and strength. I manage to set up a flow, mana pulling from my core, through my shell and then back to my core. I feel my shell harden as I hear a...

'ding'

You have learned to reinforce your shell!

[Mana Manipulation II] - 5 is now level 7.

Reinforcement is not a skill, but a basic facet of [Mana Manipulation].

Yes!

I can feel my shell growing harder, until eventually it *snaps* into rigidity. Then... then it continues to get stronger. The mana flowing within and over the shell reinforces the existing chitin layers. I let the flow peter off and as it stops, I notice my shell returning to it's normal state. It seems as if it's something I'll have to turn on and off.

I get to my feet and move over to Luna.

"I'm all done! You can look now!"

She turns over to me.

"I don't get why I couldn't look before."

I pause, considering her perspective. Hmm...

"It might be a crab thing. I don't know, I've never met a starfish before."

She nods one of her arms.

"Anyway! Are you ready to go? We can head to the [Safe Zone] now if you want?"

"Sure. What do I need to do?"

She takes one of my claws and says,

"Just hold on tight."

I'm unable to get a word in before I hear her say,

[Recall].

A blinding flash of light barrels down and then I'm somewhere else. No transition, no gradual change. Just one moment I'm in the boss chamber and now? Now I'm on some kind of stone platform. Gentle light descends from above, rays of lumination cascading into the water. The platform I'm on is flat and nondescript, the same monotone grey as the rest of the dungeon. My surroundings though? My stalks swivel as I gaze in wonder.

A hundred shades of bright fronds cascade in the water, waving in an unseen current. Schools of tiny fish flitter amidst the shelter of their boughs. Coral, living stone, surrounds the platform; in reds and yellows and oranges and every shade inbetween. I see tiny crabs scuttling along the white sandy bottoms; their size only matched by the miniature clams they hunt. Far ahead, in the distance I can see kelp rising from below, green vegetation filtering the light above. I turn to Luna, for once speechless.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" she says.

I nod, lost for words. Eventually, I snap out of it as I see something swimming through the water towards our location. It's moving stealthily, blending into the coral and sand around it as it's colors ripple to match the refracting light. It gets closer and some deep rooted instinct begins to flare as my stalks begin to make out it's features. It's bulbous, eight arms slithering with menace as it creeps towards us. My brain is searching, scrambling to make sense of what I'm seeing. It's only when noting it's natural camouflage that I'm reminded of my own ability. And the [Lore] that came with it.

"OCTOPUS!!! PREPARE FOR BATTLE!"

I raise my claws high, [Earth Manipulation] already beginning to armor my form. It's only as I'm beginning to chant, "Sir," to start up my music that I realize Luna hasn't moved and is instead quickly tapping on my shell. I realize that the octopus' advance has stopped and then I hear the words she's been trying to say.

"No!!! It's okay Sir Crabby! He's a friend! A FRIEND!!!"

I pant, trying to corral my emotions, trying to cage my desire to face this dread enemy. I take a few long seconds to gather my thoughts.

It's okay Crabby. Think of the beach. Think of a nice cool hole in the sand and your favorite seaweed mat. I lower my arms, letting my [Earth Manipulation] go. I barely manage to restrain myself as it speaks...

"Oooohhhh, crunchy crabbies wantss to fight? Hmm... We can go elsewhere. I can hold you sooo sweetly crunchy crabby. You can taste my venom as I taste your flesh... hmm, yess we can do that. Just leave your little friend there. Yess, leave the boring star alone and comess with us. I have a dark hole just for you my crunchy."

My arms, which were lowering, begin to rise again. I take a step back and whisper to Luna.

"Are you sure this guy's a friend? Because it sounds like he wants to eat me."

"No Octo! Sir Crabby is a friend, not food! You want food? You go to another floor. No hunting in the [Safe Zone]."

"Psssshhhh. The boring star sspeaks true. Hmm... I will go then. I findss crunchy crabbys somewhere else. Bye then boring star. And you too my sssweeet meat."

It turns and begins to swim off into the distance. It's body camouflaging as it moves out of sight.

I turn to Luna, barely managing to put my thoughts in order as I say,

"What... the heck... was that?"

Luna watches Octo leave before turning back to me.

"That? That's someone who gained [sapience] by relying on their experience and instincts. And not nice ones at that. Be careful around him."

Nodding, I follow her as she leaves, heading deeper into the coral "[Safe Zone]".