Chương 55: Chapter Fifty Four

'En garde!' The E-ranked crab standing in front of him looked confused. Which was fair, given that the exclamation actually did the opposite of its stated purpose. The effect of 'Calming Words' causing the previously aggressive monster to briefly drop its guard. Ding! You have destroyed a 'Level 9 Razor Claw Mad-crab (E)' (11) Experience gained for ' Dimensional Mage (A)' (5) Experience gained for ' Treasure Hunter (B)' Which really was unfortunate for it.

Bob's peerlessly sharp sword almost flying through the water as it pierced through the crab's mouth and into the greater portion of its body. A simple twist afterwards putting paid to things. Which meant he could finally look at his previously ignored system alerts. Ding! Mindful Evasion (D) Has Leveled up! 4 - 5 Ding! Beginner Sword Weapon Mastery (F) has leveled up! 2 – 3 He smirked at leveling his newest Skill again.

He doubted the thing would ever make the permanent roster, but he had to admit it was fun to feel the hilt of the blade settle more surely in the grip of his 'prehensile limb'. He'd actually picked it up while chopping through the fish earlier, oddly enough. Equipping it more as an experiment than anything else. He'd never been able to level up his previous 'Weapon Mastery' Skill, so he found himself curious if that would hold true for all others. And apparently, it didn't.

With Bob suspecting it had something to do with him not technically wielding a rope previously. Given that a rope was generally what he wielded things with. Normally, Bob wouldn't have put himself at such a disadvantage simply to satisfy an errant bit of curiosity. However, upon reaching the outskirts of the manor, he'd found that there wasn't much left alive that warranted his 'big guns'.

The pike apparently having been feeding upon the nearby residents for some time, all that remained being a scattering of 'E' and 'F' ranked crabs hidden in the building's corners. Which, really, had suited him right down to the ground. Given he hadn't been at all in the mood for anymore life-or-death fights that day. Not with an injured ally currently recuperating inside of him, anyway.

And especially not when that same ally might well be transforming into a more powerful and fully healed enemy in the very near future. After chopping up the 'Mana-Mutated Pike' into bite sized morsels a few hours earlier, he had gone on to gently lower them down to the grievously injured octopod inside him. Each being slowly taken from him by the wounded monster until, suddenly, they weren't.

The lack of response to both offered food and his following demands that the creature reply to him initially making Bob fear the worst. When he eventually reached out to touch his companion however, instead of a dead octopus, he found something far more unsettling. A kind of… cocoon had formed where the monster used to sit. Surrounded by half-eaten chunks of fish and the remains of a tentacle which must have fallen off after he'd dragged the creature inside.

It felt hard and almost velvety to the touch, with it seeming to have adhered itself to his wooden floor and back 'wall'. Something which, he had to say, both the mimic and human portions of his brain were united in not being terribly big fans of. While it was the first time he'd encountered the unpleasant situation, it didn't take Bob long to realize that it was likely a result of the octopus gaining enough experience to evolve.

Though the fact that this was apparently how the whole process went down didn't exactly fill him with glee. Still, after he'd removed the biological waste dirtying up his hoard, Bob had swiftly made his way towards the manor in the near distance. Intending to spam 'Calming Words' endlessly against the closest crabling until he managed to get the ability to its next evolution. And being surprised to succeed in doing so with only his second use of the Skill.

Apparently, the mid-fight dialogue he'd had with the octopus gaining him more experience than he'd expected. The problem was, he'd ended up feeling more than a little uncertain over which evolutionary path to pick; all of his choices feeling like they were useful but fundamentally flawed. And with one of them possibly requiring him to hold off on choosing it anyway, Bob decided that he would first clear the area of all other hostiles. Not really wanting to be swarmed should the worst come to pass.

With the last crab kebabbed at the end of his sword however, it was probably best to give them another look. Bob opening up the 'Calming Words' Skill page and clicking the blinking 'evolve' button on the bottom of the screen. Ding! You have chosen to Evolve ' Calming Words (D)' Possible Evolutions: The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Greater Calming Words (C) The basic evolution for ' Calming Words (D)' Allows 'Calming Words' to effect multiple monsters.

End of evolutionary route Requirements: ' Calming Words (D)' Level 30 Bind Monster (C) Alternate (Taming) Path evolution for ' Calming Words (D)' Binds a singular monster to the user's control. (System Note! Choosing this evolution will make ' Bind Monster (C)' impossible to remove from 'Active Skills' until death or abandonment of Tamed Monster.) End of evolutionary route Requirements: ' Calming Words (D)' Level 30, Kept a singular monster docile for over 24 hours Lesser Mantle of Domination (C) (Aura) Path evolution for ' Calming Words (D)' Upon viewing the possessor, lesser monsters will be cowed. Opens (Aura) Path route for (Calming Words) Skill Requirements: ' Calming Words (D)' Level 30, Possession of a (Mind Control) Trait, Willpower: 150, Subjugation of a higher leveled monster.

Zone of Calm (C) (Illusion Path) evolution for ' Calming Words (D)' User can create a zone wherein all who enter will be calmed. Potency and area of effect increasing with level Opens (Illusion) Path route for (Calming Words) Skill Requirements: ' Calming Words (D)' Level 30, Willpower: 100, Creation of a (Illusion) Path Skill Even now he found himself almost salivating and grimacing simultaneously as he stared at them; even the basic evolution feeling tempting given its obvious utility.

Though the fact that it didn't actually mention how many monsters it was able to effect was a bit of an issue. Something which made 'Zone of Calm' feel superior, honestly. The idea of being able to silence a cacophony of screaming crabs with a single spell sounding heavenly. That said though, were he to have his druthers, Bob would have already chosen one of the other two.

'Bind Monster' was more-or-less exactly what he was hoping to find when he evolved 'Calming Words'; something that could turn the temporary alliance he had with his many-legged companion into a far more permanent affair. And 'Lesser Mantle of Domination' basically spoke for itself. The fact that there were two further evolutions available in that overpowered tree almost making Bob's jeweled eye pop out of its socket. It was simply a shame that both of them wanted to take away one of his precious Skill slots.

'Bind Monster' was at least temporary. And it could be argued that he wouldn't be in any worse of a situation than he already was by taking it, given that he was stuck spamming 'Calming Words' constantly as-is.

'Lesser Mantle of Domination' however, was obviously a Trait-Skill. And choosing it would see a full half of his currently available Skill slots permanently locked down. That said, Bob had to admit he felt dangerously tempted. With three slots left he could still equip 'Battlefield Meditation', 'Mindful Evasion', and 'Shattered Space' after all. He would lose out on having an 'utility' slot, but felt unsure it wouldn't be worth it to gain something that would make the monsters run away from him for a change.

Or, at least some of the monsters. And there, of course, was the rub. With there being no explanation as to what a 'lesser' monster was, it was impossible to say how far-reaching the ability could be. Was it based entirely on Species Rank? Because if so, it probably wouldn't end up doing Bob much good. With him likely to plateau at D-rank, choosing the ability would only protect him from creatures he was already feeling less than bothered by.

Heck, if that was the case, it wouldn't even help him keep the octopus friendly. Which was a bit of an issue, considering the monster was currently in his guts. Admittedly, it being a 'Lesser' Skill likely meant that it could be further evolved; possibly with each new rank allowing him to cow more powerful monsters. But Bob had no idea how long it would take to reach each evolution. Or if they would even evolve at all when he got to that point. His previous Trait-Skills still hadn't after all.

Something which really put into mind whether he should trust them in the first place. Maybe these options were less 'bonuses' for his unique situation and more 'glitches' he needed to avoid. Bob grimaced again before closing out the window, feeling no closer to a decision than he was when he first looked at it. Honestly, a decent portion of him was tempted to put the Skill on the backburner the way he'd done for 'Taunt'.

Especially considering that, outside of 'Bind Monster', none of the other abilities really looked like they'd be an improvement over 'Calming Words'. At least not for keeping his monstrous occupant from tearing him apart from the inside out. Which, again, more or less left him where he was previously. Waiting for the octopus to actually evolve before he made his choice.

Deciding he may as well distract himself with something more pleasant until then, Bob started marching towards the largest cluster of 'Treasure' left within the building. He'd already picked up an even twenty gold earlier from four pendants he'd found in the midst of his crab slaughter, but the greater majority of the manor's wealth seemed to be behind a closed door on the third story. A deeper glance with 'Treasure Sense' had already shone it not to be anything too amazing.

Gold items weighing in at an additional 80 coins worth of value. Likely just more 'Badges of Citizenship'; him always seeming to find the things grouped together. Still, while it wouldn't get him to his next Species level, it would push him over level twenty on 'Treasure Hunter'. Which meant an evolution for 'Treasure Sense', if nothing else. Something Bob was greatly looking forward to after the unpleasant situation with the overgrown fish earlier.

Just as he was around halfway up the first-floor stairs however, he was halted by a sudden and intense sensation running through his being. One not affecting his physical self so much as his dimensional one. Like something was tasting the magics that held together the expanded area within him. Poking at the bindings that kept the overlapping space from imploding and sniffing at the signature that marked the dimensional void as his.

He wasn't given much time to wonder what was going on before his thoughts were again interrupted, this time by a system alert. Though, honestly, one which almost made him feel more confused about the situation, rather than less. Ding! A Planar creature is attempting to be born within your (subjugated dimensional plane)! Would you like to halt this process? Or allow the creature to be born as either a wild or bound Planar entity? (Warning! Given size of (subjugated dimensional plane) maximum number of bound entities is (1)) Halt attempted birth Allow birth of wild Planar entity Allow birth of bound Planar entity (0/1) His eye was just beginning to widen, understanding the potential opportunity laid out before him, when it was made apparent that he didn't really have time to dither. The cocoon inside him slowly beginning to pulsate. Haltingly at first, but with steadily more and more force with each passing second. The octopus was ready to evolve.

And apparently him tucking it within himself for safety had far greater consequences than Bob could have ever imagined…