The remaining Giant Brown Crab charged at the Crab Warrior.
But this time it was prepared. It swung its pincer and clashed with the brown crab.
Pow!
The brown crab opened its mouthpart and spat a green liquid at it.
The Crab Warrior's carapace produced a hissing sound.
Then the brown crab swung its pincer again, but this time at the affected area.
The Crab Warrior was pushed back by the blow, a white liquid leaking out of the spot.
Angered, the Crab Warrior screeched and summoned a red aura over its body again.
Immediately, it swung its pincer again. A perfect replica of what happened to the first brown crab occurred. The Giant Brown Crab was also split into two halves.
Ding!
[Absolute Creature Worker Crab Slain]
[No Beast Memory Gained]
[Consume to Gain Ascension Point]
Ren's eyes gleamed.
This wasn't an ordinary summon.
This was a one-crab army.
He grinned sharply.
"Perfect. Now the coast is clear, time to get my reward."
Commanding the Crab Warrior to stand guard, he rushed in.
First, he went to the first slain crab. Touching it, he activated Consume. Immediately, the crab shrank and then disappeared, leaving behind a black pendant shaped like an infinity loop formed from a snake's coiled body.
[0 Absolute Point Gained]
[0 Absolute Point Gained]
[1 Absolute Point Gained]…
The notification faded as Ren gasped.
"A pendant? Huh."
Picking it up, a ding sound followed as a screen appeared.
Ding!
[Quest: A Spark of Genesis Completed]
[Calculating…]
Ding!
[Spark of Genesis Incomplete]
[Reward Incomplete]
Ding!
[New Quest Unlocked]
[Spark of ??? Genesis]
Description: The first half will lead you to the others.
"Huh? Interesting," Ren said as he grasped the pendant, gently inspecting it.
It turned out the pendant was not only a pendant—the backside was also a compass.
He pulled up the system screen of the pendant, but before he could read it, the commotion ahead grew louder. Lifting his head, he saw it.
Amidst the swarm of crabs battling, more were still pouring in. In the midst of the swarm, one more Giant Brown Crab was seen approaching, and in the tunnel in front, two more brown crabs emerged.
Glancing at the second crab, Ren touched his stomach and thought, What a waste of Absolute Points. Well, I need to leave now. Can't be too greedy.
Well, the safest way now should be the way backward, but… I hope I don't meet Oskara and his team again.
He stuffed the pendant in his pocket and activated Crab Scent.
A pungent aura radiated from him, causing the nearby crabs to mistake him for an ally. Then he sprinted backward while ordering the Crab Warrior to cover his tracks. He retraced his footsteps back down the tunnel.
Halfway down the tunnel, he came to a stop. The road ahead was blocked by shattered rock shrapnel.
"Damn those huge bulbs," Ren cursed.
Retracing his footsteps, he headed back and then chose another turn. And then another turn.
Ding!
[Crab Warrior is in a critical state. Unsummon it or risk losing it.]
[Crab Warrior is in a critical state. Unsummon it or risk losing it.]
"I think I'm far enough now. The crabs shouldn't be able to catch up," Ren said as he unsummoned it.
Minutes later, Ren came to a stop outside a cave. Stepping inside, he saw a scorpion sprawled on the ground taking a nap.
Screech!
Jolted awake by Ren's violent entry, it screeched and sprang up, charging toward Ren.
Ren folded his hand into a fist and threw a punch, smashing it to death.
Ding!
[Primitive Creature Rocky Scorpion Slain]
[No Beast Memory Gained]
[Consume to Gain Ascension Points]
Immediately, he pushed the stone slab by the side and covered the cave entrance before slipping deeper into the cave.
Dispelling the beast memory, he immediately felt it—the last remnants of strength in him fading. Before he knew it, he fell to the ground and entered a deep sleep.
---
Zach! Zach!
Zach! Take a grip. You need to be strong. Get up and fight!
"But I want to rest… just a little."
There's no time!
Wake up. Wake up!
WAKE UP!
---
"Hah… Hah… Hah…"
Ren awakened violently, gasping.
"That strange dream again," he said while standing up.
I guess I fell unconscious due to the stress. Well, at least it was worth it.
Rumble!
Ren clutched his stomach, feeling a strong hunger pang hit him.
"Ugh, I need to eat," he said, turning his eyes to the carcass of the scorpion nearby.
Immediately, he scrambled to his feet and rushed toward the carcass.
Snap! Chomp! Grawl.
[0 Primitive Point Gained]
[0 Primitive Point Gained]
[1 Primitive Point Gained]…
Within seconds, he had finished eating the scorpion meat. The only thing remaining was the carapace.
Smacking his lips, he burped and touched his stomach.
Still hungry, he thought.
I think I should go and look for some easy prey…
His eyes sparkled as he unclipped the sack hanging from his waist.
Immediately, he opened it. Inside lay two eggs, both milky white. At first glance, they looked like normal fowl eggs, but upon closer inspection, they were different. One egg bore yellowish inscriptions, while the other had bluish inscriptions, both depicting a Luthos.
He dug into the ground, loosening the earth. Then he rummaged through his hunting sack and pulled out a water can and something the size of a table tennis ball wrapped in a bluish wrap. Peeling the wrap, there was another wrap—this one red—with text written on it:
Milan's Ball — Proceed with caution.
Ren scratched it. Immediately after the wrap was wounded, the ball caught flame. Then he threw it onto the ground he had prepared earlier.
Coating the eggs with a thick layer of mud, he then set them on the flames to roast.
As the fire crackled, Ren stared into the glow, replaying everything that had led him here.
Sigh…
"So how am I supposed to get out of here now?" he muttered.
Before he could think further, a new notification chimed.
[Absolute Beast Slain]
[Crab Commander]
[No Beast Soul Acquired]
[Consume Beast to Gain Absolute Points]
"Young soul… rest well," he murmured softly.
Soon the eggs were cooked. Using a stick, he pulled them from the flames, cracked open the burnt mud shell, and revealed the steaming, milky-white flesh inside.
One bite—and his eyes widened.
"Mhm… this is the best egg I've tasted in both my lives."
He chuckled.
"If only I had some spices."
While eating, he couldn't help but summon his status screen and check it.
[Full Status]
Race: Human
Ren: Ordinary
Class: Genesis
Stats
Strength: 51
Speed: 51
Defense: 51
Energy: 51
Life Span: 200
Requirement for Ascension:
Ascension Permit:
Feral — 100 Max
Primitive — 26
Aberrant — 10
Absolute — 14
Ascension Permit Progress: 0%
Beast Memory: None
[GENESIS RESTRAINED]
A faint smile tugged at Ren's lips as he focused on the class section.
[Class Details]
Class: Genesis
Name: Copy Authority
Ability: Copy
Ability Description: Copy and save three classes.
NOTE: If another class of the same branch is copied, the new one will overwrite the old.
[Skills]
System Skill: Consume (Helps in eating beasts in the pathway.
Note: Only works in the pathway and only with pathway creatures.)
Active Skill 1: Merge (Combine two types of class to produce a stronger version.)
[Beast Memories]
Primitive
Frenzy Bee Perfume
Aberrant
Frenzy Bee Boots
Lethal-Backed Crab Summon ×6
Lethal-Backed Crab Possession
Lethal-Backed Crab Sword ×4
Lethal-Backed Crab Perfume ×18
Lethal-Backed Crab Daggers ×2…
Absolute
Crab Warrior
Focusing on the new additions, a new screen popped out.
Lethal-Backed Crab Sword: A sword shaped like a Lethal-Backed Crab's pincer.
Active Skill
Lethal Strike: Deals two times damage after ten straight successful strikes.
---
Lethal-Backed Crab Perfume: Spray to cause any creature within ten meters to perceive you as a Lethal-Backed Crab.
---
Lethal-Backed Crab Daggers: A dagger shaped like a Lethal-Backed Crab's pincer.
Passive Skill
Lethal Touch: Slowly increases damage with each hit.
---
"Hm. The harvest was really good, all thanks to the Crab Warrior though," Ren said with his mouth still full of the crab egg.
Feeling sleepy, Ren thought—but just as that thought entered his head, his instincts screamed.
Something's wrong, duck!
Without thinking twice, he rolled to the side as a green glow flew over his head.