[Hero suffers 20-2 (Armor halved) = 18 points of damage, Hero's Armor is broken]
But the Hero, whose body is composed of Magic Power Ether, does not fear this kind of pain; she twists her serpent body, attempting to coil around and use Strength to snap those crab pincers.
While the enraged Mud Crab extends its other pincer, determined to snip the Big Snake in two.
[Claw deals 20 points of ongoing damage to the Hero, Hero suffers 20 points of damage.]
[Round 1, Hero's Beast Spirit Magic Power: 147/190]
[Hero's Counterattack (40+ success)]
Once crabs get hold of their prey, they never let go, and Mud Crabs share the same trait.
The two pairs of pincers holding onto the snake's body exert a shocking biting force, closing in tighter and tighter like hydraulic machinery.
Even the Tenacious snake body that could ignore Goblin attacks couldn't withstand this pressure and almost lost the space to act and counterattack.
[Claw deals 20 points of ongoing damage to the Hero, Hero suffers 20 points of damage.]
[Round 2, Hero's Beast Spirit Magic Power: 122/190]
It can be said that there is a reason Mud Crabs are classified as Magic Creatures; their pincers absorb the Earth Element from the mud, growing larger and sharper over time, and their Strength increases with each passing day.
While a trained man, with no need for Reincarnation, could crack their shell with iron tools
But once gripped by these massive pincers, unless one wears strong Armor, the ordinary person's fate would only be to part with their limbs in agonizing screams, being snipped apart alive after losing the ability to resist.
However, the instinct-driven Green Snake naturally wouldn't just wait to die.
Feeling the approach of danger, she angrily opens her mouth wide, revealing her sharp fangs that have never been used.
Opening her maw to the limit, she bites down furiously on the crab shell in front of her.
[Hero is pinned, cannot initiate Skills, attacks (Strength 15, Snake Teeth Armor-Piercing +1, Crab Shell Defense -4)]
[Claw deals 20 points of ongoing damage to the Hero, Hero suffers 20 points of damage.]
[Round 3, Hero's Beast Spirit Magic Power: 97/190]
[Mud Crab suffers 9 points of damage, Mud Crab's HP 6/15]
As dusk falls, at the edge of a small pond outside the city, a somewhat comical silent play is taking place.
A half-human tall Mud Crab grips a Big Snake tightly with its two pairs of pincers.
The Big Snake, in return, desperately opens its mouth, embedding its fangs deeply into the shell of the Mud Crab.
Neither makes a sound; they both apply all their might and soul, increasing the force of the bite and fang, trying to kill the other before being killed.
[Claw deals 20 points of ongoing damage to the Hero, Hero suffers 20 points of damage.]
[Round 4, Hero's Beast Spirit Magic Power: 72/190]
[Mud Crab suffers 7 points of damage, Mud Crab's HP 0/15]
[Hero kills Mud Crab LV9]
This contest ultimately ends with the Big Snake's victory.
The fangs pierce deep into the vital spot of the Mud Crab; its body trembles, and the force on its pincers dissipates.
The Mud Crab is a real creature, unlike the Hero who is transformed by spells.
Had it gripped a real snake, it would have been clipped apart alive without a chance to resist.
But the Hero's incarnation, composed of magic as an Etheric body, although made the same as the snake's prototype, does not have real vital points.
Anyway, as an Innate Profession, the Beast Spirit Mage has its unique advantages.
And after being pierced in its vital spot by the fangs, the Mud Crab, no matter how reluctant, had to enter the cycle of souls along with its kin.
If one thoroughly eliminates the enemy, the chains of hatred can be broken... This happens oftentimes in the natural world.
The Big Snake struggles to free itself from the still-stiff claws, falling onto the muddy ground by the pond.
[Claw deals 20 points of ongoing damage to the Hero, Hero suffers 20 points of damage.]
[Hero's Beast Spirit Magic Power: 72/190]
Then the Big Snake's body twists wildly, transforming back into the Hero as if rolling in a mud pit.
"....This was too, too terrifying."
Disregarding the mud on her body, the Hero, after spitting out the sludge and moss from the crab shell, breathlessly sits up in the mud pond.
Although her memory is hazy, the flurry and desperation of the Big Snake that still linger in her heart, along with the emptiness and fatigue in her stomach, and the throbbing pain in her waist and ribs...
All these remind the Hero of what just occurred.
Looking at the two Mud Crabs she has slain, she feels a lingering fear in her heart.
"I was nearly snapped in half. One truly cannot underestimate any kind of Magic Creature."
But in the end, she won.
Although she somehow managed to survive, the Hero looked down at her mud-covered self and glanced around.
Then, she turned her gaze towards the small pond in front of her.
"I can't possibly return to the city ..."
After the tussle with the Mud Crabs, the sun had completely set, the plains cloaked in twilight, soon to step into night.
All the Goblins had been killed by her, and at this time, there were no other Adventurers on the plains...
The Hero looked at the clear pond ahead, stepping forward with a bit of nervousness.
It should... be okay, right? (30+ Indeed, it's okay)
The Hero had cleared out all the Goblins on the plain, along with the most formidable Mud Crabs.
[Empty Plains LV5 cleared]
[Hero killed Goblin LV1*45, experience +225. Hero killed Mud Crab LV9*2, experience +180 (Large Beast R2=10*LV)]
[Hero cleared the map: Empty Plains LV5, bonus experience +500]
[Hero's experience 1015/1100]
[For killing more than 10 Goblins without injury, Hero gains achievement: Unhurt: Agility +1]
Night had fallen, the sky dense with stars, far clearer and more beautiful than what one could see in the city.
Having washed away the mud, her body soaked in the cool water of the wilderness pond, the Hero comfortably narrowed her eyes.
Her strong Constitution allowed her to endure hot baths, and naturally, cold baths were no trouble at all.
Although the environment was far from her home's large bathroom, the unique sense of openness and comfort still allowed the Hero to relax considerably.
"...It's about time to head back." Staring up at the starry sky, she whispered softly.
[Hero gains temporary status: Out of the bath: Charm +5]
The girl who had bathed in the wilderness exuded a captivating charm, a pity that on these vast plains, there was no one else but her.
The night was just right, it was dinner time.
After drying off with a towel and finishing a late dinner of jerky and bread from her backpack, the somewhat satiated Hero picked up her gear and set off towards the city.
[Did anything unusual happen? (30- No)]
On her way back, she nodded to the Guards whom she had become a bit familiar with, and the Hero safely returned to the city.
Though the Hero's fair face drew some attention from passersby, she encountered no mishaps.
In a city guarded by the Military Merit Duke, security was naturally excellent; no criminal would dare to challenge the dignity of a Mage Noble.
Having returned to the Viscount Mansion, just like the day before, the Maid opened the door to welcome her, her parents and brother were still busy with other matters, none of them met with her.
She ordered the Maid to bring a late-night meal to her room.
Daily life seemed unchanged from the past.
Not wanting to stay in her stifling home, not wanting to sit by the stifling dining table, so she would go out to play with her best friend during the day, and hide in her room to eat at night.
The only difference was that daytime activities had shifted to hunting Goblins.
Despite such a major change, in just two days, the Hero seemed to have naturally accepted it all.
The adaptability of people is truly frightening.
Will such days continue indefinitely?
Just as she once thought the time with her best friend would last forever.
The food stuffed in her mouth somehow tasted a bit salty, but the physically robust Hero did not waste, and ate it all up.
Today I almost died, but I am still alive.
Tomorrow, where shall I go Goblin hunting?