Lukey grinned madly to himself as he walked through the watery tunnels of Claw Clove.

  The one thing he couldn’t get ahold of for this trip was armor. There was a good reason for that as well; it simply didn’t exist. There was no armor in the world that was both resistant to and mobile in water. Even if you could somehow use materials that granted resistance to water-based attacks, there wasn’t anything in the world that could glide through the water so easily. While also being light.

  Except for crab shells, as Lukey recently discovered.

  Not only were these pieces of shell light enough to allow crabs to glide through water, but they were also tough enough to withstand most attacks. If Lukey had a full set of crab shell armor, he could probably risk fighting tougher enemies. For now, however, he had to settle for what he got off the corpses of the aquaclaws in the last room.

  It took some time, but Lukey managed to hollow out both the claws and the forearms of the broodmother with his knife. After removing the part of the claw that opened and closed, he was left with a gauntlet that protected the back of his hands, his wrists, and even his forearms. The pieces of shell were all connected with muscle, so it was simple to separate it once he managed to make cuts in the right places.

  There was more material to work with, but that would’ve required cutting the shell. The material of these crab shells was tough, and there was no way Lukey was able to cut it with his puny knife. If he could find an expert, on the other hand, then that might change. For now, though, he settled for what meager pieces of armor he could get.

  Lukey probably looked a bit strange with the bulky red crab claws around his wrists and forearms, but they were lightweight protection that he desperately needed. They fitted nicely around his arms, albeit a bit loose. He had to leave some of the muscle inside the arm to use as padding. Perhaps he could get Ginny to put some cloth padding in it to make it fit better after finding more crab oil.

  In addition to his new claw gloves, Lukey was also wearing the top halves of the caretakers’ crab shells. Underneath his shirt and placed in front was a shell that protected his torso and chest; behind him was another shell placed on his back. It fit loosely, but it was better than taking a crippling hit and regretting it later.

  The best part was that Lukey didn’t need to change a thing about how he fought. The armor was all very light, so he could maneuver around just as easily as he always had. His hands were kept open as well, so he could still use the spear while not having to worry about being grabbed. This new ‘armor’ needed refining, but that could wait for when he returned.

  …

  Lukey strode down the tunnels looking for his next kill, and it didn’t take long after leaving the first room to encounter another scavenger on the ground.

  [Scavenger Aquaclaw Lv. 6]

  It’s a bit weak, isn’t it?

  Lukey had killed enough scavengers at this point to know that they weren’t a threat. They mostly roamed the labyrinth for whatever scraps floated in from the outside or ate the corpses of other crabs. They were the fodder among the claws, the equivalent of rats or whatever they had on Vetus.

  Lukey was about to use his spear when he was suddenly struck by an idea.

  This will either be really cool … or really stupid. I’m sure glad no one’s around to watch.

  Lukey set down the pole spear as he used [Fisherman’s Stance]. Then, he began bending his legs slightly as he prepared to lunge at the crab. In addition, he reeled his arm back like he was preparing to throw a punch. When he finally got into position, he activated every muscle in his body and threw himself at the unsuspecting crab.

  Lukey’s body hovered briefly above the water as he approached the unsuspecting crustacean. When he was right above the aquaclaw, Lukey sent his arm straight into the crab below him as he used the strongest punch he could muster. He wasn’t using his fist directly; rather, he wanted to use the claw that protruded from his makeshift gauntlet.

  The tip of the gauntlet was sent into the top of the scavenger’s shell, and the surrounding water was thrown away. The two forces made contact with a clack that echoed through the labyrinth tunnel. Lukey believed he managed to do something incredible, but it seems he was only deluding himself as he fell a few feet behind the Scavenger in pain.

  “AAAAGH!”

  The entirety of Luke's arm felt like a shockwave ran through it, but he still managed to get up as he assessed the situation.

  The scavenger he hit looked like it hadn’t been damaged at all. There wasn’t a single scratch from Lukey’s punch on its shell. The only thing of note was that it sank into the ground a few inches and got stuck, which is the only reason why it hadn’t attacked Lukey yet.

  One thing was clear: crab shell was not made for attacking. Lukey thought that the tip of the crab’s claw could be used to punch through armor, but that was clearly wrong, as he had just demonstrated. The claw lacked the weight that a blunt weapon normally had, so it couldn’t be used to bash enemies.

  The lunging stance he used, however, did seem to work, and Lukey began to wonder how far he could take [Fisherman’s Stance]. It was clear why this was the first skill you get as a fisherman; it was so versatile and could be used in any situation.

  Lukey finished his musing and quickly ran to get his spear. The scavenger was moving again, but it didn’t take long after grabbing his pole spear to pierce its shell and end its life. Lukey was once again amazed at how easy it was, despite it being so difficult to pierce their shells.

  If I hadn’t made this polespear, then it would have been far harder to destroy these things. Good equipment certainly goes a long way in a fight.

  Lukey finished dissecting the scavenger and threw another wax sac in his bucket. His arm was still stunted, but it should recover with a little time. Even if it resulted in him temporarily crippling himself, Lukey gained some valuable information about how the claws worked. This was information he would need if he wanted to survive in the labyrinth.

  …

  Right now, Lukey was staring down four aquaclaws: a broodmother and three caretakers.

  [Caretaker Aquaclaw Lv. 7]

  [Caretaker Aquaclaw Lv. 7]

  [Caretaker Aquaclaw Lv. 7]

  [Broodmother Aquaclaw Lv. 10]

  Lukey could only imagine the energy he would get once he killed them, but first he had to end it. The three caretakers began to mob Lukey as they skittered towards him from the front and side.

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  At this point, Lukey knew how to deal with them; he just had to flip them over and stab their undersides. The Aquaclaws obviously wouldn’t make this easy, as they seem to have been keen on harassing him. This led Lukey to reassess his approach and begin incorporating movement into his strategy.

  Lukey moved back and to the left, avoiding two of the caretakers while approaching another from the side. He reeled his hand back and thrust it forward to grab the lower arm of the caretaker, then threw it to the side as he flipped it over. A quick thrust then delivered a quick end.

  Lukey began moving back once more, drawing the caretakers towards him. This time he veered around to the right of one of the caretakers, thrusting his hand out and flipping it the same way he did the first. The motion was even faster this time, since Lukey slowly got used to avoiding the claws.

  Another stab ended another caretaker, and Lukey began facing the final one. He decided to run up and grab the claw this time, rather than go for the side. This proved to be a mistake, as the caretaker managed to move its claw around in time to grasp his wrist.

  The caretaker’s claw clapped around Lukey’s gauntlet; Lukey began to panic as he felt his arm become stuck. What’s more, he began to feel an uncomfortable squeezing sensation along his wrist. To his shock, his crab claw gauntlet was bending, and eventually he began to see cracks form along the claw.

  Lukey acted quickly; he used his other hand as he tried to pry the caretaker’s claw off his makeshift gauntlet. To his shock, the thing was stiff as a rock and refused to budge for anything. Lukey’s panic began to deepen, but just then he began to consider something else entirely as he dropped his spear.

  Lukey grabbed his knife and jammed it straight into a joint in the caretaker’s arm. The first stab didn’t make it through, but after a few more attempts, he managed to reach muscle. Another hard slice of the knife managed to sever the densely packed muscle within. The caretaker’s claw spasmed and went stiff before finally relaxing and letting go of Lukey.

  Lukey quickly seized his chance; he took the remainder of the caretaker’s arm and flipped it over before delivering another finishing blow.

  Lukey took a few steps back and took some time to get his bearings.

  TOO CLOSE!

  The previous room made these monsters seem manageable, despite it being his first time. This time he even managed to form a strategy in dealing with the caretakers. It was going so well, so what went wrong?

  One slip.

  All it takes is one slip, and things can turn sour. Lukey had forgotten that labyrinths were about endurance. You can beat a hundred enemies with ease, but let yourself go and you end up making mistakes. Lukey got overconfident, and he paid for it. He could only be glad that the armor did its job.

  Lukey shook himself from his thoughts and refocused on the broodmother. This thing proved to be a pain before, and he guessed it would be a pain once again. He leveled his spear at her, and they began their dance.

  Where the broodmother shifted left, he went left; where she shifted right, Lukey went right. With every shift Lukey moved forward, until eventually he was within fighting range. He took a stance and prepared to thrust, but before he did, he considered the broodmother’s movements. Instead of aiming where she was, he would aim where she was going.

  Lukey watched the broodmother as she shifted with his movement. He observed her carefully, considering where to thrust his spear.

  She is taking a lower stance and shielding her eyes. There isn’t any way to get a clear shot without her moving around.

  That was when Lukey slowly began to realize the weakness of the aquaclaws.

  Immobilization! That’s it! If you grab them around one of their blind spots, they can’t move!

  This was the same strategy one would use when catching smaller crabs. However, that was a lot easier than this. The broodmother reached Lukey’s chest, making it difficult to just reach around it. This didn’t even mention how mobile crabs were in sideways motion. It was still possible, just very, very difficult.

  I can’t go around the sides, or it will knock me over. I can’t grab the front, or it will catch me in its claws. How…

  As Lukey observed his options, his eyes landed on top of the broodmother’s shell, and once more he began to consider something stupid. He had just finished chastising himself over being rash, yet here he was considering something risky once again.

  But… if it worked, the broodmother would be immobilized.

  Lukey began to walk backwards, slowly. Next, he leveled his fishing spear at the broodmother and charged straight at her.

  If this works, I need a catchphrase, something to name the art when I start making it my own.

  Lukey racked his brain and was reminded of the times he spent skipping school. He wanted to slack off when he found himself on a beach on the western shores. That place was colloquially known as Bum’s Break, and it was always filled with teenagers and young adults, usually skipping their obligations to come have fun.

  Nobody cared who he was; everyone was just there to have fun. The adults told their kids to avoid that beach, since it was filled with bad influences. Lukey’s mother was the same, but Lukey couldn’t help but admire their carefree nature. They didn’t have a care in the world as they surfed the ocean around Leviathan's Rest. They even made up their own language they informally used.

  One of their phrases came to mind right now.

  “HIT THE MACK!”

  Lukey emptied his worries as he ran toward the broodmother while activating [Fisherman’s Stance]. The broodmother braced for impact as it hid its eyes behind its claws; it was expecting a stab at full force. What it wasn’t expecting was for Lukey to pull his spear to his chest and bend his knees.

  Lukey released his stance as he lunged on top of the broodmother’s shell. Instead of striking it, however, he pulled up his knees and slid across the top. If anyone was watching, they would’ve been met with the absurd sight of a young man riding across a giant crab. He managed to ride safely across and landed with both feet on the other side.

  Now, Lukey was behind the broodmother, and he wasted no time. He took both hands and grabbed the broodmother from the back, then lifted. The broodmother tried to stabilize itself with its legs, but with Lukey unimpeded by the claws, he could concentrate his full effort into flipping it over. It was certainly heavy, but the broodmother was still light work as Lukey threw her forward and onto her back.

  The broodmother landed with a small thud onto the rock, arms and legs flailing in the air as it tried to right its body. It was unsuccessful, as none of her legs managed to reach the ground.

  Lukey almost felt sorry for her… almost.

  Lukey took a stance and thrust his spear into the broodmother’s exposed abdomen. Surprisingly, it didn’t die immediately, requiring multiple stabs and twistings of the spear to destroy the internals. She took a little more effort to kill, but on her back, she was utterly harmless.

  It would still pose a problem, though. If he struck the broodmother with his pole-spear and she survived, he would be left in a dangerous situation like before. Making the situation more dangerous was never favorable, especially when he probably had to fight a lot more broodmothers in the future.

  He took a major risk, but it paid off. Lukey now had an effective strategy for fighting the broodmothers going forward, along with a method of handling their caretakers. Assuming there weren’t any more different kinds of enemies, Lukey could clear out the rest of the floor. It was certainly rash and a bit foolhardy, but the energy and resources he gained would make the trip well worth it.

  One final stab ended the broodmother, and energy once more began to pour into Lukey’s body. He felt his body gradually change as muscles were rewritten and his mind was expanded. Something else began to change alongside his body, however, as he felt something deep within him change.

  Lukey once again felt the familiar sensation of something filling empty space. Something inside him was being written; this was the same feeling as when he obtained his class. Lukey quickly checked his level to confirm his suspicion.

  [Lukey (Beginner Fisherman) Lv. 10]

  Lukey had finally reached level ten with his class. That meant he would obtain a new art from his class. If it was good, it could mean making his trip through the labyrinth even easier. Of course it could just be another piece of utility art, but even then, that could help him out in the long term.

  Slowly, but surely, the energy filled his body; it grew and grew until it reached a bursting point, and then it settled. The new art now rested in his body, waiting to be used. Lukey was curious to use [Insight] on it, but then he looked at the broken gauntlet and the corpses around him.

  His new art had to wait, though; there were preparations to be made.

  …

  Lukey really needed a better knife; the higher their levels, the harder the monsters were to dissect. After this he needed to think about getting a better knife. He would’ve made a note in his quest log, but he didn’t have it with him.

  Instead, Lukey used [Insight] and took a glance at his new art.