To Rest, or Not To Rest - Chapter 14

He moved faster than I could follow, pushing himself up in one fluid motion despite his ragged state. His fist shot forward, faintly flowing as it collided with the giant crab’s claw. The impact crackled like thunder, deflecting the monster’s strike and sending shards of the shell flying. I gasped, stumbling even farther back. His tail lashed behind him, thin and strong. The fur was torn, the flesh beneath wounded heavily. He must’ve gotten these bruises from the creature. Was that why? Was he waiting for it to appear again?

The monster hissed in recoil before slamming its claw into the ground. My hands shook as the glow of my skill flooded my vision like before:

Brineclaw Beast: A hostile crustacean mutated by prolonged exposure to sea-born mana. Highly territorial. Weakness: Damaged undercarapace.

The text flew in with a speed that caused me to nearly drop the crab once more in shock. The words formed clear as day. Sharper and more detailed than even the other things I’ve seen before. I hadn’t even called for the ability; it just began spouting off on its own. It answered anyway, as if the danger from the situation demanded it. The boy stood firm, his golden eyes locked on the monster, his ragged clothes shifting with the rise and fall of his breath. He was bruised and battered, but he burned with life. I realized that in this moment, I wasn’t the only one trapped down here.

The boy’s fist cracked against the monster’s claw again, but this time it only staggered, not fully stopping its motion. The Brineclaw Beast screeched loudly, its wails resounding off the walls as its jagged legs pounded on the stone floor beneath us. It tried its best to corner us. I clutched onto the smaller crab, holding it close to my chest. My breaths were quick and sharper than ever. What could I do? This ability seemed to be only good at giving me knowledge on certain items…it didn’t give me strength, speed, not even a weapon like those stupid games back home. What could I even do to help!?

“Think, Chloe…think!” I thought. The boy lunged forward once more, but I noticed something as the sound of a clank came into earshot. There was a chain. A thick iron shackle dug into his ankle, along it trailed large, heavy links of chain that clattered along the ground. Some sort of weight was attached at the end of the chain. Every movement dragged it behind him, slowing him just enough that the monster’s claws nearly grazed him. Why would he be attached to such a thing? Who was he?

The crab in my arms clicked its tiny pincers, squirming to grab my attention. Its jeweled shell shimmered its violet light across the cavern walls. My eyes caught on the glint of metal. It was the boy’s chain being struck aside by the claw of the beast in the scuffle. That was it!

“Over here!” I yelled, my voice cracked as I waved frantically. The boy’s eyes flicked quickly, showing off their intense golden glow. They were sharp and questioning, but she shifted his stance quickly without a word. I called out to him once more with instructions. “Let it aim for your chain! Make it cut it for you!” My screams echoed off of the walls as the boy gave a short, rough grunt. It was as if he’d acknowledged my words and sidestepped. The beast slammed down its claw, while he dragged the chain across the ground deliberately. Baiting the crab, it hissed, snapping its massive pincer down at the ground of rattling metal.

“CLANG!”

Sparks flew as the claw clashed against the chain, slicing one of the links nearly in half. The boy shifted once more, bracing himself for another swing. Sparks flew, creating another metallic snap as the chain shattered from its links. The broken shackle had fallen to the stone beneath. His leg was free. I called out once more, remembering the information my ability had graced me with. He needed to aim for the weak point to do some real damage.

“His undercarapace is soft and open, easy to crack! You’ve got to get under him!” I screeched. The crab in my hand moved it’s pincer with a uppercut like motion oddly following my words.

His ears flicked once more, seeing that he heard my advice. His stance changed immediately, it was as if he’d finally been able to move how he wanted. He burst forth, his visage blurred. His tail lashed with renewed force as his fists glowed once more. This time with raw power. He ducked under a claw, his knuckles cracked against the Brinceclaw’s undercarapace. The monster reeled, screeching as its legs buckled heavily. I scrambled to the side, hugging the crab tight as I called out what my ability fed me. “It’s cracked! Aim for it again!”

He didn’t answer, just gave a short nod before driving his fist straight into the glowing weak point. The Brineclaw convulsed, screeching one last time before collapsing onto its side, its shell split and leaking dark liquid across the cavern floor. The cave went still again, save for the sound of my pounding heart within my head. The boy stood over the fallen beast, chest heaving. His golden eyes dimmed, going back to something softer. His fists were bloodied and his tail swished about with exhaustion. But he was alive, and free from the depths of this cave.

For the first time, he looked at me, not a word spoken. But the faintest nod of gratitude showed. Suddenly, the boy staggered back, his eyes flickered as his knees bent. Up close, I could see it. His skin was pale beneath the bruises, his ribs showed through his ragged cloth. His tail swished weakly behind him, more for balance than strength. How long had he been trapped here? For days? Weeks? I took a step toward him, reaching out before I even realized it. I couldn’t just leave him here after he saved me…” You...you’re hurt. You need help–” Suddenly, the air shifted harshly.

My stomach lurched as I turned, the Brineclaw twitched. Its massive legs scrapped against the stone, dragging its large claws as it forced itself up. Its single good pincer lifted, trembling but heavy and deadly. In a blur, it lunged straight for us. My eyes widened seeing such an abrasive action, as if it was its final push to take us out.

“Look out!” I yelled, the boy braced himself, his sharp teeth gritted. But I could see it in his body, he was too drained. He’d never be able to block the strike in time. The claw quickly descended as the beast let out one last screech.