Instead, a tentacle wrapped around my ankle and yanked me clean off the floor. I hit the ground hard. Turns out crabs weren’t the only thing on the menu this floor. The group waiting for me consisted of two Craboids and one octopus-looking creature. The tentacle dragged me across the stone, and as soon as I landed, I saw a crab claw whistle toward my face. I rolled left, avoiding it by inches, and summoned a knife from my inventory. I stabbed the tentacle gripping my ankle. It recoiled instantly, and I scrambled to my feet. I sprinted toward the prison cells to create some distance from the living red lobster menu.
Once I had a good gap, I turned to face them. The hallway wasn’t wide, maybe enough room for two creatures to stand shoulder to shoulder. The two Craboids pushed forward first, the Octopoid writhing behind them. I threw a knife. It embedded right between the first crab’s eye stalks, making it stagger.
The second Craboid rushed in. I pulled my club and took a batter’s stance. When the crab came into range, I swung with everything I had straight into its chest. I felt my new ability, Sweet Spot, activate and made contact.
What happened next was… unexpected.
The upper half of the crab exploded backward like I’d just hit a home run using its torso as the baseball. The legs remained perfectly in place, still twitching. Apparently 20 Strength was more than enough to bisect a crab.
“Good to know,” I muttered.
The first crab recovered enough to lunge at me, knife still jutting from its head. I pivoted and brought the club down. Sweet Spot activated again—my swing connected perfectly. The crab’s skull caved like a rotten pumpkin.
Two down.
The Octopoid finally slithered forward. It spit a dark glob straight into my face. Ink. A full blast.
My vision went black instantly.
“Are you kidding me—?!”
A tentacle latched onto my left arm. Blind and panicking, I summoned another knife and stabbed the direction of the grip. I hit the tentacle… and also my own arm.
“AH—! Great job, Mike!”
The tentacle recoiled—but pain shot through my shoulder a second later as something sharp stabbed into me.
The octopus had a weapon. Of course it did. I screamed. I swung wildly with my club and hit nothing but air, but at least it bought me a second to wipe the ink from my eyes. When my vision finally cleared, the Octopoid loomed over me, tentacles coiled tight. I lunged forward and smashed my club into its side. The impact was… disappointing.
No shell cracking. No flying limbs. The blow sank in, muffled, like hitting a sack of wet sand.Then it clicked. Crabs? Brittle. Weak to blunt force. Octopus? Soft. Squishy.
Great. Then I remembered something—some random video I’d watched years ago about fishermen, stab an octopus right between the eyes and it dies instantly. Humane death they called it. Useful tip. Not the Humane part. He just stabbed me. He didn't deserve Humane, but the death part was useful.
The Octopoid attacked again, thrusting its weapon. I dodged sideways—barely—and pain flared in my stabbed shoulder, but I could still move. Thank you, Endurance stat. I summoned another knife and tightened my grip. One clean stab. Right between the eyes. I swung my knife with everything I had.
CRACK.
The octopus’s skin went from pale purple to stark white in an instant—like someone flipped its “alive” switch to “off.”
A notification appeared.
Octopoid – Level 4 Defeated
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Experience Awarded
Crabonoid – Level 3 Defeated
Experience Awarded
Crabonoid – Level 3 Defeated
Experience Awarded
Congratulations! You have leveled up!
You are now Level 3
+15 Free Stat Points
I checked my HP.
68 / 100
“That… wasn’t that bad,” I said through gritted teeth. “Except for the excruciating shoulder stab, but… decent job, Mike. We take those wins.”
The Craboids dropped the usual junk—pincers, shell bits—nothing exciting.
But the Octopoid?
Finally, something interesting.
My first uncommon item.
Loot Acquired:
- Tentacle ×2 (Common)
- Octopoid Ink ×1 (Uncommon)
I sent everything to my inventory and didn’t waste a second—I sprinted straight back into the Safe Room.
First order of business: stats.
I wasn’t about to repeat the mistake of forgetting to allocate points before a fight.
I distributed the fifteen points evenly—five each into Vitality, Strength, and Endurance.
Stat Allocation Complete
- Vitality: 24 (+10% → 26)
- Strength: 21 (28 with equipment)
- Endurance: 15 (27 with equipment)
- Dexterity: 10
- Wisdom: 10
- Charisma: 10
Feeling the surge of power settle into my body, I stepped onto the healing platform and let the warm light wash over me. My HP topped off instantly.
Afterward, I talked with the Assistant. As per its recommendation, I sold everything except the Ink. With the credits I earned, I bought a couple more health potions. I considered another strength potion, but decided not to buy it in the end. Once everything was sorted, I checked my gear, tightened my grip on the club, and took a steadying breath. I was ready to move on. I stepped back out into the corridor, the smell of ink, blood, and crab guts still lingering in the air. The coast was clear for now, so I decided to check the rooms I hadn’t explored yet. There was one door I hadn’t opened—farther down the hall, past the cells and torture room. I pushed it open slowly.
This room wasn’t a cell. Wasn’t a kitchen. Wasn’t a torture chamber. It was… an office. A legitimate, medieval-style office. Wooden desk. Chair. Shelf packed with scrolls. A window—tiny but real—letting in a sliver of gray dungeon light. I approached the desk, hoping for a map or a key or maybe even a hidden door. What I found instead was a folded letter sealed with deep purple wax. I broke the seal and unfolded it.
To Captain Rusk,
Our guest is to arrive by nightfall.
The Princess of Temperion must be contained in the lower holding chambers immediately.
She is to be interrogated without delay.
Her knowledge of the kingdom’s southern trade routes is essential to our campaign.
Extract the information by any means necessary.
If she resists, ensure she understands that her suffering will continue until her will breaks.
Do not fail.
— The Warden
I stared at the letter. My stomach twisted as I thought of the torture chamber I inspected earlier—the restraints, the blood stains, the broken tools. So the person tortured in that room… Was her.
A soft ding sounded in front of me.
Secret Objective Updated
Step 1 Complete: Identify the victim
Step 2: Locate the Princess
My eyebrows rose.
“Well… okay then,” I whispered. “Princess side quest unlocked. Guess I’d better get to it.”
I gave the office one last sweep, found nothing else worth taking, and stepped back into the hallway. Only one door remained at the far end. If the System wanted drama, and so far it seemed like it did, then of course the princess would be behind the very last door. I tightened my grip on the club, steadying my breathing, and ran through every worst-case scenario my brain could conjure.
Whatever waited in that room…
I was walking into it prepared.