Hearing the pair speak of a turtle boss, Deckard blinked, caught off guard. “A boss? I thought those were only in dungeons.”

  The man chuckled, waving a hand toward the chaos. “No dungeon for turtles, man. Instead, there’s this bad boy who roams this map. First come, first served.”

  The woman beside him rolled her eyes and punched his shoulder playfully. “The turtle’s a lady, actually.”

  Deckard’s gaze shifted to the water, where a fleet of makeshift rafts collided in what could only be described as the shabbiest naval battle he’d ever witnessed. Players yelled over one another, scrambling to reach the turtle.

  It’s like the coconut seagull but ten times worse.

  But Deckard wasn’t focusing on the details of this boss—not yet. Something the man had said piqued his interest. ‘No dungeon for turtles.’ That meant there might be one for other creatures.

  “Is there a dungeon for crabs?” he asked.

  The woman jabbed a thumb inland. “Oh yeah. Molting Grotto.”

  “Where is it?”

  She pointed at the cliff on the farther side of the bay. “There's an old tree over the cliff over there. That's where. Can't miss it.”

  Even from here, Deckard could see the tree she meant. It was the only patch of green on the bay's westernmost cliff.

  If the crabs’ dungeon were anything like Gull Rock, it would have two elites and a final boss. Moreover, from his earlier experimentation with [Cranky Seagull], cards made from elites boosted more of a stat than a normal card. He ran the numbers in his head. Between capturing crabs on the beach and clearing the lair, I can gain at least one extra attack point. Combine that with the skill cards these crabs drop, and I’ll be a force to be reckoned with.

  This place was shaping up to be a goldmine. The turtles in the water, the crabs on the beach and in their dungeon, and Gull Rock, whose peak he could just make out above the eastern cliffs—crabs, turtles, seagulls. All cards that Deckard wanted to capture.

  First, he needed to test whether hunting crabs alone was even viable. The beach was too chaotic—too many variables, too many eyes. He didn’t like the idea of entering the dungeon alone, not really, but he also knew he couldn’t rely on others forever. At least inside, he wouldn’t have to watch his back for rival players. Whatever he faced in there would be dangerous, yes—but it would be honest danger. And that, he could prepare for.

  With a final glance at the chaotic battle on the water, he climbed down the rock and headed toward the western cliff of Shell Bay.

  Molting Grotto, here I come!

  *

  Deckard approached the weathered tree. Beneath it, a stone tablet rested on a pedestal of cracked stone. Players around him formed parties, their voices blending into the crashing waves hitting both sides of the rocky formation.

  Deckard barely spared them a glance. Partying up wasn’t his style, and he’d seen all this fuss before at the entrance to Gull Rock. His focus was solely on the stone tablet.

  Welcome to Molting Grotto

  Dungeon level: 4-6

  Recommended number of players: 4

  Boss: The Claw

  Elites: Bulwark Crab, Spider Crab

  As crabs grow, they must shed their old shells in a vulnerable process called molting. The Molting Grotto serves as a sanctuary for this critical stage. Here, the crabs gather, their collective strength and the looming guardian deterring would-be predators from disturbing their growth.

  Defeat The Claw to complete the dungeon.

  Would you like to enter? [Y/N]

  Deckard hovered his hand over the system prompt.

  His fingers tensed.

  He didn’t want to go in alone. Not really. If something went wrong in there, there’d be no one to watch his back. But if he wanted to be more than just another scavenger on the beach, he had to start taking risks.

  With a sharp exhale, he activated the transport. A pulse of energy rippled through his hand. His vision blurred, the air thickened—and the world shifted.

  When his surroundings came into focus, he was inside a vast cavern. Moss clung to damp walls, and the air was heavy with the salty tang of still seawater. All over, there was the sound of constant dripping. Patches of glowing mushrooms dotted the grotto, casting an eerie blue-green light that danced across the rippling surfaces of small pools scattered around the floor.

  Deckard adjusted his glasses, the faint clink of metal against the bridge of his nose grounding him.

  If this dungeon was anything like Gull Rock, enemies were going to come at him fast after he traveled deeper into the dungeon. He could spot several tunnels all around him. In the seagull dungeon, there had only been one straight path. The developers seemed to have made things a little different here.

  “Let’s do some recon,” he muttered under his breath, his voice echoing in the caves around him.

  He moved cautiously, the soles of his boots making muted splashes against the wet stone. His eyes darted to every shadow, ears straining for any hint of movement. He approached a tunnel and heard a large clinking sound.

  Snap! Snap! Snap!

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  With each snap, the water from the tunnel fell in small droplets. Deckard gulped. Something told him that he didn’t want to go down this tunnel. He moved on to the next one, and that’s when he spotted the dungeon’s first obstacle—a yellow crab, its claws resting idly, perched near the edge of a shallow pool.

  “Finally, a solo target,” Deckard whispered, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. He inspected the creature.

  Crab Underling

  Lvl. 4

  HP: 80

  ???

  Does it only have 80 HP? That’s perfect! He glanced around, ensuring no hidden surprises were waiting to ambush him. The coast seemed clear.

  Drawing a card from his deck, he flicked it. The card sailed through the air with a soft whip, striking the crab with a satisfying snap.

  -4

  A translucent health bar materialized above its head.

  The crab froze, then reared back with an ear-piercing chitter. Its claws clashed together in a sharp, rhythmic beat that echoed through the grotto like a war drum. Deckard's grin faded as ripples spread across the pools around him.

  “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered.

  One by one, crabs crawled from the water, their pincers clicking in an aggressive chorus. The solitary target had just turned into a swarm.

  Instinct kicked in. Deckard spun on his heel and bolted, the sound of skittering legs pursuing him. The crabs were faster than he expected, their claws perilously close to his heels. His mind raced, calculating his options.

  What happens if I die here? Do I drop my cards? My entire deck? The thought made his stomach churn.

  Moreover, what would happen if he ran into another swarm of crabs and ended up cornered? That’d be game over.

  He emerged from the tunnel and found that he was back at the starting point of the dungeon. He spotted a narrow crevice in the rocky wall. Deckard scrambled toward it, throwing himself upward with the desperation of a cornered animal. His boots slipped against the slick stone, but his fingers found purchase, and he hauled himself up just as the crabs reached the base.

  The creatures snapped furiously at the rock, their claws clicking. Deckard pressed his back against the wall, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.

  Crabs are a little too much for me right now. He had hoped that they wouldn’t swarm in the dungeon, but he could now see that it had been wishful thinking. Seeing them swarming at the beach should have been proof enough that the same would happen inside the dungeon.

  Then, their lower health. No wonder their health was a little lower, even though they had a higher level than the diseased seagulls. It was because a player could not fight just one crab but had to fight their entire family.

  Sorry, little crabs. Time for a tactical retreat.

  Deckard opened the menu and tried to log out.

  Unable to log out during combat.

  The system message flashed before his eyes, the text glowing a mocking red.

  “Great. Just great,” Deckard muttered, glaring at the crabs below. They weren’t going anywhere, and their persistence made it clear they had no intention of giving up.

  What now? Deckard asked. There was no way that he could deal with so many crabs at once. He couldn't log out. He couldn't do anything. Moreover, he hadn’t died once since gaining his class. What if he dropped cards when he died? He wouldn’t mind losing any of his duplicates, but what if he dropped [Shallow Swarm], for example? That card was irreplaceable. He had no idea how to get a new one.

  He just sat there. Thinking. Waiting. As he studied the creatures so hellbent on killing him, every so often, a soft chime rang in his ears, accompanied by a message.

  Understanding of Crab Underling has increased.

  He couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh. “Well, at least it’s not all a total waste of time. I’m still gaining Understanding.”

  He took out his binder. There was a new blue page featuring three crabs. The yellow little guys trying to kill him had the most defined picture. There was also the [Scizor Strike] card he’d traded at the pier of Stiltwave Village.

  I need to find a way out of here.

  Deckard looked for something, anything, that would let him break out of this situation. He counted the crabs. There were six yellow crabs with a combined 480 hit points. With his deck being able to deal only 104 damage points in total, he stood no chance.

  Unless... He opened his binders. There were many more cards in it. It felt crazy to throw expensive skill and creature cards at enemies, but since he was alone in the dungeon, no one would steal them. If he added that damage, it might be enough to get himself out of this sticky situation.

  He tried to pull one of the cards free.

  Error! You can't remove cards from the binder during combat.

  "Huh? That’s a thing, too?"

  He tried to grab one of the duplicates in his inventory instead. It was technically not in his binder. The moment he did one of the other cards in his throwing deck turned into ash, the nanites that made it up floating back to the repository.

  Error! You've exceeded the maximum number of throwing cards sustained by your Dimensional Binder.

  Deckard clicked his tongue. Guess I can’t cheat the card limit after all. The card limit was 52, and he couldn't do anything about it.

  He studied the cave around him. All the pools, columns, puddles, and walls. After several minutes of observation, an idea began to form.

  The crab he’d attacked had called for its companions. That meant that there shouldn't be more crabs in the vicinity, at least in the small area of the dungeon that he’d visited.

  His experience of kiting lone diseased seagulls at the beach, and what he'd seen players do at the beach, flashed across his mind. Could I kite them, like I did with the seagulls? Now that the idea had taken root, it didn't sound so crazy.

  The left tunnel looped around and reconnected with the entrance. Maybe he could have them run after him in circles.

  There was something else he could do to improve his odds. Deckard drew a blank card from his deck and held it toward the nearest crab.

  Subdimensionalize!

  A swirling vortex appeared, pulling the nearest crab into the card with a satisfying pop.

  Crab Underling ??

  Rarity: Common

  Type: Creature

  Affinity: ??

  Cost: 1

  Points: 1

  Deckard clutched his prize with a smile. Depositing the card into his binder, he felt a small surge of power ripple through him.

  Collection updated.

  +0.1 attack.

  It was only a sliver, but it meant he was on the right path.

  The remaining crabs were far from deterred. If anything, their fury intensified. They tried to jump and climb to reach Deckard.

  Deckard took a deep breath, bracing himself. Here goes nothing.

  He leaped from his perch, landing in a crouch.

  A few of the crabs managed to cut him.

  -5

  -7

  -6

  “Such high damage!”

  Deckard broke into a sprint, the crabs hot on his heels.

  He darted through the cavern, weaving between pools and obstacles to maintain his distance. With each sharp turn, he flung cards at the closest crab, chipping away at their health bar. The glowing mushrooms cast frantic shadows across the walls as the chase continued, his boots skidding on the wet stone as he pushed himself to stay ahead.

  One crab fell, its carapace shattering into glimmering fragments. Deckard patiently kept running one more lap until he could pass over the crab's corpse. He snatched up his throwing cards and the rest of the loot without breaking stride.

  Noticing that his energy bar was almost out, he ran over to the crevice again and hauled himself up. The crabs, now down to four, furiously kept trying to reach Deckard.

  Oof.

  Deckard waited for his HP and energy to recover. Thanks to the title [Beginner Dungeoneer], he gained 5% more recovery of energy and HP when inside the dungeon, which came in handy. The strategy had worked. It was dangerous at times, but he was still able to kite the crabs and retrieve his ammo.

  Once his energy and HP were up again, Deckard went for another run. He defeated one more crab and ran back to his safe haven. Each victory bolstered his confidence, and he quickly fell into a rhythm: attack, kite, recover.

  By the time the last crab collapsed, Deckard was drenched in sweat, his chest heaving. “Well,” he panted, a grin breaking through his exhaustion. “That wasn’t so bad.”

  Amazon.