Lowlife, Scoundrel, Bandit Queen

It's actually getting dark by the time I arrive back at my hilltop camp. I don't cook another meal. I'm still pretty full from my crab treat earlier the day after all. Instead I keep my mushrooms for tomorrow. I already roasted some of these on a skewer once before. They should make for a nice meal together with the last of my bread and cheese as well.

I rekindle my fire anyway though. Mostly to make sure beyond a doubt that my boots are dry and my toes warm, but to dry the mushrooms too so they don't go bad over night. Thus I use the last of my firewood. I'll have to gather more tomorrow, but that really shouldn't be a problem unless there is a sudden downpour overnight.

A quick glance up into the darkening night sky reassures me that the latter is rather unlikely as far as I can tell. The stars are twinkling. There aren't a whole lot of clouds and there is no wind worth mentioning either. I should be fine. Hopefully. If I'm mistaken I'll be in a world of misery anyway, cold and drenched to the bone. That isn't a very appealing thought, thus I drive it far from my mind, before I at long last turn in for the night.

Sleep claims me soon after. I just wish it were deeper, as I wake several times during the night, when small animals scurry about somewhere around my campsite. Nothing actually dangerous approaches though. Or, at least my [Danger Sense] never gets triggered. Just as well. I don't get as much deep sleep as I'd like to have anyway. Never mind though, I'll just have to catch up once I'm back in town.

In the end I wake sooner than I'd like to, to another notification.

[*Ding!* You slept. Not bad, but not terribly well either! Health increased by 0! Mana increased by 2!]

I guess this means that I'm all topped off again.

The first thing I do, after getting up from my leaf bed, is to stretch long and hard, head to toe. It's no use to just stand around though, no matter how good these stretches might feel, even though my plans for the day are rather scarce. I need to get going.

I shake out my boots, just in case, which are by now actually properly dried once more. Then I slip them back on. I gather up the rest of my gear as well and make sure everything is where it's supposed to be. After some brief adjustments I'm satisfied. Nothing pinches. All is good. I'm ready.

The first order of business is to get fresh water. And while I'm at it, I can gather some more firewood on the way back from the creek too.

Without so much as a second thought I slip into well practiced habits. My movements become more careful and I sharpen all my senses, as I make my way through the woods, towards the creek.

My [Stealth] and [Perception] skills both benefit, which is a good thing. I really want to keep these two particular skills close in level. As close, in fact, as possible. My morning remains very much uneventful though, which isn't all bad either, to be honest.

I reach the spot at the creek where I fought the crab that ended up donating the legs for my meal yesterday, eventually. And, as it turns out, the carrion eaters have really been busy. Very little remains of the dead Rock Crab. Mostly just the thick, rocky shell in fact.

Since I don't want to disturb any animals that might still be around I don't get any closer than necessary. I'm not that curious anyway. What really matters is that I head a little upstream from here, to make sure the water I get is as clean as possible.

I don't want to be surprised by any animals or monsters either in turn. This is especially true for sneaky crabs pretending to be rocks. Thus I move with even greater care now. This soon pays off, as I spot a few more Rock Crabs while I move upstream. Most aren't big enough to be any real trouble, but it's still for the better if I don't get into another fight right now.

I take a moment to study them at the very least though. I'll come back for one of those crabs later, before I head back to town after all. One thing I note, which has already been hinted at in the book I read at the adventurers' guild, is that the crabs seem solitary. Unless it's mating season, they keep to themselves, avoiding other Rock Crabs to the best of their abilities. Supposedly because bigger crabs eat smaller ones just like they would anything else.

In the end I decide on a fun little gamble while I refill my water bottle at a small waterfall. There is a rock crab sitting there as well. It's on the smaller end of the spectrum of those I have seen so far, so I'm not really worried about it. If anything its presence makes it a fun challenge to refill the bottle unnoticed.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

The crab's eyes are focused on the water anyway and the water is much too turbulent here to reflect my image, so I only have to mind the monster's other senses. For the better part this means I have to watch my step. I move slowly and softly shifting about rather than stepping from stone to stone, so no vibrations will give my presence away.

I manage to pull it off, too. I refill my bottle without being noticed, which earns me a little more progress for my [Stealth] skill.

That is when another idea strikes me. It's a stupid idea. A very stupid idea in fact. It might just be fun though. I decide to give it a try anyway. Lets find out if I can scare that overgrown crab. Good gods and goddesses jump scares are not exactly good manners or the likes, but I just can't resist right now.

With my water bottle stowed away again I get ready, still as stealthy as I possibly can be. I don't draw my sword, but I get my buckler ready just in case. I don't want to actually fight the crab right now, but I'd rather be prepared to block its pincers anyway should my little harebrained idea backfire.

Then, at long last, do I make my presence known to the so far unsuspecting crustacean. With my iron buckler at the ready I give the rocky shell of the monster a slight tap with the tip of my boot.

There is no widening of eyes to be observable with a crab of course, but it certainly is surprised. It does indeed jump a little. And of course the fact that I managed to sneak up on it until I'm close enough to actually touch it is not lost on the creature either. As a result my [Intimidate] skill improves for the first time in a while. That's interesting for more than one reason. On one hand every skill increase, no matter how minor, is appreciated. On the other hand, it's good to know that these creatures are actually smart enough to know fear, at least to a degree.

The Rock Crab quickly scuttles away. And while it doesn't try to get me with its pincers its instincts seem to dictate that it should not retreat without putting up a fight. It flings a water bullet my way as it retreats deeper into the creek. Who knows, the other predators it usually has to face around here might even be deterred by an attack like that. Me? Not so much.

The splash of water comes together with a brief notification of course. It pretty much is as expected.

[*Ding!* You have been wounded! Health reduced by 0!]

I suffer no actual damage, but I'm wet again. At least my [Spell Resistance] and [Clothes] skills got some growth out of it, even if it isn't much. Considering how close the latter skill is to a level up I'm tempted, so very tempted to stick around a little longer, but in the end I don't. I grin, point first at my eyes and then at the Rock Crab.

"You better work on your stealth skills bugger, or we'll be seeing each other again."

The crab scuttles back a little further and I retreat as well, since I'm not in the mood for an actual fight. Not right now anyway. It's like I said though. I might be back later in search for another crab to take back to town. I still want to find out what an actual cook with a rel kitchen and larder full of other ingredients and spices can make of the moist and tender crab meat. Oh yes, that crab better really make sure I don't find it again.

With my fresh water secured I retreat back to camp, gathering firewood along the way. This has the additional benefit that my [Foraging] skill finally levels up, as another notification lets me know.

[*Ding!* Your skill Foraging has leveled up to level 5!]

There are no other indirect benefits from this level up, but at least it counts as progress for my masked mediator class. That's important too, no doubt. I have to admit, this little trip has resulted in decent progress overall so far. I'm quite satisfied. Even better though, it's not quite over yet!

Once I'm back I get the fire started again. Then I unpack the last of the supplies I brought as well as the mushrooms I gathered the other day. My makeshift grill is still good for another meal as far as I can tell, thus I make the best use of it I can. After letting the fire burn down a little I slice the last of my bread and put it on to toast. I slice the mushrooms too and roast them as well. The last of my cheese keeps the two together. It's another simple meal, very similar to the ones of the last days, but that's alright. It's warm and it's tasty. That is all that matters.

My [Cooking] skill improves another little bit as well. I'm getting good at this campfire cooking. Well, I'm getting good enough anyway. It's a pity that I don't plan to stick around any longer. I might earn another level up soon if I did. I guess it'll have to wait. Well, it's not like I'm in a hurry. That's a good thing too, as it means I can take my time enjoying my latest culinary creation.

Taking my time is important for the rest of my plans for today too. I need to finish some preparations. I get some sturdy hazelnut branches. One of them will be the stick I'll use to carry the crab I intend to catch alive. It's just a little thinner than my arm and would probably make for a decent quarterstaff if I were to let the wood dry a little. As it is, I use my utility knife to drill a hole through one end instead while it's still fresh and soft.

The rest of the branches are essentially only intended to provide bark I can weave into a makeshift rope, which I promptly do. I'll need to secure the crab's pincers and, of course, I'll need to tie the crab to the stick too. I really hope my makeshift rope is good enough. Well, it should be, as long as I only get one of the smaller Rock Crabs. As a side benefit my [Woodworking] improves some in the process, which is quite welcome.

Now I'm ready. Or at least I'm mostly ready. I gather up my gear. Instead of setting out right away I go through one more important mental exercise first. I visualize the way back to town. This is important as I don't plan to follow first the creek and later the river all the way back. No, I intend to take some shortcuts. That way the crab should not have too much time to try and break free and it will be fresh enough when I arrive in town too, which is even more important.

I can feel my [Survival] skill improve some as I go through the process of visualizing the best way back. That alone is already a good indicator suggesting that this is a very prudent measure. Finally, at long last, I'm really ready for the last hunt of this trip.