"Young man! Where did you get this crab shell? Do you have any idea what you've done? Killing it will bring catastrophic disaster down on us all!"
Lao Wang's voice was urgent and heavy, his face twisted with terror. His hand clutching Chen Mo's arm trembled slightly, as if he had seen something unspeakably horrifying.
Chen Mo frowned slightly and quietly pulled his arm free, his tone calm.
"Deep in Liusha River Beach. I killed a Black Armor Crab King. This is its shell."
He did not hide the truth. In this hyper-realistic game, there was no point in lying.
"The Black Armor Crab King… it really is the Black Armor Crab King!"
Lao Wang's face turned ashen. He staggered back and collapsed onto a stool in the blacksmith's shop, his eyes hollow.
"It's over… it's all over. Qingxi Town is doomed…"
Wanshuang hurried forward to support him and asked softly:
"Uncle, is the Black Armor Crab King that terrifying? We already killed it. How could it bring trouble to Qingxi Town?"
"You don't understand! You have no idea at all!"
Lao Wang lifted his head abruptly, fear filling his eyes.
"All the crab monsters in Liusha River Beach are ruled by the Giant Crab at the bottom of the pool. The Black Armor Crab King was the Giant Crab's most loyal subordinate!"
"You killed it. The Giant Crab will fly into a rage. Before long, it will bring a huge army of crabs onto the beach… even break into Qingxi Town! By then, the whole town will be trampled flat!"
The Giant Crab under the pool…
Chen Mo's heart sank.
He finally understood what that terrifying aura he'd felt at the bottom of the pool really was.
Behind the Black Armor Crab King, there was an even more horrifying overlord.
No wonder after killing the Crab King, he'd felt a cold gaze locked on him. It hadn't been his imagination.
"Uncle… how strong is that Giant Crab?" Chen Mo asked in a low voice, already preparing for the worst.
"Strong? It's way beyond anything us new players can fight!"
Lao Wang shook his head in despair.
"That Giant Crab has lived at the bottom of the pool for a hundred years. It's ten times stronger than the Black Armor Crab King. Its shell is like iron, its strength is monstrous. Even the town guards don't dare provoke it lightly!"
"Once, some players were foolish enough to provoke the Black Armor Crab King. The next day, the whole beach was covered in crabs. Several players were sent straight back to the respawn point. Since then, no one dares go within a hundred meters of the pool bottom!"
Wanshuang turned pale and clutched Chen Mo's shirt tightly, whispering:
"Mo Chuan, I'm sorry. It's all my fault. If I hadn't insisted on going deep to pick herbs, we would never have met the Black Armor Crab King… never have brought this huge trouble…"
Looking at Wanshuang's guilty, regretful face, Chen Mo's heart softened slightly. He shook his head gently.
"It's not your fault. Even if it wasn't us, someone would have angered the Giant Crab sooner or later. This can't be avoided."
He never liked shifting blame. Since he had killed the Black Armor Crab King with his own hands, he would face the consequences.
What's more, he could feel that the terrifying aura of the Giant Crab was not just pressure—it was also a trial.
To grow stronger, he could not keep running away.
"Uncle, does Qingxi Town have any way to stop the crab army?" Chen Mo looked at Lao Wang, his voice firm.
"We can't just sit here and wait to die."
Lao Wang sighed, his face gloomy.
"What can we do? The guard team is small and poorly equipped. They can't hold off the crabs led by the Giant Crab… unless someone can find its weakness and kill it before it attacks."
"But the Giant Crab stays in the deep pool all year round. It's an excellent swimmer. Players can't fight it underwater. All these years, no one has ever succeeded."
Deep pool…
Chen Mo memorized it silently.
He wasn't a top swimmer, but he had superhuman reflexes, solid sword skills, and Wanshuang—the Herbalist—supporting him from behind. It wasn't impossible to try.
"Mo Chuan, you're not thinking… of going after that Giant Crab, are you? No! It's way too dangerous!"
Wanshuang saw his plan at a glance. She grabbed his arm and shook her head wildly.
"It's so much stronger than the Black Armor Crab King. You'll get hurt!"
"If I don't go, Qingxi Town will be in danger," Chen Mo looked at her, his eyes serious.
"Besides, I have to go. This is my responsibility."
He had gone from a penniless delivery rider to someone who could channel warm energy in reality and wield a sword in the game. He had fought his way here every step.
Giving up was never an option for him.
Wanshuang looked into Chen Mo's determined eyes and knew she couldn't stop him. Her eyes reddened. She bit her lip and said:
"Then I'm going with you! I'm a Herbalist—I can heal you. I won't let you risk this alone!"
Chen Mo froze for a moment. Looking at the girl who was trembling with fear but still insisted on facing danger with him, a warm feeling flowed through his heart.
In this strange world, he finally had a partner to fight alongside.
"Okay." Chen Mo nodded gently and did not refuse.
Lao Wang watched the two of them, a touch of admiration flashing in his eyes. He sighed:
"Young people… you have guts! I'm not much use, but I can still help!"
He turned and went into the back room of the blacksmith's shop. Moments later, he came out with a rough map, an extremely sharp short blade, and three dark green potions. He held them out to Chen Mo.
"This is a map of Liusha River Beach. It marks the deep pool and where the Giant Crab often appears. This short blade is razor-sharp—made for cutting soft flesh. These are my secret numbing potions. Splash them on a monster, and it will slow down."
"It's not much, but it's all I can do. Be careful out there!"
"Thank you, Uncle." Chen Mo took the items solemnly, grateful.
These things would be absolutely crucial in the coming battle.
"There's no time to waste. We'll go prepare now. We head for the pool at first light," Chen Mo decided at once.
It was already late at night in-game. Visibility was terrible for fighting. When dawn came, the light would give them a better chance.
"Mm!" Wanshuang nodded hard. She took out all her best healing and antidote potions and stuffed them into Chen Mo's backpack.
"Take all of these. Please keep yourself safe."
Chen Mo did not refuse. He put everything away, then carefully sharpened his iron sword at the blacksmith's until the blade was at its most durable and sharp.
Once everything was ready, the two found an inn in town to rest and recover their strength.
In the room, Wanshuang lay on the bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Just thinking about the terrifying Giant Crab made her heart race. But with Chen Mo beside her, she felt a little safer.
Chen Mo sat cross-legged at the table, circulating the Sword Profound Heart to rest and recover. As he did, he replayed the fight with the Black Armor Crab King in his mind, planning tactics to take on the Giant Crab.
The Giant Crab was stronger, had higher defense, greater power, and was good at swimming. A head-on fight was impossible.
The only chance was still attacking its weak point.
The Black Armor Crab King's weak point was its underbelly. The Giant Crab's weak point was most likely its underbelly or another soft area.
He had to find an opening and strike in one blow.
Time passed. The sky in-game slowly brightened. Early morning sunlight streamed through the window, bringing a touch of warmth.
Chen Mo opened his eyes, a sharp light flashing in them. After a night of meditation, he was at his peak—full health, full stamina, and even his Sword Control Art proficiency had risen slightly.
"Let's go." Chen Mo stood up and picked up his iron sword.
Wanshuang had long been ready. She slung her medicine basket over her shoulder and followed closely beside Chen Mo. The two walked side by side toward the depths of Liusha River Beach.
Along the way, they passed early-rising players and NPCs, all looking panicked and talking anxiously. Lao Wang had clearly spread the news of the coming Giant Crab attack. The whole of Qingxi Town was wrapped in fear.
Chen Mo did not stop. He led Wanshuang at a fast pace, and soon they stood again by the black pool.
The calm water glowed with a dark light, bottomless and eerily quiet—as if a giant beast lay dormant, waiting for its prey.
The marks of last night's battle with the Black Armor Crab King still remained. A faint smell of blood hung in the air, provoking the monster beneath the waves.
Wanshuang pressed close to Chen Mo, holding her breath, not daring to make a sound.
Chen Mo gripped his iron sword tightly, his gaze locked on the pool's surface. The warm energy inside him circulated at full speed, completely on guard.
At that moment, the calm water erupted into violent churning. Countless bubbles boiled up from the bottom, gurgling loudly. A suffocating, murderous aura exploded from the pool bottom, covering the entire beach.
BOOM!
A deafening crash. The water exploded. A colossal, pitch-black figure burst from the depths, carrying a sky-swelling murderous rage, staring straight at Chen Mo and Wanshuang!
It was three times larger than the Black Armor Crab King. Its shell was like black steel, covered in ferocious spikes. Its pincers were bigger than millstones. Its vertical pupils were cold and ruthless, radiating a bloodthirsty killing intent.
The Giant Crab of the Deep Pool had arrived!
Wanshuang turned deathly pale and hid behind Chen Mo instinctively. She shouted in a trembling voice:
"Mo Chuan, look out! It—It's charging at us!"