The Power of Shadow Manipulation!

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The creatures before Veronica resembled the previous large and armored crabs that she had fought a couple of times before. However, their silver armor seemed to have become darker and their legs heavier and sturdier.

Their long pincer claws became sharper, like knives, and a larger crab was leading the group of five, this one had grown crimson jewels over its head as if it were wearing a crown, it also had an abnormally large pincer claw compared to the other, smaller one.

Veronica checked all the crabs and discovered that the larger one was Rank 4, while the other was Rank 3!

[Name: Nameless.

[Race: Armored Crab Pincer King

[Titles: None.

[Type: Crustacean/Material

[Rank: 4

[Level: 060/100

[Health Points: 340/340

[Mana Points: 63/63

[Strength: 271

[Defense: 467

[Magic: 43

[Resistance: 78

[Agility: 76

[Passive Skills]

[Dark Vision; Level 3]

[Abnormal Status Resistance; Level 4]

[Strengthened Physical Power; Level 3]

[Physical Damage Resistance; Level 4]

[Armored Carapace; Level 4]

[Magic Damage Resistance; Level 1]

[Active Skills]

[Coordination; Level 2]

[Commanding; Level 2]

[Charge; Level 3]

[Projectile Fire; Level 3]

[Corrosive Venom Secretion; Jaws; Level 3]

[Mineral Devourer; Level 4]

"That defense is ridiculous… even with my piercing techniques, I won't be able to penetrate it… But what if I use my soul? It should be able to ignore its exoskeleton to an extent, as it is an ethereal attack… if I am capable of only materializing the Soul Claw that entered its body…"

"There is no other way than fighting? Can't we avoid them?" asked Shade.

"No… they are right in front of the entrance, it seems that they sit there to ambush Adventurers or Explorers… look there" pointed Veronica, as Shade glanced at the leftovers of a massacred adventurer party, only their crushed bones and equipment was lying around, there were also broken and empty potion bottles and a ragged pouch.

��Blob?" asked Aqua.

"It would be a nice idea if we started with a surprise attack… Aqua, can you charge a strong enough water bullet? Hit the biggest one eyes; they are completely exposed" said Veronica.

"Blob!"

Aqua immediately put herself into a position, while still covering Veronica's body so she could silently approach the crabs through her stealth and camouflage.

"Perhaps I could also use the Shadows to bind the crabs momentarily in the wall's shadows…" pondered Veronica.

"That's a good idea," said Shade.

"Blob!" said Aqua, she had already gathered a large and dense amount of slime and water in a side of her formless body, ready to be fired with her 'Projectile Fire' skill.

Veronica waited to see if the crabs had detected… but they seemed to be only standing there.

"Clack, clack…" said one, glancing at the bones, it began to snack in the adventurer's bones as it seemed to be bored.

"Clack!" shouted the Crab King, stopping the smaller crab from eating bones and beginning to snack on them in its place… it was an arrogant King.

"Clack, clack…" muttered the weaker crab moved aside.

Just as the King began to snack on the bones, Veronica silently began to manipulate the shadows of this dark dungeon, by using the 'Shadow Manipulation' Skill at level 2, she took a hold of the surrounding shadows.

She was not capable of using them in any type of offense but could bind other shadows with another, this would make the ones possessing the shadows 'bind' to that certain shadow, although this would only last a few seconds at much.

But it was more than enough for her.

The moment the shadow of the five crabs was bind to one of the walls, Veronica gave Aqua the signal.

"Now!" she said.

"Blooob!"

Aqua used 'Projectile Fire' and launched the water bullet towards the Crab King's eyes, who was leisurely eating dried bones.

"Clack!"

One of the Crabs realized what was going on but was ignored by the Crab King, and as it was momentarily bound to another shadow, it was incapable of moving for a few seconds!

Splash!

The mana-charged, high-pressured water bullet hit the Crab King's eyes directly, sharp main rushing through its nerve system. To top it all, the water was slimy, and it got stuck into the eyes.

The Crab King began to shriek in agony as it waved its large pincer claw towards its eyes, trying to get the slime away but making the pain worse.

"Hisshhhyaaa…!!!"

The other crabs were not capable of moving towards the perpetrator because they were bound by their own shadows. Their pincers began to crack and clap in anger after seeing their King shriek in agony.

Veronica did not wait for any other second, using 'Charge' to rush towards the King and finish it off before anyone else!

"Shade, I'm counting on you!" shouted Veronica.

"Leave it to me!" said Shade.

She let Shade manipulating the shadows in her place, at least to extend the binding a few more seconds.

"Bloobb!" shouted Aqua, as she continued firing water bullets towards the Crab King, particularly targeting the joins of its legs, making it quickly fall over, its heavy body made even the floor tremble for a few seconds.

"Hissshhyyyaa!"

The Crab King would not go down without a fight, it opened its jaws and began to fire its own poisonous saliva projectiles, the ones capable of dissolving other metallic materials.

However, Aqua received the bullets with her own bullets, while extending her body like a membrane to catch on the ones that her bullets missed. Veronica used her shield to receive some of the bullets as well, while Shade controlled the shadows that bind the crabs to the wall's shadows.

Finally closing by the Crab King, Veronica braced her fist and covered them in a huge 'Soul Claw', firing it towards the fiend.

The claw completely bypassed the exoskeleton as Veronica materialized the area that had entered, quickly closing the claw, and crushing the crab���s innards.

Clash!

"Hiiissshyyyyaaa…!"

The Crab King bared its fist as it suddenly used 'Charge' against Veronica's position!

Veronica covered her front with her Shield while using Shield Techniques and Armor Techniques in succession to bear the strong blow!

"Iron Wall, Iron Armor!" she shouted.

Clash!

The strong blow almost made Veronica fall over the ground, but the increased defenses and weight is given to her by the Techniques gave her the ability to slightly resist this behemoth's powerful charge!

However, having caught its prey, the Crab King shrieked in anger as it raised its large claw and tried to cut Veronica in half!

Flash!

Clash!

However, Veronica used 'Charge' as well, jumping over the claw's attack and reaching the defenseless back of the Crab King.

Veronica covered her two fists with her Dark Soul, as she began to smash the Crab King's innards into minced flesh!

"Take this! Soul Claw! Slashing Claws!"

Slash! Slash! Slash!

"Hushyaaaa…!"

Clash!

The Crab King began to spasm as its jaw vomited green blood and crushed innards, although it lasted a few more seconds, it became motionless not much afterward.

Veronica's strategy had worked, her soul was capable of crushing the innards of even those covered in strong armor!

By doing such a cheap tactic, she managed to take the life of a Rank 4 monster, a rank above hers. Of course, the Experience Points given would be amazing.

[Experience Points have reached the required level!]

[Individual 'Rank' has increased from level 1 to level 54!]

[Furthermore, the Individual's 'Job' has increased from level 1 to level 54!]

Aqua also felt a great number of Experience Points given to her, gaining probably even more levels than Veronica.

Veronica glanced at the rest of the Crabs, who had gone completely loose over Veronica's acts, she had just slain their boss in front of them…

"Gishaaaaa!"

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