Chapter 36: Star-Craving Crabs
Bubu Wang stood frozen for a second, seemingly pondering who its sister was. Soon, as the overwhelming tide of white crabs surged forward, Bubu Wang turned and bolted.
Whoosh~
The white crabs surged like a tidal wave. They didn't crawl individually but gathered together, pushing forward in waves, their speed far exceeding that of solitary movement.
Faced with such a number of creatures, Su Xiao chose to avoid their sharp edge. One-on-one, Su Xiao was highly skilled, but one versus several million? That was no joke.
Su Xiao and Bubu Wang sprinted ahead, with the crab tide close behind. Bubu Wang, which had been limping earlier, was no longer lame. After activating its Full-Speed Charge (Active), its speed even seemed to rival Su Xiao's.
During his escape, a mechanical eye flew in from ahead—it was the Apostle's Eye, which had been scouting the terrain of the Strongman Forest.
Grabbing the Apostle's Eye, Su Xiao aimed it at the crab tide behind him.
[Comparing both sides' Intelligence attributes... Comparison complete. Our Intelligence attribute is 4.44 times that of the enemy. Obtaining 100% of the enemy's data.]
Data as follows:
Name: Star-Craving Crab
Category: Void Creature (Reproductive capacity restricted)
Health: 100%
Mana: 180
Strength: 36
Agility: 69
Stamina: 16
Intelligence: 18
Charm: 3
Skill 1, Devour Planet (Passive): Star-Craving Crabs are social creatures. If their number exceeds 70 million, they will begin seeking small planets to parasitize, devouring all organic and inorganic matter on the planet until it is completely consumed. They will then disguise themselves as that planet, and any creature entering it will be devoured.
Skill 2, Anoxic Environment Survival (Passive): The leaf-shaped lungs within the Star-Craving Crab's shell can store large amounts of solid oxygen. They can survive in anoxic conditions for 30 to 50 years.
Skill 3, Frenzied Reproduction (Passive): Star-Craving Crabs are hermaphroditic with extremely strong reproductive capabilities (this ability has been sealed).
Skill 4, Acidic Body Fluids (Passive): The saliva and blood of Star-Craving Crabs are highly corrosive.
Skill 5, Group Camouflage (Passive): Star-Craving Crabs can disguise themselves as planets, mountains, etc., waiting for prey to approach.
After reviewing the Star-Craving Crab's data, Su Xiao's resolve to flee only strengthened. There was no benefit in a deathmatch with such creatures. Not only were they Void creatures, but their acidic body fluids also made them inedible.
Now, deep in the Strongman Forest, supplies of food, fresh water, and recovery items were scarce. Getting injured in battle would be a massive loss.
"Woof! Ha, ha, ha~"
Bubu Wang stuck out its tongue, glancing back at the surging crab tide. Seeing the millions of Star-Craving Crabs, its legs went weak.
"Run into the forest."
Without looking back, Su Xiao dashed straight toward the distant forest.
Clatter~
The sound of shells colliding came from behind. The crab tide surged more violently, and hundreds of Star-Craving Crabs scattered like blossoms, flying toward Su Xiao and Bubu Wang.
These hundreds of crabs flailed midair, their pincers opening and closing with loud snaps. Despite being only palm-sized, their claws held terrifying power.
The crabs flew at incredible speed, launched by the swarm to slow down Su Xiao and Bubu Wang.
Earlier, Su Xiao had wondered why there was clean water here but no other creatures nearby. Now it was clear—not that there were no other creatures, but they had all been devoured by the Star-Craving Crabs. These horrors, capable of consuming entire planets, would leave nothing behind, not even bones.
As the hundreds of crabs flew in, Su Xiao paused. Sensing his slowdown, Bubu Wang instinctively slowed too.
Su Xiao kicked Bubu Wang's rear, signaling it to keep running.
Facing the massive crab swarm, Su Xiao clasped his hands together. A 400-point-strength Energy Shield appeared before him. He pushed his palms forward, and the shield moved ahead.
Boom!!
The crab army slammed into the Energy Shield. At least several thousand crabs were crushed into fragments on impact. But in the next moment, large cracks spread across the shield. Within two seconds, it shattered.
The 400-point-strength shield wasn't broken by force—even with the crabs' strength, a collective charge couldn't do that. It was devoured, combined with heavy acid erosion, causing it to break so quickly.
Hiss~
Green smoke rose, and a pungent acidic smell spread.
After deploying the shield, Su Xiao continued his escape. Its rapid destruction made him realize he must never be surrounded by the crab swarm, or he would be doomed.
Creatures that could survive in the Void either had terrifying survivability or immense strength. These millions of Star-Craving Crabs were merely a small colony. If it were a large one, Alice wouldn't dare bring them into the castle, unless she wanted it to become a crab nest.
Moreover, Alice had restricted the crabs' reproductive capacity. Otherwise, within a week, the Strongman Forest on the castle's fourth floor would be stripped bare—creatures, trees, and soil would all become nutrients for the crabs.
Even with restricted reproduction, these crabs were still terrifying.
While fleeing, Su Xiao pondered something. In Reincarnation Paradise, he had learned much about a place called the Void. Known intelligence indicated that the Void contained many planets and countless races.
From his understanding, the Void wasn't a futuristic realm filled with spaceships. It was a coexistence of magic, technology, mysticism, and biological evolution. For powerful individuals, traveling the Void didn't require spaceships—they could traverse between planets using their bodies and teleportation arrays. Spaceships were tools for weaker races, rarely seen in the Void.
Su Xiao couldn't help but wonder if he would one day enter the Void, witness its scenery and strong beings, and roam freely there. That would be exhilarating. The Black Abyss, Demon Castle, and others were just small parts of the Void.
But for now, he lacked that capability. He needed to focus on escaping the Star-Craving Crabs' pursuit.
The crabs behind him were relentless. Who knew how grudging they were? Just stepping into their territory had them chasing him as if to the ends of the earth.
"Woof!"
Bubu Wang barked loudly. It had followed Su Xiao through many battles, always dishing out punishment, rarely fleeing so miserably. Its expression clearly said, "I can't take this humiliation."
"Bear with it. If we're caught, we're dead."
Su Xiao was equally frustrated, but he had no way to deal with the Star-Craving Crabs—their numbers were simply too vast.
Soon, Su Xiao and Bubu Wang charged into the forest.
Whoosh~
The crab army followed closely. As they passed, trees several arm-spans thick vanished—yes, vanished.
Not only that, but the grass on the ground disappeared, and even a layer of soil was gone.
Seeing this, Bubu Wang stopped feeling wronged and quickened its pace. Where the Star-Craving Crabs passed, nothing was left—not even the ground itself. The vanished trees and soil had been instantly devoured.