Chapter 38: The Strange Beasts of the Heng River

Xu Han walked out through the west gate of the city.

From afar, he could already see a broad river surging past not far ahead. The river spanned about a hundred meters in width, and its banks were lined with pebble beaches. Numerous crabs and other crustacean beasts crawled across the stones, while many people in mage robes, holding staffs, formed teams to hunt monsters.

Xu Han glanced at them. They were all newly awakened high school students like himself. He paid no heed to the beasts here. The closer one got to Donghai City, the lower the beasts’ levels. Killing them would yield no experience—just a waste of time.

He followed the river for several kilometers. Soon, the number of people training dwindled, and only a scattered few remained, targeting a creature known as the Waterback Turtle. These turtles moved extremely slowly, their only attack being a jet of water. If struck, the damage was terrifying. But as long as one’s agility was slightly above average, dodging was easy, and with a mage in the party, leveling up became swift.

Xu Han looked ahead to the riverbank. A crab, as large as a bull, lay by the water, enjoying the flow washing over it. He activated his Eye of Inquiry.

[Name: Giant Claw Crab]
[Race: Crustacean]
[Level: 20]
[Skill 1: Bubble Spit LV.1 (The Giant Claw Crab spits bubbles to attack enemies. Targets caught in the bubbles are trapped. Cooldown: 3 minutes)]
[Skill 2: Clamp LV.1 (The Giant Claw Crab swings its claw to seize and break the enemy, shattering their defenses. Cooldown: 1 minute)]

It was just a common monster.

Xu Han strode straight toward the Giant Claw Crab. Nearby, a few people training spotted him challenging the beast alone, and their looks were full of ridicule.

“This kid’s got guts, going after the Giant Claw Crab all by himself?”

“I bet he can’t even break through its defenses. What a joke.”

“He’s not even a mage, doesn’t form a team, and dares to train here by the river? What’s going on in his head?”

Xu Han headed directly for the Giant Claw Crab. The crab noticed the unwelcome visitor, its claws—each nearly the size of an adult—opening and closing repeatedly.

Its eyes locked fiercely onto Xu Han. Its eight legs moved at lightning speed, like a locomotive charging toward him.

Xu Han, expressionless, raised his right hand. Fine scales covered his palm, gradually shaping into a dragon’s claw. He stamped his foot hard, his body shooting forward like an arrow, striking at the Giant Claw Crab with a single, unadorned swipe!

Bang!

The dragon claw sliced through the crab’s carapace as effortlessly as a knife through tofu, smashing its abdomen and striking directly at its heart. The crab’s health bar instantly emptied. Its massive body slowly collapsed to the ground.

Everyone around was stunned.

“Damn! Who is this guy? He took down the Giant Claw Crab with a single punch!”

“What’s his background? Is he some expert from another city?”

“I’ve been hanging around this river for ages and never seen him before!”

“He looks so young—maybe he’s a student from Donghai Academy?”

The crowd erupted in discussion.

Xu Han shook his head. “Not enough experience. I’ll keep going.”

He casually cut off one of the crab’s claws and stuffed it into his backpack, then continued forward. The others watched, eyes wide, nearly dropping them in disbelief.

“Wait, he’s still moving ahead? Is he out of his mind?”

“Beyond this point is the river’s upper reaches. I heard all sorts of beasts above level thirty roam there, and that rumor about the water demon has been getting worse!”

“Donghai City’s officials have already issued warnings not to go upstream—does he not know?”

“Should we warn him?”

“Let’s try.”

One of them shouted at Xu Han, “Hey, brother! Don’t go any further! Up ahead is the river’s upper section—the beasts are really high-level!”

Xu Han paused, turned to the group grinding monsters, and smiled kindly. They reminded him a bit of the uncle he’d met in the east of the city.

“I’ll just take a look and come back. Thanks for the warning.”

With that, Xu Han walked upriver. The others shook their heads and sighed, resuming their hunting.

Xu Han hadn’t gone far when a group of five approached from downstream. Leading them was a mage in a dark purple robe, his features delicate and with a wolf tail tied behind his head—a handsome, somewhat effeminate youth.

He held a staff, topped with a fist-sized dark purple crystal. Arcs of electricity flickered around the stone, crackling loudly. The sight of the crystal made everyone’s eyes widen; its value was close to a million.

The young man swept his gaze around disdainfully. Four burly men followed him: two wielding long swords, two with heavy shields, all exuding formidable defense.

“So, the water demon is here?” He looked down at the tranquil river, impatience in his voice. “Donghai City’s officials are really useless—can’t even handle a little water demon.”

“But thinking about it, it makes sense. Donghai’s just a small place, barely any experts, and most aren’t adept at fighting water-type beasts. It’s no surprise they’re stuck.”

A swordsman behind him quickly replied, “Young master, not here—the water demon’s upstream.”

The young man nodded irritably, “Fine, fine, let’s hurry up! Should’ve just taken a car—walking all this way is such a hassle.”

With that, they continued toward the upper reaches.

...

Xu Han ambled into the upstream region. There were almost no people around; dense forests surrounded him on all sides. The river surged, seeming to pour endlessly from a mountain cave. Along both banks, dozens of enormous crabs rested. These were even larger than the Giant Claw Crab, though their claws weren’t quite as big. Their entire bodies gleamed with a deep blue-green luster, like jade.

Xu Han activated his Eye of Inquiry.

[Name: Azure Rock Crab]
[Race: Crustacean]
[Level: 27]
[Skill 1: Azure Rock Shell LV.1 (Passive skill: The Azure Rock Crab’s shell has immense defense, able to negate eighty percent of incoming damage)]
[Skill 2: Domineering Charge LV.1 (The Azure Rock Crab charges at enemies, dealing terrifying damage. Cooldown: 10 minutes)]
[Weakness: Abdomen. The shell can be pried open; attacking the vulnerable spot inside deals double damage.]