Apocalypse Reset: My Crab Can Heal the World!

Barns doesn't make it ten feet before he falls victim to a snare trap. He's yanked into the air, suspended by one leg, and an alarm rings.

'Damn it,' Barns thinks to himself. 'Should have figured artisan monsters would have tricks up their sleeves.'

The kobolds stand at attention, readying their weapons and rousing their kin. Clancy darts along the battlefield sideways, abandoning the original plan. He clips Barns' snare before the kobolds can reach him.

Barns collects himself. Standing side-by-side with Clancy, he feels as invincible as he could.

"Aah!" Barns shouts, slamming the Shock Hammer into the ground as soon as the first wave of kobolds approaches. The hammer ejects lightning - shocking and frying the first few. Barns swings the hammer again and smashes it into an incoming kobold, knocking the life right out of it.

Clancy covers Barns with a claw as the kobolds reach them in force. They primarily use spears, and they continue to try to break through Clancy's shell.

Clancy retaliates while defending, letting a stream of cleansing foam fall over the area. He catches a few kobolds in it - burning the evil out of them and killing them. The rest of the kobolds wise up and form a wide circle, keeping their distance.

Barns feels nervous - a jolt of anxiety - as he sees the kobolds readying their ranged weapons. Several ready their bows. At close proximity like this, he and Clancy were sitting ducks.

"Any neat tricks you've been holding out on?" Barns says, turning to his crab.

"BEHEADING."

Barns braces his hammer. "Really puts a damper on things, huh?"

He charges at one of the nearest archers, dodging the first arrow as it propels toward him and knocking the kobold back twenty feet with the intensity of his swing.

At that moment, Barns stumbles back. One of the other archers has hit their mark. An arrow embeds itself in the back of Barns' leg, and he falls.

"BARNACLES!" Clancy shouts, but the crab can't run to his defense. He's fending off kobolds and a volley of arrows. The kobolds focus their attention on Clancy - they see him as a bigger threat. The crab struggles to skewer the kobolds - they're far too little for him to pinpoint.

A wave of emotions comes over Barns. This was just like last time. That day, in the burning city...

...

He stood at the train station with Violetta. She was the greatest hero of their time - A disciple of the Secret Arts who hailed from the 'Seraph Village'. With her Secret Art, she was able to manifest magic into any form, shape, or element she desired.

"It'll be here any minute, Lain." Violetta looked to him and smiled nervously.

'That's right, I used to be 'Lain'. I've been Barnacles for so long I almost forgot.'

But before the train arrived, they were attacked - by one of the Keepers of the Apocalypse.

"Aha. And who do I find here but Violetta Stalve. I knew I'd find you here. I just met your friend not long ago. Mina, was it?"

Violetta's sword flashed into her hand quicker than lightning. "What have you done to Mina!?"

The Keeper shrugged with a smile. He was a short man, covered in a ratty cloak. His face was big and bug-eyed, his skin a swampy green.

"I freed her from her mortal limits."

"Damned monster, I've had enough of you!"

Violetta swung her sword at the Keeper, but he teleported backward, completely dodging her attack. But she was no slouch - she let go of the sword in her hand mid-swing and used her own magic to send it flying toward the Keeper. He raised his arms into the air and a pillar of skeletal figures erupted from the ground to shield him.

Lain stepped up to assist, but as he did, a skeletal hand grabbed him from below. He kicked it away, but the moment's hesitation was enough to distract him.

A new enemy came from above, slashing Lain's arm as it landed gracefully next to its master. Lain recognized it. It was a vampire - a human who willingly accepted monstrous evil into their body.

"We need to get out of here," Violetta shouted. Another vampire landed nearby. They were outnumbered.

Just then, the train began to come into view, speeding along the tracks. It was running out of control - and it wouldn't be stopping for them. But Violetta, like always, had a plan.

They made it on the train in a flash, Violetta used her Secret Arts to create a dynamic explosion at the platform and lift the duo onto the train. But as they speeded away, Lain's grievous injury became apparent.

The same injury that would cause him to use 'Rebirth Flame' against the Medusa.

...

Barns snaps back to reality. Would he have to use Rebirth Flame here again to save Clancy? He was injured - there's no way he'd be able to walk on that leg with an arrow sticking through it.

But Clancy fought on. Like a hibachi chef, he uses his pincers to slice, dice, and toss the kobolds around, all while their arrows uselessly deflect off of Clancy's shell. Barns stays down and finds cover. He'd just have to let Clancy solo this one.

A burst of foam. Some bubbles. At one point, a kobold head flies through the air along with a booming 'OOPS' from Clancy.

It doesn't take long for the crab to finish clearing out the group. He scuttles nervously over to Barns.

"BARNACLES DYING?"

Barns laughs it off. "I hope not. You don't think kobolds use poison, do you?"

Clancy shoots out a bit of foam onto Barns' leg and carefully removes the arrow. Barns looks in shock as the foam puffs up around his wound, sealing it almost instantly. In fact, Barns hardly feels any pain at all.

"Your foam...heals?" Barns says, amazed. Although it makes sense. If the foam can heal the world, why couldn't it heal his leg?

"Geez, I thought we were in a lot more trouble than this. Thanks, Clancy!"

Barns struggles to his feet. While the wound may be healing quickly, it's still not comfortable putting pressure on it.

"Can you foam everyone up? I'll perform the resurrection."

Barns begins to make preparations as Clancy hoses down the rest of the area. In moments, humans start to arise from the fallen kobolds, born anew.

As the humans get their bearings, Clancy returns to Barns' side. Barns looks to his crab in thought.

"It was amazing how you could block all of their attacks, Clancy. I wish I could do that."

"I CAN TEACH SECRET CRAB SKILL."

Barns' eyes shimmer. "You think you can teach me how to get hard like you?"

Poor word choice aside, Barns did know the skill existed. He remembered it being called 'Harden Body', and it was a possible skill with his Crab Affinity. Theoretically, he could learn it if he trained.

"WE START GETTING HARDER TOMORROW."

Barns nods, tapping Clancy on the claw. "A life-saver as always, Clancy. Now let's get these people back to Dimartino."

Barns glances down. He'd hardly noticed the system message that appeared in front of him.

[Progress: 461/1000000]

Still a long way to go...but that meant they revived a little over fifty people today. That should satisfy Yunie's quest.

Barns clears his throat, and then readies himself for another of his awkward speeches.

"Hello, everyone," he starts. "My name is Barnacles, but you can call me Barns. Me and my crab Clancy here, we're the legendary heroes who are going to reset the apocalypse!"