The great Crown Prince of the Crab Empire, Crabnius, was troubled.
The source of his trouble was none other than his existence—the Second Prince, Crabcrows, the son of the second consort.
Although Crabcrows was the son of the second consort, the Emperor began to favor her over the first consort as her health deteriorated.
Naturally, as the power of the second consort grew, so did the influence of her son, Crabcrows.
Now, Crabcrows was showing his ambitions to take the place of his half-brother, Crabnius!
Crabnius couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling as he watched his ailing mother day by day.
At this rate, he would have to relinquish the position of Crown Prince and be exiled to a remote turtle island with his sick mother.
Can Crabnius defend his position as Crown Prince?
■
[Tip: The Crab Empire, which boasts vast beach territories, is a grand empire that has lasted for 17 generations. Their shells are tougher than iron, and their claws are sharper than a swordsman’s sword. Remember! The fate of the Crab Empire depends on your choices.]
‘…What?’
As I opened the door to a dungeon connected to a space other than the open dungeon, familiar cutscenes played, along with tips flowing before my eyes.
However, this dungeon was a vastly different form from the ones I had experienced so far.
“Did I just not see that correctly?”
[Yes, yes]
[It’s a choice-based dungeon]
[What’s this Crab Empire?]
[Does a flower crab even have an empire?]
[LOL]
[It’s a dungeon where the results change based on choices]
[I’ve seen kingdoms before, but never a crab empire]
[Let’s go for a total massacre, lol]
[What’s Crabnius again, lol]
“Who are you, Crab!”
“?”
While casually chatting with the viewers, I found myself surrounded by three red crabs, claws raised menacingly.
They were trying to look intimidating, but they weren’t that threatening.
“Are you soldiers of the Crab Empire?”
“Yes, indeed, Crab! We are the claws of the empire! We are the knights of Crown Prince Crabnius! Declare your identity, Crab!”
“Are you perhaps an unholy being, Crab?”
[LOL]
[So cute]
[Why does ‘Crab’ get attached at the end?]
[Oh, lol, it’s how everyone in the Crab Empire talks, Crab]
[Crab, lol]
Flower crabs, huh.
Well, creatures like them did exist in the past.
The sea was a place where various creatures could thrive, as the Celestial Race and the Demon Race barely paid it any mind.
Still, I’ve never seen a Crab create an Empire, let alone a Kingdom.
At most, I’ve seen tribal alliances form.
“I am…”
[The Crown Prince of the Crab Empire, Crabnius’s knights are questioning you. Depending on your choices, the outcome in the dungeon will vary.]
[You can answer freely, but the direction of the conversation can adjust the route.]
[Currently, there are a total of 21 routes available.]
“…an outsider. I have come from afar to become a knight of the Crab Empire.”
First, let’s get into the Empire.
I should be able to do something once I’m inside.
[The route is adjusting.]
[Currently, there are a total of 16 routes available.]
“…Outsider Crab?”
“This female. She looks strange, Crab.”
“Right? Looks a bit like a mermaid, Crab? Are you sure you’re not a mermaid, Crab?”
“I am not a mermaid.”
[Currently, there are a total of 15 routes available.]
[Oh]
[Lily is doing great, huh?]
[15 is more than I expected.]
[Can’t we just kill them all? Massacre route, please.]
[Isn’t there a route for Lily to ascend as Empress? LOL.]
[Let’s just off the Crown Prince.]
The Crabs fall into deep thought.
But they probably won’t worry too much.
‘Crabnius is in a precarious position on the Crown Prince’s throne.’
The Empress is ill, and she has become distant from the Emperor, so losing strength and power is only natural.
They need soldiers and strength to stop the half-brother.
Before long, a Crab, who seemed to be the captain of the knights, nodded his head.
“Good. Follow me, female Crab.”
“…Please don’t call me female.”
“? Understood. Outsider Crab.”
I almost lost it there.
[LOL!]
[Lily held her ground.]
[Let’s just kill everyone and cook some crabs instead.]
[Crab LOL.]
■
“Oh…”
“Surprised, Crab?”
“Yes. It’s bigger than I expected.”
Though it’s only the size of a large dog, I couldn’t believe the Crab Empire was so vast; it was much larger than I had thought.
It was comparable in size to a medium-sized human village.
This is the Crown Prince’s palace, and if you think of the Emperor’s palace or the Crabs’ living area, the size of the Empire was unimaginable.
[Lol, it’s huge hahaha]
[Can we finish all of this today?]
[Let’s just cut off the Emperor’s neck]
[Crab, haha, I like this way of talking]
[Hahahahahaha Crab]
[Crab Crab]
However, if there’s any difference from human architecture, it might be that it’s lower and has a castle made of snacks vibe?
Buildings made of seashells or decorated like a sandcastle seem somewhat flimsy for some reason.
It feels like they would crumble if you hit them hard.
“Of course, Crab. The great Empire created by the great first Emperor, Crabafousis, is enjoying an eternal golden age, Crab.”
“I see.”
That’s right.
“This way, Crab. Go and take the test from the Commander of Knights, Crab.”
“Weren’t you the Commander of Knights?”
“I’m the Deputy Captain, Crab.”
Deputy Captain Crab led me gradually deeper into the castle.
With every step, the gazes of the Crabs poured onto me.
But unlike the ‘wow’ feeling of real people, it felt like they were looking at some really strange creature.
I felt like a monkey in a zoo.
‘It’s been a while since I felt this way.’
“Ah— Commander, can you hear me, Crab? I’ve brought a useful guy, Crab.”
Deputy Captain Crab put his mouth near a conch shell at the door.
Soon, a door covered in shell patterns opened, and a giant Crab, twice the size of the Deputy Captain, looked down at me.
“Nice to meet you, Crab.”
Level… around 50.
It was a level comparable to the dungeon level but not just an ordinary one.
He certainly had power that could match a human knight using mana.
[That’s cool]
[How much meat is on that thing, damn]
[Wow, if we eat that lobster, it would be so happy]
[I feel like we could eat for a month with that]
[Crab haha]
“Hello.”
“You said you came to the Empire because you wanted to become a knight, Crab.”
“Yes.”
If I become a knight, I might get to meet Crabnius.
Of course, there’s also the possibility that I could bust in right now and see Crabnius’s face, but I still haven’t figured out the strength of the Crab Empire.
My intuition tells me that simply killing the Crown Prince wouldn’t settle anything.
For now, let’s approach slowly.
“Do you know our Knights, Crab?”
“I don’t.”
“Our Claw Knight Order, which serves Crown Prince Crabnius, is a place only for the strongest, Crab. It carries the meaning of piercing all the enemies of Crabnius with our sharp claws, Crab.”
“The Claw Knight Order we serve only allows the strongest to take their place, Crab. It symbolizes our intent to pierce through all the enemies of Lord Crabnius with our sharp claws, Crab.”
The Commander of Knights proudly boasts about the order with an “Hmm hmm!”
As he flicks his claw, much smaller Crab Knights scurry to the side.
“Got it, Crab? You must defeat the knights here to prove your strength, Crab.”
Clang! Clang! The Crabs flaunt their might by clashing their claws together.
But as I mentioned earlier, it’s not intimidating at all.
“Now, choose a knight, Crab. If you win against just two of them, I will appoint you as a member of the Claw Knight Order, Crab.”
“Is it okay if I don’t hold back?”
“Hold back, Crab?”
Kha ha ha ha ha ha! Crab!
The Commander of Knights, Crab, bursts into a hearty laugh.
Even when he laughs, he sticks with that Crab!
[Crab lol]
“No problem, Crab! Our Claw Knight Order is not weak enough to be defeated by an outsider, Crab!”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, it is, Crab! Even if you die, it’s only natural to die honorably as Lord Crabnius’ warrior, Crab!”
So that’s how it is…
I draw my spear.
Compared to the massive red claws, it looks like a twig, but its power has long surpassed the mere ‘spear’ level.
After selecting my opponent, the Crab Knight and I faced each other.
Tension hangs in the air of the arena.
Not only the Crab Knights who were not chosen but also the many Crabs working in Lord Crabnius’ palace gathered to watch the battle between me and the Crab Knight.
A faint mana enveloped the spear.
“Seriously, isn’t this just ridiculous?”
“Yes, it is, Crab! Our Crab Knights are never weak! Crab!”
[You should probably hold back]
[Why can I already see the result? lol]
[??: Why are you inviting death?]
[Lily is already grinning at the thought of turning Crab into crab stew.]
[LOL]
[Run, Crab! That woman is super strong ;;]
[Please press x to pay your respects to the Crab, who will soon leave this world.]
[x]
[x]
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