Ren knew he didn't have much time to rest. The grotesque creatures around here had definitely heard the noise and smelled the blood.
Without hesitation, without a wasted movement, Ren crawled toward the monster's body.
He gripped its nearly broken leg, ignoring the Chitin spikes that pierced his skin.
The pain, sharp like sea salt, surged as Ren twisted his body with all his strength. Instantly, the sharp leg, like a sickle...was torn free from the joint.
Quickly, Ren wrapped tough kelp strands around the base of the leg, reinforcing it to increase friction.
A rough, crude, yet sharp knife took shape from the monster's remains.
Without a second thought, Ren dove into the task, dissecting it like a seasoned hunter. He began right at the wound where he had pulled the Soul Shard earlier.
The blade plunged deep into the dark, slimy flesh, slicing off a chunk of pale, almost acceptable meat.
At least, Ren hoped so.
He grimaced, disgust rising in his throat from the pungent smell and the revolting sensation.
But then,
A soft step reached his ears, like claws gently tapping on stone.
A chill crawled down Ren's spine, like a cold, unfamiliar hand had just touched him.
Without hesitation, Ren shoved the meat into the nearby black kelp, loosely wrapping it up before burying it deep beneath the mud and sand.
Every action was completed within a few breaths.
Ren sprang up, staggering as he tried to get away as fast as possible.
But… where should he go now?
'Damn it… there's no way forward.'
Ren gritted his teeth as he saw the sharp, blood-red coral blocking his path.
No way forward. He had two options: keep climbing or find another way around.
Or turn back and face whatever was attracted to the two crab corpses.
His anxious gaze swept over the two bodies still lying in a pool of blood…
From behind, a faint scraping sound reached his ears, like claws dragging on wet sand.
There wasn't much time.
Ren dropped to his knees, his hand scraping a handful of mud, sand, and decaying moss.
He gritted his teeth and smeared the foul mixture over himself.
The stinging wounds twitched and spasmed beneath the cold, damp layer, but at least the blood had stopped flowing.
There was no way back. Ren squeezed through the blood-red coral columns, their edges as sharp as knives, still stained with the blood of those who had died before.
He hid among the deadly thorns, holding his breath deep in his chest. Ren held his breath. Through the coral gaps, he saw shadows gliding through the foggy, cold mist.
The soft scraping sound echoed, like fingers tapping on stone, reverberating through the deadly coral maze.
Then they appeared...huge spiders, their bodies covered in dark chitin armor, legs long and slender like black swords. Slightly smaller than the crabs, but just as repulsive.
They crawled toward the two crab corpses without hesitation.
One spider lowered its head, its hooked teeth gleaming in the dim light.
It spat out a line of silver silk, a thick, molten-steel-like web that immediately wrapped around the crab corpses like a disgusting cocoon.
Ren silently clenched his mud-covered hand, feeling his heart pounding in his chest.
It didn't take long. The two bodies were now encased in grim, gray cocoons. The spiders moved in perfect synchronization, as if they shared a single will.
They lifted the heavy cocoons, their six legs moving without a sound, and disappeared into the maze.
All that remained was the dust and the faint smell of diluted blood, drifting in the air. Ren still didn't dare breathe loudly. If they discovered him…
Even though the spiders had vanished deep into the maze, Ren stayed hidden, not daring to move. In the Dream Realm, even a second of impatience could cost you your life.
Ren knew this well.
He forced himself to be patient, listening intently to the vibrations in the mud and sand beneath him.
Maybe, something was still lurking.
Or… the spiders' quiet retreat was a trap.
Time passed slowly. The cold sand and mud under Ren's stomach began to seep into his skin, sending a chill to his bones. But he still didn't move.
Silence enveloped the entire coral maze.
No footsteps. No creaking of the web threads.
Only the faint drip of blood from unhealed wounds.
Ren closed his eyes, focusing on the feeling.
If there was another Iron Spider lurking nearby, the moment he moved, it would detect him instantly.
He would die right there.
He weighed his options.
Staying still was safer. But the blood, even though it had stopped, still left a scent. The scent of blood in the Dream Realm was an invitation to death.
He couldn't wait forever.
Ren exhaled lightly. He had to leave.
Without standing, he silently crawled across the wet sand, like an injured creature trying to hide. Slowly. Cautiously. Inch by inch.
If the spiders were still nearby, at least he would have a chance to spot them before they pounced.
It seemed like fate was still favoring Ren.
He didn't encounter any more nightmare creatures.
At least… that's what he thought.
Ren didn't dare venture too far. He still needed to go back, retrieve the monster's meat, and the makeshift raft.
His chances of survival would be higher if he quietly left. But then what? Drowned by the black sea… or starved to death.
Two of the saddest ways a Sleeper could die.
Ren clenched his dirty hand, sand and mud stuck between his fingers.
The harshness of the Dream Realm didn't allow him to make any more mistakes. Ren hid not far away, between the massive coral pillars.
Sharp thorns surrounded him like makeshift armor, protecting him from the predators' eyes. Minutes passed, then half an hour. Ren remained patient, his gaze fixed on his original position.
Only when he was sure did he cautiously move, kneeling and digging diligently.
The stone in his chest sank to the ocean floor when Ren found the intact piece of meat. Without hesitation, he quickly tied the spoils to his waist and silently made his way toward his bizarre raft, not far away.
It wasn't until now that Ren could see what it really looked like, even though it was nearly crushed.
It wasn't a raft. It was a horrific cocoon.
Just like the gray cocoons the iron spiders had made.
The creature inside was another Carapace Scavenger.
But it was just an empty shell, looking as if it had been eaten from the inside by dozens of spider larvae. Ren shuddered slightly. He couldn't tear his eyes away from that rotten cocoon, even though every fiber of his being screamed to look away.
Just the thought of it, the prospect of being suspended helplessly, slowly devoured… was enough to twist Ren's stomach.
If he wasn't careful…
He would end up the same way.
An empty shell, a meal for disgusting larvae.
Ren tightened his grip on his muddy hand, forcing himself to breathe deeply.
There was no room for fear.
Not here.
But… what now?
His raft was useless.
Just another deadly cocoon.
Ren felt his breath become heavier, each heartbeat pounding in his ears like funeral drums.
There was nothing left to help him survive when the black sea came with the night.
No safe place, no shelter, no way out.
Only the cold mud beneath his feet and the sharp, bloodstained coral.
Ren gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay upright.
'The Carapace Scavengers I can understand. They can breathe underwater and hide in the sand.'
'But… where did the spiders come from?'
A dark thought flashed in his mind.
To survive, he would have to seize every small opportunity.
Even if it meant taking it from the claws of monsters.
His eyes quickly scanned the pile of bodies.…Maybe the only thing still useful were the thick Chitin shells and the steel-like threads.