The vast, jagged trash mountain shuddered as the Demon of Vulshy tossed aside the remains of its meal, a silent statement of its power, and slunk off into the night. Won felt a wave of cold relief, though he knew he couldn't risk another night in this place.He needed a secure shelter. This demon was clearly not the ultimate apex predator of the Veyne, but it was dangerously stronger than him. The night was still long, and he desperately needed more rest to conserve energy for the coming day. He lay back down, closing his eyes, letting the ceaseless, rhythmic splashing of the black ocean become a menacing lullaby.He could hear the distant, mournful howling of various sea monsters—he couldn't tell if it was the colossal one that had nearly consumed him hours ago.Restless, he sat up again. He rummaged through

Won sat by the crackling fire, watching the monster meat sizzle as the sun began its descent. They had made camp deep in the forest—still not entirely safe, but with three of them, they stood a better chance against the Demon if it decided to visit.He watched the Terrapuses in the distance, hurrying back to the black ocean. He’d thought their earlier slaughter had significantly reduced their numbers, yet here they were, seemingly endless.Noah and Blossom had gone to scout for trees that could be used to build a sturdy boat.Won pulled out the book Leo had given him and started reading again. A dull ache of uncertainty persisted in his mind: Was Leo really alive?About half an hour later, his two teammates retu

“Let’s not waste energy on a Safe Veyne. We need to save our power,” Noah said firmly, carefully placing soft, insulating grass he’d gathered onto the ground. He looked at Blossom. “You can sleep here.”“I’ll take the first watch, and Won, you can crash there,” he added, pointing to a similar, soft grass mattress laid out across from Blossom.Won didn't argue. He needed sleep more than he needed caution, his body still deeply fatigued from the use of his disguise bearing.“Wake me up the instant anything gets close,” he muttered, giving Noah a passing nod.Noah sat down by the small, contained fire, closing his eyes and drawing a slow, deep breath. Won watched him for a silent moment. He was reminded of a

When Won finally opened his eyes, he was in the middle of absolute darkness. He slowly sat up, straining to see. There was light, but it wasn’t sourced from anywhere visible. The faint illumination only highlighted how utterly dark, massive and empty this new place was.He looked down at his chest. There was no hole, no blood, no sign of the grotesque damage inflicted by the Demon's tentacle moments before.“Am I dead?” he muttered, slowly rising to his feet, scanning the endless void.DUM!DUM!DUM!A sound like an immense gong echoed through the space, vibrating through his very bones, confirming his suspicion. He knew exactly who he