[As you are walking, you see a razor-leaf vine in the distance. Recognizing the danger, you travel away from the riverbank…]

Lem’s simulated self made the easy decision to avoid the area.

Razor-leaf vines were known for spending the majority of the time laying perfectly still, virtually indistinguishable from ordinary vines, apart from a few minor characteristics.

However, the moment that an unsuspecting beast stepped too close…

Snap!

It would wrap itself around the limbs of its prey, immediately trussing it up in a binding coil that slowly crushed out the life of the beast with increasing force.

At the same time, every inch of the vine was covered with sharp protruding edges that dug underneath the skin. Little tubular feelers extending from the sharp edges would drill further into the flesh and begin sucking up all the blood they could.

By the time that the bones of the prey were crushed by the deathgrip of the coil, the beast would have already long been sucked dry.

Lem’s simulated self was glad that the razor-leaf vine had already captured a meal, otherwise there was a chance he may not have noticed it and wandered into mortal danger.

It served as a warning.

The outward appearance of peace around the river was a facade. It could be broken in one unforgiving instant if his simulated self let his guard down.

[You rejoin the riverbank after a few minutes. You continue walking…]

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Lem’s simulated self was on edge for more than an hour, as he questioned every vine he saw.

He took his time before he stepped underneath certain suspicious trees, and he was careful to check that there were no plants slowly creeping towards him.

He crossed another stream that was slightly larger than the first. He used his spear again as a vaulting pole and a protruding log as a stepping stone.

A few minutes later, Lem’s simulated self suddenly realized that there was a large shadow moving in the river.

He felt a lurch in his stomach and he turned his attention to the water.

It was not looking at him, but Lem’s simulated self was still frozen in place.

What a monster!

The shadow was almost a dozen meters in size, a gigantic, rounded figure that was slowly moving against the current. There was a large shell and long, spidery limbs that took slow, plodding steps across the riverbed.

It was too distant from the surface for Lem to make out the characteristic markings, but it was clearly a death-skull crab, as that was the only crab that was known to grow any larger than an arm's breadth.

What would be large enough to constitute a meal for such a behemoth?

[As you are walking, you notice a dark figure beneath the surface of the river. By the shape, you are sure that it is a mature death-skull crab…]

Lem watched in awe as the shadow slowly moved through his field of vision.

It felt as though time had stopped.

And then the shadow was gone.

His simulated self felt enormous relief and he continued walking again.

He made a routine scan of the riverbed ahead of him when he suddenly realized that there was something strange that he had overlooked.

His eyes darted back into the fast-moving river.

A wooden structure was floating in the water.

A couple of mossy posts and a long pontoon that was secured in place, bobbing gently among a small cluster of light flies.

It was unmistakably a sign of humans.

It was all so sudden, but he had actually reached Lang Town!