Charles grabbed Bandage and pulled out the black knife from his leg, using it as a machete to slash at the bandage-covered branches ahead.
The thorny branches were easily cut, but the ends were hollow.
The two plunged deeper into the forest, and soon Charles saw the “others” that Bandage had spoken of. The sight was stunning.
Before them was a bizarre dwarf tree with thorny trunks wrapped around the bodies of teenagers. The unconscious humans hung in the air like pieces of cured meat, swaying slightly, as if they were the fruits of this monstrous tree.
There were more “fruits” on the tree, numerous and ripe.
“Get them down,” Charles said, gripping the black knife and rushing forward.
A teenager fell to the ground with a groan, slowly waking up. Looking at Charles hacking at the tree trunk, he was confused. “Who are you? Have you seen my captain?”
Charles had no time for explanations. He hacked at the branches with wild abandon, rescuing everyone. But this time, the hollow branches contained something—a cluster of short, trembling pink tentacles that fell out from the cross-section.
“Crack, crack, crack…” The trunk of the dwarf tree suddenly moved, and all eyes turned to it.
The rust-red trunk slowly cracked open, and several solid beams of light shot out from the fissures, scanning Charles.
A thought flashed through Charles’ mind, “Is this thing alive?”
The movements of the dwarf tree grew more intense, to the point where Charles could see the twisted flesh inside the cracks, the yellow-brown eyeballs, and the fierce anger within them.
“Run!!” The living humans instantly moved, their instincts driving them to flee quickly, even though they didn’t fully understand the situation.
They had barely taken a few steps when a loud “boom” echoed, and the dwarf tree exploded, releasing twisted flesh creatures.
At first glance, they resembled black-haired starfish, but a closer look revealed that the hair was actually dense, dark, elongated tentacles. A bright yellow single eye and a mouth full of fangs were located at the center of their bodies.
The monsters opened their mouths and twitched their tentacles, frantically chasing their escaping prey.
Fortunately, Charles had already cleared a path, and the distance between them was steadily increasing.
“Crack, crack, crack…” All the tree trunks around them trembled and cracked. It seemed as if Charles and his group had triggered some mechanism, awakening various deformed creatures, who stretched out their revolting flesh strips.
They swayed, emitting piercing shrieks that made everyone’s head ache, turning the entire island into a living hell.
Evil stares from all around pierced through the darkness, sending chills down their spines and stiffening their limbs.
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“Faster! Move faster!!” Charles helped the teenager escape.
They ran for what felt like an eternity, the situation growing more desperate by the second. Now, not only were they being pursued by the surging flesh behind them, but the trees ahead had also begun to shake.
Just then, a web of writhing tentacles formed ahead, trapping them!
In a moment of desperate inspiration, Charles remembered something and reached to his waist, feeling a hard object—it was the explosives he had brought!
“Boom!!” Flesh flew in all directions, opening up the blocked path once more.
The explosives cleared the way for the group, but as their supply dwindled, their faces grew more somber.
As Charles held the last pack of explosives, the sound of waves crashing against the shore reached them from the distance. The exit was just ahead!!
Everyone knew what this meant, and their pace quickened even further, desperately tapping into their remaining reserves of energy.
The last pack of explosives was lit and thrown, and the hard ground finally gave way to soft sand. They had made it out.
The seven of them sprinted towards the wooden boats on the shore, with the flesh-like monsters hot on their heels.
Out of the corner of his eye, Charles saw a flash of gold—it was the Fotan statue he had dropped earlier.
Charles ran a few quick steps, picked up the statue, and jumped into the boat. The others frantically paddled, and they managed to reach the sea just as the monsters were about to catch up.
The creatures seemed to fear the water, retreating as soon as they touched it.
Once they were all safely back on the Rat, the group finally let out a collective sigh of relief. They collapsed onto the deck, panting like exhausted dogs.
Despite his muscles screaming in protest, Charles forced himself to stand up. The danger wasn’t over yet; they needed to leave the island.
“Fire up the boiler, weigh the anchor, take the helm! We’re getting out of this hellhole!”
“Aye, Captain.”
As the crew quickly carried out his orders, Charles felt a twinge of surprise, something felt off.
He quickly sifted through his memories and was astonished to find that his crew had returned, and he could recall their names.
It seemed that whatever the island or the monsters had done to their memories, it wore off once they left the island.
Leaning on the ship’s railing, Charles gazed back at the island. In the darkness, the flesh-like monsters were vague visible, their tentacles extended, swaying rhythmically as if performing some sort of ritual. The sight was eerily terrifying against the dark backdrop.
As Charles watched, the Rat’s chimney began to billow black smoke once more, and they slowly sailed away from the bizarre island.
It wasn’t until mealtime that the crew learned what had happened, and they were shocked by the tale.
“My god, unexplored islands are that dangerous? No wonder the missing rate for exploration ships is so high.”
“Did my memory really disappear and then come back? Are you pulling my leg, Captain?”
Charles took a sip of soup and cleared his throat, quieting the conversation.
After scanning each of their faces, Charles said, “Everyone, let’s go around and state your name and position. We’ll check our memories for any inconsistencies.”
The eerie island had made him overly cautious. The thought of his crew disappearing without a trace and his own memory being erased was deeply unsettling.
“Bandage, position… First Mate, assisting the captain and organizing various work plans… responsible for cargo stowage plans, helm from 12 to 24…”
“James, position Chief Engineer, responsible for maintaining the boiler’s normal operation; also in charge of propulsion systems and additional equipment, boilers, lubrication, cooling, and fuel.”
“Fred, position Cook, responsible for the crew’s meals.”
“Dip, position Bosun, responsible for guiding the sailors in the maintenance and repair of anchors, cables, and loading equipment; leading sailors in painting, rigging, and working at heights.”
“Water, position Able Seaman: responsible for steering, navigation watches, and daily maintenance of the deck.”
“Jack, position Ordinary Seaman: responsible for handling lines, deploying and retrieving gangplanks, and various deck tasks.”
“Anna, position Ship’s Doctor, responsible for treating the crew’s illnesses and conducting regular health check-ups.”
After comparing these details with his memories and finding no anomalies, Charles finally relaxed. He had been overthinking it; the ordeal was finally over.