The explosion came without warning.

  A sharp burst of force erupted from the opened chest. Dust and loose gravel blasted outward across the ridge as a violent pulse of energy rippled through the air.

  Ren stepped back immediately.

  The strange crystal slipped into his sleeve while the shards were secured inside his pouch. His other hand tightened around the Tsubasa Stone, its glow faint but steady.

  For a moment, nothing moved. Then the ground trembled. A crack spread through the earth beside the chest.

  Another followed. Something beneath the stone surface began forcing its way upward.

  The rock split apart.

  A pale limb clawed out from the ground first—thin, jointed, and covered in jagged plates that resembled broken crystal. Another limb followed. Then another.

  The creature pulled itself free.

  It stood roughly as tall as Ren’s chest, its body shaped like a twisted insect but far heavier. Fragments of dull crystal formed along its back like a crude shell.

  Two hollow pits glowed faintly where its eyes should have been.

  A low scraping sound escaped its throat.

  Ren’s expression tightened slightly.

  “So the chest was sealed.”

  Another crack echoed across the ridge. Then another creature emerged. Then a third.

  Within moments five of them had crawled out from the fractured ground around the chest.

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  The creatures moved strangely. Their limbs dragged against the stone while their bodies twitched with sudden bursts of speed. Ren slowly exhaled.

  His crystal was still recovering from cultivation. The glow had not fully stabilized yet.

  But the creatures were already moving.

  The closest one lunged first.

  Its body shot forward with surprising speed, jagged claws tearing through the air toward Ren’s chest.

  Ren shifted to the side.

  The claw scraped past him and struck the stone behind him instead, carving a deep groove into the rock.

  Before the creature could pull its limb back, Ren’s threads moved.

  Thin strands of spiritual energy snapped outward from his fingers and wrapped around the creature’s forelimb.

  He pulled. The threads tightened sharply. A cracking sound echoed as the limb twisted at an unnatural angle. The creature screeched.

  Ren stepped forward and drove his heel down onto the joint where the limb met the body.

  The brittle crystal plating shattered.

  Dark fluid spilled across the stone as the limb tore free. The creature convulsed violently before collapsing. But the others had already surrounded him.

  One rushed from the left. Another leapt from behind.

  Ren turned sharply, threads lashing outward again. They caught the second creature mid-jump, tangling around its neck and torso.

  The threads tightened.

  For a brief moment the creature hung suspended in the air.

  Then Ren yanked downward.

  The body slammed against the stone with enough force to crack its shell. Jagged fragments scattered across the ridge.

  A third creature lunged immediately afterward.This one was faster.Its claw raked across Ren’s side before he could fully evade.

  Fabric tore.

  A shallow line of blood appeared along his ribs.

  Ren’s breathing tightened slightly as he stepped back.

  Pain sharpened his focus.The creature lunged again.This time Ren moved forward instead of retreating.

  His threads wrapped around the creature’s head just as it opened its jaws. He twisted his wrist sharply.

  The threads tightened like a wire.With a sudden jerk, the creature’s neck snapped sideways.The body collapsed at his feet.Three remained.

  The ridge had grown quiet again except for the scraping of their limbs across the stone.Ren adjusted his stance.The Tsubasa Stone flickered slightly in his palm.

  Its glow had dimmed further.Using too many threads would exhaust it completely.But the creatures were already spreading out again, circling him slowly.

  Their hollow eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.Ren glanced briefly toward the opened chest.The new crystal rested inside his sleeve.

  It was not meant for cultivation. Its energy felt different—more stable, less volatile.

  Perhaps it had another purpose.But there was no time to study it now.One of the creatures shrieked suddenly.Then all three rushed him at once.Ren lifted his hand.The threads surged forward again.