Level 1!

Ryan, suppressing the surge of adrenaline, concealed himself around a nearby bend and waited in silence.

Gradually, the crab's bulging eyes retracted, a sure sign it was drifting off to sleep.

Now was his moment.

Holding his breath and tightening his grip on his sword, Ryan crept forward silently.

One step, two steps...

Injured and exhausted, the Beach Cancer was deep in slumber, oblivious to Ryan's approach. Unfortunately, due to its prone position, the vulnerable spot on its abdomen was shielded, inaccessible to Ryan.

With a fierce glint in his eye, Ryan redirected his aim and thrust his sword sharply into one of the crab's retracted eyes.

A muffled "Pfft!" echoed as the blade punctured the eye. The sharp pain jolted the crab awake, its pincers flailing wildly in defense. Prepared for this reaction, Ryan swiftly dodged the sweeping claws and bolted from the cave without a second's hesitation.

When adversaries meet, fury ignites.

The now one-eyed crab, driven by fury and pain, gave chase to Ryan with relentless fervor.

Their frantic escape and pursuit spilled out of the cave, and soon they were sprinting across the beach under a torrential downpour, each determined to survive this brutal confrontation.

Ryan kept a vigilant watch over the Beach Cancer as he fled. Although the crab wasn't in its heightened "violent state," characterized by red veins pulsing across its body, and was visibly injured, it still matched Ryan's pace.

Above them, the sky rumbled ominously as electric tendrils danced across the stormy clouds.

After a relentless chase that spanned hundreds of meters, the crab began to falter. Ryan observed with a calculating eye that the creature's previously healing wound on its abdomen had ruptured anew due to its vigorous movements, causing blue blood to spill forth once more.

This renewed bleeding took a toll on the Beach Cancer, visibly weakening it to the brink.

Just a few strides further, the crab halted and, with a labored motion, started to turn back. It seemed to recognize the futility of the chase, understanding that persisting might lead to its own demise.

Seizing the moment, Ryan flipped the dynamics of their chase. He spun around and became the pursuer as the crab, now the prey, attempted to retreat.

With the roles of hunter and prey reversed, Ryan maintained a strategic distance of twenty meters. He was cautious, ready to sprint away if the crab turned aggressive again, and equally prepared to close in whenever the crab tried to escape.

The crab, growing increasingly weak from the loss of blood and unable to sustain its anger, was frustrated by this tactic but powerless to change its situation.

Eventually, after another 300 meters, the crab's strength gave out, and it collapsed weakly onto the wet sand.

Ryan, having picked up stones along the way, took aim and threw them forcefully at the incapacitated crab.

With each impact, the stones struck with a dull "Wha--", marking the endgame of their intense and grueling encounter on the storm-lashed beach.

The resonant clatter of stones striking shell elicited a swift reaction from the beleaguered beach giant crab. With a desperate effort, it raised its pincers, deflecting the rocks away in a flurry of movements that clearly drained the last reserves of its strength.

Depleted and defenseless, the crab could no longer fend off the relentless assault.

Seizing the moment, Ryan advanced with determined strides, his long sword poised for the final strike. He plunged the blade into the crab's other eye and twisted it vigorously, ensuring the demise of the formidable Beach Cancer.

The creature's body shuddered violently a few times before it stilled completely, succumbing to the fatal injuries inflicted.

Moments later, a digital prompt materialized in front of Ryan, displayed in a stark gray font:

——

[Level]: 1 (7%)

[Spiritual Value]: 100

——

The notification of his increased level bathed Ryan in a sensation of comforting warmth, easing some of his physical and mental fatigue. He felt a surge of strength coursing through his body, though without a way to measure it, the extent of his newfound power remained uncertain.

As he sat on the damp ground, raindrops mingling with the sweat on his face, Ryan erupted into robust laughter.

"Haha...hahahaha..."

"It's really... exhilarating!"

This raw, unbridled confrontation with nature's ferocity, perhaps this was the kind of the life he yearned for deep within his soul.

But his triumph was short-lived. A soft rustling, like whispers carried on the wind, reached his ears from all directions. Ryan's laughter faltered as his gaze snapped to the figures emerging around him, giant crabs appeared from the front, left, and right. His face, once alight with the thrill of victory, froze as the reality of his situation set in. The laughter died in his throat, replaced by a surge of adrenaline as he faced the new threat.

Adrift on the vast sea, a lone bamboo raft bobbed gently with the current.

Ryan opened his eyes, his hand automatically reaching up to massage his throbbing forehead.

"Damn it!" he exclaimed, frustration lacing his voice.

His recent encounters had been brutal. Despite achieving Level 1 by vanquishing a Beach Crab, his victory was short-lived. He found himself overwhelmed and unable to fend off an assault from four additional Beach Crabs. His avatar succumbed under their relentless attack.

The toll of this virtual death was a weakened spirit and a lingering dizziness, a harsh penalty for the virtual death.

After some time, Ryan, feeling a bit rejuvenated, rubbed his temples and smiled wryly as he sensed his body had grown stronger from the ordeal, albeit slightly. This strength, hard-earned from his desperate hunts, was a small solace.

He sighed, reflecting on the disparity between his clone's power and the minimal effects on his real self. "It's a good thing if there's improvement," he muttered, trying to find comfort in any progress.

Glancing at his attribute panel, Ryan noticed a surprising update: his [Spirituality] value had nudged up from "0" to "0.1." "What does [Spirituality] even mean?" he pondered aloud, more to himself than anyone else.

Shaking off his thoughts, Ryan lay back on the raft, the gentle sway of the sea lulling him. His mind still felt foggy, and rest was imperative.

Hours later, he awoke, feeling the weight of idle time as he sat up and stared out over the endless ocean. Stretching his fingers into the breeze, he felt the moist sea air and grimaced. His newly acquired [Navigation (Introduction)] skill alerted him to impending rain.

This, Ryan thought glumly, was definitely not good news.

Amidst the whirling winds and pelting rain, the frail raft teetered perilously on the churning waters, threatening to capsize at any moment under the relentless assault of the storm.

As moments slipped into hours, the once azure sky darkened into a foreboding canvas of grey, echoing the tumultuous sea below.

...

A majestic three-masted sailing ship cut through the tempestuous sea, its sturdy hull defiant against the ferocious downpour. At the ship's bow, two striking figures stood, their presence commanding even in the chaos of the storm. Behind them, on the rain-soaked deck, a motley crew of pirates knelt submissively, their heads bowed in a mixture of respect and terror, unwilling to meet the steely gazes of their captors.

"Cecilia, what should we do with these scoundrels?" one of the figures called out, his voice sharp against the howling wind. "Shall we slice them into bait for the sharks, or should we end their miserable lives swiftly?"

Though his tone carried a haunting melody, the words struck fear into the shivering pirates, their bodies quaking as the cold rain mingled with the dread that filled the air.

The addressed, Cecilia, clad in a supple chainmail shirt designed for agility, her silhouette reminiscent of a poised leopard, rested her hand on the hilt of her slender sword. She was about to speak when a flicker of movement caught her attention towards the southeast.

Pausing, her keen eyes narrowing, she turned towards the disturbance. "Hold that thought," she said sharply, her voice cutting through the storm. "It seems there's someone out there, calling for help." Her tone suggested not just urgency but an intriguing possibility of a new turn in their high-seas adventure.