Returning to where he'd left the two rat carcasses was like walking into his own home. He had sufficient knowledge of this space even in the darkness. With just one dimly lit light crystal that made a difference with every step, he could navigate confidently. He also had waypoints and guidelines carved into walls and rocks to ensure he wouldn't get lost even if he lost his light. It was etched in a style that only a blind man could feel by touch. Of course, he'd taken his time to carve them out properly.
Arriving near the site, he slowed down enough to pause and listen to his surroundings, checking if his prized possessions were still there. Resources so vital for his survival that he might have to fight tooth and nail for them. Thankfully, there was a light source nearby, which seemed to bother even the roaches. The rats, although keen with their other senses except their eyes, were nowhere to be found.
It must not be their hunting or foraging time for them to be absent from the area. He also planned to raid their base soon enough and fully conquer this floor to make it his own. A place of sanctuary where he could always return and feel safe.
Although he would lose his immediate food source, that would be better than constantly getting threatened by them. Despite his significant knowledge of the pathways, it still wasn't enough for him to find where these mutated rats had been hiding all this time.
As he approached the rat carcasses, he planned to drag them back to the sanctuary. He remembered he could push a boulder before, so he might also be able to drag these rats, right?
"I guess I'll have to save time and drag them both at once."
Grabbing both rats by their tails, Benny pulled them toward the sanctuary. They weren't as heavy as he'd thought, though he could tell his muscles strained with every effort to pull both. It was dangerous, but it would save him time going back and forth. He might not be so lucky next time he ventured out.
After a good while, he finally reached his destination. Gasping for breath, he sprawled on the sanctuary floor for a minute. After he'd regained his composure, he began butchering the two rats to turn the meat into smoked jerky.
It took a good while to finish processing both animals, taking all the useful parts and discarding the rest outside. He placed the meat in his smoker after thoroughly rubbing it with spices to mask the gamey smell.
A little while later, those bugs could be heard chittering outside, most likely cleaning up the rat waste he'd thrown out. Truly, this labyrinth was effective in its own ecosystem.
Now, while waiting for the smoked meat to finish, he began his elaborate plan to conquer this floor.
First would be finding the rats' nest, if there was one. But if it was a cluster of separate nests, then it might take some time to destroy each of them. While it was good that his food supply would last for a bit, his plans to move further down the labyrinth might take a long while. All of that meant he might get stuck here forever. So he'd have to follow a rat back to its nest. But how would he achieve that? Right, he'd have to go out regularly and observe their movements, the times they came out to forage, and the types of food they were eating.
After that, it was all about luck and patience. Which he had plenty of, so he continued his routine of taking care of his body, gaining strength every day, and drilling his movements to better suit combat. This also let him do things that would otherwise be impossible if he didn't train the movement, muscles, and stamina needed to execute them.
Looking back at his fight with the two rats, it seemed he'd gained significant strength. And that power that had backfired so badly before might have something to do with his body overall. As if it wasn't ready yet, but it might have shown him possibilities he could achieve that he didn't know about.
For now, aside from going out to find the rats' nest, he also ventured down to the second floor to gather additional rabbit meat, fur, and scorpion carapace. He didn't know how to extract the scorpions' poison yet, and he didn't have anything to store it in, so he didn't bother. But the thick external armor surrounding the monster was always worth taking.
Additionally, the scorpion meat was actually pretty good. It was better than the rabbit and rat meat he'd been supplementing himself with for a while. The texture was firmer, less gamey, and when properly prepared, it almost tasted like seafood he'd had on rare occasions back in Tiamerith.
His trips to the second floor were becoming routine now. He'd memorized the patrol patterns of both the scorpions and rabbits, knew which areas to avoid at what times, and had identified several spots where battles between the creatures left useful materials behind.
The scorpion carapace was particularly valuable. While he couldn't work it like a proper craftsman, he could break off pieces and use them to reinforce weak spots in his makeshift armor. The material was incredibly tough, and even small pieces provided significant protection.
He was also getting better at salvaging materials without getting caught. His movements were quieter now, more efficient. The weak-willed coward who'd first stumbled into this place was gradually becoming something more capable, though he still jumped at unexpected sounds and preferred avoiding fights when possible.
But that was fine. Caution was keeping him alive, and alive was what mattered. Every piece of meat secured, every scrap of useful material gathered, every small improvement to his gear brought him one step closer to not just surviving this place, but mastering it.
And maybe, eventually, finding a way out that didn't involve crawling back to the surface as a broken shell of a man.