Old Man Mark stood at the cavern's edge, staring into the abyss where Ash had vanished. His face remained unreadable, but the flickering lantern light carved deep shadows into the hard lines of his expression.
A man from the group shifted, his voice uneasy. "So… do we listen to the kid?"
Mark didn't look away from the darkness below. "Do you think he'll survive?"
No one answered. They all knew the truth. Even a Master stage warrior would struggle against that thing, and Grand Masters were few in the world. The odds of those boys making it out alive? Nonexistent.
Mark exhaled slowly. "Good." His voice was void of sympathy. "I won't risk the settlement. Right now, they're keeping the worm occupied. Get the Nightveil Drought and dose that one." His gaze fell on Max's unconscious form.
A woman stepped forward, her sharp eyes glinting in the lantern light. From her satchel, she pulled a small, dark vial, the liquid inside swirling with an eerie violet sheen. The Nightveil Drought—a rare sleeping toxin, potent enough to keep even the strongest warriors locked in unconsciousness for days.
"I have it," she said. "should i pour it on him now?"
Mark gave a single nod. "Yes. Make it quick. Those kids won't last much longer, and I don't want this one waking up either."
She knelt beside Max, tilting the vial, a single drop hovering over his skin—
RUMBLE.
The ground shuddered. A deep tremor rippled through the stone, rattling the wooden beams above. Dust rained down, drifting through the dim light.
Mark's eyes narrowed. His gaze flicked toward the cavern's depths. 'What the hell are they doing down there?'
The woman hesitated but resumed opening the vial.
RUMBLE.
A violent quake roared through the chamber. The walls groaned as deep cracks splintered through the stone. Overhead, a jagged rock snapped loose—
CRASH!
The vial slipped from the woman's grasp.
Glass shattered against the ground, the Nightveil Drought spilling uselessly into the dirt.
Mark's expression darkened, his voice cutting through the shaking cavern. "You idiot!" He whirled toward the woman. "Get another bottle. Now!"
The woman bolted, vanishing into the tunnel.
RUMBLE.
The earth lurched again—worse this time. Then—
A sharp crack.
A loose rock struck Max's forehead.
For a moment, silence.
Then—
Max's fingers twitched.
His eyelids fluttered.
His breath hitched.
And his eyes snapped open.
————
The cavern pulsed with heat. Kael stood firm, flames licking his hands as his eyes tracked the sandworm's monstrous form. He lifted both arms, muscles tensed—then with a sharp exhale, hurled a fireball the size of a boulder.
BOOM.
Flames smashed against the Creature's armored hide, rolling over its surface like waves crashing against stone. When the fire died, the only mark left behind was a faint black scorch.
Kael's breath caught in his throat.
His fingers curled. "That should've done something."
A piercing shriek split the air. The worm twisted violently, its massive body slamming into the ground with enough force to send cracks racing across the cavern floor. Overhead, the ceiling groaned. Chunks of rock broke loose, tumbling like meteors.
No time to hesitate.
Ash moved.
His body blurred, weaving through the chaos with sharp, precise steps. His blade flashed—a streak of silver cutting against the worm's hide. Sparks flew, but the strikes barely left scratches.
Kael's jaw clenched. He leaped back, flames surging from his palms, hurling blast after blast—
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
Each hit landed, but the damage was minimal. The worm reared up, then slammed its tail down. The impact hit like a shockwave.
Kael's feet skidded against the rocky ground, barely stopping himself from toppling.
RUMBLE.
A deep tremor tore through the cavern. More debris rained from above. If this kept up, the entire place would collapse.
Kael wiped his forehead, chest rising and falling. "Dammit," he muttered. "I'm throwing everything at it, and it's barely flinching."
Perched on a jagged rock, Ash's gaze remained locked on the Creature. "That armor's built to withstand way worse than fire," he said, voice even.
Kael's eyes flicked upward. "What about Max? Is he safe?"
Ash's expression darkened. "I gave them a warning. If they ignored me… well, they'll regret it."
The worm lunged.
BOOM!
Ash vanished. In a blink, he reappeared on the other side of the cavern, dragging Kael with him just as the monster's jaws crashed where they'd stood moments before.
Kael exhaled sharply. "Damn thing's fast for its size." He steadied himself, then shot Ash a look. "Think those people would actually listened to you?"
Ash didn't take his eyes off the worm. "If they didn't, they'll wish they had."
Kael's gaze drifted, catching sight of scattered bones strewn across the cavern floor. His hands clenched. "They really sent kids down here to die…? Just how long has this thing been feeding?"
Ash's expression didn't change, but something in his posture tightened. "Doesn't matter right now. We get out first. Max will handle himself."
RUMBLE.
The worm's body lurched, then—it disappeared beneath the ground.
Silence.
Kael and Ash didn't move.
Wait. Watch. Listen.
RUMBLE!
The ground exploded beneath them. The worm shot upward, massive jaws snapping toward them.
Ash grabbed Kael's arm—vanished—then reappeared just as the cavern shook violently from the impact.
Kael's teeth ground together. "I'm sick of dodging," he growled. He grabbed Ash's wrist, heat pulsing from his palm.
Flames ignited around Kael's legs. The air warped from the heat as he launched himself upward.
Below, the worm's head twisted, tracking them. Its movements were sharp, calculated—it could sense them.
Ash's gaze sharpened. "No eyes," he muttered. "It's tracking us through the ground."
Kael's mind raced. His eyes flicked toward the cavern's exit, then back at the worm. "I could blast us out of here," he said. "But if we leave this thing alive, they'll just keep throwing kids at it."
Ash didn't answer right away. His eyes followed the worm's movements, lingering on its gaping maw.
Then, he smirked.
"I have a plan," Ash said. "But you're gonna have to burn through a lot of energy."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Wait… You don't mean—"
"Yeah," Ash nodded. "You hold back less than usual. Charge that ability as much as you can. You've gotten stronger. I bet you can make it big enough to kill this thing."
Kael blinked. "So… you're gonna keep it busy?"
As if the worm understood, its body shifted, its head tilting toward them.
Ash grinned. "I'll dodge. You charge up."
Kael's fists tightened, flames raging around him. "Fine. But you better be alive when I'm done."
Ash's smirk widened.
"Just hurry up—and don't hold back."
Kael gave a silent nod.
Ash released his grip and dropped like a stone, his sword clenched tight. Wind howled past his ears as the massive sand worm twisted below, its cavernous maw stretching wide. Rows of jagged teeth gleamed in the dim light, ready to snap shut.
Then—Ash disappeared.
A sharp burst of motion, and he was no longer in the worm's path. He reappeared in a blur, twisting mid-air. His blade flashed, carving just past the creature's mouth.
A thin black line bloomed against its rough hide.
Ash's grip tightened. He pressed the sword downward, dragging it along the Creature's enormous body—
CLANG!
The blade jolted to a stop. A shudder ran up his arm. He barely had time to register the impact before he was thrown back, skidding across the cavern floor.
The worm's hide was like stone. But where his strike had landed, its mouth still bled.
A slow grin spread across Ash's face. His fingers flexed around his hilt.
'So it does have a weak spot after all,' he thought.
His gaze locked onto the wound, muscles coiling as the Creature loomed above him.
Now, he just had to keep it occupied. Kael would handle the rest.
Ash's gaze flicked upward.
Kael hovered, fingers curved, a hollow space forming between his hands.
Then—sparks.
A flicker of fire spun to life, twisting in a slow, deliberate spiral. The air warped around it, heat rippling outward. The flame stretched, coiling faster, devouring the space between his palms. It grew and grew—until, suddenly, it stopped.
The vortex didn't expand. It shrank.
Compressed into a single, searing core.
The cavern trembled under the rising heat.
Ash barely had a second to register it before the worm screeched.
The monster lunged.
Ash vanished.
A thunderous crack split the air as the Creature struck the ground, stone shattering beneath the impact. A cloud of dust swallowed the cavern, but the worm barely paused. It reared back, twisting violently—
Ash was already at its side.
Another attack. The ground quaked as the worm slammed down, but Ash blurred out of reach. Again and again, the Creature struck, but each time, he was gone before its blows could land. His figure flickered across the battlefield—an afterimage here, a streak of motion there. The worm coiled, sensing a pattern, trying to predict him—
It never could.
One instant, he dashed across its back. The next, he was scaling the cavern walls.
A sudden twist—its massive body swept through the air, a crushing arc of force.
Ash sprinted straight into it.
The moment his feet touched its hide, he pushed off, riding the momentum higher. He flipped, twisting mid-air, and caught a glimpse of Kael.
The fire in Kael's hands blazed, blinding now, its core pulsing like a dying star.
The worm hesitated.
A tremor rippled through its body.
It knew.
The worm loomed, its eyeless face tilting, sensing the heat thickening the air.
Then—it found him.
Kael.
Still floating, hands steady, a sphere of fire burning between his palms. It pulsed, molten light flickering across the cavern walls like the birth of a dying star.
The worm lurched.
Stone cracked as its massive body slammed into the cavern wall, tunneling deep, vanishing into the earth.
Silence.
The heat in the air twisted. The dust hung still. For a single breath, the cavern held its peace.
Then—
BOOM.
The wall near Kael detonated. Jagged rock exploded outward as the worm's colossal head burst through, its maw splitting wide—
A perfect strike.
Kael didn't flinch.
The fire between his hands remained steady. His focus didn't waver.
He trusted Ash.
And Ash never failed.
Time fractured.
Dust and debris froze midair. A breath stretched into eternity.
Ash was already moving.
Feet brushing against floating rubble, he raced upward, weaving through suspended shards of stone, closing the gap between himself and Kael in a heartbeat.
The worm's jaws rushed forward—
Ash reached him.
His grip was firm but careful, slipping Kael out of harm's way without disturbing the fire's delicate balance.
Then—
Time snapped back.
The worm's jaws clamped shut.
On nothing.
A piercing screech ripped through the cavern as the Creature recoiled, twisting in frustration before burrowing once more, the earth trembling as it vanished into the depths.
Ash's gaze swept across the battlefield, his stance unwavering amid the trembling earth.
The cavern buckled.
Then—rupture.
The worm tore through the ground, rock and dust exploding in its wake. A monstrous roar shook the air, its colossal form rising to consume them whole.
But they were gone.
Ash had already moved.
Now, he stood a distance away, Kael secure in his grasp.
Kael's eyes flickered open. The moment they met Ash's, his focus sharpened.
"I'm ready."
Between his palms, the fire had transformed. No longer just a sphere—it churned, unstable, a molten star barely restrained. The heat twisted the air, warping reality around it.
Ash's lips curled into a grin. His gaze shifted back to the worm.
"Wait for my signal. When it opens its mouth—"
A flicker of movement.
Then—nothing.
Ash had already disappeared.
The worm struck—
But Ash was already behind it.
His blade flashed, carving into its rough hide. Sparks danced off the surface, each strike glancing off the stone-like armor. The cuts were shallow. Not enough.
The cavern shook.
The Creature reared back, then slammed its massive body into the walls. Rock splintered. A storm of debris rained down, boulders crashing with bone-crushing force.
Ash wove through the chaos. Each step flowed into the next, his movements seamless, slipping between falling stones as if he were part of the dust itself. His figure blurred, impossible to track.
Kael moved, too. The fire between his hands flared, distorting the air around him. He twisted through the onslaught, his feet barely touching the ground, every motion calculated—never once losing control of the blazing energy surging in his grasp.
Then—the worm lashed out.
Its massive tail carved through the cavern in a devastating sweep. Stone ruptured. A wave of destruction tore through the battlefield.
Ash reacted in an instant.
A sharp pivot. A push off the ground. His body twisted midair as the tail thundered beneath him, the force alone enough to send cracks spiderwebbing through the rock.
He landed—on its back.
Without hesitation, he sprinted forward. His blade struck the narrow grooves between its armored plates, sinking into softer flesh.
The Creature convulsed. A shriek tore through the cavern, raw and piercing. Its body twisted in agony.
Ash didn't stop.
He kicked off, launching himself skyward. The worm's movements blurred beneath him, its writhing form nothing but a mass of fury and pain.
Then—its head snapped up.
A cavernous maw split open, jagged teeth glistening.
The Creature lunged.
Ash was falling straight into its jaws.
"Kael—now!"
Ash's voice cut through the chaos.
Above, Kael rocketed downward, the sphere of fire in his grasp roaring like a miniature sun. Heat rippled off its surface, distorting the air around him.
He shot toward the worm's open maw, arm thrust forward, firelight reflecting off his narrowed eyes.
"Solar Strike Orb!" he roared.
Then—impact.
The Creature snapped its jaws shut.
The cavern fell silent.
Then—
Detonation.
A blinding eruption tore through the worm from the inside. Its head expanded—flesh splitting, exoskeleton cracking—before an explosion of flame and black ichor ripped it apart.
Molten chunks of flesh scattered. A shockwave thundered through the cavern, shaking stone from the ceiling.
But Kael wasn't done.
Still deep within the collapsing Creature, he forced the burning sphere deeper, driving its heat through muscle and bone. The fire raged, consuming everything in its path.
The worm convulsed. Its tail slammed against the cavern walls in a final, violent spasm, carving deep gashes into the rock.
Then—stillness.
The fire faded. The Creature crumbled. Half of its body lay motionless, severed from the rest.
A cloud of dust rolled through the cavern as its remains crashed into the earth.
From the haze, Kael's figure dropped. His body limp, exhaustion weighing him down.
Before he hit the ground—
Ash was already there.
He caught Kael with effortless ease.
A deep groan. A frown.
"Damn it," Kael muttered. "I told you—stop carrying me like a princess."
Ash grinned.
Then—he let go.
Kael hit the ground with a thud.
Ash crossed his arms, smirking. "So, you're shouting your abilities now?"
Kael averted his gaze. His fingers curled slightly, the heat of battle still thrumming beneath his skin. "It just... felt right."
He pushed himself up, brushing soot and debris from his jacket. His breath came uneven, his body still reeling from the fight.
"My vein energy's running low… below twenty-five percent," he muttered, glancing toward the hole at the top of the cavern. "I could try to get us out of here."
Ash followed his gaze, his grin fading. "Let's hope Max is alright. He should be awake by n—"
WHAM!
The air shattered as something massive slammed into Kael.
A tail. Thick, armored, and fast—too fast.
Kael's body shot across the cavern like a broken doll, smashing into the rock wall with an earth-shaking crack. The impact sent jagged fractures racing through the stone.
Before Ash could react, the tail lashed out again, tearing through the cavern in a violent arc.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The walls buckled. The ceiling quaked. An avalanche of boulders rained down, filling the air with dust and chaos.
Ash's chest tightened.
Kael.
He moved.
Stone blurred past him as he weaved through the falling debris, his movements sharp, precise. He pushed forward, heart pounding, until—
There.
Kael lay motionless, half-buried beneath shattered rock. Blood seeped from fresh wounds, staining his torn clothes.
Ash's fists clenched.
'All this speed, and I still didn't see that coming…'
The cavern groaned, deep cracks spiderwebbing along its walls. The whole place was moments away from caving in.
Ash cursed under his breath. "Damn it… we were so close."
Then—
A flicker.
The air around Kael shimmered. Embers sparked across his skin, growing into tongues of fire that licked at his wounds. His breath steadied. His fingers twitched. The bleeding slowed, the burns sealing shut.
Ash exhaled, his smirk returning.
Good.
Kael wasn't down yet.
Now—all he had to do was hold the line.
Ash tightened his grip on Kael, his steps a blur as he wove through the storm of falling rock. The cavern trembled, stone splitting apart as the worm's tail tore through the space, thrashing like a Creature in its death throes.
The air was thick with dust, choking out the light, but Ash's focus didn't waver. He darted through the chaos, feet barely touching the ground before he propelled forward again.
Then—Kael's body tensed.
His fingers twitched. His breath hitched.
And his eyes snapped open.
Ash barely had time to react before Kael's hand shot forward, gripping his arm.
WHOOSH!
A surge of heat erupted beneath them.
Flames roared to life at Kael's feet, an explosion of energy launching them skyward. The world blurred, the collapsing cavern shrinking below as they shot through the air.
Boulders shattered against the force, torn apart before they could reach them. The worm's tail struck again, but Kael twisted midair, dodging effortlessly as they ascended.
The exit was near.
And they weren't stopping now.