Faint light crept over the horizon, stretching long shadows across the settlement. The air was thick with exhaustion—muted voices, hurried steps, the ever-present tremors beneath their feet. The people in the settlement moved like a restless beast, never still, never at peace.
Inside the inn, a woman pushed through the door, balancing a rough-hewn stone bowl filled with writhing, black tubes. The scent of something bitter clung to the air.
"They're ready." Her voice was even, but the weariness clung to it.
Ash, seated by the window, set down his blade the moment she stepped in. He took the bowl, feeling the unnatural warmth pulsing from within. Across the dimly lit room, Max sat hunched over a cluttered table, fingers working through a tangled mess of wires and rusted components. The communicator lay in front of him, an artifact of a past era—useless in its current state.
Kael lay nearby, his breath slow but steady, a reminder that even victory had its cost.
Ash shut the door behind the woman, turning his attention to the contents of the bowl. He ran a gloved finger over the slick tubes, feeling the faint resistance beneath his touch. "I've already coated my blade and reinforced my coat with some of it. But we need to make sure we're using them right."
Max barely glanced up. "Leave the rest here. I think I can integrate some of this with Apex tech."
Ash studied him for a moment. The usual sharp focus was there, but his shoulders were tense, his fingers moving slower than usual.
"How long?"
Max sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "This system is ancient. I assumed they'd have something modern, but this?" He gestured at the rusted circuits and broken components. "This thing is barely holding together. It's over twenty years old."
Ash arched a brow. "That old?"
Max exhaled through his nose. "And the worst part? Half of it's missing or beyond repair."
Ash leaned against the wall. "Can you fix it?"
Max didn't answer immediately. He stared at the communicator as if piecing together the problem in his mind. Then, finally—
"If I use some Apex tech, maybe. It won't be perfect, but it'll work."
He grabbed a screwdriver and went back to work. "This will take a while. Go check on Kael—make sure he's still breathing."
"Yeah, he should have recovered by now."
Ash made his way to Kael, who was still sprawled on the bed.
Ash nudged Kael's shoulder. "Hey. Wake up."
No response.
Ash pressed two fingers to Kael's neck—his pulse thready, his skin fever-hot. The burns along his arms hissed as they knit shut, tendrils of steam curling upward.
"Come on, kael." Ash shook him. "Don't make me dump water on you.
A groan. Muscles tensed, then stretched as Kael blinked up at him, sluggish but awake. His gaze landed on Ash, narrowing at the smirk tugging at his lips. "What's with that look?"
Ash folded his arms. "Nothing. Just nice knowing I saved your life—multiple times—last night."
Kael scoffed, pushing himself upright. "You had no choice but to save me. Without me, this whole place would be rubble."
Ash's smirk faltered.
Kael frowned. "What?"
Before he could answer—
RUMBLE!.
The floor lurched beneath them. Dust trickled from the ceiling.
Max muttered a curse, hands flying to steady his workstation. "Damn it. When will that thing just stay down and heal like a normal worm?"
Kael stiffened. "Wait, it's still alive? I blasted half its body off."
Max didn't look up from the mess of wires. "Turns out worms regenerate. And this one? It's a Tier 6."
Kael exhaled a short laugh, rubbing his temple. "No wonder it was a nightmare to fight. That explains a lot. On top of that, it had natural fire resistance. If I fought alone, I would've been screwed."
Ash leaned against the wall, smug. "Good thing I was there, huh?"
Kael stretched his arms, rolling his shoulders. "Yeah. I'll admit it—the new you? I like it. You're finally strong enough to fight me at full power." His grin sharpened. "But let's be real, you wouldn't last five minutes against me."
Ash snorted. "Five minutes? You wouldn't even touch me."
Max finally looked up from his work, fixing Ash with a serious gaze. "Ash… are you sure you're okay? You've been pushing your ability hard."
Kael raised a brow. "Of course he's fine. Why wouldn't he be? He proved himself. I'd want him by my side in any real fight."
Max's expression darkened. "So… he didn't tell you about my warning?"
Kael's eyes flicked between them. "What warning?"
Ash averted his gaze. "I… didn't get the chance to tell you. And we needed that power."
Kael's posture stiffened. "What aren't you telling me?"
Max leaned back, exhaling through his nose. "Ash's ability—his speed—it comes with a price."
Kael's stomach tightened. "What price?"
Max's voice was quieter this time. "It accelerates his aging."
Silence.
Kael's breath hitched. His eyes snapped to Ash, searching his face for any sign of deception.
"You used it that much?" His voice was barely above a whisper. "No wonder you held back."
Ash dragged a hand through his hair. "I don't have a choice. When speed is the only thing keeping me alive, what do you expect me to do?"
Another tremor shook the room.
Then—
BZZZT.
The communicator crackled to life.
Max's grin stretched wide as he pumped his fist into the air. "Yes! I got something!"
Kael, still groggy, blinked at the mess of wires sprawled across the table. His brow furrowed. "Wait… were you seriously trying to contact headquarters? With that junk?"
Ash chuckled. "Nice. So we're actually getting help after all?"
Max smirked, already reaching for a screwdriver. "Not yet. I need to sync it with the headquarters' satellite array. Once I do, we'll have a clear line."
BZZT. The communicator crackled, a burst of static filling the room.
Then—
"—but—" static "—calls—" another wave of distortion.
Max's grin widened. "Yes! There's someone on the other end. I just need to clean up the interference."
Ash and Kael exchanged glances. Max was completely in his element, working through the tangled mess like a kid cracking open a long-awaited present.
Then Kael's gaze drifted to a black-stone bowl resting on the table. His frown deepened. He pointed at it. "By the way… what's that?"
Ash followed his gaze and shrugged. "That's Plan B. In case things don't go as planned."
Kael's confusion grew. "Wait—you guys already have an evacuation plan?"
Ash nodded. "Plan A is simple: contact headquarters and get help. If all goes well, they'll send ships to evacuate everyone."
Kael crossed his arms. "That makes sense. But Plan B? It's not like headquarters is just going to ignore us."
Ash exhaled, his fingers tapping against the table. "Plan B is for if that thing moves before help arrives. It's still regenerating, but if it attacks too soon—"
Kael's expression hardened. "I see."
RUMBLE.
Another tremor shook the ground beneath them. A chilling reminder that time was running out.
Static crackled through the communicator as Max worked, adjusting wires and fine-tuning the signal. His fingers moved with practiced precision, twisting dials and bridging circuits until—
"And that's all. I'll send the rest of the files after I finish checking them." A woman's voice, calm and professional, filtered through the speaker.
Another voice responded, deeper and laced with urgency. "What about the incident at Raven's Peak? The settlement there is in chaos."
The woman sighed. "We sent Team Grandzero. They should be able to handle it."
A third voice chimed in. "We just got another call from Coalhaven Settlement. They're reporting massive destruction in the coal mines."
The woman groaned. "Another one?"
Kael, listening in, raised a brow. "They sound overloaded."
Max nodded, his expression grim. "Yeah. But we don't have time to wait."
He pressed a button, his voice cutting through the noise. "Hello. Redirect me to Rowan."
Silence.
Then, after a brief pause, the woman's voice returned, more cautious. "Who are you, and why do you need to speak with the boss?"
Max leaned forward. "Just tell him it's Max."
A long beat. Then—a loud clatter on the other end, followed by the woman's sharp intake of breath.
"Wait… Max? As in Maxwell Burns? Son of Flame?"
Max exhaled, rubbing his temples. "Yeah. Now, connect me to Rowan. This is urgent."
"Understood, sir. Redirecting now." A beep followed.
Ash crossed his arms. "What do you think is going on over there? Headquarters sounds like a mess."
Kael shrugged. "We'll ask Rowan when we get through."
Max, deep in thought, muttered, "I have a guess."
Ash and Kael turned toward him, but before they could ask—
BEEP.
RUMBLE.
Another tremor rocked the settlement, heavier than before. Dust rained from the ceiling, the walls groaning under the strain.
Ash glanced downward, frowning. "I don't like this… What the hell is that thing doing down there?"
Before anyone could answer—
BZZT.
A familiar voice cut through the static. "Max, is that you?!"
Max exhaled, gripping the communicator tighter. "Yeah, it's me, Rowan."
Rowan's relief was palpable. "What about the others? Kael? Ash? Are they safe?"
Max ran a hand through his hair. "Safe is a strong word… but we're alive. We survived the asteroid's destruction."
A heavy sigh came from the other end. "Good. I was already thinking about how to explain this to your dad. He told me not to send you three on that mission."
Kael's eyes narrowed as he stepped closer. "Wait. He said that?"
Rowan's voice softened. "Kael. Good to hear your voice. Yeah, he did. And, man… I haven't been myself these last few days."
Max shoved Kael aside, keeping the focus on the situation. "Look, we didn't call just to catch up. We need help."
Rowan's tone grew tense. "…That might be a problem."
Max's frown deepened. "Why?"
A long hesitation. Then—
"As you've probably noticed, we've got our hands full. And I think you already know why."
Max's fingers curled into a fist. "The asteroid."
Rowan confirmed it. "Yeah. After it was destroyed, fragments started falling onto Varagos. We're dealing with a global crisis."
Max inhaled sharply. "Damn… We failed the mission."
Rowan sighed. "No. If anything, I should be apologizing. I sent you on a mission that was nearly impossible. I had no idea they were planning to destroy it."
Max's eyes darkened. "There's more you don't know. They sent a Grandmaster."
Silence.
Then, Rowan's voice hardened. "What?!"
Max shook his head. "We don't have time to get into that. We're running out of time here."
Rowan's voice came through the communicator, tense and urgent. "Where are you guys?"
Max exhaled. "We're in Sandworm Valley."
A sharp intake of breath followed. "Wait—what?! Do you know what happens to ships that pass through there?"
Max groaned, rubbing his temples. "Dammit, I forgot about that incident…"
Ash raised an eyebrow. "What incident?"
Max sighed. "About ten years ago, a fleet tried to cross Sandworm Valley. Let's just say… they didn't make it."
Kael's expression darkened. "The worms actually took them down?"
Max nodded grimly.
Then—RUMBLE.
A deep vibration rolled through the settlement, shaking the ground beneath them.
Rowan's voice spiked. "What the hell was that?!"
Max's expression hardened. "That's the reason we need to leave now. There's a Tier 6 Sandworm beneath this settlement."
For a second, there was only silence. Then—
"A TIER SIX?!" Rowan practically choked on his words. "Okay—okay, I'll reach out to the nearest units. But you guys have to survive. Max, if you have any brilliant ideas to escape Sandworm Valley, start working on them now!"
Max's lips curled into a smirk. "Actually… I already have one in mind."
Ash and Kael both turned to him, their eyes filled with equal parts curiosity and concern.
Rowan sighed in relief. "Knew I could count on you. I'll send backup—just hold on until then."
Max nodded. "And send a big ship. We're taking the entire settlement with us."
Rowan hesitated. "The whole settlement?" Then, after a pause, "Understood. Just stay alive."
A final beep signaled the end of the transmission.
Max turned to the others with a confident grin. "Well, looks like we got our ride out of here."
Kael crossed his arms. "Great. Now tell me—how exactly are we pulling this off?"
Max opened his mouth to explain—
Then—BOOM.
The ground lurched. A deafening roar tore through the cavern, shaking the entire settlement. Cracks raced up the walls.
The worm was coming up.
Max clenched his jaw. "Damn it. We're out of time."
He turned to Ash and Kael. "Listen, the plan is—"
Another violent tremor cut him off.
RUMBLE.
The tremors weren't stopping. The ground buckled beneath them.
Ash exhaled sharply. His joints ached with the ghost of decades he hadn't lived yet. Every use of Phantom's Stride carved time off the clock—but with the worm stirring, time was the one luxury they didn't have.
The flaw of his speed. The price of his power.
He looked at Max, then Kael.
"See? I have no choice."
Max sighed, knowing exactly what he meant. He had warned him about this. But right now, there was no time to argue.
Ash stepped toward Kael, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.
"[Activating Skill: Phantom's Stride.]"
In an instant—they vanished.