"I say, it's hungry. Let's feed it."
Both Ash and Kael froze. Their heads snapped toward the voice, and standing at the edge of the battlefield was Max—unfazed, calm as ever, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Max?" kael's voice tightened, disbelief flooding his words. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Ash's confusion matched kael's as he glanced at Max. "Feed it? What do you mean?"
Max's eyes gleamed with something cold, something calculating. "The worm's not just attacking because it's mindless. It's hunting. So, we give it what it wants."
Ash's stomach twisted. 'No. He's not suggesting—' The thought barely formed before Max's actions made it real.
Max reached into his pouch and pulled out a small vial filled with a dark, swirling liquid. Without hesitation, he hurled it into the air, watching it explode in a burst of shadowy mist. The liquid spilled over the battlefield, the fog thickening as it spread, choking the air with a menacing presence.
Ash and Kael instinctively stepped back, their lungs filling with the thick, suffocating mist. The fog clouded their vision, turning the world into a haze of darkness. The worm froze, its massive body shifting as it paused mid-charge. The once-mindless beast seemed to hesitate, its movements slowing.
"What did you do?" Kael's voice was thick with suspicion as he stared at Max.
Max didn't respond immediately. He only watched the worm, his smirk growing. "The worm's been hunting, right? It's not just attacking because it's hungry. It's confused now."
Ash felt the cold dread spread through his veins. 'Confused?'
His grip on his blade tightened as the worm, sluggish now, seemed to search the area, its once-predatory movements now erratic. It wasn't charging; it was circling, examining the air like a hunter unable to find its prey.
"It's confused," Kael said, his voice low, almost a whisper. He shot another fireball, but this time, the worm didn't react right away. It didn't charge or swat the flames away. It was still, watching. "It's not attacking. It's hunting something else now."
Max stepped forward, his eyes glinting with a dangerous edge. "Exactly. It's no longer the predator—it's the prey."
Ash's stomach clenched. The air around them was thick with tension, the fog swirling like a living thing. The worm turned its head, its body shifting with an unnatural deliberation. It was no longer the mindless force it had been. It was something darker, something that could think, plan, and anticipate.
Max let out a dry chuckle. "Wow… this one really grew a new brain. It's like the smartest thing alive now."
Ash kept his eyes on the swirling black mist. "What is this stuff?"
Max smirked. "Oh, that? Just something I whipped up—a Sulfur-Thermite Decoy."
Kael frowned. "Sulfur what—?"
Max waved him off. "Not worth explaining. Let's just say I scavenged a few things from the settlers, mixed in some Apex tech, and—voilà—I made a batch of those vials."
Ash narrowed his eyes. "So… it won't attack us now?"
Max shrugged. "As long as the mist lingers."
A low, guttural rumble filled the air.
The worm twitched, its massive form trembling as it shook its head violently. Sand and stone rained down from its body as it writhed in discomfort, trying to rid itself of the unseen force clouding its senses.
Then—it started moving again.
Faster.
More erratic.
The ground trembled beneath them.
"Whatever you're planning, Max," Kael said, his voice sharp, "make it fast."
Max's smile faded, replaced by a cold, calculating gaze. He took a step forward. "No worries. I've got this covered."
He clapped his hands together. "Right. Now, we just need to feed it and let it sleep."
A sick feeling curled in Ash's stomach. "Feed it? You don't mean—" His voice dropped, dark with suspicion. "Not humans, right?"
Max rolled his eyes. "No, obviously not." He turned, already stepping toward the beast, completely unfazed by the raw power thrashing before him. "But I do need something."
Ash exhaled, only half relieved.
Max reached into his coat, pulling out another vial—this one filled with a dark, almost oil-like liquid. "I'm just gonna toss an entire dose of Nightveil Drought straight into its mouth. That should keep it down for a while."
Ash's breath hitched. Something felt off. A creeping unease crawled up his spine, sinking its claws into his gut.
"Wait," he called, his voice edged with urgency. "I don't think it's working. I think—" He hesitated, eyes narrowing at the worm's shifting body. "I think it's resisting it."
Max didn't slow down. "Yeah, obviously."
Ash blinked. "What?"
Max sighed, rubbing his temple. "Think about it. The old man's been dosing this thing with Nightveil Drought for twenty years. You really think it wouldn't develop a resistance?"
Then he stare at worm. "This is why Tier 6 and higher are so dangerous."
Ash's fists clenched. "So, you've got something stronger?"
Max didn't reply immediately. His fingers slid into his pouch, pulling out a vial filled with a dark, swirling liquid. His eyes never left the worm, watching, waiting for it to open its mouth.
The creature was still flailing, its form hidden in the swirling mist. It struck out randomly, crashing into buildings with reckless abandon. Unpredictable. Wild.
Max exhaled, a trace of frustration in his voice. "Something like that."
The worm's massive maw snapped open. Max saw his chance.
With a steady hand, he threw the vial. It landed perfectly, slipping inside the worm's mouth just as it closed.
The beast recoiled. A bone-chilling screech ripped through the air, the worm's body jerking violently. It broke free of the mist, thrashing through the settlement, its massive form slamming into structures.
Then, with a final, guttural roar, it collapsed.
Ash's eyes widened. "What the hell just happened?"
Max's lips curled into a grim smile. "What do earthworms hate?"
Ash and Kael exchanged confused glances.
Max's voice darkened. "Worms can't survive without moisture. Dehydrate them, and they lose their strength. Might even die."
Kael's eyes widened as realization set in. "So, what did you use?"
Max reached into his pouch again, pulling out the vial. "Salt."
Ash blinked, his confusion deepening. "Salt?"
Max's grin grew darker. "Yeah. I mixed salt into the vial of Nightveil Drought. When the worm took it, it wasn't just fighting off toxins. It was battling to keep its moisture. Painful, right? It couldn't resist."
Kael stretched, arms raised. "Well, good thing that's over."
Max's smile faded as his gaze swept over the wreckage. "Who said we're done?"
Kael froze. "There's more?"
Max's tone grew colder. "We're still stuck here. If that thing wakes up, we'll be right back where we started. We'll have to do it all over again."
Ash exhaled slowly, the weight of the situation settling in. "Right… its about getting out of here…"
Max didn't wait. "Yeah, let's go meet Old Man Mark. We need to figure out our next move—together."
They moved, heading toward the area where the settlers had taken shelter.
Ash cast a final glance back at the worm, its massive form motionless now, the air thick with the scent of decay. He tightened his grip on his blade, but didn't slow his pace. His mind kept racing, calculating the next steps.
He turned and kept moving, eyes scanning the horizon, the wreckage of the settlement looming around them. They couldn't afford to stop. Not yet. Not while the danger still lingered.
————
The settlement lay in a heavy silence, the kind that gnawed at the soul. The once vibrant place, filled with life and noise, was now nothing more than a hushed ruin, a carcass picked clean by a brutal predator. Ash could feel the weight of the stillness pressing down on them, the absence of the everyday clamor, the hum of normalcy.
The survivors gathered together, but they were no longer whole. Eyes that once gleamed with hope were now dimmed by the horrors they'd endured. Faces marked with grief, shock, and a deep, gnawing emptiness. Ash watched them closely, noticing the subtle shift in their movements—the way their shoulders sagged, how they huddled together as though that was all that remained of who they once were.
His gaze landed on a woman standing at the edge of the group. Her small bundle trembled in her arms, a fragile baby who hadn't yet seen the light of the world, yet already bore the brunt of its cruelty. She stood motionless, eyes shut tight as if willing herself to not feel the cold dread creeping through her veins. Her body quivered slightly, but it wasn't the chill in the air that had her shaking. It was the weight of everything—her loss, her fear, the crushing realization that there was no safe place left in this world.
Ash's breath hitched, but he forced himself to look away. The sight stung, but there was no time to dwell. He turned his focus toward the others. Toward Mark.
Mark stood apart, his old frame leaning slightly against a battered stone pillar. His eyes swept over the survivors, his face an unreadable mask. Ash could see the toll this had taken on him—there was a weariness to his stance, a heaviness in his gaze that spoke of far too many battles fought, too many lives lost. The old man's hands trembled ever so slightly as he adjusted his grip on his weathered staff, but there was no denying the strength in his eyes. He was broken, yes—but not defeated.
"Old man," Max's voice cut through the heavy silence. He sounded tired, worn down by the weight of their journey, but his words still carried the weight of command.
Mark's eyes flicked up, meeting Max's with a steady, calculating gaze. "You're back," he said, his voice thick with the weight of the world.
Max's expression darkened. "We need to talk, Mark. About what happens next."
Mark didn't respond right away. His gaze lingered on the people gathered, studying their faces. He could see it too—the cracks starting to show, the fragile threads of hope fraying. He exhaled slowly, stepping closer to them, his boots dragging against the ground with each step.
"Talk?" Mark repeated, his voice rough as stone. "About what, exactly?"
Max's gaze softened, but his resolve didn't waver. "About what we do now. How we get out of here."
The old man exhaled, his breath slow and measured. "There's something I need to ask."
Max didn't look at him right away. His gaze remained fixed on the settlers, their worn faces illuminated by the dying fires around them. "What is it?"
Mark's eyes held steady. "You said help was coming. Was that true?"
Max's fingers curled slightly, his weight shifting as if the question carried more than just words. His jaw tensed before he finally muttered, "Yeah… but not here."
A faint, knowing smile flickered across Mark's face. "Of course not. Nothing's ever that easy." He let his gaze drift toward the ruins of the settlement, the remnants of shattered homes and broken lives. "I've lived in Sandworm Valley for twenty-two years. I know how this place works."
Max dipped his head slightly, silent.
Mark's voice softened, roughened by the weight of too many losses. "So tell me… do you think we can make it out?"
Max finally lifted his gaze, sweeping over the settlers. Hollow stares. Grime-covered faces. People holding onto nothing but the desperate need to keep moving forward. He let out a slow breath, then smirked.
"I won't lie," he said. "It's not going to be easy. But I know we can."
Mark studied him for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then his gaze shifted, scanning the survivors, the wreckage, the sky darkening with the weight of something unseen. When his eyes returned to Max, there was no hesitation. Only resolve.
"You and your brothers fought that worm," Mark said. "Not once. Twice. That's something none of us could've done." His voice dropped lower, edged with finality. "Staying here? It's a death sentence. Whether it's today or next week, this settlement will fall. Sooner or later."
He stepped forward, the weight of his presence settling over them. "So, Max." His voice was calm, steady. "Do you have a plan?"
Max's voice carried a quiet intensity. "We're getting out of here. But if we're gonna survive, we need everyone working together." His gaze swept over the broken settlement. "Tell them to take only what matters—supplies, tools, anything we can use. If it slows them down, they leave it."
Mark's jaw tightened. "Wait… you're saying—"
Max cut him off, eyes cold with resolve. "Yes. We're moving the entire settlement."
A hush fell between them, thick with disbelief. The settlers had spent years building their lives here. Now, they had no choice but to leave it behind.
Mark's voice dropped, rough with doubt. "Do you even realize what you're saying?" He took a step closer, lowering his voice. "This isn't just a small group sneaking out in the dead of night. Moving this many people through Sandworm Valley is suicide."
Max met his gaze, unwavering. "Staying is worse."
A gust of wind cut through the ruins, stirring the dust and carrying the distant groan of shifting sand. The valley was alive, restless. The longer they waited, the more dangerous it became.
Max crossed his arms. "The worm is the key. This place exists because of it. If we move it, we move everything with it."
Mark's brow furrowed. "And where exactly do you plan on taking it?"
Max didn't blink. "To the end of Sandworm Valley."
Mark let out a sharp breath, shaking his head. "You're out of your damn mind. You want to drag a Tier 6 worm across the valley? That thing could wake up at any moment and wipe us out."
Max smirked. "Not if we keep it under control."
Mark studied him for a long moment. "With what?"
Max reached into his pouch, pulling out a small vial. The liquid inside was thick, darker than the night itself.
"Maxveil," he said.
Mark's expression hardened. "Never heard of it."
Max rolled the vial between his fingers, watching the substance shift like liquid shadow. "Because I made it. You have been feeding the worm Nightveil Drought for years. It adapted. Built resistance." His smirk sharpened. "But Maxveil… it's stronger. It'll knock it out long enough for us to move."
Mark's gaze flicked between Max and the vial. "How long?"
Max's smirk faded. "An day. Maybe less."
Silence stretched between them, heavy with the weight of the decision.
Then Mark exhaled, turning toward the settlers. "I'll get them ready."
Max nodded once. "Good. We don't have much time."