The ground rumbled before cracking open as if something had just eaten a chunk away.
The giant worm finally showed herself.
Terra burst forth from beneath the soil with a low, grinding roar. Her emergence shook the area, throwing dust and loose stones into the air. She was massive—far larger than Logan remembered.
He blinked, stunned for a moment.
Silvia had warned him that Terra had likely grown past sixty meters in length… but seeing it with his own eyes was something else entirely. From head to tail, she was like a moving mountain of amber-plated armor, scales that looked so hard they seemed to be a mix of rock and steel. Her face alone—at least four meters wide—was enough to swallow a road whole. Her mouth? It looked like it could even devour a building in a single bite.
Logan took a few steps forward, his hand instinctively brushing the scales that seemed to be part of her neck.
"You've grown so big …" he muttered under his breath.
Of course, there was no fear within him, just awe.
He then began checking Terra's updated stats as he kept petting her, the same way he did with all his creatures.
He could already feel the change in Terra's evolution, the slight increase in her temperament, and her emotions were now varied.
Name: Terra / Species: Endless Eater Tremorwyrm / Level: 80 / Blood Mark: Lower Abdomen / Loyalty: 71/100
Str: 94 / Agi: 61 / Dex: 59 / Con: 125 / Int: 96 / Char: 68
- Tremor Maw (Enhanced): Dives beneath the earth, reemerging violently to cause shockwaves and terrain upheaval. Now stuns enemies briefly on impact.
- Burrowspike Ambush (Enhanced): Launches multiple stone-imbued spikes from below in a wide arc. Can now track heat or mana signatures.
- Devour Earth (Advanced): Consumes large volumes of corrupted or pure terrain to regenerate health and mana. Can now also grant temporary buffs based on the terrain type absorbed.
- Seismic Pulse (Advanced): Emits a powerful radial quake that disrupts magical fields and enemy formations. Greatly reduces the armor of those caught in the blast.
- Wormgate Tunnel (Expanded): Creates a fortified tunnel that can link areas up to 500 meters apart. Can be sealed instantly or collapse to cause damage.
- Primordial Terraform: Rearranges large battlefield areas in seconds. Can raise cliffs, flatten regions, or create sinkholes. Enhanced when near ley lines or natural mana-rich zones.
- Subterranean Sense (Passive): Detects underground movement and mana shifts within 1 km. Can identify structural weaknesses and enemy traps.
- Earthen Scale Barrier (Passive): To protect itself when moving underground, in the toughest of terrains, her body produces a passive barrier to shield when encountering dangerous rock or crystal-filled areas.
She wasn't the strongest of Logan's earth creatures, but she made up for it with utility.
This worm had done more for his kingdom than most would ever know.
Terra had single-handedly carved out a flowing underground well beneath Highrule. Not only that, but she'd constructed an expansive sewage system that ran beneath the city—clean, efficient, and perfectly reinforced. Because of her, Highrule wasn't just a great place to live—it had pristine water and very clean streets.
One of the cleanest capitals in the world, he dared say.
"How are you doing, Terra?" Logan called out, stepping closer. "Also… thanks for coming. We're going to need your rock-crushing power to help Silis break into the mountain. If you help me find the Temple of Darkness tomorrow, I'll give you a fresh batch of the best earthen crystals—your favorite kind, straight from the Earth Temple's area."
He reached out and patted the worm's tough, stone-like hide. He wasn't sure if she could feel the contact through her thick armor, but her emotions came through the link, clear and warm.
[Yes. Many crystals. Will find the temple fast!] Terra replied, her deep, echoing voice filled with a calm enthusiasm.
Without warning, the massive creature curled and dove back into the ground, disappearing like a sea serpent diving in water. Logan could feel her moving even without sight—her presence still registered clearly through the link, and he guessed she was already scouting the mountain's underside.
Her level and that ridiculously tough hide—strong enough that a one-meter blade wouldn't even leave a scratch—made her all but invulnerable to what lurked below.
Her appearance still unnerved people at first.
The gaping maw was lined with countless rows of teeth. The armored back bristled with jagged spikes. Her body glowed faintly with amber runes that pulsed whenever she activated her defensive barriers. She looked like a nightmare-given form.
But Logan knew better.
She was sweet, loyal, and protective as well as a perfectionist when it came to construction and tunneling.
He respected her—not for her raw combat ability, but for her unmatched reliability.
And now, she would be the one to lead them to the hidden Temple of Darkness.
"Alright, let's all rest now. Tomorrow morning we need to be up early to move out. Wyver, Stormwing, Uriel, and Gaia—you four will be protecting this place. Everyone else, we'll be needing you. Hopefully, we reach the temple in one day."
Logan's gaze swept across the group, and all around him, nods followed.
The exploration team was ready.
Silvia, the sage. Ren, the usually silent samurai. Yui, the elusive ninja. Victor, the shadowmancer. Rubina, the half-demon fire mage. Kai and Chloe, the couple who were both his knights and talented geomancers who shared the same affinity. Lisa, the sanctified Valkyrie healer and warrior. And Victor Rosengard—their guide and strategist.
The human side was solid and full of both powerhouse and utility.
Then came the beasts.
Scorch, his towering Tyrannosaurus Rex. Silis, now in her full earth dragon form. Terra, the hulking earth-eater. Elarion, the radiant unicorn. Orus, the radiant owl griffin with eyes sharper than any scout, Regal, the black widow larger than a car, and Juggernaut, the dark elemental ogre who would lead them hopefully straight to the darkness elemental temple.
Logan turned next to Serana.
She stood quietly, her cloak rustling with the faint breeze. The beholder hovered behind her, its eerie gaze shifting lazily.
"I will also go," Serana said, her voice even. "Drakhel will stay behind—he's strong enough but like Wyver he won't be must-use in a cave. All my other minions will also come."
The only minion currently visible was the beholder—a twisted, vampiric bat creature with a singular glaring eye. Her garmr wasn't nearby, likely off hunting again. That one had a habit of returning only when called even if it was just as loyal as the beholder.
Logan gave a final nod.
"Good. Then rest while you can, all of you. Tomorrow, we dive into true darkness."