Old Man Mark stood at the cavern's edge, staring into the dark where Ash had fallen. The lantern's glow carved sharp lines across his face, hiding whatever thoughts stirred behind his steady gaze.
A man shifted nearby, his voice tight.
"So... do we listen to the kid?"
Mark didn't move. His eyes stayed locked on the void below.
"Do you think he'll survive?"
No one spoke. They didn't need to. Even Master stage users would think twice before facing something like that. And Grand Masters? They were rare as stars. Those boys didn't stand a chance.
Mark let out a slow breath.
"Good." His voice cut through the silence.
"I won't risk the settlement. Right now, they're keeping the worm busy. Get the Nightveil Drought and pour it on that one."
He nodded toward Max, still lying unconscious.
A woman stepped forward, the lantern light catching the cold edge in her eyes. She pulled a small vial from her satchel, the liquid inside swirling in a deep violet spiral. Nightveil Drought—strong enough to drop even the fiercest fighters for days.
"I have it," she said.
"Should I pour it on him now?"
"Yes. Make it quick. Those kids won't last much longer. I don't want this one waking up either."
The woman knelt beside Max. She tipped the vial, a droplet forming at the rim—
The stone beneath their feet shivered. Dust rained from the beams overhead, drifting like ash through the stale air.
Mark's eyes narrowed, his head tilting slightly.
'What the hell are they doing down there?'
The woman's hand wavered, but she steadied it, angling the vial again.
This time the quake hit harder. Cracks split the ground at their feet. A wooden support groaned, snapping under the weight.
A sharp crack echoed through the chamber. The woman jerked back, the vial slipping from her fingers.
Glass exploded against the floor. The Nightveil Drought bled into the dirt, lost.
Mark's mouth tightened into a grim line.
He spun toward her, voice like a whip.
"Get another bottle. Now!"
The woman scrambled to her feet and bolted into the tunnels, boots thudding against the shaking ground.
The cavern shook again. Larger rocks tumbled from above.
One struck Max's forehead with a dull thud.
For a heartbeat, everything stilled.
Max's fingers twitched.
His breath hitched, chest rising in a sharp jerk.
His eyes snapped open.
The cavern beat with heat, each pulse thick enough to taste. Kael planted his feet, fire curling over his hands as he stared down the sandworm's hulking body. His muscles tightened. He lifted both arms and hurled a ball of fire the size of a boulder.
Flames slammed into the worm's armor, rolling over the thick plates like a flood. For a moment, the cavern lit up in a burning glare. When the fire faded, only a faint black smear clung to its shell.
Kael's chest tightened.
"That should've done something."
A shriek ripped through the air, sharp enough to scrape the walls. The worm twisted hard, its body smashing into the ground. Cracks split the cavern floor. Overhead, the ceiling groaned under the strain. Rocks snapped loose and plummeted like falling stars.
His body blurred between the rain of stone, boots striking the ground with sharp steps. His blade flashed out, cutting across the worm's hide. Sparks jumped from the strikes, but no deep cuts followed.
Kael's teeth ground together. He leapt back, heat blasting from his palms. Fire poured out in a steady assault—
Explosions filled the air, smoke and heat thickening the cavern. But the worm didn't falter. It reared back and slammed its tail into the ground.
The shock tore through the cavern.
Kael's boots slid over the broken stone, barely holding ground.
Another quake rolled out, a low groan that warned the cavern wouldn't last much longer.
Kael wiped sweat from his brow, chest heaving.
"Dammit," he muttered.
"I'm throwing everything at it, and it's barely flinching."
Perched on a jagged outcrop, Ash stayed locked onto the creature.
"That armor's built to take worse than fire," he said, calm and sharp.
Kael's eyes flicked toward him.
"What about Max? Is he safe?"
Ash's face didn't move, but something cold settled into his voice.
"I gave them a warning. If they ignored it... they'll regret it."
Ash grabbed Kael and blinked across the cavern, just as the worm's jaws crashed into the ground where they had stood. Dust and rock exploded outward.
Kael hit the ground, stumbled once, then caught himself.
"Damn thing's fast for its size,"
He shoot Ash a quick glance.
"Think those people actually listened to you?"
"If they didn't, they'll wish they had."
Kael's eyes drifted over the battlefield. Bones lay everywhere, cracked and half-buried in the stone. His fists tightened until his knuckles turned white.
"They really sent kids down here to die...? Just how long has this thing been feeding?"
Ash didn't speak. His body tensed, blade ready, eyes never leaving the worm.
"We survive first, Max will handle himself."
The worm's body jerked—then vanished into the ground.
Silence swallowed the cavern.
Ash and Kael stayed still. They were Waiting. Watching. Listening. For where the worm will pop out next.
The earth split open beneath them. A wall of flesh and teeth erupted upward, jaws snapping toward their throats.
Ash's hand shot out. He grabbed Kael and vanished in a blink. They reappeared across the cavern as the ground where they stood exploded in a storm of stone and dust.
Kael's jaw locked tight.
"I'm sick of dodging,"
Heat surged from Kael's body. Flames raced down his legs, wrapping him in a burning halo. The air shimmered around him as he kicked off the ground, shooting upward.
Below, the worm's massive head turned, tracking their flight with sharp, eerie precision.
'No eyes, It's sensing us.'
Kael's gaze darted toward the cavern's exit—freedom, just within reach. His fists tightened.
"I could blast us out, But if we leave it alive, they'll just keep throwing kids at it."
Ash didn't answer right away.
His gaze stayed on the worm, tracing the curve of its maw, the folds of armored skin.
A grin tugged at his mouth.
"I have a plan, But you're gonna have to burn a lot of energy."
Kael shot him a look.
"Wait... You don't mean—"
"Yeah," Ash said, nodding.
"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 once, the idea sinking in.
"So... you're gonna keep it busy?"
The worm shifted below them, head rising again, sensing the movement above.
Ash's grin sharpened.
"I'll dodge. You charge up."
Kael's flames flared hotter, anger and purpose folding together.
"Fine. But you better be alive when I'm done."
Ash's smirk stretched wider, wild and sure.
"Just hurry up—and don't hold back."
Kael gave a hard nod.
Ash let go of Kael's hand
He dropped like a stone, sword locked tight in his grip. The wind roared against his ears. Below, the sand worm twisted, its massive mouth splitting open. Rows of jagged teeth lined the dark, gaping hole.
Ash's form blurred—then vanished.
A sharp pulse of movement, and he twisted through the air, reappearing just beyond the worm's snapping jaws. His blade flashed, the metal carving a clean line past the edge of its mouth.
A thin black cut opened across the creature's thick hide.
Ash leaned into the motion, dragging his sword down its massive body—
The blade struck something deep and hard. Pain shot up his arm. His body wrenched backward, skidding along the cavern floor.
He hit the ground rough, boots sliding against the grit. Dust clouded around him. He blinked it away, his gaze snapping back to the worm.
The creature's hide was like stone. But blood dripped from the line he had carved.
A slow grin pulled at Ash's mouth. His hand tightened around the hilt.
'So it does have a weak spot after all.'