Rising Terror

Silence hung over the group like a dense fog. Ethan felt trapped in a bubble of discomfort, every piercing gaze and heavy breath increasing the pressure around him. He took a deep breath, trying to muster some courage, and forced a nervous smile.

"Man, that was insane," he said, his voice trembling slightly. "I think I've finally lost my mind… or maybe I'm dead. I mean, I don't remember getting hit by a truck or anything."

For a brief moment, he thought he had broken the ice. But the looks he received were as serious as the grim environment surrounding them. Cold sweat dripped down his neck, and he swallowed hard, trying to maintain composure, until the sound of clapping echoed through the air.

He turned toward the Sorcerer, who was still hovering in a lotus position. The clapping sound wasn't natural, each snap reverberating as if in an empty theater. The Sorcerer wore an amused smile, as though he were watching a poorly executed comedy show.

Before the tension could grow any heavier, Lian Xuan stepped forward. His presence was steady, serene, and his voice cut through the moment with calm authority.

"We must establish cooperation for our survival," he said, looking at each of them. "This environment… it is unlike anything I have ever witnessed. What about you?"

The silence returned. Only the murmurs of the books spinning around the Sorcerer filled the air, like a distant, fragmented choir.

It was Seryne who finally broke the quiet. Her voice was soft but carried a weight of melancholy that seemed to resonate in the emptiness around them. "We are all far from home," she said, almost as a statement of fact. "The cardinal directions in this world seem nonexistent. This starry sky… it suffocates."

Ethan looked at her, perplexed. "How does she know all this?" he thought. "Isn't she blind?" But at the same time, he realized how absurd his doubt was. He was surrounded by extraordinary people, each more impressive than the last, while he was just… him.

Before he could get lost in these thoughts, the metallic voice of the robot abruptly shattered the silence.

"Seismic signals detected," the robot announced in its cold, precise tone. "Impact in 12 seconds. Threat incoming: organic creatures."

Ethan barely had time to process the words before the ground beneath his feet began to tremble. It was a deep rumble, as though something colossal was awakening in the depths of the desert.

The sand began to move, swirling in furious whirlpools, and then something monstrous broke through the surface.

What emerged first was a black structure rising slowly, like a pillar reaching for the sky. Its shape was irregular and covered in gleaming, spiked protrusions, each pulsating with a reddish glow that resembled a heartbeat. Its size was unfathomable, so tall it seemed to challenge the stars, so wide it made the ground quake under its weight.

Ethan stood frozen, trying to comprehend what he was seeing. "Is… is it a pillar?" he thought, his eyes locked on the immense figure. But then, the structure began to move.

The top of the "pillar" rotated slowly, revealing a circular opening. Inside were endless rows of jagged teeth, gleaming with a sickly light. A viscous substance dripped from its maw, evaporating into the sand with a hiss.

"It's not a pillar," Ethan realized, his breathing quickening. "It's… a worm."

The creature let out a low, guttural roar that reverberated like distant thunder. It was the sound of something far beyond human comprehension, a sound that spoke of hunger, destruction, and unbridled power.

Ethan instinctively stepped back, his eyes glued to the beast as it continued to rise, higher and higher. His hands trembled, and he tried to speak—anything—but no words came out.

Across from him, the Sorcerer smiled with curiosity, studying the monster as if it were a living work of art. "Fascinating," he murmured, almost to himself.

The worm's body shimmered with fiery patterns that glowed like molten lava. Its very presence seemed to warp reality, and dozens of eyes began to open across its body, each radiating a threatening golden light.

Ethan stepped back instinctively, his knees shaking. He felt the weight of the creature in his soul, as if he were being watched by something far beyond his understanding.