Worms regenerate
A thick-armed man stepped forward, scoffing.
"See, old man? I told you we should've added more than a drop to their food. Look at the mess it caused."
Another man turned on him, fury in his eyes.
"Are you insane?! Too much and they'd be corpses already! They're not stronger than the worm!"
Shouting exploded.
Voices clashed, blame and panic flying from every side. The room shook—not from the worm, but from them.
The old man didn't move.
He stood still in the middle of it all, the noise washing over him.
Then—he let out a long breath.
His voice broke the chaos.
"Then what do you expect me to do?"
Everything stopped.
His shoulders hung low. His face looked years older.
"It's my responsibility to protect this settlement."
He didn't look at Max. Didn't look at anyone.
"That creature has kept us alive for years. Yeah maybe I don't know what I was thinking… But even with you here—if we don't feed it, we're dead before help arrives."
His voice cracked, rough as worn stone.
The thick-armed man stepped forward. His knuckles popped as he rolled his shoulders.
"Enough talk. Let me handle this, old man. He doesn't look that strong."
Max's jaw tightened.
No suit. No tools. Just his body—and hand to hand combat had never been his strongest weapon. But he didn't back up. He Didn't flinch.
RUMBLE.
The cavern shook. Dust poured from the ceiling in a slow fall. Cracks split across the ground.
The man lunged. Both fists slammed into the floor.
Stone buckled.
The ground pitched. Max's feet lifted off the floor.
He moved fast.
FWOOOSH.
Flames burst from his palm. The fire surged under him, launching him sideways. His body twisted midair. He hit the ground hard but rolled into a low slide, boots grinding across the rock.
He didn't wait.
His hand snapped forward.
WHOOSH.
Fire curled through the air like a serpent. The whip lashed out, slicing through the space between them.
It struck.
THUD. THUD. THUD.
One by one, bodies hit the ground. Some cried out. Others stayed down, groaning. Max's flames burned hot—but never wild. He'd aimed for pain, not death.
He rose.
Eyes cold. Breath even.
"I don't have time for this."
The cavern stretched around him—quiet now, except for the crackle of fading flames.
Max scanned the room.
The old man was gone.
His eyes swept from corner to corner. Every shadow felt heavier. Closer.
Then—
A whisper behind him.
"I'm sorry… but it's for the settlement."
His heart kicked.
Too late.
SHNK.
A blade drove toward his back.
CRACK.
The stone dagger shattered on impact. Pieces fell to the floor, crumbling before they could bite.
The old man froze.
"Wha—?"
WHAM.
Max's elbow shot back. It smashed into the old man's chest. The body lifted, then crashed into the floor and slid across the stone.
Max didn't even turn.
His teeth clenched. His back burned.
Pain rolled up his spine, white-hot. But it faded. Died out before it could dig deep.
The skill 'Endless Agony' had activated.
He forced the breath through his lungs and stayed standing.
Then—something shifted.
The ground pulled the old man down. His body sank into the rock like it was mud.
Max's eyes narrowed.
'What the hell was that?'
Before he could move, the stone rippled.
The old man rose again.
No limp. No blood. No broken bones.
He brushed off his coat like nothing happened. The cane in his hand clicked softly against the floor. His face calm.
"You're an interesting one," he said.
"A scholar's mind, but a warrior's body."
His grip on the cane tightened.
"I don't like to fight."
RUMBLE.
The walls cracked again. Thin lines spread like spiderwebs across the stone.
"But it's either you… or the children in this settlement."
Max's fists curled tight. His breath stayed low.
'No. That choice wasn't real. Even if i gave myself up, it wouldn't stop. That thing would rise again. And when it did, they'd just feed it someone else.'
Then—
BOOM!!
The entire chamber rocked.
Chunks of stone dropped from the ceiling. Dust billowed, choking the air.
The old man's head whipped toward the pit. His face paled.
"…Are they still alive down there?"
His voice cracked. It came out dry, thin, like the words didn't want to leave his mouth.
The ground answered.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Each pulse hit like a war drum. The air thickened.
Heat rolled in—slow, steady, burning. It poured out of the pit like breath from a dragon's mouth.
Max's lips pulled into a grin.
"So, they actually pulled it off."
The old man stared, lost.
Then—
WHOOSH!
A streak of fire shot up from the darkness.
Too fast to follow.
Max turned—just in time.
Kael burst from the pit, clothes shredded, face streaked with black soot. In his arms, Ash hung limp but breathing.
They landed hard beside Max. Kael hit one knee, arms shaking.
His chest rose and fell, too fast.
"I'm... out… of energy..."
He forced the words out between gasps.
"Give… me… a sec… to—"
THUD.
He collapsed. Unconscious.
Ash chuckled and rolled his shoulders, stretching.
"Now I see why you rushed us out of there."
He gave Kael's back a quick pat.
"Rest up. You did great."
He turned to Max.
"I'm glad they didn't throw you in. Guess my warning worked?"
Max's face stayed still.
"Not exactly."
Ash's smile vanished.
"Really now?"
Then—he was gone.
In a blink He stood in front of the old man.
The old man flinched. His cane scraped back half a step.
Inside Ash's head, a cold line of thought echoed:
"[Vein Energy: 25%]"
His jaw set.
'Not enough for much. But enough for this.'
His voice dropped.
"Now... explain the bones."
The old man didn't speak. His mouth tightened. His hands moved—barely. Just enough to betray the tremble.
No one else moved. The others stared at the ground. Or the walls. Anywhere but here.
Then Max's voice rang out.
"What about the monster? Is it dead?"
RUMBLE.
The ground shook again. Pebbles scattered across the floor, hopping from the force.
Ash ran a hand through his hair, slow and heavy.
"Kael blasted half its body away. The other half's still twitching. It's probably just a matter of time before it dies on its own."
Another tremor rolled through the ground—stronger than before.
Max's face hardened.
"I don't think that's going to be enough."
Ash turned to him.
"Why?"
Max stared at the pit, eyes sharp.
"That thing is a Tier 6."
Ash's shoulders went stiff.
"It's not just strong," Max said.
"Worms like that can regenerate. A normal one can grow back a limb. But a Tier 6?"
He pointed at the pit.
"It'll heal fast. Real fast."
Ash clenched his jaw.
"So… it's not over yet."
"No."
Max's hand closed into a fist.
"But you bought us time. Enough to make a plan before it fully regenerates."
RUMBLE.
A low groan echoed through the cavern. Dust fell again, twisting in the torchlight like smoke.
Max turned back to the old man.
"We have to work together to end this nightmare."
The elder didn't speak. His chest rose and fell, slower now, like every breath hurt.
Max let out a hard breath.
"Besides… if that thing dies, the other sandworms will attack this place."
The old man dragged a hand across his face, rubbing his temples.
"I know. That's why we needed to keep it alive. Without it, the others come. And there are more than just a few."
Max crossed his arms.
"Then you should've told us instead of drugging us and throwing my brothers into the pit."
He didn't shout. He didn't need to.
The old man looked at Kael's crumpled body.
"And yet, you still managed to wound it."
RUMBLE.
The stone beneath their feet shifted again. This time, something else came with it.
Squelch.
A wet, crawling sound rose from the pit. Quiet. Sickening.
Ash's head snapped toward it. His eyes narrowed.
"It's already healing."
Max didn't look away from the old man.
"We don't have much time. That thing needs to stay weak."
The old man hesitated, then nodded.
"We have the Nightveil drought. If we coat your weapons with it, it might slow the regeneration."
Max turned to Ash.
Ash cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders.
"Better than nothing."
Max nodded once.
"Then let's move."
The old man faced the others.
"Prepare the Nightveil drought. We don't have long."
Max scanned the cavern, his thoughts moving faster than his feet.
"And someone get me to that communicator. If this thing is coming back stronger…"
His eyes locked on the pit.
"We're going to need backup."