The worm roared and brought its tail down hard.
CRACK.
The land split.
The battlefield fractured, long breaks ripping through stone and sand. Smoke climbed into the sky, thick and choking.
Ash ran straight into the dust.
Steel cut. Fire burned.
Each strike found its mark. Ash and Kael moved like parts of the same machine—every motion sharp, every blow landing where it needed to. They struck from different angles, forcing the worm to twist and turn, never able to focus on one target.
Ash darted under a low swing. His blade sank in again. Black blood poured out. The worm reeled, thrashing in pain. The venom was building now—he could see the slight drag in its limbs.
Kael circled above, fire spiraling around him. He shot a ring of flame near the worm's flank. It recoiled, stayed moving—just as they planned.
But something shifted.
The worm's next strike came faster. Not a wild lunge—but a clean, targeted swing.
Ash barely dodged. The tail cracked the earth where he stood a second before. Rocks flew past his face as he rolled up to his feet.
"It's getting smarter," Ash said, voice tight.
"I know!" Kael shouted. His hands burned brighter.
"It's not charging blindly anymore. It's thinking."
The worm turned toward them both, body coiled low, ready for the next move.
Ash stared as the worm coiled low, its massive body twisting in ways that shouldn't have been possible. It didn't move like a beast anymore—it moved with purpose. One of Kael's fireballs flew toward it—fast, bright, direct.
Its tail swung up.
WHAM.
The fireball exploded midair, scattered by a single, clean strike.
"Damn!"
Kael shouted, sparks dancing around him.
"It's learning too fast. Can't we just kill it."
Ash's breath came sharp and shallow. He glanced at Kael, his voice low.
"We can't kill it, remember? But we just need to stop it from figuring us out."
A deep growl rolled out of the creature, low and heavy. The air shivered with it. It shifted again, its body curling like a spring, then turned—slow, careful—toward Ash.
Its eyeless head locked on.
Ash felt it in his chest.
It knows.
Before the thought could finish, the worm shot forward. Its mouth opened wide—rows of jagged teeth glinting in the firelight.
"Ash, move!"
Kael's voice hit like a slap.
Ash stepped in.
His blade flashed—steel sinking into thick hide—
But it wasn't enough.
The worm drove its head down.
CRASH.
Stone split. Dust flew. The shockwave rolled out, cracking the ground beneath Ash's feet. He dropped into a crouch, bracing against the force.
"No time to catch our breath,"
Ash muttered, eyes narrowed. His grip tightened. Each second lost gave it more.
Kael's next volley of fire lit up the air, but the worm didn't flinch. It swatted the flames aside, its tail moving like it had already seen the attack coming.
Ash turned toward him, their eyes meeting.
They didn't need to speak. The rhythm—they had fallen into a pattern. The worm was using it.
"It's learning the rhythm of our attacks,"
Ash said, voice cold, sharp with frustration.
Kael gave a short nod.
"We need to change it up, fast. It's not just a monster anymore."
The ground trembled. A deep, steady warning.
It was coming again.
Kael stepped forward, fire curling around both arms.
"I'll get its attention. You go for the weak spot. If we don't act fast, it's game over!"
Ash nodded once.
Kael hurled a massive fireball toward the worm's tail, hoping to get its attention away from ash. The explosion rattled the air, but the worm slid its tail out of the way, not even caring about him.
"Not enough!"
Kael shouted, his fists still burning.
"It's only getting smarter!"
As the smoke cleared, the worm's head shot back up, moving with blinding speed. It charged straight for Ash, its massive body cutting through the air like a deadly storm.
In the split-second before impact, Ash's eyes locked with the creature's. It wasn't just a Creature anymore—it was something far worse. Its eyeless gaze held a pressure that sent a chill down his spine.
With no time to waste, Ash sprinted sideways, barely avoiding the worm's head as it snapped toward him. The sheer force of the creature's movement sent shockwaves through the ground, but Ash was already out of reach.
The worm's head jerked back, and with a horrible screech, it dove back into the earth.
"What the hell? It's retreating."
"Not retreating,"
Ash corrected, eyes narrowing as he watched the ground beneath them crack.
"It's flanking us."
The worm's massive body slithered beneath the surface, the earth quaking with each movement.
"We can't let it get away! It's learning how to control the battlefield!" Ash shouted.
Beneath them, the ground split open as the worm shot out from below, its armored tail crashing through the air like a wrecking ball. Ash and Kael barely had time to react.
Ash slashed with his blade, cutting deep into the worm's underbelly, but it wasn't enough. The creature howled in fury, its head rising again, this time locking on Ash with terrifying focus.
Ash took a shaky breath, his muscles screaming in protest. The worm's gaze bore into him, its body coiling with eerie precision. It wasn't just reacting anymore—it was anticipating.
He risked a glance at Kael, who stood a few paces away, his stance wavering. They were both running out of options.
Ash gripped his sword tighter.
'Think. There has to be a way.'
The worm shifted, body tense.
Another strike coming.
Ash rolled clear just as the worm lunged again, its jaws smashing into the broken stone, inches from his back.
'We weren't meant to kill it. If we were, this fight would have be over.'
He looked at Kael—strong, burning with fire—but holding back. Too much power. Too much risk.
'The only plan I've got left is with the Nightveil Drought… and it's barely working.'
The ground thundered.
The worm barreled forward again.
Ash threw himself sideways, breath caught in his throat, as the maw snapped shut beside him. Rocks shattered. The shockwave knocked him off balance.
A voice sounded in his mind.
'[Vein Energy 75%]'
'Dammit, why won't you sleep?'
The poison should have taken hold by now. But the worm kept moving, wild and sharp and too fast. Less creature. More weapon.
Kael dropped beside him, fire dimming across his arms. Sweat clung to his skin.
"Man, I don't think we can hold him much longer," he said, voice low.
"And where the hell is Max?"
Ash's gaze swept the battlefield—scorched sand, broken stone, no sign of him.
"Yeah…" His eyes narrowed.
"He should be here by now."
The worm lunged again, tail sweeping wide. Air cracked from the force. Ash grabbed Kael's arm and blinked them across the field. Dust and debris exploded where they'd stood.
They reappeared on solid ground, distant from the blast zone. Ash's boots skidded across the dirt. Kael caught himself mid-step, chest heaving.
Kael shot him a glance.
"Okay, one more time. If Max isn't back in the next five minutes, we go with my plan."
Ash's eyes narrowed.
"Your plan?"
Flames rippled along Kael's shoulders. His jaw tightened, heat radiating off his skin.
"We can't keep running around in circles. It's only a matter of time before this thing overwhelms us."
Ash opened his mouth, but the worm shrieked—a piercing cry that ripped through the battlefield.
Its head snapped forward.
Kael launched upward, fire trailing behind him. Ash vanished again, his movement slicing across space in a single flash.
Kael hurled another fireball. It spun toward the worm's skull—but the tail rose fast. Stone met fire.
The blast shook the earth. Ash landed nearby, crouched low, watching as the creature stood untouched.
"I'll keep it distracted,"
Kael called out, flames building around his fists.
"Get everyone out of here. I'll handle this thing!"
Ash's eyes locked on the swirling sand beyond. The edge of the valley wasn't visible.
"We don't even know where Sand Worm Valley ends, My energy won't last if I try to move everyone."
The worm surged again. Its body rolled like a tidal wave, tearing into the broken terrain.
Ash blinked away, barely ahead of the crushing mass.
Kael floated overhead, fire crackling in both hands.
"Then what the hell do we do?"
His voice cut through the smoke, raw with frustration. His attacks weren't slowing the worm down. Nothing was.
Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed from the shadows.
"I say, it's hungry. Let's feed it."