"I say, it's hungry. Let's feed it."
Ash and Kael turned fast. Max stood at the battlefield's edge, his cloth flapping in the hot wind, that familiar half-smile resting on his face.
"Max?"
Kael's voice cracked, caught between relief and disbelief.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Ash narrowed his eyes, taking in Max's calm stance, the glint in his eye.
"Feed it? You can't be serious right now."
Max didn't blink. His hand dipped into a pouch at his belt.
"The worm's not just attacking because it's mindless. It's hunting. So, we give it what it wants."
Ash felt the twist in his chest.
'No. He's not actually going to do that right.'
Max's hand came out with a small glass vial. The liquid inside pulsed like it was alive, dark and coiling. Without a word, he tossed it high.
The vial burst overhead.
A cloud spilled out, thick and heavy, coating the battlefield in shadow. The air shifted. Dry heat turned damp and sharp. The fog rolled low over the ground, swallowing rock and blood, wrapping the battlefield in choking silence.
Ash backed up a step, his breath catching. The mist slid down his throat like smoke. Beside him, Kael coughed, eyes narrowing against the dark.
The worm stopped.
Its momentum vanished. The creature twitched, confused, its head tilting in slow, uncertain jerks. It didn't charge. It didn't lash out. Its body shifted, cautious, almost hesitant.
Kael's fists lit with flame.
"What did you do?"
His voice had lost its fire.
Max watched the worm.
"The worm's been hunting, right? It's not just attacking because it's hungry. It's attacking because its angry. And now this mist makes it see things. Like multiple kael or a higher stage creature."
Ash stared through the haze. The creature's bulk moved, but not toward them. Its coils circled the edge of the mist, probing.
His fingers tightened around his blade.
'Is it—Confused?'
Kael threw a fireball. It streaked through the dark and struck the worm's side.
No reaction.
The creature didn't even flinch.
"It's not attacking,"
Kael said, eyes locked on the shifting mass.
"It's focused on something else now."
Max stepped forward. The fog swirled around his boots.
"Exactly. Right now It's no longer the predator—it's the prey."
Ash's stomach dropped. The air was still, but the tension pulled tight, like the battlefield was holding its breath. The worm turned again, slow and careful. It wasn't striking anymore. It was searching—with purpose.
Max let out a low chuckle, his gaze fixed on the creature.
"Wow… this one really grew a new brain. It's acts like the smartest thing alive now."
Ash didn't take his eyes off the thick mist curling around them. The black fog pulsed like it was alive, clinging to their skin, heavy in their lungs.
"What is this stuff?"
Max's lips curled.
"Oh, that? Just something I whipped up—I call it Sulfur-Thermite Decoy."
Kael scowled.
"Sulfur what—?"
Max waved him off without looking.
"Not worth explaining. Let's just say I scavenged a few things from the settlers, mixed in some Apex tech, and—voilà—I made a few of those vials."
Ash's grip tightened on his blade.
"So… it won't attack us now?"
Max shrugged one shoulder.
"As long as the mist lingers."
A deep vibration rolled through the sand.
The worm twitched. Its body jolted like something had shocked it. Sand poured off its hide in thick waves as it flung its head from side to side, struggling against whatever it couldn't see.
Then it started to move.
Faster.
More erratic.
The ground trembled beneath them.
Kael's stance shifted.
"Whatever you're planning, Max,"
He said, eyes locked on the worm.
"Do it fast."
The grin slipped from Max's face. His eyes hardened as he stepped forward.
"No worries. I've got this covered."
He clapped his hands once.
"Right. Now, we just need to feed it and let it sleep."
Ash felt his stomach twist.
"Feed it? You don't mean—"
His voice dropped.
"Not humans, right?"
Max rolled his eyes.
"No, obviously not."
He stepped closer to the creature, unfazed by the sheer power tearing through the haze.
Ash didn't relax. Not fully.
Max pulled out another vial from inside his bag. This one looked different—darker, thicker, like liquid shadow.
"I'm just gonna toss an entire dose of Nightveil Drought straight into its mouth. That should keep it down for a while."
Ash didn't answer. A knot formed in his chest, tightening as he watched the worm. Something in the way it moved—wild, but not blind—made his skin crawl.
"Wait, I don't think it's working. I think—"
He stopped, eyes narrowing. The worm's body shifted again, sharper now, more focused.
"I think it's somehow resisting it."
Max kept walking.
"Yeah, obviously."
Ash blinked.
"What?"
Max sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"Think about it. The old man's been dosing this thing with Nightveil Drought for years. You really think it wouldn't develop a resistance?"
He glanced at the beast, eyes unreadable.
"This is why Tier 5 and higher are so dangerous."
Ash's jaw tightened.
"So, you've got something stronger?"
Max didn't answer right away. He stared at the worm, unmoving now, waiting for a window to strike.
The creature thrashed again, its tail smashing into what was left of a collapsed shelter. Debris scattered. Its body twisted in the mist, no longer charging—just destroying.
Max let out a breath.
"Something like that."
The worm reared back. Its jaw opened wide.
Max didn't hesitate. He threw the vial. The arc was clean. The glass vanished between rows of teeth just before the mouth slammed shut.
What followed was chaos.
The worm shrieked—a piercing, guttural cry that split the air like shattered metal. Its body coiled tight, then flung outward, knocking down what was left of the old barricades. The fog peeled away as the creature burst through it, writhing like its skin was on fire.
It thrashed once more.
Then it dropped.
A dull thud shook the ground.
Ash stared, frozen.
"What the hell just happened?"
Max's lips pulled into a slow, grim smile.
"What do earthworms hate?"
Ash turned to Kael, who just shook his head. No answer.
Max's tone dropped.
"Worms can't survive without moisture. Dehydrate them, and they lose their strength. Might even die."
Kael's eyes lit up.
"So, what did you use?"
Max didn't answer right away. He pulled another vial from his pouch, the glass smudged from heat and dust.
"Salt."
Ash blinked.
"Salt?"
Max's grin deepened.
"Yeah. I mixed salt into the vial of Nightveil Drought. When the worm took it, it wasn't just fighting off toxins. It was battling to keep its moisture. Painful, right? It couldn't resist."
Kael rolled his shoulders and stretched.
"Well, good thing that's over."
Max's smile faded. His eyes swept the ruined street. Burnt stone. Crushed shelters. Silence thick with tension.
"Who said we're done?"
Kael stopped mid-step.
"There's more?"
Max's voice was like ice.
"We're still stuck here. If that thing wakes up, we'll be right back where we started. We'll have to do it all over again."
Ash felt the weight settle across his chest. The quiet wasn't peace—it was delay.
"Right… it's about getting out of here…"
Max was already moving.
"Yeah, let's go meet Old Man Mark. We need to figure out our next move—together."
They followed him, leaving the fallen beast behind, its still body half-buried in the sand as they made their way toward the settlers' shelter.
Ash looked back once. The worm hadn't moved. Its bulk sat like a collapsed hill, and the air hung heavy, carrying the stink of blood and sand. He kept walking. His sword stayed in hand.
The path ahead cut through shattered ground. Crushed homes. Burned-out carts. Wood splintered under their boots as they pushed forward. Ash kept his eyes moving. Every shadow could be more trouble.