One moment, Leo was standing in front of Lily, and the next, he found himself alone in a forest, surrounded by towering trees and dense vegetation. It seemed that the Spatial Mage had teleported all the applicants flawlessly.

He recalled Brant's words — that people would be targeting him — so the moment he arrived, he heightened his senses to the maximum, scanning every inch of his surroundings for even the faintest abnormality.

He had already donned the High Blue-tier chestplate given by Brant and steadied the dagger in one hand as his gaze swept around. Everywhere he looked, there were trees of varying sizes, their roots twisting through thick undergrowth and vines. The air was damp, heavy with the scent of soil and moss. He tried to sense any movement, unwilling to be caught off guard.

Then he heard it — a faint sound, almost like scratching beneath the earth. It grew louder and clearer until he realized what it was: the sound of something burrowing.

A faint vibration rippled through the ground beneath his boots. His instincts screamed. Without hesitation, Leo bent his knees and launched himself upward, soaring nearly ten meters high with the aid of his boosted stats.

And then he saw it.

The earth below split open like a wound, and something monstrous surged out of the soil. When Leo finally caught sight of it, he silently thanked himself for jumping at the first sign of danger — because what emerged was a living nightmare.

Even though only half its body was visible, he could already tell what it was. A worm — but not the kind found wriggling harmlessly in mud. This thing was massive, its body as thick as a tree trunk, with a segmented form that twisted and pulsed grotesquely as it climbed out of the earth. Its mouth was a cylindrical maw lined with razor-sharp teeth that spun in irregular, jerking rotations like a deranged grinder. Four long, nail-like fangs jutted from four distinct points along its circular mouth. There were no eyes, no nose — just a living, flesh-colored machine built purely to devour.

[12-Segmented Soil Worm (Peak 2-Star) – Mortal Bloodline]

"Fuckers actually sent me directly against Peak 2-Star monsters. Fuck them all," Leo cursed under his breath.

He was still midair when he took in the entire scene. If he didn't act fast, he'd fall straight into that spinning death trap. The worm's maw was already lunging toward him. His mind raced, processing options at the speed only his 66 points of Intelligence could manage.

[Vine Estranglement]!

He activated the skill, and instantly, a thick vine burst from a nearby tree, coiling toward him. He caught it mid-air, magic surging through his veins as the vine tightened and swung him toward the nearest trunk. The world spun in a blur of green and brown as he landed hard against rough bark, narrowly escaping the deadly maw.

But the Soil Worm didn't stop. Its massive form twisted with surprising agility, redirecting its advance toward Leo in a deadly arc. The soil cracked and exploded behind it as it burrowed and resurfaced like a subterranean missile.

"Fuck!" Leo hissed.

The moment his boots hit the tree bark, he kicked off again, launching himself toward another trunk. The worm's mouth tore through where he had been a second ago. The impact was brutal — the tree exploded into splinters as part of its trunk vanished into the creature's grinding maw. The crunch of wood and the grinding of teeth echoed through the forest like metal being chewed apart.

Leo landed on another branch, breathing hard. By now, seven of the worm's twelve segments had surfaced — and that alone made it nearly twenty meters long, each segment averaging around three meters. The rest of its bulk still squirmed underground, pushing forward relentlessly.

Its body was soft and fleshy, yet Leo could see that it wasn't something easily cut through. Beneath that glistening skin, the muscle fibres flexed and rippled like coiled steel.

He gritted his teeth.This wasn't going to be easy.

He took advantage of the brief confusion caused by the falling tree. With a burst of speed, Leo lunged forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. His dagger gleamed as he activated his skill—

[Critical Strike]!

The world seemed to slow for a split second. Power surged through his body, amplifying his damage by sixfold. The blade flashed and buried itself deep into the middle segment of the worm's body.

The creature let out a guttural screech that rattled the air.

Screeeee!

Dark, dirty-red blood burst from the wound, hot and thick, splattering across Leo's arm and chestplate. The dagger sank deep, slicing through flesh that felt like wet hide wrapped around pulsing muscle. But before he could twist or rip the wound wider—

Screeeee!

—the worm turned violently. Its grinder maw, which Leo now realized was one of its mouths, pivoted downward and bit into the ground. The soil churned and collapsed as the creature began to burrow, its enormous body forming a grotesque U-shape above the surface.

Leo's dagger was still lodged deep in the segment, and before he could react, he was yanked forward, dragged with the beast as it dove into the dirt. His body slammed against the ground, the force jolting his bones. Just as he was about to be pulled under, he crouched, planting his boots hard and summoning all the strength in his legs. With a grunt, he ripped the dagger free and launched himself backward in a burst of motion.

He barely had time to land before the ground ahead exploded open again—

—and the other end of the worm emerged.

It also had a grinder maw.

"It has two fucking mouths!" Leo barked, incredulous and breathless.

Without hesitation, he dashed aside, the worm's second mouth tearing through the ground where he had stood. Chunks of dirt and shattered roots flew everywhere. Then, amid the chaos, an idea flickered in his mind.

He raised his glowing green hand.

[Spike Pores]!

Fine, nearly invisible spores shimmered into the air like faint dust motes, spreading outward with the wind. The air tinged with the scent of sap and iron. As expected, some of it was sucked directly into the worm's gaping maw.

pich! pich! pich! pich! pich!

A rapid series of wet, piercing noises erupted from within the creature's massive body. The worm convulsed violently, and gouts of dark blood erupted from its mouth, splattering the soil in steaming rivulets.

But pain only seemed to enrage it. Its grinder teeth spun faster, shrieking as they clashed against each other, the vibrations making Leo's ears ring. The beast lashed out, thrashing in fury as if daring him to come closer.

Leo didn't stop. He kept moving—dodging between trees, leaping over roots—releasing another wave of spores every few seconds. But each cast tore into his reserves, draining a brutal 400 mana units per use. He used it five times in quick succession, and his breath started to grow ragged.

By now, the worm's body was riddled with holes that oozed and bled profusely, the spikes already dissolving into mist. Leo's sharp eyes caught one segment near the second mouth that looked weakened, the flesh splitting open from repeated internal piercings.

He seized the moment as the worm reared back, screeching in agony.

[Critical Strike]!

He dashed forward, dagger flashing.

Slash!

The blade cut clean across the damaged segment, slicing through with terrifying precision. He spun on instinct, reversing his grip, and struck the opposite side.

Slash!

Screeeee!

The segment split apart, the severed portion—four massive segments—crashing down and thrashing wildly before falling still. Blood poured out in torrents, soaking the ground in a crimson river.

Leo watched, panting, as the mutilated half finally stopped moving. But the rest of the creature wasn't done. The remaining body twisted and began to burrow again, trying to disappear into the soil, preparing for yet another attack.

Leo's eyes narrowed.This damn thing just wouldn't die.

"You want to play, right? Then come!" Leo shouted, voice cutting through the blood-soaked air.

Two figures materialized beside him in an instant.

Shyra appeared first—its form sleek and feral, eyes glinting with predatory light. Without hesitation, it activated [Stealth], its silhouette dissolving into the surroundings until only a faint shimmer of distorted air hinted at its presence.

Niri hovered close to Leo, rhythmic pulses of yellow-green light, awaiting his command.

The ground began to tremble again—low at first, then rapidly building into a quake that shook the trees around them. Leo didn't wait. He bent his knees and jumped, launching himself high into the air, Niri rising gracefully beside him.

A split second later, the earth exploded open beneath them.

The worm's enormous maw shot upward with terrifying speed—faster than his ascent. The creature was desperate, pouring all its remaining strength into one final lunge. The roar of grinding teeth filled the air, a wet metallic shriek that made Leo's skin crawl.

The Soil Worm's massive body tore through the surface, gushing blood as it came. The thick, dark fluid painted the ground red, splattering the nearby trees with viscous streaks. Its deathly maw opened wide, eager to consume anything that moved.

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