"Commander, it's just ahead." The scout who had returned from reconnaissance reported in a low voice.
Derrick raised a hand, ordering the troops to halt. He signaled the artillery to conceal themselves where they were and the Musketeers to take the high ground and stand guard.
They lay prone behind a rocky ridge, their telescopes trained on the valley ahead.
At first, everything was still. The mountain wind swept across the scree slope, stirring up a faint haze of dust.
Suddenly, the ground began to tremble slightly.
The rock strata on the left heaved upward without a sound, as if a Giant Beast were writhing beneath its skin. Then the Gray-White Giant Worm burst from the earth—it slowly arched its body out of the ground. Its thirty-foot-long body was covered in chitinous scales, and its surface glistened with oily slime under the sunlight. The creature had nothing resembling a head. Its front end was a ring of serrated mouthparts, with several tentacles hanging beneath that slowly slapped the ground, as if sensing vibrations.
Derrick held his breath and fixed his telescope on the monster.
"So it really wasn't an illusion..." he muttered.
The giant worm seemed to notice the movement. Its mouthparts opened and closed slightly, producing a low-frequency hum. It did not move immediately, but slowly turned toward the Aldo Army, as if "listening" to them.
"Artillery, prepare." Derrick ordered in a deep voice. "Aim at ten o'clock. Use Demolition Shells!"
Boom! Boom!
Two cannon blasts tore through the valley. The shells traced arcs through the air and struck the giant worm's flank with pinpoint accuracy.
The explosions sent smoke billowing into the sky, while rocks flew in every direction.
Amid the flames, the giant worm's body was knocked askew. A section of its hide burst open, spilling a