Gauss's voice was nearly drowned out by the intensifying rumble.
The stone-paved road beneath their feet heaved violently like a living thing, then broke apart.
Something was awakening underground.
Gauss reacted in a flash. As he spoke, he grabbed Alya.
Power surged through his legs, carrying Alya several meters away in a leap.
In the distance, Theron reacted just as quickly, dodging almost immediately.
He wasn't at the center of the tremors, so it was relatively easy for him to get clear.
"Rumble—"
The ground where Alya had just been standing suddenly bulged upward and exploded!
Dirt, rubble, and tangled grass roots flew in every direction. A huge, pitch-black cylinder burst from the earth, bringing with it the revolting stench of rotting soil!
It was an indescribably enormous worm.
The section of its body exposed above ground alone was five or six meters long, its diameter comparable to that of a water vat.
Its body was covered in thick, dark-purple chitin armor, tough and gleaming with a metallic sheen. Viscous, dark-brown liquid seeped from between the plates, dripping onto the ground with a faint sizzling sound as it corroded the earth.
It had no visible eyes on its head, only a terrifying maw that contracted and expanded, lined with layer upon layer of circular, razor-sharp teeth. When opened, the maw could easily swallow an adult human whole.
A foul stench of pungent acid and decay wafted from inside, nearly suffocating them.
"Drilling Worm!"
Alya drew in a sharp breath, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly.
It was a burrowing magical beast that had lived underground for a long time.
According to the books, its Challenge Level was at least 3. Most fully grown specimens were level 4 or 5. One account described a Drilling Worm whose level had nearly reached ten;