Chapter 1558: Worm

Erend kept running, dragging his weakened legs across the black sand while his injured body struggled to keep up with his mind.

Every step sent pain through his wounds, and his muscles barely obeyed him anymore. Exhaustion clouded his thoughts, but he continued toward his family and friends without slowing down.

He knew they were most likely not real. He knew the Trial had created them to manipulate him, and he understood that the Trial had amplified every emotion inside him.

Still, none of that mattered anymore. Whenever the people he cared about faced danger, his first instinct had always been to act. He could think about everything else later. Right now, he only knew that they stood in danger and that he had to save them.

The giant worm suddenly opened its massive mouth and released a horrifying scream. The sound rose to an unnaturally high pitch that seemed completely wrong for such a gigantic creature.

Erend flinched when the sound struck his ears. He felt something strange within the sound, almost as if the creature had infused its scream with Magic. The sensation rattled his senses and made his body tense for a brief moment.

Erend raised his head and stared at the worm with a hardened gaze.

He had to fight. He had already given up trying to argue with the logical part of his mind. He only needed to save his family and friends.

Perhaps that was exactly what the Trial wanted from him. Perhaps it wanted him to abandon reason and surrender to the emotions it had amplified.

Erend no longer cared. Whether the people standing behind the monster were real or not did not matter. He would protect them because that instinct had always been a part of him. And it was most likely what the Trial wanted anyway.

Magic energy gathered around Erend’s body. Flames wrapped around his arms and shoulders, streaks of lightning crawled across his scales and skin. The two elements intertwined around him as he gathered his remaining strength.

But Erend knew how little power he had left. His reserves had barely recovered from the battle against the zombie warriors only moments ago. His body was still exhausted and wounded while the Trial still suppressed his Dragonborn strength to less than half.

Now he had to fight something so big with only a fraction of his normal power.

"How am I supposed to do this?"

The task seemed impossible. Anger began rising inside Erend’s chest as he thought about the Trial.

It had already pushed him to his limits, and now it had placed another enemy in front of him that seemed far beyond what his weakened body could handle.

Erend felt certain that if he failed, the Trial would force him to watch something terrible happen to the people he cared about. The thought made his blood boil.

He pushed the thought aside so it did not distract him.

Erend charged forward with everything he had left and released a furious shout. Fire engulfed his body as he accelerated across the black sand.

He refused to wait for the creature to attack first. He would take the initiative and force the battle onto his terms.

The giant worm opened all three of its mouths at once. Each maw revealed rows of jagged triangular teeth before the creature lunged toward Erend.

Its enormous body surged across the black sand with surprising speed and sent waves of dark grains into the air.

Erend ignored the idea of using ranged attacks. With his power reduced this severely, he doubted that his fire or lightning Magic would cause enough damage from a distance.

He needed to put his remaining strength directly into every attack. Close combat offered his best chance. He could get close to the creature and deliver his strongest blows against its body.

The two finally met.

The giant worm slithered on the black sand as it tried to catch Erend. The impact launched a violent wave of sand into the air and briefly covered the battlefield, but the creature did not stop.

It continued sliding forward while its three mouths snapped toward Erend.

Erend waited for the right moment. Then he jumped.

The worm’s enormous body slid beneath him. Erend cleared its open mouths and landed directly on its back.

He immediately drove both fists into its body with all the strength he could gather.

His flaming fists slammed into the creature’s dark brown hide.

BOOM!

The impact tore through its outer skin and created deep wounds beneath his fists. Fire spread rapidly across the damaged flesh and burned deeper into the creature’s body. Lightning followed the flames and surged through the wounds. The worm convulsed violently and released a shrill scream from all three mouths.

The creature twisted its enormous head backward and snapped its jaws toward Erend.

Erend reacted instantly, jumped away and rolled forward across the worm’s body as its three mouths slammed shut behind him.

Rows of jagged teeth crashed together where he had stood only a moment earlier. The impact sent a violent vibration through the creature’s body, but Erend had already escaped.

He immediately recognized the result of his attack. He had damaged it.

Erend now knows that the creature did not have the overwhelming defenses its size suggested. Its dark hide could burn. His fists could break through it. His Magic could penetrate its wounds. Even with his power reduced, he could still hurt the monster if he concentrated his strength properly.

Erend did not waste another second. He remained on the creature’s back and attacked again.

He drove his flaming fists into its body one after another. Each punch tore another wound through its dark brown hide. Fire spread across the damaged flesh while lightning surged through his fists and inside the creature’s body.

The worm writhed beneath him and twisted its enormous body in an attempt to throw him off, but Erend adjusted his footing and stayed on its back.

Whenever the creature rolled to one side, Erend moved with it. Whenever it tried to slam its body against the ground, he jumped and landed again before it could recover.

The worm’s skin began to split beneath Erend’s relentless assault. Cracks spread from every impact, burned flesh peeled away around the wounds.

Dark blood poured from its injuries and ran down its sides before soaking into the black sand.

The creature screamed continuously as Erend hammered it from above. Its three mouths opened and closed in desperation while its massive human-like arms clawed uselessly at its own back.

Erend kept attacking despite the pain spreading through his fists. His wounds continued bleeding, and his breathing became increasingly ragged. His attacks he sent consumed more of his already depleted reserves, yet he refused to stop.

The creature’s growing wounds gave him something he desperately needed. The hope that the monster could be hurt by him.

But his hope didn’t last long. From the wounds, smaller worms of the same repulsing form emerged.

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