NPC Code: Red Riding Hood

However, like in any other situation, the two of them faced another problem. The worm burrowed from the ground, creating fissures and earthquakes around the crater. It almost felt that the tunnel would bury us alive when the worm tried sliding behind the walls.

"Get back, and stay close behind me!" Wolf shouted at Match.

The little girl followed his lead and went away from the battlefield. However, before she could even do anything else, the ground shook some more, disrupting the balance of Match.

I tried dashing straight in her direction, but the stone hurled towards the two unconscious bodies kept me at bay. I could leave this pair right now, but I knew it was not the right thing to do.

But if I let this slide, the worm would crush Match's body in front of me.

My train of thought got disrupted with a howl coming from the side. When I glanced at the flank, Wolf's figure greeted my eyes, with his voice echoing throughout the tunnel. After a few seconds, he leapt from the ground and charged straight towards Match.

Just before that worm could get Match's thighs, Wolf snatched her body and carried her to a safer place. The worm ate nothing but thin air when it sprawled out from the ground, revealing its gigantic body on the surface.

Wolf continued sprinting towards me and placed Match in front of my face. After resting the little girl behind the stone, Wolf knelt on the ground and gasped for all the air he could breathe.

"A-As... promise….. Match…. is alive," Wolf whispered, before closing his eyes.

I caught his body leaning forward while I placed him beside Ryoshi. Wolf also became unconscious after saving Match. He used his remaining ounce of energy to deliver Match to me before the worm could get her body.

Match also fell asleep after arriving at my fore. There was no point in waking her up, considering the mana she used to fight the creeping creature.

Despite the losing battle, Match suffered no injuries. The only wound that I could find on her skin was when she slid across the ground to avoid the worm's attacks.

After placing the two on the ground, I glared at the worm, looking for another prey. As soon as it noticed my presence, the crawling monster came right at me with intense speed.

My right eye glowed more intensely than before, granting me more powers. It was as if it noticed the stakes of our situation against this feral worm. The mana circled inside my veins, refreshing all my tired tissues into new cells once again. 

How could I retreat when I absorbed all these new powers right now? There was no way I could leave Match and everyone behind, especially Snow White. I needed her for the boat that Draven promised me. If Snow White would die because of me, that boat would become a pipe dream...

I knew our chances had gotten slim, especially when most of my team members got knocked out from the fight. And the only person standing against the worm was me.

"How could I defeat the worm when none of my team can?"

It was the only question running inside my mind as I stood against the charging worm.

Instead of running away, I ran straight at the worm and revealed my penitent's dagger. It was the only weapon that I had against a ferocious monster like this worm. I did not have any overpowered weapons or skills that Match and Wolf possessed.

But if there was one thing that got me proud was my immense speed in combat. I could even say that my quick feet were comparable to Wolf's current abilities. I could even swift strike my enemies before they could even notice me.

However, the dreadful scene came to light in front of me. That thought immediately challenged me when rocks came showering in my direction. Behind me were those unconscious people hiding from the worm. If those stones reached those bodies, all my team members would die. And I could not juse side step my way and elude those rocks. 

But that did not stop me from making my move.

I took a long jump and twirled behind. As soon as I met my eyes at the stone, I used the gun I stole from the soldier and used it as my weapon.

The gun was the only weapon that I could from this range, since my dagger could only reach around a point blank height. That thought went inside my brain in a spur, giving me another chance to destroy the rocks while pushing forward to the worm.

The firearm I stole cost me nothing but taking down some soldiers along the way. And that gun still worked even after stealing it from the soldiers. Although the instructions felt different to me, I mimicked the soldier's movements and pulled the trigger from my gun.

A bullet emerged from the barrel and raced towards the stones hurled in my direction. Those rocks exploded before they could even hit me or the people behind me. I finally realised that this weapon packed up a punch, and could even bring down the toughest enemies I encountered throughout my journey.

But right now, my penitent's dagger was the only weapon I trust. No matter how good the gun was for this situation, the dagger still dealt more damage to anything I touched. It was as if this weapon was really meant for me. 

I did not use the bow because it was an excessively long way to fire the bolts towards my target. I had to pull the strings and aim the dart at the stones. The gun also did the same as the bow could in a quicker fashion.

But that line of thought did not matter right now as I focused my attacks at the raging stones while making my way towards the worm.

Dozens of rocks exploded within seconds every time I unleashed my bullets. But I doubted that these shells would hurt the worm's thick skin. However, that story might change when I would use this gun to eliminate the three remaining hearts.

And that was what I did.

I charged forward and looked for a hole from the worm. Beyond those cracked skin would be the heart hiding from plain sight! 

After a few moments of running around the worm, my eyes caught sight upon the hole. As I frowned my eyes, my target became crystal in my view. 

I aimed my gun at the heart and prayed to hit it with my bullet. Although I would love to use my penitent's dagger to eliminate the worm, the gun proved to be a superior weapon, after all. And since I wished to destroy the incoming stones from my team members, using the firearm would be the wiser choice than the dagger.

Within half a minute, I pulled the trigger and called my shot. A blaring sound fired from my gun, discharging the ultimate bullet infused with my arcane. Considering my target, I needed to imbue more arcane than usual to inflict deadlier damage to the worm. 

If I wanted to finish the job, I would pour everything I had in this weapon.

As the bullet landed on the beast, the worm screamed an agonistic wail. That painful screech told me that the bullet was an effective weapon to stop the mammoth-sized worm. 

But that did not end my mission. I wasted no time and circled around the worm, looking for the remaining two hearts hidden inside the monster. If I destroyed those pairs of hearts, the worm would die with it. It was what Wolf explained to me before he recruited Match to this battle.

My luck finally paid off as my eyes witnessed another hole in front of me. That tiny crevice welcomed my sight, with my gun already waving at the worm's insides. It almost felt like the worm begged for me to hit it with my bullets.

I reloaded my gun and fired another bullet right away at my target. The shell I released flew through the hole and hit the crimson organ. Within a few seconds, blood from the monster exploded everywhere, leaving me drench with monster mucus.

But I kept my guard up and turned around, smashing every stone that hovered behind me. It was a never ending fight between me and the worms, with all those rocks added in the picture.

"One down, one to go," I murmured to myself while staring at the worm.

It was my final battle against this creature. Now that I got the upperhand, the beasts had no other choice but to leave us alone.

But that thought never happened. The worm was at its wit's end and tried taking me with it to the grave. That monster violently wriggled, hoping to destroy the entire tunnel along our bodies! 

Before I could even react, Wolf's image entered my vision, with the rest of the people on his back. 

He gave me the girl and snapped me back to reality. "What are you spacing out for?! Carry Match, and let's get the hell out of here?!"