They walked several kilometers before finally reaching the spot where the Earthworm’s burrow had been found.

The group hid behind a large tree, setting their things on the ground.

"I swear, if we didn’t still need this thing..." Kase glared at the ram dangling from his grip.

The animal had given him no end of trouble.

The ram did the opposite of everything he wanted. In the end, Kase gave up and just carried the beast, getting kicked several times for his trouble.

After enjoying Kase’s predicament for a moment, Colin’s focus returned to the task at hand.

He leaned against the large tree and peered ahead.

The area ahead looked unremarkable—just a peaceful corner of the forest.

Gnarled roots, a natural grove of trees, the occasional shrub... nothing about the surroundings seemed out of the ordinary.

Colin was certain that if he and Kase had come here alone, they would have charged straight in without a second thought for any threats from below.

"My sheep went missing right here. When I went looking for it, I found a huge pit with a lot of blood around it, so I ran back," Mark said haltingly. "Are you sure it’s not some kind of Demon?"

"If it were a Demon, you wouldn’t be alive right now."

With that said, Kase looked at Colin and asked, "So, should we send the ram over now?"

"Hold on." Colin looked down, tying a Hemp Rope to the top of a door. He then said to Kase, "Brace the bottom of the door with your foot, then try pulling it upright and holding it with your forearm."

The Half-Orc did as instructed and gave it a try.

With his Power, handling the door was like playing with a piece of cardboard.

"When the bug emerges, we’ll provoke it with ranged attacks. We’ll use this to block its acid. Once the Earthworm is on the Surface, we can pin it down and slowly close in for the kill.

Also, do your best to dodge the acid when it comes. This door won’t block it completely. Got it?"

The other two looked at Colin and nodded.

The group prepared themselves.

After setting down his pack, Colin took out a carrot. He found a branch, fashioned it into a pole to dangle the carrot from, and finally tied the contraption to the ram’s back.

Lured by the food, the stubborn ram began to walk forward.

But with the rope tied around its neck, the animal could only walk in place.

Having finished, Colin suddenly noticed Kase’s menacing glare.

He shrugged. "Would you believe me if I said I just thought of that?"

"No."

"Believe what you want, let’s get to work." Colin released the ram. "Stay far away from the bait. The Earthworm can perceive Surface vibrations within a twenty-meter radius. We’ll show ourselves after the ram gets taken."

Drawn by the carrot, the stubborn ram plodded steadily forward.

The poor animal, oblivious to its fate, cared only for the carrot before it.

The men stayed more than twenty meters back, following silently. The rope, also over twenty meters long, was enough for them to maintain their distance.

They continued on for several hundred meters.

Just as Colin began to wonder if they should turn back, a sudden CRASH erupted from the ground ahead. A cloud of fallen leaves flew into the air, momentarily obscuring their view of what had happened.

"Now!" Colin yelled.

Kase, already prepared, threw the door down in front of them as he and Mark both swung their catapults.

Colin was just as quick. A Flame ignited at his fingertips.

In the next instant, two stones and a fireball shot toward the source of the commotion.

With two sharp THWACKS, the stones found their mark.

The [Flaming Arrow] blazed a fiery path through the swirling dead leaves before landing a direct hit on the behemoth hidden within.

As the dust settled, the Earthworm’s form was slowly revealed.

It was a monstrous insect with a head that reached a man’s chest. It had a yellowish-brown carapace covered in barbs, and its slender body was supported by three pairs of thin, hooked legs.

Its most striking feature was its enormous, sickle-shaped mandibles. A viscous, dark green acid dripped from the gaps in its maw, kicking up wisps of white smoke as it hit the ground.

The creature’s body was smaller than that of a Winter Wolf.

But including its long, thin legs, it looked much larger.

The Earthworm’s antennae twitched. It suddenly reared its head, its multiple pairs of jaws parting to reveal a dark green channel. Bubbling acid erupted forth like scorching lava...

Kase instantly raised the door.

In that split second, Colin noticed Mark standing beside him, completely motionless. He looked petrified.

He changed direction and dove at him, tackling the Shepherd and rolling them both to safety.

A horrifying SIZZLE echoed from behind them.

He glanced back. The door they had used to block the acid had been eaten through, corroded into two pieces. The spot where they had just been standing was now a blackened patch of ground.

The sight sent a chill down Colin’s spine.

’If we hadn’t prepared for this, we would’ve been in for a world of hurt.’

"Don’t let it get away!" Kase’s voice echoed from a distance.

The burly Half-Orc grabbed a javelin and charged.

Colin quickly grabbed his Orc Short Sword and charged forward as well.

’If we let the Earthworm retreat now, all our effort will have been for nothing!’

The Earthworm, however, showed no signs of retreating. The creature twisted its head, looking all around as if searching for something.

Colin wasn’t about to waste time wondering why.

He rushed forward and swung his sword at one of the creature’s thin legs.

The impact jarred his palm, making it feel as if he’d struck solid rock. The blow only managed to put a hairline crack in the tough shell.

’What in the world is this thing’s carapace made of...’ Colin thought.

The Earthworm didn’t react to the hit at all.

Its massive head whipped toward Colin, huge mandibles snapping shut as it lunged.

Colin ducked low.

A sharp KLAK sounded above him, followed by a rush of air over his head.

Seeing the creature’s underbelly exposed before him, Colin ignored the risk and thrust his sword upward.

A mucus, thick as snot, gushed from the wound.

A black shadow suddenly flashed before his eyes. The same thin leg he had just struck slammed down in front of him.

Before Colin could react, the leg kicked out, sending him flying. He tumbled several times across the ground.

Having been sent flying more than a few times on his previous adventures, Colin managed to land and stabilize himself.

’I hope I’m not injured.’

He looked down and saw a small puncture on his Leather Armor chest guard; the remaining force had been absorbed by the Cotton Armor Liner.

’Deciding to learn how to use Armor was definitely the right call,’ Colin thought. ’I just wonder how much it’ll cost to repair this Leather Armor...’

He saw Kase was still locked in combat with the Earthworm on the other side.

Colin scrambled to his feet and charged forward again.