He braced himself for a counterattack, but as the moments passed, there was still no sign of the beast. It seemed the creature was in no hurry to confront him, leaving Terry in an uneasy state of anticipation.

Terry’s mind raced as he considered the possible reasons behind the monster’s sudden retreat. The most logical explanation that came to him was that the creature might be waiting for its teeth to regenerate. Perhaps it was a regenerative ability that allowed the monster to regrow its vital attacking structures. Terry knew he couldn’t let the creature regain its full strength, but for now, all he could do was remain vigilant and wait for the opportune moment to strike.

With a heavy sigh, Terry resigned himself to the situation and sat down on the solid ground, his weapon by his side. He knew that patience was his best ally at this moment, and there wasn’t much he could do until the monster revealed itself again. The eerie silence of the underground world enveloped him, broken only by the occasional vibration beneath his feet, a reminder of the lurking danger that lay in wait. Terry closed his eyes, trying to conserve his energy and focus on the task at hand, knowing that the battle was far from over.

"It looks like Louis prepared this whole situation and while his words can’t be trusted, he isn’t insane enough to mess with me," Terry thought. "He won’t make me an enemy, so he won’t kill Rebecca and her siblings, so I have some time."

Terry, now fully recovered and brimming with determination, knew that it was time to execute the next step of his plan. The waiting game had given him a chance to gather his strength and strategize. He stood up, grasping his weapon firmly, and scanned the underground surroundings, ready to take the initiative and confront the formidable foe that lurked beneath the earth.

Terry realized that if the monstrous foe beneath the ground was biding its time, waiting to strike at its convenience, then he could utilize this moment to decrease the odds in the beast’s favor. He carefully assessed his surroundings, considering every possible angle of attack and potential escape routes. With his weapon at the ready, Terry was determined to make every second count.

Terry patiently bided his time for what felt like an eternity, his mind unwavering, and his senses on high alert. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he felt the telltale signs of the massive monster approaching beneath the ground. His intuition had proved correct, and he was now confident that this battle would be easier than expected – it seemed the monstrous creature was not as intelligent as he had initially feared.

As the monstrous creature lunged forward, attempting to swallow Terry whole once more, a well-planned counterattack unfolded. Swiftly, silver spears erupted from the ground, piercing the massive jaws of the creature from the inside and driving through until they nearly breached the other side. The monster let out a deafening, agonized roar, its immense body writhing in pain and frustration as it was immobilized by the unexpected assault from within.

Every single one of those silver spears was interconnected, forming an intricate lattice of death within the beast’s monstrous maw. Terry’s control over his powers was nothing short of masterful, and these spears materialized almost instantaneously, their placement flawless. This meant that the creature couldn’t simply dive back into the earth to escape the pain, as the spears barred its way down. The overlord, now immobilized and writhing in excruciating agony, was left with no escape from Terry’s cleverly executed strategy.

"As expected, if I use enough mana, I can make earth as hard as steel, or perhaps this is something even harder," Terry thought when he got up. "I don’t have any more time to waste with you."

With a swift and agile jump, Terry distanced himself from the spears just as he willed them to spin. The effect was catastrophic. The whirling, razor-sharp spears carved through the inside of the beast’s mouth and head like a relentless storm. The overlord, unable to escape or endure the searing pain any longer, met its demise as the spears shredded it from the inside out.

The aftermath of Terry’s attack was gruesome. The once menacing overlord’s mouth now spewed forth a torrent of dark, viscous blood, turning the ground into a nightmarish sea of crimson. The exterior of the creature remained largely undamaged, but the interior was an absolute mess.

"Now then... how should I use this?" Terry thought.

Terry couldn’t help but wonder if the ability to swim underground was some unique trait of this particular monster. However, the incredibly tough diamond-like scales that covered the beast’s body seemed to contradict that notion. It was clear that there was more to this creature’s abilities than met the eye.

As Terry pondered the mysteries of the monstrous adversary he had just defeated, he set to work methodically skinning the creature for its valuable hide and diamond-like scales. Despite the distant appearance of another portal, he remained focused on his task, determined to make the most of this rare opportunity in the unknown world he now found himself in.

"Can you please hurry up?" Louis’ voice echoed in the area. "The audience will feel bored if nothing happens."

"Fuck you and your audience," Terry said.

As Terry continued his work, carefully removing the hide and scales from the massive defeated creature, his mind wandered to the enigmatic Louis and the strange circumstances surrounding his recent encounters. He couldn’t help but wonder if someone was watching him, manipulating events from the shadows.

As Terry continued his work on the fallen overlord’s remains, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched. Suddenly, a sense of impending danger washed over him, and before he could react, the very fabric of gravity around him began to shift. The portal, previously dormant in the distance, came to life with a malevolent pull, threatening to drag Terry away against his will. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"Ah, you mess up..." Louis said and then sighed. "It would have been better for you if you hadn’t said such a thing."

With the portal’s force growing stronger by the moment, Terry worked frantically to dismantle the fallen overlord’s body. Every second counted, and the pull of the portal intensified, making it increasingly difficult to maintain his grip on the massive form. The struggle was exhausting, but Terry was determined to finish what he started and collect valuable materials from the fallen enemy before being drawn into the unknown.

Despite his best efforts, Terry could only manage to salvage a small portion of the overlord’s hide and scales before the portal’s irresistible force enveloped him. With a final, determined glance back at the unknown battlefield, he was whisked away, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions and the remnants of his formidable adversary.

Terry landed in an entirely unfamiliar environment. The sky above him was a disconcerting shade of brown, casting an eerie pall over the landscape. Surrounding him, as far as the eye could see, stretched an endless sea of golden sand dunes. This was a desolate, barren place, devoid of any discernible features or signs of life. Terry couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease as he scanned his surroundings.

As Terry’s gaze swept across the vast desert landscape, his eyes widened in astonishment as he noticed a series of colossal shapes partially buried in the sand. These shapes, looming like ancient titans beneath the golden dunes, resembled gigantic spaceships, their hulls battered and weathered by the sands of time.

The spaceships were enormous, easily hundreds of meters in length, with sleek, aerodynamic designs that suggested advanced technology. Yet, here they lay, forsaken and abandoned in the desolation of the desert. The sheer size and number of these unearthly vessels left Terry in awe, and he couldn’t help but wonder about the events that had transpired in this enigmatic world.

Round, triangular, long like tubes... the shapes varied a lot, so Terry imagined that they came from different civilizations.

Faced with limited resources, Terry decided to make the most of what he had. He used the hide and scales of the fallen monster to craft gear, but he knew that creating armor that could level up like his weapons wasn’t possible with the materials at hand. Instead, he decided to fashion spiked bracers, focusing on enhancing his offense and close combat capabilities.

With careful craftsmanship, he connected the monster’s hide and scales to sturdy iron pieces he created using his mana. The result was a pair of formidable spiked bracers that not only provided protection for his arms but also offered an offensive edge. These spiked bracers would allow Terry to deliver punishing blows in hand-to-hand combat while still affording him some degree of protection.

Although it wasn’t a complete set of armor, Terry knew that every piece of gear counted in a world filled with unknown threats. With his new spiked bracers secured, he felt a renewed sense of readiness to face the challenges that lay ahead in this enigmatic desert realm.