The Apprentice of Ouroboros [Monster Evo LitRPG Adventure]

Okay. I didn’t think of that one. How did I not think of that one?

Logically, Neska would have been correct to think that an Inferno Worm would, under normal circumstances, not be a denizen of these caverns. They weren’t in a geologically active region like an active volcano, not that she could tell from the immediate vicinity. Nor were they in a wide-open environment where lava and ash could pool in sufficient quantities for them to burrow effortlessly.

But the flaw in her assumption was that this area used to be geologically active; therefore, some specimens might still be nearby, lurking near any residual steam vents or lava pools for warmth.

So when the creature leaped out of the ground, a twenty-foot-long worm with a mouth filled with teeth and currently emitting steam from its body, she initially dismissed it as impossible.

Her aim was too slow. There was no way she was knocking the thing out with even a fully charged mana bolt, and Jurik yanked the dwarf back. He pulled out his shield, bit his thumb, and then smeared the blood over his light shield, which caused it to catch fire immediately.

The ability likely saved his and Durim’s lives. The worm smashed into the [Firebreak] shield, recoiled, and tumbled to the ground, hissing and snarling. The impact sent Jurik tumbling, but in a controlled manner; within a second he was upright and defending again

Meanwhile, Neska quickly unswallowed a goblin boomstick, ignited it with her [Ember Hex], and flung it at the creature.

The creature whirled its head and two small abyss-black eyes sitting on stalks locked onto her. It spat a blast of fire that detonated the explosive prematurely.

Neska threw up her [Mana Barrier] to protect herself on instinct, shielding herself and Trevor from the blast of gases and shrapnel. Pieces of red-hot nails were embedded in the brickwork where they had been hiding.

She stared at the debris. Had these goblins put shrapnel in their explosives, too? Nasty. It fit in line with the rest of their weapons and tactics, overall. She’d congratulate them if they weren’t all already dead, either at her hands or her friends', or a bad case of friendly fire, as was often the case.

Neska fired a fully charged [Mana Bolt] from both hands, and one from her tail, striking the creature three times. Her tail bolt landed a staggering blow after the two smaller blasts disrupted it. She didn’t bother with [Venom Bolts] on this one. Given its fire and probable geomancy affinities, it would be either resistant or immune to poisons, venoms, and toxins.

Great. There went one of her primary powers. Fortunately, she wasn't out of options; there were various mushrooms growing, which meant there were mycelium strands to call upon.

“Neska, hold it in place with roots! Everyone, keep your distance! One steam burst will cook you alive!” Jurik warned.

She was already a step ahead of him, locked focus on the mushroom Hadley was balanced on. Their scout was already firing bright blue magical arrows at the creature, only for them to ping off its rough-hewn carapace. Whatever this worm was, it resisted significant damage, and it shot out another hissing blast of steam, barely missing them as they sprang to the side.

She liked warmth, but this was scalding. Trevor was spared the worst of it as her body blocked it, though he shouted in pain. She reached out to the mushrooms. spreading the mycelium strands and trying to wrap around the worm.

It sensed the approach almost immediately, emitting a cloud of incendiary particles around its body that shrivelled the delicate white threads before they could fully envelop it. “Not working! We need more heat-resistant roots! she shouted out.

Damn it. She should have reconvened with Brienne days ago to catch up with her and get more genesis seeds! This was exposing a dangerous gap in her offensive powers–she’d become so accustomed to the roots and vines always being effective as her first power choice that she hadn’t considered what her backup plan would be if the local vegetation was non-existent or weakened. This thing was also reacting to her strategy, and her bombs were exploding before they could get close enough to detonate, too. And venoms, too!

The worst insult was that it was another snake-like thing that might be the death of her. That irony would not stand!

She dodged past a blast of steam with Trevor in tow, now using his magical barrier to stave off the worst of it. Most of the projectiles bounced off the worm’s armored carapace like stone mail armor. In fact, that would be the closest approximation she had for this creature’s hide. The stone insulated and pressurized its body within!

Which led her to believe that cracking the carapace might be the solution they needed, but how to get to it, she was still working on. “Jurik, anytime you feel like offering some sagacious advice?! The sooner the better!”

“I’ve only fought one of these once! They’re dangerous enough that the Varadur don’t bother chasing them down to convert!”

“A monster so dangerous that even the invaders don't want to touch it. If only we could weaponize it.” She still had her pet grubby sitting in a larger enclosed container, slowly growing larger, but fed more benign and less gross things. Grubby was yet one more of her tests.

This rude worm in front of her, though, wouldn't fit in a jar. She'd settle for taking its carapace as compensation for risking her life fighting it.

She switched tactics and fired off one of her newer hexes. “Your fortune: bad luck, wriggly thing I used to eat smaller versions of!” she shouted as she cast [Bad Luck Hex] on the creature.

No immediate impact. “Trevor, take a blessing!”

“I'm already praying to the divines we find a way to get out of this!” His protest did not affect her [Good Luck Hex], and he shook his head as if flies were buzzing around him. “Uh, okay, let's try again!”

Trevor fired his own [Arcane Bolts] at the creature, a power similar to her own. While it didn't have the same versatility, it still hit with significant force.

It also did almost nothing to the rocky carapace. On closer inspection, Neska saw the impacts chipped off bits of its shell. Maybe they could chip damage the armor or find a greater vulnerability. “Jurik, what is its shell composed of?!” Neska shouted out.

“Whatever native rock it ate and processed! Why?”

Neska looked around at their surroundings, then at the worm. She had a theory based on the dripping water and presence of natural caverns. If this thing ate any limestone or anything with carbonates in its composition…

“Hadley, Jurik, switch up! Hit it with acid arrows!” She reached for a small vial and put one of her fangs in, suctioning up the clear fluid.

It burned, all the way up. It burned worse than the actual pyrophoric alchemical solution she'd used to make her incendiary infusion. Most people would tell her, 'drinking acid through your fangs sounds like a terrible idea.' They'd usually be right.

She wasn't going to be biting this on to death; that was for sure. But it would enhance her venom glands and other powers, and she grimaced as she tried to fight through the pain while shouting out instructions. “Juni, use your powers to confirm what minerals are nearby!”

“One second!” She grabbed a small pebble, crunching down as if it were no more than a child's sugar candy. “Calcium, carbonates, quartz…wait… lime?”

Juni’s eyes brightened, grabbing vials from her belt. “Everyone, follow Neska's lead! Its shell is composed of the local materials that include lime and other minerals vulnerable to acid attacks!”

Now that they had a plan of attack, everyone switched to specialized ammunition. While Neska’s own [Blinding Venom] contained an acidic component, it was not nearly as strong as the alchemical infusions she could get from her potion-making.

She’d figured out a plan now that all the pieces were in place. The only way this worm was going down was with a combination of tactics. The hard outer shell was too tough for their conventional weapons and magical abilities to penetrate. Even Syra’s hydro cutter was barely chipping away, and she wondered if her bad luck hex was opening it to greater damage potential.

She’d have to try a different tactic and wear this thing down a bit at a time. She used a [Spring scales] powered leap, positioning herself next to the creature’s flank as it swerved its head, searching for new targets.

She shot out a stream of her enhanced venom, hitting the creature on one of its exposed stone segments. To her satisfaction, the acid began eating, bubbling and boiling, with material outgassing as it reacted with the worm's stone shell.

The creature didn't even notice until a few seconds later, while Neska spat out a second stream of her enhanced acidic venom. She was still slightly nauseous from the alchemical application–a sign that she was trying to absorb too powerful a substance, and her Endurance increases were likely staving off worse effects. This mix was stronger than the one she used previously; she might need to tone it down so she didn't burn a hole right through her venom glands.

When the creature finally noticed the liquid eating right into its softer flesh, it screeched and tumbled. It violently rolled in the dirt, forcing Neska to spring away with her [Coiled Strike] ability, leaping to safety a few feet away. Everyone else's grenades splashed, though a few missed, hissing and bubbling on the rocky ground rather than the creature's carapace.

She continued firing mana bolt arrows at the exposed, weaker rock, but they still bounced off at a firm underlayer of thinner stone segments. Bits of rock chipped off to her satisfaction, and the impact preceded several cracking sounds, as this layer seemed more vulnerable. Flexibility and maneuvering for the creature when it traveled underground, maybe?

She directed her team to fire at the same spot. The worm was now focused on her, spitting blasts of flame that she juked away from using her [Spring Scales], leaping through the air while firing arrows.

In hindsight, this really wasn't an optimized firing position. If she was going to take this kind of risky maneuver at close range, she either needed to get comfortable with close-quarters fighting with her bow, or stick to her mana bolts and closer-range projectiles like daggers or darts. The sheer frenetic dodging of the creatures' lashing body and ducking past the flames made it difficult to aim. Luckily, her target was so close, and so large, that she didn't need to aim with high precision.

More arrows found their mark, thanks to Jurik and Hadley's impeccable aim. The creature lunged towards Neska as it opened its maw like flower petals into three separate hinged pieces lined with teeth. A writhing tongue lashed out, dripping an ominous smoky yellow fluid that left the ground sizzling and bubbling.

Wait for it. She fired [Mana Bolts] at the creature as it charged forward, matching its frenetic pace with well-timed [Spring Scale] leaps backward, luring it closer to the river. Either she could drown this thing by having it try to give chase, or maybe their friend in the depths would love an appetizing treat of a worm without any hooks attached.

Wait for it…

The creature screeched as it lunged, the tripoint jaw missing her snout by inches as she triggered her [Witched Molt], which put her directly behind the creature, followed immediately by a piercing cackle that boomed through the cavern.

She drew her bow, drawing a venom-dipped arrow suited for the job. She let out a quick breath as she channeled mana through her core her fingertips, wrapping around the arrow in a spiraling pattern that drew tight. As the streams of mana converged, they grew brighter, the projectile humming with power.

The worm, temporarily disoriented by the sound, had smashed into one of the bridge's mooring pillars. It swerved its head, looking for her as the powerful projectile hit. The acidic arrow detonated in a spray of mana sparks and bubbling acid that sizzled and ate away at the carapace.

Neska would offer a shout of excitement, but she knew better than that. This creature was still up and fighting.

“Damn my ears! Why does your laugh always make me go deaf?!” Brent howled, wincing as he kept up fire with his own bow. Except instead of just arrows, he was firing projectiles infused with his sonic ability; the arrows made sharp cracks through the air, striking through the carapace and driving a deep wound into its body. The creature screeched, shaking its head again from the overwhelming boom still echoing through the cavern.

The water in the river splashed and heaved upward as the entire cavern quaked. She glanced upward and felt a trickle of dread seep in as dust drifted down from the cavern ceiling. She hoped Brent didn't trigger a cave-in with his ability alone. Where had he been hiding that power?

The worm smashed through the walls of the building everyone was perched on. Professor Durim chucked his axe at the beast, hitting it squarely in the compromised area and shattering it. Molten blood began oozing out of the wound, and the creature shrieked.

“Recall!” he boomed out. The axe, embedded in the creature’s back, tore loose and spun back to his hand, handle landing in his palm, and he braced against the force. “Yeah, damn hungry beast! We got the high ground!”

Somewhere, in her previously human life, the phrase ‘famous last words’ reverberated in Neska’s head, even as she shot more acidic mana arrows at the creature, cracking and dissolving the carapace. It was working, ever so slowly!

Until the creature knocked out another wall and then dug under the structure, shifting silt and rock as though it were made of nothing but loosely packed dirt. Juni’s whiskers went right on end, and she pointed down. “It’s below us! It can’t reach us, but it knows where we are!”

Jurik and Hadley glanced at each other, and Trevor hung on the ledge Neska left him on, peering around. Why had it retreated? Because of its wounds?

The ground rumbled, but Neska was certain it wasn’t going after her this time. The vibrations felt too distant. It was still circling under the building, with crunching, grinding noises.

"It still senses our vibrations. Like little tremors," Juni whispered as loudly as she dared. She sprang into action, throwing down stone spines into the building's stony exterior. “Brace yourselves, it's going to–”

A series of cracking, crunching sounds emerged as the building's walls fractured, and the foundation began to buckle. The entire building began sinking into the ground, and the others threw themselves onto the side of the next building, clinging on as a massive sinkhole opened up, fanning wider and wider underneath the collapsing building.

And in the middle was a pile of shifting silt and pebbles, and the wurm’s maw snapped and smashed at anything that came close.

Well, that did it. This thing made her list of monsters to kill with impunity. You couldn’t reason with something that viewed you as the next snack. She fired off another arrow right at the tri-folding maw, hitting it dead-center. It screeched as the arrow penetrated and delivered a massive splash of acid to the wound, and it withdrew into the silt, the ground still shaking.

Juni fired off multiple stone spines into the walled brickwork, and stone crumbled into the expanding crater. “Grab hold!” she shouted, and leaned out over the end of one of her stone spikes, acting as though she were about to dive in. “Neska, I’ll bring it to the surface! You see an opportunity, you hit it with everything you’ve got!”

“Juni, be careful!” Fissures formed from the expanding pit, and Neska sprang to a safer haven on a rocky outcropping well above the ground. The creature was shifting around as everyone scrambled for high ground.

The problem was, if it was wising up to their tactics, all it had to do was slowly destroy all the cover around them, and then it wouldn’t have any issue picking them off, one at a time. “Just get ready!” Juni dove into the shifting sand as she would a river, disappearing into the shifting material.

Neska went through her dimensional inventory and selected one item she’d been saving for a while: a new alchemical munition inspired by the goblins. Those nasty creatures might have made unstable explosives, yet hers would only detonate when she wanted them to, and give anyone close enough a dose of venom, on top of a shower of hot metal, since the exterior case was filled with packed metal shards.

Vivi was right. She was a bit of a firebug. “Jurik, Hadley, Brent! Boom-boom maneuver!”

Jurik grimaced as they all grabbed her new explosives. “This is a shit idea!”

Brent let out a roaring laugh as a breeze ruffled his fur, and he pulled out an explosive. “You love this plan, old man!”

Kalloway managed to put a barrier on Durim, who’d otherwise clambered back upright to level ground. “You know, I can’t help but notice that you are all barking mad! Every single one of you!” he called out.

The ground rumbled, and Neska tensed, searching for the mycelium strands. A quick dive into her [Spectral Sense] allowed her to locate them nearby, buried in the stone, and the strands formed a vast, thinly woven network through the entire cavern wall and floor. It was noteworthy insofar as it would let them. She could also feel a faint trace of the creature off to her right, closing in fast. The ground cracked and crumbled beneath her as she coiled up, ready to leap at the last second.

The silt and stone burst apart as she leaped into the air, triggering the mycelium strands with her [Verdant Weave] to grow and wrap around the creature’s midpoint, near the damaged section of its carapace. It halted its movement long enough for her to evade just as its maw snapped down, close enough to ruffle her feather strands.

A split second later, massive stone spikes shot out of the ground, hitting where they would land, juggling the creature upward. Juni porpoised out of the sand up and over the creature, paw back, extending an obsidian spine from her palm.

Everyone moved in unison as Juni thrust the spike in, and then Syra surged forward, hitting the spike with a geyser of forceful water, skewering the creature and pinning the stone. It flopped and staggered as Brent leaped in and lit the fuse. He jammed the explosive into the crack in the carapace, and Neska spat out her explosive, triggering it with her [Ember Hex].

It didn’t take much as the globule bounced off one of the petalled jaws, blowing apart a piece of the worm. The other detonation of Brent’s explosive blew out a chunk of its torso, and the creature screeched, molten red blood spattering all over the place as it slowly bled out from multiple injuries. The creature tried to crush Brent, but he disappeared in a blink–

Only to appear next to Neska, panting. She stared at him, bewildered. “How’d you do that?”

“Oh, you know, my ability, ‘Pack Leader,’ he grinned. He glanced as the creature slowed to little more than twitches, the molten blood dripping off its body and turning to soot.

Neska panted, laughing. "You know, we never did finish that conversation from a while back. You're okay designating a young, impressionable female reptiloid as your pack leader?"

"Leaders are strong, and lead by example. I'd say you fit both criteria." He looked puzzled by something as he tapped his claws on his hip. “Hey, I don’t think it’s dead yet. Not a lot of experience gained."

“One second.” Neska spat out another explosive, lit it, and jammed it down the creature's maw with a quick toss of her tail. “Oh, and cover your sensitive ears.”

He cringed as she shielded them with her mana barrier, and the muffled thwump roared through the cavern, along with a splattering of guts and viscera landing on her barrier. Technically, they counted as impacts, flaring the magical shield and draining a tiny portion of mana.

Brent stared at the mess, wiping something slimy off his fur, and looked resigned to this becoming an uncomfortable routine. “Okay, there’s the level. On another note, I think that was a touch overkill.”

“It twitched. That means it gets the full arsenal.” He looked at her skeptically. "You really wanna take a chance it gets up again and tries to eat us? I already left one foe presumptively dead, and Juni nearly became monster noms."

He tried to retort, but frowned and put out one clawed finger. “Point taken.”

Speaking of which…ding?