Bursting from the ground like someone hitting a water pipe, the massive plague worm, which had continued to grow, plunged itself at Logan who was ahead of the pack. Logan beat back his coattails to drop down thirty daggers, thrusting his arms forward, Logan chanted, “Telekinesis”, causing all of his weapons to animate and fly at the rushing opponent.

  The plague worm opened its massive as if to eat the weapons, strange as it was due to its animal diet but probably best to dissolve what weaponry was used against it. Instead, Logan threw his arms to the side, causing all the daggers to make hurrying half u-turns, digging into the gums of the worm and forcing its mouth wider.

  Logan then used Dimensional Jaunt to grab Amalia, warp again in front of the worm, and with their bodies horizontal and connected at the soles of their feet Logan let loose an Air Blast to send Amalia flying into the inners of the worm. Amalia’s body was coated in a red shield as she spoke, “Hard Skin.”

  Landing with a backflip from the force, Logan held up both hands again as he chanted, “Barrier”, forming two sets of protective walls against the worm’s approach. A massive slam was heard as they collided, however, the first barrier cracked quickly and the onslaught of the worm’s movement, magical and aberrant as it was, continued to apply pressure, breaking the second just before Logan recast the spells.

  Marcus came flying at the monster’s side with his harpy wings, planting a solid diving kick into the worm’s cheek. The monster veered off course from Logan and started to move away.

  In twinned motions, Logan and Marcus both followed after the worm and landed on its hide, finding one of the pustules each. With clawed hands, they both dug deep into the disgusting innards of the beast, sap and blood seeping from the now-open wounds.

  Flurries of flames and holy light shone from the balls that the two had penetrated, exploding them and leaving behind person-sized craters in the worm’s skin. It let out a vicious screech at the pain, and most likely annoyance that it was getting an unwanted zit bursting.

  Logan cut his hand with his fingernail and chanted, “Demon-Clan Spell: Warping Censure”, wrapping black lines around the worm, hoping to stop at least some of its teleportation abilities.

  The pair teleported across the worm’s body again to repeat the pustule-busting tactic, removing some of its ability to use its alien attacks. Each one popped meant one less beam or explosion they’d need to contend with.

  On the other side of the fight, or rather the interior of the fight, Amalia’s body slid through the dark, hot, and humid insides of the plague worm. Contracting and pulsating, the walls of the worm’s insides were disgusting and slimy, dripping sticky fluids that clung to Amalia.

  Cracking a small crystal in her hand, Amalia created a small sprite of light that allowed her better vision. The interior of the beast was just as alien, a vast, cavernous body that sickened her greatly. Acidic air stung her nostrils, but she had mentally prepared herself ahead of time.

  Amalia felt each attack happening outside, the worm writhing and clenching every time, a low, mumbled roaring echoing in this new chamber. Stepping further into the monster, Amalia had to stab and shield the contracting walls that also seemed like they wanted to crush her, the worm was probably quite adept at controlling its muscles.

  The more steps Amalia took, the harder they were to take. The floor turned from a solid, if soft, wall of flesh into a pool of thick, sap-like liquid. Bones and chitin thudded into Amalia’s armour as she reached where the food had finally dissolved.

  “No people bones”, Amalia thought aloud.

  There weren’t any victims in here either, this put the woman at ease, knowing they had saved everyone they could. Though it did mean her entry was half-pointless. The other half that wasn't, well, that was what prompted her to pick out her tracking stone and strike a line across it.

  Seconds later, Logan apparated next to his partner, though he was just enough away to not touch the liquid. Amalia quickly moved to his back and held on, “No one is in here”, she informed.

  Logan nodded and held his hands to the side, “Devastation Flame”, he chanted, firing off two salvos of black flames into the walls of the plague worm’s stomach. Its whole body convulsed as a clear roar was heard even on the inside.

  Rotating his arms, Logan did it again, and again, until he had done a clean circle of attacks like a clock around him.

  Marcus landed another heavy punch on the outside of the worm, continuing to move its body around and keep the battle contained. For every convulsion, he had to adapt his movements to not get hit by wide sweeping tails or teeth. It seemed the use of the monster’s pustules was on a charge or timer, so he was getting close to the end of what fight he could put up.

  Before that time could arrive, however, a massive jut of liquid and steam erupted from around midway down the worm’s body. Almost cut in two, the bottom half of the worm stretched and snapped off as Logan’s spells separated the digestive tract of the beast from its mouth.

  Leaping out of the remains, Amalia and Logan landed in a long slide with wet feet. They appreciated their work as the worm wiggled in a faster motion, now void of most of its body and weight.

  With a loud screech, the worm had its destroyed pustules and those that remained glow brightly. Logan instinctively grabbed Amalia’s arm, ready to teleport if necessary, but it wasn’t this time.

  Instead, the worm coated itself from the orbs in a thick shell of green magic. Its body shifted and cracked as if it were pupating, forming a thick chitinous shell around itself. The destroyed lower nub healed over, creating a worm half its size.

  “Its body was hard enough before, c’mon”, Logan complained.

  The worm then snapped open its mouth, its teeth now sharpened to a dagger point and painted dark green, almost black. Its metamorphosis complete, it swung its face around and twitched, as if sensing its surroundings via invisible whiskers. It then jolted its head when it found something and started a dash across the ground at around five times its previous speed.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “Acety!” Logan yelled.

  Warping as fast as he could, Logan dropped Amalia at his side in front of the worm and created two new Barriers, that were destroyed instantly. Relying on his strength, Logan planted two palms on the monster and dug his feet into the ground. It slowed down the worm a bit, but Logan was still getting pushed back.

  Amalia at the same time planted her shield against the face of the beast, coating her shield in a blue light as she called, “Wall of Iron”, and dug her feet into the ground. The pair were turned into farm hoes as they tilled the ground towards the settlement of Acety.

  Marcus similarly teleported but atop the worm. Grabbing onto its back, Marcus turned the fight into a horse-rearing competition, or something akin to riding a bull. Grabbing onto what chitin he could with one hand, Marcus made several attempted punches into its newer exterior. It sounded like someone hammering a sheet of metal, thick and unyielding to most strikes.

  “Damnit, how’re we meant to damage it now?” Marcus thought aloud as he continued to punch its hide. “At this rate, it will devour that town!”, he thought louder.

  “Amalia, swap to charge!”

  “Got it”, Amalia responded as she created a large yellow lion’s-head mirage over her shield, barging into the worm and slowing it a bit more.

  Logan then began to chant quickly, “Sleep 2nd Grasp, Necromantic 2nd Grasp, Gaia 2nd Grasp…”, going through his entire list of spells, coating the monster’s head in a wide range of colours and elements. He already gave up on the idea of putting the thing to sleep and testing it revealed his theory to be correct.

  Marcus’s body erupted into a large grey aura as he activated Enhancing Burst, punching with greater force.

  “Marcus, you need to help at the front!” Logan called.

  Marcus nodded and ran across the beast’s hide, reaching its head quickly and flipping around to the ground with solid fists into its snout and his feet into the ground. “What do you need?”

  “Try and slow it as best you can, we’re going with SB.”

  “But”, Marcus began but shook his head, “Got it!”

  Logan nodded and chanted, “Teleport”, wrapping his body in purple lines before appearing within Acety. “Everyone, if you want to save your town, get in front of me!” he shouted.

  The townsfolk hurried to Logan, some hesitant to get in front of him.

  “I need some of your spellforce, when you can’t stand it anymore get out of the way”, Logan explained quickly as he opened his arms wide, “Spellforce”, he chanted, a vacuum of purple power vortexing into his palms.

  “Do as he says”, one of the guards enforced, taking the initiative and moving a few feet in front of Logan. The man’s body shook as sweat quickly formed across his brow.

  “C’mon!” another villager called as they did the same.

  With each person moving in front of Logan, the energy he sucked in got denser. It was a risky manoeuvre, but with every individual, it got less so. Workers, children, and even the elderly moved in front of Logan, offering their power to protect their village.

  Logan felt a twinge of modesty, or something else, as people took his commands with little question. Was it just his offer of help that changed their minds so quickly, or his perceived rank? Just starting out he would have had a hell of a time convincing people of this so readily.

  The children were first to complain about the pressure and move away from Logan, dropping to their knees and rears behind the spellcaster and coating the ground with sweat. Then it was the adults, and finally the guards and elderly.

  Logan’s body started to emulate a violet glow, showing that he had enough to use the skill. The deeper and brighter the colour, the more powerful it was.

  Back at the plague worm that was only a few minutes away from Acety, Marcus and Amalia were trying their best to slay or at worst slow down the monster. Marcus continued to slam into the beast as his grey aura flared astoundingly. Amalia tried blocking, riposting, and returning the damage dealt to her to the worm.

  Marcus shook his head, “This isn’t working”, he thought aloud.

  “Trust Logan”, Amalia groaned as her arm was starting to go dead.

  Marcus looked behind him, trees and plains galore before hitting Acety. Worry gnawed at him. Was this enough?

  “Pondress, guide me in my time of need!” Marcus pleaded as he punched into the worm again.

  The plague worm continued to rush towards the village, destroying countless trees and uprooting the soil as it did so. Every so often it opened up its mouth to devour animals in its path that were too slow to avoid it, however, Marcus and Amalia both battered them away so as not to feed the beast any more energy. It most likely stayed above ground to get a better chance of a meal.

  “Pondress. This isn’t your way. Forgive my actions, for they are for the benefit of protection”, Marcus bartered.

  “What are you talking about?” Amalia asked.

  Opening his palms, Marcus looked at them with dread. Visions of his parents were marred in a black fog, coated in blood and tears, but visions of his brother were devoid of such negative emotion. Instead, Marcus saw himself standing next to his brother.

  “This isn’t his fault!” Marcus shouted as he clenched his fists, “Caress of Death!” he chanted. Holy light formed over his hands, similar to when he used Healer’s Caress on his allies to heal them, but then the yellow turned to a sinister darker shade.

  Rearing back his fists, Marcus picked up his volley of blows against the beast, each one now leaving a darker dent as his healing magics turned into harmful power. The plague worm’s movements slowed considerably, giving Logan more time.

  The worm and the duo were now in sight of Acety, Logan shouted with the aid of Boom Voice, “Get away, everyone, Marcus, and Amalia.”

  The townsfolk ran as fast they could, while Marcus and Amalia jumped away from the worm. The plague worm picked up speed towards the lone Logan.

  Logan’s body was now pulsating with that violet glow, reaching the end of what his body could sustain. Sweat coated his face and drenched his coat, droplets flying as he brought both arms together in front of him, his wrists meeting each other and two claws aimed at the plague worm.

  “Blast!” Logan shouted, forming the violet energy into a monochromatic orb, static cascaded around it as the area beneath his feet was swept away of all debris, grass, and mud, making a smooth surface.

  The orb then shot forward, creating a massive crater line as it flew towards the worm. The orb destroyed so much before it collided with the worm’s face. Cracking and disintegrating the plague worm, the orb ate away as it moved through its entire body, making a massive cylinder of absence all the way to the tip of its tail, leaving only thin sides and bottom as the body slid a few feet before stopping.

  Logan dropped his arms down as if he were carrying a heavy load over his head for hours, falling to his knees as experience points floated over the corpse.

  “Thank fuck for that.”

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