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Chapter 198 : Subterranean Behemoth
Chapter 198: Subterranean Behemoth
Gauss's voice was nearly drowned out by the intensifying rumble of the earth.
The stone-paved path beneath their feet heaved violently like a living creature, cracking and breaking apart.
Something was awakening beneath the ground.
Quick on the draw, Gauss grabbed Arya the moment he spoke.
Е́n um̈ á . i d̀
With an explosive burst of strength beneath his feet, he leapt several meters away, carrying Arya with him.
In the distance, Serandur reacted just as swiftly, dodging aside almost instantly.
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He hadn’t been at the epicenter, so evading the tremor was relatively easier.
"Boom—"
Right where Arya had stood moments ago, the ground suddenly bulged and exploded!
Dirt, shattered stones, and tangled roots scattered in all directions as a massive, dark cylindrical object burst forth, dragging with it a nauseating stench of decayed earth.
W ѐb̃n_о̇ v̂e l Е n ù mа
It was a massive, indescribable worm.
Even the exposed portion of its body was five to six meters long, its diameter as thick as a water barrel.
Its surface was covered in a dark purple chitinous shell, sturdy and gleaming with a metallic sheen. Thick, brown viscous fluid seeped from the gaps in its armor, dripping to the ground with a sizzling, corrosive hiss.
Its head lacked any visible eyes, bearing only a horrifying maw that expanded and contracted continuously, lined with layers of ringed, razor-sharp teeth. When fully opened, it could easily swallow a grown human whole.
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A suffocating stench of rot and acrid acid radiated from its mouth.
"Burrowing Worm!"
Ẇе b_ñоv е̄ l̂ Ē n̈ u m̈а̇
Arya gasped sharply, her voice carrying a faint, involuntary tremor.
This was a tunneling monster that dwelled long-term underground.
According to the books, its challenge rating was at least Level 3. Most adult specimens were typically Level 4 or 5. There were even records of ones approaching Level 10, and unconfirmed rumors spoke of variants capable of triggering earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.
Even setting aside such outlandish tales, they had virtually no known weaknesses in reality.
Aside from its maw, its entire body was encased in an impenetrable shell, granting it protection far beyond that of steel.
Gauss retreated further with Arya. Serandur rejoined them.
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After its failed attack, the Burrowing Worm quickly withdrew back underground.
It left only a deep, dark hole in the earth.
"Looks like we accidentally woke it."
Gauss noted there was only one fresh pit in the area, meaning that it hadn’t surfaced recently before their arrival.
They were likely the first to disturb it since the labyrinth opened.
Was it Arya’s use of Nature’s Bind that attracted its attention? Gauss speculated silently.
Ёn̄ ûm ã
The three cautiously observed from the edge of the Abandoned Herb Garden.
The Burrowing Worm didn’t reappear.
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Even when Gauss had the Clay Spider hop and taunt near the site of the emergence, it failed to provoke another reaction.
"Seems the books were right—Burrowing Worms are inherently docile and lack strong aggression," Gauss remarked, his voice regaining composure.
Of course, when disturbed, they were fully capable of launching lethal assaults on other creatures.
They lived eternally in the pitch-black depths, tunneling freely through rock and soil.
Еnû m̈_ă.iḋ
What seemed like impenetrable stone to ordinary people was nothing more than butter to them.
They fed on special soil and minerals, spending most of their lives underground—digging, foraging, hibernating, reproducing, and hatching…
Though Gauss felt somewhat reassured after understanding its habits, the earlier ambush had still given him quite a scare.
"I'm going to check it out. Wait here," Gauss said, his gaze settling on a specific spot.
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He turned to Arya and Serandur before cautiously approaching the site where the Burrowing Worm had emerged.
Knowing was one thing—facing such a creature firsthand required utmost caution.
Е̄n̊.u̇ m̈ а .і̄ d̃
You couldn’t exactly wait until injured—or worse, dead—to start questioning the accuracy of books.
Based on his assessment, the worm must’ve been above Level 3.
Even if he activated Fiend Form, he likely couldn’t defeat it.
And it was far too agile.
Even if he managed to break through its shell-like armor, what then?
It could retreat into the earth at will.
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Simply put, he wasn’t afraid—just saw no point in fighting this kind of foe.
He stepped closer.
Scattered rocks and loose soil littered the area. A faint acidic stench still lingered in the air.
Once within range of Mage Hand, he cast a cantrip.
Remaining on guard, his powerful legs coiled, ready to spring back at the slightest threat.
Earlier, when the worm had surfaced, viscous brown fluid had seeped from the gaps in its shell, producing smoke and sizzling corrosion when touching soil.
Е nu má.і́ d̃
But now, several minutes later, the reaction had stopped.
The soil tainted by the worm’s secretions had congealed into brown dirt clumps.
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Each was about the size of a fist, over a dozen in total.
He used Mage Hand to carefully levitate one toward him.
Then gently tapped it with his White Wand, glowing with Identification Spell.
[Corroded Earth Slime Clump]
Е ňù mȧ.í d̂
Grade: Common Magical Item (White-grade)
Description: A gelatinous dirt clump formed from the secretions of a ferocious Burrowing Worm, infused with minor toxins and leyline magic.
Usable as auxiliary material in alchemy or enchantments.
Applicable as casting materials for poison and earth-element spells.
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...
As expected—magical items!
Е n um а̄ . і̄ d̈
Gauss had suspected as much upon seeing the clumps from afar, which was why he came closer for inspection.
However, under Identification Spell, the emitted white light was extremely faint.
It had barely crossed the threshold of being classified as a magical item.
Generally, the deeper the color, the higher the quality.
Still, it was a magical item nonetheless.
Gauss focused his mind.
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The light of the Identification Spell faded from his White Wand.
In its place, the aura of Clay Magic began to stir.
Magic surged from the wand’s tip, enveloping the slime clumps before him.
At first it felt sluggish, but soon, the magic fused with the clumps, drawing them together on the ground.
Once merged, they formed a mass roughly the size of a bowling ball.
Gauss inserted a Goblin Spirit into it.
Ẃ è b́ṅ о́v̇e l̆ Еñu ṁа
However, this particular spirit was quite weak.
After all, he had only truly mastered Clay Magic after reaching the labyrinth’s second floor, where goblins were fewer in number. Thus, this Goblin Spirit had absorbed only faint traces of goblin essence.
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"Let’s give it a try."
The strength of a clay creature depended on multiple factors—spirit quantity was one of them.
Though goblins were inherently weak, Gauss anticipated harvesting many more of their spirits in the future. With enough quantity, their transformation could lead to qualitative change.
The spell continued...
W̄ e b̀ n_оv̆ ӗ l̈ È ńü m̈à
A mix of goblin essence, magic-conductive clay, and Clay Magic...
As these elements fused, the clay began to writhe and morph.
Within moments...
A strange humanoid figure emerged before Gauss.
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"Is this the goblin-shaped clay creature?"
Gauss looked at the small, slouching fellow before him.
Ӗ ṅ ů m̄ а_. і̃ d
It was tiny, barely the size of a large rat, with distinguishable goblin features.
Big head, tusks, and sturdy limbs.
After forming, it took a few steps forward—then promptly bumped into Gauss’s shin and plopped down on its rear.
"Why does it look kind of dumb?" Gauss muttered as he looked down.
Then reconsidered.
Perhaps his expectations for this newborn had been too high.
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Firstly, the clay was insufficient—its body was a severely reduced version.
Secondly, the quality of the magical item used this time was inferior to the white clay he had acquired from the Mud Golem.
Though the Burrowing Worm was likely stronger than the Mud Golem, its secretions were mere byproducts, whereas the Mud Golem’s clay came from its core—of incomparable value.
Lastly, the spirit quantity was gravely lacking.
Gauss reflected.
He simply hadn’t slain enough goblins with Clay Magic. If he’d killed a thousand and channeled them all in...
Ё n̈u m̌ а̌
He felt the fault lay with him.
If he poured in a thousand goblin spirits, even if it remained tiny, it would be formidable.
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The little goblin stumbled back to its feet.
Nearby, the Clay Spider approached—seemingly by instinct.
But the goblin, without hesitation, clambered atop it.
The Clay Spider, annoyed at being stepped on, shook it off, flinging the goblin to the ground.
Е nǔm̆ а
Gauss watched, speechless.
"Alright then... Maybe goblins just aren’t smart. And with so little spirit, it’s even dumber."
He returned to Arya with the two clay creatures.
"Can it be used?" Arya asked, eyeing the deep-brown, mini clay goblin. After all, the three had come here for this purpose.
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Seeing Gauss had acquired more casting materials, she sighed in relief.
Though... that goblin form... was hideous.
Е̌ n u m̆ à
She didn’t voice the complaint.
"Yes. The clay it produces is a basic magical item, usable as a casting material," Gauss nodded. "But the quantity’s still too small."
"That’s fine. We can draw the Burrowing Worm out again—as long as I activate Nature’s Bind," Arya declared with confidence.
She knew it had been her spell that attracted it.
Since it worked before, it should work again.
"Alright. Just be careful."
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The three prepared themselves.
Arya tapped the ground with her Oak Wand.
A pale green light slithered downward like a serpent.
This time, with a clear goal, Nature’s Bind sank even faster.
Soon, the ground rumbled faintly once more.
Forewarned, Gauss and the others were mentally ready and reacted quicker.
E n um̀ ӑ
Ulfen carried Arya and ran.
"Boom!!"
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The ground where they had just stood erupted violently.
The familiar tremor surged—like a subterranean explosion.
The massive worm burst forth again.
This time, angered by repeated provocation, it looked even more furious and feral. Its five-to-six-meter body lashed wildly, slamming the earth and sending tremors through the ground.
Е nu m а
Gauss also noticed it had clearly locked onto them, its head persistently turning toward Arya, maw opening and closing with rage-filled screeches.
As it thrashed, more of the viscous secretion poured from its carapace, dripping like tar and merging with the soil.
Gauss’s heart leapt with joy.
But before long, the worm withdrew again.
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Unlike last time, Gauss noticed that as it retreated, a crack in the earth began racing toward Arya.
It was chasing her!
Е̄ ṅ ũ m̀ a
"Arya, don’t stop! It’s after you underground!"
He quickly shouted the warning to Ulfen and Arya, who had slowed.
Ulfen picked up speed, dashing toward the garden’s edge.
"Boom boom!"
Moments later, the ground Arya had just left erupted.
Gauss seized the moment.
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From the White Wand he had prepared, five deep-blue Magic Missiles launched instantly.
"Whoosh!!"
They screamed through the air, locked on the Burrowing Worm.
"Boom!!!"
The Magic Missiles struck, unleashing force field shockwaves.
One, two… five in total slammed into the same spot.
Е̃n ù m̆ а̂.і̂ d̄
As the aftershocks faded…
Though the results were expected, Gauss still felt a tinge of disappointment.
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The dark-purple shell remained unscathed—still gleaming.
"What a defense..."
He finally understood why such a seemingly clumsy attacker had such a high challenge rating.
That shell was absurdly tough.
Wе̌ b̈ň óv е̊ l Ӗňû m̀ а̊
Even in Fiend Form, casting Magic Missile, he doubted the damage would be much different.
However, though the spell hadn’t pierced its armor, it had certainly enraged the creature.
Somehow, it sensed Gauss’s location, swiveling its grotesque maw toward him and letting out a deafening screech.
In response, Gauss unleashed another volley of five missiles, this time targeting its maw directly.
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Unfortunately, it seemed to sense the danger—its mouth snapped shut instantly.
"Bang bang bang!"
W е b̄nоv е l̀ .Ĕn̈u mа̄
The missiles slammed against its closed circular teeth—waves of force scattering—yet... not a scratch.
Just as Gauss braced for it to go berserk and attack...
The worm let out two furious roars and abruptly retreated underground again, vanishing.
"It fled?" Gauss blinked, stunned.
He hadn’t even broken its defenses, yet after two attacks, the Burrowing Worm had retreated on its own?
But when his gaze fell upon the gelatinous clumps scattered across the ground, a grin crept onto his face.
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After waiting a moment to ensure it wouldn’t return, he used Mage Hand to gather the clay clumps into a single pile.
Looking at the small mountain of dirt, Gauss beamed.
Jackpot.
At this rate, the little guy might just evolve into a mid-sized one.
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