Chapter Forty: Elite Lava Worm

Around five o’clock on the third afternoon, Liu Zong had finished all his assigned tasks for the day, even completing the soul-calling ritual for Pighead. At the appointed time, he followed the route Liu Chun had left for him, arriving at a location some distance away from the Jinsong Valley outpost.

The spot Liu Chun had described was apparently the remnants of a subway station from before this world’s destruction. Following a descending passageway for about ten minutes, he came upon the ruined tracks. Walking near these tracks, Liu Zong could distinctly sense the pervasive negative energy emanating from them; it was clear Liu Chun had been doing his work nearby these past few days.

He hadn’t gone far before he spotted Liu Chun and Chen Jialiang. Judging by their demeanor, they had been waiting for some time. As soon as Liu Zong approached, Liu Chun strode forward and called out, “You’re just in time. We need to hurry—if the gate to the passage closes, we’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

Before Liu Zong could respond, Liu Chun dragged him along at a run. Liu Chun’s knack for finding places like this was uncanny; even when the way seemed blocked, he would always find a tunnel or two leading downward. After about another ten minutes of descending, Liu Zong began to feel waves of heat rising from below. Following the passage a few more steps, they rounded a corner, and Liu Zong was left speechless by the sight before him.

They had entered a subterranean cavern, not particularly vast—at most ten meters high, and roughly the area of a soccer field. Yet the entire cave was divided by flowing magma, with four or five lava pools in the center, each large enough to fit a vehicle. The magma in the cavern flowed out from these pools.

Pointing at the scene, Liu Chun explained, “This is where I’ve been working these past few days. The main control core of the Seven Knights Type IV, the opponent I’m assigned to handle, is hidden beneath the magma below. Each time, it emerges from a different lava pool. The entrance passage to this cavern only opens for a three-hour window before and after the main control core appears. Most of our time is already gone today—we have only one hour.”

As he spoke, Liu Chun led the others along a path by the magma toward a spot at the back of the cavern, behind a massive boulder. From where they had first entered, this area was completely hidden from view.

But once they had circled behind the boulder, they discovered a shaft here—a skylight of sorts, only they were at the very bottom of it. Looking up, they could see the dense sandstorm swirling in the sky above.

It was only after reaching this point that Liu Chun took a deep breath and turned to Chen Jialiang. “The rest is up to you.”

Chen Jialiang nodded and began to explain, “At first, Liu only sensed something was off here, and suspected a fire-related issue, so he brought me in. It was only after I arrived that I figured out what exactly was hidden below.”

He pointed to the ground. “My task is simple: there’s a lava worm down there. I need its heart. You can keep whatever else remains.”

Liu Chun had known this all along, so he stayed silent. Liu Zong’s presence was somewhat accidental, and he wasn’t sure what to say.

Seeing no objections, Chen Jialiang went on to outline the lava worm’s general strength and combat style, then said, “Let’s suit up and stick to the original plan. We’re short on time.”

The three of them quickly changed into their battle gear. Every player had different equipment—some designed for bait, others for main offense. Liu Zong had spent four years outfitting himself with battle gear, but to pursue a career change, he’d sold off nearly all his accumulated equipment. He still had a few sets of armor, but only one weapon.

After donning his combat leather, Liu Zong drew a long spear. Unlike the one he practiced with, this one glowed with a purple light and, when swung, emitted a wailing, ghostly cry. It was currently the best weapon in his arsenal, with an innate shadow attribute that added a sonic attack effect, enhancing its damage.

Because of this, Liu Zong’s role was to lure the enemy to a designated spot.

While Liu Zong and Liu Chun were preparing, Chen Jialiang had already placed three red crystals at the base of the shaft. With an incantation, the crystals glowed scarlet, raising the temperature in the area.

As the temperature beneath the skylight reached its peak, the ground began to melt, and a colossal lava worm burst through. It resembled a gigantic centipede bathed in magma, but with fewer legs and a much more formidable head than a centipede. Its gaping maw could swallow large creatures whole—and it was capable of spewing torrents of magma.

Once it emerged, the lava worm unleashed a furious spray of magma in all directions, turning the surrounding ground a glowing red.

[Enraged Lava Worm]
[Race: Semi-Elemental Beast]
[Level: Lv0 (12-star) Elite]
[Attributes: Strength 6, Agility 8, Constitution 6, Spirit 2]
[Description: This lava worm has long hidden beneath the shaft, the only creature in this hollow able to bask in sunlight. When its lair is destroyed, it becomes enraged and annihilates all enemies in its path…]

As the worm burst forth, Chen Jialiang was the first to charge. Compared to Liu Zong and Liu Chun, his route was direct. The moment he dashed forward, his entire body blazed with fire, making him look like a giant of flame wielding twin axes, both of which he swung with force at the lava worm.

Of course, such an attack was of little consequence to the worm. Apart from the physical damage that couldn’t be avoided, it ignored all fire elemental attacks, just as Chen Jialiang ignored the magma the worm spewed at him.

Liu Zong struck next, his spear thrusting forward. His recent training paid off handsomely; with a single thrust, the spear pierced the lava worm’s body, accompanied by that eerie, wailing sound.

That blow truly hurt the worm. It opened its maw and lunged at Liu Zong.

As the designated bait, Liu Zong’s first instinct was to leap back and roll away. Unfortunately, he tumbled straight toward the magma. Had he not scrambled out quickly, he might have been consumed by the fiery flow.