Arcanum - Chapter 72

Chapter 72






We stepped into a vast barren dessert absent of any vegetation or animals, the blistering sun blasting down on us .

"Welcome to the desserts of Eshia . " Paul said as we arrived through the portal .

"Emilia and co stay near me but not too close Ashley set up the seismic generators . " he ordered us .

"Sure . " he said walking off a good distance away and plunging three rods in close proximity of each other into the sand .

"How do Death Worms even grow here? . . " I asked .

"They generally stay deep underground but after mating season… . Females are forced to widen their hunting zone…" Paul replied .

Ashley quickly began walking back to use with a giant smile as if unfazed by our future battle .

"So is everyone ready???!!" Paul said with a smile .

We all nodded silently anxious with what's about to commence .

"Lets get this show on the road!!" he said giving Ashley a nod and placed his hand on Scarlet's back .

Ashley proceeded by pressing something on his arm causing the rods to vibrate in rapid succession causing the ground to vibrate slightly . "It's quite an awesome design… . I synced the Rods together so the vibrations from each rod combines making it go further and stronger . " He smiled explaining to us .

We waited and waited . . . . but nothing happened . "How do we know they are coming??? . . . " I asked Paul .

He turned around to me with a big smile as if excited by it all, "Its coming . " he replied to me .

As he predicted a larger set of vibrations started in pulses the delay getting shorter and short . "Remember the plan everyone!!!! It's locked on us now!!!" He yelled to us as the large vibrations got stronger and stronger with no pause .

He turned back facing Scarlet and began whispering something causing her to glow red and started vibrating rapidly .

As Paul described a humongous brown armoured worm burst out from beneath the rods engulfing them in its large mouth whole, before arching back down into the ground . The size was truly frightening its full length must have been the height of a tall building .

"Lets go!!!" he shouted causing Scarlet to pull out a weird potion guzzling it down quickly and began running towards the Worm in an intense speed, for some reason she seemed to be growing despite running away from us .

"Lets dance!!!" catching the worm in it's side before it fully submerging itself her sword cutting through it like a hot knife through butter .





"You call that a fing worm????!!!! It's bigger than a fing building!!!! . " I screamed at Paul as my mind fully comprehended the sheer monstrosity we were up against .

"Too late to back down now . " Paul turned back smiling and whispered something under his breath his eyes emitted a slight white flash, causing all of us to also glow with a very familiar but extremely faint white hue .

Daisy began glowing golden summoning her shield and sword . Grace drew her siege arrow ready aiming at Scarlet ready for the Worm's next attack .


"Here it comes!!!" he yelled and within seconds the Worm emerged again beneath Scarlet making her dive to the side to avoid it . As it rose from the ground missing Scarlet it arched down facing her ready for a bite .

Turning her blade lengthways she blocked the bite holding the worm in place for a few seconds giving Grace a few seconds to launch her arrow .

"She made you and opening!"" Paul yelled to Grace but she already knew, her arrow already in flight heading directly to the big gash Scarlet left it on its first attack .

"Nice!!!!"Ashley yelled as the arrows impacted it with a large explosion causing the wound to widen and sending off chunks of flesh and scales as it pulled back writhing in pain .

The worm backed off looking directly at where the arrow came from, directly at us .

"Stay calm!!!!" Paul yelled to us fully aware it was trying to look for us .

"Behind you!!!!" Daisy yelled as a stinger silently emerged from the sand behind us heading straight for Grace .

"Ohhh crap . . . . " Paul shouted as the sting landed dead on Graces chest sending her flying tumbling meters away . "GET it's after attention Scarlet . " He yelled quickly running to Grace .

Scarlet went for a large swing cutting it deep in its back, but it was too late . . . . it was already heading straight to graces body .

Daisy sent her shield sword and shield to distract the Worm but it was no use it just bounced off it like a pea shooter .

Paul quickly pulled out a wand and dropping the tip down on the ground causing the Worms head to come crashing down on the ground completely missing both of them . He instantly placed a hand on her chest and muttered something causing his hands to glow yellow .

"F . . . . that hurt… . " She coughed .

"Is she okay???" I shouted to him .

"She's okay just a little winded!!!" He shouted back .

Suddenly a large showed eclipsed me along with a disgustingly revolting smell, causing me to turn slowly to look behind me . Again for the 2nd time in a week I was meet with the open maw of a stupidly humongous monstrosity its rows of hundreds of razor sharp teeth ready to devour and shred into mincemeat .





"Don't move!!!!!" Paul yelled . . . . but it was too late my body instinctively began stepping back slowly . The moment I took my third step it locked onto me diving straight to me ready to devour me whole .

Suddenly I felt a sensation pulling me back in the corner of my eyes seeing myself past the event horizon of Paul's portal .

"That was close . . . . " he looked at me with a smile and a big sigh of relief .

"Get the tracker on it!!!" He yelled .

"Already done!!!" Ashley shouted back at him as the Worm burrowed back underground again .

"Behind you!!!" Daisy yelled as a stinger rose from the ground again, the sharp point aimed directly at us .

Paul quickly pulled me and Grace together to shield us with his body before the stinger went for a strike . . .

"Paul!!!!" I screamed pulling him back stopping him for doing something stupid .

"FU*K!!!" I yelled as a sharp searing hot pain shot out throughout my body, looking at my left shoulder was a gaping large wound as the stinger skewered through mine and Paul's shoulder like tracing paper . I instantly began feeling tired… . . Extremely tired unable to keep my eyes open .

"Don't fall asleep… . " Yelling placing something on my shoulder, suddenly I felt okay again completely wide awake with his glowing hand on my shoulder .

"OH MY GOD! PAUL ARE YOU OKAY?!" I yelled at him noticing that his large gaping wound was larger than mine bleeding profusely .

"I'll be okay . " He smiled "make sure you finish this!" He instructed me .

"Eat this!!!" Scarlet yelled as the shadow of her large form engulfed us and with one big cleave sundered the tail from the rest of the body causing it to fall to the floor writhing into the sand .

The vibrations of the Worm shook the ground around us as it writhed in pain underground .

"It a coming for you scarlet!!!" Ashley yelled causing Scarlet to roll to the side as the Worm burst out from the ground underneath her trying once again to consume her .

Its head rose arched towards Scarlet reading for its next bite .

As it went for its next bite Vines exploded from the ground forcing it to the ground before it could reach scarlet .

"Great idea!" Paul yelled looking back at Helen and began whispering something and his eyes flashed green ever so slightly causing more vines to explode out front he ground entangling the Worm .

"Now's our chance!!!" Paul yelled .





Scarlet drawing her blade plunged it down through the maw skewering it down to ground .

"Lets finish this!!!" Paul shouted helping Grace up and handing her a siege arrow .

With a giant smile and a face filled with purpose Grace let loose the arrow flying straight in the open wound chasing another large explosion . The giant worm began writhing in pain trying to break itself free from the vines and Scarlets hold .

"The time is now!!!" Paul shouted handing Grace another siege arrow .

Aiming my wand at the gaping wound I focused and began firing off firebolts .

"Nice Emilia!!!" Paul said to me .

The worms erratic writhing began to lessen and lessen as we pelted it with barrage of spells and attacks . With one last futile attempt to escape it dropped silently seemingly lifeless .

"BRAVOOOO!!!!" Paul yelled in excitement placing a hand on his wound healing it completely .

Looking at the lifeless body sent a mix of emotions running through my veins, I didn't know how to feel . . . . I've killed insects and tiny things before . . . . but never something this big and living . . . . . specially a mother . . .

His smile turned to concern the moment he looked at me, "Emilia . . . ??? . . " he asked looking extremely concerned .

"Yeah . . . . " I replied to him .

" . . . . . I'm Sorry . . . . . " He said to me looking concerned, "I think you need more time to adjust . . . . " He said giving me a hug trying to comfort me .

"Maybe . . . . "I said hugging him back in return .

"Umm . . . . sorry to interrupt but I'm gonna need to help harvest the Worm . . . . " Ashley said interrupting us .

"Sorry… . I need to do this . . . " he whispered to me breaking away and taking out a book to flipping through the pages .

"Okay . . . " I replied to him taking a smile .

"You might not wanna watch this . . . . . " He said walking towards the corpse .

"If you guys could keep watch for any incoming bandits or other creatures whole we harvest the good, it will be very much appreciated . " He said asking us .

"Sure we all replied . " To him .

"Okay go in pairs and yell if anyone is incoming . " He instructed .

"Okay . . . . " we all replied walking in different directions .

"Scarlet go with Emilia please . . . . . " he asked her .

"Sure . " She replied to him joining me her hulking figure now slowly shrinking .

Looking back Paul and Ashley were talking about something pointing at different points of the Worm .

"You shouldn't look back . . . . it's gonna get very bloody if you're squeamish . . . . " Scarlet said to me as we walked away .

"I'm not squeamish it's just I've never killed anything before . . . . . " I replied to her .

"I understand . . . Paul said he was like that the first time he came . . . . . He's adjusting but even now he still has a hard time . " Scarlet explained to me .

" . . . . How do you do it ??? . . . . " I asked .

"This is a different world . . . where you're from . . . . humans are the top of the chain . . . . . But over here… . It may look like we are thriving but there are many things that can spell doom to us… . . There was even a time even when dragons ruled the land enslaving humans treating them cattle . . . . . " She explained . . . "Just know we are doing the good fight . . . . . " She said smiling at me .

"I'll try . . . . . " I answered her .

"This should be far enough . . . . " She said taking a seat on the sand .

Sitting beside her I could still barely see Paul and Ashley working their way through the Worm carving out scales and flesh placing them in large bags . Paul was right . . . . . It did look extremely messy . . . the large beast requiring them to plunge their entire arms into the creature .

"So what's going to happen next?? . . . . " I asked .

"Well there's a reason why we picked a Death Worm . . . . we can sell almost all the parts so there's minimal waste . . . " Scarlet explained watching them .

"How was the battle . . . . for you???" She asked .

"I don't know… at first I was extremely nervous… . Then I was extremely worried for everyone seeing the amount of hurt it did with one hit… . . " I answered her .

"Yeah… . We did take you to something that's way above what you guys could handle alone . . . we was lucky Paul was here playing support to be honest…" She replied .

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