Chapter 209: Confronting the Parent Worm
“It’s massive… just like the Midgard Serpent…!”
Rest’s face twisted in a mix of fear and curiosity as he envisioned the colossal serpent from Norse mythology.
“「「「「「「GYAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO！」」」」」」”
The air trembled with a crackling energy. The roar echoed, reverberating in layers around him. This foe was clearly different from any he had faced before… even larger than the Magical Beast Sabnock.
“So this is the Parent Worm… I heard dragons are generally weaker, but is this really what they meant?”
Worms were originally creatures that flew through the skies, but after losing battles against other dragons, their descendants burrowed into the earth. Thus, they were considered weaker among dragons. However, in an environment devoid of natural enemies, and having absorbed the magical power of the Demon Realm, this worm had grown far larger than its original form. Rest pondered if this was how characters in monster movies felt.
“It must have lived for hundreds… no, perhaps even thousands of years. It has undoubtedly grown to this size over an unfathomable span of time…!”
To compare the monstrous creature before him to a mere worm would be an insult. If he were to name it… perhaps ‘Elder Worm’ would be fitting?
“「「「「「「GYAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO！」」」」」」”
“Don’t roar so loudly. It’s ringing in my ears.”
The Elder Worm lunged at him with its massive maw, large enough to swallow a truck whole. Rest deftly maneuvered in the air to evade the attack.
“【Star Eater】”
He struck with the Dark Star, chipping away at its body, but against such a gigantic form, it felt like using a mantis’s blade against a giant. The damage was minimal.
“「「「「「「GYAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO！」」」」」」”
“This feels like déjà vu. Did something similar happen when I fought Sabnock?”
He wondered how such a powerful monster had managed to remain undetected until now. It was likely a coincidence. The Elder Worm had simply made its home in the Wetlands, and the presence of the Magical Beast Sabnock had deterred anyone from approaching. Their habitats were different, allowing them to coexist without conflict.
“【Fire Bolt】, 【Fire Bolt】, 【Fire Bolt】”
Rest maintained his distance while launching fire magic attacks. He had confirmed during his daytime hunts that fire attribute magic was effective against worms. He hoped for decent results, but as expected, the flames only singed the surface of the Elder Worm.
“It’s huge and tough… it seems half-hearted attacks won’t work.”
“「「「「「「GYAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO！」」」」」」”
“And its attacks are massive… maybe it was a good idea to come alone.”
He narrowly dodged the gigantic mouth, a bitter smile creeping onto his face.
Though Rest had been riding high on the delicious meals prepared by the women, the gravity of the situation brought him back to his senses. He regretted coming alone, yet he was relieved that Yuri and the others weren’t there.
“If it were just me, it would be one thing, but if everyone were here, I wouldn’t have been able to dodge that… I’m truly grateful.”
Rest manipulated the wind, moving agilely to evade the Elder Worm. Given its size, the creature’s movements were not particularly swift. For Rest, who could fly, evading its attacks was manageable.
“That said… just running away won’t solve anything.”
Simply fleeing wouldn’t lead to victory. He needed to land effective blows with his magic to whittle down the creature’s life force. While retreating to regroup was an option, if the Elder Worm chased him beyond the Wetlands, the damage would be catastrophic. He couldn’t afford to replicate the mistakes Rodel had made in the past.
“I have to defeat it here… but I don’t know how long it will take with 【Star Eater】. My most powerful spell is 【Amaterasu】, but…”
“…It’s night.”
Yes, it was night. He couldn’t use 【Amaterasu】, which gathered sunlight to unleash its power. While he could gather the light of the moon and stars, the resulting attack would be pitifully weak. There was no point in even attempting it; he wouldn’t be able to defeat the Elder Worm.
“Coming alone was the right choice, but arriving in the dead of night was a mistake… Life never goes as planned.”
If he had intended to come during the day, Yuri and the others would have likely insisted on joining him. Such is the nature of life.
“「「「「「「GYAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO！」」」」」」”
“That means… even though it’s a shot in the dark, I might as well try out my new ultimate technique.”
He was aware that spells like 【Star Eater】 and 【Amaterasu】 had their quirks, making them difficult to use effectively. That’s precisely why Rest had been diligently developing new magic. Though he had yet to deploy it in battle, he had already visualized it in his mind.
“Honestly, if I fail, I might die… but I’ll give it a shot.”
Rest chuckled wryly. The thought of dying if he lost loomed over him, yet he felt a surge of exhilaration amidst the dire situation. In this second life, facing yet another life-threatening crisis, Rest murmured to himself.
“I’ll use it… 【God of Flame (Kagutsuchi)】.”
With a fierce grin unlike any he had worn before, Rest resolved to unleash the new magic he had been contemplating.