The largest Earth Worm lunged — and Lin dove aside just in time. Its mandibles snapped shut where he'd been, spraying clumps of wet soil. Elara's arrow bounced harmlessly off its stone armor.
Nyra planted her staff in the ground. "Their hides are too thick!"
Crystal's voice cut through the chaos. "Recommend evasive maneuvers. Engage terrain advantage."
Lin rolled to his feet, panting. "Terrain advantage? We're in a worm's stomach with a skylight!"
Another tremor rippled through the cavern. From a nearby tunnel came a guttural growl, low and grinding, like stones rubbing together.
Elara glanced toward the sound. "What now?"
---
The Earth Dogs Appear
Four creatures bounded out of the tunnel — shaped like wolves, but carved entirely of dark stone veined with glowing green lines. Their eyes burned like molten gems. As they ran, bits of rock crumbled from their paws.
Lin blinked. "Dogs? Actual dogs? Oh, thank—"
The first dog opened its jaw and spat a chunk of rock the size of a baseball. It whistled through the air and slammed into Lin's chest.
"GAH!" He flew backward, smacking into a stalagmite. His health bar dropped to zero instantly.
---
First Death – "Rocked"
[Respawn]
Lin reappeared at the cavern entrance, coughing dust. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I JUST DIED TO A DOG THROWING A PEBBLE!"
Crystal's voice was smug. "Correction: you died to an Earth Hound's kinetic projectile. Impact velocity: 137 kph."
Lin threw his hands up. "Oh good. Physics. My favorite."
---
Second Death – "Worm-Snack"
He sprinted back into the fight, ducking behind a boulder. An Earth Hound launched another rock — it ricocheted off the cavern wall and smacked Lin in the face.
"SERIOUSLY—"
Before he could finish, the Earth Worm burst from beneath him, mandibles closing around his legs. One crunch later —
[Respawn]
Lin reappeared, shaking with fury. "I'm going to find the dev team of this nightmare and—"
---
Third Death – "Dogpile"
He tried sneaking this time. Hugging the cavern wall, he crept toward Nyra. "Okay, stealth. Quiet. No sudden moves."
An Earth Hound sniffed the air. It whirled, growled, and launched three pebbles in rapid succession. Lin raised his club to block. The first pebble shattered the club. The second hit his knee. The third hit his forehead.
[Respawn]
He appeared mid-cough, still wet from the underground lake. "WHY AM I EVEN WET AGAIN?!"
Crystal's tone was almost cheerful. "Respawn coordinates restore pre-death state."
---
Humor Amid Chaos
Elara's voice echoed faintly from the cavern. "Lin! Hurry! We can't hold them off!"
He stomped his foot. "I'm TRYING! Do you know how hard it is to fight living bulldozers that shoot bullets from their mouths?!"
Nyra yelled back, "Then don't get hit!"
Lin pointed at nothing. "When I get out of this, I'm uninstalling this whole world!"
---
Cliffhanger
The largest Earth Worm and three Earth Hounds converged on the center of the cavern. Stones levitated around them like a storm of shrapnel. The ground itself began to rise, forming jagged spikes.
Lin stared at the spectacle. "Oh come on. Now the worms can control rocks too?"
Crystal corrected him. "Combination attack detected. High-level Earth synergy. You're about to experience—"
The ground split under Lin's feet and a spike of stone shot upward, impaling his health bar instantly.
[Respawn]
Lin reappeared outside the cavern, eyes wide and twitching. "I… hate… this… game…"
Behind him, the cavern roared with the sound of stone grinding.
To be continued…