Lin crouched at the cavern entrance, fists trembling. He'd died nine times in the last half hour. He was wet, bruised, and had rock dust in places he didn't want to think about.
Elara's distant shouts echoed. "LIN! We're falling back!"
Nyra's voice: "We can't hold them much longer!"
Lin slammed his palm into the dirt. "Enough! I'm not dying again like some punchline!"
Crystal's voice came through his head, oddly calm. "At last, some resolve."
"Resolve?!" Lin snapped. "I'm about to be worm food again!"
"No," Crystal said, "you're about to evolve."
Envolve my foot Lin Said
---
The Awakening
A faint glow pulsed from his interface. New text appeared across his vision:
> [SYSTEM MESSAGE: Hidden Skill Path Unlocked – EARTH DISCIPLE]
Because you've died 25+ times in an Earth Biome, your body has begun to attune itself to the earth's pulse.
Skill Gained: STONE SENSE (Lv.1)
Feel vibrations through the ground within 30 meters. Predict movements of subterranean enemies.
Lin's eyes widened. "Wait. I get powers just for dying a lot?"
Crystal chuckled. "Congratulations. You're learning the hard way."
---
First Use
He closed his eyes and pressed his palms flat on the soil. Instantly he felt it — a low hum, like a living heartbeat. Every shift, every tremor, every crawl of the worms underfoot registered as pulses in his mind.
"There you are…" Lin whispered. He opened his eyes. "Okay. Round two."
He sprinted back into the cavern. This time, instead of running blindly, he dodged before the ground bulged. He sidestepped a worm eruption before it happened. He ducked as an Earth Hound launched a rock, then rolled behind a stalagmite at just the right second.
Elara blinked mid-shot. "How are you—"
Lin grinned, eyes glowing faintly. "I can feel the earth moving."
---
Turning the Tide
He slammed his club into a weak point in the floor. A chunk of stone broke loose, tripping an Earth Hound mid-leap. Another hound launched a rock; Lin caught it, spun, and threw it back. It cracked the creature's jaw.
Nyra gasped. "He's predicting them…"
Lin gritted his teeth. "No. I'm done predicting. I'm fighting back."
The largest worm lunged. Lin pivoted, leapt onto its armored back, and jammed his club into the seam of its plates. "How's this for terrain advantage?!"
The worm shrieked, crashing into a wall.
---
Humor Amid Heroics
Crystal purred in his head. "Impressive. You've finally stopped dying like an amateur."
"Shut up," Lin muttered, balancing on the worm's back. "This is still insane."
An Earth Hound spat a rock at him. Lin bent backward just in time, the projectile whistling past his nose.
He grinned. "Matrix dodge. Nice."
---
The cavern began to rumble harder than before. Cracks split the ceiling. From deep within the tunnels came a sound like grinding mountains — slow, massive, deliberate.
Nyra's staff flickered. "Shi.. Something else is coming."
Elara's face went pale. "That's not a worm…"
Lin's Stone Sense pulsed violently. Whatever it was, it was fuc..ing huge.
He gulped. "I just got good at fighting worms. Don't tell me there's a boss bigger than them…"
Crystal's voice was quiet. "Oh, there is. And it's awake."
The ceiling above them caved, and a colossal shadow fell across the cavern floor.
To be continued…