Chapter 372: The Giant Worm

The tall tablet propped up the narrow tunnel, lifting the ceiling significantly.

Helag noticed that placing the tablet hadn’t changed the tunnel’s condition.

He suspected the situation was complex, and merely placing the tablet wasn’t enough.

Helag even doubted that returning the tablet to its original position would alter the situation.

Though the tunnel remained unchanged, the tablet temporarily supported it, maintaining stability.

Helag knew this was temporary; soon, the pressure from above would collapse the tunnel.

The tablet could only support vertically, not horizontally.

Once the collapse was complete, Helag would be crushed by the surrounding earth and rock.

He might become the first wizard in history to be crushed underground.

Running upward was futile; Deep Blue’s detection showed both ends of the tunnel collapsing.

Helag glanced at his plane coordinates, hesitating to activate them.

The problem was that teleportation would return him to the same spot, still trapped in the collapsing tunnel.

If he teleported, Helag would need to quickly enhance his power to survive upon return.

Creak…

Helag heard faint sounds from the surrounding earth, the pressure causing the rocks to shift.

Looking up, he saw dirt falling from the ceiling.

Without the tablet’s support, the tunnel would have collapsed instantly.

Helag’s mind raced, seeking an escape.

Time was short; the tunnel would collapse in seconds.

The pressure would come from all sides; even in Titan form, Helag couldn’t withstand it.

He held his left hand, ready to activate the coordinates.

He’d use it only as a last resort.

Teleporting to the Abyssal Plane would only delay death, not solve the problem.

Dirt and rocks fell, adding to Helag’s anxiety.

Watching the impending collapse, Helag almost retrieved the tablet to activate the coordinates.

Suddenly, Deep Blue detected a creature.

A giant worm, like the one that attacked him before.

Helag had an idea, drawing his sword and deactivating Titan form, cutting his palm.

He scattered his blood, shouting toward the worm’s location.

The sound traveled through the earth, reaching the worm, which was highly sensitive to vibrations.

Sensing the sound, the worm turned toward Helag, moving swiftly.

Its hard shell and unique structure allowed it to navigate the underground layers easily.

The worm smelled the blood, becoming excited, speeding toward Helag.

Its underground speed was far greater than on the surface.

In an instant, the worm reached Helag’s position.

Opening its mouth, it aimed to swallow Helag and the surrounding earth.

Helag focused, timing the worm’s approach and mouth opening.

At the right moment, Helag retrieved the tablet, causing the ceiling to collapse.

The falling earth didn’t hit Helag but the worm.

The worm’s structure absorbed the impact effortlessly.

The worm swallowed Helag and the earth, contentedly roaming underground.

Inside the worm, Helag used a dagger to anchor himself, avoiding the digestive organs.

The dagger was insignificant to the worm, the wound unnoticed.

The worm’s throat contained blade-like organs to shred food for digestion.

As Helag neared the throat, he used Flash to bypass it.

He hung in the esophagus, a dark abyss below.

Beyond lay the stomach, emitting a foul stench.

Helag knew falling in meant digestion.

The worm’s ability to swallow rocks indicated powerful digestion.

Helag gripped the dagger, resisting the pull.

The digestive organs seemed to draw in objects.

The pull was strong; without the dagger, Helag would be sucked in.

The surrounding muscles contracted, trying to push him down.

But the dagger held firm, anchoring him.

Helag stabilized, swinging wildly as the worm moved.

The worm traveled at high speed, changing direction frequently.

Helag held tight, avoiding being flung off.

He didn’t know the worm’s destination or when it would stop.

Helag needed to act; otherwise, he’d be lost forever.

After a while, the worm sensed something amiss.

It thought it had swallowed its prey, but it was stuck.

Realizing this, the worm thrashed, trying to dislodge Helag into its stomach.