Chapter 10 Piercing the Abyss

Iryoku stood in the center of the massive cavern, his shoulders rising and falling with deliberate breaths. His fingers flexed around the hilt of his daggers, his focus sharpened to a razor's edge. He inhaled deeply, then shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice carrying like a thunderclap through the vast space.

“Hey, motherfucking worm! I’m here!”

The sheer force of his voice echoed endlessly, reverberating off the walls. The stalactites above quivered with the vibration, shedding faint dust that drifted lazily to the ground.

As the echoes faded into an uneasy silence, Iryoku took a deep breath, steadying himself. His heart beat steadily in his chest as he calmed his breathing and focused entirely on his surroundings. Every sense was honed to detect even the faintest shift in the air, the smallest vibration beneath his feet.

Seconds passed, each one stretching into what felt like minutes.

Then, it came—the familiar, sickly-sweet scent. It filled the air with a cloying intensity, growing stronger with every passing moment. The scent clung to his nostrils like a noxious fog, making his stomach churn.

The smell was soon accompanied by a low, guttural growl—a deep, vibrating sound that rattled the stones around him.

Then, chillingly, the growl shifted into a warped, childlike voice. “Help me…” it rasped, broken and distorted, like something mimicking the words of a crying child.

Iryoku clenched his jaw. “Yeah, come on out, you freak,” he muttered, his voice steady, though his body was tense. “I’ll send you and your spawn straight to hell.”

A sudden, sharp sound echoed from below—a tearing, scraping noise. Iryoku’s instincts flared, and he leaped to the side just as the stone beneath him erupted with violent force.

A monstrous head shot out of the ground, its Crooked, eyeless face opening into a maw filled with serrated, metallic teeth. The jaws snapped shut with a deafening clank, missing him by a hair’s breadth.

Iryoku hit the ground in a roll, springing to his feet in one fluid motion. Without hesitation, he rushed toward the exposed side of the worm, daggers flashing in his hands. With a flurry of precise strikes, he slashed and stabbed, the blades skimming the worm’s thick hide in quick, calculated arcs.

The sound of his assault echoed in the cavern, the blades scraping against the worm’s armored flesh. The creature reared back, letting out a guttural screech that sent a deep vibration through the air.

Iryoku didn’t wait for retaliation. He darted backward, his movements quick and agile, retreating several paces as the worm thrashed wildly. Its body was still only partially out of the hole, the rest of its massive form writhing in the unseen depths below. The monster’s head twisted toward him, its gaping maw snapping as it lunged again.

He sidestepped the attack, skidding to a stop a safe distance away. His eyes darted to the glinting surfaces of his daggers, now smeared with a faint, viscous substance.

But the cuts he’d made were shallow, barely enough to scratch the creature’s hide. The worm’s thick, spiked armor had absorbed most of his strikes, leaving it unharmed and enraged.

“Tch,” Iryoku clicked his tongue in frustration. He glanced at the creature’s massive form, its head thrashing furiously as it searched for him again.

Just like I thought, he mused grimly. These blades won’t cut deep enough. We’re gonna need something bigger—something that can actually hurt this thing.

The worm roared again, its maw snapping with a metallic clang as it twisted its body, readying for another strike. Iryoku adjusted his stance, his grip tightening on the daggers as he prepared to dodge again.

The worm lunged at Iryoku, its massive body surging completely out of the ground with incredible force. Its gaping maw snapped shut where he had been standing only moments before, but Iryoku sidestepped the attack, his dagger flashing in a swift arc as the creature’s body streaked past. The blade connected, leaving a faint, shallow cut along the worm’s hide.

The beast roared in pain and fury, its tail whipping around with terrifying speed. Iryoku barely managed to leap out of its path, the tail smashing into the ground and sending debris flying everywhere.

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He landed deftly, but before he could reposition, the worm's massive head came hurtling back toward him, its serrated teeth gleaming in the faint light. With a grunt, Iryoku pushed his legs to their limit, leaping high into the air just as the worm’s jaws crashed into the ground beneath him.

As he soared upward, Iryoku twisted his body mid-air and landed squarely on the worm's head. Without hesitation, he slashed with both daggers, aiming for the glowing lure on the creature’s head. His blades struck true, slicing cleanly through the lure in a crossing motion.

The worm let out an earsplitting roar of agony, its voice reverberating through the cavern as the severed lure fell to the ground, spilling viscous, glowing ichor. Before the monster could thrash and throw him off, Iryoku sprang from its head, landing nimbly near the cave’s exit.

Enraged beyond reason, the worm thrashed wildly. Its massive head swung violently, smashing into the cavern walls, while its tail swept through the air in uncontrollable arcs. The ground quaked under the sheer force of its movements, and the stalactites overhead trembled, some already cracking and falling to the floor.

“Do it, Yumi!” Iryoku shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.

High above, perched on a rock near the cave’s entrance, Yumi remained hidden, her bow drawn tight. Her body trembled with the effort of holding her arrow in place, her mind singularly focused on one thought: piercing power.

The arrow’s tip shimmered with a faint, swirling light. The energy intensified, the glow condensing into a spiraling, drill-like shape at the arrowhead. The faint hum of magic filled the air, growing louder with each passing second.

Her target had been the worm’s head, but , her gaze shifted upward to the ceiling. The stalactites above trembled dangerously, weakened by the worm’s enraged strikes.

“This is for the children,” she whispered fiercely.

Her fingers released the bowstring, and the arrow shot forward like a bolt of lightning. The supercharged projectile streaked through the air, a trail of spiraling light in its wake.

The arrow struck its new target with pinpoint accuracy—a cluster of stalactites hanging precariously above the worm. The impact was immediate and devastating. The energy from the arrow penetrated in a straight line, shattering the stalactites and sending them plummeting down like deadly spears, piercing the worm's massive body and leaving deep, gaping wounds. The creature screamed in agony, its shrill cry reverberating through the cavern. Its thrashing slowed momentarily as its blood pooled on the rocky floor, but the injuries weren’t enough to stop it.

With a guttural growl, the worm began moving again, dragging its massive frame toward the cave’s exit where Yumi and Iryoku stood. its movements fueled by a mix of pain and fury.

“Now, Yumi!” Iryoku shouted, his voice sharp and commanding.

Yumi was already in position, her bow drawn with another arrow. She didn’t aim at the approaching worm but turned her focus to the far end of the cave—toward the passage that led to where they had found the remains and the eggs.

Her fingers released the string, and the arrow shot through the air with a sharp whistle. It arced gracefully before striking true, smashing into the only remaining egg with a resonant crack. The egg shattered, its contents spilling out across the cavern floor.

The worm stopped abruptly, its massive head turning toward the sound of its destroyed offspring. The scent of its broken egg filled the air, overpowering even the faint candy-like smell that had lingered before.

It body twitching, and then turned sharply, retreating from its attack on Iryoku and Yumi. Its massive form moved toward the other side of the cave, slithering rapidly toward the remnants of its offspring.

Taking advantage of its distraction, Yumi leaped gracefully from the rock. She landed directly in Iryoku’s arms, her body tense and her breath uneven.

“Time to go!” Iryoku said, quickly setting her down. Without hesitation, they both took off at a sprint toward the exit, their hearts pounding as if they would burst from their chests.

Their footsteps echoed sharply against the cavern walls as they retraced their path through the twisting passageways. The darkness and stifling air pressed down on them, but they pushed forward, fueled by the primal instinct to survive.

It wasn’t long before a deafening roar shattered the air behind them. The worm had caught onto their escape. Its enraged scream echoed through the cave, growing louder with every passing second as it closed the distance.

“Faster!” Iryoku urged, glancing over his shoulder to see the monstrous shadow gaining on them.

Iryoku gritted his teeth, and just as they reached the opening of the room with the massive rock spear-like stalactite embedded in the wall, he scooped Yumi up into a princess carry. She gasped, clutching onto his shoulders, but he didn’t slow down.

The worm was right behind them, its massive jaws snapping and its body tearing through the rocky passage in its single-minded rage.

Iryoku charged straight toward the giant rock spear, every muscle in his body screaming from exertion. At the last possible moment, with the worm mere feet from him, he twisted his body and leaped to the side, holding Yumi tightly as they tumbled to the ground.

The worm’s momentum carried it forward, unable to stop in time. Its enormous body slammed into the rock spear with a sickening crack. The sharp stalactite pierced through its thick hide, running through its entire body from head to tail.

The cavern shook violently as the worm’s death throes caused debris to rain from above. Its ear-piercing screech suddenly stopped, replaced by an eerie silence broken only by the sound of its lifeless body collapsing against the floor. Blood poured from the wound, pooling beneath the creature in thick, steaming rivulets.

Iryoku and Yumi lay on the ground, clutching each other as their chests heaved with labored breaths. Their arms were wrapped tightly around one another, their faces pale and slick with sweat.

As the adrenaline subsided, their breathing began to slow, and they both became acutely aware of their exhaustion.

They stayed there for a moment longer, letting the relief and triumph of their narrow escape sink in.

Finally, Iryoku spoke, his voice hoarse but laced with a tired smile. “Well... we did it.”

Yumi chuckled weakly, still resting her head against his shoulder. “Yeah… we actually did.”

They didn’t need to say more. They both knew this victory was hard-won. The monster was dead.

For now, they could let themselves feel triumphant.