Ch 37: An Unknown Land

As Emrys stood frozen, unable to move, something strange happened. A deep rumbling sound came from beneath the giant insectoid. The ground began to shake slightly, and cracks appeared below its massive body.

Suddenly, a dark swirling portal appeared right under the insectoid. It looked like a hole leading into endless darkness with black mist rising from it.

The insectoid let out a low but furious sound. Its body was trembling as if it was trying to resist being pulled in. But the portal’s power was too strong. The massive creature began sinking into the dark abyss.

Emrys felt the pull too.

"No! What’s happening?!" he shouted.

Unfortunately, before he could do anything, the portal’s force grabbed him as well. The ground beneath him disappeared, and he fell into the dark abyss along with the insectoid.

Emrys screamed loudly but the sound of his voice seemed to have disappeared completely, swallowed by the strange darkness. It was like he was falling through nothingness. The air felt cold and heavy, and he couldn’t see anything except the swirling black around him.

He kept falling for what felt like forever. At some point, he could no longer see the giant insectoid. It was as if the darkness had swallowed it whole.

"What is happening?" Emrys thought as panic filled his chest.

He continued to fall for an unknown period of time.

After a long time, something changed. The speed of his fall began to slow. Strong gusts of wind came from below, pushing against him. It felt like invisible hands were catching him, slowing his descent bit by bit.

The wind grew stronger, and soon, Emrys saw a faint light far below.

Thud~

Before he could figure out what it was, he fell into the water with a loud splash. The cold water hit him hard, knocking the air out of his lungs.

Emrys struggled as he tried to swim. The water was deep and he could not see the bottom. He kicked and waved his arms, trying to move toward what he thought was the surface.

But just as he managed to catch his breath, the water became chaotic. Huge waves appeared out of nowhere, tossing him around like a leaf in a storm.

"What’s happening now?!" Emrys thought in horror. His body spun in the strong current.

The waves grew stronger and pulled him along. It felt like a tsunami, dragging him somewhere unknown. He tried to fight against it, but the water was too powerful.

Exhausted and helpless, Emrys let the waves carry him, not knowing where he would end up next.

After a while, Emrys felt the waves finally slow down, and then, everything stopped all of a sudden. He opened his eyes while coughing and gasping for air.

As he looked, he found himself lying on solid ground, completely drenched and shivering.

But as he looked around, his heart sank in despair. This was not the cave, nor was there any water body nearby.

He couldn't help but wonder where the river of the sea—whatever it was that he had fallen into—had gone, for he couldn't see anything other than desolation no matter where he looked.

The sky above him was red, glowing like a never-ending sunset. But it didn't feel warm. Instead, the air was heavy, cold, and strange. Dark clouds were swirling high above, crackling with faint flashes of lightning.

The ground under him was dry and cracked like it hadn’t rained in years. The land stretched endlessly. It was barren and lifeless. The earth was a dull gray, broken only by jagged rocks and deep pits.

In the distance, Emrys could see shadows moving. They weren't human. Some were large, with sharp claws and glowing eyes. Others were small but fast, darting between the rocks. They made strange, eerie sounds, like growls and hisses.

A cold wind blew, carrying with it a foul metallic smell. It made Emrys gag.

“What is this place?” he muttered inwardly in a voice trembling.

Turning his head, he spotted twisted trees far away. They weren’t like normal trees; their branches were sharp and looked like claws reaching for the sky. Nothing here seemed natural.

Emrys tried to stand but stumbled. His body was weak, and his head was spinning.

Suddenly, he heard a loud roar in the distance. It echoed across the wasteland, sending chills down his spine. Whatever made that sound was big and dangerous.

Emrys clenched his fists. His heart was racing.

"I have to survive… no matter what."

But as he took a step forward, the ground beneath him shifted. It wasn't solid. Something was moving under the surface, something big.

His instincts screamed danger. Without thinking, he jumped to the side.

Cr-kaa~

The next moment, the ground burst open with a loud crash!

A massive worm shot out of the ground. It was huge, towering above Emrys. Its body was covered in thick slimy scales that shone in the red light of the sky. Around its neck was a strange flower-like opening, but it wasn't beautiful. Instead, the petals were sharp and had strange glowing patterns.

Inside its mouth were rows of sharp teeth, thousands of them, spinning like a saw.

Screech~

The worm let out a screeching sound, so loud it made Emrys cover his ears for a second.

The creature lunged at Emrys, its mouth wide open, ready to swallow him whole.

Emrys didn’t have time to think. His body moved on its own. He used Void Steps, vanishing in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, he reappeared several steps away.

Bang!

The worm missed him and slammed into the ground instead. The impact sent dirt and rocks flying everywhere.

Emrys gasped for air. His heart was pounding. The danger was coming to swallow him one after another.

Fortunately, he gained a lot in the last few days. Elysia's armor was still covering his body, shining faintly with a protective glow.

Emrys reached for the blade strapped to his back.

Hiss!

The worm roared in anger again. It turned toward him. Its glowing neck pulsed with strange energy. It seemed furious that its prey had dodged.

Emrys stood still while firmly gripping his blade.

“This thing is strong, but I can handle it!”

He could sense its strength. It was as powerful as a Fourth Star Beast. It was stronger than him, but not unbeatable.