That's very concerning. The system, which had so far been quite forward with its instructions, suddenly gave me a cryptic goal.

  “Survive.”

  Survive? For how long? And what exactly are we surviving from?

  The answer revealed itself sooner than I would’ve liked. The sand beneath me began to tremble. At first it was subtle, the kind of vibration you might dismiss as shifting dunes or a gust of wind pushing grains along. But this was no natural cause. The tremor had rhythm, a pulsing disturbance that felt like something massive was tunneling just beneath me. My stomach tightened.

  Then, a few hundred feet in front of me, the ground erupted. A geyser of sand exploded upward, showering the desert with dust and grit. Bursting through came a creature that looked as if it had been born from the desert itself. A colossal worm, beige and scaled, easily several stories long and thick as a building. Its body writhed with unnerving speed for something its size, the ridges along its side rippling as it slithered toward me.

  Then it opened its maw.

  Rows upon rows of jagged, needle-like teeth lined its cavernous throat, glinting faintly in the sunlight. The air filled with the stench of rot and scorched stone, and I realized in that moment.

  This thing was a predator. Mere goblins or orcs couldn't compare. My heart pounded, but instinct overrode hesitation. The only option now was to use what I had been given.

  I raised my arm, planting my other hand firmly against it for support. Mana surged from within, drawn from the core of my being, gathering in my palm. I felt the familiar prickle of heat crawl across my skin as the circle of magic began to form—glowing, spinning, expanding outward like molten script burning against the air. Power built rapidly, .

  The worm was fast, much faster than I expected for something so massive. Each second I delayed meant it closed more distance, the ground rumbling louder beneath its weight. My teeth clenched. I couldn’t charge the spell any longer.

  I whispered, “Fireball.”

  The fireball tore forward like a comet, streaking through the dust-filled air. The worm’s mouth widened as if in defiance—or hunger—and it swallowed the projectile whole.

  A moment later, a red glow began to radiate through its segmented body. Its stomach swelled grotesquely, and then the fireball detonated. The explosion ripped through its insides with a muffled boom. Fire licked outward from its gullet and eyes, and the worm convulsed violently. Flames enveloped it in an instant, consuming its hide.

  The momentum carried its colossal frame forward, ragdolling toward me like a collapsing wall of flesh. I braced myself, but the beast collapsed with a thunderous crash only a few dozen feet away. Close enough to spray me with burning sand, but not close enough to crush.

  The desert fell silent except for the crackle of fire. I let out a sharp breath, lowering my arm. My mana reserves ached from the effort—one well-formed fireball had cost me nearly a tenth. Effective, yes. Sustainable? That was another question.

  I studied the worm’s smoldering corpse, smoke rising in thin pillars. At least now I knew these things could be killed. That was comforting. What unsettled me more was the thought of those who didn’t fight. The support classes. What chance would they have if they’d been dropped here alone? Against something like this, they’d be swallowed before they could even scream.

  But then again... if the system had dragged us all here, would it really be so cruel as to leave them helpless? Everything up until now suggested it wasn’t arbitrary. It rewarded fairly, proportionally.

  I need to upgrade my class further. If I was caught off guard by one of these things, I'd be toast.

  The equipment gives me more mana. Like Sosuke's. This is quite kind of the Tower. It isn't, though. It uprooted everything we knew for a game. This means that it will get much harder to compensate. Let's see what new spells I've unlocked.

  Now that’s good. But what I needed more was something to move. The sun hammered down on me, each breath drawing hot, dry air that seared my throat. Nobody was nearby—no allies, no voices, only the shifting dunes and the lingering stench of charred flesh from the worm I had just slain.

  I hadn’t upgraded my senses, and the regret gnawed at me. If I had, maybe I would’ve known what was coming. Maybe I could’ve noticed the faint vibrations in time. For now, it was acceptable. These worms weren’t a major threat to me anymore.

  Or so I thought.

  The sand beneath me surged violently, collapsing inward like a sinkhole. Something enormous erupted upward, and before I could react, it swallowed me whole.

  Rows of ragged, saw-like teeth shredded through my coat and bit into muscle, searing pain racing up my body as blood spilled. The world tilted, then disappeared in darkness. My vision tunneled as I was dragged down its gullet, air ripped from my lungs. I couldn’t even yelp—my throat was crushed shut by panic.

  The fall ended with a sickening splash. I hit a shallow pool of stinging liquid that burned instantly, the acrid reek filling my nose. Stomach acid. It clung to my skin, gnawing through cloth and flesh, and the pain was unbearable. My nerves screamed as the creature’s body convulsed around me, forcing me deeper, trying to digest me alive.

  I can’t use Fireball. If I did, I’d ignite myself along with it. The spell was suicide in here.

  My voice tore out in a ragged shout, “Mana Enhancement!”

  The world snapped brighter. Strength surged into my muscles, mana flooding my veins like molten iron. My limbs bulged with unnatural force, skin hardening against the acid’s bite. I lashed out, kicking the pool beneath me, scattering it in a violent splash, buying myself a heartbeat of reprieve.

  That heartbeat was enough.

  I roared, every ounce of fear and fury breaking loose, “Weapon Gate!”

  The darkness split open with blinding light. In my mind’s eye I imagined twenty portals, encircling me in a perfect sphere. Reality bent to that vision by magic. Pink rifts tore themselves into existence, and from them erupted a storm of obsidian. Swords, axes, polearms—each weapon screamed as it shot outward, piercing the worm’s flesh in every direction.

  The creature convulsed violently. Its muscles tore, acid sloshed, and its momentum stalled. A gaping hole split open near me, carved by a dozen blades. Without hesitation, I lunged for it, my body still burning, and threw myself through the opening.

  I burst into the daylight, collapsing onto the worm’s back. The slick, scorched flesh carried me downward in a graceless slide until I tumbled into the sand. My chest heaved, my vision swimming, and the adrenaline that had sustained me drained away. All that was left was agony—ragged wounds across my arms and torso, skin blistered raw, blood soaking my coat.

  I couldn’t stay exposed. Not here. Not now. If another worm came...

  I pressed my trembling hand against the sand and choked out, “Earth Wall!”

  The ground answered. The desert split, stone erupting in jagged slabs. Dense rock—not fragile dirt anymore—formed three walls around me. One in front, one behind, one below, sealing me into a cocoon of safety.

  It was enough. My mana was maybe at half, my body torn and bleeding, but I was protected.

  The stone walls closed in, muffling the world. My eyelids fluttered, the pain overtaking me at last. And then, once more...

  Black.