Visor, the Vision Hunter, had the same thoughts as Lucien.

He immediately directed his vision to pierce through the ground and everyone immediately saw...

A black silhouette "swimming" underground.

It was right beneath everyone’s feet.

"It...it is still here!"

Visor shouted and the awakeners subconsciously jolted, trying to move away from the range.

But just then—

The black shadow underground rapidly approached their eyesight.

No—

It’s coming out!

"Watch out— "

Burst!

The ground under the hunters’ feet sank like a sinkhole and a huge mouth came out from below, the four-petal teeth opening and closing.

Lucien looked down and saw those rows of teeth only a few meters away...

His inner soul almost fainted.

Ahhh! T-they are right above the monster’s mouth!!

The captain roared as his hands flashed with light.

"Attack!!"

As the hunters’ body plummeted into the wide-open mouth, they blasted their skills into the thing’s mouth.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Colorful lights landed inside the mouth and the thing immediately shrieked.

"Hissss!"

Its head squirmed away from the group of hunters and its body slowly turned into an arc, about to dive down.

But as it dived—

Its mouth snatched a hunter.

Chomp.

"Huh...?"

The hunter only saw darkness and then—

Crack!

Splat!

Blood burst out, raining down the hunters’ faces.

What...?

The hunters were stunned.

Their bodies fell to the sinkhole as the thing’s head dived back, quickly disappearing beneath the undulating ground.

Thud!

Shhhhh.

The loose ground underneath slowly swallowed them, about to bury them alive.

The captain’s veins popped up, his cry cut through the air.

"Climb! Climb! Quick!"

The hunters climbed up on all four and right when their feet touched a solid ground—

Shhhhh.

The sinkhole behind them swallowed their previous place— leaving nothing behind.

Shrrkkk.

The sinkhole stopped moving, the undulating ground froze.

As if nothing happened.

"Haaa...haa..."

The hunters wiped the blood splashed on their faces, tears slid down their cheeks.

"How...?" A hunter murmured in disbelief.

They had clearly attacked the mouth and the thing also retreated, but it still snatched a hunter right before retreating!

Lucien didn’t speak, eyebrows furrowing at the sticky blood on his face.

Among hunters whose faces screamed "I’m scared", Lucien only looked "I’m annoyed", but he had a chill down his spine, his legs trembling.

His inner soul was already hiding under the blanket, burying his face on the pillow.

Ahhhh. THAT is the boss monster??

It had the digger’s specialty— but it was even worse because it created a sinkhole wherever it went.

Not to mention the black shell that is similar to the thumpers.

Don’t tell him it was even tougher than the thumpers’ shells??

Lucien racked his brain and looked at his innate skills,

Worse came worse, he had to fight too!

"Everyone, move! Move!" The captain’s shaky voice echoed in the barren land and the hunters quickly ran away from the sinkhole area, their vision still following the black shadow underground.

"I-is it going to attack again?" Someone asked.

"W-we can’t let it!" The captain barked while stuttering, his face grim.

"Earth awakener! Control the earth above that thing— compress it!!"

There’s no way they could let that thing out!

The earth awakeners including the sand guy immediately used their skills, covering the area right above the worm’s body.

Shhhhh.

The ground slowly sank, but it didn’t become soft like the sinkhole.

If anything, it looked like a hydraulic press, intending to lock the thing forever underground.

The thing sensed the ground movement and it quickly swam away from the press range, its huge body moved as nimble as a fish.

"Captain! We can’t lock it— "

"Control the underground earth! Pressure from both sides!"

The captain shouted and the earth awakeners obeyed, using almost all of their energy to execute such a demanding skill.

Shhrrkkkk.

The ground around the thing’s body started to press towards it and the hard ground on the surface area continues to descend.

"Hissss!"

The thing let out a sharp cry, its voice piercing the ground and echoing throughout the vast barren land.

Grrkkk.

The underground and the surface ground slowly trapped the worm in the middle.

Everyone’s eyes lit up.

"Just a bit more! Hurry!"

It would be best if they could also squeeze this thing to death!

But then...the black shadow underground let out a soft humming noise.

Hummmm.

The solid ground around its body softened, the pressure was slowly lifted.

Under everyone’s wide eyes—

The thing slipped away from the four-corner pressure and its shadow approached them rapidly.

Everyone’s faces darkened.

That thing is coming out!

A support hunter shouted,

"Attack Buff!"

A bright light covered the hunters’ bodies and their offensive skills were strengthened by 10 whole percent!

Without hesitation, the hunters aimed their hands to the surface of where the black shadow was rapidly closing in.

And then—

Burst!

The ground exploded once more and a sleek, black figure lunged out, its four-petal mouth contracting.

"Hissss!"

As the ground under the hunters’ feet cracked, the hunters’ bodies swayed, but they shouted,

"Attack!!"

Another round of flashy skills; fire, lightning, water, wind— all blasted the worm’s head.

Boom!

Dust exploded and the silhouette behind the thick dust shrieked, its head wriggling.

"Hissss!"

Visor’s eyes pierced through the dust and everyone in the shared vision immediately saw the signs of char and cracks on the black shell.

But it was only signs.

The shell didn’t truly crack.

Their attacks buffed with a whole 10% increased damage... 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Only barely cracked the shell.

Everyone clenched their fists, their chests went up and down as they tried to catch their breaths.

They clearly had bombed its mouth and head, but—

If there was a gaming panel showing the monster’s HP...maybe its health was still above half!

The silhouette behind the dust dived down sharply, escaping underground.

Again.

That thing kept attacking out of the blue and then retreating in a flash.

A healer hunter and another support hunter quickly used their skills, their soft lights enveloping the hunters.

"Group heal!"

"Group energy boost!"

The hunters’ surface injuries that weren’t too severe slowly closed in and their depleted energy increased by several points.

Despite that, everyone’s nerves were tense, eyes following the black shadow’s movement underground.

It swam slower than before, but it was still circling deep under their feet— lurking, waiting.

Someone swallowed, their voice shaking.

"C-can we really...kill this monster?"