The Sandworm reacted the instant the Dragon Flame struck.
It opened its massive, grotesque mouth, revealing concentric rings of long, serrated teeth. Its throat convulsed violently—and with a thunderous heave—it spat out a gigantic rock.
But Rayder was ready.
From his previous battles with these creatures, he had learned not to confront the projectile head-on. Before the rock had even launched, he had already ordered Im to dodge.
The black dragon reacted instantly. With astonishing agility, Im twisted in the air, slipping around the incoming boulder with fluid, effortless motion. Despite its enormous size, Im moved with the grace of a dancer.
Rayder silently praised it.
Im's reaction speed and flight control are on another level, he thought, gripping the saddle tight as they swooped past the rock's wake.
He remembered well—after a Sandworm expelled a rock, it needed several minutes, perhaps three to five, to build up another attack. This cooldown period was their best window.
Without hesitation, Rayder gave the order.
"Im, attack again!"
The black dragon roared and unleashed another torrent of Dragon Flame. Like a spiraling python of shadow and fire, the black flames danced in the air, scorching the exposed body of the Sandworm. The creature's skin bubbled and cracked, chunks of charred flesh falling away in smoking lumps. A thick, nauseating smell of burnt meat filled the sky.
Rayder kept a mental clock running, counting the seconds. When the interval was nearly up, he ordered Im to pull back and ascend high above the danger zone.
Sure enough, moments later, the Sandworm convulsed and launched another boulder skyward.
This time, the rock's trajectory was deceptive, arcing at a sharper angle, aiming to predict Im's position.
But it failed.
Im banked hard to the left and veered effortlessly around it, soaring safely out of range.
Rayder narrowed his eyes, watching the beast below writhe in pain and rage.
"This isn't over," he muttered.
The Sandworm was wounded, but it was far from defeated.
It had learned.
Rayder could feel it—the creature wasn't going to blindly repeat the same patterns. It had become cautious. Its counterattacks were smarter, its movement more unpredictable.
Still, Rayder knew that with careful timing, using the gaps between its attacks, they had a real chance to destroy it.
"Again," he commanded.
Im dove once more, letting out another ferocious roar as it spewed Dragon Flame onto the Sandworm's grotesque face. The flesh around its jaws peeled back under the heat, revealing hideous layers of muscle and those terrible serrated rings of teeth.
Rayder's heart surged with anticipation. One more clean hit like that, maybe two, and it'll be over.
But the Sandworm had no intention of dying so easily.
It suddenly stopped thrashing. Then, in a move that surprised both Rayder and Im, it retreated underground—vanishing into the earth like a turtle pulling into its shell.
Rayder stared at the gaping, dark hole it left behind. The edges were scorched black, still steaming from the Dragon Flame.
But no movement came from within.
Rayder didn't dare have Im get too close. The creature's ambush tactics could be devastating, and being above its lair was too dangerous.
From a safer altitude, he directed Im to send a steady stream of Dragon Flame directly into the opening.
The black fire surged downward like a crashing waterfall. The soil around the opening hissed and melted, yet there was no sound, no screech, no reaction from below.
It was gone. Or hiding deep enough to be unreachable.
Rayder clenched his jaw in frustration and opened his system panel. Kidora's incubation progress hadn't moved. That confirmed it—the Sandworm had fled deep underground, cutting off the energy source Rayder needed.
Continuing the attack was pointless.
With a heavy sigh, Rayder gave up on this fight—for now.
He tapped Im's neck.
"Let's find another one."
The dragon responded with a guttural rumble and flapped its enormous wings, lifting them higher into the sky.
They soared across the land for over ten miles before finding another patch of black mist curling out of a valley basin.
Rayder's eyes lit up.
"Burn it!"
Im dived, letting out a roar, and poured a stream of Dragon Flame onto the valley below. The black mist recoiled and evaporated under the searing heat, exposing the terrain beneath.
But this time, there was no Sandworm. No beast. Just scorched earth.
Rayder frowned.
"Where are they hiding?"
His thoughts churned. What exactly is this black mist? Why does it appear in places with Sandworms? Is it connected to them—or something else entirely?
Despite the questions building in his mind, Rayder didn't let doubt take over. He patted Im's neck, signaling to move forward again.
Again and again, they found the mist—only for it to vanish with no creatures beneath.
By the fifth empty site, frustration set in.
He gazed at the bright sky. Could the Sandworms only be active at night? Did the sunlight drive them underground?
It was a plausible theory.
He shook his head. "No use chasing ghosts."
The hunt for Sandworms would have to wait.
With that decision made, Rayder shifted tactics.
He ordered Im to lower their flight altitude and burn the ground indiscriminately.
The black dragon complied, flying low and sweeping the land with its pitch-black Dragon Flame. Rayder watched from above, eyes scanning every shadow.
Whenever something moved—a strange creature, a corrupted beast, or even a flock of birds—they were engulfed in fire without hesitation.
These weren't ordinary animals. Many bore mutations from exposure to magic—extra limbs, grotesque faces, twisted horns.
Whether they were a threat or not, Rayder didn't care. Right now, he needed energy. And he needed Kidora to hatch.
And so, for hours, Rayder and Im swept across the land, bathing it in black fire.
By the time the sun dipped low and the horizon began to glow with amber light, Rayder finally signaled the retreat.
They returned to the lair.
As Im landed heavily on the stone ledge outside their cave, Rayder checked the system panel.
Kidora's incubation had reached 93%.
A satisfied smile tugged at his lips. It had been a productive day.
If not for the exhaustion pulling at his limbs and Im's visible fatigue, he would've kept going until the bar reached 100%.
But even warriors needed rest.
Rayder dismounted and stretched his arms, feeling the dull ache of sore muscles. He was coated in sweat and grime, but his spirits were high.
A little fire crackled nearby, where some meat was already roasting over the flames.
Rayder walked over, the savory aroma making his mouth water.
Today's catch had been remarkable. Among the many creatures they had incinerated, they had actually managed to find and kill a tiger—albeit one distorted by magical corruption. Its fur had been patchy, and its eyes glowed unnaturally—but it was a tiger nonetheless.
Back in his previous life, Rayder had never even seen a tiger, let alone eaten one.
Well, no time like the present.
He picked up a cooked slab of meat and took a hearty bite. The flavor surprised him—rich, gamey, and juicy. His eyes widened in appreciation.
"This… isn't bad at all," he mumbled through a mouthful.
Sure, he hadn't been able to save the tiger's pelt—it had burned in the fire—but the taste made up for it.
After he finished eating, Rayder felt much better. The food warmed his body and revived his energy.
He cleaned his sword and stood up, facing the open area outside the lair.
It was time for some training.
Drawing the blade, he began practicing basic movements: chops, slashes, thrusts, and parries. These simple drills were the core of his combat style—techniques honed to precision.
Each swing cut the air with smooth discipline. Each step grounded him.
Even in this strange world of dragons, parasites, and monsters, Rayder never neglected the basics.
Behind him, Im lay curled up, its wings folded tightly around its body. Its massive chest rose and fell in a deep rhythm, the dragon finally resting after a long day.
Its belly bulged slightly from a full meal, having devoured many of the creatures they had scorched.
Rayder paused his training and looked over.
A faint smile crossed his lips..
"We're almost there," he whispered.
Kidora would hatch soon. A three-headed dragon… a true monster among monsters.
Rayder sheathed his sword, sat down on a nearby rock, and gazed out at the darkening horizon.
Tomorrow would be a big day..
And he would be ready.
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