The worm's enormous mouth rose above Hajin with every circular row of teeth rotating toward him.
He drove mana beneath both feet before the creature could descend.
Sand erupted behind him as the burst launched his body sideways, clearing the jaws an instant before the worm struck.
Its head crashed into the place he had occupied and buried half its mouth beneath the dune.
Hajin landed on a nearby slope of loose, shifting sand.
His feet slid through the surface until he lowered his weight and found balance above the shifting grains.
The worm tore its head free with a shriek, spraying black sand from between its teeth.
'This time around, it is my turn to swing back.'
Hajin circulated mana through his right arm and summoned one golden ring around his wrist.
The concentric halo hummed with dense power, multiplying his base strength by one and a half while the monster turned toward him.
He jumped before the worm could pull its buried head free.
