Chapter 8: Swarm

Luo Si circled at a thousand meters altitude, his dragon eyes locking onto the rock-crack worm below.

Through the Life Level Detection technique, Luo Si had confirmed that the rock-crack worm was a Level 7 lifeform, identical to his own level.

Life Level Detection technique—he had awakened this spell-like ability a year ago.

Dragons are supreme magical creatures, innate sorcerers who naturally master many bloodline-derived arts as they age.

Such arts differ from spells: weaker in power but instant-cast, hence called spell-like abilities.

Life Level Detection technique was one of them.

Normally, young dragons have not yet reached the age to awaken such spell-like abilities.

Luo Si’s physical growth, accelerated by adaptation and evolution, had also granted him early mastery of several spell-like abilities.

“Same level as me—should be manageable.”

Life level is merely a reference; many beings can fight above their rank, and dragons are among the best. Luo Si, by nature cautious and steady, did not yet consider hunting above his level, instead setting the Level 7 rock-crack worm as his target.

Luo Si suppressed his dragon aura, his wings vibrating minimally as he descended gradually toward the target.

Rock-crack worms sense life positions through vibrations.

A breeze swept over; the sun-basking rock-crack worm suddenly lifted its head, its two pea-sized eyes—nearly invisible—blinking.

Powerful predators and demons lurked everywhere across the wilderness, alongside hunting parties of intelligent tribal beings.

Hunting and being hunted was the eternal theme here.

The rock-crack worm was a formidable hunter, but that did not mean it could not become prey.

One hundred meters above.

At the instant the rock-crack worm showed signs of alarm, Luo Si, whose wings had been pulsing gently, narrowed his eyes and suddenly unfurled his twelve-meter wingspan, flapping violently and whipping up a gale.

The young dragon became a streak of black and red, plummeting like a meteor, his wing membranes slicing the air so sharply they nearly sparked.

By the time the rock-crack worm reacted, the dragon’s shadow had already swallowed its body.

Without slowing, Luo Si crashed down with immense force, using his own body as a weapon to strike the rock-crack worm.

The iron-hard carapace, upon contact with Luo Si’s body—

Shattered like an eggshell under the colossal impact; the flesh beneath was instantly crushed into pulp.

CRASH! With an earth-shaking roar, the rock slab shattered into countless fragments, rising in a cloud of dust.

The rock-crack worm—a formidable predator even among Level 7 lifeforms—

Was struck mid-body by the young dragon’s aerial impact, splitting cleanly into two halves.

As some of Luo Si’s cushioning scales detached, he suffered virtually no injury from the fall.

Ooooh!

In agonizing pain, the rock-crack worm let out a howl like wind screaming through a canyon.

Insects possess tenacious lifespans; it did not die, but surged with a final burst of strength, thrashing violently and flinging the young dragon toward sharp rock spires.

The rock spires failed to pierce the dragon scales, instead being crushed into rubble.

The cushioning scales on his back absorbed the impact instantly, generating a counter-recoil force.

Luo Si shot back toward the rock-crack worm at greater speed.

The rock-crack worm now sought to flee, its mandibles spinning as they gnawed into the ground, half its body already burrowing underground.

Even if only half remained—

With its regenerative ability, it could gradually restore itself.

Sensing the vibration of Luo Si’s body against the air, the exposed portion of the rock-crack worm’s carapace swelled suddenly, spraying high-pressure, high-temperature steam from its seams.

A sulfurous stench surged into his nostrils.

This steam carried both fire and water damage—a survival skill of the rock-crack worm, potent and dangerous.

Luo Si closed his eyes and charged straight through the steam, his formidable body piercing the mist, one claw tearing open the carapace and sinking deep into its flesh.

Whoosh!

His powerful wings beat hard, lifting him into the air, yanking the rock-crack worm’s upper half completely from the ground, then swinging its body like a club, smashing it repeatedly against surrounding rocks.

The thudding impacts lasted several seconds.

Luo Si swept his wings, scattering the surrounding dust.

He released his grip; the rock-crack worm was utterly silent, its carapace shattered, its flesh pulped beyond recognition.

“Too much force.”

“This Level 7 rock-crack worm couldn’t resist my strength at all.”

Luo Si clenched and unclenched his claws, feeling the pain rapidly fading across his body, thinking silently to himself.

The rock-crack worm’s final steam inflicted mostly fire damage, which Luo Si was immune to; the water damage should have troubled him slightly, but due to targeted training and adaptation, the minor harm was negligible.

“My effort to overcome my aversion and train in water was effective.”

“Though I can’t measure it precisely, my resistance to water damage has certainly improved.”

He turned his gaze to the corpse.

Luo Si stepped forward, using his claws to peel open the carapace, revealing the flesh within.

Contrary to its grotesque appearance, the rock-crack worm’s meat was pale and tender, appetizing to look at, with a texture and flavor that was excellent—cool, smooth, sweet, like vanilla ice cream.

Soon after, he finished enjoying his hunting meal.

Luo Si scanned the surroundings, his gaze sweeping over the abandoned mine shaft.

Jagged rocks jutted everywhere; around the mine was a ring of steep, dangerous strata, while inside lay a pitted, uneven expanse filled with collapsed or abandoned tunnels.

He flapped his wings, descending to the mine’s bottom.

Luo Si closed his eyes slightly, silently sensing the earth beneath him, and soon felt a faint pull.

“There are still residual ore veins beneath.”

He pondered silently.

There were many such abandoned mining sites across the Ser Wilderness, but few had been stripped completely bare; most retained some trace of ore veins.

His gaze swept over the surrounding tunnels; Luo Si considered this a promising place to settle.

Not far from this abandoned mine lay a grove, with a lake within, and a fair number of creatures resembling gray hyenas.

Water, prey, mineral resources.

With these elements, it was a good location.

“Once I leave Iron Dragon Mother, I can claim this place as my dragon nest, then make other plans.”

Luo Si thought to himself.

Suddenly—

The ground trembled slightly.

Luo Si’s eyes sharpened; he flapped his wings and shot skyward in a blur, vanishing from his spot.

BOOM!

The rock layer where he had stood shattered like fragile glass, and a colossal black shadow erupted from the earth, launching hundreds of meters into the air before crashing down.

His tense nerves eased slightly.

Luo Si exhaled, gazing downward.

In his vision stood a colossal rock-crack worm, one hundred meters long, coiled at the mine’s bottom, its carapace gleaming with a cold metallic sheen under the sun, radiating overwhelming pressure.

Creak-creeeak!

With a grating sound, the ground kept cracking as more rock-crack worms burst forth.

They were dense, countless, their bodies rubbing and entangling, sending chills down the spine.

“A rock-crack worm swarm—and a worm king.”

“This place is no longer mine.”

“It seems finding a suitable territory won’t be easy.”

The young dragon sighed inwardly, avoiding the acid rain spewed by the worm king, ascending higher and leaving the place behind.

(End of Chapter)