Everything inside me screamed to run, but I didn't move an inch. I gritted my teeth and my fingers tightened around my spear as I trembled. My body lurched forward three inches, but I yanked myself back.

[You have earned a stat in Fortitude for resisting the Fearful Aura.]

My heart pounded as I struggled to take a deep breath, but once I took one, it became easier to take the next. If I could get control of wanting to eat all of the things, I could stand this. The intensity suddenly increased, but I once again stopped myself from fleeing.

[You have earned a stat in Fortitude for resisting the Fearful Aura.]

This was grinding in it's way, just don't move. You have this. Is this scarier than Noseen?

Just thinking about that form Noseen had shown in the Sanctuary made it clear how this wasn't on the same level. Not even close.

Breathe!

I took another shuddering breath as the dread increased once more. Then something burst from the ceiling, sliding through the tunnel and away from me.

[Dread Worm, Fearful Aura, Level 50, Predator, Unknown.]

It flashed by like a wave of cascading water, never-ending. The grey flesh traveled through the tunnel at a speed much faster than I could.

[You have earned a stat in Fortitude for resisting the Fearful Aura.]

It was just a worm, a freaking worm.

The tension across my body dissolved in pieces, and my mind raced as I stabbed at the creature, the tip of my blade cutting into flowing flesh. My spear almost ripped out of my hands at the contact, but I doubled down on bracing myself. Its flesh burned and released a burnt rubber smell, making me want to gag, but I resisted.

The creature didn't make a sound from the attack, but it sped up. Suddenly it was moving much faster, as if it could outrun my spear. Yet I only dug in deeper, cutting along its body as it fled.

Finally, the worm ended, and for a moment I didn't move as it kept racing away.

Then I raced after it.

The massive worm's head-start widened, even though I sprinted after the creature as fast as I could, but I didn't dare want to stop.

Think of the levels!

A faint rumble came from behind me, and my eyes widened at the thought it had doubled back and now chased me.

That kept me going, racing down the tunnel at the far bit of worm I could still see. I almost tripped into the giant hole that the worm had fled down, even as the tunnel I traveled in continued.

I backed up several feet, then dashed forward as I leaped across the hole to the other side.

The ground vibrated behind me and I dared to glance back.

[Dread Worm, Fearful Aura, Level 50, Predator, Unknown.]

A massive mouth filled with sharp teeth that rotated filled the tunnel from edge to edge. The aura slammed into me again, but this time I resisted it by acknowledging it and comparing it to Noseen.

Run or Fight?

If it went into the hole in the floor, I might kill it. If it didn't, I was fucked.

Yet, even if I ran, what then?

Bracing myself, I readied my spear, pulling the blade up to my mouth and spitting on it. Sweat dripped down my spine as I waited for the worm to get closer. Each breath increased the intensity of the fearful aura, but I didn't move.

[You have earned a stat in Fortitude for resisting the Fearful Aura.]

Then it dove into the hole.

I launched myself forward as soon as the massive maw of teeth passed, digging into its side with my glowing spear tip. This time I dared to press deeper, to injure the creature as much as possible.

The worm's speed increased just like before, but this time that only increased the damage I caused. Bit by bit the creature slowed down, as the ache in my arms increased. My fingers hurt gripping on my weapon, but I didn't dare let go.

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Then it stopped.

[You have gained bonus experience from combat for surviving against a level 50 Dread Worm.]

[You have completed a bonus objective in The Descent. This will increase your rewards.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

I dropped my spear to the ground, stretching my fingers out and trying to get feeling back in them.

"I did it…" My heart pounded as I punched the air, then slowly evened out as I stared at the creature. I picked up my spear and cut inside, wondering what the inside of a worm looked like.

Ooze rushed out of the wound, and it only barely missed me as I danced back.

"Nope, nope, nope…" I turned to leave it behind, then paused. "Fearful Aura…"

I faced the bits of the worm I could see, wondering if worms even had hearts. Still, I needed to find out. That aura skill was amazing.

An untold time later, after literally crawling inside the worm and almost drowning in ooze, I found the hearts. All five of them.

Each was the size of my heart, and appeared to be hardened ooze. My stomach rumbled, though I shivered just thinking of eating them. My armor lay off to one side to keep it clean, once I realized I needed to travel inside the worm.

The ooze had hardened in my hair like gel and I prayed somewhere in this dungeon was water. I didn't have enough stored away to clean myself off more than once.

I sat on the floor and cut off a piece of the first heart before popping it in my mouth. The taste of stale cookies filled my mouth as I chewed, the hardened ooze crumbling. They weren't even sweet, but I forced myself to keep going. My stomach felt abnormally full after swallowing the last bite of the first heart.

[You have devoured a Dread Worm and gained insight into Fearful Aura.]

The other 4 I tossed into my inventory, and pulled out my water jugs. After using up most of my reserves and putting on cleanish clothes, along with my armor, I felt like I could eat another heart. Maybe.

[You have devoured a Dread Worm and gained insight into Fearful Aura.]

This time my stomach felt even more than full, and I started down the tunnel, moving much slower than normal. Almost like I needed a nap or something. A heavy weight stayed in my stomach, which only very slowly reduced. The feeling continued even as the dark tunnel lightened.

Mushrooms popped up here and there, glowing. The steady hiss of something ahead caused me to slow down and stretch my senses to the max. Nothing came up, but I kept the pressure up. More and more mushrooms grew along the roof and sides of the tunnel, until I had to harvest them and toss them into my inventory just to create a path.

Then I reached an opening.

The soft blue light from the mushrooms made the rushing water sparkle. The water gushed from above and down to a massive lake below, the shore surrounded by more glowing mushrooms. Soft blue light filled the entire room.

My senses found plenty of crystals in the water.

The water formed a lake of some kind, and another tunnel branched off way down below. Somehow, I needed to get below without dying.

The rope I had in my inventory wasn't long enough to reach the bottom. Maybe, if I was lucky, it'd get 3/4 of the way there. Still, that was better than nothing, since my movement skill didn't show another way down.

I turned to face the tunnel and took out my knife. First things first, I cleared mushrooms from the opening, giving me plenty of space to work. Then I cut a hunk of stone off the side of the opening. My strength barely wrestled it away from the edge of the cliff, and it hit the floor of the tunnel with a thud.

It took a bit, but after a while it had a slit into the side of it. Then I got started on the hole in the floor to wedge it in. That didn't take as long, since I only wanted the tie to get wedged inside.

I stood back, staring at the loop I'd tied the rope through before tugging on it as hard as I could. The anchor didn't move.

After tossing the rope over the edge I took a deep breath and put my armor into my inventory. My pocket still held the communication marble, and I prayed I didn't lose it. Then I took hold of the rope, threading it through my belt, and leaned over the edge.

My heart pounded, but it held.

Then I started the long slow climb down the cliff. What was up with me and cliffs?

This cliff happened to be damp and covered with mushrooms and moss. My boots gripped the surface, but just barely, as I slowly lowered myself down. About a quarter of the way down the rope, my shoulder ached, but I didn't dare change my speed. The aching within my hands picked up about halfway.

Then I neared the end of the rope.

The crystals at the bottom of the lake were how I measured my distance. I needed to take the next step, but didn't really want to.

I slowed, took a deep breath, then pushed myself lightly off the cliff face and let go of the rope.

Pointing my toes and crossing my arms over my chest, I prayed the lake was as deep as it felt.

Then I hit.

All of the air was knocked out of my lungs and my stomach clenched as the ice-cold water made everything hurt. The crystals in the bottom of the lake helped me keep my senses, and I frantically swam to the surface of the lake.

My head broke the surface and I took a gulp of air before swimming toward the shore. My senses trembled as something else created ripples in the distance, off to the left. I started swimming faster, trying to make it at least out of the water before whatever it was tried to eat me.

Horror movies of sharks and worse rippled through my head as I swam.

I wasn't going to make it, so I stopped and yanked my knife off my belt. I turned to face the creature and dove under to try to see it, triggering insight.

[Forgotten Serpent, Level 45, Predator, Unknown.]

Light sparkled along its beautiful scales as it swam in my direction. It didn't have any limbs, just a long body. Two eyes rested on its head, staring at me in confusion. It swam closer, but slowed down when I didn't keep swimming away.

It stopped several feet away from me in the water, its head popping above the water.

"Not Gopher," it hissed.

"No, but I can trade you gopher for crystals from the lake," I spoke slowly and clearly, like I did with Grizzle.

"Smell strange." It moved closer. "Accept deal."

"Great, I'll meet you on shore." I kept my knife in my hand but didn't move beyond keeping myself in place.

Its head nodded, and it dove under the surface.

I quickly continued on my way to the shore, which wasn't far. The bottom of the lake sharply rose under me and it didn't take long before I stood up out of the water. Everything was soaked, but I moved to a relatively clear area and started piling up Gopher meat. I piled up about half of what I had.

The serpent started swimming back my way, and I moved away from the meat.

The crystal in its mouth glowed as it slowly swam to the surface. Once its head rose above the water, it swam faster. It set the crystal down in the shallow waters, blinking as its nose rose in the air, sniffing.

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