I need to keep moving.

These boots were made for walking, not standing around. I don't know how literal Durnar was when creating these things, and I don't want to experiment right now.

If I fall, I'll meet the same fate as the antlions.

The Kantarrpoe is squirming around, trying to get the antlions out of its armor. It's smashing the antlions that couldn't latch on with the same movements.

I won't be able to take this thing in a fair fight, so I need to utilize my size to take down this giant monster. I wish I had a healthy supply of harpoons.

I use my heavy blade to smash into the armor, trying to chip my way through. The armor crumbles under my strikes, but the rock layer is so thick it will take too much time if I don't change something.

I can try to change its shape into something that would penetrate rocks better, like a pickaxe, but I don't want to mess around and lose and damage bonuses by using a non-bladed weapon. Maybe next time when I'm not in a life or death situation.

I start wasting health, sacrificing it for damage, and hoping my passive regeneration can help me recoup any losses. I don't want to waste mana...

I might as well waste mana. I don't want to die because I'm stingy with my resources.

I start sacrificing health and using [Heal Anything] liberally to keep my health bar close to the top. The armor starts melting away at my attacks, causing me to dig my way in a few feet before any complications.

The worm must have noticed my presence because it starts spinning itself, trying to shake me off, but with my shoes, all I need to do is make sure my feet keep hitting surfaces, and I'll be alright.

Unfortunately, I can't walk on air with these things. I want to go around trying to walk on various surfaces and see what these shoes can do.

The worm plunges itself into the sand, burrowing itself. Sand fills the crater I made, burying me. Worst-case scenario, I can hold my breath for an ungodly amount of time, thanks to my stats.

I wasn't at risk of suffocating since the worm breached the surface right after diving. It keeps writhing around, trying to not only get the antlions out but me as well.

Sand is sticking to me, coating my clothes, and getting everywhere. I'm starting to hate sand.

Most of the sand in the crater spills out with the creature's movement, allowing me to keep hammering away at the rocky armor.

The sounds of rushing sand concern me. I stick my head out of the hole and look around. Plumes of sand are raised from the desert and crashing down onto the antlions.

I'm sure they have it handled. I stick my head back down and finally crack the armor open, exposing fleshy pink skin. It's time to end this before this behemoth stops playing around.

I stab my sword into the exposed flesh up to the hilt a few times before giving up. Maybe those video game characters were onto something with their massive swords. My blade can only go so deep.

Size matters, in this case, I guess.

Even if I change my sword and make it as big as possible, I still might not reach this creature's brain.

The worm shifted its attention to me as it whipped its head around, trying to get me off. I keep my legs moving so as fast as I can to keep myself from not falling,

Fuck it. I might as well use everything I have.

I line my palm up and start blasting away. I have almost sixty bullets left, so I might as well use them.

*CLICK BANG BAM CHURN CLICK BANG BAM*

The force from my hand blows the remaining sand away as the unprotected skin of the worm turns into meat paste. Blood starts rupturing out with every consecutive blast. The fire from the shot does nothing to cauterize the wound.

Some of it gets in my mouth, and it's disgusting. It's metallic and earthy.

I think I punched through into the digestive tract. I'm glad I'm not near the stomach. I don't want to see what the stomach acid of a creature that sustains itself on rocks and metal can do to my body.

I put a ten-foot wide hole in this creature's brain, and it's still alive. What a tenacious fucker.

I managed to get a few dozen shots off before a geyser of blood and flesh forced me out of the crater. The pressure is intense. The next thing I know, I'm free falling.

The worm literally blew me off of it, but how is it still alive? Blood and chunks of flesh are raining down, coating the desert with red. I land with a thud and quickly ready myself for any follow-up attacks.

Seeing it thrash in pain almost makes me feel bad for it. If it's smaller, it would seem defenseless.

I might have overtaxed my arm since my left-hand shakes. My other hand is trembling too, but mostly from anticipation. Will the worm keel over and die, or will it attack me? I can't get away from it if it decided to sing their final swan song.

I don't spot any other creatures near me, not antlions and no Beryl. I wish I could keep fighting dirty, but I have run out of tricks. Unless this thing is highly vulnerable to dwarven slurs, I'm out of options.

The [Kantarrpoe] still hasn't composed itself, but it seems aware of my presence. If it had eyes, they would be glaring daggers at me. The worst-case scenario happened.

Even with a hole in its head, and its brain lacerated into hamburger patties, it still finds the energy to charge me down.

It looks like the sand parts for this creature as it quickly approaches me with its open maw. This thing can probably eat five-story buildings whole.

I can see sunlight streaming into its mouth from above, my hole has done significant damage to this creature, but it wasn't enough.

It's slower than before, but it's still fast enough and can still catch me. This thing is flexible and can curve after me if I run left or right. I can't treat it like a mindless bull.

I punch out after bolstering my resistance. If I thought there was even a sliver of a chance that I could dodge, I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing now.

It's fast, but not at the speed where I think I'll instantly turn to paste. It's so big I can't dodge it with my current skills.

My unused stat points get dumped into [Vigor] as I give a silent prayer to no particular entity.

[Vigor: 300 > 344]

[Health Points: 3,600 > 4,128]

It's been only seconds since the [Kantarrpoe] started its charge. I activate my two attacking skills and punch out.

[Cross-Counter] [Donkey Punch]

-5058

(-825)

(Critical Hit!)

-10,758!

[Donkey Punch has leveled up!

Donkey Punch B Lv2 > Donkey Punch B Lv3]

[Path of the Broken Body has leveled up!

Path of the Broken Body C Lv4 < Path of the Broken Body C Lv5]

[Cross-Counter] uses the momentum of the target's attack as fuel for the ability. With the crit and the other bonuses, the worm slows enough that it doesn't just crush me with its size.

My body still gets flung back. I sprawl out on the floor, dying. My arm shattered on impact since my attack attributed to its current state.

I recall the last time I was in such a sorry state. Ironically that's what keeps me alive for a little bit longer.

[Powerful Spirit C

Gain two points into Spirit per Level up.

Hidden Effect: Prolongs slow and painful deaths up to 10 seconds longer.]

My ribcage has broken, and a few of my organs have shattered. My pelvis is also in pieces, and I can't feel anything after my spine crumpled like a faulty accordion.

It's hard to breathe, so one of my lungs must be punctured. The sweet taste of my blood fills my mouth as I fail to spit it out.

I heal myself with [Heal Anything], trying to cling to life. The sun is annoying as its heat bears down like it's trying to get a few kicks in while I'm on my way out.

My health is draining as soon as I pump my mana into fixing myself. I need to patch the holes, or more life will leak out of me.

I have to use [Broken Blood], and I almost pass out. my vision went completely black, and I lost all sensation, even heat, before barely healing myself.

One of my hearts must be damaged since my passive regeneration is not doing anything.

I manage to move my body for the first time. And I regret it immediately. As soon as I twitched my finger, it felt like my entire nervous system rebooted, sending as much pain as it could handle throughout every inch of my body.

For some reason, I taste almonds.

I turn on my side and vomit my stomach contents onto the sand, which starts sizzling slightly before becoming inert. My body is weird.

[Heal Anything U Lv1 > Lv2]

Great, I'm out of mana, and the system is taunting me for it. I'm still critically low on health, and the only movements I can make are excruciatingly slow and painful.

[You gained the Title: Colossus Slayer B!]

Shut up. Let me rest in peace.

I hear the telltale sounds of something approaching me. I hope I won't get killed by some random passing creature. Turning my head to look in that direction is not worth the knowledge of what's coming.

I closed my eyes so it would have to put in more effort to eat them.

*Click Click*

I feel a pair of mandibles grab either side of my head and start dragging me somewhere.

I crack one eye open and cautiously look around. I couldn't see what was moving me, but I heard Beryl's signature sound. Either she is implementing the weirdest betrayal I have ever seen, or she is trying to save me. Either way, I'm okay with her moving me somewhere else.

I'm glad I'm not dead.

[Resistance: Blunt 331 > 600]