Chương 94: Chapter 89-Chosen Worm

Alyver crouches low to the ground as she creeps up to the edge of the clearing. Hopper, Penelope, and I… just kind of stand out in the open behind her. We would be crouching like Alyver, but there's no real point to it. The White Worm doesn't have eyes. So, we're letting Alyver do her thing. She's still a kid after all. Got to let them play around when they can. Once you become an adult like us… Well, you get a lot of responsibilities. What responsibilities?

I'm still trying to figure them out myself, but I'm sure I'll find them eventually. Penelope looks out towards the large clearing.

"She says this is where the White Worm was last spotted."

"Makes sense. The last time we encountered the White Worm was in a similar location like this," I say as I scan the clearing." White Worms are fans of easy-to-traverse ground. Most of this forest is knotted with roots, making it difficult for it to move. So, it will find a clearing like this and make it its territory. In extraordinary circumstances, it will burrow barely above ground, but it prefers to be fully submerged when it can," Alyver explains.

"So, this is its home? The one you dropped it off at, right?" I ask. Penelope looks confused and doesn't immediately translate. Alyver's ears twitch as she pretends not to understand me. Like mother, like daughter. Of course, she knows the Imperial Tongue. Was all that shit she was saying when we first met bullshit, or had they really been isolated in this forest? It could be both. Alyver might not have known everything, but maybe the Chieftain did?

Either way, one thing I do know is this, the Dark Elves brought that White Worm to the forest.

"What are you talking about, Charlatan?" Penelope asks.

"Well, this White Worm is a pet of the Dark Elves. Probably not a very obedient pet, but a pet nonetheless. Is it for defense, or do you often use it to set up traps?" I ask Alyver. Alyver sighs.

"We tend to use it as a deterrent. Most people steer clear of a White Worm. It's how we've stayed hidden the last 80 years since we got back from the Blight," she says perfectly in the Imperial Tongue. Hopper looks extremely confused.

"Wait, you can speak the Imperial Tongue. Then why have we been going through Penelope this entire time?" Penelope shakes her head.

"I should've known the moment the Chieftain wanted to meet the Charlatan alone. How else were they going to communicate?"

"Apologies. My people are secretive and not quick to trust. I assume you had a reason for outing me?" Alyver asks me.

"One, if we're in danger, it's important that we can understand each other. Two, I wanted to ask you about how you manage to control the White Worm," I say as a pack of Worgs passes through the clearing.

"We don't. At least not in the way you think," Alyver says as the White Worm erupts out of the ground, swallowing the pack of Worgs.

"Then, explain it to me." Alyver sighs as she mutters something in Old Elvish to herself.

"We have special arrows that we use to corral the White Worm. The arrows are magically enchanted to vibrate at a certain frequency. It's how we got this White Worm out of the Ravclin Mountain Range. For areas we deem important, we place stakes that have the same magical enchantments. It keeps the White Worm away from our territory," she explains. I nod as I slowly formulate a plan.

"Do you have any of these arrows?"

"I have four of them, but I warn you that firing these arrows is not easy. Only our best archers are even given the privilege to wield them," she says as she pulls out four big brown arrows. Hopper looks them over.

"These are certainly going to be a pain to shoot, but I can do it," he says with confidence.

"Good. Then that'll make the plan much easier. By the way, you said only the best archers have these arrows. Not to be rude, but are you one of these archers?" I ask with a hint of curiosity.

"No… I may have taken these from my mother's room," she says meekly. Penelope eyes her.

"Why?"

"My people are sick and… they need help. I want to help, but I can't. I don't like being helpless. So, I did something. It probably wasn't smart of me, but… I had to do something," she says with a hint of fear. Penelope smiles as she looks down at Alyver.

"Sometimes that something means everything. Isn't that right, Charlatan?"

"Absolutely. Thanks, Alyver. I was having a hard time trying to figure out how to fight this thing, but now. Now, I have a plan," I say with a devilish smile.

"Well, let's hear it. What's the plan?" Hopper asks.

"Well, it's simple really. We start tomorrow, and the first thing we need is-" Taking a deep breath, I let the anger flow through me. Yes, feel it. Become it. Dance with it all night long. Ok, maybe I'm getting a bit silly, but it's either being silly or absolute rage. I pick silly ten times out of ten. Hopper and Alyver rustle in the tree branch above us. Alyver decided to join us because it turns out none of us know how to actually get the venom sack without popping it.

She'll be with Hopper, as far from danger as she can be. I'd rather not get a kid hurt in all of this. Penelope gives me a nudge.

"You ready, Charlatan?"

"As ready as I'll ever be. Why did I have to be in the most dangerous position?" I ask mostly myself. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"You're the one who came up with the plan," she says as she finishes up her stretches.

"Yeah, I know. Being perfect has its downsides," I say as I unsheathe The Chosen Blade.

"You do know this is insane, right?" Yellow asks.

"This should be fun to watch," Black says.

"Please don't get eaten alive," Pink says.

"As much as I appreciate your commentary, I'm going to need to focus. Any chance you guys could be quiet?" I ask as I secure the Uneven Blade to my back. The gems dull. Guess they can be reasonable. Sometimes.

"Ok. Let's start Phase 1," I say as we begin our walk out to the middle of the clearing.

"What colorful name did you give Phase 1 again?" Penelope asks as she takes out a bundle of metal stakes.

"Piss the fucking worm off," I say with a devilish smile. Penelope throws me a metal stake, which I promptly stab into the ground. Along our walk to the middle, we stab stakes into the ground. Right as we're about to reach the middle, I stop and turn toward the line of metal stakes.

"Time to get this party started!" I yell. Penelope rushes forth, hitting every one of the stakes with her greatsword. With each hit, the stakes vibrate. One by one, they begin to harmonize until they're no longer audible. 3… 2… 1… The space behind me erupts as the White Worm skyrockets. Pieces of dirt and snow go flying past me as the White Worm stands tall. Taking The Chosen Blade, I stab into the creature, and I go flying upward as it continues to climb. Limply flapping in the air, I yet again curse my own plan.

"Are you pissed that we woke you from your sleep? Well, guess what, I'm also pissed," I say as I take the Uneven Blade and stab into the White Worm. An arrow with a rope attached pierces the White Worm. Time for Phase 2. Anchor that worm. Grabbing the arrow, I untie the rope and retie it around The Chosen Blade. I then dig The Chosen Blade deep into the White Worm. That should hold, and The Chosen Blade is... well The Chosen Blade. No way it breaks… I hope.

I suddenly stop rising as the White Worm looks back down at the clearing, which is so far away now. I mean, so far away. Is it a bad time to mention I'm scared of heights? The White Worm dives back down towards the ground. Which means… I suddenly feel weightless as I begin to fall with the creature. Falling really fast! Like really fast! Oh, Gods, I hate my plan. Why didn't I have Penelope do this? My limbs flap freely in the wind as I hold onto the Uneven Blade. The Uneven Blade slips free from the White Worm.

Now just falling in midair. If I can fly now would be the time. Come on, fly! Opening an eye, I see the ground fast approaching. Penelope jumps clear into the air and slams right into me. As we land, a shimmering white shield appears between us and the ground. The shield shatters, and we are sent tumbling across the ground. Arms, legs, face, stomach, horns, and mouth. Everything's still there. Popping up from the snow, I see the rope go taut as the White Worm tries to burrow underground.

Penelope sits straight up and rushes towards the rope.

"Phase 3!" she yells as she pulls on the rope.

"Reel the fucker in!" I yell as Hopper sends the four magically enhanced arrows towards the ground. The arrows dig into the ground perfectly around the White Worm, cutting off its other avenues of escape. All that's left is towards the groaning Penelope. Penelope digs her heels into the ground as she's dragged towards the beast.

"A little help here!" Penelope yells. I rush towards the metal spikes and [Throw] two of them towards her. She catches them and stabs them in front of her. Her feet slam straight into them, stopping her. With a newly created footing, she begins to reel in the White Worm. Foot by foot, she pulls the White Worm out of the ground. The head of the beast crests out of the ground with what I can only interpret as an annoyed look.

"Okay. We got it out. Now to actually kill it. Phase 4!" I yell. Penelope wraps the rope around the metal spikes.

"Hit it with everything we got!" she yells as she charges the creature. A volley of arrows flies overhead, pelting the now trapped and exposed White Worm. The volley pierces the creature's hide, leaving it looking like a pincushion. Following Penelope, I grab multiple metal stakes out of the ground and [Throw] them as we go. The metal stakes stab into it, leaving an almost zigzag pattern.

"We're not doing much damage!" Penelope yells as her blade crackles to life.

"We're just getting started," I say as I give a thumbs up. The arrows on the White Worm's back suddenly explode as ice crystals jut out of it. The beast lets out a high-pitched shrill as it begins to slam its body around frantically. In its panic, Penelope manages to disappear and then appear on its back. She takes her blade of lightning and slashes into the beast wildly. Blood cakes the snow as the beast fails to shake Penelope off its back.

Taking the last metal stake, I [Throw] it and watch as it stabs straight into the White Worm's maw.

"Now, Penelope!" I yell as I run as far away from it as I can. Penelope raises her greatsword into the air. Dark stormy clouds appear above them. Penelope points her greatsword down at the White Worm she stands on. Multiple lightning strikes barrel down on the area. Most of them are drawn to the multiple metal spikes embedded in the White Worm. Lightning courses through the beast as it struggles to find a way out, but there's only one way out. I made sure of it.

The White Worm rushes forward towards me and the treeline. Hopper hops down from the trees and points his bow at the open maw of the approaching White Worm. Hopper lets loose his arrow that grows and grows as ice begins to form on it. The arrow, now the size of a small pointy house, slams into the White Worm. Standing with the Uneven Blade in my hand, I give a devilish smile as the White Worm slides to a stop a mere inch away from me. White Worm LvL. 34 has been Defeated. Level Up!! +1 STR +1 LCK"Phase 5. Profit."