The Sand Maw lunged, its maw wide and lined with jagged, bone-crushing teeth. Akira darted to the side, barely dodging as it snapped its jaws shut with a force that shook the ground. The impact sent a shockwave through the sand, grains of it pelting his skin like tiny bullets.
"Too close," Akira thought, his heart pounding in his chest. "One misstep, and I'm dinner. Gotta stay sharp."
He counterattacked, driving his blade against its thick hide, but the sword barely managed to graze its dense scales. The recoil vibrated through his arms, making his teeth clench.
"How strong is that thing…?" Akira muttered internally, narrowing his eyes. "Its scales are like armor. I need to find a weak spot, or this fight's gonna drag on forever."
The Sand Maw lashed its enormous tail, aiming to crush him with a single savage blow. Akira's instincts screamed at him to move, and he did, tumbling forward at the last second. The tail whipped past him, close enough that he felt the rush of air against his skin. Using the momentum, he launched himself upward, his sword shimmering as it cut through the air in a lethal arc. The blade struck the creature just below its huge jaw, and blood sprayed across the sand like a storm of crimson.
The creature let out a deafening roar, the sound reverberating through Akira's bones. He gritted his teeth, refusing to flinch.
"You scream loud, but you're not scaring me," Akira thought, his voice cold and sharp as steel. "Noise doesn't kill. Actions do."
The Sand Maw thrashed wildly, its movements growing more erratic as pain set in. Akira was faster, darting in and slashing stroke after stroke down the creature's exposed jawline. Each strike was deliberate, calculated, and fueled by a growing adrenaline rush.
"What's wrong?" he taunted internally, his focus razor-sharp. "Losing your bite?"
As the monster's movements slowed, Akira's body burned with energy. He leaped onto its neck, his boots digging into its rough, scaly hide. For a moment, he locked eyes with the creature—its gaze fading, but still furious.
"You're not a predator," Akira growled, driving his sword deep into its muscular neck with a cruel twist. "Don't act like one."
The Sand Maw let out one final, gurgling roar before collapsing into the sand, lifeless. Akira stood atop its body, breathing heavily, his sword dripping with blood. The desert wind carried the metallic scent of the creature's lifeblood, mixing with the dry, earthy aroma of the sand.
[Congratulations, you have leveled up.]
[+5 Stat Points awarded.]
[Perfected Symmetry in effect. Allocating stat points equally across all attributes: Strength, Agility, Stamina Endurance, and Intelligence increased by +1 each.]
[Since the user's level has increased, the body will be restored to peak condition.]
[Current Level: 30]
Akira took a deep breath, feeling the satisfying weight of his new level settle into him. His muscles, once fatigued, now felt rejuvenated, as if he'd just woken from a full night's rest. Even the sweat on his brow seemed to evaporate as his body reset to its peak condition.
"Damn, that beast was troublesome," he thought, flexing his fingers around the hilt of his sword.
"But leveling up makes it worth it. Still… something feels off."
Before he could savor the victory, the earth shook—not from the Sand Maw's death throes, but from something far larger. Akira stumbled, his eyes snapping to the horizon. The sand began to churn, rising in massive waves as if the desert itself were alive.
"What now?" he thought, his grip tightening on his sword.
From the depths of the sand emerged a monstrous creature—a gigantic black sandworm, its body writhing and towering high above him. It was easily fifty times the size of the Sand Maw he'd just killed. Its gaping mouth, lined with rows upon rows of serrated teeth, seemed to stretch into infinity.
Akira swallowed hard, a rare flicker of doubt passing through his mind.
"For real??"
"This… might be pushing it," he admitted internally. "That thing's not just big—it's a force of nature. But if I run, it'll chase me down. No choice but to fight."
The sandworm lunged forward, its maw coming down to swallow him whole. Akira barely dodged, the force of its movement sending him tumbling across the sand.
"Whoa! Damn, calm down, you overgrown earthworm!" he thought, scrambling to his feet. "First things first—let's see what I'm dealing with."
He called up his Status Window, letting it scan the creature for information.
[Name:Sandworm]
[Type: Mutant Worm]
[Abilities:]
[Burrow / Sandstorm Fury / Crushing Bite ]
[Weakness: Vulnerable Underside—its thick armor is weakest on its undersides, where it has less protection. Attacks aimed at this area are more effective.]
"Hmm, he really is trouble," Akira thought, his mind racing. "Burrowing, sandstorms, and a bite that can crush stone? This isn't just a fight—it's a survival test. But that weakness… if I can get under it, I might have a chance."
The sandworm charged again, its enormous body churning through the desert sands at a terrifying velocity. Akira dove sideways, narrowly avoiding its snapping jaws. He swung his sword in swift counterattacks, aiming for the creature's underside, but the worm's erratic movements made it impossible to land a clean hit.
"Damn it… it's too fast," Akira thought, his breathing growing ragged. "Even with its weakness, I can't get close enough. I need a plan, and fast."
His eyes darted across the battlefield, searching for anything he could use. Then he saw it—a patch of unstable ground, quicksand shimmering faintly under the desert sun. The sandworm's massive weight would make it sink faster than anything else.
"That's it," he thought, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "If I can lure it there, I might just have a shot."
Akira burst toward the unstable ground, the sandworm hot on his heels. Its massive body tore through the sand, sending plumes of dust into the air. At the last second, Akira stopped at the edge of the patch, leaping to the side as the worm lunged forward. It barreled into the unstable sand, sinking halfway in before realizing its predicament.
"Got you," Akira thought, his smile widening. "Now, let's finish this."
Without hesitation, he sprinted down the beast's massive body, his boots digging into its slick, churning hide. The tremors beneath his feet threatened to throw him off balance, but Akira tightened his grip on his sword, his knuckles white. The worm's frenzied movements made it harder to land a clean blow, but he pushed forward with unrelenting precision.
Timing his strike perfectly, Akira leaped into the air and slammed his sword downward, driving the blade deep into the worm's pale, vulnerable underside. The creature let out an ear-piercing screech, its body convulsing violently. A fountain of dark, viscous fluid erupted from the wound, spraying outward as the worm bucked in agony, nearly throwing Akira off.
"Just stay down!" Akira growled through clenched teeth, his muscles straining as he braced against the worm's death throes. "You're not getting away this time."
With one final, brutal twist of his blade, the sandworm let out a guttural screech before its bulk sank into the sand, lifeless. Akira stumbled backward, his chest heaving as he watched the beast disappear beneath the surface. The desert fell silent, save for the sound of his ragged breathing.
"You were the biggest and the toughest I've faced until now," he thought, glancing at the spot where the sandworm had disappeared. "But thanks to you, I learned something—no matter how big the monster, there's always a way to bring it down."
[Status Window]
[You defeated the boss monster: Sandworm.]
[You earned a huge amount of EXP!]
[Congratulations, you have leveled up.]
[Congratulations, you have leveled up.]
[Congratulations, you have leveled up.]
[+15 Stat Points awarded.]
[Perfected Symmetry in effect. Allocating stat points equally across all attributes: Strength, Agility, Stamina Endurance, and Intelligence increased by +3 each.]
[Since the user's level has increased, the body will be restored to peak condition.]
[User's level has exceeded 35.]
[Attribute White Lightning has been unlocked.]
"White Lightning…?" Akira thought, his eyes shining with excitement. "Sounds like some kind of offensive ability let's check it out"