The sword clashed, unfortunately Ben's effort is wasted, his makeshift sword shattered the moment it clash against the worm skin. It's like bashing a rock with glass bottle the result is catastrophic failure.
The worm's Quadripartite jaw pass trough the destroyed weapon than move toward's Ben's head. He quickly crouch down barely dodging the attack, but the worm is not finished. It's body lashed out like a whip sending Ben's flying backward. He could have try to parry it, but instead he use it as momentum to put some distance between them.
But this position make him vulnurable, the worm coiled it's body, like a spring, it than shoot forward like a bullet.
"Stone Bulwark!" Elvira shouted as mana erupted from her body, coalescing into a rock shield in front of Ben, blocking the worm's path. But the barrier only held for a fleeting moment.
BAM! CRACK! CRACK!
"Stone Bulwark! Stone Bulwark! Stone Bulwark!" she yelled, conjuring barrier after barrier, desperately buying time for Ben.
Watching her spell in action, an idea clicked in Ben's mind. Memories of his old biology class surfaced. "Elvira, can you make something like salt with your magic?" he called out, his voice sharp with urgency. It was a long shot, but at this point, he figured there was nothing to lose.
"Salt? What? Why?" she asked, baffled.
"Do you have a way or not? Just trust me and hand it over!"
Elvira frowned, completely at a loss. In her mind, salt was just for cooking—what could it possibly do here? But seeing the determination in Ben's eyes, she relented. Her fingers danced through the air, sketching a glowing pattern. A magic circle shimmered into existence, hovering before her.
"Quick! Throw me everything you've got!" Ben shouted, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Nodding, Elvira reached into the circle and pulled out an entire sack of salt. Ben's eyes widened. "No way, she actually has that much... That's gotta be at least 20 kilos," he muttered under his breath, barely believing it.
Without missing a beat, he focused his mind, shaping a makeshift weapon. This time, he didn't forge a sword. Instead, he created something he hadn't used since high school—a baseball bat.
Ben calculated the timing, his muscles coiling like a spring. He spun on his heel, facing the worm once more. Taking a deep breath, his shoulders tensed.
BAM!
With a powerful swing, he struck the sack with all his might. Thankfully, the sack wasn't an ordinary one—otherwise, it would've been torn apart by his hit. The heavy bundle shot forward, tearing through the air before smashing into the worm's razor-sharp teeth.
Swoosh!
The sack exploded on impact, unleashing a rain of salt straight into the monster's gaping maw. 'Please work! There's no way they made this thing without a countermeasure.' Ben thought, retreating back to Elvira's side. As a human, he knew that no creature—especially one designed to devour anything—could exist without a flaw. It might have been named Junkvore as a joke, but its ability to consume and adapt to anything was terrifying. A monster like that... what if it could evolve based on what it ate? The thought sent a chill down his spine.
"My beloved, just what are you planning? Why salt?" Elvira asked, her eyes fixed on the worm. The creature shuddered violently but didn't retaliate. It was stunned, writhing as if in shock.
Ben exhaled, gripping his bat tightly. "Back in my world, worms die when you pour salt on them."
Elvira's eyes widened, an intrigued sparkle flashing across her face. "Really? That's... fascinating! I've never heard of such knowledge before!"
Before she could press him further, Ben quickly added, "If you're gonna ask me how it works... I don't know. I forgot."
Elvira's lips curled into a playful smile, her excitement palpable. "That's fine! I know a magic that can replicate your old memories. I just need your permission!" Her eyes lit up with the eagerness of a child discovering a new toy.
Ben blinked, suddenly uneasy. "Uhm... let's talk about that later," he said, waving it off. The idea of revisiting his past intrigued him, especially his last moments, he want to know how he was send to this world. But For now, they need to come out first from this situation first.
The smooth, white skin of the worm began to wrinkle, deep creases forming like cracks in dry earth. At the same time, the worm's inner walls trembled violently before constricting inward, squeezing the space around them. The once-spacious chamber was closing in fast. Then, with a sickening snap, those cracks split open, revealing the churning, acidic digestive liquid beneath. It bubbled and sizzled like boiling lava, rising rapidly.
"Shit—move!" Ben yelled as the searing liquid surged upward. He and Elvira instinctively floated higher, propelled by their magic to stay clear of the deadly pool.
"My beloved, any ideas?" Elvira asked, a hint of panic creeping into her voice.
Ben scanned their surroundings, his mind racing. They had no way of knowing if it was dying or just adapting—either way, the rising acid would get to them first. "There's no running from this," he muttered, jaw tightening. His eyes flicked back to the worm, then to Elvira. He made his decision in a heartbeat.
Before Elvira could cast another spell, Ben dashed forward. "My Beloved, wait!" she cried, reaching out, but he was already moving.
This time, he channeled all his armor into his arms, encasing them in thick layers of carapace. From his inventory, he pulled out the Blockify Pickaxe, gripping it tightly. As he closed the distance, the scene before him was chaos. The worm's massive form was already half-submerged in the rising acid, yet it remained frozen, twitching in shock. 'Looks like the acid doesn't hurt it at all... Damn it,' Ben thought, narrowing his eyes.
Gritting his teeth, he swung the pickaxe down with everything he had. BANG!! The sharp edge stuck the worm right into it's jaw.