The moonlight was like silver.
The burning car illuminated the ground like a bonfire.
The fierce wind of the wasteland twisted and distorted the thick black smoke, while the air was filled with the acrid stench of burning debris.
On the distant highway.
One car after another was blocked by the explosion.
Many people stepped out of their vehicles, gazing toward the wasteland where Moro and the Shadow Beasts were locked in a tense standoff, their expressions varying from curiosity to caution.
Perhaps because they had bodyguards with them, they felt a sense of security and did not immediately flee the scene.
However, the more cautious individuals ordered their drivers to turn around and leave.
Under the scrutiny of numerous eyes, the killing intent in the wasteland grew increasingly sharp.
There was no need for words.
The moment Earthworm had launched his surprise attack from underground, the battle had been set—this was a fight to the death.
Dokumushi, who had just arrived at the scene, didn't even waste time speaking.
Without hesitation, he launched his attack on Moro.
His entire body radiated a torrent-like aura, and as he rushed toward Moro, his hands instinctively reached forward.
At the same time, Earthworm suddenly bent his body, pressing his long, pointed head against the ground.
In the next instant, his smooth, hairless body began to spin at a bizarrely high speed, like a drill, and within the blink of an eye, he burrowed into the ground like a real earthworm.
One attacking openly, the other attacking from the shadows.
This was the standard battle tactic when the Shadow Beasts fought alongside Earthworm.
Moro's eyes flickered past Dokumushi, catching a glimpse of the hole Earthworm had left behind.
A surprise attack from underground—or pulling the enemy into the depths below.
This was Earthworm's usual combat approach.
However, his stealth technique before striking was the true threat, even more than his method of attack.
Only someone like Melody, whose hearing was abnormally enhanced, could detect a heartbeat nearby without using "En."
In a one-on-one battle, using En to counter Earthworm would be no issue.
But right now, Moro was outnumbered.
If he expanded En, it would be the same as exposing his weak points to Dokumushi.
What made things worse was that his "Star Radiance" ability couldn't penetrate the ground the way En could.
As these thoughts raced through his mind, Moro retreated, creating the space needed to release his Flying Star.
"Fraudulent Star"
The sharp-edged aura in his right hand instantly contracted into a glowing green star.
Whoosh!
The Flying Star shot straight into the sky like a rocket.
"Hmm?"
Dokumushi glanced up at the shooting star, momentarily unsure of Moro's intent.
Despite his confusion, he did not slow down, his confidence unwavering as he charged forward.
Moro observed this, thinking—
No wonder, in the original story, he looked down on the Phantom Troupe before even fighting them.
The Shadow Beasts were all shrouded in an almost delusional level of self-confidence.
Perhaps it was the result of their privileged status.
In the sky.
The glowing green Flying Star suddenly split apart, scattering like a meteor shower, crashing down toward the battlefield.
It did not differentiate between friend or foe!
Dokumushi's eyes flashed with doubt, but he assumed that after splitting, the Flying Star's power would be significantly weakened, so he confidently stepped into its range without hesitation.
Meanwhile.
The rain of star fragments struck the ground, kicking up dust clouds one after another.
Underground.
Earthworm, who had been lying in wait, suddenly froze.
He had been relying on vibrations in the ground to track his target.
But now, the unexpected, continuous tremors from the falling star fragments were interfering with his ability to pinpoint Moro's location.
"Was that just a coincidence… or did he see through my tactics?"
With the endless vibrations distorting his seismic sense, Earthworm hesitated.
For the moment, he couldn't attack.
Instead, he had to remain still, trying to adapt to the new disturbance and develop a way to filter out the unnecessary vibrations to locate his real target.
On the surface.
Moro had successfully disrupted Earthworm's tracking ability, while his aura fragmented into a shimmering sea of star-like specks.
"Star Radiance."
A galaxy of light swirled around Moro's body.
At this moment, only a thin layer of aura remained on his body for defense, since the star points couldn't penetrate underground.
If Earthworm chose to attack right now, Moro would almost certainly be killed instantly.
It was an incredibly risky maneuver.
But Moro's precise understanding of Earthworm's sensory abilities reduced that risk to zero.
Meanwhile, Dokumushi had entered attack range, stepping directly into Moro's Star Radiance domain.
"What is this…?"
Dokumushi wasn't sure what these glowing points did, but he noticed that Moro's aura had become extremely thin.
Seeing an opportunity, he struck without hesitation—
From just over a meter away, his fingers suddenly elongated like spears, stabbing toward Moro.
However, Moro's Star Points immediately detected the change.
He swiftly sidestepped the left-hand attack, then jumped into the air, dodging the right-hand strike.
While airborne, Moro recalled his Star Radiance, quickly restoring his aura to full power.
Then, with an explosive push from both feet, he propelled himself backward, dodging Dokumushi's follow-up strike.
This completely ruined Dokumushi's plan to attack Moro while he was in mid-air.
Moro landed smoothly, once again releasing another Flying Star into the sky.
Dokumushi glanced up at the rising star and finally understood.
"He's using his aura blasts to interfere with Earthworm's sensory ability… He figured that out after dodging just one attack?"
As the Flying Star split apart again, Dokumushi felt a surge of unease.
Still, he knew that Earthworm's ability would gradually adapt.
Just like a person adjusting their eyes to the dark, Earthworm could slowly refine his sensory perception to locate the real target.
Dokumushi's job was simple—
Create a perfect opening for Earthworm to land a guaranteed hit.
With that in mind, he ignored the falling meteor rain and charged at Moro again.
Moro remained still, carefully observing Dokumushi's body movements.
"Star Radiance."
Once again, a galaxy of light expanded around him.
Dokumushi stepped into range, his every movement instantly recorded by the Star Points.
He struck.
But Moro didn't retreat—he advanced.
Matching Dokumushi's rhythm and footstep force, he slipped past the elongated fingers.
Then, right in front of Dokumushi, he deliberately slammed his foot harder against the ground before leaping backward into the air.
Dokumushi was momentarily confused by this odd maneuver, but still extended his hands to attack—
"Piercing Proboscis!"
His razor-sharp fingers sliced through the air—
But at that moment… the ground beside him erupted!
Earthworm burst out—
And punched Dokumushi in the face.
"?!"
Dokumushi's mind went blank as he was sent flying across the battlefield, bouncing like a ragdoll.
"E-Earthworm… What the hell are you doing?!"
Staggering to his feet, his half-deformed face twisted in disbelief.
Earthworm, still frozen in his attack pose, was sweating.
"He… mimicked your footstep vibrations."
Realizing his mistake, he turned to Moro, his face filled with shock.
Dokumushi, still furious, shouted—
"Bullshit! That's impossible!"
But Earthworm's trembling voice answered—
"And yet… he did it."
----------
50 Powerstones? (5 Bonus Chapters)
20 Advance Chapters: patreon.com/milezen