Vortex Origins
Chapter 57: Chaos at sandworms valley - 2

Chapter 57: Chaos at sandworms valley - 2

A shadow streaked across the battlefield. A heartbeat later, the sandworm’s gaping maw snapped shut—on empty air. Ash had already vanished, his arms locked around the survivor as he tore through the valley like a phantom. Wind howled in his wake, grains of sand whipping against his face as he pushed his body beyond its limits.

The wasteland stretched ahead. The cracked earth, littered with those he had saved, barely registered in his mind. He barely slowed as he dropped the survivor among them, their body crumpling, gasping for breath. No time to check if they were uninjured.

No time at all.

His gaze flicked across the wasteland. People ran, stumbling over shifting dunes, their silhouettes barely visible in the dust-choked air. Others stood frozen, their eyes hollow, their limbs locked in terror.

A lone figure stood among them.

Mark.

The old man’s frail form trembled. Wrinkled hands clutched at his chest, fingers digging into his tattered robe. Silent tears streaked his face as he watched the massacre unfold—the bodies swallowed whole, the screams muffled beneath shifting sand.

Ash turned towards the valley

He didn’t stop. He didn’t look back.

The earth trembled beneath his feet. A violent ripple. A warning.

He twisted, narrowly dodging as a massive set of fangs erupted from below, snapping shut where he had stood a second earlier. Another tremor—then a blur of motion from the corner of his eye.

Another worm.

Its gaping maw surged toward a man too slow to run.

Ash lunged. His legs burned. His breath tore from his throat. He was close. He could still make it—

A whisper cut through his mind.

"[Vein Energy: 50%]"

His muscles locked. A crushing weight wrapped around him, dragging him down like unseen chains.

The world slowed.

The skill collapsed.

His body staggered.

The man’s scream tore through the night.

The worm struck.

Blood splattered across the sand. The body disappeared into the void of jagged teeth. The earth swallowed them whole, leaving behind only a dark stain in the shifting dunes.

Silence.

Ash’s hands curled into fists. His breath came in ragged gasps. His vision tunneled.

Then—

A sharp whistle.

Pain.

A force like a sledgehammer smashed into his ribs. His feet left the ground. Air rushed past his ears. The world twisted in a blur of sand and darkness.

Then—the crash.

His body hit the ground hard, rolling, skidding, every impact ripping through his bones. The taste of iron filled his mouth. Something warm trickled down his face, thick and slow.

Blood.

A voice. Distant and Warped.

"Ash!"

His eyelids fluttered. Light bled into his vision—blurry shapes twisting through fire and shadow. His ears rang, a dull hum drowning the world. Every muscle in his body screamed.

"Ash!"

The voice sound again as the world slammed into focus.

His breath hitched, sharp and ragged. Above him, the sky burned—flames twisting against the dark, their glow reflecting off the sand like molten glass. Smoke filled his lungs, thick and suffocating.

Movement.

A figure rushed toward him, cutting through the chaos.

Max.

"Ash. Get up!"

Max’s voice barely carried over the storm of fire and sand. His face twisted in urgency.

"We need to move!"

Ash braced his arms against the ground, pushing himself upright. Every joint felt like it had been torn apart and stitched back together. The pain didn’t matter.

"I’m not leaving both of you here. Am not going to lose another member of my family "

Then—

The sand trembled. A shadow loomed behind Max.

Ash’s breath turned to ice.

The ground split open. A monstrous shape surged from below, its segmented body coiling, its maw widening to consume everything in its path.

"MAX!"

Max twisted—too late.

The worm struck.

Jaws clamped down. A muffled scream.

Then—

Silence.

Max was gone.

Only a collapsing sinkhole remained.

Ash ran. His feet barely found traction on the shifting sand, but he ran. As if he could reach him. As if there was anything left to reach.

The ground lurched again.

Another worm.

Its massive form burst from the earth, a gaping void of fangs rushing toward him.

His breath caught. He grit his teeth in anger.

"[Activating skill: Storm Vein]"

A current surged through his body.

"[Activating skill: Static Surge]"

Lightning danced along his skin. The world blurred. His body twisted midair, narrowly escaping the snap of jagged teeth. He landed in a slide, sand exploding around him as he came to a stop.

The worm coiled, preparing to strike again.

Ash gripped on the hilt of his blade.

A moment of stillness.

The worm lunged.

He unsheathe his blade.

"[Activating skill: Phantom’s Stride]"

His body surge with power as he disappeared.

The creature hesitated, its massive head jerking in confusion.

Then—

A glint of steel.

Ash stood atop its writhing body, his blade buried deep in its skull.

A piercing shriek tore through the valley. Black ichor sprayed, drenching his arms, his face. The worm convulsed, thrashing, trying to shake him off.

He didn’t let go.

His hands tightened around the hilt. He dragged the blade downward. Flesh split. A sickening rip filled the air.

More blood. More shrieking.

The worm spasmed, its body twisting in a final, desperate attempt to devour him.

But he was already gone.

A blur of motion—then he reappeared beneath it, his blade carving through its underbelly in a single, merciless stroke. He drag it down.

He had done it many times. To others it might seem like a couple of hits. But to ash, he already strikes it 50 times.

The creature let out one final screech—then collapsed.

Still. Lifeless.

Ash stumbled back, his chest rising and falling in sharp gasps. His grip on the sword trembled.

His gaze snapped to the place where Max had been.

A shallow crater. Loose sand, sinking inward.

He quickly move closer and dropped to his knees.

"No, no, no, Max, come on, don’t leave us. I know you’re still alive. You can’t die now."

His fingers clawed at the dirt, digging, tearing. Blood seeped from his hands, staining the grains red.

The system message whispered in his mind.

"[You have slain a creature of the higher stage. Gain 1 Vein Energy Point.]"

He ignored it.

His nails scraped against the earth, his breath uneven.

Another voice sounded in his mind.

Low and cold.

"You can’t save him, mortal."

Ash froze, his hand hovering above the sand.

’What? That wasn’t me...’

A shout cut through the chaos—a curse that burned through the air.

"Dammit!!"

Ash’s heart skipped. He knew that voice.

’Kael.’

He spun around, his eyes locking onto the figure hovering above the battlefield. Kael. His body wreathed in flames, flickering with fury. His face twisted in an expression of pure anger, the fire reflecting off his eyes. Kael’s clothing had long since burned away, leaving him only in tattered shorts. Sweat mixed with ash on his skin.

The air crackled with heat.

The sandworms that had plagued them moments ago? Gone. But there was something worse—something far darker.

A massive shadow loomed in the distance, casting an eerie pall over the wasteland. Ash’s eyes narrowed.

The Tier 6 Sandworm.

It had returned.

Its monstrous form rose from the ground like an ancient titan, the earth shaking beneath its weight. Eyes cold and unfeeling, it stared at them—its hunger palpable. Its jagged teeth glistened in the fading light, each one a promise of death.

Ash’s mind raced.

The survivors—those few left—were scattering, fleeing to the distant edges of the wasteland. They were running, but they were running to where?

The Wasteland was no safe haven. Not anymore. Not with the Tier 6 on the prowl.

Ash’s gaze shifted back to Kael.

Kael hovered there, breathing hard, each breath ragged. His fists clenched at his sides, flames licking at his skin, but his expression? Fury. The kind that burned deeper than the fire he summoned.

Kael was spent. His strength was draining faster than he could replenish it. The battle had taken more than it should have.

Ash’s chest tightened.

The battle had been relentless. A storm of chaos. A nightmare.

And now, standing in the wreckage, it seemed like fate had decided they weren’t done yet.

The ground trembled again as the Tier 6 shifted, its massive body coiling as if preparing to strike. Ash’s hand curled around the hilt of his blade, the weight of the weapon grounding him in the midst of this madness.

There was no escaping this. Not now.