The Nymph noticed that eating the Deathworm would almost certainly spell death for it. It's highly attuned [Mana Sense] noticed a curse-like power radiating from it's mucus.
The Deathworm didn't want to fight. Knowing that if it did so both parties would die.
And hence the Deathworm dug away and the Nymph crawled to where Quinn had gone
It was looking for Quinn.
Noticing the downward tunnel, it paused. It was sensing the mana for any dangers it might find.
After sensing nothing it jumped down the hole. It landed exactly on the wounded worm. Too injured to go anywhere.
An easy feast. Or so it had thought.
Two Scythe like fangs shot out and sunk into the nymph's body.
The Nymph couldn't even react.
...
Quinn awoke lost.
He had a feeling of uneasiness. But more importantly, loneliness.
His plan to communicate with the other worms only endangered him. And now he was in the dark on the surface.
'wait that isn't right??'
A burrow...
Quinn panicked, trying to remember what happened before he fell unconscious. But all he recalled is that he should be dead. He tried to sense around but nothing came up. Except one small and insignificant shell. Within that shell lay some sort of creature. Similar to him but more power. More lethality. More teeth??
'This burrow feels abandoned. It feels almost deathly cold in here. Even the roots go around this place.'
The burrow had a wet substance lingering on the ground which seemed to deter any roots from growing near it. But not fungi.
[Appraisal: Gluttonous Miasma-shroom
Effect: Removes all sensory stimuli upon consumption]
Weird name. Quinn had never seen this mushroom growing anywhere else in the underground. It could be eatable. Continuing on he decided to try to appraise the wet substance.
[Appraisal: Black Viper's poison
Effect: Causes Paralysis]
Realizing where Quinn was he panicked rushing to get out of there asap.
But he didn't move
He was paralyzed.
He squirmed and flailed but nothing happened. He tried to vibrate danger but Quinn only managed a low hum. Quitting his crude attempt he observed his surroundings. There was other worms. Some looked dead while others hummed and rumbled.
Then he felt it.
Something underneath burrowing towards him. He's felt these vibrations before. His instincts were screaming. The natural enemy of worms.
A mole
[Appraisal: Mole(Lvl:21)]
Mole's favourite food was worms. Moles use their extremely sensitive nose to feel the vibrations of worms. Every mechanism was designed to detect and catch worms.
And Quinn was the victim. The mole burst out of the floor of the burrow grabbing a few worms in it's mouth before reaching to pick up some more worms.
Thip
The mole was dead instantly.
A large snake striked out of the darkness landing right on the mole's neck. The terrifyingly large scaled creature recoiled back into the shadows dragging with it the mole.
'WTF hff hff WTF is that hffff I'm going to die. I'm going to die!!!!' Quinn panicked but still couldn't do anything.
Quinn was going to finally die.
That's when he passed out.
...
Quinn awoke in almost the same situation.
The viper still lurked in the darkness with the odd strike at anything taking the truckload of worm bait. The worm's still hummed and vibrated the same. But his wounds finally healed. There was still pain where the Nymph dug it's mandibles into him but the wound was finally closed. And his tail was back.
But he was shorter.
A lot shorter.
Checking his status he found out why
[
Name: Quinn
Species: Lesser Earthworm(Lvl:0.9)
Conditions: (Fragmented) (Paralyzed)
Exp:[1.6/5.5]
Strength:0.008(-0.007)
Agility:0.006(-0.006)
Vitality:0.011(-0.01)
Intelligence:0.8
Arcane:0
Skills: [Appraisal(Lvl:2)]
]
He was truly weak. And he would die week.
...
The day passed annoyingly slow.
The snake striking and killing prey.
The worms humming and vibrating the same way.
Quinn's body didn't get any better.
On the contrary, he got worse. He got hungry.
He got bored.
Nothing new happened. Until it did.
Another worm landed in the pit. The worms around it stopped humming. Every worm in the cavern started humming and rumbling erratically. And that's when he realized. Before every worm was vibrating in the exact same way. Like they were singing a song.
And now it felt as though 21 odd songs were playing at the same time.
And the new arrival sang his song. Dragging the nearest worm out of the poison it began to tunnel the worm down.
But he didn't like that.
A pressure only comparable to the goliath washed over the entire burrow. The worm freezed. The hums silenced. And the viper emerged.
It hissed then rumbled a similar song to the worms. The only difference was power. And Quinn understood.
It was telling them that no one leaves.
The viper sprayed poison on the worms that were out of the liquid.
Their only hope paralyzed, like the rest of them.