Volk crouched low to the ground, his massive hands digging into the soil with relentless force.

Each scoop of earth seemed easier than the last, the radioactive magic in his gauntlet humming with purpose.

The more he dug, the more he felt connected to the strange, pulsing energy within the gauntlet.

“Ground Burrower,” Volk muttered to himself, the words appearing in his mind as though whispered by the gauntlet itself.

He could feel its intent—this wasn’t just a weapon of destruction. It was a tool of dominance over the very terrain itself.

He dug deeper, the soil flying around him in great clumps.

The sensation of the gauntlet adapting and learning from his actions filled him with a strange sense of exhilaration.

It was as if the weapon had a mind of its own, and it thrived on his aggression.

Suddenly, Volk froze.

His instincts screamed at him, warning him of something lurking beneath.

The ground beneath him trembled slightly, and a faint, guttural sound—like the grinding of stone—reverberated through the earth.

“What now?” Volk growled, his crimson eyes narrowing.

Without hesitation, he continued digging, his massive fists striking deeper into the ground.

The gauntlet pulsed with radioactive light, carving through the layers of dirt like a knife through butter.

Then he saw it—a glimpse of something pale and smooth, writhing in the dirt below.

It was massive, its segmented body glistening like wet marble under the faint glow of the gauntlet.

“A worm?” Volk mused, tilting his head. “Or something worse?”

Without waiting for an answer, Volk slammed his gauntlet down onto the creature’s body.

CRACK!

The impact sent a tremor through the ground, and the massive white worm squirmed violently, its body contorting in pain.

The creature let out a wet, guttural shriek that seemed to echo through the burrow.

“Hah!” Volk barked out a laugh, his tusks glinting as he grinned. “You don’t like that, do you?”

He slammed his gauntlet down again, this time with even greater force. BOOM!

The worm convulsed, thrashing so violently that chunks of dirt and rock were flung into the air.

Its movements were erratic, like it was trying to retreat but couldn’t escape Volk’s relentless assault.

Volk felt a surge of ecstasy as he continued his assault.

Each punch sent a jolt of energy through his arm, the gauntlet feeding off his brutality.

The ground beneath him shook with every blow, the worm’s pained shrieks like music to his ears.

“Squirm, you slimy thing!” Volk shouted, his voice filled with savage glee.

He struck again.

WHAM!

This time, the worm’s body twitched in spasms, leaving faint streaks of luminescent fluid oozing from the damaged segments.

But then, the trembling stopped.

Volk paused, his gauntlet still glowing as he stared at the worm’s battered body.

The air grew thick with an eerie silence, broken only by the faint dripping of its strange, glowing fluid.

Then, the ground directly in front of him split apart with a deafening roar.

RIIIIIIIIP!

A massive head burst forth from the earth, revealing itself in full.

It was serpent-like, with milky-white scales covering its elongated face.

Two gleaming black eyes locked onto Volk with unmistakable hatred, and its mouth opened to reveal rows of jagged, glistening teeth.

The creature hissed, its voice a blend of fury and pain.

Volk’s smirk returned, wider than ever. “Finally,” he muttered, cracking his knuckles. “Something worth fighting.”

Volk stood his ground, staring down the massive worm-like serpent as it coiled and thrashed before him, its milky-white body smeared with glowing ichor from where his gauntlet had battered it.

The air was thick with tension, the creature’s hissing filling the tunnel like the sound of steam escaping a broken pipe.

The serpent lunged first, its jaw opening wide to reveal rows of needle-like teeth that glistened with venom.

Volk dodged easily, a smirk tugging at his lips. “That all you’ve got?” he taunted, his voice echoing off the earthen walls.

The creature slammed into the ground where he had stood, sending a spray of dirt and rocks in all directions.

Volk leaped to the side, his massive frame moving with surprising agility.

As he landed, he brought his gauntlet down onto the serpent’s side with a thunderous BOOM!

The serpent shrieked, its body convulsing violently.

Luminescent fluid sprayed from the wound, splattering against the walls and floor.

Volk laughed, the sound deep and rumbling. “Weak,” he muttered, shaking his head.

The worm twisted its body, its tail whipping around like a massive club.

It came at Volk with enough force to crush stone, but he raised his gauntlet and caught it mid-swing.

The impact sent a shockwave through the tunnel, but Volk barely flinched.

“Pathetic,” he said, gripping the tail tightly. He swung the massive creature like a flail, slamming it into the walls and floor with reckless abandon.

CRASH! BOOM! SMASH!

Each impact sent chunks of earth and rock flying.

The worm’s shrieks grew more desperate, its body writhing in futile attempts to escape.

Volk finally released it, throwing it against the far wall with a deafening THUD!

The creature lay there for a moment, dazed and barely moving.

Volk walked toward it slowly, his heavy footsteps echoing ominously.

“Come on,” he said, rolling his shoulders. “I know you’ve got more fight in you.”

The serpent lifted its head weakly, its black eyes filled with a mix of hatred and fear.

It lunged again, slower this time, its movements sluggish and uncoordinated.

Volk sidestepped easily, slamming his fist into its head with a resounding CRACK!

The creature crumpled to the ground, its body twitching.

Volk crouched beside it, tilting his head as he studied it. “Is that it?” he asked, his tone mocking. “I was hoping for more.”

The worm hissed weakly, its body coiling in on itself as if trying to shield itself from him.

Volk chuckled, the sound low and menacing.

“You’re not even worth killing,” he said, standing up. “But I’m not done with you yet.”

He grabbed the creature by its tail, dragging it across the ground like a sack of grain.

The worm thrashed feebly, its strength all but gone.

Volk swung it around again, slamming it into the walls and floor with reckless abandon.

WHAM! BAM! CRASH!

The tunnel shook with each impact, dust and debris raining down from above.

The serpent’s shrieks grew quieter, its movements weaker.

Volk finally let it go, tossing it to the ground like a discarded toy. Enjoy exclusive adventures from empire

The creature lay there, its body battered and broken.

It let out a low, pitiful hiss, its black eyes dimming.

Volk crouched beside it once more, his smirk replaced by a look of mild boredom. “You’re lucky I’m in a good mood,” he said, tapping the serpent’s head with his gauntlet. “I’ll let you go. But next time…”

He leaned in closer, his crimson eyes glowing with menace. “You’d better be stronger.”

The serpent hisses weakly, its body trembling as it tries to slither away.

Volk watched it go, his smirk returning.

“Pathetic,” he muttered, shaking his head.

He stood up, flexing his gauntlet-clad hand.

The radioactive glow pulsed faintly, as if responding to his thoughts.

“Let’s see what else is out there,” Volk said to himself, turning and walking deeper into the tunnel.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep