Wormin

After walking for a few hours we began to see the first crystals. Fluorescent crystals, displaying a multitude of colors ranging from red to purple while still maintaining its transparency. It started out with just a few small crystals, but gradually they became larger and more frequent the deeper we went, though most of our surroundings were still rocky.

At some point there was a junction consisting of two options, left and right. Nexus promptly suggested we'd take the right path, after which I quickly decided to go left.

[You really have no faith in me whatsoever, do you?] asked Nexus playfully,

"I just don't like to be ordered around." I said without displaying any annoyance.

[Very well.]

It didn't take long before we reached a carved out hole, it was completely round, it didn't have any crystals we'd seen before, but what it did have was eggs. They looked disgusting and it didn't take long for me to realize that they were from the Infested.

In the middle of the room was a large infested worm. It looked like a combination of a bloodsucker and a giraffe. Its body is just like a bloodsucker, but it tries to make itself look bigger by lifting up its body as much as possible, similar to a giraffe trying to make its neck look longer than its peers. This made the worm more imposing than when I initially saw it. His head does not exist, it's just a mouth with lots of sharp teeth. Its blue-greenish tint revealed its infested nature.

[You see that creature there? It's part of the Infested. It seems like it's trying to protect the eggs in the room.] Said Nexus excitingly.

"Yeah, it's disgusting."

[It's a low-ranked monster, it's perfect for a first battle to try out your weapon.]

I didn't respond. I was completely focused, realizing that this would be my first fight, and might even be my last as well, as I've had no prior training. This monster didn't look small either, so I was nervous.

I tightly grabbed my black-orange mace with semi-burning blades and got into a stance which indicated a rush towards the enemy will arise soon. My eyes focused on the enemy while it tried to make itself bigger and bigger by lifting up its body. I looked behind me as if Nexus was standing there, eagerly waiting to watch me charge. Then, the adrenaline rush kicked in.

"Time to show what I'm made of!" I shouted determinately.

Without hesitation, I charged forward, my every movement fueled by determination. The worm reacted with surprising speed, lunging towards me with its gaping maw lined with razor-sharp teeth. I sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the snapping jaws, and swung the mace in a wide arc, aiming for the worm's exposed flank.

"Shit! It blocked my attack!" I screamed out of fear.

The worm body smashed itself directly into the shaft to deflect the attack.

[It took some internal damage in the process, your swing was surprisingly quick.] Said Nexus in a surprisingly serious tone.

Unfortunately, it wasn't just the Infested worm that suffered damage in the room. As I delivered a powerful blow with the mace, my right hand bore the brunt of the impact, leaving a distinct mark. The force of the strike had been so intense that any more pressure could have easily resulted in a broken hand.

As painful as it was, there just wasn't any time to think about my hand. The worm retaliated with newfound fury, its tail lashing out in a powerful strike in the direction of my jaw. I barely managed to dodge the stinger in the nick of time, feeling the rush of wind as it passed by.

Even the infested worm was off-balance after its all or nothing attack, these are the chances I have to take if I want to leave this fight as the winner. I pressed forward towards it with everything I had, still off-balance, I managed to land several successful blows against its body. After which I backed off slightly, giving the worm enough time to relocate itself accordingly. Its stickiness gave it the ability to crawl on walls and ceilings. Repositioning itself on the ceiling made it difficult for me to reach it.

"Come here you bastard!" I shouted in frustration.

My heart raced as the worm ducked and weaved, evading my thrashing attacks as I jumped higher and higher. It anticipated my moves and leaped forward, launching itself into the air. With a swift spin and its mouth wide open it was speeding towards me, I brought the bladed mace in front of me in the direction of its mouth.

"AAAAAAAH!" I shouted, trying to emit as much energy as I possibly could.

[AAAAAAAH!] Nexus shouted in harmony.

Upon which it landed, the four-bladed mace sliced the worm in four different directions, eliciting a spine-chilling howl of agony.

"You won't stop me!" I roared, my voice filled with determination and adrenaline.

The infested worm writhed in pain as my bladed mace struck its body, carving deep gashes into its flesh. It let out a guttural cry, a haunting sound that reverberated through the chamber.

[Hit 'm with a left, hit 'm with a right, Nexus can't get you out of its mind!] Nexus' voice echoed in my mind, fueling my resolve.

The worm, enraged and desperate, lunged at me again, its teeth gnashing together with a sickening crunch. I twisted to the side, narrowly avoiding the deadly bite, and retaliated with a swift counterattack.

"Is that all you've got?" I taunted, a wicked smile spreading across my face.

With each swing of the mace, I could feel the power surging through me. The blades tore through the air, leaving trails of orange light in their wake. The worm's movements grew sluggish, weakened by the relentless assault.

"I won't let you harm anyone else!" I shouted, my voice filled with defiance.

The worm's body trembled as it attempted to strike back, but I anticipated its every move. With a swift leap, I evaded its attack and delivered a crushing blow to its underbelly. The impact sent shockwaves through the creature, causing it to stagger and falter.

[Finish it!] Nexus encouraged, her voice brimming with excitement.

Summoning every ounce of strength, I channeled my energy into one final strike. The blades of the mace ignited with a brilliant orange glow as I swung with all my might. The weapon tore through the air, slicing through the worm's body with a resounding thud.

As the worm writhed in its final moments, a sense of accomplishment washed over me. I stood tall, breathing heavily, but filled with newfound confidence. The battle had tested me in ways I couldn't have imagined, but I emerged victorious.

[You did it! You defeated the infested worm!] Nexus exclaimed, her voice filled with admiration.

I glanced at my injured hand, a testament to the fierce struggle. It throbbed with pain, but I ignored it, knowing that I had overcome the odds. My face lit up, as I had proven myself in this battle.

[Don't fumble around! Quickly destroy the eggs before they hatch!] Nexus shouted.

I had completely forgotten about the eggs, there were only 5, but if they'd hatch I wouldn't be sure if I could take on 5 baby worms, as I had no idea what their strength would be. Without saying anything I ran towards the eggs and destroyed them completely, leaving no chance of the babies being alive.

As I cut the eggs, I became more aware of how much it actually stinks. I didn't notice it during the fight because of how focused I was, but damn, this is bad.

"Thank you." I said with a reassuring tone, trying to let Nexus know I'm actually grateful this time around. Nexus didn't just warn me about the eggs, but also said some encouraging words during the fight.

``Noff-Nexus Relationship Level Up!

Current Level: 1``

Being completely worn out from that one single fight, I decided to stay here for a bit and rest up for a while.

"Nexus. How strong was that creature?" I asked while panting.

[Whenever you defeat a creature, my knowledge gets updated. I can form summaries of monsters for you to check out any time you want. You could use me as an encyclopedia, though you'd have to fill in everything yourself.] Said Nexus hoping I'd pull out one of my annoying faces.

"Alright, thanks."

"Do you have a summary available of that specific monster?" I asked rhetorically.

[Yes indeed, I'll pull it up for you.]

Name: Wormin

Appearance: Wormin is a bizarre and grotesque creature, bearing a peculiar fusion of traits from bloodsuckers, worms, and giraffes. Its body resembles that of a bloodsucker, but it possesses a unique ability to elongate and contort its form, akin to a worm's flexibility. The creature's blue-greenish hue serves as a clear indication of its infested nature, a sign of its infested state.

Danger Level: 1

Abilities:

1. Bloodsucking Bite.

2. Length Manipulation.

3. Body Smash.

Size: 1.3 meters in length.

Vulnerabilities:

1. It has no armor, every spot is as weak as every other spot on its body.

Living Environment:

In caves on earth between a depth of 1-300 km.

"300 km?!" I asked in disbelief.

[Oh definitely! Because your species has advanced their technology across tens of thousands of years, we're now able to reach such depths without dying! How magnificent!]

It took me a moment to process this fact, but I didn't question it, as it had been 100.000 years since I last was awake.

"It's danger level is 1, yet I had so much trouble with this Wormin… I really am weak aren't I." I mumbled in despair.

[Hahaha, no way! My master is so pessimistic. You were awesome in that fight, we were screaming stuff together and you absolutely crushed that piece of indescribable garbage.] said Nexus playfully.

Despite Nexus' attempt to uplift my spirits, I couldn't shake off the feeling of my own limitations.

"Hey, Nexus, do you think there's more to my abilities? Is there a chance that I can become stronger?"

Nexus paused for a moment, as if it was hesitant to answer my question.

[Hey hey hey, considering I'm quite literally your soulmate, wouldn't it be awesome if we could get along a bit better?] Said Nexus quite excitingly, as if it already expected to get the answer it wanted.

[Our performance would greatly benefit from positive relations.]

"Yeah… I guess so, I should probably just train more too and defeat more monsters." I said with a slight smile.

I've never fought anyone before in my entire life. I don't know why I'm chosen to do this job. I know absolutely nothing, yet I feel a sense of importance. I'm scared, I don't know if I'll ever improve my fighting capabilities. Why am I even participating in this infested war, why do I feel so much pressure on my shoulders, why?

Pfff, I have to get a grip on myself. I've defeated my first enemy, that's only the first step.

``Please bear with me Noff, you'll get stronger, I promise, I promise I promise I promise. There's just so much I cannot tell you right now. I just hope you follow my hints, that you take me just a bit more seriously. As much as I would love to tell you everything and lead you straight to success, it's just impossible.`` Nexus thought, without letting Noff know.