A few hours after the intruder escaped, the Sandworm was resting under the sand and meditating as usual.
The injuries from the fight with the little bipedal creature were not small, but not heavy either. With its peak Level 3 Body regeneration, they were already healed.
This arid land wasn't made of sand, but the Sandworm had a special physique since its birth. This uniqueness enabled it to go underground.
Instead of fighting for resources like other magic beasts, it meditated underground and slowly advanced to peak Level 3.
It tried entering the Inner Zone but almost died on its first day.
After that, it picked the current arid plain— one of the locations with the highest aura after Inner Zone.
In a few words, its life mantra was "Slow and Steady."
Unfortunately, all of it was about to be broken.
"Boss, Xp please."
A familiar voice sounded.
The Sandworm ignored the annoying buy and continued meditating.
Yes. Advance to Level 4 and enter the Inner Zone. Then find another arid zone and meditate underground.
Advance to Level 6. Become the strongest. Slow and Steady.
Despite its limited brain faculties, it had its future path cleared out.
So peacefully—
The annoying bipedal bug stepped into its arid plain!
The Sandworm was furious. However, it didn't attack right away.
Then he came closer and closer to the center. Now, he was almost standing above it!
How was it supposed to meditate peacefully when a potential enemy was right over its head?
The Sandworm lost it and drilled out of the land.
Druaaah!
With its memory from the last time, it directly used its tail to slap the person.
Its tail overpowered him last time.
The Sandstorm saw the human raise his fist and punch at its tail.
It was gleeful. He'd break most of his bones. This time, it wouldn't let him off.
Boom!
Bang!
"Druaah?!" The Sandstorm was thrown back by the human's punch.
Was it just its imagination or was the punch stronger than last time?
It didn't think much and rushed to the human to attack him again.
Boom!
Crunch!
"...Drua…" The Sandstorm almost crunched him to pieces.
But the cunning human rolled to the side and dodged.
Then he lashed out at it with a great speed. His leg was covered by a golden coiling, must be the lightning that scorched its skin. It was but a small injury.
The Sandstorm wasn't afraid and used its own lash to counter.
However, right when its tail was about to connect with his leg, the space around its tail stagnated for a moment.
"Dru"
The momentum broke the binding, but the Sandworm could clearly feel its attack weakened by at least 5%.
Then came the lighting.
"Druaa"
Even though the lightning was weak, it still hurt. Its skin was charred and blood began to gush out.
However, the time came to end this farce.
Boom!
Crack!
"Druaah?"
Why was the kick stronger? Was the human's leg—the tail equivalent, also significantly stronger than his arms?
It had no answers as its tail was thrown off.
The human wasn't sent flying this time, but he was pushed back a long distance.
"Druaah!"
The Sandworm was furious and attacked him again.
Boom!
The human coughed the strange red blood and ran away.
When the Sandworm decided to deliver its final blow, he escaped!
"Druah!"
If it knew human tongue, the Sandworm would surely curse him. Fortunately or unfortunately, it didn't.
"Druah!" The Sandstorm didn't give up and chased him.
It was not a goldfish. This human provoked it only a few hours ago and returned already.
If he was let off, he was going to provoke it again.
There would be no peace anymore.
Can't let him off. But—
"Druah!" The space around its body was continuously blocked.
Even though breaking it took only a split second, the Sandworm was annoyed. Each space block was adding up.
"Druah?!" The Sandworm roared in confusion.
Why was the human's speed faster than the last time? Was he not injured?
It followed him for a longer distance than the last time, but in the end, it still returned to its place.
It had to guard from other magic beasts occupying its nest.
"Druah." The Sandworm entered underground and inhaled the fresh, fragrant aura from the soil.
Only a few months and it would break into Level 4.
Slow and Steady Progress.
It dived into meditation and a few more hours passed.
Then, the annoying voice came again.
"Boss, please give Xp!"
"Druah?!"
If there was a translation to the emotion it was feeling, then it would approximately be:
'Can't you let me just meditate peacefully? Do you want to die so much?'
This time it didn't go out even when the human reached the center of the arid plain.
Let him play all he wants. He was weaker than it, anyway.
"Druah?!"
Good lord, he was digging the ground!
Was he mad or what?
The Sandstorm was infuriated and lashed out at him.
Another battle ensued.
"Druah?!"
This time, it was sure. The human was somehow growing stronger with each strike.
Especially with each tail strike, his aura was rising.
It's superiority was being slowly eroded as the human continued to catch up.
Boom!
Creak!
"Druah!!!" The Sandworm roared in frustration as the human escaped once again.
It slowly slipped underground. But it didn't meditate. Instead, it waited for the human to return once again.
And return he did.
"Boss, Xp please!"
Again and again.
"Boss, Xp please!"
That annoying voice didn't seem to end.
"Boss, Xp please!"
As the nightmares didn't seem to end, something in the Sandworm's primitive brain snapped.
It decided to ambush him.
He came!
"Boss, Xp please!"
"Druah!" The roar was full of joy as its tail approached the human's head.
One shot and he'd be dead.
"Druah?!" The Sandworm yelled in confusion as it was sent flying.
The lightning tore apart its skin and the sheer force behind the punch shook every muscle in its body to the core.
"Druah!" The sandworm felt something ingrained in every creature.
Something it didn't feel for a long time.
Fear.
The human didn't stop.
The attacks continued.
Just by physical strength alone, he was still inferior, albeit quickly catching up.
But when combined with the space blocks and lightning attacks, the Sandworm was overpowered.
"Druah!!" The roars continued.
This time, the human left. It didn't chase. Rather, it couldn't.
Since it didn't kill after defeating it…
"Druah…" The Sandworm thought he finally left and found peace.
But—
"Boss, Xp please!"
"Druah?!!"
To a fellow Sandworm, it would've sounded like "Son of a bitch, what Xp?! I'm dying here."
"Druah?~" This time, the human didn't use his lightning or space powers. He was overpowered by it.
"Druah~" The Sandworm was happy. It was finally payback time.
It beat him without holding back. However, with each strike, he continued to grow stronger.
In the end, he was still able to escape despite his injuries.
This continued for a while until…
"Druah?!" As he punched its head, the Sandworm was injured.
Compared to the first time, he was much stronger.
The fight continued and in the end; he defeated it with just his space and body powers.
"Druah…"
The human left again.
However, the Sandworm didn't go underground this time.
"Drua…" The Sandworm looked at its habitat and felt the throbbing pain in its body.
"Drua~" It wailed.
'I don't want to be strong anymore, I just want to be left alone.'
That day, Outerzone Boss, the veritable Irontail Sandworm, the most protective of its arid plain, left its habitat.