The ground shuddered again, harder than before. A low rumble rolled beneath our feet like something enormous was trying to push its way up.
Then the ground exploded.
Right in front of us, between our group and where Lyrate had been sitting, the earth burst open with a deafening crack. Soil, stone, and dust shot into the air like a volcano erupting sideways.
And from the explosion, roots erupted.
Thick roots. Massive roots. More than a hundred of them burst out at once, twisting like snakes and lashing wildly in all directions. Each root was thicker than most trees and moved with insane speed, cracking the ground wherever they struck.
Ragnar didn't move at all.
He stood in front of us with his arms crossed, looking completely calm, like this was nothing more than an annoying rainstorm.
The first root swung toward him with a loud whoosh.
Ragnar snorted. "Try harder."
