The cavern shook like an earthquake as the Deep Maw writhed, blue sparks racing along its pale body. Its roar vibrated through the water, shattering stalactites.
Lin clung to a jagged rock, coughing up lake water. "This is insane. This isn't a boss fight — this is a lawsuit waiting to happen."
Crystal's voice buzzed. "Focus. One more strike."
Elara pulled herself onto the ledge beside him, dripping. "We can't beat this thing!"
Nyra's staff glowed faintly. "Maybe we don't have to. Look."
---
The Escape
A crack had opened behind the Maw, leading into a tunnel sloping upward, faint brown light spilling from it. Earth, not stone.
Crystal hissed. "Sub-biome exit detected. Coordinates uploading."
Lin spat water and grinned weakly. "Cool. New level. Let's go before sushi monster recovers."
They dived back into the water, kicking hard. Lin activated Current Rider, blue threads of light swirling around him. The current itself seemed to help, propelling them through the tunnel like a river slide.
Behind them, the Maw thrashed, its glowing eyes watching but not following. It reared back, vanishing into the depths.
---
The Earth Biome
They burst out into a cavern of brown stone and moss. The air was heavy, humid, and warm — but not burning. Roots hung from the ceiling, thick and pulsing. The ground trembled with a slow, steady rhythm like a heartbeat.
Elara knelt, touching the soil. "This is… alive."
Nyra's eyes widened. "The Earth Biome. The foundation of the game. Few survive to reach it."
Lin collapsed on his back, panting. "No fire. No water monsters. Just dirt. I could cry."
Crystal's tone was unreadable. "Be careful what you wish for."
The ground beneath Lin shuddered.
---
The Earth Worms
Something huge shifted below the surface. The soil bulged, cracked. A massive, segmented body erupted upward — an Earth Worm, thick as a tree trunk, armored in stone-like plates. Its head split into petal-like mandibles lined with grinding teeth.
Lin scrambled up. "Oh come on! Giant worms again?!"
Another bulge rose nearby. A second worm surfaced, then a third, weaving around them in slow, heavy arcs. The air smelled like wet clay.
Elara backed up. "They're surrounding us."
Nyra raised her staff. "They're territorial. Stay calm."
The first worm reared up, its mandibles opening with a grinding screech. Dust and pebbles rained from its mouth like sand.
---
Lin's Reflection
Lin tightened his grip on his club, heart hammering. He stared at the worms, then at the living cavern, the pulsing roots, the endless biomes.
"This isn't a game anymore…" he muttered. "It feels real. The pain, the smell, the heat…"
He laughed, a wild edge in his voice. "Maybe I didn't get reincarnated into Jumanji. Maybe I fell into the freaking Avatar world. Earth, water, fire… what's next? Air?"
Crystal was quiet for once. Then she said softly, "You're adapting. Good."
Lin glared at nothing. "I'm surviving, not adapting."
---
The largest worm lunged, stone plates grinding as it dove toward them. The ground shook so hard the cavern walls cracked.
Elara shouted, "Lin! Plan?!"
Lin raised his club, glaring at the ceiling. "I swear, when I find the creator of this game, I'm going to—"
The worm erupted from beneath him, mandibles snapping shut.
To be continued…