The cavern shook like an angry drum. Dust rained from the ceiling. The glow from the roots dimmed. Every worm froze mid-motion, retreating back into the soil. Even the Earth Hounds whined and slunk backward, their stone bodies trembling.
Lin's Stone Sense pulsed like a heartbeat gone berserk. Something massive was moving beneath them — slow, deliberate, unstoppable.
Elara whispered, "Why are they retreating…?"
Nyra's knuckles went white around her staff. "Predator."
Crystal's voice lost its usual smugness. "Threat classification: Catastrophic. Incoming entity — codename: Burrowing Titan."
Lin swallowed. "Titan. Yeah. Of course. Why wouldn't there be a titan?"
---
The Emergence
The ground cracked in a perfect circle around the cavern. A pillar of earth rose like a geyser, then split. Out of it emerged a head shaped like a jagged mountain peak — two glowing amber eyes set deep inside a craggy face. Its "skin" was layered boulders fused together, each plate etched with runes that pulsed faint orange.
The thing kept rising. Shoulders as wide as a city street, arms like stone bridges ending in clawed hands. Its legs remained buried, anchoring it to the earth like a living skyscraper. When it moved, the cavern walls rippled.
Lin stumbled back. "That's not a monster. That's a continent with arms."
Crystal: "Burrowing Titan — apex guardian of the Earth Biome. Respawn chance: 100%. Survival chance: 0.1%."
Lin glared at the air. "Thanks for the pep talk."
---
The Titan Attacks
The Titan slammed one massive hand down. The ground split, sending shockwaves that knocked Lin and the others off their feet. Spires of rock jutted upward like teeth. Elara rolled aside as a spike grazed her arm.
Nyra shouted a spell, summoning a barrier of roots. It shattered under the Titan's second strike.
Lin pressed his hands to the soil, Stone Sense screaming in his head. He could feel every movement, every tremor — but the scale was so huge it hurt.
He gritted his teeth. "Too big… can't predict everything…"
Crystal hissed, "Focus on micro-patterns. Not the whole. Find weak points."
---
Comedy Amid Terror
An Earth Hound, panicked, spat a rock at the Titan. The rock pinged harmlessly off its chest and ricocheted — straight into Lin's forehead.
"OW! I'M NOT EVEN FIGHTING YOU RIGHT NOW!"
[Respawn]
He appeared back at the cavern entrance, coughing dust. "Oh great. Instant replay." He sprinted back into the chaos.
Elara glanced at him as he skidded to a stop. "You're alive?"
"Died. Again. Long story."
---
Lin's Realization
He stared up at the Titan, breathing hard. "This isn't just Jumanji. This is… bigger. Fire, water, earth… titans guarding each biome… what am I even in maybe I am dreaming?"
Crystal answered softly. "You're in a game that's more than a game. And you're still at level one dreaming won't save you."
Lin's grip tightened on his club. "Then I better start acting like a player who wants to win."
---
Cliffhanger
The Titan's chest cracked open, revealing a glowing core like molten amber. It drew in a massive breath. The ground around them lifted, a ring of stone walls rising to seal them in.
Elara's eyes widened. "It's trapping us!"
Nyra gasped. "It's going to rain fu..k run"
The Titan roared, and a storm of boulders erupted from its mouth like meteors.
Lin raised his club, screaming, "I HATE THIS Fuc..king GAME!"
The screen went black.
To be continued…