Shatter the stone and purge the past (Part 2)
As Pepper drives the Rock-Eating Worm into berserk mode in Fasteia Mine's depths, chaos erupts.
"What's this timer?!"
"No idea!"
"The mine's shaking—it's gonna collapse!"
"We gotta get out!"
Players in the mine, gripped by panic at the sudden countdown, scramble for the exit, unaware that a collapse means instant death. Amid the frenzy, one player stands firm, facing the danger head-on: Pepper.
While others flee, Pepper, the catalyst of this chaos, confronts the raging worm, its massive body thrashing. Pulling the Fatal Knife (Vorpal Chopper) from their inventory, Pepper locks eyes with the beast.
The knife boosts criticals on vital hits. The worm's jaw is exposed—perfect target!
With the timer ticking, every second counts. The worm's berserk attacks—slams, charges, and swallows—hit harder than ever, overwhelming Pepper's defenses. One hit, and I'm dead. How do I strike back?
Minutes slip by, defeat looming. With under five minutes left, Pepper steels themselves. "Come on, centipede worm!"
Taunting the beast, Pepper crouches low and charges. The worm's massive jaw descends like a guillotine, crushing rock. Not yet! Pepper thinks, recalling a brutal retro whack-a-mole game. Its "God" difficulty, driven by an AI that read players' minds, was near impossible. Azusa, traumatized by it, once quit gaming for a week. Compared to that nightmare, your moves are tame!
Dodging at the last second with Step Work's chained steps, Pepper slides to the worm's side, facing its exposed jaw—the epicenter of victory. "Eat this! Spot Edge!"
The Fatal Knife plunges deep, its critical boost amplified by Spot Edge's headshot bonus, tearing into the worm's vulnerable flesh. Blue-black polygons spray like a sprinkler. "GYUARIRAAAA!" the worm shrieks.
"Last hit!" With under two minutes left, the worm summons its final strength, scraping walls and floor with its teeth, charging with a swallow attack five times wider than before.
"Still got that much fight?!" Pepper sprints out of range, awed yet determined. Dust explodes as the worm slams into a wall, expecting to crush Pepper—but feels no human flesh.
"Checkmate, centipede worm." Pepper's voice rings from just outside its maw. Gripping the Fatal Hammer, they target the knife lodged in the worm's jaw.
"Raise… IMPACT!"
With less than a minute left, the hammer's blow echoes shrilly through the mine.
The Raise Impact skill amplifies damage to broken parts. In Shangri-La Frontier, accumulated damage triggers "destruction" on parts or gear, exposing weaknesses. The knife's Spot Edge strike left a vulnerable spot, now hammered by the Fatal Hammer's critical and headshot boosts.
Despite Pepper's low Luck and Dexterity, the synergy of the knife's slash and hammer's blunt attributes delivers a literal fatal blow. The knife tears through the jaw, piercing the worm's brain, while the hammer's impact rattles its intellect.
"GYU… GYAAA…!" Blue-black blood froths from the worm's mouth as it glares at Pepper, who honors their foe. "Rock-Eating Worm—raging bulk, sturdy armor, cunning intellect. You were strong. But today, I win."
The worm stretches, staring down Pepper, then collapses, its strength spent. The timer stops at 13 seconds. Its body dissolves into polygons, armor cracking, legs shattering, and 30 meters of flesh crumbling into holes. At its head, the Fatal Knife lies embedded in the ground, surrounded by mineral drops and worm materials.
The Rock-Eating Worm lies shattered, fallen to the earth.
The raging impulse subsides, collapse averted.
Tranquil peace returns to the mine of the starting town.
Acquired Title: [Stone Shatterer]
Acquired Title: [Mine's Peacemaker]
Acquired Title: [Garock Revenger]
Special Quest: Rock-Breaking Strategy progressed.
Revenge Complete
Title: [Stone Shatterer]
Awarded to those who solo the Rock-Eating Worm, breaking its rocky hide with blunt actions alone. You have shattered the stone.
Title: [Mine's Peacemaker]
Awarded for defeating the berserk Rock-Eating Worm within the time limit during the Rock-Breaking Strategy quest. Your steel soul quells the raging stone. (Defeating it without the quest grants [Mine's Pacifier].)
Title: [Garock Revenger]
Awarded for defeating the Rock-Eating Worm after dying to it once, holding or equipping the Fatal Hammer during the Rock-Breaking Strategy quest. You have broken your past defeat.