Eighty li away, a fortress built into a natural cavern was under siege by a tide of Mutant Beasts.
The fortress's outer Protective Array was on the verge of collapse. The Energy ripples trembled violently, and with every impact, several Runes would shatter.
Carved into the rock wall above the fortress were three crooked, large words: Rock Heart Castle.
Most of the besieging Mutant Beasts were common subterranean varieties—mutants of burrowing worms, rock-shelled spiders, and nocturnal bats.
But what truly pushed the Protective Array to the brink of collapse was the behemoth at the center of the beast tide.
It was an Earthworm King over fifty meters long.
Its Shell was dark purple and covered in jagged Bone Spikes. When its mandibles gaped open, they revealed four spiraling rows of sharp teeth.
Every time it rammed the fortress, it tore a fissure in the Protective Array. Its corrosive saliva would splash onto the Energy Barrier, producing a SIZZLING sound.
Inside the fortress.
