The Rich Cultivator-Chapter 281. Fleshborer Worms

"I’ve never seen a tree this big in this city," the alchemist in the group remarked, her eyes wide with awe as she took in the colossal tree.

"Yeah, it probably crawled out from the Abyss," replied Lian Fu, a man armed with a spear. "We’re lucky Abyss trees this big don’t develop sentience. If they did, it’d be a nightmare."

Charla, the alchemist, turned to Lian Fu with a sweet smile. "I’m Charla. What’s your name?"

"Lian Fu," he replied, matching her smile.

Fake Curiosity twinkled in Charla’s eyes. "What would happen if this tree were sentient?" Charla already know about it, but she just wanted to talk something.

Lian Fu chuckled nervously. "Probably sleep most of the time to preserve energy. With its size, we’d be like insects to it—barely worth its notice."

"Let’s hope this one stays non-sentient," Charla said with a slight laugh.

As the group chatted and walked along the massive branches of the tree, they remained oblivious to the faint movement behind them. Three enormous eyes briefly opened on the tree’s trunk, observing them silently before closing again.

Under Tyler’s lead, the group finally crossed to the other side of the riverbank. Before them stretched a field of purple grass, each blade standing nearly a meter tall. The farmland-like expanse shimmered with an otherworldly hue, a surreal sight against the Abyss-tainted sky.

"Purple Mist Grass," Charla whispered in awe.

Maxwell, who had been skeptical of Tyler’s chosen route, pointed at the engineer. "Check for anomalies. Let’s not get too comfortable yet."

The engineer pulled out her detection device and began scanning.

After a few moments, Charla voice cut through the silence. "This grass is incredible. Even though it’s infused with Abyss energy, it’s still highly valuable. A single blade sells for 5,000 Lydia."

Maxwell’s skepticism melted into practicality. "All right, start harvesting as much as you can. We’ll leave in an hour."

Without hesitation, the group spread out, carefully collecting the valuable grass. The atmosphere lightened as the potential fortune from their haul brightened everyone’s mood

As the engineer continued scanning, her device began to pick up unusual readings. She frowned. "Wait... there’s movement nearby. Small, fast-moving things in a group."

The ’harvesters’ froze, gripping their weapons tightly.

"Where?" Maxwell barked.

The engineer adjusted her device, her eyes narrowing. "They’re closing in—fast. Almost here!"

The team readied themselves, scanning the grass for any sign of an enemy. Yet nothing emerged.

"The readings are stationary now," the engineer said, her confusion evident. "They should be right here."

Tyler frowned, scanning the ground. His eyes widened in realization. "They’re underground!"

Before anyone could react, the ground erupted. Like fish leaping out of water, worm-like creatures shot up from beneath the earth. Their elongated bodies glistened with Abyssal energy, and their segmented mouths opened wide, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth.

Caught off guard, the group scrambled to defend themselves.

The last thing Engineer Girl saw is an ugly worm with teeth biting her head. Everyone saw a horrifying scene. The worm bite her from head to toe and ate her fully.

"It’s The Fleshborer Worm" Maxwell shouted, "Quick use fire magic."

It is a grotesque Abyss predator known for its unsettling resemblance to a chunk of raw meat. Its cylindrical body, slightly smaller than an adult’s palm, pulses faintly as if alive with an unearthly rhythm. The surface of its flesh is smooth yet sinewy, with subtle ridges running along its length, giving the impression of exposed muscle.

At the front of its body, a solitary, curved tooth protrudes like a dagger, designed to pierce and tear into prey. The creature lacks eyes, ears, or any visible sensory organs, relying instead on vibrations and the scent of blood to hunt. This eyeless feature adds to its horrifying appearance, making it seem like a mindless yet relentless predator.

Another guy tried to use magic, but multiple worms attached on his body and devoured him completely. Then they buried into the ground.

The group stood there without moving. Everything had escalated in an instant, and now they lost two of the members.

"Fleshborer Worms," Maxwell’s voice rang out in their minds through Divine Sense, "are solitary ambush predators. They bury themselves underground and attack when they sense movement. Don’t make any noise!"

His warning came too late for Charla, the alchemist. She felt something shift beneath her feet, and panic overtook her. Unable to stay still, she bolted, her boots pounding against the soft ground.

"No, stop running!" Maxwell hissed, but his words were drowned out by the ground erupting beneath Charla.

A swarm of worm-like creatures burst forth, their segmented bodies glistening with Abyssal energy. Rows of razor-sharp teeth opened wide as they lunged at the fleeing alchemist.

Lian Fu reacted immediately. With a shout, he leaped forward and thrust his spear, channeling a surge of lightning energy through the weapon. The spear crackled with power as it struck the first wave of worms. The creatures writhed in agony, their charred bodies collapsing to the ground.

"Get back!" Lian Fu barked, keeping his spear poised for another strike.

Charla didn’t waste time. Her trembling hands reached into her pouch, pulling out several vials filled with volatile alchemical concoctions. She hurled the vials at the advancing worms, and as they shattered, flames erupted. The worms caught in the explosions screeched, their bodies curling and disintegrating.

The two retreated together, Charla’s breath ragged and her eyes wide with fear. "Thanks," she managed to whisper to Lian Fu.

"Just stay close and don’t panic next time," he replied, his gaze scanning the area for more threats.

"These worms ran towards the screaming ones, not the couple," Tyler observed, breaking the tense silence.

"We’re not a couple!" Lian Fu blurted, his face flushing red. Charla found his reaction amusing. She enjoyed seeing the brave warrior, who had just saved her, flustered. She wanted to tease him but held back, knowing this wasn’t the time.

"We already know Fleshborer Worms are attracted to sound, genius," Maxwell sneered, taking the opportunity to mock Tyler.

"True, but those two made plenty of noise while running," Tyler countered calmly, gesturing toward Lian Fu and Charla.

Maxwell’s eyes widened as realization dawned. "Ah, I see where you’re going with this..."

A few minutes later, a loud, piercing noise erupted near the riverbank. It echoed through the area, drawing the attention of every Fleshborer Worm in the vicinity. The worms writhed and surged toward the source of the sound.

The noise came from an array of sound-producing disks crafted by another engineer in the group. He grinned as he activated the devices from a safe distance.

Tyler didn’t create anything this time. Instead, he stood at the perimeter, scanning for any signs of ambush. The worms’ attraction to the noise created the perfect distraction, and the group wasted no time taking advantage.

"Move quickly," Maxwell ordered.

The group slipped away, staying low and quiet as the worms swarmed toward the river.

"That was genius," one of the team members said, giving Tyler a thumbs-up.

Tyler just nodded and followed them.

As the group ventured deeper into the Abyss, the dense mist around them grew heavier, almost suffocating.

"This mist is getting thicker. What should we do?" Charla asked, her voice edged with unease.

"The readings," Maxwell barked, pointing at Tyler.

"I lost my device," Tyler replied nonchalantly.

"Useless!" Maxwell growled, turning to another engineer. "Check the readings."

The engineer quickly pulled out his device, his expression shifting to alarm. "The readings are near level 4. I can’t detect any creatures nearby. This means we’re closing in on the anomaly."

"If only we could bring the giant scanner from the base," Lian Fu muttered.

Charla sighed, explaining, "That device would attract more creatures. Besides, it’s not portable."

Tyler remained quiet, his expression thoughtful as the group continued to discuss.

"We’ll rest here," Maxwell finally decided. "Tyler, you’re on watch."

Tyler nodded, unbothered by the order.

Later, Charla approached him hesitantly. "Hey, can I borrow an instant house? I’ll pay you back once we return to the base."

"I don’t have any left," Tyler replied curtly.

Charla frowned, feeling slightly insulted, but walked away without further comment.

---

That night, the camp was quiet, save for the occasional rustling of the mist-laden wind. Inside her tent, Charla vented her frustrations to a fellow teammate.

"I was trying to repay Lian Fu for saving me by spending a night with him in instant house, but that Tyler who bragged about having multiple homes is so stingy!"

Her friend chuckled. "Why not sneak into his tent? Unlike us, they’re sleeping alone."

Charla’s eyes sparkled mischievously. "Good idea!"

She quickly slipped out and made her way toward Lian Fu’s tent, excitement and nervousness fluttering in her chest. However, when she opened the flap, disappointment washed over her—Lian Fu wasn’t there.

"Where did he go?" she muttered, puzzled.

Suddenly, she noticed a shadowy figure approaching. Her heart raced with both anticipation and curiosity. "Is it him?"

As the figure drew closer, Charla stepped out of the tent, trying to lighten the mood with a playful scare. "Boo!"

But as her gaze landed on the figure, her teasing expression twisted into sheer shock It was Lian Fu who has the spear pierced in his heart.

"Run." He said as he fell down. Lian Fu is dead.

A blood-curdling scream tore from her throat, piercing the quiet night.