"That’s...!"
『It’s huge!』
Following their gaze, I saw another swarm of worms breaking the surface. Among them was a giant worm that looked capable of swallowing a person whole. That was likely one of the adult specimens said to be B-Rank equivalent.
"Are you all right!?" I called out, heading toward Mr. Guster while striking down the worms poking their heads out of the sand.
"Tort! Yes, I’m fine. A camel was taken, but the rider managed to leap away just in time. However, there are so many of them that my men are struggling to keep up."
His face was pale, but he didn't seem to be injured. It appeared there had been no human casualties even after the giant worm’s surprise attack, though the swallowed camel was likely beyond saving.
The battlefield was a chaotic melee, making it hard to grasp the full scale of the encounter, but the number of attacking worms was staggering. Since everyone was busy fending off the foes right in front of them, a surprise attack from beneath the sand could be fatal. Ideally, I wanted everyone to evacuate to a safe place, but...
Well, if there isn't a safe place, I’ll just have to build one.
"I’m going to create a giant golem now! Everyone, evacuate onto its back!"
"A giant golem? How could you possibly—whoaaa!?"
I was in such a rush that I cut Mr. Guster off and activated "Create Golem." He shouted something from atop the golem as it gradually hauled itself upright, but... well, it probably wasn't a problem.
I used the surrounding desert sand as the material. Since I didn't have time to refine the design, I had put it together haphazardly; it didn't even resemble a Haniwa. It was more like a slumping mud doll. There was something distinctly nightmarish about a massive, half-formed torso dragging itself lumbering across the dunes.
The sudden appearance of this mysterious entity sent the guards into a minor panic. A few people fell off their camels in surprise, landing in a precarious position. My sand golem reached out a hand to help, but I had a feeling its "assistance" was only making the confusion worse.
Did I... overdo it?
Well, it was for the employer’s safety, and most of the guards managed to regain their composure quickly to keep fighting the worms. It shouldn't be a major issue.
...Probably!
Regardless, reflection could wait. I had to eliminate these sandworms first.
Shiroru, who had jumped off the Multi-legged Golem at some point, had giantized and was currently facing off against the giant worm. The scene looked like something out of a giant monster movie.
The lightning strikes Shiroru unleashed charred the giant worm’s skin, but they didn't seem to be doing much deep damage. Even so, Shiroru clearly had the upper hand. I decided I could leave that one to her.
The small and medium-sized worms were overwhelming in their numbers. I had thought the thirty we defeated earlier was a large swarm, but this horde was on a different level entirely. The guards alone were clearly short-handed. This whole phenomenon was truly abnormal.
Still, we were experienced adventurers. We weren't about to lose to an opponent whose only strength was numbers.
The impact from Halfa’s "Shock Voice" seemed to permeate deep into the sand. The worms emerging from the dunes were already significantly weakened. Even if she couldn't finish them off herself, her support was incredibly effective because it made it easier for the guards to deal with them.
The desert environment was a bit of a disadvantage for Spira. It seemed her ice-attribute powers were significantly nerwed. Even so, she was holding her own. Surprisingly, tree magic proved effective even in the desert; squishy cacti sprouted from the ground to lash out at the worms.
Lowell was performing a feat of incredible dexterity. He refused to set foot on the sand, instead leaping between the Multi-legged Golems and rocky outcroppings to slash at the worms. He was likely staying airborne to avoid surprise attacks from below, but it looked more like an acrobatic performance.
Of course, I wasn't falling behind either. Working with the Petit Golems, I rained down Fire Golems from the top of the Multi-legged Golem. Despite finally getting life-sized bodies, they spent most of their time in their small forms because we moved around so much. I felt a bit bad for them, though they didn't seem to mind since they spent their watch shifts in their full-sized bodies.
"Oh!"
A roar of cheers rose from the guards. Shiroru had finished off the giant worm. She had skewered the creature with her horn and unleashed a point-blank lightning strike. Scorched from the inside out, even a giant worm of that size couldn't withstand the blast.
On the other hand, Shiroru had taken some damage herself. Not physical damage, but mental. Her mood plummeted the moment she saw her horn covered in the worm’s gross fluids. I’d have to cast "Clean" on her later.
The battle drew to a close shortly after. A few might have escaped, but we had wiped out nearly all of them.
"Ugh... since this isn't a dungeon, the carcasses don't disappear."
"It’s a little gross."
Halfa and Spira looked around and grimaced.
The area was practically carpeted in sandworm carcasses. The ones charred black by lightning and fireballs were particularly stomach-churning, emitting an indescribable, pungent odor.
"Sandworms... I’ve heard they aren't exactly inedible, but..."
『I-I definitely don't want to eat that!』
It seemed even Shiroru drew the line at eating sandworms. I felt the same way. If they were a delicacy, that would be one thing, but they were rated as merely "not inedible." Unless we were stranded and starving, I had plenty of food in my "Storage Ring." There was no need to resort to such bizarre fare.
"The only things worth taking are the magic stones. But we’re in the middle of an escort mission."
Mr. Guster’s safety and reaching Berhes were our priorities. We didn't have time to sit around harvesting stones.
"Still, it’s a waste. Maybe I’ll try this."
I directed "Decomposition" at the sandworm carcasses, visualizing the remains returning to the earth. The magic took effect instantly, and the charred lumps crumbled into fine soil. Amidst the sand, small, pebble-sized magic stones were left behind.
Yeah, that worked. Since we went through the trouble of killing them, I wanted to at least secure the magic stones. Since time was short, I set to work turning the rest of them back into the desert they came from.