Its elongated body surged across the terrain toward Rook while enormous claws ripped through the dead grass beneath it with enough momentum to carve visible trenches across the valley floor.

Rook swerved aside barely in time before the creature barreled past them and smashed directly into one of the pale trees nearby, the collision powerful enough to splinter the trunk into fragments.

The second hatchling moved almost immediately afterward.

Crimson spines abruptly erupted outward from its back like barbed lances before hurtling toward Oliver’s chest. He responded instantly by sweeping the Imperial Sword through the air in rapid succession, knocking several incoming projectiles away, though one still collided against the Mother’s War Attire with enough impact to send him tumbling off Rook’s back.

The black garment remained entirely intact.

Yet the sheer momentum behind the strike still jolted Oliver hard enough to leave a dull ache spreading beneath the attire shielding him.

’These things are already deadlier than String Puppets!’

Before he could fully regain his footing, the third creature burst from beneath the earth directly beside him. Oliver barely managed to hurl himself farther away from Rook before colossal jaws snapped shut where his leg had been an instant earlier.

The impact pulverized the stone beneath the creature’s maw immediately. Thick crimson saliva dribbled between rows of serrated teeth afterward while the malformed serpent coiled sharply toward him once more with pure murderous instinct saturating every movement.

The valley descended into pandemonium.

Beautiful pink blossoms continued floating serenely through the darkness overhead while grotesque offspring writhed beneath the same luminous tree.

Oliver’s expression tightened at once as a realization surfaced within his mind.

’This wasn’t just some abnormal tree... this place is the nesting ground of that damned Mourn Wyrm.’

Cold sweat slid down his spine immediately afterward.

The Serpent’s Hollow was actually a breeding nest for the distinct creature, which naturally explained why weaker Puppets steered clear of the region. Unfortunately, Oliver himself lacked the innate sense of danger possessed by creatures native to the Garden. He was human after all, not another monstrosity like the Puppets or Distinct creatures.

Without warning, the young wyrms suddenly shrieked.

The sound detonated across the valley with overwhelming intensity powerful enough to nearly rupture Oliver’s hearing entirely. Agonizing noise pierced straight into his ears while searing pain erupted throughout his skull. He instantly clutched both hands over his ears as his eyes turned bloodshot.

’Fuck!’

Nearby, Rook released a tortured howl while staggering backward across the withered grassland.

Oliver clenched his teeth and forced himself upright through the deafening ringing flooding his mind.

Then something answered them.

Far above the mountain.

The response reverberated across the darkness like innumerable bones grinding beneath a collapsing peak while an enormous screech cascaded downward from the unseen summit looming high above the distant valley.

The entire valley fell silent afterward...

Even the juvenile Mourn Wyrms became motionless instantly.

Oliver felt genuine terror slither through his body the moment realization struck him.

The mother heard them.

His complexion drained of color immediately afterward while icy dread constricted around his chest.

’Damn it! I seriously can’t catch a single moment of respite, can I!? Why the fuck did I become Oliver!?’

...Somewhere far above the darkness engulfing the summit, something colossal began to stir.

***

At first, Oliver saw only movement within the darkness towering above him, a colossal figure coiling slowly through the dense mist while faint crimson luminescence pulsed beneath the shadows engulfing the mountain entirely. Moments later, the immense silhouette finally emerged from the veil of darkness, and the mere sight of it caused Oliver’s breathing to falter briefly.

The Mourn Wyrm descended from the summit like an ancient catastrophe slithering free from the mountain itself.

Its gargantuan serpentine body stretched endlessly across the cliffs while pale fissured hide concealed layers of immense musculature writhing beneath translucent flesh resembling decayed skin pulled taut around exposed bone. Serrated crimson spines protruded along its back in grotesque rows.

An entire section of the mountain gave way beneath its mass while fractured boulders continuously cascaded across the cliffs surrounding the Hollow. Titanic claws embedded themselves deeply into the terrain as the creature descended with horrifying swiftness despite its monstrous scale.

Its head alone eclipsed everything surrounding it.

Rows of obsidian teeth jutted outward from a split maw vast enough to consume buildings whole, while pale vapor continuously escaped through the gaps between those monstrous fangs before dissolving into the freezing night air. The creature’s elongated neck contorted unnaturally afterward before enormous crimson eyes gradually opened beneath the fog cloaking its upper body.

Those eyes settled directly upon the valley below.

...Upon where Oliver stood.

An overwhelming sense of dread surged through his body instantly afterward while his heartbeat hammered relentlessly against his ribs.

"Nope. Absolutely not. Fuck this cursed place."

Oliver immediately vaulted onto Rook afterward while tightening his grip around the Imperial Sword.

"Go!" he shouted sharply.

Rook burst forward at once.

The beast tore across the dead valley floor while brittle grass and shattered stones scattered beneath its claws with every stride. Behind them, the immature Mourn Wyrms abruptly released shrill screeches before hurling themselves into pursuit with terrifying ferocity.

Oliver glanced behind himself briefly while cold sweat slid down his neck.

The creatures were significantly faster than he had anticipated and were rapidly closing the distance between them.

Unlike the colossal mother descending from the summit above, the smaller wyrms moved with savage unpredictability like famished predators competing over prey.

Then one of them abruptly lunged sideways toward Rook.

Oliver reacted immediately.

The blade flashed through the darkness before cleaving straight through the creature’s lower jaw as it attempted to sink its teeth into the beast’s neck. Flesh ruptured instantly while black blood erupted across the dead grass beneath them.

The immature wyrm slammed across the valley floor afterward before tumbling repeatedly through fractured terrain while releasing agonized shrieks loud enough to reverberate throughout the Hollow.

Oliver, however, never slowed down.

His expression darkened immediately afterward.

’If we stay together, they’ll eventually corner us.’

The realization surfaced quickly because the creatures clearly possessed hunting instincts vastly superior to Rank 1 Puppets. They were not mindless attackers recklessly rushing forward without coordination, but predators systematically attempting to surround their targets through pressure and numbers.

"Split up!" Oliver shouted sharply afterward while throwing himself sideways from Rook’s back.

The beast responded instantly without hesitation.

Rook veered sharply toward the eastern side of the valley while Oliver sprinted toward the opposite direction across the dead grass without reducing his speed even slightly. The pursuing creatures instinctively divided themselves afterward between both targets.

Two pursued Rook.

The remaining pair chased Oliver directly.

Sharp breaths escaped Oliver continuously while he sprinted through the Hollow as fast as possible, though the distance between himself and the creatures pursuing him steadily diminished with every passing second. One of the immature Wyrms abruptly crashed through a pale tree nearby while dragging its elongated body straight toward him with murderous intent.

Then the second creature erupted upward from beneath the earth directly ahead of him.

Oliver’s eyes widened instantly.

The malformed serpent launched itself toward him with colossal jaws stretched fully open, intending to swallow his head whole before he could evade the attack.

Instead of retreating, Oliver charged directly toward the creature.

The sword thrust upward through the immature Wyrm’s mouth before bursting out through the top of its skull a moment later. The sheer force behind the strike caused the creature’s elongated frame to spasm midair before crashing heavily onto the dead grass nearby.

Oliver immediately tore the blade free without interrupting his momentum.

Then an overwhelming force collided straight into his back.

Pain detonated throughout Oliver’s body while the remaining immature Wyrm rammed into him with enough strength to hurl him across the dead grass before smashing him directly against one of the pale trees nearby.

The impact instantly knocked the air from his lungs.

Oliver coughed harshly while forcing himself upright through the dizziness clouding his senses. Without the Mother’s War Attire shielding him, that collision alone would have pulverized most of his bones immediately.

The immature Wyrm attacked again afterward without allowing him even a moment to properly recover.

Its enormous jaws ripped toward Oliver’s torso while crimson spines quivered along its back beneath the darkness surrounding them.

Oliver narrowed his eyes.

Then, instead of retreating, he intentionally stepped closer.

The creature’s jaws snapped shut around his torso moments later before clamping against the Mother’s War Attire enveloping his body. Sharp obsidian teeth scraped futilely against the Keepsake while the immature Wyrm desperately attempted to shred through the fabric protecting him.

It failed entirely.

Oliver seized the opening immediately.

One hand clamped firmly onto the side of the creature’s jaw while the Imperial Sword plunged downward through its exposed eye before driving deep into its skull completely. The immature Wyrm collapsed lifelessly afterward.

Oliver shoved the corpse aside before drawing several heavy breaths.

Another shriek cascaded downward from the mountain above.

Oliver slowly lifted his gaze toward the sound.

The enormous Mourn Wyrm had already descended halfway down the mountain.

And it was still advancing toward him relentlessly.

"If only I could kill you... I swear to the gods, I will. You useless creatures are making it impossible for me to have a moment of peace!"

The young man roared toward the sky in frustration.