Chapter 1597: An Unusual Train

This was far from the first time Adam had encountered a worm-like monster. Before reaching the Frost Oasis, they had been attacked by a similar monster, the ice worm, and when they fought against Vaarh, an ice worm was the first of the monsters to arrive on the battlefield at his call.

But, unlike them, the worm in front of them did not attack anyone. It was more like a pet than a fearsome monster capable of destroying a squad of weak Phantoms in the blink of an eye.

Neither Goen, Arika, nor Ramilo was wary. It wasn’t that each of them was significantly stronger than the earth worm, but that they weren’t going to fight each other.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Alexia exclaimed, waving her hand. "You mean we’re going back to the Citadel riding this worm?!"

Ramilo nodded deeply.

"Pretty much, yeah. I mean, you can run after us down the shaft, but I doubt you’ll be able to catch up with us. The earthworms are pretty fast! Hahaha!"

"Great." Goen waved his hand. "In that case, I’ll leave you with Ramilo. If you’re with him, you’ll definitely be fine."

Adam looked him in the eye.

"Thank you. If it weren’t for you, those Lords would have killed us. I mean it."

Even Alexia agreed with him.

"Yes, he’s right..." She muttered shyly. "Those Lords were too strong for us."

"Don’t worry." Goen shrugged. "Saving others is what I do, or at least what I did many years ago. Now, I can only wish you luck. I’m sure that one day you’ll both become Second Rank Phantoms."

Adam and Alexia smiled. Neither of them was a particularly sentimental person, but receiving praise from someone like Goen meant a lot.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t become his disciples and become as strong as he through long training under his tutelage. That wasn’t how power worked in this world, but every battle between strong beings was an important lesson in itself.

Arika smiled. "I hope we meet again, and that it will be under more peaceful circumstances. It’s time for us to go."

Thus, Goen waved one last time as he and Arika left. They did not rush and did not use their abilities, as if they were ordinary humans, they climbed the stairs. They had nowhere to rush to, except for them.

Ramilo scratched his whiskers, watching their backs disappear into the darkness.

"Eh, he is a good man, but I have never seen anyone who loves peace and quiet as much as he does. If it weren’t for Arika, he would be a proud, lonely wolf. I guarantee it."

"Brrrh!" The earthworm let out a deep, quiet growl.

Ramilo turned around.

"Yeah, you’re right, it’s time to go. Alright, Adam, Alexia, follow me. I’ll explain everything on the way!"

They had no other choice, so a few seconds later, the three of them climbed onto the earthworm’s head. Its great body was covered with numerous stone plates, which not only provided protection for the worm and helped it move underground, but were also quite comfortable to sit on.

"Here, take any seat you like!" Ramilo laughed and sat down on a stone plate right in the middle of the worm’s head.

"So, we’re just going to sit here and wait for a worm to take us to our destination?" Adam tilted his head.

Ramilo crossed his arms over his chest.

"Indeed. But I advise you to hold on tight to the edges at first. These worms may look big and clumsy, but if that were the case, no one would use them as transportation!"

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Ramilo tapped the earthworm on its head several times.

Alexia wanted to say something, but before she could, the earthworm started moving.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

In what seemed like a cramped space, the earthworm turned around with ease, heading toward the darkness.

But, for some reason, after it turned, the earthworm stopped.

"Hmm? Why isn’t it moving anymore?"

Ramilo shrugged.

"It needs a little time to prepare. It’s dark ahead. Also, think about where you want to stop."

Adam glanced at him. "What are the options?"

"Well, the usual: the Citadel or the nearest spire that the Ice Path leads to."

Alexia touched her lip, confused. "Do you offer this to everyone? Even monsters?"

"Hahaha! Of course not! Usually, monsters don’t need to visit the Citadel. I have other options for them, but you want to go home, don’t you?"

Alexia nodded, but Ramilo’s answer made Adam’s eyes widen.

’Usually? What the hell does that mean?’

"So? What do you say?" Ramilo raised an eyebrow, studying Adam’s reaction.

"The Citadel!" Alexia exclaimed confidently. "I want to go home! I’ve had enough of this cold, wyverns, and arrogant dragons!"

"Agh?" Adam looked at her judgmentally. "Wouldn’t that be the perfect place for you? Need a reminder of your abilities?"

"Pfffft!" She snorted. "I have nothing to do with the Primal Lands and dragons. I’m not the only warrior in this world with ice abilities."

"That’s true." Ramilo nodded. "So, the Citadel it is."

Tap. Tap. Tap.

He tapped the earthworm again as its head trembled.

The eight eyes arranged in a circle along its head opened wide and shone like precious stones, emitting streams of concentrated light like powerful flashlights.

The darkness ahead was no longer as dense, and for more than a hundred meters they could now see everything, from the distant passages to the sharp rocks peeking out at the edges.

"Get ready, the road will be long."

"Hmm?" Alexia frowned. "Didn’t you say this worm was very fast and—!"

The earthworm began to move, and Alexia struggled to stay in place.

The previously static cave walls around them now turned into a blur, like the landscape outside the window of a high-speed train.

The difference was that they weren’t inside the train, but on top of it. If an ordinary person were here, he would already be dead from the pressure, but for someone like Ramilo, it was little different from a gust of wind.

’Hah, this is going to be quite a ride.’

Adam grinned, holding on tightly to the stone plate.