It has been a week since we began observing the creature believed to be a Ground Worm.

“No movement at all, huh…”

The surrounding area has been largely surveyed. Within a 2 km radius, including the planned fortress construction site, numerous underground cavities believed to be created by the worms have been discovered.

Beyond a certain boundary, however, the number of cavities decreases sharply. To the west of the planned construction site, cavities are nearly nonexistent just 100 meters beyond the surveyed area.

“Well, it feels like we just got unlucky with this spot.”

“Yes, Commander. Shifting the construction site to this new location seems like a good idea. Since yesterday, we’ve focused our surveys here, and so far, the geology doesn’t appear problematic.”

“Alright, let’s relocate to that spot if it looks viable. This way, we can still use the existing pier as is.”

Although little is known about the worms, time is of the essence. A worm-free site has been identified nearby, so the decision was made to move the construction plans to that area.

Incidentally, the pier was completed four days ago. While a temporary bridge now connects it to the shore, it is not yet being used for material transport. At most, the multi-legged walker has been making trips across it, leaving the structure mostly idle.

“Yes, Commander. We’ll deploy additional WP1 prototypes to accelerate the survey process.”

The WP1 has proven surprisingly useful due to its high terrain adaptability. Unlike wheeled or tracked vehicles, it is less prone to breakdowns such as punctured tires, making it ideal for traversing uneven terrain.

This capability is especially valuable in the rugged volcanic landscape of the Afrazia United Kingdom, where the multi-legged design truly shines.

As a result, future land vehicles for the Afrazia region will likely include a proportion of multi-legged models. Commander Eve, muttering something about “multi-legged vehicles being more than just a dream,” was promptly ignored by Ringo to avoid encouraging her further.

Regarding the Detected Worm

The worm detected near Sinkhole No. 43 appears to have remained motionless about 1 meter beneath the surface for the entire week.

“Could it have escaped at some point?”

“We’ve continued ultrasonic scans. A mass consistent with the detected worm is still present at the site, so it’s unlikely to have left.”

“So, it’s just… waiting for prey to come to it?”

“That’s one possibility.”

Little is known about the worms’ behavior or diet. Even detecting movement was a stroke of luck. Still, with a live sample at hand, the hope is to gather some valuable information.

“What if we toss in some fish?”

“...Yes, Commander. If it’s carnivorous, that might provoke some action. Considering it’s lurking in an area with signs of animal activity, baiting it with prey could work.”

Thus, they decided to throw a fish caught nearby into the sinkhole.

“We’ll have WP1 handle the fishing.”

Thanks to its all-terrain capabilities, WP1 waded into the water to catch the fish. Using built-in air tanks, its gas turbine engine can operate underwater for up to ten minutes. While a snorkel attachment would allow sustained activity a few meters below the surface, it wasn’t necessary for this task.

“...Using a multi-legged vehicle for fishing?”

“Well, Commander, we didn’t prepare any fishing gear.”

One of the WP1 units stationed aboard the work vessel promptly dived into the water. The fish in the area, unsurprisingly, were not particularly cautious. In fact, some curious species actively swam closer to the machine. Once within reach, the manipulator arms grabbed the fish with brute force.

“Hmm…”

Watching the crude fishing method, the Commander let out a conflicted groan.

“Well… I guess it’s fine.”

After some internal debate, she gave up resisting the absurdity.

The captured fish were thrown into the sinkhole. Although the initial attempt to minimize noise had failed to elicit a reaction, louder footfalls and deliberate noise-making also proved ineffective. The worm seemed entirely indifferent.

“It doesn’t seem to react immediately.”

“Hmm… what could it be waiting for?”

The worm remained still directly beneath Sinkhole No. 43. It had likely been lying motionless and waiting all along. Perhaps this was simply its nature.

“It’s likely that the worm is typically more active,” one of the android sisters, Ichigo, commented.

“Right? If all it does is sit still and wait, there’s no way it could have created such an extensive network of tunnels.”

“Commander, the fish has stopped moving,” Ichigo added, her eyes fixed on the monitor.

The fish, previously thrashing about, had gone still. Perhaps the worm detected the vibrations.

“Commander, faint vibrations detected. It seems the worm has started moving.”

“Hmm?”

After a week of complete inactivity, the worm had finally stirred.

“Plotting its coordinates. It’s moving… toward the surface.”

“Wait, it’s coming out?”

At the bottom of Sinkhole No. 43, the earth bulged upward as the worm slowly emerged.

“Oh.”

Its head featured a mouth encircled by spiny, fang-like protrusions. Its body appeared rough and rocky, likely as hard as it looked. No visible eyes could be discerned. As it writhed and twisted, its body slid out of the ground.

“It’s… smaller than I expected.”

“Yes, Commander. Approximately 7 cm in diameter and an estimated length of 80–90 cm. Considering the tunnel sizes detected underground, this individual is quite small. Larger ones have been measured at over 30 cm in diameter.”

“Hmm… It looks rocky, but it moves smoothly.”

The worm extended its body, seemingly searching for something. Judging by the circumstances, it was likely the now-still fish. Its body stretched just a few centimeters short of reaching its prey.

“It doesn’t seem willing to fully leave the hole.”

“Right. It’s not… cute, though. The appearance is a little… off-putting.”

“If we assume it moves through peristalsis, being completely out of its burrow would greatly restrict its mobility. It’s likely avoiding that.”

After writhing around for a while, the worm appeared to relax momentarily before resuming its movements. It dragged itself along the sinkhole’s bottom until it eventually reached the fish.

“It’s begun feeding.”

The worm moved its head over the fresh fish, gripping it with its fangs as it began to eat.

“It’s… quieter than I expected.”

“I thought it would tear into the fish more aggressively.”

The worm appeared to latch onto the fish, carving into it with its fangs rather than biting or tearing it apart. The process was remarkably methodical.

“Perhaps its suction force is stronger than anticipated, or its teeth are exceptionally sharp. Either way, it’s efficiently piercing the fish,” Ringo reported, analyzing the footage.

“The worm seems to carve and swallow as it goes. Unlike some animals that thrash their prey to tear off chunks of meat, this one exhibits none of that behavior.”

“Hmm… it’s surprisingly calm, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Commander. The rumored aggression seems entirely absent. It doesn’t even appear to attack living prey.”

This discrepancy raised questions. Was the rumor simply unfounded? Or was this individual uniquely docile? With such a small sample size, no conclusions could be drawn. For now, they continued observing, but the worm seemed content to quietly consume its fish, offering no dramatic developments.

“What should we do next, Commander?”

“Well… it’s a valuable sample. Killing it would be a waste. Let’s keep observing for now.”

“Understood, Commander. Given the lack of information on magical creatures’ behavior, this seems prudent. We can secure a sample when we find additional individuals.”