Into the Depths: Investigating the Shimmering Shore Tunnels (Group 3)

Fable is the first to react to the worm's arrival, cautiously moving to spark a fire alongside a few others; the flame does little to deter the beast, though the light helps illuminate more of the monstrosity.

The light reveals something unusual about the surface of its apparent eye, which isn't as smooth as originally thought- its pupil seems to grow and shrink slightly, like a mouth testing the air, preparing to consume, to devour, the sharp tendrils surrounding its flower-petal head twitching.

It seems to come to life when Levi strikes, bulky body shoving forward in an attempt to push the small wolf backwards. His claws dig deep into the worm's flesh, though the liquid that seeps from its wounds is odd- thick, sticky, viscous, pooling around his paws.

Gilgamesh's attack reveals even more about the worm; its tendrils fold in, trying to form a defensive shield of sorts around what seems to be its eye, clearly enraged by the attack. When it reels back, the pupil grows wide, revealing a mouth with a circle of sharp, glimmering teeth.

The beast only waits for a moment before it aims to strike Gilgamesh again, its rage as obvious as the sticky spit that flies out onto the wolves before it.