Pray

"NO!" The collective scream echoed through the air.

With widened eyes, they watched in horror as the creature devoured Maya and vanished beneath the earth, leaving them feeling utterly powerless.

The creature that had emerged was a rare rank-5 spirit beast known as an earth dragon. The size of the creature's head confirmed that it was an adult that was close to the peak of rank 5 in strength. 

It was a monstrosity that was more than a hundred feet in length and a couple of feet in girth, they realized.

These formidable serpentine creatures possessed the extraordinary ability to navigate through solid earth with astonishing speed.

A sinking feeling enveloped them as they realized the impossibility of tracking the creature underground.

The matriarch's steps faltered as she approached the gaping hole in the ground.