Aftermath

It was even weirder how although Jackson Lee looked all battered up he felt nothing like how he looked.

His hand was a charred and smoldering ruin, the flesh scorched and melted like wax in a furnace.

Blisters burst and oozed, revealing raw, red skin beneath.

The knuckles were twisted and deformed, as if the very bones had been melted and reshaped by the fire from the lava worms' molten skin .

The air around him reeked of burned flesh and sweat.

The fight with the lava worm had left him battered, bruised, and scarred, a testament to his unyielding determination.

Dae-su Han on the other hand , didn't look like he partook in the fight.

He looked as he was before the fight.

The rocks that Jackson Lee and Dae-su Han stood on were shattered and broken, a testament to the intense battle that had raged on them.

The once-solid ground that hovered kilometers above a flaming core was now a jagged landscape of splintered stone and rubble, as if the very earth itself had been torn asunder by the clash of their powers.

This gave me an idea as to why the planet was filled with gaps that led way to its flaming core.

Maybe fights this intense took place between its strange inhabitants or maybe the fire from the molten core erupted to burn some sections of the ground above it.

Boulders lay shattered, their fragments scattered across the ground like toys.

The broken rocks seemed to bear witness to the sheer force and fury of the battle, a reminder of the devastating consequences of the warriors' clash.

Jackson Lee and Dae-su Han stood in stunned silence, their eyes fixed on the lifeless forms of the lava worms.

They looked tiny and insignificant beside the massive lava worms, their huge bodies looming like titans over the battlefield.

Disbelief etched on their faces, they seemed to be struggling to comprehend the magnitude of their victory.

The two's minds reeled, grappling with the reality of their newfound powers.

It was as if they were both trapped in the same dream, unable to wake up from the surreal landscape of flames and destruction.

They glanced at each other, then back at the worms, their expressions mirroring their thoughts: "Did we really just do that?"

The two's feet seemed to sink into the shattered rock as they gazed up in awe at the worms' towering forms.

The lava worms' scales glistened like molten gold , their bodies as long as houses and as thick as trees.

The worms' presence was both mesmerizing and humbling, a reminder of the tiny place that even the two new warriors hold in the strange planet.

During the battle I and Chimsy made sure to put a large distance between us and the battle spot so we wouldn't be swept up by the battle.

After the battle settled, moments passed before Chimsy and I cautiously stepped closer to Dae-su Han and Jackson Lee our eyes fixed on the massive corpses.

Chimsy still carried the baby in her arms, her gaze darting between the infant and the scene before her.

The baby's face screwed up in a fierce scowl and her tiny fists waved in agitation.

Chimsy's attempts to soothe the infant were met with resistant squirms and indignant wails.

The baby's eyes, flashed with irritation, as if the very world itself was an affront.

The tiny nose scrunched up, and the mouth opened wide, unleashing a piercing cry that cut through the post-battle silence.

Chimsy's gentle rocking and soft whispers only seemed to enrage the baby further, who responded with increasingly loud and insistent wails.

But she didn't stop because there wasn't anything she could do.

This whole situation was the worst possible for any child.

Even though Chimsy's healing aura enveloped the little one that didn't take the place of providing the nutrition a child 12 months of age needed.

If the little one didn't get taken out of existence by the strange creatures in this equally strange world, she would give in to severe malnutrition.

Chimsy had so many things on her mind; the irritated infant in her arms and the sight before her.

Chimsy's eyes were wide with wonder, her mouth agape as she took in the aftermath of the battle.

Together, we approached the other two.

Chimsy's eyes shone with relief, her face softening as she gazed at the warriors.

My eyes, however, remained fixed on the lava worms, my expression a mix of awe and fear.

I had witnessed something incredible, something that would be etched in their memory forever.

As we drew nearer, the warriors turned to face us.

"I'm so hungry "

Dae-su Han said

Dae-su Han approached one of the lifeless lava worm; the one he had burnt to death with his flames, and his eyes were fixed on the charred flesh.

The once-molten scales now resembled blackened armor, cracked and broken in places.

He reached out a hand, hesitated for a moment, then inserted it into one of the spaces in-between the now discontinuous blackened armour and grasped a chunk of the burnt meat.

The aroma of seared flesh filled his nostrils as he brought the food to his mouth.

The first bite was like a ritual, a nod to the beast that had nearly claimed our lives.

The flavor was bitter, a mix of ash and smoke, but he chewed and swallowed with a determination that bordered on reverence.

We watched in a mix of awe and disgust as Dae-su Han continued to eat, his face set in a resolute mask.

He knew that if he didn't do this he'd give in to severe malnutrition in matter of moments.

The energy given to them after their fight with the larva worms did nothing to alleviate their accumulated hunger.

As Dae-su Han continued to eat, we hesitated, our faces reflecting our distaste.

But as the reality of our situation set in, we reluctantly approached the burnt lava worm.

Even though I was an otherworldly being, I was currently in the body of a mundane human who hadn't enjoyed the benefits of the recent swift evolution.

Chimsy, still cradling the baby, gazed at the charred flesh with trepidation, while Jackson Lee and the I exchanged uneasy glances.

Yet, the pangs of hunger and the desolate landscape's unforgiving nature soon overrode our revulsion.

We began to eat, our initial hesitation giving way to a sense of resignation.

It was in this order that we started to eat; Jackson Lee started first and moments after him I dug in , feeling the softness of the burnt flesh in my hand.

It felt different from what the other two had witnessed.

It felt more realistic witnessing the texture of the meat and taste of the meat myself , as opposed to telling tales of it from the perspective of the others.

Chimsy ate her first bite after watching the rest of us for moments.

If we didn't consume this unlikely sustenance, we would likely succumb to starvation in the barren wasteland.

So, we ate in silence, our faces set in grim determination.

The bitter taste and eerie atmosphere only added to our discomfort, but we persisted, driven by the primal urge to survive.

Chimsy's eyes met the infant's gaze , and with a gentle smile, she offered a tiny chunk of meat from the lava worm.

The baby had become calm moments ago, curious about Dae-su Han's act.

What did it know about what to eat and what not to eat, when it only came into existence twelve months ago.

The baby's eyes widened, and her small hands grasped for the meat.

Chimsy carefully placed the morsel in the infant's mouth, and she began to gnaw on it eagerly.

The meat was soft and tender, perfect for the baby's developing teeth.

As she chewed, her eyes sparkled with curiosity, exploring the new texture and flavor. Chimsy watched with delight, happy to see the infant enjoying this small pleasure amidst the harsh surroundings.

The baby's coos and gurgles filled the air, a sweet contrast to the desolate landscape.

For a brief moment, the group forgot about their struggles and savored the simple joy of sharing a meal together.