In Mongolia, a shale oil extraction operation funded by an American corporation runs into a string of mysterious mechanical failures, unnerving on-site manager Patrick. The drilling has disturbed a nest of creatures whispered about in local legends, known as Mongolian death worms—huge underground predators with vicious teeth, venom, and the eerie ability to generate an electromagnetic field that disrupts electronics. After a worker is killed, the crew stops showing up, and Patrick’s panic grows when his boss from back home arrives, Mr. Bixler, signaling trouble on multiple fronts.
Meanwhile, in Sepegal village, a group of volunteer medical workers, Doctors of Hope, struggle to stem a spreading disease. Elsewhere, lead doctor Alicia and her colleague Phillip hire treasure hunter Daniel to guide them and bring essential medical supplies to Sepegal. Daniel is no stranger to legends; he has found artifacts etched with images of the worms and suspects they point to Genghis Khan’s tomb. His pursuit of ancient clues has earned the ire of local crime boss Kowlan, who poses a real danger as they press on. On the road, Daniel’s truck breaks down and Kowlan’s men seize the opportunity to capture them. Local police officer Timur, a friend of Daniel, discovers the abandoned vehicle and begins a perilous search to locate them.
At Kowlan’s camp, Daniel creates a distraction that allows Alicia and Phillip to slip away. In the ensuing gunfight, the death worms surge from the ground and devour Kowlan’s men. Daniel fires at a fuel tank, killing one worm in a dramatic blast. With the medical supplies secured, Alicia and Phillip reach Sepegal, where Doctor Steffi explains that the sick, elderly villagers insist the outbreaks are linked to the worms.
Patrick, desperate to salvage his black-market deal, subdues Mr. Bixler and binds him. A second corporate manager is eaten by a worm, a grim reminder of the escalating catastrophe that Patrick seems oblivious to as he moves loot around the plant. Daniel reaches Sepegal and warns Alicia about the worms, urging them to evacuate the clinic and its patients. A local suggests dialing for help at a nearby oil facility, setting the stage for a critical decision.
Back at the plant, a nurse is pulled into a worm’s maw, and Phillip and Steffi hurry back to the clinic as the worms close in. Arriving at the facility, Daniel and Alicia confront Bana, who allows them inside when a worm appears behind them. Alicia hypothesizes that the worms were released from stasis by the plant’s hot-water pumping deep underground; if the pumping stops, no new worms should hatch. Daniel and Bana manage to shut down the pumps, and Bana flees in a panic.
As Bana reappears, Patrick—still involved in relocating a crate of stolen loot—shoots him in the back. Alicia uses the office phone to call Timur, who races to Sepegal to help defend the clinic and ends up killing several worms. Daniel descends to the plant’s lower levels and uncovers a room filled with Genghis Khan’s treasure. He faces Patrick’s aggression again when Alicia is taken at knifepoint, but Daniel distracts Patrick by exposing Bixler’s remains, then wrestles the gun away and shoots Patrick in the shoulder. The queen worm bursts forth, swallowing one of Patrick’s henchmen, and Patrick himself is eaten soon after.
Timur arrives at the plant, discovers Bana’s body, and finds Daniel and Alicia. Daniel uncovers the treasure’s storage, a trove connected to the tomb’s legend, but Alicia insists they must destroy the plant. In a tense sequence, they crank the generators and pumps to build pressure, while Timur defends them with a shotgun—only to be consumed by the advancing queen worm. Daniel and Alicia escape the collapsing, exploding plant and, after delivering Alicia back to Sepegal, drive off with the plan to recover the scattered treasure once they’re safe. The ordeal leaves them with a hard choice between the loot and the lives they’ve fought to protect, as the road ahead promises both danger and discovery.
