NOVEL WEB Chapter 61
“Kugugugu!”
Once again, the floor gave way, and the Earth Serpent sank below. As I was swallowed, a strong impact sent me tumbling several times before I managed to jam my tentacle into its lower jaw to hold on for dear life. As I struggled to force something down its throat, that serpent-like forked red tongue began to flick in my direction.
“Ugh!”
It was as if another snake was after me. If it coiled around and pushed me down its gullet, it would be the end—I unleashed Transformation to block that approaching tongue. Upon contact with the black flames, the Earth Serpent was startled and opened its mouth.
“Did it work…?!”
—Nope, wrong. I thought I could escape, but that was just a delusion. A strong current rushed in. I briefly considered.
‘The reason it hadn’t fainted.’
The reason my body was wet. Most importantly, the reason it had a swimming skill.
‘It wasn’t a wasteland. Below it…!’
There was a vast underground lake below the wasteland. Because of this, the impact it received was small. The ground it crashed into was thin, and it fell into the water after breaking through that thin surface.
‘I wondered how they were surviving.’
There was a reason that monsters could survive in this barren land. The water surged in like a tidal wave, extinguishing the feeble flame I had managed to raise.
‘I have to get out somehow.’
The fierce current kept pushing me relentlessly. I felt like my body might crumble under the pressure.
[All Damage Reduction (D) Lv.7 has maxed out. All Damage Reduction (D) Lv.7 → All Damage Reduction (D) Lv.8]
I tried to wrap my tentacle around its teeth, but it just snapped off uselessly. Even trying Hardening didn’t help.
‘…This is crazy!’
Not only could I not escape, but I couldn’t even endure it. Eventually, I stared uselessly as its jaw snapped shut, and the current swept me away. How long was I carried away? Finally, as the water flow slowed, I gathered all my strength to stop. When I exhaled the breath I had been holding, everywhere was filled with red flesh.
‘Where am I?’
The moment I brushed against the liquid dripping from the ceiling, my fur started to melt away.
‘It’s the stomach.’
Fortunately, it seemed the water it swallowed had mixed with it, diluting the acidity.
‘Still, I can’t stay here long.’
Acids can be secreted at any time. Not to mention, given its size, the amount would be unfathomable. I needed to escape this place as soon as possible.
‘Heat?’
I could feel hot heat coming from deep within. I was momentarily puzzled but soon understood the situation.
‘—Right. If this is the stomach.’
What would the heat flowing out from beneath the stomach be?
‘Transformation.’
It meant Transformation was still burning within. The blazing heat was getting hotter and hotter.
‘Then…?’
I hadn’t had the chance to think of this earlier, but now I realized it was an incredible boon.
‘It’s moving.’
Tremors. And the current was speeding up. Once again, I was pushed deeper into the water.
‘In that case.’
If it was going to be like this, I would minimize water resistance by changing my body to a streamlined shape and go with the flow.
[Swimming (F) Lv.8 has maxed out. Swimming (F) Lv.8 → Swimming (F) Lv.9]
I was quickly swept downstream. If this was the stomach, it must connect to the anus. It would be safer to go out that way. The water still rushing in indicated it was still underwater.
‘How can I possibly be swimming like this?’
No matter how much of a skill it was, it seemed unbelievable that this body wouldn’t sink. If it provided enough buoyancy for its massive body, how deep must that lake be? As I sighed, the ceiling swayed and the floor stood up. It seemed the Earth Serpent was unable to hold its breath any longer.
‘…Great.’
If I felt the pressure from earlier, I wouldn’t be able to handle it even if I got out now. The escape would be after it emerged onto land. While I was thinking that—suddenly sensing a threatening presence, I quickly used my elasticity.
[Ancient Dragon Turtle]
[Length 4.26m] [Height 2.11m] [Weight 1.26t]
[Strength 388] [Agility 216] [Stamina 224]
‘……!’
It seemed the Earth Serpent swallowed it when it gulped down the water. It seemed disappointed that its ambush had failed, licking its lips. Despite its name being Dragon Turtle, it looked more like a strange monster mixing crocodile and turtle, with a thick crocodile body and a turtle’s head and shell. My eyes glinted.
‘If I can just eat this guy.’
My stamina was already dwindling. Regeneration only recovers wounds. There was no way for spent energy to return. —But if I could just level up with the remaining experience, I activated the whirlwind, and the water that had risen so high I could scarcely touch it began to swirl violently.
“Kugh!?”
As I heard the Dragon Turtle scream, I initiated Transformation. I couldn’t start a fire underwater, but now I could. My extended tentacle dug into the thick neck of the Turtle, invading the gaps in its shell.
‘I don’t have time.’
Startled, the Dragon Turtle used its strong jaw to snap my tentacle, but by then, flames were already consuming the inside of its shell. Before long, I devoured it, the life extinguished.
[You have consumed the Ancient Dragon Turtle. Experience and Satiety increased]
[Experience maxed out. Lv.20 → Lv.21]
Just as I had expected, my stamina returned.
***
“……!”
With a splash, the Earth Serpent leaped up from the water. However, the wolf was nowhere to be seen. The White Deer sighed deeply.
‘It’s my fault.’
When the wolf had informed me of the existence of the acceleration skill, I should have been more cautious. I should have considered the possibility of this. No, if I had just run faster without giving it a chance, it could have been avoided. Limping with its broken leg, the White Deer lamented. Everything was its blunder. —But it couldn’t lose its composure. It needed to stay calm for the sleeping Fairy Dragon.
‘…I have no choice but to retreat.’
It had already failed. Charging at the Earth Serpent again would only make it prey. The massive serpent slithered around, looking for something—it must have been looking for me. The White Deer, having gathered its resolve, turned around with a heart-wrenching feeling when gray smoke began to pour from the Earth Serpent’s mouth.
‘……?’
Gray smoke. That signified something. It meant the Earth Serpent’s insides were still burning. The White Deer’s eyes hardened.
‘…It’s still alive?’
It might have either escaped or not. Unknowingly, it began to wish. At that tense moment, the sky screamed as the Earth Serpent’s mouth opened wide, unable to contain itself any longer.
“――――――!”
Several times the serpent retched, and finally, the wolf emerged from its body into the open air.
***
My stamina had returned, so there was no hesitation. If escaping directly was difficult, then I would force it out. Whirlwinds, Transformation, and Devour—all of it, I threw caution to the wind and rampaged. The cutting winds tore through, and the rising black flames burned away the flesh.
‘It’s moving.’
How long had I rampaged like this? What the creature had swallowed was creating a torrent of water. I clung to the ceiling and the gastric acid being secreted was incinerated by Transformation. Unable to withstand the horrific burning pain, it undulated, and the gastric acid began to reflux everything it had swallowed. The stomach contracted and expanded with a fierce motion, as if it aimed to empty itself of everything.
‘It’s going to throw up!’
Of course, it was aiming to escape. But it wouldn’t let me out that easily.
‘You could do it when swallowing, but not when spitting out.’
Grabbing the torn stomach with my tentacle, I transformed it into a blade and used hardening. Every time I was tossed in the current, the walls of the stomach were torn apart.
‘Even if it’s a B-grade skill.’
The hardened skin only applied to the skin, scales, and outer surface. If it’s inside the body, it’s a whole different story. The acrid smoke of burning flesh impregnated the torn inside of the stomach. After drifting for quite some time, I looked back at the writhing tongue, and used my elasticity to leap.
‘Got it!’
“Hurry and get on!”
A voice that came from somewhere reached me. Without hesitation, I jumped onto the back. The death of the Earth Serpent was a given. The beast, which was struggling to stay upright, wobbled for a while before finally steeling itself and began to give chase.
‘It intends to die together.’
If it was going to die anyway, it seemed it would take me along as company.
“White Deer!”
Determined to make amends for its earlier mistakes, the White Deer ran as hard as it could. Even exploding its magic power, it was giving it all it had, but… with its twisted leg, there were limits.
‘For now…’
Glancing back, dust was swirling into the air, and with a terrifying roar, the Earth Serpent closed the distance. It was already prepared for death. All it had was the final flame, tinged with evil and poison. Smoke oozed from its nostrils.
‘It’ll be difficult to shake it off.’
The White Deer was running hard, but maintaining that speed was impossible. Not to mention, the ground was overturned as if an earthquake had occurred from the impact of their collision, leaving no room for escape.
‘No matter how much we run…’
Either the White Deer would tire out, or it would catch up before that. Eventually, there was no avoiding a confrontation with it.
“White Deer.”
“Why do you call?”
“Let me down.”
The startled White Deer shouted.
“Are you insane! Don’t say such nonsense! Just stay put!”
“No, we’ll be caught like this.”
As if to argue back, the White Deer paused, sighing and hanging its head. Whatever thoughts it held internally, what was truly important was killing that beast.
‘…It won’t take long.’
If I could just endure, the creature’s life would eventually be severed. The time it took for the flames that had been burning to completely engulf and darken it—if I could just hold on against it.
‘It’s possible. It must be!’
The moment I was sure, I accidentally locked eyes with the White Deer. After running for a long time, its speed gradually decreased, until it finally came to a halt. Without hesitation, it murmured as it watched the wolf distantly.
“…Don’t die.”
***
‘Whirlwind.’
As I saw the Earth Serpent approach, carving valleys into the ground, I summoned the winds.
‘Transformation.’
Envisioning a raging fire that would burn everything. Endless flames. Black flames swirling in the fierce winds. The haunting echoes of a wailing spirit—and once again, the visage of a ghost appears. As I reached that point, the serpent was right before me. The flying shards and dust cleared away by the whirlwind.
‘Earth Serpent.’
A massive snake slithering along the ground. True to its name, it fiercely crawled as earth and scales rubbed together, and once again, it opened its jaw wide. From deep within its throat, a foul gray smoke billowed out. It exuded intimidation, but it wouldn’t stop. Having accepted its death, threats would have no effect. —But if it thought I wouldn’t dodge, that was good enough. Just before it could reach me, I unleashed the elasticity I’d been holding onto.
“―――!”
Devouring the lingering black Transformation, I let out a silent scream as my mouth ignited. I quickly extended my tentacles, granting them viscosity, and leapt onto its back.
“Siiiiiik—!”
Hissing. A threatening noise. I barely held on as it twisted its body trying to throw me off. Normally, it would have been impossible to burn it with Transformation, but thanks to the impact from colliding with the ground due to my acceleration.
‘The scales have fallen off.’
There were no scales to protect its head anymore. The gaps were engulfed with black flames, racing to incinerate it. As it twisted in burning agony, I ran along its body, trying to extinguish the flames by rubbing it against the ground.
‘If I fall, it’s game over!’
I didn’t run in a straight line but sideways. I sprinted and sprinted in the opposite direction of the disoriented Earth Serpent.
‘As expected.’
Even at the peak of Transformation, it still extinguished them against the ground. But—the flames that had ignited internally wouldn’t do the same. They were still burning and would have spread throughout its body. Yet it didn’t cease squirming.
‘…It won’t be long.’
Devour. ‘To eat indiscriminately’—that was regardless of the skill level. Transformation flared up once more, rising between the scales it had swallowed.
‘This is…!’
Repeatedly colliding with the ground while using acceleration, the shocks could be felt even on my back. Debris was flying up, and the ground, already a mess, became even more treacherous.
‘This is insane.’
The serpent’s scales stood on end. I instinctually read the situation and jumped off. The scales grew sharp. If I made a mistake, I would be cut. But if the scales were upright, it meant gaps had formed. The flames raced through those openings.
“Shaaaah!”
The Earth Serpent’s head twisted peculiarly. It turned its body, bringing its great jaw down. With 513 agility combined with acceleration, it moved with marvelous speed and power—biting into its own flesh.
‘It won’t go down easy.’
The teeth pierced through the scales, and black flames seeped out in between. Just seeing that made it clear how dire its state was, but it was still alive.
‘Dragonborn.’
Monsters mixed with dragon blood tend to be extraordinarily tough. It sent chills down my spine, knowing that its dreadful obsession was solely directed at me. The serpent’s vertically elongated eyes locked onto me. —Yes. In the end, it was a matter of dying or killing.
‘Tyrant.’
The icy glare in its pupils held nothing but rage. It didn’t hide it but openly revealed murderous intent alongside threatening hissing.
“Shaaaah—”
I wouldn’t back down, exuding pressure in return. For a brief moment, the Transformation flickered and released a cold, terrifying aura. The serpent, having hunched down, let its tail whip violently in indignation.
‘I can evade.’
As its tail crashed into its own body, the serpent shook violently. It wasn’t just shaking; the scales clashed, breaking, sending countless shards scattering.
‘……!’
I blew away the fragments with the whirlwind, zipped through the sharp scales, and just barely avoided getting swallowed whole, wrapping my tentacles around its head, and leaped on top.
“Kiiieeek!”
I was being torn apart—pulling on the scales I had grabbed, I drew them closer. Using them as a foothold, I leapt once more. Just as the wolf was relentless, it wouldn’t let the Earth Serpent go.
‘…….’
The White Deer stared blankly. There was something captivating about that struggle. The fight between the two resembled a meticulously crafted play. The wolf strived, and the Earth Serpent followed its lead. The remarkable predictions made the overwhelming power difference between them trivial.
“Kkaaaak!”
At some point, scavengers having caught the scent of death began to circle around.
‘It’s about to end.’
Slowly, the end was approaching.
***
I was out of breath. With violent motions, my stamina was beginning to wane. Avoiding attacks was growing arduous.
‘Still holding on.’
Dragon blood. It was what kept the beast’s breath going. Even amidst the heart and lungs burning with agonizing pain, it wouldn’t stop.
“―――!”
A cry echoed from above. The tyrant’s impending demise beckoned, and a flock of Coatl soared through the sky while a wyvern descended from beyond.
‘This is…!’
—The tyrant was about to die. In that case, I had to deal with the wolf first. My gaze held that calculation. Just as the creature’s hind leg was about to land on me, I extended my tentacle, tearing through the membranous wings. Just as the startled beast tried to retreat, a colossal tail swung around.
‘……!’
I managed to dodge, but the wyvern was not as fortunate. Before I could retract the tentacle that pierced the membrane, it got entangled, and I too plummeted to the ground. I crashed onto the fractured ground, and my ribs shattered.
‘Damn it.’
It was a shame that I had lost the advantageous position I had gained. Thanks to that, I was left with no retreat. I pierced the heart of the still-living wyvern, delivering a fatal blow. As the wyvern’s life ended, the Coatl flock screeched in delight toward the newly acquired opportunity. The tyrant approached, its gaze now vacant and unfocused. It was as good as dead, but the will to live persisted.
Acceleration. I even unleashed my magic power in a single strike. Whether I failed or succeeded, I would die if the ground and I collided with this final breath.
‘Just once. Just one time.’
I flailed desperately. This was all a struggle. Originally, I didn’t have to accept it, but it was all tangled up thanks to the wyvern.
“Get out of here!”
The White Deer came rushing from afar—but even faster, the serpent’s jaw collided with the ground. Crawling along the earth, the massive snake didn’t heed its rear assault, driving its jaw several meters deep into the ground. Luckily, I was able to slip between its jaws and evade. Although the shock from the ground and the flying debris shook me to the core, I sighed in relief.
‘I’m alive.’
I was convinced. The Earth Serpent had died at this moment. Its attack had failed and it met a tragic end. And just as if it had been waiting for this very moment, its flesh began to jolt as it contracted and expanded repeatedly.
‘No way.’
It couldn’t move if it was dead. That was a given. But the guts were torn apart and its insides churned violently. It must have done so by force, whether knowingly or not.
‘There’s no way?’
Something, no, everything began to spill out. One by one, they started dropping beyond the black flames.
‘……!’
The jaws embedded deep into the ground left no path of escape. Devouring with Devour and using Transformation was too late. Blood, flesh, and entrails began to plummet, dropping into the abyss.
‘Damn it!’
This was unavoidable. In an inescapable situation, everything began raining down onto the wolf’s head and —just barely, the White Deer pulled the wolf away.
“Are you okay?”
Looking back, it had created a gap through the torn scales of the Earth Serpent. An earth-shattering noise that hurt the ears rang out. As the blood began to flow from that gap, I gasped and managed to take a breath.
“Yeah.”
—And thus, the tyrant that had dominated the wasteland met its end.
***
A cold sweat rolled down the back of the girl who sat bolt upright.
“Ah.”
It was a dream she had suffered through for years, one that nobody would believe. An unbelievable nightmare. The girl fervently wished that nightmare wouldn’t become reality.
Please, let me not be the one to kill someone else.