From the Inside Out
Gulp!
Fitting for a giant monster, its throat was about the size of a small elevator.
I slid rapidly down the damp esophagus.
And then, a moment later.
Rumble!
Sizzle!
I felt a vibration and a wave of heat rising from below.
Instinctively, I drove Jeoldanchamgeuk into the esophageal wall.
Screeech!
As I slowed down and looked below...
Whoosh...
Sizzle!
Two openings and a single membrane came into view.
The membrane, acting like a lid, was shifting back and forth, opening and closing the two passages.
Screeech!
As Jeoldanchamgeuk tore through the esophagus, my body kept sliding down.
Before I completely ripped through the throat and fell, I had to choose which of the two holes to enter.
"..."
A foul stench wafted from one side, while intense heat radiated from the other.
The smelly one was probably the stomach.
The hot one was likely the breath core.
Well, it wasn't like either option was particularly appealing.
If I went into the stomach, I would dissolve to death. If I went into the breath core, I would burn to death.
But the one with a sliver of hope for survival is...
The stomach, obviously.
Even though everything would dissolve in the stomach acid, at least it wouldn't be an instant death.
Besides, I already had a plan in mind.
Swaying back and forth, I waited for the membrane over the stomach to open.
Then, clack!
The moment the flap opened—
Screeech!
Putting all my weight behind Jeoldanchamgeuk, I sliced through the esophagus and leaped into the opening.
Whoosh!
The moment I passed through, clack! The membrane shut behind me.
Thud!
I drove Jeoldanchamgeuk into the slimy stomach wall once again.
Sizzle!
The skin on my wrists, which wasn't covered by the Nexkia Spacesuit, began to melt the instant it touched the stomach acid.
"Ugh...!"
Enduring the searing pain that felt like being branded with hot iron, I plunged the Calamity Sword into the stomach wall as well.
And then—
"Imir!"
The moment I called the name, a freezing chill surged.
"Maximum output!"
Fwoosh!
Soon, a massive, blizzard-like cold erupted from the void stone.
Crack...
Crackle...
The stomach acid oozing from the walls froze over.
Crack!
Before long, the pool of acid gathering at the bottom began to freeze as well.
Tap.
I carefully dropped down onto the frozen sheet of acid.
I managed to stand, but the ice was already spiderwebbing with cracks. It wasn't completely stable.
To keep this ice sheet from breaking, Imir had to keep pumping out the cold.
"Master! At this rate, you will also—!"
Imir's panicked voice echoed, and the cold began to weaken.
"Keep going!" I barked, adjusting my grip on Jeoldanchamgeuk.
My fingertips were already starting to freeze, but...
My skin was burning from the acid, and the toxic gas was slowly suffocating me.
But so what?
I could just chug an Elixir once I got out.
Well, of course, that was assuming I made it out alive.
But in that case, it mattered even less.
If I was going to die here anyway, I might as well tear a hole in this bastard's stomach before I went.
Stab!
I plunged both daggers straight into the stomach wall.
Fortunately, because it was frozen, no acid splashed back at me.
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
As expected, it went in much easier than the thick outer hide.
I didn't know if this was the right comparison, but it was like a crème brûlée—slightly crispy on the outside, but soft and mushy on the inside. The blades sliced through it effortlessly.
"Heh, heh..."
A chuckle escaped my lips as I pulled the blades out.
Squelch!
Indeed.
Stab!
No matter how grand a Giant Wyvern was...
Slash!
...it couldn't do anything about its insides being minced.
Stab!
As I hacked away until the flesh hung in tatters, the stomach wall began to writhe.
A low vibration and heat began to build. It was probably trying to use its breath.
But what could it do? I was already inside its belly.
This is why you shouldn't just eat whatever you find. You'll get indigestion.
"Hehehe..."
Even though the toxic gas was choking me and the cold made my entire body shiver, I couldn't stop laughing.
Was it because I had finally found a way to kill it?
Rumble!
A violent tremor shook the space, accompanied by a heat that felt like it would roast my flesh.
It's right before the breath release.
I shouldn't mess with that side. If I accidentally ruptured it and the breath leaked in here, I'd be done for. Instant death.
Hmm... was it a bit weird to worry about instant death when I was already inside a Giant Wyvern's stomach?
Snicker.
Grinning, I reversed my grip on Jeoldanchamgeuk.
Then, with all my might—
Squish!
I drove it deep into the disgusting mass of flesh.
"Hahaha!"
Rumble!
The Giant Wyvern's devastating breath swept across the wasteland.
But...
Nothing happened.
Of course it didn't. Its target was already inside its stomach.
Screeech!
It could tolerate a stinging sensation in its esophagus. Well, it was far worse than a mere sting, but it could endure it.
But this?
The pain of having its stomach repeatedly stabbed was not something even a Giant Wyvern could bear.
For a human, it would be the difference between acid reflux and a perforated stomach.
If there were an emergency room for wyverns, it would have been rushed into immediate surgery.
Lurch!
Its wings began to flap out of sync.
Yet, there was nothing the Giant Wyvern could do.
Until the six-second cooldown of its breath finished, it could only flap its wings and wait.
Roar!
It merely unleashed another useless blast of breath into the empty air.
Having no way of knowing what was happening inside its own stomach, the Giant Wyvern...
Screeech!
...could only let out a mournful cry.
Severe abdominal pain!
Wings rapidly losing strength!
Breath that somehow carried the scent of blood!
Choke!
Even after the six-second cooldown passed, no breath came out.
This was because the membrane separating the stomach and the breath core had been damaged.
Without the separating membrane, it couldn't unleash its breath.
Why?
If it tried to breathe fire while the stomach was exposed, the breath would backflow into the wide-open stomach.
At the same time, the toxic gas filling the stomach would explode.
In short, it would be a suicide attempt, roasting itself like a lizard skewer.
Even a Giant Wyvern was no exception. If its stomach exploded, it would blow up and die.
Cough... Hack!
The Giant Wyvern began vomiting a bloody mixture instead of fire.
Feeling an instinctive dread, the Giant Wyvern—
Flap!
—mustered its remaining strength to soar high into the sky.
But...
Lurch!
The agonizing stomach pain wouldn't leave it alone.
Its wings kept faltering.
It was dangerous. At this rate, the Giant Wyvern would surely plummet to its death.
The Giant Wyvern lowered its altitude again.
Wobble! Wobble!
The red wasteland drew closer.
Just a bit more.
Just a little more.
Screeech!
The Giant Wyvern's talons scraped desperately against the red sand, but slowing down was impossible.
Finally, with a deafening crash, the Giant Wyvern tumbled to the ground.
Fortunately, because it had lowered its altitude enough, it avoided dying from the fall.
Screeech!
Stretching its neck, the Giant Wyvern vomited blood.
But no matter how much blood it spat, the pain only intensified.
The Giant Wyvern pressed its body flat against the ground and began to convulse.
Why?
How?
The Giant Wyvern couldn't understand.
It could only shiver at the cold shadow of death that had suddenly crept close.
Bubble, bubble...
The Giant Wyvern began to spew purple foam.
A moment later, rip...
Bit by bit.
Tear!
The skin of its belly began to tear.
Pierce!
A small, sharp object burst through the scales.
Riiip!
The belly split open as easily as a cheap t-shirt.
And then...
Splurt!
Emerging from the gap, splat!
A half-dissolved human tumbled out.
"Hehehe..."
Laughing like a madman, the human took a step.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Holding a bizarre sword, he walked toward the Giant Wyvern's head.
...!
The Giant Wyvern was already completely paralyzed.
The moment its remaining eye barely managed to focus on the human—
Thud!
The sword was driven straight into the center of its crown.
Twitch!
One final shudder.
Its breath ceased.
Hiss...
The unreleased breath leaked out through its nostrils.
And then...
The hideously disfigured human pulled something out and began to chug it.
Gulp, gulp!
The more he drank, the faster his body began to reconstruct itself.
Crack!
The leg that had been broken by the stomach's compression snapped back into place.
Whoosh...
Flesh rapidly grew back over his face and wrists, where the bones had been half-exposed.
"Wow..."
The moment his lips reformed, he yelled.
"That fucking hurt!"
Damn it.
I hadn't expected the wyvern's stomach acid to be strong enough to dissolve the Nexkia Spacesuit.
Well, of course, the Nexkia Spacesuit wasn't exactly an A-rank item.
I had obtained it early on in the tag map, so it had lasted quite a long time for a piece of armor.
Still, I had grown attached to it.
It was light, comfortable, and familiar! That was why I hadn't bothered looking for other armor.
But to think not even a trace of it remained now...
"..."
Still, it was a relief.
Without the Nexkia Spacesuit, not just my skin, but the bones of my limbs would have dissolved completely.
Even if I had an Elixir, it would be useless if I couldn't drink it.
I wrapped the Ice Bear Leather Cloak, which had been gathering dust in my inventory, around my body.
Rustle.
Looking around, I saw Choi Muryeong still tied to the horn.
The bandage item must have been incredibly sturdy.
I guess I should revive him first.
I pulled the Resurrection Herb out of my inventory.
Step, step, step.
I walked over to the dead Choi Muryeong.