#30 The Dragon's Wasteland (3)
#30 The Dragon's Wasteland (3)
RRRRUMBLE!
The ground collapsed again as the Earth Serpent plunged deeper. I slammed against the walls of its gullet, tumbling head over tail until I drove a tentacle into its lower jaw and held fast. Fighting the swallowing muscle, I watched its forked crimson tongue begin to dart—probing, lashing.
'—Ngh!'
It came at me like a second serpent. If it wrapped around me and dragged me down the esophagus, that was the end. I erupted with Ghost Flame (C) to drive it back. The instant the black fire touched it, the Earth Serpent flinched violently and opened its mouth.
'Got it—?!'
—Wrong. I had thought I could escape. That was a delusion. A raging torrent of water rushed in. And then it hit me.
'The reason it didn't lose consciousness.'
Why its body had been soaked. And above all, why it possessed the Swimming skill.
'It wasn't just wasteland. Underneath it is...!'
Beneath the wasteland floor, a vast subterranean aquifer had formed a lake. That was why the impact had barely fazed it. The ground it crashed through was thin, and it had broken straight into the water below.
'I did wonder how anything survived here.'
So that was how monsters endured this barren place. The inrushing water struck like a tsunami, and the flames I had just kindled died a pathetic death.
'I have to get out.'
There was no end to the violent current. My body felt like it was about to be crushed by the water pressure, let alone holding steady.
[All Damage Reduction (D) Lv.7 proficiency at maximum. All Damage Reduction (D) Lv.7 → All Damage Reduction (D) Lv.8]
I flung out a tentacle, trying to wrap it around one of the serpent's teeth. It snapped like wet paper. Hardening changed nothing.
'...Damn it!'
I could not hold on, let alone get out. Powerless, I watched the jaw slowly clamp shut and the current sweep me away. How far downstream did I ride? The moment the velocity finally slowed, I forced myself to stop. When I managed to exhale the breath I had been holding, I found myself surrounded by red walls of flesh.
'Where am I?'
A droplet of liquid fell from the ceiling and touched my fur. It dissolved on contact.
'I'm in the stomach.'
At least the water it had swallowed was diluting the gastric acid. For now.
'I cannot stay here long.'
Acid keeps secreting without limit. And given the bastard's size, the volume would be beyond comprehension. I had to get out of here as fast as possible.
'...Heat?'
I could feel it radiating from somewhere far deeper. I was confused for a moment—then the situation clicked.
'—Right. If this is the stomach.'
What else would be generating heat below the stomach?
'The Ghost Flame (C) I fired.'
It meant the Ghost Flame (C) was still burning. The searing blaze was growing hotter.
'Then...?'
I had been too flustered to think earlier, but now I saw it for what it was. A golden opportunity.
'It's moving.'
A tremor. And the water rushing in picked up speed. Once more, the current swept me deeper.
'Fine.'
If this was how it had to be. I reshaped my body into a sleek, hydrodynamic form to minimize resistance and let the flow carry me.
[Swimming (F) Lv.8 proficiency at maximum. Swimming (F) Lv.8 → Swimming (F) Lv.9]
In an instant, I was pulled under. If this was the stomach, it had to connect to the intestines. That was the safer way out. The water still streaming in meant the serpent was still underwater.
'How the hell is it even swimming?'
Skill or not, I could not believe this hulking mass of a body did not just sink. How absurdly deep was this lake if it provided enough buoyancy for a creature this huge? I was sighing inwardly when the world lurched again—the ceiling became the floor and the floor became the wall. The Earth Serpent could not hold its breath any longer and was surfacing.
'...Good.'
With the water pressure I had felt earlier, there was no way I would survive outside right now. I would escape after it broke the surface. That was the plan, and then—a sudden, hostile presence. I immediately released Elasticity.
[Ancient Dragon Turtle]
[Length 4.26m] [Height 2.11m] [Weight 1.26t]
[STR 388] [AGI 216] [VIT 224]
'......!'
It must have been swallowed along with the water when the Earth Serpent inhaled. The creature clicked its tongue, disappointed its ambush had failed. Despite the name, it looked less like a dragon and more like a hybrid of a crocodile and a turtle: the thick body of a crocodile with the head and shell of a tortoise. A bizarre monster. My eyes lit up.
'If I eat this.'
I was already running low on stamina. Regeneration healed wounds, but it did not bring back the stamina I had spent. —But if I filled up the little sliver of Experience Points still missing. I activated Gust, and the water that had risen past my feet swirled and parted.
"Kuoooghhk!?"
Right as the Dragon Turtle screamed, I ignited Ghost Flame (C). I could not create fire underwater—but right now, I could. A tentacle shot past its thick neck and wormed into the gap between its shell and body.
'I don't have time.'
The startled Dragon Turtle severed the tentacle instantly with its powerful jaws—but the flames were already riding the severed limb, charring the inside of its shell. Soon, the light left its eyes, and I devoured it.
[Ancient Dragon Turtle consumed. Experience Points and Satiety increased.]
[Experience Points at maximum. Lv.20 → Lv.21]
Just as I had hoped, my stamina returned.
***
"......!"
The Earth Serpent breached in a spray of water. But the Wolf was nowhere to be seen. Baekrok let out a deep, worn sigh.
'This is my fault.'
When the Wolf had told them about the Acceleration skill, they should have been more careful. They should have anticipated this possibility. No—if only they had not given the serpent even that opening and had just run faster. If only they could have. Limping on a broken leg, Baekrok lamented. It had all been their own foolishness. —But they could not lose their head. They had to think of the sleeping fairy dragon and make a rational choice.
'...Retreat is the only option.'
They had already failed. Attacking the Earth Serpent now would only make them its next meal. The great serpent slithered along the ground, searching for something—probably for them. As Baekrok turned to leave, resigned and heartsick with defeat, a wisp of gray smoke escaped the Earth Serpent's mouth.
'......?'
Gray smoke. What it signified. The Earth Serpent was still burning from within. Strength returned to Baekrok's eyes.
'...Alive?'
Whether it had escaped or not. Baekrok was praying without realizing it. In that heart-pounding moment, the Earth Serpent, screaming loud enough to split the sky, finally could not hold on any longer and opened its jaw.
"――――――!"
The serpent heaved, dry-heaving again and again. And at last, the Wolf burst out of the Earth Serpent's body.
***
Now that my stamina was back, I had no reason to hesitate. If I could not brute-force my way out, I would make it so I had no other choice. Gust, Ghost Flame (C), Evil Devouring—I held nothing back. Razor winds shredded flesh, and the swelling black flames seared the meat.
'It's moving.'
How long did I rampage? The water it had swallowed suddenly surged into a torrent. I stuck to the ceiling to avoid being swept away, and Ghost Flame (C) incinerated every drop of stomach acid that tried to seep in. As if the agony of the unendurable fire finally broke something, the stomach acid and water began to reverse their flow, churning violently. The stomach contracted and expanded, a violent spasm as if intent on emptying everything.
'It's puking!'
Sure, I wanted out. But I was not about to make it easy.
'You swallowed me on your terms.'
You do not get to spit me out on yours. I anchored myself to the shredded stomach wall with a Tentacle Bundle, shaped the tips into razor-sharp blades with Change, and hardened them. Every time the rapids swept me along, I left more gashes in the stomach wall.
'So what if it's a B-rank skill?'
Rock Skin was just that—skin, scales, the outer layer. The story was different on the inside. The acrid smoke of burning flesh seeped into every torn crevice of the stomach. I was swept along for a long time before I saw the lashing tongue again. I uncoiled Elasticity and shot out in one explosive leap.
'Clear!'
"Get on!"
Baekrok's voice came from somewhere nearby. I did not hesitate, landing on their back. The Earth Serpent was already dead; it just had not stopped moving yet. It barely managed to right itself before it began its pursuit, resolve hardened.
'It plans to take me with it.'
If it was going to die anyway, it intended to drag me down as company.
"Baekrok!"
Baekrok ran with everything they had, as if trying to atone for their mistake. They were even detonating their magical power, racing with all their might... but a twisted leg had its limits.
'First...'
I glanced back. A cloud of dust was rising, and the Earth Serpent was closing the gap with a terrifying roar. It had already accepted its death. The only thing left was a final flame of pure malice and spite. Smoke leaked from both its nostrils.
'Losing it.'
This was not going to be easy. Baekrok was running hard, but keeping up this speed was impossible. Especially on terrain that had been literally turned inside out, as if the clash itself had triggered an earthquake.
'No matter how far we run.'
Either Baekrok's stamina would give out, or the serpent would catch us first. A direct confrontation was unavoidable.
"Baekrok."
"Speak!"
"Let me off."
Baekrok's voice cracked with shock.
"Have you lost your mind?! Don't speak such nonsense! Stay on!"
"I can't. We'll get caught at this rate."
Baekrok flinched as if to argue, then just sighed and lowered their head. Whatever was going through their mind, right now the only thing that mattered was killing that thing.
'...It won't take long.'
If I just held out, it would breathe its last. The time it would take for the flames to fully encroach on it and dye its insides black—as long as I could last against it.
'I can do this. I have to!'
Just as I made my resolve, my eyes happened to meet Baekrok's. They kept running for a while longer, but their pace slowly bled away, and then they stopped. Watching the Wolf grow smaller without a hint of hesitation, Baekrok murmured.
"...Don't you dare die."
***
'Gust.'
I raised the wind as the Earth Serpent carved through the earth. It was cutting a valley out of the very ground as it charged.
'Ghost Flame (C).'
What I envisioned was a flame demon that burned everything. Endless fire. Black flames whipping in the gale. Ghostly wails echoing like illusions—and the nightmarish visage of a demon manifested once more. By the time I reached that peak, the serpent was right in front of me. The Gust swept away every last piece of debris and dust.
'Earth Serpent.'
A great snake that crawled the land. True to its name, it slithered fiercely, its scales scraping the earth, and opened its jaw once again. Acrid gray smoke billowed from beyond its throat. I unloaded Intimidation, but it did not stop. It had already accepted death—threats were meaningless. —But it was enough if the creature assumed I would not dodge. Just before it reached me, I released the Elasticity I had been holding.
"―――!"
It swallowed nothing but the black Ghost Flame (C) I left behind like an afterimage, and its mouth erupted in silent screams as it blazed. I shot out a tentacle, coated it in Adhesion, and vaulted onto its back.
"Shhhhhhh!"
A hiss. A threatening breath. I held fast as it twisted, trying to throw me off. Normally, burning it with Ghost Flame (C) alone would have been a stretch, but—the impact of crashing into the ground with Acceleration.
'Shattered its scales.'
The scales protecting its head were gone. The black flames raced through the gaps, searing flesh. As it writhed in agony, trying to grind the fire out against the ground, I ran along its trunk.
'If I fall, it's over!'
I did not run straight. I ran sideways, against the direction of its rolling—running and running.
'As expected.'
Even Ghost Flame (C) pushed to its limit was being extinguished by the friction with the ground. But—the fire blazing inside its body was not so easy to put out. It would still be burning, spreading through its insides. And still, the bastard refused to stop thrashing.
'...It's close.'
Evil Devouring. 'Devouring without discrimination.' It made no exception for higher-ranked skills. Ghost Flame (C) roared to life once again between the swallowed scales.
'This is...!'
It was ramming itself into the ground, even using Acceleration now. The impact traveled all the way up to me standing on its back. Shards of stone exploded upward from a ground already so shattered there was barely a foothold left.
'Crazy bastard.'
Its scales stood on end. I read that much with Intuition and leaped off. Scales sharpened with killing intent. One wrong move and I would be sliced apart. But if the scales were bristling, it meant there were gaps between them—and the fire raced through those gaps.
"Shhhhhhhhk!"
The Earth Serpent's head rotated freakishly. It twisted its body and thrust its massive jaw forward. With an AGI of 513 amplified by Acceleration, it came at me with terrifying speed and force—and bit into its own massive body.
'I'm not going down that easily.'
Fangs punched through its own scales, and black fire leaked out through the holes. Just looking at that, anyone could tell what state it was in. Yet it still lived.
'Sub-dragon species.'
Monsters mixed with dragon's blood were notoriously tenacious. The fact that all of that hideous obsession was aimed solely at me sent a shiver down my spine. Its slit-pupiled eyes, a snake's hallmark, tracked me. Its very nature was laid bare in that gaze. —Yeah. In the end, it was kill or be killed. That was the essence of it.
'Tyrant.'
Rage brimmed in those cold pupils. It did not even bother to hide it, flaring its killing intent with an overtly threatening breath.
"Shhhhhhhh—"
I did not flinch. I matched it with Intimidation, and for a split second, the Ghost Flame (C) flickered and scattered a chilling demon energy. The serpent recoiled for an instant, seemingly humiliated by its own flinch, and lashed out with its tail in pure fury.
'I can dodge it.'
Its own tail slammed into its massive body, making it lurch. And that was not all. The Rock Skin plating crashed against itself, shattering and sending countless shards flying.
'......!'
I blew the debris away with Gust and navigated through the razor-sharp scales, and it opened its maw to its absolute limits.
"Shhhhhhhk—!"
I avoided being swallowed by a hair's breadth, wrapped a tentacle around it, and vaulted onto its head. It swung its tail. The overwhelming air pressure sent me flying, but I scraped against its scales and held on with a tentacle the whole way.
"Kiiiiiaaaak!"
It's tearing—I reeled in the torn scale with the tentacle that had been holding it. Using the scale as a springboard, I leaped again. As if to say it was not the only one with tenacity, the Wolf refused to let go of the Earth Serpent.
'.......'
Baekrok stared, dazed. There was something about that desperate struggle that seized the gaze. The fight was like a perfectly choreographed play. The Earth Serpent followed every path the Wolf moved through. A preternatural prediction. It was rendering the overwhelming difference in raw power practically meaningless.
"Caaaaaaw!"
Scavengers had gathered, drawn by the scent of death, and were circling overhead.
'It's time.'
Slowly, the end was approaching.
***
My breath was lodged in my throat. The violent maneuvers were slowly draining my stamina. Even seeing the attacks and dodging them was becoming too much.
'It's still holding on.'
The dragon's blood of the sub-dragon species. That was what kept it breathing. Even in the agony of its heart and lungs burning, it did not stop.
"―――!"
A scream rang out from high above. A flight of Coatls circled the sky as if waiting for the Tyrant's death, and from far across, a Wyvern began its descent.
'This is—!'
—The Tyrant will die soon. So the Wolf first. Calculation flickered in those eyes. Just before its talons reached me, I lashed out a tentacle and tore the membrane of its wing. In the moment it faltered, trying to pull back, a gigantic tail swung through the air.
'......!'
I dodged. The Wyvern did not. Before I could retract the tentacle piercing its wing membrane, I was caught in the entanglement and sent plummeting to the ground. I crashed back-first onto the broken earth, feeling ribs shatter.
'Damnation.'
I had just lost the high ground—literally. Now my back was against the wall. I pierced the still-living Wyvern's heart, finishing it. The Coatl flock cawed, as if rejoicing at the Wyvern's death. The Tyrant, seizing its final chance, closed in. Its gaze was already unfocused, its pupils dilated. It was practically dead, but its obsession was still very much alive.
Acceleration. And it was even detonating its magical power. A do-or-die final strike. Whether it succeeded or failed, a dying creature crashing into the ground at this speed was a corpse.
'Once. Just one single time.'
A last desperate struggle. A death spasm. I did not even have to take it head-on, but the Wyvern had complicated everything.
"Get out of there!"
Baekrok was racing in from afar—but faster than them, the beast's jaw collided with the earth. A serpent that crawled the land. In a suicidal attack with no thought of pulling back, its jaw skewered into the ground and drove meters deep. Luckily, I had dodged into the gap between its fangs. I let out my held breath, dizzy from the shock transmitted through the earth and the flying debris.
'I lived.'
I was certain. The Earth Serpent was dead now. Its attack had failed, and it had breathed its last in futility. And then, as if it had been waiting for exactly this moment, its flesh quivered, and its body began to contract and expand.
'No way.'
The dead do not move. That was obvious. But the ruptured stomach, the thoroughly destabilized internals. The magical power it had forcibly detonated—whether it knew what it was doing or not.
'No way?'
Something, no, everything that made up the creature began to fall. Past the black flames, one piece, then another, began to drop.
'......!'
Its jaw was buried deep in the ground. There was no path out. Gnawing through it with Evil Devouring or using Ghost Flame (C) would take too long. Its blood, its flesh, its organs—all of it began to rain down.
'Goddammit!'
This was unavoidable. In this hopeless situation, the Wolf looked up in despair as all manner of filth began to fall—and a beat before it hit, Baekrok yanked the Wolf aside.
"Are you unharmed?"
I looked back. Baekrok had punched a hole through the Earth Serpent's torn scales, creating a gap. A deafening roar. When the blood finally gushed out through the gap moments later, I could at last draw a long breath.
"Yeah."
—And so, the Tyrant that had ruled the Wasteland met its end.
***
A cold sweat ran down the girl's spine as she jolted upright.
"Ah."
The dream that had plagued her for years. The one nobody believed. The unbelievable nightmare. The girl fervently hoped that this nightmare would never, ever become reality.
Please, don't let me kill someone else.