Chapter 11

Swallowed by the massive Tarax, I rolled around in its stinky, pitch-black mouth.

Thanks to my undead transformation, I was able to perceive my surroundings to some extent even in such darkness. That’s why I noticed the sharp, thick fangs approaching from above.

*Crack!*

By deliberately not dodging, I was clamped between the fangs and subjected to an immense force, but my body wasn’t crushed.

Still, I could feel my bones creaking and developing slight cracks. Some of my flesh seemed to have been crushed as well.

But that was all. Even the massive Tarax’s fangs couldn’t inflict more damage on me.

Furthermore, the cracks in my bones and the crushed flesh were immediately repaired.

“Tough and with this natural healing ability...”

While trembling at the abnormality of my own body, I took advantage of the slight space created when the fangs slightly retracted and quickly escaped. I stood on the squishy ground.

It was probably the tongue. The slimy sensation was disgusting.

Combined with the surrounding smell, I started to feel nauseous. Suddenly, the tongue beneath my feet began to wriggle and turned into a steep slope, causing me to roll towards the back of the mouth.

Bumping into the meaty walls multiple times, I passed through a dark, cave-like area and was eventually thrown into a mysterious liquid.

It was thick, sticky, and extremely sour. It was incredibly disgusting.

“Ugh... This must be the stomach...”

The remnants of my clothes, which had somehow survived, were now being dissolved by the intense stomach acid. However, it seemed to have little effect on my body.

“What should I do...?”

If I were to die by being dissolved in stomach acid, that would be fine, but I had no idea how long I would have to wait. Spending a long time in such a place was out of the question.

“I remember a legend about a dwarf hero. He was swallowed by a giant monster but fought his way out from inside.”

I moved through the stomach fluid and reached the meaty walls. When I touched them, they felt quite hard.

Dragons are said to be hard even on the inside, and it seems the Tarax, considered a pseudo-dragon, was no exception. It might be difficult to mimic the dwarf hero’s actions, but I decided to punch the stomach wall anyway.

*Bang!*

The wall shattered.

“...Can I make it?”

Stomach acid began to ooze out of the hole in the stomach.

I infused my right hand with magic. Once it was fully charged, I took a running start and punched the meaty wall.

*Crash!*

A hole several times larger than the previous one opened up, and even the organs beyond were blown away.

*Roar!*

The massive Tarax’s voice echoed inside its body.

I relentlessly punched my way through the Tarax’s insides. Each time, the flesh burst and blood splattered, but I pushed forward without hesitation.

Eventually, I hit a hard part. It was probably the shell.

I continued to punch, though not as fast as before, and gradually chipped away at the shell.

Finally, light began to shine through. I could see the sky. It seemed I had pierced through the shell and reached the outside.

I emerged from the hole in the shell. Ah, the air tastes so good.

The massive Tarax’s roar had subsided, and there was no sign of movement. It seemed that being pierced through the body was too much for it.

I had inadvertently saved the town. Maybe I had become a hero of the town...

Such a faint hope was quickly dispelled.

“J-Just kidding...”

“E-Even monsters have their limits...”

The adventurers who had been around the Tarax were now standing there, some in a daze and others trembling in fear, having collapsed on the spot.

The red-haired woman, who had seemed strong-willed, was now bent over, tears in her eyes, and trembling lips, moaning, “A, a, a...”

I wasn’t angry about being attacked...

But, should I properly convey that through my attitude and words? Thinking this, I approached her with a full smile.

“Eek... D-Don’t come... Don’t come over here...!”

She retreated, sitting on the ground.

I’m being so scared!?

I hesitated for a moment, but I couldn’t let the misunderstanding continue.

I forced a smile and managed to speak.

“I... won’t kill...”

“Eeeek...!”

Instead, it seemed to instill even more fear in her. Liquid began to seep from her lower abdomen, wetting the ground.

Looking around, there was no one standing. Even the giant who had blown me away was completely frozen in fear, and some had even fainted.

...There’s no way to communicate.

I gave up on trying to communicate with them and decided to leave the scene.

“L-Leaving...?”

“Did we... survive...?”

Such voices could be faintly heard.

◇ ◇ ◇

The Tarax’s shell was destroyed, and the white-haired undead emerged from inside. The unbelievable sight caused everyone to despair, and some even fainted.

I managed to maintain consciousness through sheer willpower, but if I could escape this nightmare right now, I would rather faint.

The Tarax had stopped moving, but no one believed the town was saved. If the undead wanted to, it could easily destroy the town.

Barda, who had bravely turned the tide of battle earlier, was now unable to stand and had collapsed on the ground. Estina, the only Platinum-ranked adventurer, was on the verge of tears, moaning weakly.

The undead approached Estina with a creepy smile. Barda let out a sigh of relief, glad it wasn’t him.

“Eek... D-Don’t come... Don’t come over here...!”

Estina pleaded weakly like a child, but the undead didn’t stop. Instead, it continued with a terrifying smile.

“I... won’t kill...”

“Eeeek...!”

Not kill?

...No, it probably means it won’t just kill. That terrifying smile clearly conveyed that.

Imagining what horrors awaited, liquid began to seep from Estina’s lower abdomen.

She had lost control of her bladder. Despite witnessing the pitiful state of the Platinum-ranked adventurer, no one laughed.

Instead, the fear seemed to intensify, and several people began to leak liquid as well, some even fainting.

Sooner or later, everyone here would be killed. Everyone was certain of this.

Suddenly, the undead turned around and left without a word.

“L-Leaving...?”

“Did we... survive...?”

For some reason, the undead ignored us and left.

Do we have no value to be killed? Or does it plan to kill us one by one over time...?

I couldn’t understand its true intentions. But one thing was certain.

Even if we survived this, we would live the rest of our lives in fear of that undead.

I watched the retreating back of the disaster with a heavy heart.