Shortly after the giant sea monster made its appearance, the rest of the pirates fled back toward the islands with their tails behind their backs. Galfredik returned to the Elion before bursting into a rage.
âWhat the hell is going on?! Whatâs with that monster? What happened to Master?!â Galfredik ran across the deck of the Elion while shouting loudly. It was quite a frightening sight since his entire figure was colored crimson with blood. The atmosphere of the Elion instantly turned quite gloomy.
âMotherfucker! Iâm coming! Where did the monster go?!â Galfredik shouted.
âY-you canât, Sir Galfredik. Although we are near the islands, your powers wonât be complete. If you jump into the sea, you will surely die,â Romari whispered while glancing around at the surroundings.
âDammitâŚâ Galfredik gritted his teeth. It was just as Romari said. Although he smashed a pirate ship to smithereens and massacred all the pirates on board, he felt a stark difference compared to when he was on land. Even though he drank some of the piratesâ blood from time to time, it was of no use.
âThen what do you want me to do? Master is in that monsterâs belly,â Galfredik said with frustration.
âSir Eugene is an Origin. He will probably be fine, so just wait for a little while. Ah, Sir Lanslo,â Romari called out. Lanslo had belatedly returned to the Elion. He threw a pirate on deck before speaking.
âIt seems the pirates know something about the sea monster.â
âReally? Hey, you motherfucker. What was that monster we saw earlier? Speak before I shove an axe up your asshole,â Galfredik said threateningly.
â$#*$#*@##*! *###!â The pirate responded.
âWhat the hell is he saying?â Galfredik asked. Lanslo translated the unfamiliar words.
âHe is speaking the language of Brantia. He says that the monster is the demon god of the islands.â
âDemon god? What a superfluous title for a fucking monster. Anyway, where is the monster? Ask him,â Galfredik responded.
Lanslo asked, and the pirate responded while trembling with fear.
âThe Island of Pering is its territory. It seems the monster smelled blood. Usually, the pirates offer regular sacrifices to the monster,â Lanslo said.
âWhat a load of bullshit. You little fucking morons. You make sacrifices to monsters? Cut off your balls right now, you little shits. No, Iâll rip them off for you and throw them to the sharks, you fuckers!â Galfredik began to speak aggressively. He was agitated about the possibility of losing Eugene. Without Eugene, there was no one who could control Galfredik. Romari felt a great sense of responsibility and inched closer to Galfredik.
âSir, sir. Letâs calm down for now. Do you feel dizzy at all? Or as if all the strength is slowly seeping away from your body?â Romari asked.
âI donât feel like my usual self, probably because weâre at sea. But itâs not to that degree. Why do you ask?â Galfredik answered.
âAh, then Sir Eugene should be fine as well. You are Sir Eugeneâs thrall, right? If something happens to either one of you, the other should be able to sense it immediately,â Romari commented.
âI see. But Iâm not his thrall. Iâm a vassal,â Galfredik responded.
âA-a vassal?â Romari asked.
âYeah. Thatâs what Master said,â Galfredik replied.
âThenâŚÂ Ah! Anyway, thatâs even better. If Sir Galfredik feels fine, that means Sir Eugene is also in good condition,â Romari explained.
âFuck⌠Thatâs a relief. Hey, you piece of shit,â Galfredik called out.
âHueeek!â Although there was a language barrier with the pirate, the screams were the same. The pirate crawled backward with a frightened scream.
âTake me to the Island of Pering right now. Iâm going to strangle that monster to death,â Galfredik muttered.
There was no need for Lanslo to translate Galfredikâs words. The word âPering,â and his terrifying appearance were enough to convey Galfredikâs intention. The pirate immediately understood and started to diligently wave his hands while speaking.
âItâs right behind the main island,â Lanslo explained.
âTell him that Iâll cut off his limbs and throw him into the sea if he doesnât guide me properly,â Galfredik said. The pirateâs face paled after hearing Lansloâs interpretation, and he nodded crazily.
***
âKieeeeek! Sir! Sir! Are you all right? Hwaaaah!â Mirian shouted urgently with tears in her eyes.
âIâm fine for now,â Eugene responded. He tightened his grip on Wolfslaughter while taking in his surroundings.
âAm I inside the monsterâs stomach? Or is this the throat?â
The sight was quite horrendous. Various limbs and remains of the pirates were entangled with all kinds of sea creatures and the pirate shipâs debris. The filthy, bizarre sight was enough to make Eugene feel sick.
âSir, are you really fine? I heard from my seniors that members of the Dark Clan die when they go into the sea!â Mirian said.
âIâm fine. It must be due to Black Scales.â Eugene responded. Although Black Scales didnât turn Eugene completely waterproof, it was sufficient to prevent the seawater from completely soaking Eugeneâs figure. As such, he was able to move without much difficulty.
âBut itâs much worse compared to being on land. Guys like Delmondo would have died immediately.â
He finally understood why Romari had prepared the coffins full of soil. He never imagined that even Origin Vampires would possess such a weakness.
âSir, what are we going to do? I canât die like this! Even if I canât build myself a mountain out of gold and silver, I would have expected a golden castle at the least! I should be bathed in silk and served three meals a day on a silver platter! I have to live for at least another 100 years while spoiling myself with all sorts of delicacies!â Mirian whined.
âAt least you are honest even in this mess. Anyway, stop whining. Thereâs no way weâre going to die,â Eugene responded.
âReally. Have you already forgotten which monsters I killed in the evil land at the Winslon County?â Eugene asked.
âUmm, manticore and drake, right? But what about it? Ahh! I almost forgot! You consumed the red mana stone after killing the drake, right?!â Mirian shouted.
Mirian was right. The manticore had left behind a common mana stone, but the drake had dropped a red mana stone. Eugene had gained a new ability after consuming the red mana stone, and he was finally able to utilize his ability to âtransform.â
âBut, but⌠how do we get out of here?â Mirian asked.
âSimple.â Eugene focused his attention while rousing his fear. A dark, crimson glow began to emit from his eyes, and a red haze began to form over his body. Soon, it deepened in color while swirling around his body.
âKeugh!â Eugene felt a shredding pain envelop his body. However, he kept his focus and directed his fear according to the instinct imprinted on his soul.
KwoooooohâŚ!
Eugeneâs body glowed red, and his clothes and boots were torn into pieces. It wasnât due to his fear, but due to the fact that his body was growing rapidly.
Crack! Craaack!
Eugene continued to grow in size. He slowly took on a âspecific shapeâ and began pressing against the monsterâs throat. Just like any other creature, the sea monsterâs mouth was large, but it had a narrow esophagus.
A little while later.
Kuwwwwwuuuuuugh!!!
A deafening roar resonated throughout the cave-like throat of the monster, and the gastric juice and seawater began to regurgitate out of the monsterâs stomach.
âKieeeeeeeeeek!â Mirian screamed while holding on for her dear life. Eugene had completely transformed into a drake, and she was grabbing onto his tail.
âIs it because of the sea? It will be hard to keep it up for more than five minutes.â
Eugene contemplated his options while keeping himself in place by piercing his big, sharp claws into the monsterâs throat.
âThe monster was large enough to swallow an entire ship in one gulp. The odds wonât be in my favor if I choose to fight it outside. If soâŚâ
Eugene quickly came to a decision. If he couldnât fight it outside, then he would simply fight it from the inside.
Kuwuuuuuuugh!
Even though drakes werenât comparable to dragons, they were known as the dragons of the land. Eugene roared before digging his claws and fangs deeper into the monsterâs esophageal walls. He began to frantically rip apart the wall of flesh. The intestinal fluid and the seawater began to infringe on his mind, but an Origin stood at the apex of vampires, and their strong soul and determination were not easily dampened.
Craccck! Crack!
Kuwuuuugh! Kuwuuuugh!
The pained cry of the monster threatened to rupture Eugeneâs eardrums, but he did not stop. Eugene continued in a single direction while ripping apart the monsterâs flesh and crushing its bones. He did not forget to guzzle on the turbulent wave of its blood as well.
A few dozen seconds later.
Craaaack!
Eugene realized that he couldnât feel any resistance from his claws as a grotesque, tearing sound resonated.
âKieeeeek! We escaped! Sir! I see land! Itâs land!â Mirian let go of Eugeneâs tail and flew up while exclaiming. Eugene was able to finally escape after widening the tear in the monsterâs throat. Just as Mirian said, Eugene saw land. It seemed that the sea monster had surfaced due to the immense pain it felt having its throat destroyed from the inside out.
Kwaaaaaaah!
A crimson current swirled around Eugeneâs 8-meter-tall body.
âKeugh!â Soon, his transformation was undone, and Eugene rolled on the floor and groaned after returning to his original form.
âHaâŚâ Eugene pulled himself up with all his might. After finding Wolfslaughter among the debris mixed in with the monsterâs vomit, Eugene raised his head and observed the monsterâs corpse.
Was it as big as a house?
No, it was closer to an entire castle.
The monster shuddered from time to time, and Eugene could see a large gash on its neck. The giant monsterâs body was covered with corals and barnacles, and it almost resembled an armor made to protect its skin. If Eugene had faced the monster on the outside, he would certainly have struggled.
âA dragon? No, a whale?â Eugene muttered. The monsterâs head was abnormally large, and it possessed a very bizarre appearance resembling both a whale and a dragon. It was likely a colossal monster that operated in the sea, and Eugene suspected that Romari might know of its identity.
âPhew.â Eugene collapsed to the ground with a sigh.
âMy, my! Sir Eugene! I believed in you!â Mirian flew over to Eugene and made a fuss while washing his body with water. He would have hated it in normal circumstances, but the excreted water felt more refreshing and cooler than anything else at the moment. Thanks to Mirianâs services, Eugene regained some strength when the seawater was washed off his body.
He stood up before speaking. âWhere are we now?â He could see streams of light through a few cracks in the ceiling, which was easily 70 to 80 meters tall, and strangely shaped stones were placed on both sides of the wide, white, sandy beach. There were also several piles of unidentifiable bones and shipwrecks.
âIs it the monsterâs den? This is a very large space,â Eugene commented.
âThatâs right. Itâs super big. It makes sense since that monster was as big as a dragon,â Mirian responded.
âYouâve never even actually seen a dragon, right?â Eugene retorted.
âKiek! Iâve heard about dragons from my seniors. Itâs probably just around the size of that monster. But I heard they spew fire and use magic as well. Ah! Sir, look! Over there!â Mirian exclaimed.
Eugene turned his head. He could see the entrance to what looked like a naturally formed cave.
âI can feel the wind.â
Eugene became convinced from the flow of air that the cave was connected to the outside. He turned before speaking to Mirian, âI will look over there, so you stay back and find something for me.â
âHmmm? Find what?â Mirian responded.
âMana stone,â Eugene said.
âUmmâŚÂ where could a mana stone be in such a place? Mirian doesnât really know, hmm?â Mirian felt her heart drop, but she tilted her head and pretended to be innocent and ignorant.
âKiek!â Mirian screamed as Eugene snatched her out of the air and held her in a certain direction.
âIn there,â he said.
âKiehhh?!â The spiritâs face became colored with fear and despair.
Eugene continued while pointing directly at the sea monster's body, or to be exact, the area that could be considered its anus.
âIt will be easier to enter through there than the mouth. Hurry up and go find it.â
Eugene slowly approached the sea monsterâs anus while maintaining his grip on Mirian. The back entrance into the sea monster was littered and full of horrible wrinkles.
âSir! Sirr! Wait! Just wait a minute! KiekkK?! Kieeeeek! KieeeeeeeeâŚâ
Squirt! Spatter!
The spiritâs terrible scream slowly faded away along with a squishy, unpleasant sensation. A few minutes passedâŚ
Kerplunk! FLPHHHBLUBLUH!
Dark red stool erupted from the monsterâs anus like a waterfall.
Ploosh! FwoooâŚ
Mirian slowly crawled out from the barrier of poop after breaking through the confines of the monsterâs anus. However, she could no longer be called the spirit of water.
â...â
Her entire figure was painted with fecal mass as she slowly flew forward while carrying a mana stone that was almost as large as her body. She placed the object on Eugeneâs palm without speaking a word, then sat down on the white sand with her back toward Eugene and crawled into a ball.
Then, she began murmuring while scribbling something on the sand. âIâve been defiled⌠Kieh. Iâm no longer⌠the spirit of water. Thatâs right⌠Iâm the spirit of poo. From today, I am the spirit of poopâŚÂ Kiehehehe.â
âThe golden castle you talked about. Iâll build it for you,â Eugene muttered.
â...!â Mirian flinched, but she still had her back to Eugene.
âIâll embed jewels in the walls for you. Well, I guess I canât help it if you donât want it.â Eugene said with a shrug.
âSir! Please accept my eternal loyalty and allegiance!â Although she was covered in feces, Mirian was still a spirit filled with greed and desire.
âWait a minute, be quiet,â Eugene raised his finger and stared toward the cave.
âSomeone is coming,â he whispered before quickly hiding behind a rock. Soon, a group of people appeared at the entrance of the cave.