As the serpent suddenly grew to an enormous size, the crowd gasped in awe and fear. Shin stumbled backward, his eyes widening in terror as the serpent's massive jaws closed around him.
The skeleton king cackled with glee, his bony fingers tapping against his throne. "Yes, yes, this is what I wanted!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with malice.
The crowd cheered, their voices blending together into a deafening roar. "Long live the skeleton king!" they chanted, their adoration for their ruler apparent.
The king leaned back in his throne, a smug expression on his skull-like face. "I am pleased," he said, his voice dripping with satisfaction.
As the serpent finished swallowing Shin, it turned its attention towards the rest of the humans in the area. Its eyes glinted with hunger, and its massive body slithered forward in search of its next meal.
The crowd of humans in the arena quickly scattered, their screams filling the air as they ran in all directions. The serpent followed, its tongue flicking out in anticipation as it searched for its next victim.
Panic and chaos reigned as the serpent began its hunt, leaving destruction and terror in its wake.
As Shin slid down the serpent's neck and found himself in its stomach, he felt a surge of excitement and adrenaline. The acidic environment burned his skin, but he refused to let it dampen his spirits.
Suddenly, a notification appeared in his vision, causing him to focus his attention.
[Warning: Change in Place. Corrosive Acid detected. Immediate action required. HP decreasing, host must evacuate immediately.]
'Ugh, my body is that of a human…'
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt'Because of that I am suffering heavy damage.', Shin said to himself.
As Shin searched for a way to escape the serpent's stomach, he suddenly spotted a silver-haired man standing nearby, seemingly unaffected by the acidic environment.
"How are you standing here like it's nothing?" Shin asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.
The man turned to face him and smiled. "I have a resistance to acids," he replied. "I'm glad you're here, though. Did you come to rescue me?"
Shin nodded eagerly. "Of course," he said. "That's what heroes do, right? Save people in need."
Shin was trying to get on good terms with the man.
The man chuckled. "You remind me of someone I used to know," he said wistfully. "He was a true hero, too. Always putting others before himself."
Shin's eyes widened with excitement. "Really? Who was he?"
Although he didn't know anything about what the man was going to say, he eagerly waited. A new story, he wouldn't say no to it.
The man's expression turned somber. "His name was Zephyr," he said. "He was a brave warrior who fought for justice and freedom. He inspired me to do the same."
Shin felt a surge of pride at the mention of Zephyr's name. "I hope I can be like him someday," he said. "To be a true hero, like you and him."
The man smiled warmly. "I have no doubt you will," he said. "But for now, let's focus on getting out of here alive, shall we?"
Shin thought that this talk was getting out of the hand, so he calmed himself down.
"By the way, I'm Shin."
"Ah, I'm Lucas."
Both of them introduced themselves while thinking of a way to get out of the place.
But…
Just as Shin and Lucas introduced themselves, they were interrupted by the cracking of a large egg nearby. They turned to see a man's face emerging from it, his expression stoic and intimidating.
"Hello there," the man said, his voice calm and measured.
Shin felt a shiver run down his spine at the man's words, but he refused to show any fear. He had already sensed the man's presence and knew that he was powerful.
"Who are you?" Lucas asked, his tone wary.
The man's lips curled into a slight smile. "I am known by many names," he said. "But you may call me... the Eggman."
Shin couldn't help but smirk at the man's strange introduction. "The Eggman?" he repeated, his voice filled with amusement.
The man nodded. "Yes, the Eggman," he said. "I am a master of transformation magic. And I have been watching you both for some time now."
Shin and Lucas exchanged a glance, unsure of what to make of the Eggman's words. But Shin remained composed, knowing that he had to stay alert in case the man turned hostile.
"What do you want from us?" he asked, his voice firm and confident.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThe Eggman looked at Shin and Lucas, his face stern as he declared his intentions to test their potential.
"Ha."
"I want to see how strong you are.", he said.
But Shin had no intentions of entertaining him.
Shin said, "Lucas, leave that guy alone. Let's just get out of here."
And the moment he said this, Eggman's facade quickly crumbled as he cried out in desperation, "No, no, don't leave me here! I'm stuck here! The serpent swallowed me too. I will die!"
Shin and Lucas exchanged glances, uncertain of what to do. Despite his initial bravado, the Eggman seemed helpless and afraid. Shin felt a twinge of compassion for the man, and decided to help him.
"Don't worry, we'll get you out of here," Shin said firmly, his voice full of conviction. Lucas nodded in agreement.
But after saying that, Shin and Lucas started to think of a way to get out when suddenly, an idea crossed Lucas' mind.
Lucas looked at Shin and said, "I can use my blue flames to completely burn the serpent's insides. It's the only way we can get out of here." Shin nodded in agreement, thinking that he would be unaffected if he transformed into his Flame Wolf Emperor form, but before they could begin their attack, the Eggman interrupted them.
"Wait, hold on a minute!" he cried out. "I'll be fried if you attack the serpent like that! Is there no other way?"
Shin and Lucas exchanged a worried glance. They had forgotten about the Eggman's predicament.
"Weren't you strong?", Shin asked.
"Uh…"
"No matter how strong I am, in the end, I am just an egg.", he said.
"…"