Damn it all, damn it all, why didn't this thing choke when it swallowed me?
Rian inwardly cursed as the boiling stomach acid gnawed at his skin. Grumbling, his fist flew out into whatever little space was in front of him, striking a wall made out of blood and flesh.
A loud thump echoed through his surroundings. At the same time, the giant's stomach contracted around Rian like it was trying to give him a hug, the kind you'd get from a serial killer.
"Never in my two lives would I have imagined this is what being inside someone would feel like."
He groaned once again before another punch shook the giant's stomach.
His name was Rian Ashmere, bastard son of Count Ashmere, and currently a student at the Aetherion Academy of Planar Warfare. He had been Leo, a college student who was busy playing a mobile game called Siege Beyond World, right before dying after being struck by lightning.
So, did that make the current him Leo? Rian? Was he both? He didn't know. How could he, when it was only this morning that he had recovered his memories as Leo after waking up with a hangover.
Under normal circumstances, he would have preferred to take care of this new identity crisis of his. Only his current location was turning out to be less than ideal.
"Son of a…" he cursed as the flesh beneath him shifted, dropping him back into the stomach acid. He wasn't sure what was happening outside, only that the giant had been moving for a while now.
In fact, he hadn't so much as woken up this morning as been thrown against the nearby wall and manhandled by a guy twice his size.
"Seriously, if I ever get out of this alive, I will make sure that bitch of a princess and that dog Zathiel of hers pay." Rian cursed once again before letting out another punch.
Yeah, sure, he had drunk a bit too much last night, and sure, he had wandered into the different dorm building, and sure, he had entered and passed out on the bed alongside the sleeping princess. But it had all been an accident, damn it. It didn't mean they had to drag him over into the academy's hunting grounds and feed him to this giant monstrosity.
Thankfully, the thing had been stupid enough to swallow him completely without chewing, or else he would have been long dead by now.
He took a deep breath, only to reel back from the stench.
It wasn't the time to curse right then. At that moment, he needed to figure out a way to get out of that stomach. Currently, the only way out was cutting through the stomach wall, unfortunately, using any kind of spell in this little space was going to hurt him as well.
He was busy racking his brain when, out of nowhere, a blue screen appeared in front of his eyes.
[Congratulations. You have been chosen as an Heir to Godhood.]
[By decree of the Will of Aelthar]
[You have been bestowed with the Divine Domain.]
[Title granted = Heir of the Flesh Throne]
[Abilities Granted = Biomastery- Gives the Heir major control over their own biological body and minor control over others.]
Your awakening will commence in 7 minutes.
"What?" Rian asked, confused.
–
In the inner regions of The Aetherion Academy of Planar Warfare, the large dueling arena was currently packed tight with hundreds of instructors and students as they sat on large platforms floating high above the arena in a wide circle.
Bright banners hung over the railings, waving in the wind. As the students cheered and shouted at the top of their lungs.
And it wasn't just them, hundreds of reporters from news outlets around the galaxy leaned forward with their cameras live and ready as a girl about 18 years of age walked down into the arena dressed in silver armor from head to toe, with her blonde hair shining under the sunlight.
"And here she comes! Mirai Nehlhym, second princess of the Nehlhim Planet, stepping into the arena for the semi-final match of the Inter-Planar Academy Combat Trials!"
"Look at that calm face, she's cool, steady, totally locked in and ready for the fight that's about to kick off!"
Listening to the commentators talking over the speakers, Mirai couldn't help but let out a slight frown.
Today was huge for her. The entire planet, no, most of the galaxy had its eyes on her. She had trained, planned, and pushed herself for this moment for over a year, and all that work, all that pressure, was all finally about to be tested in the arena. Winning there would give her enough social influence, especially against those from stronger empires, to become one of the leaders in the upcoming invasion of Taurenth.
Heck, she had been pretty confident about her chances, her mind completely ready. If it only hadn't been for that pervert.
Rian Ashmere. Bastard son of Count Ashmere, a small noble in the south. Or at least, that had been the information Zathiel had collected.
The guy was apparently a complete loser who had somehow gotten himself into the Aetherion Planar Academy, and since that day, had spent the majority of his time drinking, gambling, and chasing skirt.
But to think he would be bold enough to go after her, the princess herself. Just thinking about it made her teeth clench.
All of a sudden, the giant door on the far side of the arena creaked open, and Mirai's grip on her sword tightened while she forcefully steadied her breathing. No matter what had happened before, she had to keep her mind fixed on the fight. People from all over the galaxy had their eyes on her. She absolutely couldn't afford to fail.
Besides, Zathiel had told her he had taken care of him. She hadn't known the details, but Zathiel was capable enough for her not to worry about that matter.
The giant creature stepped through the gate, its four arms swinging in the air. A single horn protruded from its forehead, while its stomach bulged out, round and swollen. Even from such a distance, Mirai could feel its breath shaking her surroundings.
"And there it is! The Goremaw Titan, captured by none other than our very own Instructor Seris herself, this very morning. But make no mistake, this monster will be a huge challenge for the princess today!"
A red flare thrown in the center of the arena marked the beginning of the fight. The shackles around the beast were immediately dropped, and at the same time, the princess leapt forward, reaching the beast in less than a second.
Her sword slashed through the air, aiming towards the giant's legs, hoping to immobilize it, only for it to harmlessly bounce back, leaving only a scratch.
This isn't good. The Goremaw Titan was certainly one of the worst opponents she could have asked for, but she hadn't expected her attacks to do only this amount of damage. Mirai frowned as the giant let out a huge roar above her, bringing down its fist to slam the pesky bug trying to injure it.
The princess hurriedly dodged, taking several steps back, when suddenly the giant leapt up in the air, bringing its entire body crashing down at the princess. Thinking quickly, Mirai too immediately leapt up in the air. Her sword began to glow a crimson red as she cast the spell 'Inferno Edge.'
The world seemed to pause for a second, as in front of her eyes, away from the public view, Mirai saw several red rays of light piercing through the giant's stomach. Her eyes widened as her sword met the giant's stomach, and it burst out in an explosion.
–
Moments ago, Rian had been busy seeing the system screen floating in front of his eyes.
"No. No. No. This can't be."
His spine grew chilly the more he looked at the screen. Another thing he had forgotten to mention was that this current world of his resembled a lot of Siege Beyond World, where Awakened of this world, Aelthar, would venture out to conquer other worlds in the universe.
Sure, he, Rian Ashmere himself, hadn't been in the game, but other famous people in this world had been. Hell, the screen itself had been shown as a way for Aelthar to talk to its Divine Heirs.
"This can't be. This can't be! I don't want to accept this power. I refuse. Deny. Cancel."
But the screen didn't change, the countdown continuing.
First, he had received all those memories from what could only be called a past life. His current reality was being predicted by that godforsaken game. He had been fed to a freaking giant, and now he was seeing a floating screen telling him he had been chosen as an Heir to Godhood.
Swallowing his saliva, Rian took in a deep breath, only to once again immediately reel back due to the stench.
Suddenly, the giant's body that had been moving stopped.
Great. At least now he could think in peace.
Then, suddenly, it jumped and began moving at high speed.
"What is this thing doing?" Rian mumbled as he was thrown around the thing's stomach.
"By Aelthar's Will, I'm going to throw up. I'm going to throw up."
Trying his best to hold the food and booze from last night in, he suddenly looked at the floating screen as the countdown reached zero.
It was as if time had stopped, and a foreign wave of energy released from his body, bursting open a hole in the flesh wall in front of him. The giant's shrill roar resounded in the air as its stomach burst open, and Rian's eyes widened as a ray of sunlight pierced through the hole.
--
Water Affinity Essence Fragments Acquired: (7/100)
Progress: 7% - 93 more required to unlock Water Affinity
--
Rian ignored the notification as he felt the giant's body descend to the ground in a loud thud, causing his surroundings to shake even more. At the same time, the sounds around him became clearer as he heard the deafening sounds of cheering around him.
Not wasting a single second, he hurriedly climbed out of the stomach, only to come face to face with the person he least wanted to see right then, looking at him with her eyes covered in shock.
It wasn't just Mirai. The whole audience looked down in shock as a boy covered in blood and organs climbed out of the Goremaw Titan's stomach. At the same time, a wave of confusion spread through the crowd as well as the reporters who hurriedly zoomed in on the boy, rushing to figure out his identity.
"She...She killed it so quickly. But How? Isn't Goremaw Titan a Tier 3 beast?"
"Forget about that, who's that guy? Was he inside that Titan all along?"
On the field, however, Mirai already knew who that young man really was. How could she even forget that stupid face when she had seen it first thing after waking up that morning?
Confused, she immediately turned around, only to see Zathiel sitting in the stands looking like he had seen a ghost.
"You…" she tried to speak, but stopped as Rian began limping towards her.
Looking around himself, the arena, the reporters, the banners that said "Grand Finale". Rian had already figured out more or less what had happened. Seems like someone from the academy must have captured his giant to fight against the princess herself. But he didn't care about the irony of it. In fact, his mind was currently reeling with a single thought as he gritted his teeth.
This woman in front of him had been the reason why he had almost died inside that thing's stomach and had been chosen by Aelthar as His Heir.
Well, the second part might not have been true, but he was too angry to care about that.
He wanted revenge, and he wanted it now. His first thought had been to shout at the top of his lungs about how the noble princess had fed him to the giant monster to stop a minor scandal, but he stopped himself.
Mirai was no ordinary student. She was their planet's princess, a prodigy with three elemental affinities, a hero in the making for the Planar Wars.
Rian? A bastard from a minor clan who technically had entered her room at night without permission. Combine that with his current reputation, even his own family would probably cast him aside to appease the royal family and protect her and Zathiel's name.
So instead, he rushed forward. Mirai, seeing Rian rushing at her, readied her sword when suddenly Rian jumped forward, grabbing Mirai's armor.
Then, he tightly latched onto it and didn't let go.
"MAY THE HEAVENS STRIKE ME DOWN, REVIVE ME, AND STRIKE ME DOWN AGAIN! MAY MY ANCESTORS RISE FROM THEIR GRAVES JUST TO SLAP ME ACROSS MY UNWORTHY FACE! TO HAVE MY UNWORTHY SELF SAVED BY THE PRINCESS HERSELF."
Mirai's gaze wavered for a second.
"What the hell are you…?"
Then he lurched forward. Making sure he was in a clear shot for the cameras, he stopped holding back the roiling sickness in his gut and let it surge free, vomiting a stream of booze and breakfast, combined with the remains of the giant's sickly insides, all over Mirai's feet and chest, aiming especially up toward her face.
The first thing Mirai registered wasn't the smell; it was the weight, the sheer force of the splatter hitting her like a waterfall.
Gasps ripped through the crowd. Several students shrieked with both hands over their mouths, while several reporters swore under their breath, camera lenses snapping forward to capture every single second to transmit live through the galaxy.
A dozen onlookers recoiled at once, their faces twisting in horror, and even Mirai's own gagging drew another round of shocked sounds.
"Wh…what the fuck?!"
By then, Zathiel had already jumped down from the stands and was trying his best to pull Rian away, but Rian didn't move. Still clinging to her armor like a leech, with his fingers burying deep enough into Mirai's legs to draw blood.
"Oops," he muttered. "I think I ate too much this morning. Sorry about your armor. Oh wait, there's more…"
In the end, not caring for the cameras around them, Zathiel was forced to use some of his 3-star strength and lurch Rian away from Mirai, only to have her face scratched in the process.
Seeing that, Rian, who was wiping his mouth on Mirai's coat, finally let go and began limping toward the exit.
"You… you bastard!" Zathiel shouted.
Rian didn't blink. He turned to the crowd instead.
"DOCTOR!" he shouted. "Where the hell are the doctors? My body is killing me!"
"You disgusting son of a...! " Mirai screamed, voice climbing into shrill fury.
Rian didn't respond.
Besides, his attention had already shifted towards the two healers rushing toward them.
Not caring about the disgruntled princess, he hobbled over towards the stretcher before collapsing onto it with a groan.
"I'm the scion of the great clan Ashmere," he declared, sinking into the stretcher. "Take me to the best healers, doctors, or whatever you have in this place. Now."
With that, he let his eyes drift shut, just for a second, when suddenly some of Mirai's blood between his fingernails began to tremble.
FOREIGN BLOODLINE DETECTED
BLOODLINE ABILITY DETECTED = MANA DISTURBANCE
Fire Affinity Essence Fragments Acquired: (0.2/100)
Progress: 0.2% -99.8% more required to unlock Fire Affinity
YOU HAVE RECEIVED = MANA DISTURBANCE (temporary)
[WARNING: Extracting the Affinity would result in a permanent affinity loss from the target.]
[WARNING: Extracting the Affinity would result in a permanent affinity loss from the target.]
Name: Rian Ashmere
Cultivation: 1 Star (High)
Affinity: Air (D+ Grade)
Sigil: Skyrazor Falcon (E Grade)
Skills and Spells:
Swift Wingbeat: Short burst of speed to dodge attacks at close distance Talon Rake: Hardens the mage's arms and makes them sharper for five seconds
Title: Heir of the Flesh Throne
Divinity Granted: Biomastery