Elvira watched Ben's back with a complicated gaze. "I'm sorry, my beloved, but I just…" She couldn't bring herself to finish the thought, her gaze lingering on the melted carapace covering him.
"Oh, finally, something we can use!" Ben's voice cut through her thoughts, excitement lacing his tone as his sharp eyes caught something floating on the digestive liquid.
Elvira poured more of her mana, raising their pace. She was also curious about what kind of thing could survive here. They spent the next half hour until they finally reached the location.
"What the hell is this… Do you have any idea, Elvira?" Ben asked, as what he saw was only a lump of white objects. It looked like a rock, but its texture was smooth like a gemstone. At first, Ben thought it was something like a bone, but he felt it wasn't. His system also didn't give him any information.
Elvira gazed at it intently, her mind churning, thinking about what kind of item it could be, but she didn't have any idea. That was until it suddenly started to vibrate. A realization hit her like a truck. In panic, she pulled Ben's hand and sprinted forward.
Ben was surprised and wanted to ask what happened, but now no words were needed. "FUCK! Damn my luck!" He just kept sprinting, running away from a hell worm, and now, even inside its stomach, he still needed to escape.
The white rock he had seen emerged from the liquid. Its appearance was very similar to the hell worm outside. But the difference was that this one was far smaller—human-sized, at least in diameter. Seeing Ben and Elvira, it started screeching, then moved forward at fast speed.
The distance between them lessened in a blink. "Just what the hell is that? Do you have any idea?"
"This is just my speculation, but it's probably true. I read in the past about the era of Utopia when humans still flourished. They had created a creature named Junkvore. It could eat anything and adapt its body's size based on need. I never thought this creature still existed, but then, seeing that moving white thing reminded me of Junkvore biology. Even though it could alter its body, its original form was the same."
"Junkvore?!" Despite the serious situation, Ben almost let out a laugh. This reminded him of some drunk talk he had with his friend. If they became a god, what would they do? His friend said he would create a utopia, but Ben was different. He said he would create a monster and name it Junkvore, to eat all the trash in the world. This included all the human trash that exploited everyone else. At that time, it was nothing more than self-indulgent imagination, as he hated his boss. But now… seeing one in reality was just hilarious to him. Coincidence? Who knew.
"Why are you reacting like that?" Elvira asked, confused, seeing his weird expression.
"Nothing. Forget it. So basically, that white thing is the core of this hell worm? Doesn't this mean if we kill it, the one outside will also die?"
"Probably yes, but Ben, I'm not sure we can beat it. It's the core. There's no way it's weak. And we are inside its body now."
Ben looked around, making sure there were no other enemies. He let out a sigh of relief as the grotesque walls didn't show any sign of changing into another monster. But this relief was short-lived.
GROOWL!! The worm's screeches grew louder, the sound tearing through the air like a harbinger of doom. It was getting closer—too close. Ben fought the urge to look back. There was no point; it would only slow him down. But Elvira was different. Her mana perception told her exactly how far the worm was.
'Ten seconds... That's all we have.'
Her mind raced. Should she use that? She hesitated. It would cost her—dearly. Her eyes drifted to Ben, locking onto the scar on his carapace armor, still not fully regenerated. The sight reminded her of everything that had happened.
"My beloved, I have a way out of this," she said, her voice tight with urgency.
"Then what are you waiting for? Do it!" Ben snapped.
"But I need you to trust me. No matter what happens, don't interfere."
Ben's brow furrowed. He hesitated, then shook his head. "No."
Elvira stared at him, stunned. This wasn't the answer she expected. The situation was urgent, yet he still refused to trust her. A pang of hurt twisted inside her. "Wh-Why? I'm just asking you to go first... and not look back."
"What?" Ben scoffed. "You planning to say something dumb like sacrificing yourself? Or you've got some secret trick you don't want me to see? Either way, my answer's the same. No. As I said, I don't trust you. And we're soulbonded—if you die, I die."
"About that…" Elvira bit her lip. "You're... not exactly human anymore. Even if part of your soul gets destroyed, I think you'll be fine."
"You think?" Ben's voice sharpened.
"Just listen! The worm is almost here. Which one is riskier? If your body's intact, your soul can recover. But if you die here with nothing left, then it's over—for real."
Ben replied with his action. He suddenly made a curve, then flew directly toward the worm. He then focused all the carapace into his hand, creating some kind of makeshift blade. But it wasn't a simple blade; he made the edge as thin as possible, hoping it would allow the sword to work on the creature. "Elvira, once again, no!" Ben said while raising his sword.
The edge cut through the air at high speed, moving toward the worm's jaw. But the worm showed no fear. It kept its pace, its massive maw opening wider. The rows of razor-sharp teeth within made Ben gulp, but it was too late to regret his decision now.
Deep down, he knew Elvira's plan had the best odds. Following her suggestion would have been the logical choice—but logic didn't always dictate action. Sometimes, emotion took over. Despite everything—changing species, adapting to a new life—at his core, Ben was still Ben, a human. And the thought of leaving her behind felt abhorrent. A silhouette of a familiar face appeared in his mind, one he thought he had buried and would never see again, someone from his past life. 'Never again… No more running. No more regrets.'