The creature was much larger than he had expected. Digging towards the soul core was a grand effort.
First of all, he had to climb back to the digestive tract, which was quite the difficulty considering that everything was painted in a black darkness.
'How big is this thing?'
After quenching his thirst, he would always have to return as well, which was it's own ordeal. Sometimes he dug, only to realize he created a second tunnel instead of expanding the one that already went further. It was truly infuriating.
At some point Aelon was sure that he spent at least a few months in here, a year at most. The time that he was stuck in this corrupted beast had been way too long to consider anything less than a couple months.
...
Today was the day.
Today was the day Aelon would reach the creatures soul core. Today was the day he would escape.
'Wait... after I kill it I have to dig out as well right?'
Only now that he was this far did Aelon consider it. What would happen if the abomination stopped breathing? Would oxygen stop being supplied?
'Right... I have my aquatic hide.'
Drowning to death didn't seem to be the problem. The true problem was the mystery of time he would have to spend digging his way out.
'I guess if I can dig in, I can also dig out.'
Aelon's daggers dug into the flesh of the corrupted beast, cutting off chunks at a time. To even progress a meter forward usually took him several hours.
He had switched techniques long ago, now shaving the flesh rather than tearing it off.
'Mmm flesh ice cream sludge...'
Whenever he "shaved" the flesh it would turn into a mushy substance due to the blood vessels being opened.
'I'm all crusty.'
Dried blood covered him from head to toe. Sadly whenever he slept, the ground that he slept on also consisted of that mushy mess.
The oppressing silence around him was actually the thing that disturbed him the most. Sometimes there would be a growl or something else coming out of the beast, but that was it. Through layers of bones and dense soft tissue sounds were hardly transmitted.
Bones.
The thing that pissed him off the most. He didn't know how big bones were, so whenever they came in the way he'd have to spend quite a bit digging around them, and towards the soul core. This gods-damned creature had bones right between the organs! What kind of anti-parasitic sycophant had designed this fuck ass creature?!
'Considering it's size and rank, it probably devours Nightmare Creatures as well. These probably also resist. The bones seem to be for organ resistance.'
So when a prey actually managed to dig somewhat out of the digestive tract it wouldn't be able to go far. Quite innovative actually.
'Well for fucks sake I am the prey now!'
The genius behind the design didn't make it any less agitating.
Tick.
Another bone.
"AGH! FUCK THIS!"
Aelon threw his daggers to the ground and stomped on them. He was tired. Tired of the continuous digging. Tired of the apathy and lack of entertainment.
After throwing another fit and calming down, he prepared to dig around the bone.
'The soul core is only a few meters away.'
He shouldn't be averted now.
Time passed as he dug more and more, and after restlessly digging for a day, he hit...
"Another bone?! Gah! I qui-"
It wasn't a bone. The shape was too round. And the augmentation he received... stemmed from it.
'It's the soul core!'
'Thank you Shadow God! Thank you War God! Thank you Sun God! Thank you Heart God! Thank you Storm God, and finally thank you Beast God! I love you all!'
Aelon vehemently praised all the metaphysical he knew, getting into a kowtow position.
'Okay enough with the comedy. Now it's time to take out the big boys.'
Without waiting, Aelon dispelled the daggers, and summoned Minos' Soulblade.
'Patience is for people who have time. I do have time... but I'm bored as shit.'
Fuck patience.
And finally... fuck this corrupted beast.
Activating the soul mode of his blade, a blue shimmer illuminated the previously dark tunnel he had dug.
'Why the heck didn't I think of this sooner?'
No time for regrets. He had to kill it.
In a swift motion, Aelon activated his sleeper ability to weaken the corrupted being's power, and then struck with his sword.
As soon as Minos' Soulblade connected with the soul core of the beast, the black haired boy's surroundings started trembling. If it weren't under water the creature might've screetched.
'No time for rest! One attack isn't enough to defeat it. It's corrupted after all!'
Aelon's sword struck the soul core again and again, and after dreadful seconds of his surroundings shaking like under a level nine earthquake, everything finally went still.
The spell announced it before he realized it.
[You have defeated a corrupted beast, Devourer of Seas]
'That's a fucking ominous ass name.'
'Right... rigor mortis!'
He had to dig, and fast at that. Quickly he absorbed the soul shard dropped from the beast, and started running down the hall.
Just from feeling he could tell that he was right in the middle of the beast. If he dug out of the digestive tract where he started, the distance probably would be noticeably shorter.
Aelon dashed down the tunnel he dug, and reached the tract very quickly, blue shimmer from the sword guiding him.
He had to dig as much as he could. Best probably was down, where gravity pulled him to. In large creatures the bowel was often situated at the lower part of their bellies. He had to diagonally dig up when he reached the soul core, so that was probably what made the most sense.
'I have to dig as much as I can before rigor mortis sets in. I have around half a day.'
Rigor mortis- the stiffening of muscles upon death. The soft tissue of the Devourer of Seas was hard enough already. If it was stiffened? It probably would take quite a lot of time to dig out.
When his sword entered the beasts flesh... he noticed something though. It was considerably tougher than before.
'Did rigor mortis set in already? No... oh! Because I killed the Devourer of Seas, the augmentation must've stopped...'
Weakened by his own aspect, Aelon continued digging.
'Come on. Out of here. Out, back to humans.'