Underworld

In a way, the worm manipulated its stomach and rolled Noah and Elya into a ball and then pushed them down. Noah that was awake screamed in his mind as he felt as if he had been thrown into boiling groundnut oil. As if His whole body was being barbecued.

Without waiting he used shifting steel to thrash around but that only served to aggravate his injury. He knew they were being digested as the chemical that was burning them was stomach acid.

At that moment Noah realized this thing was for real, this ain't some stage trial by Floating Feather. Elya too woke up with a scream and the idiot swallowed some before he went limp.

'Fuck!'

Noah thrashed around more as he picked and kicked the stomach wall. The portable tower was silent too. It too was confused.

[Inside the bag there might be something]

However, Noah ignored that because his pants had melted and his skin was peeling but the bag was undisturbed. Besides, it was sealed and now opening it will be hard.

That was when he thought of the possibility, the bags allowed them to float in the water before they were attacked by Sucker Worms and then they were somehow pulled down by the worms.

Now, the bag seemed to be immune to the gastric acid of the worm, which means the worm will have a hard time digesting them and it will spit them out. But then, he also felt the same pull pulling them down.

This time, it wasn't him that was being pulled down but rather the giant worm. They being the subject of the pull were inside the worm, so, the worm has become the new target.

Noah didn't realize it because he was busy trying to cause indigestion to the worm but the moment they were swallowed the worm was pulled down. And it was fighting trying to swim back to the surface but the pull was stronger.

Fear gripped the worm as it came closer to a part of the water that had crystal clarity and light in it. Right as it was going to be pulled there it dumped the two things that upset its stomach.

Noah has passed out but feeling a cold caressed on his skin he woke up, his body still burning but this time with a bit colder than burning acid. He looked at Elya, his skin pale white and there was no sign of life in him.

Then he looked around, they were in some underground cave that has 5 entrances from opposite sides and one from above where they come from and then below them and that was where the light was coming.

It's as if below was the actual sky and the other side was a door to darkness. Noah didn't have time to think long when they were pulled down toward the light entrance and passing, they free-fell because they were devoid of water.

Thud

Thud

It was just a 2m fall, Noah forced himself to cough the water out of his lungs and then breathe deeply. Before he looked up from where he was lying down.

Above him was a ceiling made of water. That was where the entrance they came from. "How did they suspend the water above!?" Noah asked.

After some moment he managed to sit and looked around and then crawled to Elya. The boy was still pale as a sheet of paper. He then slapped his chest. Nothing happened.

Noah breathed deeply and pressed his chest which took away all his strength, still, the boy didn't wake up.

Noah breathed before he repeatedly pressed his chest but the boy did not respond. Noah sighed and looked up, trying to estimate how deep they were down.

He closed his eyes, he was too tired to think of anything complicated. That was when he had a click clock, it was the sound of metal shoes hitting solid ground.

Noah tense, he quickly moved his hand to his hair to get a stamina pill when he heard something again.

Dub lub.

Elya's heart is beating. He didn't know when he smiled and pressed the poor boy's chest and the kid woke up with water coming out of his nose and mouth before he burst into crying tears.

"I want to go…. home!" He muttered as he hugged Noah. 

"Wow, two catches, that means two tigers fed!" Both Elya and Noah look up. An old man in shabby armour was looking at them. Beside him was the largest Tiger they ever saw.

Two meters on four legs, a big maw that can swallow each one of them without the need to chew and red eyes like a burning ember. It wore armour, a head helmet and back and chest pieces, underneath were black stripes and robust muscles.

"Armoured Tiger Knighthood." Elya shouted the boy has already recovered, "you are real."

Noah frowned as he looked at the excited kid, didn't he hear the part where the old man said two Tiger will be satisfied?

"Ah, you know about us!" The old man was amused.

"Yes. I read that you guys are one of the most powerful Knighthoods because you have the ability to transform into tigers. But the other knighthood became jealous and wiped you out!"

"That wasn't even close to the truth but we do have tigers. I presumed that you would be happy to be my tiger's snack!"

"Eh?" Elya was wordless then he paled more than he already was and then looked at his companion but then he forced out, "Noah...where is your skin?" 

Noah was taken aback and then looked down. He was flabbergasted, his upper skin has been peeling off and now he had transparent skin and beneath one can see his blood vessels and even some green vessels.

A single punch will surely tear what remained of his second layer of skin.

Noah then pinched Elya's skin and the same happened. The pale skin peeled off and what was under was transparent skin.

Noah has shed his skin while Elya one way or the other will shade his skin.

"Eat them, Sakai!" The old man was irritated at being neglected and he ordered.