CH3 Down The Hatch

My heart hammered in my chest as if it wanted to leap out of me and escape my decision. Elorael was shaking. This wasn't what she wanted, but the consequences of living were too much for her to bear. I had my whole life ahead of me and an avenue to get real power, so why did I wrap my arms around her? Why did I hold her tight even though I knew this was it?

"Don't move; it will only make it worse on us if we struggle," Elorael said.

The kaiju didn't wait long. It opened its massive maw revealing rows of white teeth and a massive sticky tongue. It was a monster through and through. When its tongue shot out at us, I was sure we would die on impact. Instead, when it tagged us, we sank into its gooey flesh, and I knew then what a fly trapped in amber must feel like. The tongue continued forward before quickly reeling us in. Powerful crushing jaws clamped down even as the beast's throat opened wide and sucked us down. Neither Elorael nor I moved while we were dragged into its squeezing, suffocating gullet.

We pushed against the harry flesh of the monster's other victims as they struggled and spasmed in their death throws. The smell alone was enough to make me sick. Only Elorael didn't seem so troubled; she fiddled with my belt even as the fleshy walls of the monster's stomach squeezed against us. Then, finally, all the air was expelled from the creature's gullet in a great rush. It wouldn't be long before we suffocated, too.

I could see us becoming like the spasming creatures in the monster's guts. As it fed, fresh air rushed into its gullet only to be expelled later, leaving us in a state of suffocation. However, even with the gases being expelled, the monster had enough breathable air to slow suffocation.

Even my enhanced lung capacity wouldn't do much to help. But, of course, I didn't get swallowed without a plan. So even if the plan had only a small chance of success, it might work. But unfortunately, this plan had many downsides.

I pulled my knife free and stabbed it into the monster's stomach lining as the organ contracted. The stomach spasmed, and I cut down with all my might. Blood poured into the stomach, and I wrenched and knife free and stabbed again. As hot blood flooded the stomach, I realized there was a real chance of us drowning in this thing's blood. I grabbed ahold of a patch of flesh and began cutting deeper. Blood continued to pour in as I cut and slashed. All the while, Elorael held on to me by the waist.

Even as the stomach flipped, trying to force its contents out, I knew there was only one way to survive: to destroy the creature. So I ripped and tore with my bare hands; even as my arms strained to their utter exhaustion and adrenaline pumped hard, I knew I needed to find something essential to cut.

While clawing and cutting, I could feel the monster moving. It emptied its stomach of blood and sucked in fresh air, only for its stomach to fill back up. I had torn a cavity into the monster's stomach lining. It was bleeding out slowly but surely. But I had no idea whether we were out at sea or not.

My phone buzzed. I lifted up the device with blood-soaked hands to see it was clean as if not a drop of blood had fallen on it. Unfortunately, my next challenge started in a few minutes.

…

Challenge 2 Time Limit 1.5 Hours

Pulverize The Secondary Heart

Reward: 5 Red Pills: Red pills increase physical strength and blood flow. Take enough, and your strength could rival the incredible Hulk.

Lobotomize the Secondary Brain

Reward: 5 Blue Pills: Blue pills increase speed and lung capacity. Take enough, and your speed could rival the Flash.

Abort Its Young

Reward: 5 Green Pills: Green pills increase cellular regeneration and life span. Take enough, and your body will heal like Majin Buu.

…

I was exhausted; there was no telling where either of those organs was or its young.

"What happens if I fail the challenge?" I asked.

"Failing a challenge would not be advisable at your current strength. I would have to send you to the fields of punishment for twice the length you had to complete the challenge. Your elf friend would not survive." Message said.

"Tick Tock, the time is about to start." Message said.