Bad Luck

|An unknown amount of time later, ??? Pov:|

…

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

My eyes snapped open, and it felt as though my consciousness had been yanked back from the very depths of the afterlife.

"Where—?" I blurted out in confusion, though the question held no purpose other than to vocalize my disorientation. My voice echoed into the oppressive darkness surrounding me, devoid of any light.

I might have lingered in bewilderment, but something else soon demanded my full attention.

A sensation.

"...?!"

My entire body burned.

Not the dull ache of overworked muscles or fatigue, but an agonizing, searing pain—like I was being roasted alive.

-Groan-

Annoyed and desperate, I pushed myself up, realizing for the first time that I'd been submerged in some kind of liquid. The moment I registered its presence, the burning sensation intensified, coursing through my nerves like molten fire.

"Fuck," I hissed, scrambling to move away from the source of the pain. I took one shaky step forward, only to lose my footing on a slippery, rubbery surface and fall face-first back into the liquid.

-Splash!-

"Shit!"

My face and even the inside of my mouth screamed in agony as the burning sensation spread further. Gritting my teeth, I pushed myself up again, panting through the pain.

"What the fuck is this?!" I shouted into the void, frustration and panic bleeding into my voice.

The scene around me was chaos: pitch darkness, some kind of acidic liquid that seared my skin, a floor that was faintly viscous yet infuriatingly slick—

And then it clicked.

"Oh."

The memory rushed back with grim clarity.

"I was eaten, huh?"

The realization settled in like a cruel joke. I was inside the stomach of the thing that had devoured me. The liquid burning my skin was gastric juice.

As the realization dawned on me, I couldn't help but let out a small, dry, and humorless chuckle.

"Hahaha… Seriously?"

One entire year.

I'd endured a long, humiliating year of servitude under a disgusting, sadistic pig I could have crushed a dozen times over if I'd wanted to, only because I thought at some point I would find a chance to escape.

But patience, it seemed, was never going to lead me anywhere unless I took matters into my own hands. So, I decided to act. My Kamikaze attack on that bastard had been the final push—an all-or-nothing gamble.

A final sacrifice to give my life an acceptable enough purpose instead of staying as a slave for the rest of what I had left to live.

However, in the process, I learned something unexpected... the Trials of Immortality I thought I'd failed hadn't been for nothing.

They had made me immortal.

Or that's what my now reattached head and not-burned-to-a-crisp body indicated.

Thanks to this revelation, not only had I evaded death, but I had also escaped Mary Geoise—truly escaped. Free from chains and with no one restricting me, the world was mine to claim, and my destiny mine to decide.

Only to be swallowed whole by some oversized fish the very moment I began entertaining those thoughts.

…

"Damn."

I leaned back against the slick wall of this grotesque chamber, my lips curling into a sardonic grin.

"It's like bad luck follows me wherever I go in this new life…"

But I mean, could you blame me? It was fucking hilarious.

"Fuck my life…" I groaned, burying my face in my hands.

But my self-pity didn't last long, as a stray thought yanked me back into focus.

"Right… I'm immortal now."

I touched my neck absentmindedly, recalling how that government agent had severed my head with a single swipe. I should have died then, but here I was—whole again, even after being swallowed.

"And yet, it's still here," I muttered, running my fingers along the unbroken skin of my neck.

Although I mentioned being Immortal a few seconds ago, now the realization was truly setting in.

It was thanks to it that I was not some roasted human right now, and it was thanks to it that—

"Hold up"

My thoughts wandered back to the moments after I was consumed. I remembered the sickening slide down the creature's throat… and then nothing.

'How long was I out?'

The question gnawed at me. I vaguely recalled the sensation of pain—an unbearable, all-encompassing agony that made the current burning seem like a tickle in comparison.

"Urgh!"

A fragment of memory surfaced, and with it came the realization.

"I was digested, huh?"

My lips tightened into a grim line. That level of pain could only mean one thing: I'd been dissolved. Likely down to the last cell, only for my immortality to painstakingly rebuild me.

But then why wasn't I dissolving now?

The acidic liquid burned, sure, but it wasn't tearing me apart. Not anymore.

"Huh…"

The word "immortal" flitted through my mind again, and I flexed my fingers experimentally. There was something new—a strength surging through me, foreign yet familiar.

I could feel it in every fiber of my being. My body had become stronger—significantly stronger.

"No way…"

The only explanation that made sense was grim. My body had been destroyed and rebuilt countless times, with each cycle reinforcing it. The process must have eventually rendered me immune to the acid, the constant regeneration forcing my body to adapt and grow.

"How many times…?"

The question trailed off as the implications sank in. How long had I been unconscious, enduring an endless loop of death and rebirth? Weeks? Months?

"Tsk."

I clicked my tongue, deciding not to dwell on the answer. There were more pressing concerns, like finding a way out of this literal hellhole.

So, ignoring the pain from where the gastric juices clung to my body, I forced myself to stand. My hands then pressed against the fleshy walls around me, seeking a way out of this hellish prison.

"How do I get out of here?" I muttered, frustration evident in my voice as I tried scratching and punching at the walls. But despite my enhanced strength, they proved stubbornly resistant.

Desperation drove me to try biting the damn thing. Yet the walls felt like poorly cooked jerky—impossible to tear apart. No matter how hard I pulled, they only stretched slightly, and soon, my teeth felt like they might break under the strain.

With a growl of frustration, I gave up and stared toward where I sensed the gastric juices swirling, instinctively knowing where that path led.

"You've got to be kidding me…" Grinding my teeth, I clenched my fists in defiance, unwilling to consider taking that exit.

Anger bubbled inside me as my gaze snapped back to the walls of the stomach.

"This is all because this damn thing thought it was a good idea to eat me right after I escaped from being a slave…" I spat, my voice trembling with rage.

Then, as my tongue brushed against my aching teeth, an unsettling idea formed in my mind.

"They're going to regenerate anyway," I muttered, a twisted grin spreading across my face.

"Let's see how you like being eaten from the inside out, you bastard."

…

°

°

°

|Two weeks later…|

…

Floating on the ocean's surface, surrounded by a pool of blood mixing with the salty waves, was a colossal figure.

At first glance, it looked like a small island. Upon closer inspection, however, it revealed itself as a massive shark, its lifeless body heaving gently with the tide.

And it was no ordinary shark.

Anyone familiar with these waters would recognize the legendary Joe, the great shark. A predator of unparalleled infamy, Joe ruled these seas with a reputation that struck fear into pirates and locals alike. His appearance heralded certain death, and his towering size dwarfed most ships.

Yet now, this legendary beast lay dead, its imposing form limp on the waves.

Curiously, there wasn't a single visible wound on its enormous body. Its death might have seemed natural if not for the dark blood streaming from its mouth, hinting at some catastrophic internal injury.

The truth was far stranger.

Weeks ago, Joe had come across what he thought was an easy snack—a human corpse drifting in the water. He'd devoured it without hesitation, his powerful stomach shrugging off whatever decomposing meat it had consumed.

At first, everything seemed normal. But as days passed, an unbearable pain began gnawing at Joe's insides.

What started as discomfort soon became a relentless agony. For two whole weeks, Joe endured this torment, unable to rid himself of the mysterious affliction.

Finally, his suffering ended. His enormous body floated to the surface, a grim testament to his untimely demise.

Some who saw the dead shark from their ships kept their distance, recognizing its bloated state. They knew well enough that such corpses were prone to explosive decomposition, and none were willing to risk scavenging it.

Yet, as the days passed, something inside the shark shifted.

-Bang!-

-Crack…!-

A sharp impact echoed from within the beast. Its tough, scale-covered body trembled, and a small fissure appeared, releasing high-pressure gas trapped inside.

-Bang!-

Another impact widened the crack, accelerating the process.

-Tsssssssss….-

-BANG!-

At last, with a final, violent blow, the shark's stomach burst open. But it wasn't just gas that escaped.

From within the carcass emerged a blood-soaked figure, laughing maniacally.

"HAHAHAHAHA! HOW'S THAT, YOU DISGUSTING FISH?!"

The laughter echoed across the empty sea as the figure—a naked young man covered head to toe in dried and fresh blood—stood triumphant amidst the carnage. His hair clung to his face in matted clumps, his appearance grotesque and unhinged.

"I'M FREE! FINALLY FREE!" he bellowed, raising his arms to the sky. His crazed grin stretched impossibly wide as his gaze fixed on the horizon.

"Today, my new life begins. From today onward, the world will—"

-ROOAAAAR!-

"Eh?"

The man's victorious proclamation was cut short as a deafening roar rumbled from the ocean depths. His eyes darted downward, widening as a massive shadow surged upward beneath him.

"Oh, for fuck's sa—"

-ROOAAAAR!-

A second later, a titanic sea serpent erupted from the depths, swallowing the man and the remains of the shark whole before plunging back into the abyss.

-SPLASH!!!-

Silence then returned to the sea, broken only by the gentle lapping of waves. The once-majestic shark's blood pooled briefly before being washed away, leaving no trace of the strange occurrence that had just unfolded.

The uncaring ocean carried on, indifferent to the fates of those lost within its depths.

-To be Continued…-