Chapter 155 I Think There Is Still Hope for Rescue

Inside the body of the Earth Bear, it was pitch black. If Miona had not conjured a ball of white Holy Light on her hand, they probably would have been completely lost here. In that sense, the notion of perishing inside a bear's belly was quite fitting. However, the one currently experiencing the greatest psychological pressure was not the two humans, but Red Bean, who was still being ridden by Miona.

The natural coercion emitted by a Tier 10 magical beast left the poor unicorn gasping for breath. Venturing into this ghostly place was, on the one hand, due to its worry for Ruby, and on the other, because of the pressure exerted by the female Mage God. Under this triple pressure, Ruby felt as though the creature was on the verge of a mental breakdown, and he could only continuously stroke its neck to soothe its emotions.

"Is this really the inside of a living creature? If I hadn't walked in through its mouth myself, I truly wouldn't believe it."

Ruby tapped the 'rock wall' beside him and said with a puzzled expression. According to his imagination, stepping inside the Earth Bear should feel somewhat soft and uneven. He had not expected that the further inward they went, the harder the ground beneath their feet became, and tapping it with his hand even produced a rhythmic sound.

"Hmph, you amateur scientist are still a bit too naive after all. Listen, a magical beast like the Earth Bear possesses one of the strongest defensive capabilities among all magical beasts. The reason this place has become so hard is because it is constantly absorbing the earth-attribute energy from the ground. It is nothing like what books describe—having a tough exterior but a vulnerable interior. It has long since evolved to a level where the inside and outside are as one. Generally speaking, once a big guy like this is willing, ninety-nine percent of its whole body's organs can become harder than granite."

Miona, who had always been overshadowed by Ruby's knowledge, was finally able to have her moment of glory. She explained to Ruby why the Earth Bear was known for having the ultimate defense.

"Well, you're occasionally useful after all."

Ruby stroked Miona's head by way of praise. The female Mage God wore a very happy expression, but suddenly she felt something was amiss. Since she was sitting on top of the unicorn, how was he able to touch her head? He had actually managed to move behind her without a sound!

"What do you mean by 'occasionally'! And get off me!"

Driven by a mindset of mutual destruction, Miona tilted her head back, preparing to knock Ruby off the horse with a headbutt. Unfortunately, Ruby was well-prepared; he slightly raised his chin to dodge the headbutt, and then lowered his head to lock eyes with her. Miona quickly realized that this posture was all wrong—it looked precisely as if she were leaning against his chest seeking a kiss. She could only puff out her cheeks and push Ruby away.

"Isn't it only natural for a teacher to praise her student?"

"Hmph, I'll definitely make you pay for this later."

Miona almost forgot that the two of them were still in a teacher-student relationship. Ruby was currently using this nominal status to pressure her, leaving her temporarily speechless.

The Earth Bear's esophagus was not very long. Even while observing and walking along the way, it took only ten minutes to reach the stomach. The entire space suddenly opened up. As before, this did not feel like the inside of a body; the entire stomach resembled a natural cavern, filled with the texture of solid rock.

Ruby and Miona dismounted from Red Bean's back. The female Mage God was instantly disgusted by the litter scattered across the ground. It was truly filthy and messy, containing wood, stones, human skeletons, and gold and gemstones that emitted an alluring luster under the illumination of the Holy Light.

"This guy has terrible dietary habits."

"No, these things shouldn't be left here. Since it's a Tier 10 magical beast, its gastric juices should be fully capable of digesting them. The fact that they are still lingering here indicates an abnormality in its digestive function."

Compared to Miona's disgust, Ruby stroked his chin and arrived at his own conclusion. As if to corroborate his words, the originally hard ground began to gradually soften, and Red Bean neighed anxiously.

"What is that?"

Miona watched in shock as, following the softening of the ground, some even more disgusting creatures emerged. They seemed to have been lurking within the walls all along, and now that the stomach walls had softened, they darted out one by one. To describe them, they were like black earthworms equipped with sharp teeth, magnified by several dozen times.

*Clang!*

A fierce impact echoed. One of the earthworms seemed to have detected Ruby and Miona, launching its body toward Ruby like an arrow released from a bow. Dragon swiftly transformed into a massive shield, and Ruby grabbed the shield to block the strike.

"Ruby, stay back. Every single one of these things is at the level of a Tier 8 magical beast."

Seeing this, Miona immediately shielded Ruby behind her and raised her hand, unleashing a lightning spell that instantly charred the presumptuous earthworm into charcoal. This action also attracted the attention of the other earthworms, which swarmed toward them from all directions.

"As expected, it must be because they have been feeding on the flesh and blood of the Earth Bear for years."

"Mere Tier 8 magical beasts!"

Like ordinary girls, Miona hated disgusting creatures. Seeing so many pitch-black earthworms crawling toward her made her scalp tingle, and she raised her hand, intending to wipe them out with a large-scale spell like Meteor Fall.

"Don't use overly destructive magic. If you start carpet-bombing them here, you'll be defeating the purpose. Use Ice Arrow."

Ruby tapped Miona's head to calm her down. Although the female Mage God felt aggrieved, she had no choice but to summon Alicia and begin drawing her bow. Under her augmentation, even the most ordinary ice arrow was enough to cause a Tier 8 magical beast to meet a swift demise.

"Earth Bear, I know you still have consciousness. Once you hear my voice, turn your stomach back into its rock-like state. Trust me, we are not going to hurt you."

While Miona was busy shooting arrows, Ruby was not idle either. He had Dragon transform into a megaphone and began shouting messages to the Earth Bear. Everything had been fine before they reached the stomach, and only upon arriving here had anomalies occurred. This must mean it knew someone had entered its belly and was attempting to secrete digestive juices to dissolve them.

"Although I am human, I do not view you as a mere beast. I will place you on an equal footing with myself and look you in the eye, so please trust me."

Seeing no response from the Earth Bear, Ruby spoke again. This time, his words seemed to have an effect. The Earth Bear's stomach gradually transitioned from a pink, tender flesh back to an earthy-yellow hue, and the black earthworms retreated back into the walls before they fully petrified, ensuring they would not be excluded and left to starve to death.

"Listen, these parasites have been infesting your body for a long time. If this continues, you will truly die. Now, I have a bold idea: fight poison with poison. I will scatter a patch of highly toxic venom inside your body to poison them all to death. However, if it isn't handled properly, the worst-case scenario is that you will die as well. If you have faith in your own defensive capabilities, give me a sign."

As a doctor, Ruby laid out his treatment method and the degree of danger entirely to the Earth Bear. Of course, he dared to use this treatment method purely because of the creature's formidable defense; if it were a weaker magical beast, it would likely have died from the parasites long before they succumbed.

*Rumble...*

Ruby waited a long time before receiving a response. It seemed the creature had gone through a prolonged internal struggle before deciding to take the risk. The sound issued from the Earth Bear's throat and reverberated all the way down to its stomach, signaling its consent to Ruby's plan.

"Then, let's begin."

Ruby nodded and instructed Dragon to retrieve his ultimate trump card from within its body—a large metal container bearing a skull symbol with the label 'EXTREMELY DANGEROUS'.

"What is that?"

"Veloxis's venom."

After a brief reply, Ruby had Dragon transform into a high-pressure water gun and begin spraying a massive amount of venom across the space. At the same time, the Earth Bear, which had kept its eyes closed, suddenly opened them, and the miserable screams that issued from its mouth resounded throughout the entire Magical Beast Forest.