【The Rise of the Ugly Monster】 Carelessness Born of Ragi's Hubris

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Currently, the environment inside the Land Whale's stomach is in total disarray.

Right and left, the interior of the Land Whale is being violently shaken by extraordinary violence applied from the outside.

The lake of stomach acid spreading below is undulating and swirling, and the carcasses and debris soaking in it are being churned into a wretched mess.

<<<Aaaaah!!! So annoying, so annoying, SO DAMN ANNOYING!!!>>>

Amidst this, the mood of the Thunder Yellow Emperor Dragon, Piriribichi Ragi Ubagire, was equally turbulent.

Just a... weak... bird.

Fluttering around the precious Kodoku Organ... and he couldn't finish it off.

If one were to describe Ragi's current state of mind in human terms, it was close to the feeling of being unable to swat a flying mosquito.

His irritation would not subside!

Furthermore.

Ragi could secretly steal visual information from the Land Whale.

It was one of the techniques of 【Possession】 he had developed over thousands of years.

That was why... despite the fact that the bird irritating him made its body look large with poisonous liquid, Ragi knew that the main body was a tiny monster... because he had "seen" Dokugegon fighting on the outside.

He had noticed that the bird had grown slightly larger after being enveloped in a mysterious light, but to him, it was still nothing more than an insignificant pest.

And yet.

Despite being a tiny pest of a monster, it dared to defy the great Emperor Dragon.

To Ragi, that was truly... an unforgivable sin.

<<<DAMMIT!!! DIE, DIE, JUST DIE ALREADY!!!>>>

While neutralizing the successive poison spheres with lightning, Ragi's irritation continued to climb without limit.

But then, it happened!

"N'EEEEEEEEH!!!"

The annoying pest of a monster let out a cry... and suddenly created more poison spheres than ever before around himself.

And then... he fired them in all directions at once!

<<<...Gyahaha!!! Did you think you could hit me by sheer volume!? Giving up control like that is putting the cart before the horse, isn't it!?>>>

Since he blocked the poison spheres perfectly, Ragi understood that the pest of a monster had simply snapped in desperation.

<<<Too bad for you!!! I've still got plenty of room for this amount!!! Take this, and that!!!>>>

In reality, Ragi was desperately firing lightning to process the countless poison spheres, but he continued to mock the tiny pest of a monster.

By continuing to talk via 【Telepathy】, he was certainly draining the mental and magical resources he could use... but this had become an ingrained habit of his.

For thousands of years, he had lived inside the Land Whale's body without anyone to talk to.

In such an environment, if one were to remain silent and just stay still, what would happen?

...One's sense of self would gradually blur and feel as if it were about to vanish.

Having realized this fact, he had developed the habit of talking to himself endlessly.

He couldn't talk to the Land Whale.

If the whale noticed a strange entity inside its body, it might forcibly erase his existence by flushing him out with its vast magic power.

Even from Ragi's perspective, his host was such an unreasonable existence.

<<<Alright, I shot 'em all down!! Are you done already, you pest!?>>>

Ragi had successfully defended against the poison spheres Dokugegon had scattered randomly, protecting the Kodoku Organ.

A poison mist spread through the area, obscuring the vision... however, Ragi was essentially an incarnation of lightning, and poison had no effect on him.

While there might be some negative impact on the Kodoku Organ, it shouldn't be fatal damage.

Unless poison was poured directly into it.

That bird was weak... no, precisely because the main body was weak, the poison it produced was strong.

Ragi acknowledged that fact.

<<<Now then, what'll it be, what'll it be!? Just give up already, you stupid bird!! Ah...!?>>>

At that moment.

The poison bird that had been fluttering before Ragi's eyes... without a word, suddenly changed course.

The direction he was heading was... the source of the Land Whale's vitality... and Ragi's lifeline, the Kodoku Organ.

<<<GYAHAHA!!! Have you seriously snapped!? You should've just run away while you could!!! It's tough being a fool who can only move as ordered, isn't it, eh!?>>>

Ragi was convinced that this was a reckless, suicidal charge with an extremely low probability of success!

<<<I'll blow you away... in one hit!!!>>>

BZZZT! BZZZT! BZZZT!

Lightning energy began to accumulate within Ragi.

The preparation for his finishing move... the 【Breath】!

This time, he properly braced himself for the shaking.

As long as he was prepared, Ragi was an Emperor Dragon.

He would not miss.

<<<3, 2, 1...>>>

The poison bird drew closer and closer to the Kodoku Organ... but he was still far!

Ragi mocked him, even counting down to belittle him... and then.

<<<T-T-T-TAKE THIS!!!>>>

...He fired the 【Breath】.

The torrent of murderous intent flew straight, hitting the poison bird dead-on.

In an instant... it evaporated him.

<<<Gyahaha... GYAHAHAHAHA!!!>>>

Gazing at the space where the enemy had vanished, Ragi laughed with satisfaction.

It had been thousands of years since he had been eaten by the Land Whale and lost his original physical body.

This was the first real battle in a long time... and it was a victory.

Because of that, the sense of exhilaration, refreshment, and satisfaction filling his chest was intense!

And though Ragi would never admit it... there was also a sense of relief in having crushed a troublesome enemy.

Regardless, Ragi basked in the afterglow of victory.

He felt relieved.

...And he let his guard down.

That was why.

"BOAAAAAAAAAH!?"

Hearing the Land Whale's scream—louder than any he had heard before—reaching all the way into the stomach, he was genuinely shocked!

<<<Huh!? Huh!? Huh!? Did that monster outside do something!?>>>

In a panic, Ragi closed his eyes and hijacked the Land Whale's vision.

However, nothing had changed outside.

...The monster was still rampaging as usual, but overall, the situation hadn't changed compared to a moment ago.

<<<What the hell is happen—ah!?>>>

At that moment, Ragi.

Sensed an abnormality in the Kodoku Organ he was clinging to.

The Kodoku Organ.

The organ that should have been elastic and a healthy skin color.

...Had, at some point... turned a dark, murky color and was dripping purple poisonous liquid...!?

<<<HAAAAAAAAAAH!?>>>

Unable to immediately process the situation, Ragi stared at it blankly for a moment.

<<<T-T-This is bad, this is bad, this is bad!! Hey, you!! What the hell happened, huh!?>>>

He hurriedly scurried around the Kodoku Organ, and then.

<<<Ah.>>>

He immediately discovered the cause of the abnormality.

The Kodoku Organ was round.

In other words, it had blind spots.

Until a moment ago, Ragi had been stationed at one point on the organ to confront the poison bird.

However, the side exactly opposite to him had been a blind spot.

And in that blind spot.

...A hole had been opened.

A hole that had undoubtedly been dug after melting the surroundings into a gooey mess with poison.

<<<AAAAAAAAAAH!?>>>

Ragi realized!

When the poison bird had fired poison spheres in all directions earlier, Ragi had viewed it as "acting in desperation"... but that wasn't it!

That was a decoy!

While Ragi was focused on dealing with the poison liquid and the poison bird!

The tiny pest of a monster had used the fired poison spheres as cover to secretly move its main body to Ragi's blind spot!

All while maintaining and manipulating the form of the poison bird that had "escaped" the main body!

<<<Huh!? No!? But!? Hah!?>>>

Ragi, however, fell into confusion once again.

How could it do something so dexterous and intelligent!?

A mere bird!?

Unless it was as smart as a human, such a thing should be impossible!?

...And yet!

No matter how much Ragi refused to believe it, he had actually been outsmarted.

As proof.

"N'EEEEEEEEH!!!"

From inside the Kodoku Organ... the pest of a monster's goofy cry could be heard!

<<<Dammit!!!>>>

Ragi instinctively tried to fire a 【Breath】 to annihilate the pest... but he couldn't!

Because the pest was inside the Kodoku Organ—his very lifeline!

If he fired a 【Breath】, the pest would die, but the Kodoku Organ would also be destroyed, putting Ragi in critical danger!

In the next instant, while Ragi hesitated.

"BOAAAAAAAAAH!?"

Along with the Land Whale's scream echoing once more.

Like a fountain!

Poisonous liquid began to overflow from the Kodoku Organ!