Chapter 302 - Devilfish Stomach Labyrinth (III)

"What is this?"

Opening the small diary, the map that is included in the diary fell out. Picking up the map, my eyebrows frowned seeing that the current map I was making is the same map that I was currently holding right now, however, this one is a fully mapped one. It even has some markings that mark the unusual things present in that particular area.

I compared the two maps and indeed, it was the same map. There are some slight differences but very subtle and maybe it was due to how long it has been since the map was made compared to my map that is still in the works. However, seeing a complete map means there is someone here in the past that mapped out the whole place. Looking at the map, it seems we have yet to fully explore the whole place and just managed to cover half of the area. 

I quickly skimmed through the diary and check anything that might sound insightful. There are a few that is unimportant as he was just writing some ramblings on how he is so powerless while inside the stomach of the Ice Devilfish. One fact he laments is that he lacks the necessary tools to escape as he didn't bring any weapons. Now I know what happened to him. There are two fates he might have suffered. It would be either he got crazy and killed himself or he starved and died.

Now, in this matter, the starving thing should be illogical. If he was an explorer, he can easily find any sort of thing he can use as food. In fact, the fleshy parts of the stomach of the Ice Devilfish might serve as a portion of emergency food and if the Ice Devilfish eat fish and other kinds of food, he can just scrounge it since the Ice Devilfish never chewed it.

But getting crazy is much logical. A normal human would go crazy especially if they are in a harsh situation like this for a long time. Unless they can fully adapt, getting crazy and killing themselves is a very high probability.

I took note of those entries that have the important bits and folded them so that I can check them again after I fully check the other entries. After a full scan, I folded 10 entries. All of these entries are pretty long and from what I skimmed on these entries, they are all pretty important tidbits.

"Master, I think you should see this," Lina directed my eyes to something hidden near the growing shrubs on the side. Although this is a stomach, I am a bit not sure how the shrubs and some trees are growing inside the stomach. If I have something like this on my stomach, I would feel very uncomfortable.

Lina led me a bit before we arrived at the place she discovered. There, I saw a corpse, or should I say a skeleton. He is still wearing clothes but due to his body no longer possessing any flesh after it decayed for how many years it has been, it is no longer fit on his body. But one thing that immediately strike my attention is the knife embedded in his heart area.

Yep, my theory is correct, it seems this guy has gone crazy and decided to end his life in the process. His sanity has dropped tremendously perhaps and depending on how they can handle it, the worst and the most common outcome is that they will just go and die.

From his clothes alone, he is indeed an explorer. Perhaps he stumbled upon the Ice Devilfish and got swallowed in the process. I think it was also mentioned in the diary but I skipped it so I don't know his real story.

I checked the pockets of his clothes and checked for anything inside of it. Although I didn't find anything interesting, there are a few disheveled cigarettes inside. Maybe it got wet in the process, lowering his chance to even light up one cigar to alleviate his mood and restore a bit of his sanity. Other than that, there is the damp and torn map of the Aquagius Continent and a Compass. Checking the compass, I didn't expect to see what the compass was since this was not a normal compass that anyone can get their hands into.

[Treasure Hunter's Antique Compass]

Type: Gadget

Info: A compass that can provide both directions and the location of a treasure in an area. Only 5 pieces were produced around the world and due to how unique it was, many people wanted to get a single one just to find treasures.

Note: This compass might be older than you think but it's more useful than you.

As enticing the compass to me, this isn't my compass and this is a clear disrespect if I decided to covet it. Even though this is a game, taboos like this are pretty common and usually, it doesn't end well.

I sighed and decided to put it back on his clothes. However, I didn't want to let him stay here forever. Seeing that his corpse is now labeled as an item, I decided to put his body in my inventory. Once we get out, I will bury him somewhere that he can give back his peace.

There aren't any clues left behind by him other than the map and the diary.

"Looks like there isn't anything left here. He didn't have anything left other than the clothes and compass. The map is barely useful so I didn't bother to salvage it. I think we are done here, guys," I stood up after putting the corpse to my inventory.

"So what is our next agenda, Master?" Lucia asked.

"Let's check out those things that he marked on his own map. Our first priority would be killing the Ice Devilfish from the inside then, we can escape after that."

"How are we going to escape? I doubt after killing this monstrous monster, we can escape by making our way out?" Tina asked.

I pull one scroll out of my inventory and show it to Tina.

"A teleport scroll?"

"I had set up one teleport point before we entered the cave. This scroll is not the normal Teleport Scroll, this is the Force Teleport Scrolls and can only be used on areas where Teleporting is not possible. In case the normal Teleport scrolls don't work, this will allow us to properly escape without trying to tread our way out from the body."

After explaining, I took back the scroll and opened the map that was made by the deceased guy. I didn't forget my own map since we don't know how long it has been since the map was created. There might be some inaccuracies here and there so it's a good thing to have a new map than rely on the old one.

"Let's check this red circle he put on the far end not too far from us."

Everyone nodded and we left the snow-covered area and we went straight to the red part of the map. I didn't forget to continue creating the new map too. As we further explore the way, the hallways that look like a hallway from ruins started to look more fleshy and the liquid that we are stepping in is already red. It was bloody red and although it didn't smell like blood, it was a scarlet red crap.

"Looks like the map is indeed right to color it red. This place seems to be an inner area of the Ice Devilfish."

Not only that, but for some reason, we can hear a pounding sound echoing in the surroundings. It was near but it felt far too and it is pretty confusing if you don't have any navigation tools. We decided to follow the map and continue to venture into the area. The more we venture, the lesser the walls look like bricks but more like flesh now. There is also the distinct smell of seawater and a bit of fleshy smell that I can't properly describe. The reverberating sound is also getting stronger too.

"Ah..."

The three of us were stunned seeing the thing before us when we arrived where the map labeled it with a big red circle. It doesn't look like a heart but it looks similar to a beating flesh. The pounding noise we keep on hearing is also coming from this thing. I inspected it and even though it wasn't looking like a heart, I was wrong with that assumption.

[Corrupted Ice Devil Heart]

HP: ????/?????

Type: Foreign Being

"It's another foreign being..." I muttered to myself.

We didn't approach it carelessly seeing how big it was. It isn't just a big lump of flesh, and although it was smaller compared to the lump of flesh I defeated back in the underground laboratory, it isn't small enough to just disregard it as a small lump of flesh.

"Guys, prepare. We will go altogether in my signal."

It's time to continue the battle.