Inside the Writhing Nautilus - 12:35 PM


    We landed on a battered Atlantean vessel, skidding to a stop just before the edge. Both of us groaned from the impact. It had not been graceful nor kind, but we were alive and relatively safe, all things considered. I began retracting the Cable Conglomerate so Jamie could get off of me while I took in our new environment.


    Standing up once we were no longer entangled, I took a breath and nearly gagged at the revolting stench. The inside of the Writhing Nautilus’ mouth smelled exactly as I expected it to. There weren’t a lot of things that I would consider gross anymore. My experiences with the grotesque were far and wide. This, however, was near torturous.


    “Don’t take your mask off,” I managed to cough out to Jamie.


    She hesitated because that was exactly what she was about to do. After considering my state, she nodded. “Yeah, I think that’s for the best. I can feel the stink on my skin,” she said, an involuntary shiver going down her spine. “You alright?”


    “Yeah, gimme a minute,” I requested, looking around to try to distract myself from the smell as I got accustomed to it.


    The Writhing Nautilus didn’t have a single large tongue, but several tentacles with mouths growing out of them similar to its evolutionary predecessors had. There were enough of them that the vessel we were standing on moved as if it were on gentle waves. Trying to flip the ship over to get to us, no doubt, but I didn’t think it was going to work.


    Jamie squinted as she looked around, but she didn’t have night vision like I did. Swiping open her menu, she pulled out a yellow hard hat with a light bulb symbol on the front and began to put it on.


    “Let’s get our heading before you turn that on,” I said. It was already clear to me that the beast knew we were here on some level, but getting our bearings was first on the list. “Sara, what can you tell us?”


    <<<>>>


    [[Patron Message]]


    What side of the core do you want?


    <<<>>>


    “We need to go below it,” I replied. “I don’t trust the NA-2 Beacon to disintegrate before the job gets done if we put it on top, and the longer it’s intact the longer it’ll fire. If any sizable chunk of it remains, I’m going to assume it’ll regenerate. Does that sound about right?”


    “What’s the NA-2 Beacon?” Jamie asked. I retrieved the silver spike with the green light from my inventory and put it in her hand. She did the motions to pull up the description, then whistled. “Blast it from space. That’s a good plan. What if it’s not in orbit around us?”


    “It is, the NA stands for North America,” I replied, frowning at how long it was taking Sara to respond. The guts of the Writhing Nautilus must have been more extensive than I thought. “Other continents have their own, and there’s a separate array for kinetic bombardment. Those do have to get into positions above their targets, though.”


    Jamie handed the beacon back to me, and I stored it. “And what would we have done if you didn’t have this?”


    I hesitated. “We’re doing this because there’s a chance to kill it outright, and this thing is such a gross overcompensation that it’s what humanity needs,” I explained. “The other option was to take over Admiral Chekanhat’s ship. We might have been able to divert the Writhing Nautilus then, but that’s a big might. The administrator said the Atlanteans could point it in the direction they wanted it to go, and I only barely trust that.”


    There was more that I could say, but I was interrupted by Sara’s response..


    <<<>>>


    [[Patron Message]]


    Okay, sorry for the wait. As you can imagine, mapping out the intestines of such a large creature isn’t fun or easy. I don’t envy either of you for the work you’ll have to do.


    Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you that the air you’re breathing is poisonous. At your Constitution… I want to say half an hour would be pushing it. Either way, good call telling Jamie to keep her mask on.


    Getting to the bottom side of the core is going to be more dangerous than the top side, and I don’t see an easy way from the top to the bottom due to how large it is. You would have to cut through the walls, and I think they’ll just heal around you if you’re not fast enough.


    That said, I have the path. It’ll take you through some areas where ocean water has mixed with acid, so you theoretically should be able to make it through, but be careful.


    So, first you start…


    <<<>>>


    I grimaced as I looked through Sara’s instructions. They detailed the directions, the kinds of hazards we would find, and the monsters that were lurking inside the Writhing Nautilus for no reason other than the administrators liked fucking with us.


    Frankly, it made the Pitt look like a walk in the park.


    “Alright, you can turn on your light,” I told Jamie. “We’re going to be doing shit like diving through stomach acid pools, so, be prepared..”


    “We should have gone for the admiral’s ship,” the Weapon Master grimly lamented, but I could tell through our Mental Link that she was ready to go.


    Reaching up, she tapped the light symbol on the yellow hardhat and illuminated the area. It was a handy item, but the sudden brightness startled the eyeballs scattered throughout the mouth, and she got her first look at the horrible tentacle tunnel we were in.


    “Holy—”


    “No time. Follow me and don’t slip on the blood!” I said, grabbing her arm and pulling her in the direction we needed to go.


    All at once, the tentacles started screaming. The cacophony wasn’t as damaging as the Writhing Nautilus’ roar, but it was still pretty bad. I pulled out my Vague Stick and mentally commanded it into the shape of a glaive.


    We jumped off of the Atlantean vessel and into a sea of tentacles. I Constructed two blades, each near where we were going to land, and sent them shooting forward. They cut without issue, culling the flailing limbs to create our path forward. Out of curiosity and the sake of figuring out exactly what to expect, I let the Vague Glaive pierce the Writhing Nautilus when I hit the bloody pool. It sunk in, and then I was running.


    I couldn’t see it with my eyes, but I still watched. The weapon had sunk into the boss, but not as far as I hoped. By the time we were two steps away, it had fully healed from the wound.


    The tentacles, thankfully, were much slower to regenerate. We slogged over the uneven ground as we headed towards one of hundreds of tunnels in the back of the Writhing Nautilus’ mouth. I pointed upwards to one about thirty feet up so Jamie could see it, and she nodded. Sara’s instructions had mentioned green slime, and it was one of the only ones in this vicinity. My girlfriend didn’t say it was wrong, anyway.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Releasing some of the Cable Conglomerate, I offered it to Jamie. Once it snaked its way around her arm and she had a good hold of it, I leapt into the air, giving it more slack as I bounced from Force Field to Force Field to get enough height. I made it to the ledge and started pulling my companion up with one hand while slicing tentacles with the other.


    I Constructed another set of blades and sent them through the downwards sloping tunnel. The moment Jamie was on her feet and the Cable Conglomerate was back where it belonged, I jumped like I was going down a water slide.


    The Weapon Master hesitated, her protests clear through the Mental Link, but she was only a second or two behind me. At least she was wearing hard armor; my overcoat was thick, but the rest of my clothes were made of cloth.


    Slick with blood, it was an easy slide. The hard part was making my Constructed blades cut through the right tentacles. The tunnel had many curves and I tried to keep the path our momentum would take as clear as possible. Some of the longer appendages I missed slapped us, but we were going too quick for them to grab hold.


    Ahead, the tunnel was ending after about a hundred feet. I mustered as much of the Cable Conglomerate as I could and reached behind me, Pulling Jamie closer. She kicked, surprised by the change in momentum, but slid next to me where I put my arm around her. I allowed her to feel some of my emotions through the Mental Link, warning her that there was a fight up ahead.


    Just after Jamie grabbed her spear, the tunnel suddenly stopped, opening up into a large, cavernous area. Glowing green liquid filled the bottom like a lake, and I shot the Cable Conglomerate into the ceiling the moment we started falling in. It wrapped around a tentacle that was all too glad to have something to chew on, though its teeth weren’t enough to bite through.


    Creatures that looked like bats but were made of leathery skin, mouths, and nightmares noticed us immediately as we swung through the air. Jamie started swinging her spear, skewering and slashing the monsters when they got close. I wanted to help, but I kept my Mental Points in reserve for later.


    At the end of our swing, I clamped down with the Cable Conglomerate, cutting through the tentacle that had been holding us up. Our momentum sent us towards a cliff on the other side of the lake. I shaved off the hazards with another Constructed blade just before we slammed into the wall. The Vague Glaive pierced it, holding us up, and I expressed urgency through the Mental Link.


    Jamie grabbed on to the Vague Glaive and hoisted herself up, looking back at me. I shook my head and she pulled herself onto solid ground after clearing off the tentacles there. I swung myself once and stood on the weapon, which was slowly getting pushed out of the Writhing Nautilus’ flesh, and jumped up to join her. I retrieved the step a moment later with Pull.


    Without wasting another moment, I Constructed more blades and started running. The bat creatures caught up and were harassing us, but the moment we passed through the third tunnel from the right, they stopped.


    “Those weren’t so bad!” Jamie yelled.


    “We’re just getting started!” I replied.


    Once again I released the Cable Conglomerate, coiling it around my arm so it wouldn’t be in the way, and we were met with a sheer cliff. My blades flashed, cutting through the tentacles on the five walls leading upwards, and we stepped back. The resulting pile still writhed and bit, and I took a step forward onto my Force Field above them and sent the wire rope up above.


    I gestured for Jamie to climb, and she didn’t hesitate to do so. The Weapon Master set her spear on her back and climbed hand over hand without touching the slick, bloody walls. It was a little hard to keep the wire rope completely vertical as she climbed up it, but it didn’t take her long. At the top, she retrieved her spear and slashed more tentacles before turning around to pull me up.


    Once I joined her, we slid down another tunnel, but there was no escaping the acid this time. Bracing ourselves, we dove feet first into the green liquid. Activating Shield, I knew it was only a matter of time before I would get soaked. Jamie, at least, had some level of acid resistance and her armor was sturdy, but I had no such thing.


    We pushed through the lake with me dragging her along, and we emerged in another cavern. A large tentacle started reaching up from underneath us, and I quickly shoved her onto a piece of floating Atlantean metal that Sara had told me to look out for. Jamie clambered on and I was right behind her.


    The ceiling wasn’t high, and we had to lie on our backs to prevent the tentacles from reaching us. She cut the ones that could, and I focused on moving our impromptu raft where we needed to go while I checked her Tankless Breather. It was a hardy piece of equipment. The thing was holding up, but it likely wouldn’t with repeated abuse.


    This part of the journey was relatively safe and allowed my Shield time to repair itself. I guided us further away from the giant tentacle until it couldn’t reach us, and turned onto my stomach. The sound of rushing water was coming from up ahead.


    “Waterfall,” I warned. Jamie’s eyes widened and a spike of concern came through our Mental Link. “We’re going to sail right over, don’t worry.”


    “Don’t worry, he says,” the Weapon Master repeated with no small amount of snark. The concern did lessen, however, as she flipped onto her stomach. I allowed her to feel some of the appreciation I had for her through the link, and she rolled her eyes.


    Holding on to the flotsam we were riding, I made it move faster. We snaked through the lake as it became a river, and the acidic waters became rougher. Using Force Fields, I did my best to keep us from getting excessively splashed, but there wasn’t much I could do about that when we were assailed from all sides.


    The mouth of the river opened up and I could see the mist ahead of us. Wrapping the Cable Conglomerate around the flotsam, I used that to accelerate us even more. Jamie grabbed on, and I Pushed on two fronts with everything I had.


    <<<>>>


    [[Patron Message]]


    Potential new path!


    Laser above that long tentacle ahead of you and get ready to jump. Keep going until you reach the next tunnel!


    <<<>>>


    Reading the message, I started charging Dragon’s Breath before I even saw where she was talking about.


    “Change of plans,” I yelled as the golden glow of the skill spilled out of my mouth.


    “What now!?” she asked as I wrapped my arm around her and knelt on one knee, pulling her up to do the same.


    I kept my mouth shut past the activation time for Dragon’s Breath, letting it simmer as we made it to the waterfall and beyond. I retrieved the Cable Conglomerate and kept an eye out as we soared. There was one tentacle that was larger than the rest, and I zeroed in on it. Since the skill used my stat total instead of just Willpower for damage, I retrieved the Staff of Raphael for a big boost.


    Opening my mouth, I fired my breath weapon. It tore through the flesh of the Writhing Nautilus, burning its way upwards, and I adjusted the angle as best as I could. The thick walls didn’t allow me to see very far through them with my aura sight, and I was going on faith here that Sara wouldn’t mislead us.


    It bore fruit after a second or two of high quality holy energy. My vision opened up on the other side of my tunnel, and I tapped Jamie on her side to get ready. At the apex of our flight, I closed my mouth to cancel the skill and we jumped.


    The tentacles on either side of the hole chomped at us, but we managed to grab on and pull ourselves up despite getting bit. There was no time to rest as the tunnel started getting smaller with us in it. I pushed her forward and let her feel my urgency through the Mental Link. Sufficiently fearful, Jamie crawled as fast as she could.


    I followed behind her as the tunnel continued to constrict, the damage healing quickly. It became obvious what Sara meant when she said she didn’t want me to try going from the top of the core to the bottom through the walls. If this short jaunt showed me anything, it was that the Writhing Nautilus’ regeneration was absolute bullshit.


    Jamie made it out with inches to spare and started swinging on creatures that had come to investigate the golden light, but I wasn’t so lucky. I was halfway out when the walls closed around my legs with a disgusting schlurp, and I was stuck. Plunging the Vague Glaive into the ground, I pulled myself forward inches at a time, doing my best to not lose my Heelies to the boss.


    My companion didn’t complain as she fought for me, swinging her spear with brutal accuracy and cutting down the four-legged tentacle monsters that came our way. They looked like dog versions of the bats we saw earlier.


    I was taken back to the time when Gloria and I fought the Writhing Zeppelin, and how she kept me safe while I ate half of an entire ham.


    Then I shook it off; now wasn’t the time to get sentimental and Jamie wasn’t going to share Gloria’s fate. Not if I had anything to say about it.


    Finally, I pulled myself out. Bits and pieces of the Writhing Nautilus stuck to my pants and shoes, and I brushed them off.


    <<<>>>


    [[Patron Message]]


    I’m so relieved that worked, Ant. It was a gamble, but you just shaved off most of your time by doing that.


    Head left and follow the instructions from here…


    <<<>>>


    I nodded as I read through the new path, already running with Jamie behind me. She had taken some hard hits from the dogs because she wasn’t going to leave me behind, and I tapped her with the Staff of Raphael to activate its Touch of Heaven skill. The Weapon Master perked up as she healed for half of my hit points and the acid that was clinging to her dispersed. It must have been considered a physical debuff, which I hadn’t been expecting.


    “Adequate healing, Franklin,” she praised.


    “Don’t thank me yet,” I returned, shooting back a smirk that I certainly didn’t feel. “We’re closer, but I wouldn’t call it close. Sara hasn’t warned me of anything, but be ready for a big fight once we get to the core. Wouldn’t put it past those bastards to add something extra spicy just for us.”


    Jamie’s face became serious, and she nodded. We were both ready to go.