Chapter 25 – Inferno Within the Titan
Chapter 25 – Inferno Within the Titan
“Yeah… this is going to be a problem.”
The colossal elephant stomped down again with thunderous force, and the ground shattered beneath its foot. A tremor shot outward like a shockwave, sending Tyler flying through the air. He crashed against a jagged rock outcrop, his body aching from the impact.
Above, Milo clung desperately to the behemoth’s back, fingers gripping the rough stone-like hide for dear life. One glance at the steep descent below and he knew — if he fell, he wouldn’t survive the landing. And if he somehow did, getting trampled by the mountain-sized feet of Gorrum would finish him. [Absolute Defence] wouldn’t protect him from something this massive.
Tyler groaned and pulled himself upright. Every step the beast took sent a quake through the earth, making it nearly impossible to balance. He steadied himself and looked up at Milo, still on its back. Somehow, they had to bring it down.
He sprinted forward and unleashed a flurry of strikes with his claymore, swinging wildly at one of the hind legs. His blade clanged against the thick, armour-like skin with a dull, frustrating thud. Not even a scratch.
The behemoth turned slightly and swung its massive trunk in Tyler’s direction. The air whistled as it approached, but Tyler managed to duck under the slow, sweeping attack. He somersaulted away and created distance, firing two fireballs at its leg. The blasts splashed harmlessly against its stone skin.
With a growl, Tyler activated [Rage] and charged again. The fury-enhanced strikes were brutal and well-aimed, each one pounding against the same spot. He was giving it everything he had — but still, it barely made a dent.
Gorrum let out a low, guttural growl and lifted one leg to stomp again. Tyler dashed backward just in time to avoid being crushed.
Panting, drained, Tyler stumbled behind a rocky mound to recover.
Milo shouted from above, “Why are we even trying to fight this giant?! Can’t we just leave it alone and try to flee?!”
Tyler yelled back, “We don’t know if it’ll follow us toward Dustville! It’s too big a risk!”
Still, despite their efforts, [HP: 2000/2000] remained unchanged.
Tyler gritted his teeth. “Damn it.”
He made a decision.
He climbed one of the monster’s legs, scrambling upward against the shifting, shaking beast. It was risky — but it was safer than staying on the ground.
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Once atop Gorrum’s broad back, he reached Milo.
They were beyond the reach of its trunk now, and since elephants couldn’t jump, they were relatively safe. Tyler sat and let his PE begin to regenerate.
“We need a plan,” he said. “Tell me anything. Something useful. What do you know about elephants?”
Milo blinked. “Uh… elephants are the largest terrestrial animals. The African elephant is found in savannahs and sometimes wander—”
“Not a biology lecture! Something we can use!”
Milo frowned. “Well… deserts have extreme diurnal temperature ranges. During the day it can go above 45°C, and at night below freezing. This causes rocks to expand and contract, forming cracks. The process is called… exfoliation.”
Tyler’s eyes lit up. “That’s it!”
“What?”
“If we heat up the skin and then cool it rapidly— we might crack it!”
They moved quickly. Tyler fired three fireballs at a point on Gorrum’s back. The stone glowed red-hot. Milo immediately activated [Freeze Core], blasting it with a wave of sub-zero frost.
A hiss filled the air. Steam exploded outward in a blinding burst.
When the mist cleared, they saw it: a crack.
A thin, jagged line split across the rock-hard skin.
“I knew it!” Tyler shouted.
“Yes, only because of my knowledge,” Milo said proudly.
They repeated the process again and again. Each cycle widened the crack, bit by bit. Eventually, it was wide enough to fit a finger through.
Tyler examined it, then grinned. “That’s big enough… for me.”
He activated [Shrink], reducing himself to a fraction of his size, and slid through the crack.
Inside was disgusting. Slimy membranes pulsed against his armour. The air was humid and foul. But he was in. And more importantly — it was vulnerable.
He drew his twinswords and began hacking his way through the inner tissues.
[HP: 1960/2000]
“Not so tough now, huh?” Tyler muttered.
He slashed again and again. [HP: 1910/2000]
The resistance increased as he went deeper. The inner tissues weren’t made of stone, but they were still dense. Still, he was safe. Gorrum couldn’t touch him in here.
He equipped the Storm Wizard Hat and activated [Rage]. His movements blurred as he unleashed a brutal combo of slashes.
[HP: 1780/2000]
The beast roared, and Tyler could feel the vibrations in his bones. The inside echoed with the sound of its pain.
He paused briefly, caught his breath, and triggered [Rage] again.
[HP: 1700 → 1600 → 1500]
His arms began to ache. He had been swinging for hours, if not longer. Then, an idea.
He looked around the space he had carved out and saw it was wide enough now.
“Perfect.”
He launched five fireballs in different directions.
Unlike before, they didn’t vanish after impact. The fire spread. It ignited the insides.
The flames didn’t harm Tyler — he stayed low, in the cleared-out space.
[HP: 1045/2000]
“Jackpot.”
Milo, outside, had no idea what was happening. Gorrum writhed and howled. Smoke poured from its mouth. Its bellow was ear-shattering.
Tyler waited for his PE to recharge.
Then fired five more fireballs.
This time he angled them all in one direction, preventing the spread from reaching him.
The beast thrashed, groaned, screamed.
Tyler continued. Again. And again.
Until…
[HP: 0/2000]
[+90 XP]
[Level Up! Tyler Level 70 → 72]
[Attribute Points: +2]
[Achievement Unlocked: Tread Upon Titans]
[Grade: A]
[Condition: Defeat the colossal elephant, often mistaken for a mountain, Gorrum the Juggernaut.]
[Acquired Runestone — Gigantify]
[Skill: Gigantify]
[Increases body size by 20 times, boosts Attack and Defence by 10 times for 10 seconds. PE Cost: 30]
Tyler collapsed onto the now still, burning innards of Gorrum, exhausted but victorious.
“Not so immovable now,” he muttered.