How To Survive A Calamity-Chapter 169: Dragon Slaying [5]

I felt a tremendous force — a crushing impact — collide with my body, grinding my bones and shifting countless numbers of joints instantly all over my body.

As the Sand Worm smashed into my body, i held my arms around it's surface as much as i could and dug my reinforced fingers into it's scales at the last moment before i was forced off my feet.

A painful groan left my lips and my body thrubbed all at once like one big bruise.

The sounds of my ribs sinking in as i was smashed resounded in my ears and blood swelled up my throat and filled my mouth.

"Gnhgh!!" I gritted my teeth and it felt like my eyes were about to bulge.

Channeling Ether through my arms and fingers, i tried to hold on tightly to the scales and body of the Sand Worm, i embraced it tightly as i was forcefully raised off my feet and swept back through the air.

The momentum was crazy.

The scenery raced by the corners of my eyes swiftly as a wave of pressure crushed my body from all sides and direction.

And then—

-BOOM!!

A loud sound of impact detonated as my body was sandwiched against the solid surface of a stone wall that exploded and shattered instantly.

'Argh!'

A wave of pain shot through my body, blinding all others senses and overwhelming my mind.

My consciousness flickered as my mind blanked out for a brief second.

It was a torturous agony.

I wanted to pass out, but the overwhelming pain of having my body crushed brutally anchored me to reality.

"Fuck..."

It hurt like hell, but—

'I'm alive!'

I was still holding on to the tail of the Sand Worm pressing against me defiantly.

In fact, the grip of my reinforced fingers had actually dug into the hard armour scales of the body partially. In the process, i felt all of my fingers had been crushed like that, but i still persisted, holding on relentlessly.

It was also partially because i couldn't move.

The moment the sand worm ran into me, and ran me against the wall, it was like my body was no longer my own.

I couldn't control it, or force it to listen to me.

All i could feel was the immense and crushing pain from my broken bones, punctured lungs and ruptured organs.

I felt a part of my vision tunr red as blood streamed down my forehead and over my eyes.

It was hard ro breathe.

My shoulders felt like a heavy weight was crushing against them and blood streamed out the corners of my mouth and painted my teeth crimson.

I forcefully moved my head and widened my blood shot eyes to glare at the tail of the Sand Worm which i still stubbornly held in my hands.

A malicious emotion filled with pain brewed inside of my heart and i gritted my teeth even more.

Then lowly...

'Aura...!!'

I growled like an animal and strengthened the grip of my fingers even more.

At the same time, the sand worm's tail began to move.

"Puack!"

I coughed out a puddle of blood and smiled behind the pain.

Now that i have you like this...

"Don't think...for one second that I'm letting you go....!'

The wall rumbled as the tail withdrew from it, with me still gasping tightly unto it. The pressure and pain i felt from the wall against my back lifted slightly as a result.

Maybe the Sand Worm didn't care, or it just didn't notice because i was too puny and insignificant, but it didn't seem like it paid much attention to me latching on to its tail like that.

And so, in that manner, i was raised into the air with tremendous force. Another wave of blood spat out of my mouth and i raised my head and shouted:

"Ceres! Get me to it's head, now!"

I wasn't sure what Ceres or the others were doing at this point.

Truth be told, i was partially blind actually, and my vision was hazy from all the blood and pain.

In the background, everything just felt like a buzz.

Regardless, as soon as i said that, in a few seconds, i felt the presence of someone reach me through the air.

—it was Ceres.

"I have a plan." Before she could say anything else, i quickly asserted.

"Get me to the head." Holding on to the tail of the Sand Dragon as if i was afraid to let go, i said again.

She was the only one who had easy mobility through the air, so she was necessary.

I couldn't clearly see Ceres' face, but i could undeniably sense her heavy presence.

And eventually, i could even feel her arms around me, too.

—Silently, without a word, Ceres had wrapped her arms around my body and held unto me.

Her actions were unexpectedly soft and carefull...she was gentle.

Maybe the stalwart Ceres had been cautious of my broken body, but i couldn't find myself hating such consideration.

'...She smells nice too even after everything...' my thoughts began to trail as i got carried away — both literally and figuratively.

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"What's your plan?"

Eventually, Ceres's voice snapped me out of my head.

I let her hold on to me without much resistance, not that there was plenty i could do even if i wanted to, and inhaled a painful breath.

My voice came out like a raspy wheeze.

"I'll provide you a good shot..."— I said and moved my head slowly towards where i could softly feel her breath against me and added briefly — "finish it then."

The meaning and intent behind those words, though, should have been clear.

-With or without youre restraints, finsih the job.'

In the end, i couldn't explain to deeply because of how hard it felt to breathe, talk less of speaking exhaustively, and just told her to take me above the head of the Sand Worm.

'I'll do the rest from there.'