Gurgle gurgle gurgle. The outlet of the digestive juices was right above. I put the thorn in my mouth and grabbed a pocket of mucus.
The mucus of the hammer sea horse. I poured the mysterious dark blue liquid onto my hand and applied the mucus carefully from the tip to the end of the thorn. It was with precision and care, as if applying shaving cream to an area to be shaved.
If the shaving cream protected the skin from the razor, the mucus protected the thorn from the digestive juices. Go. I swung the thorn towards where the digestive juices were coming from.
The angle was correct and I used my maximum strength. Kwaang! The digestive juices flowed down the thorn and dissolved the skin on my forearm. I experienced a terrible pain but didn't stop. If I made a mistake here then everything was over.
[The exclusive skill 'Fourth Wall' has relieved some of the pain.]
Gurgle, gurgle.Chururuk... Before long, the thorn jammed up the emission point.
"Just one."
After a deep sigh, I pulled out another thorn from my waist. I applied the mucus of the hammer sea horse, found another opening and blocked it.
[A few constellations admire your calmness.]
[The constellations have sponsored you 200 coins.]
I used this method to block three opening points. There were some left, but the small openings didn't release large amounts of digestive fluids. There was one thorn left in the top tightly tied around me.
All that was left was one thorn and two pockets of mucus. I used the remaining mucus on my skin and clothes, then poured what was remaining down my throat.
"Kup."
It had started. Kieeeeeeek-! The ichthyosaur let out a painful scream. The blood vessels on the wall of the stomach were squirming. The thorns were visibly expanding into the blood vessels. The thorns in the openings had started their aggressive growth activity. The stone hog's thorn grew in response to the body fluids of seawater species. Gududuk, gududuk.
The thorn that became immune to the digestive juices due to the applied mucus absorbed the surrounding fluids and started to take root in the body of the ichthyosaur. The stone hog's thorns wouldn't stop expanding until the ichthyosaur was completely dead. Keeeeeeh! As I watched the liquid swirling under my feet, I grabbed the thorn tightly.
I did everything I could. From now on, it was a mental fight. Either I died or this guy would die. Only one of us would survive. I didn't know how much time passed. My breathing was often interrupted and all my muscles were so stiff that I could barely move them.
[A few constellations admire your will to survive!]
[The constellations have sponsored you 100 coins.]
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' admires your spirit.]
[The constellation has sponsored you 100 coins.]
When I was hungry, I placed my tongue to the end of the thorn. The condensed fluid that flowed out contained the life force absorbed from the ichthyosaur. The reason I drank the mucus in advance was to absorb this concentrate.
[Your stamina has slightly increased due to absorbing the power of the ichthyosaur.]
There wasn't an immediate effect of my stats level increasing, but by the time I escaped from the ichthyosaur, I would gain at least two levels in stamina. It wouldn't work at a higher level, but this was one of the few tricks I could use to raise my stamina without using coins.
...Indeed, this wasn't a dream. This was all I could do. I was just an ordinary reader. I wasn't a protagonist. It felt like I would wake up screaming in bed at any moment, but no such miracle happened no matter how much I blinked.
...Mother would be fine. She was okay. This wasn't anybody else, it was 'Mother.' I fell asleep whenever the liquid on the floor drained away and woke up every time the cold river water entered my mouth.
Finally, the ichthyosaur's digestion stopped. The warmth of the viscera suddenly cooled down and the elastic stomach lining gradually solidified. Thus, I could be sure. He died.
[...You are really great.]
A bright light in the darkness. Bihyung's dim figure was floating in the air.
[Using the stone hog's thorn like this. I never even thought about it. Constellations, isn't it the same for you?]
Bihyung looked at the stone hog's thorn emitting a faint light.
[The stone hog is a guy who mainly lives on the coast and feeds on small sea species. They insert the thorn into the skin of the prey but I didn't think it would be used to plug up the openings for the digestive juices...]
Bihyung's shining eyes weren't looking at me. The words weren't an explanation for me either.
[A few constellations are smiling as if they already know.]
[The constellations have sponsored you 100 coins.]
[A few constellations belatedly understand your judgment.]
[The constellations complain that you should tell them by talking to yourself from now on.]
[The constellation 'The Fool' is curious on how you gain such an idea.]
[The constellations have sponsored you 100 coins.]
I ignored the messages from the constellations and drank the last of the condensed fluid.
[Your stamina has slightly increased due to absorbing the power of the ichthyosaur.]
[Your stamina level has risen!]
[Stamina Lv. 11 -> Stamina Lv. 12]
I accomplished my intended purpose. Bihyung came down to me and looked at my burnt arm.
[Furthermore, the mucus...I didn't know the mucus of the hammer sea horse was so potent.]
Originally, my skin should've melted from the ichthyosaur's digestive juices. I opened my mouth to stop Bihyung's nonsense.
"The mucus of the hammer sea horse is immune to digestive fluids. They evolved in this way after often being eaten by the ichthyosaurs."
[A few constellations admire your knowledge.]
[The constellation 'The Fool' looks at you in suspicion.]
Then Bihyung looked at me with a betrayed expression.
[Excuse me, I should be the one explaining...]
"I did it because you don't know. Now is the explanation over?"
[...Yes.]
"Then give me the reward."
[Cheeky bastard.]
Bihyung grumbled while at the same time, a reward message appeared in front of my eyes.
[The hidden scenario has ended.]
[You have obtained 9,000 coins in compensation.]
[You are the first to have successfully hunted a grade 7 species.]
[You have earned 1,000 coins as an achievement reward. 9,000 coins plus an additional 1,000 coins. It was a very huge income.
[Coins Possessed: 14,800 C]
If I added the 500 donated coins from filming my survival, the total income was 10,500 coins. It was over my target.
[Haha, Constellations. Did you see it well? Let's quickly watch an advertisement before going straight to the next scenario!]
***
「POV: Klein Moretti」
Above the gray fog there were a number of towering stone pillars around 'them'. Above them was a vast dome that encapsulated 'them'.
This entire edifice looked magnificent, grand and lofty, just like a legendary palace for giants.
Directly under the dome where the gray fog gathered, a long, bronze table with ten high-back chairs on either side in a symmetrical arrangement. The back of each chair dazzled and shone faintly with crimson red, drawing the outlines of weird constellations that differed from reality.
The Fool sitting loftily at the head of the long bronze table, enshrouded in the mysterious gray fog. There were three individuals seated besides the Fool. Behind the chairs that were occupied was symbols that represents Darkness, Visionary and Dark Emperor Pathways.
The Fool seated at the head of the long bronze table looked at the three individuals and said. "It's been a while Evernight, Adam and Roselle. How has it been?