33
Chapter 33
- It seriously looks freaky as hell.
- Is that really a fish?
- Didn't that thing come out of a Gate?
The reaction in the Chat Window was explosive. Even compared to all the Monster Fish they had seen so far, this T-shaped Monster Fish boasted an appearance that was exceptionally bizarre.
First of all, unlike the other Monster Fish that at least looked like living creatures, it was incredibly ambiguous whether this thing was actually alive or not.
It seemed to lack that certain something you only feel from living things—vitality, to be precise. This was despite the fact that it was clearly performing the act of seeing with its eyes.
This was exactly where the inexplicable sense of incongruity came from when Parang first encountered this Monster Fish.
If Parang, who had met all sorts of bizarre Monster Fish in person, felt this sense of incongruity, how much more so for the average Viewers?
- What in the world is that?
- Is it a Monster Fish?
- There's no Umu or whatever around it either.
It was only natural that their curiosity was exploding out of control.
And Parang really wanted to give them a clear answer to their questions if possible.
She didn't want to give a vague answer like, "This is a T-shaped Monster Fish... um, it was recently discovered so I don't know much either."
Since she was human after all, she naturally had the desire to look cool in front of a large audience. She also wanted to make up for the clumsy side she had shown a little while ago.
Still, she couldn't just make things up and pretend to know what she didn't. Just as Parang was about to open her mouth with a heavy heart-
Buzz!
Her Cellphone vibrated.
"Oh, hold on a second. I just got a message."
None of the Viewers asked anything like, Is it your boyfriend?
That was because the kind of Viewers who would say such things had already been ground to dust along with Galecus's egg during her first broadcast.
Parang took out her Cellphone and entered Cylo Talk.
Due to the composition of her broadcast, which was conducted from a first-person perspective, her Cellphone Screen should have been visible, but to the Viewers, it just looked like a black Screen.
This was thanks to Cylo's own broadcast Screen filtering.
Besides that, Cylo was putting a lot of effort into protecting Parang's personal information. They automatically erased the Departure hanging on her ear as if it didn't exist, or prevented Viewers from watching the broadcast from specific angles in the third-person view.
It was a good thing for Parang.
Anyway, when she checked, it was a text sent by Bertea.
- Capulus: Means handle in Latin.
First of all, it's not a Mutation of an Earth fish. It's a biologically impossible structure. Seeing as it doesn't drop a Magic Stone when killed, it's not a Gate Monster Fish either. The possible options to consider are...
The content of Bertea's research based on the materials she had sent her previously was written there.
A handle...
Bertea's naming sense was somewhat bizarre.
She would think, How is this a handle! but after pondering over it, she would realize, A handle... it really does look like one.
Anyway, the right information was delivered at the perfect timing. Parang also realized that Bertea was the one who had dropped the 1,213 won donation earlier.
She had probably finished compiling the information on Capulus a while ago, but forgot all about it because she was distracted by something else, only to remember it now while watching the broadcast.
Although her guess didn't go so far as to realize that the troll from earlier was Bertea.
Regardless, with Bertea backing her up, Parang's words flowed eloquently. They poured out like a flowing stream from a green mountain.
"This is called a Capulus. Not much is known about it since it was discovered recently, but I'll try to explain as much as I can based on what I know."
- We can see you talking while looking at your Cellphone, teacher.
Parang quickly put her Cellphone away.
"I was just checking the time for a second."
- Why are you scrolling down to check the time? (genuinely curious)
- I have to scroll down to see the Clock on my Cellphone too, stop hating.
- └ Is this for real?
- As if it's real.
Parang tried her best to ignore the burning Chat Window and continued her explanation.
"The reason we can't definitively call it a Monster Fish is because it hasn't been confirmed whether it's a living creature yet. It's very difficult to research organisms measuring dozens of meters found at the bottom of the Deep Sea. Especially when it has such... well, an unpredictable form like this."
- 'oo' donated 10,000 won! -
[ True, it would be weirder if they figured everything out the moment they discovered something like that. ]
- That's true.
- If it were me, forget research, I would've been terrified and run away immediately.
- For real LOL. And I'd hide under my bed and never come out again.
- I'd never go diving again either LOL.
The Viewers chimed in, agreeing with each other.
Seeing some commendable messages in the chat every now and then, Parang smiled softly.
"Good kids."
The Chat Window exploded once again.
- Hah, fuck, hold on a second.
- Ddyuddya... ddyuu-ddyaddya... ddyuddya-woo...
It was only after some time passed that Parang could continue her proper explanation.
"Capulus only looks bizarre, but it's currently speculated that it doesn't have any special abilities. Because my Mental Barrier Skill hasn't activated."
It was the same when she first saw it.
"And, regarding whether it's a living creature or not, opinions are still divided on this. The basis for those claiming it's alive is... like this."
Tap.
As Parang went to the right side of the Capulus and tapped it, its Eyeball rolled around and locked eyes exactly with Parang.
- Ah fuck you scared me!
- Give us a warning!!!
- Teacher, are you just doing evil deeds as naturally as breathing now...
"Ah."
She really didn't mean it this time, but she had unwittingly slipped into her trolling habits.
"I'm sorry about this one. It wasn't intentional."
Parang was someone who apologized when it was due.
- Then was everything else intentional until now?
- Fact) It's a fact.
- Fuck, that's true, the fact that everything so far was intentional is even creepier.
"Uh, that's."
Come to think of it, she didn't feel the need to apologize for that part.
"Because you guys shouldn't fall asleep on me. I had no choice."
The Chat Window flared up once again, but Parang paid it no mind and continued her explanation.
"Anyway, there's a basis for claiming it's a living creature upon seeing it react to stimuli like this. Though it only applies to the Eyeball, it bleeds if you poke it too."
An unidentified something living in the Deep Sea. Moreover, its appearance is bizarre, and it was discovered so recently that even an Expert doesn't know much about it.
The Viewers suddenly felt a strong desire to explore this Monster Fish.
Because the fun of figuring out the unknown appealed to everyone, regardless of age or gender.
Although there was no Expert present, collective intelligence couldn't be ignored, and various novel opinions were suggested.
- Isn't just the Eyeball alive and the T-shaped part just a shell? Like a Clam.
- How about giving it some food or something?
- Can't we just find out if it's alive or not by putting that jelly in it?
Then, an interesting message caught Parang's eye.
A suggestion to try putting Sakis in.
Both Parang and Bertea felt a spark of realization.
This way, they could confirm whether it was a living creature or not right then and there without having to bring out the Kraken.
"Trying to put Sakis in, that's a good idea. I'll ask someone I know about it."
- Please tell me I did a good job just once.
"Good job."
After that moment, the viewer didn't type in the chat anymore, as if they had gone somewhere.
Did they have some urgent business? Parang wondered.
Well, anyway. The 'someone I know' here was obviously Bertea. Since there was no one in the World who could match her in Monster Fish research, she was basically the highest authority.
Though there were extremely few people researching Monster Fish in the first place.
- Try it. I think it's a good idea.
As expected, Bertea must have been watching the broadcast, as she immediately sent a text.
"They told me to give it a try. Then I'll put it in."
Parang grabbed an Umu that was right next to her and placed it around the Capulus, rubbing it here and there.
It was quite cute how it got squished between Parang and the Capulus, making it look like a flat rice cake.
"Hmm, it doesn't even think about entering the main body. It means it's recognizing it completely as an inanimate object."
This time, Parang brought the Umu to the Capulus's eye.
This time, the reaction was a bit different.
The moment Parang rubbed the Umu against the Capulus's eye, the Umu suddenly bit into it.
The Viewers coughed up blood at the thought that the previous scene was happening inside an eye.
- Ah, fuck.
- Ugh.
However, contrary to expectations, the Capulus's eye remained perfectly fine. It just maintained a clean Sphere.
- ?
- Eh?
- What?
In other words, it bit it thinking it was a living creature, but it actually wasn't. It felt like chewing and spitting it out.
Neither the body nor the eye was organic matter.
Therefore, the Capulus was inorganic matter. In short, the conclusion was that it was not a living creature.
"Thanks for the good idea."
Parang felt good because they finally reached a refreshing conclusion after continuing with vague explorations until now.
However, that feeling was brief, as an undeniable donation came in.
- 'oo' donated 1,000 won! -
[ By the way, what exactly is the identity of someone who is so knowledgeable about Monster Fish that the Streamer even gets advice from them? ]
"Ah, that's."
Parang hesitated for a moment. This was a matter that could potentially bring Oceanus to the surface.
- Yeah, for real, what is it?
- Isn't it someone similar to the Streamer?
- Is there even anyone similar to the Streamer?
- Well, there could be.
- I can't even imagine it.
Apart from that, the Chat Window was exploding with curiosity.
- oo donated 1,000 won! -
[ Seeing as this Capulus isn't even registered in academia, what is it? ]
The academia mentioned here was the Hunter Society. Information on pretty much every Monster was registered in their database. After all, it was a matter of public safety.
Even a significant number of Monster Fish were registered. Although the depth of research on them was noticeably lower than that of Monsters on land, of course.
'Hmm....'
Parang came to a conclusion after a brief moment of thought.
"It's just an acquaintance. They have nothing to do with the broadcast, so it's a bit difficult for me to talk about them."
No matter how curious the Viewers were, some things were just off-limits. She spoke shortly and concisely.
Surprisingly, the Viewers seemed to accept it coolly. They didn't particularly try to pry any further.
The majority just accepted it with a nod, and the remaining minority also initially reacted similarly.
It wasn't like they could say to Parang's face that they were going to doxx an ordinary person who had nothing to do with the broadcast.
After looking around under the seats a little more in that calm atmosphere, Parang's broadcast ended smoothly.
"Then let's stop here for today, and I'll look around two more cars tomorrow afternoon. Goodbye, everyone."
- Today's broadcast was packed.
- So is three days 4 days or 3 days?
- Uh-oh, no you don't.
Click-.
"Phew...."
Parang's vision went dark. It was a given, since the synchronized broadcast had been turned off.
In the end, she couldn't catch any signals from the Slayers in cars 4 and 5.
Parang didn't expect much either. You can't be full from the first bite.
When she took off the device she was wearing over her eyes, Sakis, which had taken the appearance of an Umu, started to look like its original self.
'Ugh....'
Parang left the Train at top speed, thoroughly disgusted.
"Kraken."
―――――!!
The Tentacles that entered through the Train's windows slaughtered the Monster Fish without leaving a single one behind.
Complete eradication would be impossible, but this should control their population to some extent.
Parang returned to her home.
#
Meanwhile, Bertea.
'A broadcast... huh.'
She stroked her chin in front of the turned-off computer Screen.