Chapter 270
“Is it really as simple as snapping your fingers to relieve severe indigestion? Just like that, with a snap, and all the dark blood comes gushing out?”
Silence enveloped them like a heavy fog.
The only sound breaking through was the gentle bubbling of water somewhere nearby.
Unexpectedly, bubbles began to rise to the surface.
The Queen couldn’t help but let out a disbelieving chuckle.
“What?”
She was utterly bewildered.
What kind of nonsense had she just heard?
Even with her keen hearing, the words seemed utterly nonsensical.
“You’re suggesting snapping a finger?”
“Yes.”
She couldn’t help but ask, a hint of skepticism in her voice.
Lloyd nodded confidently.
“The most effective remedy for severe indigestion is tying a string tightly around a finger and then piercing it with a needle.”
“With a needle? On your finger?”
“Yes.”
“Just anywhere on the finger?”
“No.”
Lloyd shook his head, his expression serious as he pointed to the base of his fingernail.
“Right here, near the nail bed. That’s where you pierce it. And then…”
“And then?”
“Dark blood flows out.”
“And after that?”
“As you release the string, gently stroke the back of your hand. That helps induce burping.”
“If it’s about burping, even the Kraken seemed to…”
“It’s not quite the same as the Kraken’s burping. Think of it as a deep, relieving breath from the depths of your being.”
The Mermaid Queen pondered for a moment, suspicious of Lloyd’s intentions. Was he a charlatan or a scammer trying to deceive them?
But she pushed aside her doubts.
“No. He’s the only one who correctly identified the Kraken’s indigestion as the issue, right?”
And there was something about his words that seemed genuine, perhaps from personal experience.
So, she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, maintaining her skepticism but willing to hear him out.
“So let’s say this finger-snapping method does relieve indigestion. But the Kraken is the one causing trouble now. Krakens don’t have hands; how and where would you snap? Are you suggesting snapping the tip of a tentacle?”
“Exactly.”
Lloyd grinned.
“The finger-snapping remedy isn’t medically proven. It’s more of a folk remedy or perhaps just a placebo effect.”
“A placebo effect?”
“It’s when treatments don’t have any real medical effect, but the belief in their effectiveness helps relieve symptoms.”
“Wait, so…”
“Yes. We need to convince the Kraken of the effectiveness of finger-snapping. We need to approach it positively, with conviction.”
“And by snapping the tip of a tentacle and relying on the placebo effect, we hope to relieve its indigestion.”
“That’s the idea.”
Fortunately, the Mermaid Queen seemed to be following along.
‘There doesn’t seem to be any other option.’
Mermaids were said to never experience indigestion themselves, so they couldn’t understand how debilitating it could be or how relieving it felt.
‘They wouldn’t understand the relief of snapping a finger.’
Many dismissed finger-snapping as just a placebo, but there were those in South Korea who swore by its effectiveness.
Lloyd was one of them.
‘It definitely works. I’ve experienced it myself.’
During a high school trip, he had once suffered severe indigestion after drinking soju by mistake. His friends, unable to watch him suffer, had brought him to a teacher who, instead of scolding him for drinking, had snapped his finger with a needle and thread.
‘Up until then, I doubted its effectiveness. But after experiencing it, I was a believer.’
As the thread was removed and the teacher rubbed his back, he had let out a deep burp, and his discomfort had vanished instantly.
‘It was a remarkable experience, unforgettable for its effectiveness.’
‘Maybe it’ll work now too. No, it has to.’
If they couldn’t alleviate the Kraken’s discomfort, a clash with the mermaid army seemed inevitable.
He was determined to prevent any catastrophe.
With resolve, Lloyd proposed a bold plan.
“To be honest, I’m not sure which tentacle would be best. So let’s snap them all.”
“All eight?”
“Yes.”
He stated firmly.
“Tie all eight tips and snap them simultaneously on my cue.”
Reluctantly, the Queen agreed.
‘It’s better than forcibly subduing the Kraken, I suppose.’
It would certainly be less harmful to both the Kraken and the mermaids.
She gathered her generals, and the plan was swiftly put into action.
“As just explained, divide into 17 units and proceed. Understood?”
“We understand, Your Majesty.”
“Remember, don’t take unnecessary risks. If the situation becomes dangerous, retreat immediately. Clear?”
“Your orders will be followed.”
The mermaid generals nodded, each returning to their units.
And so, the operation began.
Leading the charge was the Mermaid Queen herself, diving toward the Kraken and announcing the start of the treatment.
“To endure despite the discomfort, for it is all for your benefit.”
A high-pitched sound echoed as the mermaid units communicated their positions.
Then, they executed their strategy from every direction.
“Focus on the tips of the tentacles!”
“Only tie the very ends!”
“Use our hair!”
“Make sure the knots are tight!”
Mermaids pulled strands of their hair, weaving them into ropes several meters long for each tentacle.
Teams designated for rope duty approached the Kraken’s tentacles.
“Hold on!”
“Stay strong!”
Hundreds of mermaids, showing formidable strength, managed to momentarily slow the movement of the Kraken’s tentacles.
Amidst this, the hair ropes were wrapped around the tentacle tips.
“Secure them!”
“Pull tight!”
The knots were tied, and the Kraken’s thrashing intensified.
But the mermaids were prepared.
“Bring out the needles!”
At the Queen’s command, eight units armed with gigantic needles made from Giga Titan horns advanced.
“Dive in!”
Twenty mermaids per horn charged with incredible speed, piercing all eight tentacles simultaneously.
“Twist and pull!”
The action was precise: a clean pierce followed by a twist to ensure a larger wound and more bleeding.
The giant needles were removed, taking chunks of flesh with them, though minor given the Kraken’s size.
The pain was sharp.
“Kraken!”
Startled by the sudden pain in all tentacles, the Kraken contracted them.
As the ropes were untied, the bleeding began.
“Look at the color!”
An observation was made about the unusual color of the blood, prompting a collective cheer.
“Success!”
The unconventional remedy seemed to work.
‘Who would’ve thought such an absurd solution would be effective?’
Yet, their job wasn’t finished.
The final phase involved inducing a burp.
“17th unit, move out!”
The reserved unit brought forward thirty emperor whales.
“Approach!”
Guided by the mermaids, the whales neared the Kraken, especially its torso, and began rubbing against it.
“Rub harder!”
Their vigorous rubbing eventually eased the Kraken’s expression.
“Kraken…”
With a yawn, it let out a monumental burp.
“Done.”
The queen clenched her fist in triumph.
The plan had worked, evidenced by the relaxed look on the Kraken’s face.
‘Success.’
With the Kraken’s discomfort alleviated, it was time to soothe it further, collect the scattered eggs, and rebuild the city.
The queen finally relaxed, ready to praise Lloyd for his contributions.
But then, she noticed his concerned expression.
‘It’s not over. The burp wasn’t enough.’
While the mermaids celebrated, Lloyd remained focused, sensing the indigestion wasn’t fully resolved.
He had been using his measuring skill, noting the Kraken’s skin still showed signs of distress.
Realizing the finger-snapping wasn’t entirely effective, he decided on a drastic measure.
‘If snapping and rubbing didn’t fully help, it’s time to force it out.’
Time was short.
Without hesitation, Lloyd took action, calling upon his companion, Banguli, for an explosive intervention.
“Banguli, we need a volcanic eruption.”
“Bangul?”
“Over there. Can you do it?”
“Bangul!”
Confident, Banguli ingested a red sunflower seed, enlarging instantly.
Mounting Banguli, Lloyd prepared for their daring move.
“Bangul! Go!”
With a powerful tail whip, Banguli propelled them forward, creating an underwater eruption.
Holding tightly to Banguli, Lloyd aimed for the Kraken’s forehead, launching himself with a final explosive push.
Crashing into the Kraken, he targeted the vital spot, inducing a massive regurgitation.
The Kraken expelled an object, resonating like the Jewel of truth, revealing an emerald statue.
The audacious plan had worked, offering a new solution to an age-old problem.
