Leveling Up By Surviving Alone - L.U.B.S.A Chapter 31

A crisp clicking sound rang out as the top lid of the three-tiered mess tin—connected to the entire container—popped open. Inside lay neatly arranged kelp chips, something he’d planned to snack on while enjoying the sea breeze. But given the situation, he had no choice but to devour them hastily.

—

– This ingredient has a special effect.

– Would you like to use “Effect Activation”?

—

“Please, let this option be useful!”

Naturally, he nodded. The kelp chips transformed into *Mana Kelp Chips*:

—

*[Mana Kelp Chips]*

1. Your blood is purified, granting 1% resistance to all status ailments (0/100)

—

“Darn…!”

Ji Yeonwoo ground his teeth. The third tier of his “mess tin plan” was a bust. Sure, it was a decent effect in general, but it was useless in the middle of a fight like this.

His lunchbox scheme had only succeeded twice. The situation still looked grim. Worse yet, there was no time to brood about it.

—

– The Watcher warns that the bull shark is coming again!

—

“I know, Watcher!”

He had recovered some stamina, regained a bit of mana. Ji Yeonwoo hurled his spear-like harpoon with all his might.

—

* Accurate Shot (C)*

—

At last, he unleashed the polished skill he’d been unable to use before. His spear’s tip flew toward the oncoming bull shark’s dorsal side—

But *Ting~*

It didn’t penetrate.

“What the…!”

That alone was proof of how tough the Rift Bull Shark’s hide was. The spear dropped uselessly into the water, and the shark arrived to slam the raft again.

*BAM!*

A massive wave sent the bamboo raft reeling, pushing it farther out to sea, not toward shore. After the same thing happened three times, it clearly wasn’t an accident. The shark was intentionally driving him deeper into open water. Ji Yeonwoo shuddered at its cunning.

“Dammit…”

Even after devouring his precious lunch, little had changed.

—

– The Watcher anxiously asks what you’ll do about the spear, pacing in worry.

– He wonders if there’s any other way!

—

“Watcher, no problem with the spear.”

He had indeed thrown it, missed, and watched it sink into the sea. But Ji Yeonwoo remained calm. He raised his hand and called out:

“*Recall!*”

A glow sparked in his palm. The harpoon-like *Multi-Tool Knife* reappeared.

—

– The Watcher is startled.

– He asks if this is a creation-type skill.

—

“It’s not creation. It’s recall!”

When he’d first obtained the Multi-Tool skill, the “Recall” function had intrigued him most. He’d tested various scenarios—throwing it into the air or the ocean, then recalling it—and confirmed that range was almost unlimited, and that the same physical item, not a new copy, returned to him.

So once again, he was holding a long spear, still wet from the sea. Ji Yeonwoo wiped the handle so it wouldn’t slip, then pulled his arm way back.

—

* Accurate Shot (C)*

—

*Fwoosh—!*

The bull shark darted around, but mid-flight, the harpoon changed trajectory slightly, aiming squarely for the shark’s dorsal side. This time—

*Bam!*

It stuck, though only barely. Ji Yeonwoo felt no elation.

The spear tip hung on by a corner, barely dangling. It clearly wasn’t a direct hit.

“What, is it wearing a turtle shell for skin?!”

But he had to do something. Spear stuck, then recalled, thrown again—over and over, creating small wounds on the shark’s hide and fin.

“Tiny raindrops eventually soak you, right?”

That might be true, but so was the fact the bull shark’s attacks were more like a torrential downpour.

*KWAAM!*

Another slam to the raft. The shark then circled away. Ji Yeonwoo seized that chance to hurl his spear once more for maximum force. That was his best shot. Sometimes it would lodge well enough to do damage.

The sequence repeated a number of times. Then, without warning, the shark changed patterns. Instead of retreating, it opened its jaws wide and bit into the bamboo raft like it was chomping an ice cream bar.

*CHOMP!*

“You bastard! You a video game boss or something?! Changing to Phase 2 now?!”

Then he had to transition to Phase 2 as well. He grabbed his spear and attacked, figuring a direct thrust with body strength might prove more effective than throwing it.

*Stab! Stab!*

“Rrgh!”

Each time the spear stabbed in, the shark thrashed its head as if annoyed. But Ji Yeonwoo just kept thrusting. Indeed, it seemed to embed deeper than his javelin throws. Yet each shallow success left him eager for more—he tried a bigger motion to drive it in deeper.

In that instant, the bull shark’s eyes flashed. Its jaws opened to clamp down on his arm.

“…!”

Ji Yeonwoo’s agility skill kicked in. A flash of clarity:

‘Pulling my arm out is impossible.’

Then he had to reinforce his arm with something else.

Ji Yeonwoo grabbed a piece of the raft inside the shark’s mouth and placed it over the back of his hand.

The shark’s teeth came down on it.

Crunch!

“Ughhh!”

The top of his hand was spared from direct contact with the teeth, but the bottom wasn’t so lucky. The durable hunting suit gave way, and blood began to seep out. Even this would only hold for a few seconds.

While pulling his left hand free, Ji Yeonwoo continued attacking with his right.

The harpoon wasn’t effective in close quarters.

He switched to something else.

The kitchen knife in his reverse grip stabbed the bull shark’s eye.

Stab!

No matter how tough the bull shark was, its eye couldn’t withstand the attack.

The bull shark screamed in pain.

But instead of releasing its grip, it bit down even harder.

At this point, Ji Yeonwoo was at his limit.

You think you’re the only one with a mouth?

“I’ve got a mouth too!”

He opened his mouth and bit down on the bull shark’s forehead.

Chomp!

It felt like chewing on tough rubber.

If it weren’t for the Sturdy Teeth (E)(Passive) skill he had gained from the red seabream, his teeth might have broken.

But his teeth were as tough as the red seabream’s, and he managed to tear into the shark’s skin and rip out a chunk of flesh.

However, the shark still didn’t let go.

In fact, the more pain it felt, the harder it bit down.

Just as Ji Yeonwoo thought he might lose his arm,

—

– The Watcher urges you to gently stroke the shark’s nose!

—

“Huh…?”

It was such an out-of-the-blue suggestion, it barely registered as real advice.

—

– He pleads for you to trust him and just do it!

—

“Alright, fine!”

They had formed a “Rift Brotherhood.” If he couldn’t trust The Watcher, who could he trust? He dropped the knife and reached for the bull shark’s nose, stroking it gently.

*Stroke, stroke…* Very carefully… with all the sincerity he could muster.

Just as he doubted it would do anything, the shark’s eyes rolled back in its head, as though overwhelmed by extreme sensation. Its body went limp. It looked positively delirious, like it had gone to a far-off dreamland.

Its jaw slackened. “Now!” Ji Yeonwoo yanked himself back. The bull shark floated idly, mind clouded, not moving.

“Is… is it dead?”

But in a moment, it snapped to, thrashing backward in confusion—unsure what had just happened. Ji Yeonwoo was just as baffled.

“Wh-what was that all about?”

The Watcher’s explanation was unexpectedly logical:

—

– The Watcher says sharks have organs called Ampullae of Lorenzini.

– They’re located on the snout. Stimulating them strongly can cause a massive reaction.

—

“Really? Whoa… I had no idea! Thanks, big brother! You’re a real encyclopedia.”

—

– He says he’s the one who should be grateful that you trusted him right away.

—

“I’ll always listen to you from now on. You’ve saved my life yet again!”

—

– The Watcher reminds you it’s not over yet.

– Mid-sentence, he cries out in alarm.

– He asks if your arm is okay!

—

“My arm?”

Ji Yeonwoo looked at his left arm.

*Drip, drip…*

The shark’s teeth must have torn open a blood vessel; the limb sported gnash marks, blood pouring out. Enough to worry about bleeding out.

Only then did the pain flood in.

“Ugh… it hurts.”

But his expression grew more resolute. So what if it hurt? He had no father to coddle him, no mother to blow on his wounds and say everything would be okay. He was alone. Surviving was up to him.

“Things were finally turning around here…!”

He tightened his grip on the harpoon. As he steadied himself, a system message suddenly flashed:

—

– You have consumed *Rift Bull Shark (Adolescent) (B)* from the Monster Codex.

– As a perk, Strength +10

– As a perk, Stamina +10

– As a perk, Mana +10

—

*Kwaaaaa!*

His harpoon bent slightly in his grip. Startled, he let go, leaving shallow finger indentations. He felt stronger, with more mana to boot.

Refueled with that power and his Accurate Shot, he launched the harpoon again. This time it flew like a bolt of light, piercing the shark’s dorsal hide.

*Grrraaar!*

A howl reverberated from below, the shark thrashing in a crimson wake.

“…Finally sticking.”

Though it only went in about a hand’s length. Killing it this way would take forever. Still, if he could make it bleed, that was progress.

He’d had an idea since he first drew blood. Carefully putting it into action, he yanked the harpoon from the pufferfish’s belly. Toxic blood glistened on its tip. Ji Yeonwoo threw it, and it sank into the shark’s hide about two hands deep.

*Grrrraar!*

Shrieking in agony. Ji Yeonwoo recalled the spear, now dripping with the shark’s blood, thrust it again into the pufferfish’s belly to coat it in tetrodotoxin, then flung it anew.

*Thuck!*

*Grrrraaaaar!*

Again and again, each throw landed dead on thanks to his skill, leaving the bull shark utterly perplexed.

Otaku_Senpai

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