After a bit of practice, Feinth became an expert at finding golden crabs. Although at first he hadn't noticed, still adapting to his new circumstances, he had to admit that his vision had improved considerably.
He could see with astonishing clarity and notice even the slightest movement or irregularity many meters away, as if everything were right before his eyes. Thanks to this, searching for this exquisite delicacy, which had become one of his newly acquired tastes, turned out to be a surprisingly simple task.
The mimicry the crabs adopted to camouflage themselves in the sand was impressive. Their shells replicated the color and texture of the environment perfectly, making them blend completely with the ground. However, to Feinth, those tiny black dots that were their eyes, almost invisible to anyone else, were so obvious that he didn't even need to try to locate them.
He quickly unearthed a dozen golden crabs and eagerly stuffed them into his mouth before swallowing them. He wasn't sure how much food his body needed to survive. He vaguely remembered that some species of reptiles could go days, weeks, or even longer without eating, sustaining themselves only with water. Still, as a precaution, he preferred to eat as much as he could until the feeling of rejection forced him to stop.
Strangely, no matter how many golden crabs he devoured, the sensation of hunger and emptiness barely diminished. He could swear he had already consumed the equivalent of his own weight in crabs by the time he finally gave up.
They were tasty, but after eating more than thirty without managing to feel satisfied, it was clear something was not right with him. The most unsettling part was that his stomach didn't even feel bloated, as if everything simply vanished inside his body without leaving a trace.
Was there a black hole inside him that disintegrated everything he consumed? Intrigued and desperate to test his theory, he approached a large rainwater pool. It was deep enough that, under other circumstances, he might have used it as a swimming pool, but this time he had a much stranger purpose.
Without hesitation, he submerged his entire head underwater and began to suck forcefully. Minutes passed and, liter after liter, the water disappeared inside him without pause. Finally, when the pool was completely dry, Feinth's expression was one of pure horror.
Was this his gift as a reincarnated being? He couldn't accept it. What kind of third-rate superpower was this? Where was his invincible divine body? Where were his inexhaustible energy reserves? Had he been rewarded only with an infinite hunger? Frustration consumed him as he stared at the dry ground, unable to accept that this could be the limit of his new abilities.
The sound of water churning near the shore caught his attention. Startled, he quickly retreated and took a defensive posture, hiding among the remains of the ship, hoping not to see those tentacles emerge from the depths.
Splash!
De repente, la cabeza de un pez emergió a lo lejos. Parecía no percatarse de la presencia de Feinth, quien no se atrevió a bajar la guardia. Sin embargo, su mirada permaneció fija en los huevos varados en la playa. Permaneció así durante interminables segundos, hasta que finalmente la criatura se hundió de nuevo en el agua.
Feinth suspiró aliviado.
¡Chapoteo!
El agua en la orilla estalló violentamente. Una enorme sombra saltó y se proyectó sobre la playa. Con un impacto atronador, la criatura aterrizó en la arena antes de que Feinth pudiera distinguir de inmediato qué era.
Era el mismo pez, pero ahora su tamaño había crecido a al menos dos metros. Su sonrisa, llena de colmillos afilados y ojos saltones, reflejaba una ferocidad inquietante. Las escamas de la criatura eran de un verde repulsivo, y en el centro de su cabeza, una perla blanca brillaba bajo el sol.
Tenía las branquias completamente cerradas, pero un espiráculo se abría en su lomo, bombeando frenéticamente para dejarlo respirar. El pez poseía seis extremidades: patas de araña y pezuñas que se entrelazaban de forma extraña, terminando en dos largos brazos humanos azulados que le ayudaban a mantenerse erguido sobre la arena.
La palabra "grotesco" era demasiado poca para describir a semejante criatura.
Como una bestia, la criatura se abalanzó sobre el huevo más cercano. Abriendo sus fauces deformadas, se lo tragó entero sin siquiera romperlo. Un sonido que Feinth jamás creyó posible llegó a sus oídos mientras permanecía paralizado.
Pudo ver claramente cómo la enorme garganta del pez se expandía, deslizando el huevo hacia su estómago, que comenzaba a hincharse lentamente con cada bocado. La risa de un humano se escapó de aquella aberración mientras devoraba los huevos uno tras otro, como si estuviera comiendo lo más delicioso del mundo.
[Estadísticas]
Vitalidad (HP): 616/616 [E]
Maná (MP): 25/25 [F]
Fuerza (STR): 85 [F]
Defensa (DEF): 19 [F]
Velocidad (SPD): 65(23) [F]
Inteligencia (INT): 20 [F]
Resistencia (RES): 20 [F]
¡Demasiado fuerte! Todas sus estadísticas lo superaban con creces, y su vitalidad era más de diez veces mayor.
Para cuando Feinth reaccionó, ya no quedaban muchos huevos en la playa. ¿Debería escapar? Esa cosa aún no lo había notado, pero mientras esos pensamientos cruzaban por su mente, la abominación detuvo su festín. Sus ojos rojos y lechosos se abrieron de par en par y lo miraron fijamente.
El pez se detuvo un instante mientras tragaba, con el estómago grotescamente hinchado, abultado como si estuviera a punto de estallar. Pero no lo hizo. Con una velocidad aterradora, se puso en movimiento, levantando enormes chorros de arena con sus patas traseras mientras galopaba hacia él.
Una sensación a la vez familiar y desconocida abrumó los sentidos de Feinth. Sus escamas se erizaron y un escalofrío sobrenatural le recorrió la espalda. La sensación de estar cerca de la muerte lo consumió por completo. ¡Iba a ser devorado! Apenas se había acostumbrado a este nuevo cuerpo, y ya se encontraba en una lucha de vida o muerte.
El pez lo superaba en todas las cualidades físicas y Feinth dudaba profundamente que tuviera alguna posibilidad de escapar ileso de este encuentro.
Buscó desesperadamente una forma de huir. Su vista se agudizó al ver parte del barco naufragado alojado no muy lejos. Allí, una pequeña abertura parecía lo suficientemente grande como para que pudiera colarse dentro, si lograba llegar a tiempo.