Blink. Blink.
Liam opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was darkness... and then movement.
He found himself inside the disgusting interior of the monster that had swallowed him. Organic walls pulsed slowly around him, contracting as if they were breathing.
Among the viscous mass floated the remains of ships, fragments of twisted metal, even a small wooden boat, all slowly dissolving in the stomach acid.
A foul, unbearable smell permeated the air.
Liam covered his nose with his forearm.
"This monster's digestion is slow..."
That meant one thing.
He still had time.
Not much, but enough to avoid immediately turning into monster excrement.
A window appeared in front of him.
[You have failed to complete the scenario.]
[Payment of the agreement will commence.]
Liam clicked his tongue.
"Sure, right..."
The notifications continued.
[You have killed 120 living beings.]
[Kill log: 80 goblins, 30 shadow wolves, 16 mutant rats, 4 humans.]
Liam looked at them calmly, as if reviewing an old list.
One second later:
[12,600 coins have been acquired!]
[The coins used to increase stats have been automatically deducted.]
[1,000 coins will be deducted for using your channel.]
[You have a total of 7,900 coins.]
'That's enough.'
The problem wasn't the money.
The problem was getting out of that thing's belly alive.
Liam looked around. There were no useful objects or visible weak points. And worse still, he could feel the acid becoming more active.
His time was running out.
The notifications kept popping up, but Liam ignored them. He had seen all those windows too many times in other regressions.
'With my current strength, I can't escape. And I don't have access to the system store here.'
He clicked his tongue once more.
He didn't have many options left.
Then he spoke aloud.
"Moderator. Appear."
Acid dripped from the organic ceiling.
"I know you're watching."
A flash of light illuminated the monster's interior.
The figure appeared floating in the air: the Stage Moderator, with his extravagant costume and large rabbit feet, smiling as if it were an entertaining show.
[Jojojo... to think that you wouldn't complete the tutorial this way would be a pretty fascinating surprise.]
Liam looked up with a tired expression.
"Save that garbage for later," he said bluntly. "Turn off my channel for a moment."
The moderator's smile tightened.
He didn't like the tone.
But curiosity got the better of him.
He snapped his fingers.
[The "Black Squid" channel has been temporarily shut down.]
The atmosphere became tense.
The moderator looked down at Liam.
[Speak, Human. You only have two minutes.]
"I want you to make my channel premium."
Silence.
The moderator's ears twitched slightly.
[Do you know what you're asking for?]
Liam held his gaze with absolute calm, as if he weren't trapped inside a monster.
"Yes."
The MModeratorfrowned.
[Do you think this is a daycare center? A reward for good behavior?]
"I never said it was free," Liam replied. "I want us to become partners."
The moderator's expression changed.
[Partners?]
"Exactly."
Liam raised his hand and held up three fingers.
"I'll give you thirty percent of everything the channel generates."
The moderator crossed his arms.
[Human, your channel is insignificant. Why would I accept thirty percent of something so miserable?]
The acid fell closer this time.
Liam knew his time was running out.
Even so, he smiled slightly.
"You know perfectly well how many constellations have entered my channel. You know it's not a normal channel."
The moderator didn't respond immediately.
"And if you're not interested,"
Liam continued.
"I can find another moderator."
The air grew thick.
The moderator narrowed his eyes.
[To be continued.]
Then Liam's smile widened.
And just as he was about to speak, a big smile formed on his lips.
[But first you have to pay, because closing a channel greatly displeases the constellations.]
He knew that, so he didn't show any surprise.
"How much do I owe you?"
[5,000 coins]
Liam checks how many coins he has.
[Coins in possession: 7,900 coins]
"Forget it."
[...Eh?]
Liam lay down calmly in the small wooden boat.
Why worry about trivial matters when all he had to do was die and come back again before the global changes began?
'Being devoured by a monster might not be so bad after all.'
The idea didn't seem far-fetched at all; on the contrary, it was just what he needed to fulfill his desire.
In none of his regressions had he been devoured by a monster.
Perhaps this was his chance to end all his suffering.
The moderator remained silent.
The acid continued to drip from the organic walls, marking time with a slow, unpleasant rhythm.
[HHuman..]
His voice lost some of its usual mockery.
[You are aware that you are negotiating from the stomach of a rank 4 predator, right?]
Liam didn't respond immediately.
He just stared at the slimy ceiling, as if bored.
"And yet you showed up," he said. "That means you're interested."
The moderator's ears twitched.
[Interest is not acceptance.]
"Then let's talk about risks."
Liam crosses his legs.
"If I die here, you lose an anomalous channel. One that attracts high-ranking constellations without you having to set off fireworks."
The moderator narrowed his eyes.
[Your channel is... anomalous?]
"Exactly." Liam smiled.
Silence again.
The monster contracted, causing the organic ground to shake.
[Let's say I accept.]
The moderator's voice turned cold.
[What guarantees do I have that you won't betray me?]
Liam turned his head and looked directly at him.
"None."
The moderator opened his eyes in surprise.
"But you don't have a choice either," Liam added. "I can die. But you can't easily replace a channel like mine."
Las palabras quedaron suspendidas en el aire.
Finally—
The moderator snapped his fingers.
[Channel "Black Squid."]
[Special status: PRE-PREMIUM — Conditional.]
A new window appeared.
[Provisional contract established.]
—Moderator's share: 30% of gross profits.
—Restriction: The host may not enter into a contract with any other moderator.
—Termination clause: Final death of the host or proven sabotage.
[Deferred down Payment.]
The MModeratorsighed.
[I don't like you, hHuman]
Liam closed his eyes, relaxing for the first time.
"I don't need you to like me."
The acid began to recede slowly.
And for the first time since he was devoured—
Time stopped running against him.
When the moderator was about to leave, Liam stopped him.
"Can I ask you for one last favor, as partners that we are?"
[What do you want, human?]
"Get me out of here,"
Liam said calmly.
The moderator snapped his fingers, and Liam appeared in the small boat on the East River.
Soon, a window appeared before him.
[The hidden stage has arrived!]
+
[Hidden Scenario – Great R'lyeh]
Category: Hidden
Difficulty: A+
Clear conditions: Survive R'lyeh and reach Chambers Street.
Time limit: 8 days
Reward: 9,000 coins
Failure: Death
+