Chapter 167: Little Ink

They went hunting for food first, since both of them were hungry. And because they remembered the Sun Eater’s corpse, they headed back there to try eating it.

When they arrived, the carcass was already swarming with small creatures. Scavengers that had been hiding, that had survived the catastrophe, were now crawling over the massive body. But strangely, none of them preyed on each other. They just ate in peaceful as if the dead god had become a neutral ground for everything that remained.

Cindy drifted closer, her frills swaying as she studied the colossal corpse.

"I still can’t believe a creature this big died such a miserable death..."

Gray hovered beside her, his blade-tentacles curling loosely as he watched the scavengers feed.

’I can’t believe it either,’ he said. ’The creature that swallowed me ended up like this. And I wanted to defeat it myself.’

Cindy turned toward him, her silver eyes sharp.

"Don’t be stupid. It would’ve taken a Seventh or Eighth Circle mage to bring that thing down. I was swallowed by it, remember? I know firsthand that Fifth Circle attacks don’t even scratch it."

’If I’d been given time, I could’ve beaten it,’ Gray said, his mental voice calm but firm.

Cindy let out a soft sigh, but didn’t argue.

Gray drifted toward the corpse and pressed his feeding surface against the exposed flesh. The first bite hit him immediately, rich, dense, with a texture that was both chewy and fibrous, like the finest cut of meat marinated in mana. It was, without question, the best thing he had ever eaten in this ocean.

’...This is good,’ he admitted. ’Really good.’

Cindy drifted beside him and took a bite as well. Her frills lifted slightly, her expression shifting from hesitation to quiet surprise.

"...It is good," she murmured.

The star creature, meanwhile, had not been idle.

It darted between the small scavengers, chasing them with playful pulses of its dark core. It snapped up a few of the smaller fish in quick, precise bites. Then, apparently deciding that wasn’t enough, it turned toward the Sun Eater’s corpse.

It opened its mouth, a small star-shaped maw that seemed far too tiny for the task and bit into the massive body. The bite was enormous, tearing away a chunk of flesh larger than its own body. It chewed once, twice, and swallowed. Then it went back for more.

Gray watched it for a moment, his bell tilting with disbelief.

’Hey!’ he snapped. ’Don’t eat too much! Leave some for us!’

The star creature paused mid-bite, its dark core pulsing with what might have been amusement. Then it took another bite anyway.

Gray’s carapace crackled with faint electricity.

’You little—’

Cindy let out a soft laugh, her frills swaying.

"Let it eat," she said. "It’s growing and I think it likes the taste."

Gray grumbled something under his breath, but he didn’t stop it. Instead, he turned back to the corpse and took another bite himself.

Cindy drifted beside Gray, her frills swaying thoughtfully as she watched the star creature dart between the scavengers.

"Why don’t we give it a name?"

Gray tilted his bell, considering the idea.

’How about Little Star?’

Cindy glanced at the creature, then back at Gray, her silver eyes blank.

"That’s... incredibly cheesy."

The star creature, which had apparently been listening, stopped mid-pulse. Its five points rotated slowly, its dark core flickering with something that might have been indignation. Then it turned and slammed its small body into Gray’s carapace.

Thump!

Gray barely flinched, but he glanced down at it.

’Hey. What was that for? It’s a good name, isn’t it?’

Thump! Thump!

The creature rammed him again, its points spinning faster.

Cindy watched the assault with a small, satisfied smile.

"How about Ink?"

The star creature paused mid-ram. Its core pulsed once, bright and sharp. Then it turned and slammed into Cindy instead, its pointed edges digging into her small body.

"Ehh?!" Cindy squeaked, trying to shield herself with her arm. "I thought that was a good name!"

Thump! Thump! Thump!

’That’s a terrible name too, Cindy,’ Gray said, his mental voice carrying a faint trace of amusement.

"Stop it, Ink! Your edges are too sharp!" Cindy yelped, trying to push the creature away.

The star creature now apparently more angry at being called Ink rammed her again, harder this time.

"WHYYY?!" Cindy wailed, tears beading at the corners of her silver eyes.

Gray watched the scene for a long moment. Then, with a slow, deliberate pulse, he spoke.

’Alright, alright. How about Lily?’

The star creature stopped mid-ram.

Its five points rotated slowly, its dark core pulsing with a rhythm that felt almost... thoughtful. It hovered there in the water, drifting just in front of Gray’s bell, as if considering the name.

Then it bobbed in agreement, then swam happy circles around Gray.

Cindy stared at it, her silver eyes wide with disbelief.

"...It likes that one?"

Gray’s bell tilted with satisfaction.

’Of course it does. I picked it.’

Cindy’s frills flattened. "You picked Little Star too, and it tried to impale you."

’That was a warm-up. This is the real one.’

Then Lily circled Cindy as well, gently brushing one of its rounded edges against her cheek.

Cindy blinked, caught off guard by the gentleness.

"...Okay," she admitted. "Maybe it does like it."

’See?’ Gray said. ’I’m good at this.’

"You got lucky."

’Same thing.’

Cindy let out a small huff, letting Gray be smug for a moment. She reached up with her remaining hand and gently patted Lily’s dark core. The creature pulsed warmly under her touch, its points slowing to a calm, steady orbit.

"Lily," Cindy murmured, testing the name. "It suits you."

Lily pulsed again, brighter this time, and drifted upward in a slow, happy spiral.

Gray watched it for a moment, then turned back toward the Sun Eater’s corpse.

’Now that that’s settled,’ he said, ’let’s finish eating. We’ve got a long journey ahead.’

Cindy nodded, drifting back toward the corpse.

"I hope we can find it without any trouble..." she murmured. Then she glanced back at Gray. "By the way, weren’t you going to evolve, Gray?"