A SNOW SHOVEL.
Zirkus wondered why Yelena handed him a snow shovel. "Noonim, don't tell me this is the weapon we're going to use to dig the treasures?"
After all, Enzo and Yelena were also holding their own snow shovels.
"These are the only weapons left," Yelena explained kindly. "But don't worry, Zirkus. We need a shovel to dig the treasures, anyway."
Argh.
He suddenly felt guilty, even though Yelena and Enzo weren't saying anything.
[I'm pretty sure there are other more useful weapons we could use to dig treasures. But because I arrived late...]
Yelena was kind, so she wouldn't blame Zirkus.
However...
Zirkus turned to Enzo who looked like he was spacing out. "Are you not going to blame me? If you have any complaints, just say it. I will apologize properly."
Enzo looked at him as if he was wondering what he was talking about. "Blame you for what?"
"Because I was late, we got the worst weapons."
"A weapon is only useless if you don't know how to use it properly," Enzo said, scoffing. Then he looked at Zirkus with dead eyes. "And don't be too arrogant. Even if you are the deadweight of this team, you can't drag us down."
Wow...
[This scary bastard called me 'deadweight' without blinking.]
As expected of the future villain.
"Hey, you don't have to be mean," Yelena scolded Enzo. "This is why you only have Nixie and Rivo for friends."
"I don't want to hear that from someone who doesn't have friends."
"That's not true," Yelena said, then she turned to Zirkus with sparkling eyes. "I have Lovely and Zirkus."
Enzo scoffed. "Fish don't count as friends."
Yelena gasped in disbelief.
"Now you're being mean," Zirkus complained to Enzo. "I may look like a sheephead fish, but I'm human. Human, you hear me?"
Enzo gave him a look that said he had no idea what the fuck he was talking about.
On the other hand, Yelena smiled at him sympathetically. "Zirkus, Enzo is referring to Lovely– the dolphin that brought you here."
Oh, right.
The royal dolphin was named 'Lovely.' He almost forgot since he got defensive after getting used to Blob, the rude System, comparing him to a sheephead fish.
[In short, this is your fault, Blob.]
<"Kekeke! It's not my fault you look like an ugly fish, Shittyhead!">
"Now that I'm looking closely, you DO look like a sheephead fish," Enzo said, nodding while staring at Zirkus' face. "It's good to have self-awareness. I'm seeing you in a new light now, Huxford."
Zirkus' face turned red because, obviously, Enzo was making fun of him with a straight look on his face.
It actually scared him.
[Only psychopaths joke with a serious look on their faces.]
Yelena, on the other hand, suddenly burst out laughing. "Sorry. It's just that... Enzo's face looks funny when he's joking."
Huh???
Zirkus turned to Yelena in disbelief.
[Funny? Enzo actually looked like a murderer on the loose! And yet Noonim finds him "funny?"]
God, Yelena was also scary.
"You know what?" Zirkus said, changing the topic. "Let's begin digging."
After saying that, he hit the sand with the snow shovel using his two hands.
WEEWEEWEE.
[Aigoo!]
Zirkus was surprised when he heard a sound similar to an ambulance siren. He turned to Yelena and Enzo to ask for an explanation. But, much to his confusion, the two were already standing far from him.
[What the...? When did they move so far from me??? And why?!]
"Zirkus, that signal means you hit a treasure box!" Yelena said while waving energetically at him. She had to raise her voice for him to hear her better. "Just hit the ground two more times, then the treasure box will emerge on its own!"
Oh?
[That's pretty convenient.]
He was still wondering why Yelena and Enzo stepped away from him, but the loud siren was starting to irritate him.
Hence, he hit the sand twice.
Just like what the Mermaid Princess said, the treasure box really emerged on its own.
Then the alarm finally stopped ringing after that.
[Hmm? It's smaller than I expected.]
It had the appearance and size of a typical pirate treasure box that he had seen in movies back when he was still living as Park Suho.
[So cliché.]
"Zirkus, be careful!" Yelena warned him. "The treasure box will also open on its own!"
As soon as the Mermaid Princess said that, the treasure box suddenly opened...
... and then a small crab came out of it.
Zirkus automatically smiled while squatting down to look at the little crab closer. "Aw, you're so cute–"
"Zirkus, no!"
Yelena's warning came a bit late, but fortunately, his body move on its own when he heard the urgency in the Mermaid Princess' voice.
Zirkus jumped away from the sea creature, but he lost his balance and fell on his butt.
[Ouch...]
The next thing he knew, he was already looking up at the 3-meter crab in front of him. If he didn't move from his spot earlier, he would have already been cut in half by the giant crab's huge and sharp pincers.
Zirkus gulped, still in shock.
[What the fuck???]
"Zirkus, you have to kill the crab to get the treasure!" Yelena yelled cheerfully. "It's just a low-level Sea Monster! You can do it!"
[No, I can't!]
Zirkus didn't have time to swallow in self-pity, though.
The crab started to walk towards him.
In a very quick fashion.
[So fast!]
Zirkus immediately stood up and grabbed the snow shovel. He didn't know what to do with that, but he just took it as he ran away from the Sea Monster. "Hey, I could use some really good advice here, you know? How do I kill that giant crab?"
"Just smash it with your shovel," Enzo said casually. "Easy, right?"
"Well, not everyone is built like you, Mr. Enzo Fenton!"
"The eyes, Zirkus!" Yelena yelled in urgency. "Just hit one of the crab's eyes!"
"Thank you, Noonim!" Zirkus said with a grateful heart. Even so... "But even if I know its weakness, it's not like I can simply hit it. It's way taller and bigger than me!"
"Don't worry, it's dumb!"
Huh?
CRAAASH.
Zirkus stopped running when he heard a loud thud behind him.
And when he turned around, he was surprised to see the 3-meter crab lying on its shell. In that position, the crab couldn't get up. He saw a pretty big rock near the crab, which made him think that the rock probably caused the Sea Monster to trip and fall.
He then heard the rude System in his head.
<"Lucky bastard.">
"It's really dumb," Zirkus said, then he didn't waste any more time. "This is my chance!"
He thought the red crab was cute, at first.
But he changed his mind after it turned into a 3-meter Sea Monster. Thanks to that, he no longer felt attached to it.
[I mean, this thing tried to kill me– and I'm not a forgiving person!]
Zirkus climbed to the giant crab's abdomen to avoid its legs.
Well, he didn't really have to worry about them since he could see those wiggly semi-transparent eels around the crab's legs and claws– effectively preventing the Sea Monster from moving.
Even without looking, he could tell that it was Yelena's doing.
After all, he could clearly remember from the novel that the Mermaid Princess could control water.
[That's why Noonim doesn't belong to an academy focused on Swordsmen!]
Touched by Yelena's help, Zirkus moved faster. It wasn't easy to walk quickly on top of the giant crab's abdomen which was shaped like a small hill, but he did his best until he finally reached the spot where the Sea Monster's eyes were located.
Oh!
Red eyes?
Each orb was as big as a child's head.
[The eyes are like giant rubies...]
So pretty.
"Zirkus, snap out of it!" Yelena yelled urgently. "Low-level Sea Monsters have the power to hypnotize you if you look straight into their eyes!"
Oh, that was the Mermaid Princess for you.
[Noonim sure knows a lot about Sea Monsters.]
After snapping out of his trance, Zirkus finally lifted the snow shovel and used the sharp edge of the scoop to crush the left eye. "Take that, dude– WAAAHHH!"
The impact when the crab's red eye was crushed caused his body to recoil.
He was literally pushed away by an invisible force– screaming like the pathetic weakling that he was. Fortunately, he wasn't sent flying that far. He was just a two-meter away from the Sea Monster when he landed on his butt.
[Ouch!]
Then Zirkus was forced to close his eyes when the Sea Monster exploded in a blinding light.
[What now?!]
He clearly remembered Yelena saying the crab was a "low-level" Sea Monster, and yet it was already so bothersome to get rid of it.
<"It's because you're weak, Shittyhead!">
[Shut it, Blob.]
"Zirkus, it's okay to open your eyes now."
He trusted Yelena with all his heart, so he opened his eyes.
And surprise, surprise!
Zirkus saw a transparent box floating above the spot where the giant was supposed to be, the Sea Monster had already vanished.
"That's your treasure, Zirkus," Yelena said, smiling while clapping her hands. "Congratulations! You worked hard for it!"
Enzo scoffed. "YOU worked harder than him."
The Mermaid Princess just ignored the grumpy future villain.
Zirkus, on the other hand, quickly walked towards his treasure– his heart beating fast and hard against his chest.
Since the box was transparent, he could clearly see what was inside.
And wow.
[For real???]
Before he knew it, Zirkus was already reaching out for the item inside the transparent box.
Surprisingly, his hands went through the box. It kind of feel like touching slime, so he felt a bit uncomfortable. But he was focused on getting his hands on the treasure. And when he finally did...
<"Congratulations, Shittyhead! You finally got the first item that activates the Bonus Ability of your Trash Reporter Skills!">
This thing, for real?
Zirkus excitedly wore the red-tinted oval metal sunglasses.
[A vintage eyewear for a gentleman like me, huh?]
<"Surprise, Shittyhead!">
Zirkus flinched when the Window appeared in front of him along with Blob's loud voice ringing in his head.
<"These Red Metal Sunglasses are installed with the <Spy Video/Camera> and <Hidden Audio Recording> features! These Bonus Items will help you realize your dream to be a trash reporter once again!">
[Who said I wanted to be a trash reporter again, you psycho?!]
But Zirkus would admit that the treasure he got was pretty useful for his grand plan.
[Hehe.]