Placing hundreds of nails one by one was time-consuming.
While Su Man placed the nails, Yan Qingwen and Shen Mo weren't idle, circling the Nail-Tooth Monster, scrutinizing it.
“About 1.5 meters tall, approximately 2 meters long. Its forelimbs are short, posing no threat, but its head is enormous, suggesting a formidable bite force.”
“Its hind legs are powerful; it won't be slow.”
“Not only fast, but its jumping ability is also strong. Coupled with its powerful bite, it'll be very tricky to deal with.”
“…However, it has no tail and an oversized head, so its balance should be poor.”
“Try changing directions frequently when attacking.”
…
Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen discussed back and forth.
Tan Xiao listened in a daze.
He didn't understand how these two could deduce so much just from glancing at the nail-filled monster.
Tan Xiao nudged Li Li with his elbow and whispered, “What are they talking about?”
Li Li replied impatiently, “You wouldn't understand even if I told you. Just shut up and listen, don't interrupt.”
Tan Xiao suddenly realized, “Oh… you don't understand either? Then I'm relieved. It's not just me.”
Li Li: “…You!”
“Don't interrupt,” Tan Xiao said seriously. “We should just listen from the side.”
Li Li: “…”
Damn, I want to curse.
…
More and more nails filled the Nail-Tooth Monster's mouth.
Fewer and fewer nails remained in Su Man's bowl.
Seeing the dwindling number, Yan Qingwen reminded Su Man, “Slow down the pace of placing the nails.”
Su Man nodded and deliberately slowed down.
Yan Qingwen took the opportunity to count the nails in her bowl. Seventeen remained.
“Not enough nails,” Shen Mo frowned, staring at the fleshy suckers in the monster's mouth. “Even with the 17 nails in the bowl, we're still short thirty-something.”
“Thirty-something?” Yan Qingwen said. “We need the exact number to determine the answer.”
Shen Mo's frown deepened as he stared at the monster's mouth. “…36, or 37. These suckers keep moving. You guys come and count too.”
Yan Qingwen, Li Li, and Tan Xiao all gathered around. Each counted the fleshy suckers missing nails, then subtracted the number of nails remaining in the bowl.
Yan Qingwen arrived at 38.
Li Li got 37.
Tan Xiao counted 31.
Li Li was speechless. “Yours is the lowest count!”
Tan Xiao, unwilling to accept it, counted again, this time arriving at 44.
Su Man's pace slowed further, the nails steadily decreasing. Fewer than ten remained in the bowl.
She took out a nail, slowly placed it into the Nail-Tooth Monster's mouth, and asked nervously, “Are you guys done yet?”
The men circled the monster and recounted, still unable to reach a consensus.
Either 36 or 38.
Because the fleshy suckers constantly contracted and expanded, the shrunken ones would be obscured by the expanded ones, and their contraction frequencies differed, making it difficult to discern the exact number.
Only three nails remained in Su Man's bowl.
Yan Qingwen said, “Spread out, be ready to attack.”
“Run as soon as the last nail is in! Got it?!” Li Li instructed Su Man.
“Worry about yourself!” Su Man retorted irritably. “I'll definitely run faster than you!”
Two nails left.
Tan Xiao gripped his wooden stick, looking fierce. “I'll stand behind it, whack it with the stick, and then run!”
Shen Mo stood calmly to the side, his folding fruit knife open in his hand.
One nail left…
The tension reached its peak—
As a sucker enveloped the last small iron nail, Yan Qingwen shouted:
“Run!!!”
Su Man and Li Li turned and ran!
Tan Xiao swung his stick! The wood shattered!
Shen Mo stabbed at the monster's neck, the knife tip sparking! The blade cracked!
He and Yan Qingwen's expressions changed drastically!
“Its body is metal!”
“Aw aw aw aw aw!!!”
The Nail-Tooth Monster roared hoarsely, its mouth full of iron nails, lunging at them!