《Suddenly, I Became a Slime》 Prologue: Chrysalis Prologue: Chrysalis I believe that humans always live to gain some kind of stimtion. Naturally, these stimtions will be different for each person. It might be something rted to eating, reading a novel after a long day¡¯s work, or maybe sweet moments with a lover. Some may even enjoy immersing themselves in activities to satisfy their intellectual vanity. There may also be those who seek stimtion itself. Just like that, I, too, sought small stimtions in my everyday life. Tiny stimuli would make the monotonous routine more vibrant, just like the daily grind of running on a hamster wheel. ¡°©¤!¡± But what did it cost? If I knew it had led to nothing but screaming without being able to scream and my body melting away, I might have just gone home and grabbed a can of beer. While some seek stimtion through self-destructive behavior, I am not that twisted. If I had known that death awaited at the end, I wouldn¡¯t have wanted it. I was just a regr office worker who feared death, that¡¯s all. ¡­Maybe. My view gradually begins to blur. Other than that, I couldn¡¯t think of any other words to express this. The sound of my scream echoes. No, can it even be said that it echoes? My blurry view gradually darkens. It felt astonishing that I still can think. They say when facing death, you see a flickering light that feels like an eternity. It was peaceful. It flowed peacefully. A soft and squishy feeling. Thus, my sight became utterly dark. A cold death had arrived. Or so I thought. At 19:05, ¨€¨€¨€-KR leak was confirmed, suppression team dispatch request received. At 19:08, was a contact between ¨€¨€¨€-KR and unidentified civilian, shortly after which civilian and ¨€¨€¨€-KR mixed and entered ¨€¨€-KR. Temporary designation assigned to the merged entity as ¨€¨€¨€KR-1 for now; this section will be further updatedter. At 19:15, the suppression team arrived on site and began search operations. 20:15 The suppression team concludes the search, fails to secure ¨€¨€¨€-KR-1, and decides, based on the on-sitemander¡¯s judgment, that entering ¨€¨€-KR is impossible. The suppression team withdraws.End. Head of ¨€¨€ Region Suppression Team, Hwang¨€¨€ Chapter 1: Twisting and turning Chapter 1: Twisting and turning Why do I have to die here like this? What on earth is the country doing? I wish someone would help me¡­. After a while of being pessimistic, I tried to move my body, realizing that my consciousness was still present. But my body wouldn¡¯t budge at all. I couldn¡¯t tell if I was opening my eyes or closing them. All I could see was thick darkness. Upon realizing the darkness, I felt dampness. Not just in parts of my body, but I felt dampness throughout my whole body. I thought I was dead, so why am I feeling these sensations? It¡¯s puzzling. By the way, where could I be that I feel this dampness all over my body? If I miraculously survived, shouldn¡¯t I be lying in an ufortable hospital bed? Even if tightly wrapped bandages obstruct my vision, it¡¯s bizarre to feel dampness. One assumption shed through my mind as I felt the dampness all over my body. No way. Have I be a brain in a vat? If that¡¯s the case, then everything makes sense. My body melted away. The dampness felt all over my body. Is it possible that the science and technology of this country have reached that point already? At this rate, we might soon experience full-dive games as well. If I have turned into a brain in a vat, then wouldn¡¯t I be able to lead ahead of anyone else? I will be able to y all day long. While indulging in foolish thoughts and escaping reality. *Flutter.* Along with the sensation, something leaped into my body. It felt like it didn¡¯t just touch me but literally ¡®leaped in.¡¯ Just as it became clear that my brain was not in a vat, I heard an animals cry. Cries echoed throughout my entire body. Something struggles vividly. It¡¯s highly confusing. I couldn¡¯t understand what was happening to me right now. *Gurgle, gurgle¡­.* I heard a strange sound, and then a distinct taste of chewing raw meat hit me. Then, a bitter taste followed, making me feel like I was drinking wrung-out dirty water. I felt nauseous. *Gulp!* Feeling something draining from my body, I could finally move. St! Something disgusting, presumably what I just spat out earlier, entered my body again. By now, the thought that something was wrong filled my mind. Feeling the continued disgust, I headed towards the faint light in the distance to assess the situation. *Squelch¡­ Squelch.* *Thump! Bubble¡­ bubble.* *Crunch! Slurp! Splurt!* Meanwhile, something simr to a while ago kept happening to me. Something entered my body, giving me a sensation like chewing raw meat and a disgusting taste. Fortunately, as something continued to collide with me, my senses gradually became clearer. I heard faint sounds of water flowing. The sound of something rushing into my body also reached my ears. With a squelching sound, I realize I am on top of something solid. *Thud, thud.* I heard the sound of something slimy sticking to the floor and falling. Before long, I realized I was lying on the floor. Light. The light was right above me. As I felt that, I heard the sound of water flowing nearby. It seemed like the water was flowing right in front of me. Since the light was above, I wondered if my reflection would appear in the water. I want to see myself. I felt a bubbling sensation inside me when I thought about wanting to see myself. Gradually, although still blurry, my vision became clearer. I was momentarily speechless at the sight before my eyes. ¡°¡­¡± At that moment, I realized that I couldn¡¯t speak. Anyway. The first thing that caught my eye was what I had vaguely thought of as ¡®light¡¯ until now. It looked somewhat like a small light bulb. Around the light bulb, there was a colorless gray wall visible. Whether it was left unattended or not, unknown nts sprouted through the wall, and cracks weremon. Since I have never been to a ce like this in my lifetime, I¡¯m not sure where it is, but the scene resembles what ismonly referred to as a sewer, I think. Thinking of the foul and nasty smell I¡¯ve been sensing for a while¡­ that might be the reason. So that¡¯s why it felt damp. How can anything survive here? As I pondered the question, I looked toward the water¡¯s surface. *Squelch.* It felt like something, like a clump of blue jelly, was staring at me. Taken aback, I stepped back, and that mass lurched back. ¡°¡­¡± What the hell? That¡¯s me? A jelly-like figure in the shape of a person gathers around and moves. At that moment. *Snap!* Out of nowhere, a rat dashes and leaps into the protruding spot on my body. I realized what taste and smell I had felt a while ago. *Thud!* From what seemed to be the face, the origin of the unpleasant taste of wet mop and foul smell, innards and fur scattered with a thud. Damn it. This is truly dog-like shitty. No, this is rat-like shitty. It took quite a long time for me to ept what had happened to me. Suddenly, I changed into a liquid monster. What should I think? ¡®Oh! I am no longer human!¡¯ My mental state was not so great that I could think like that. As mentioned earlier, I was just an ordinary office worker. I just had a bit more interest in the romance, mystery, exploration of the unknown, and adventure. Anyway. Honestly, upon bing like this, I find it strange to ept everything and move forward. Perhaps because nothing was threatening me right now, I didn¡¯t even realize. If something came rushing towards me as if to kill me, I might have already left this world without even uttering theseints. ¡­I might have already left this world. As they wandered, the deranged little mice keptunching suicidal attacks on my body. I remembered my deceased grandmother, who used to insist on feeding me even when I didn¡¯t want to eat. She always prepared the food as if her legs would break, and if I didn¡¯t eat, she would look at me disapprovingly. I feel sorry. Back then, if I had this body, I might have been able to eat up everything, even the bones, to make my grandmother smile. Now, even spitting out organs and fur is bothering me. I turned back to where the water flowed after watching the rats dissolve in my body. *Squelch, squelch.* Although my body denies it, traces of my recent movements as a human are still lingering. Every time I take a step, I could hear the sound of the soles of my feet hitting the floor. Looking at the body in the water again, the silhouette of a human is a bit clearer than before. ¡­Perhaps I am gaining strength by eating rats. However¡­ there were too many imperfections to be ssified as human. Firstly, the bluish and translucent body revealed its insides. Looking towards my head, I can see the rat that ran towards me a moment ago melting away with a bubbling sound. Who would dare call this a human? As I lifted something that looked like a hand, a sticky liquid flowed down in a continuous stream. It feels like I¡¯m drooling in front of a prey. Since the water is murky and only the silhouette is visible, I do not know exactly what I look like. I could only tell that I was very tiny. As for peculiarities¡­ There was something circr and dark inside the body. For some reason, it looked vital. It felt precious, like something I wanted to hold tightly. But when I tried to reach and touch it, my body clenched, preventing me from reaching it. In conclusion. I was now imitating the form of a tiny human¡­ I had be something sticky. If one had to draw aparison, it seemed like I had be a creature simr to the ¡®slimes¡¯ from games or novels. ¡­I might have lived a past life in another world. The only sure thing was that there was nothing definite. Except for the fact that I had a sticky body. Gross. I decided to explore the ce where it was damp. It would be very sad if my only friends and diningpanions were mice. I¡¯m not sure if they even consider me a friend. Maybe theye running because they think of me as a friend? They are such grateful fellows. To think they soothe hunger and loneliness. It may not be much in return, but if I manage to escape from here, I wonder how it would be to raise at least one hamster. As I watch ¡®Jerry,¡¯ whom I named, melting away, I slowly wander around some unknown ce. *Thud, thud.* I still hear sounds that I can¡¯t get used to. How long have I been wandering like this? Since the only light came from bulbs on the passage, I couldn¡¯t even tell how lost I was. Looking at the mice that continuously ran towards me, I think¡­ That this ce was considerably spacious. I thought I might find an exit leading outside since I considered it a sewer¡­ But I couldn¡¯t find a way out. Instead of finding a way out, I couldn¡¯t even find a blocked area. I thought it was a straight passage, but it has aplex structure like a maze. Thanks to my friends, I didn¡¯t have to worry about starving, but still, I didn¡¯t want to live here, so I felt a bit lost. Just because my body is bing sticky doesn¡¯t mean I want to live in a sticky ce. However. I¡¯m worried if I will be able to live properly once I step outside. Although it might be a premature concern in a situation where I still don¡¯t know where I am. I felt like I would go crazy if I didn¡¯t think that way. It was inevitable. Although I didn¡¯t feel physical fatigue, I felt mentally exhausted. To take a breather, I hesitantly sat down and hunched my body. Surely resembling human silhouettes, the sticky body parts connect, attempting to merge into one. ¡­ nothing was going as I wanted. It felt suffocating. At that moment. A loud noise could be heard from beyond the dark corridor. A heavy and loud noise. The sound was so loud that it felt like the whole space was shaking. It was a very ominous sound. It seemed like my friends were not the only ones living here. I missed Jerry, who had melted earlier. My sticky body shivered. Chapter 2: Not a friend Chapter 2: Not a friend Though I¡¯ve never experienced it, the feeling as if an earthquake had urred quickly subsided. Perhaps due to some great pressure that made my body tremble, it felt like an earthquake. Considering that my surroundings did not shake, the possibility of it being an earthquake seemed less likely. Then what on earth¡­ could it have been? Based on themon sense of an ordinary person, I couldn¡¯t even begin to guess its identity. I may try to guess with my sense, but even with that unrealistic¡­ In my contemtion, I look at my sticky hand. ¡­Having already taken on this slime-like body, it strikes me as amusing to think of it as unrealistic. And then. *Thump, thump, thud!* *Thud!* *Thud! Thud! Thud!* A sound, as if hitting a solid floor, echoed. The tiny sound that I heard was gradually, slowly getting louder. Or, to be precise, it seemed like it was getting closer to me. An ominous soundes from the dark space beyond the small light bulb. My wobbly body shivered sharply. As I heard the sound getting closer, I looked around anxiously. There was nowhere to hide. Whether I couldn¡¯t find the ce or it didn¡¯t exist, I didn¡¯t know, but for now, there was none. What I can do right now is simply run in the opposite direction of the noise. Having organized my thoughts, I quickly moved my body. For now, it seemed better to avoid confrontation. *Thud, thud, thud.* The sounds of my sticky body hitting the hard floor resounded faintly. For some reason, there seems to be less stickinesspared to earlier. So¡­ does it feel easier to run now? ¡­Is it because I felt a threat to my life, unlike a while ago? I don¡¯t know. Because even though it¡¯s my body, it doesn¡¯t feel like mine, I have no idea what has happened. Since it made escaping easier, I didn¡¯t particrly mind. I was thankful, if anything. To avoid the sound of footsteps chasing me, I entered a dark corridor without light bulbs. It seemed like hiding in a dark ce would be fine no matter what was chasing me. I crouched my body tightly in the darkness, almost as if I were lying down. Then, I focused on the sounding closer. The footsteps were near. Before long, the identity of the thing unsettling my mind became clear. ¡°Heh, heh, heh¡­¡± A group of animals passed through the passage where I was hiding. They appeared somewhat ambiguous, making it hard to distinguish whether they were dogs or wolves. They seemed to be in a rush, passing through the passage at a very fast pace. While relieved that they were not after me, their appearance of being chased by something unknown gave me an eerie feeling. It meant that there was something here that could make them run away. They seemed bigger than me, which alone was not good news at all. The reasons for escaping from this ce seemed to be increasing. It didn¡¯t seem like they were specifically looking for me, but I stayed t on the ground for a while, observing the situation. I concentrated my senses on the path they took. Amidst the gradually fading sounds, I heard barking noises. I was confused about whether they were wolves or dogs, but it looked like they were dogs. ¡­Since they were simr, I wondered if it would be meaningful to distinguish them in this environment, but it was. How long have I been lying t, stifling my movements? Just as I thought it was all over, a mouse began to approach me for an attack. *Grumble!* *Jiggle!* Before I could even give it a name, the mouse melted with bubbling noises. While I was feeling strangely bitter, I felt something dripping onto my body. Moreover, a faint warmth could be sensed. With a pounding sound, it feels like my heart started beating again. Do I have a heart? At that moment, I moved my body, thinking about whether the precious and valuable thing inside of me made a throbbing sound. ¡°Woof! Wooof!¡± A loud bark was heard from above my head. As I looked up in a crouched position, there was something above me that resembled the guys who had passed by earlier. Before I could react, the creature¡¯s paw came down on me. *Whack!* I felt a sinking sensation as my body was pressed down. Unable to do anything, allowing the fellow¡¯s front paw to strike me, I felt a peculiar sensation. With the startled feeling, the creature¡¯s front paw that touched my body seemed to slide through it and enter inside me. Still lost in the surreal sensation, I stared nkly at the scene in front of me. I experienced firsthand that people tend to be quiet when they are quite surprised. At that moment. *Bubble.* I heard the sound that urred when my ¡®friends¡¯ entered inside me. ¡°Woof! Grr!¡± The creature tensed its front paws and began to bark wildly. It was not a fluffy pillow-like punch but a sharp attack with ws extended. *Swirl!* My jelly-like body was cut by the ws. Only then did I start to feel a sense of crisis as I watched that. I might have been too careless. The frenzied creature seemed to realize its effectiveness and recklessly attacked me. I was not staying still either. I struggled to break free from its ws. Since opening my eyes, I moved my body most vigorously. I rose from my crouched position and sprinted towards the path the creatures had passed through. *ng, ng!* At the sound, a sensation of something being cut off was felt with a swish! It gives me goosebumps. I felt relieved that I didn¡¯t feel any pain. If I had a physical body right now, I would probably be writhing in pain on the floor. Still, I ran, knowing that parts of my body were being severed. Escaping from a big guy with a small body was quite a task. With a few steps, it lunged at me and cut through my body in one go. ¡°Woof! Roar!¡± His roar echoed loudly throughout. My body, which was already small, was gradually shrinking even more. Around me, small blue pieces that had been cut off from my body fell with a ssh. Although I didn¡¯t feel pain, the threat of death was vivid. Continuing to flee like this, it seemed inevitable that I would end up like a jelly falling from a table. I would probably breathe myst underfoot, trampled by paws on the ground. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Yet, my mind was strangely calm despite the circumstances. It didn¡¯t bother me because it was helpful right now, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel ufortable. My worry was short-lived. Did he now believe he had weakened me enough? He rushed towards me with a gaping mouth, seemingly ready to chew me up. Finger-sized fangs were visible. With my calm mind, his actions were clearly visible to me. At that moment, a way to remedy the current situation came to mind. Normally, I might not have noticed, but my tranquil mind brought forth a solution. Oops! Dodging his teeth, I embraced his face, thinking quickly about what to do next. There was no problem, as there was just enough of me to cover his facepletely. *Bubble.* *Bubble! Bubble! Bubble! Bubble!* Like my ¡®friends¡¯ bubbled inside me, offering nutrients for me. I was expecting the face of that guy to bubble, too. Or he would suffocate in my jelly-like insides. One of the two was likely to happen. I hoped it would happen. It wasn¡¯t that easy. I realized how gently my friends had approached me. *Boom, boom!* The guy inside me shook his head like crazy, making bubbling sounds. In order not to fall off his face, I stuck closely to him. Putting conscious effort into hugging his face tightly, I desperately hung on somehow. *Bubble! Bubble! Bubble!* Whether it was effective or not, the sound of bubbling came harshly from the guy¡¯s mouth. *Thunk! Urgh!* Seemingly not satisfied with just shaking, the guy mmed my face against the wall. Small pieces scattered on the floor. However, there seemed to be no significant oue. It appeared that despite his best efforts, the falling pieces were extremely minimal. *Bubble! Bubble!* The rough breathing of the guy became thinner and thinner. Unlike with ¡®friends,¡¯ the extinguishing of life felt tantly real, yet I desperately turned a blind eye to it. Otherwise, I might be the one dying. *Bubble¡­ Bubble.* His movements slowed down. Perhaps due to hitting and swinging the head, something seems to have gone wrong. There¡¯s a bitter taste. Finally, at what seemed like the end, his teeth touched something precious inside me. Indescribable emotions overflow in my mind. Something immeasurable was felt, yet ultimately at the end of it all, There was death. *Thud!* Perhaps it was hisst move, but he eventually lost his strength and fell to the floor. ¡­Did I kill him? Although aware that it shouldn¡¯t be said, those words came to mind on their own. I felt like I understood the emotions of those who uttered those words. Victory. It was a situation that could be described as such. Yet, I didn¡¯t particrly feel refreshed or a sense of aplishment. I only heard a simple impression of survival. No, I was rather feeling extremely unsettled. I was not someone who felt guilty about eating animals, but the sensation of life fading away before my eyes and inside my body¡­ It wasn¡¯t exactly pleasant. Contrary to those thoughts, my body savored the victory, and I started to digest the one I had brought down. It tasted slightly better than rats, but the taste was not much different. *Bubble¡­ Bubble.* The difference is that the amount wasrge enough to make me think it was on a different level. In my head¡­ do I actually have a brain right now? Am I¡­ truly myself? Startled by disturbing thoughts that suddenly came, I focused on eating to push them away from my head. The taste of contaminated skin and fur. Soft and weak raw meat. Organs and blood. Bones, ws, and mrs. Everything. Just when I managed to eat up everything with great effort. A bubbling sound started to emanate from my body. Chapter 3: Incomplete Metamorphosis Chapter 3: Iplete Metamorphosis *Ssh!* I emerge from the water, apanied by a small sshing sound. Even this slight noise ripples out as I cautiously peer around. *Ssh, ssh.* No matter how carefully I move, the sound has been made, so I give up trying to be silent. Fortunately, the guys chasing me are nowhere to be seen. Right after fully digesting the dog I killed, I feel something stirring inside me. It¡¯s a sensation as if some change is happening within me. Amidst this unfamiliar feeling, loud noises echo around me. *Boom! Roar!* *Woof!* *Grr!* I quickly move to avoid the creatures without even understanding what¡¯s changed within me. I can¡¯t tell if they¡¯re friends of the guy who just died or if they¡¯ve caught wind of the faint scent of blood, but the roarsing from all directions spur me into motion. I painfully realize that there¡¯s no time for leisure in a crisis. It¡¯s like one problem after another. Desperately, I move my sluggish body to escape, but I can hear the enemies¡¯ shouts wherever I turn. And it¡¯s crystal clear what that means. They¡¯re clearly targeting me, though I have no idea why. Noise surrounds me, making it hard to distinguish reality from paranoid delusion. Lost and confused, I make a choice. There¡¯s nowhere to go but up. A canal with murky water flowing through it catches my eye. The thought of plunging into the water with this body is quickly overtaken by the fear of being torn apart if caught. *Gurgle.* I hear the sound of submerging in the water. Not long after diving, a faint thudding noise echoes from below. Although I can¡¯t estimate how close it is because I¡¯m underwater, it¡¯s certain that something is approaching. Luckily, I don¡¯t need to breathe, so I crouch tightly until the outside sounds subside. Crouching in the cold, light-deprived space, I realize the value of solid ground beneath me. I feel asional tremors inside me, like a fish swimming in water. I taste the tang of raw fish, and the thought of consuming it disgusts me. I miss home. If I were there, I could have something simple like cup ramen instead of this tasteless meal. Or maybe even some curry. At least if I could cook these raw fish here, it would be better¡­ No, I don¡¯t really want to eat what¡¯s here in the first ce. Given its inherently bitter taste, it seems unfit for human consumption from the start. While eating, I consciously turn my gaze away from questioning what I¡¯m actually consuming. How long have I been submerged in this misery? Perhaps because there¡¯s no need to breathe, I can¡¯t gauge how long I¡¯ve been underwater. I surface only when I hear no sounds. After confirming it¡¯s safe, I emerge slowly. I never imagined longing for the damp floor. I guess everything is rtive. Being cautious as I step outside, I feel a heaviness in my body. Although my body grew back to its original size after disposing of the wild dog, now I feel an even greater weight. Lowering my gaze, I see my body filled with water. As I continue to taste bitterness, I realize I¡¯m consuming the water within me. It feels like I¡¯ve turned into a heavily bloated snowman. Since it¡¯s extremely ufortable, I recall the time when I felt disgusted and vomited after eating something for the first time. Would it be possible to expel it by myself? But¡­ how? My disgust threshold must have risen, as I don¡¯t feel nauseous now. It¡¯s absurd to hope for a natural vomiting process. After brief contemtion, I imagine expelling the ¡®fluids¡¯ inside my body. I¡¯d rather not say what I imagine. When Ie to my senses, the floor is wet, and all the water inside me has drained away. It¡¯s only then that I notice the somewhat changed form of my body. My physique hasn¡¯t changed much, but as I approach a brighter spot, I feel strange. At first, something resembling a human silhouette. Now, I look a bit more human. ¡­The semi-transparent body and bluish hue are still there. However, that¡¯s not the important part. ¡°¡­?!¡± A blurry figure resembling me faintly reflects in the water. Though I¡¯m not surprised by the jelly-like texture, the overall form is beyond my expectations. It¡¯s difficult to pinpoint exactly what it is, but if I had to define it, it looks close to a girl¡¯s figure. If asked whether I look human, the answer would be a clear ¡®no,¡¯ but I also don¡¯t look like an animal. Because it¡¯s so blurry, it¡¯s hard to make out my facial features. Maybe it¡¯s just a vague face. Why do I look like this? Shouldn¡¯t I at least look simr to when I had a human body? I don¡¯t know. Since it¡¯s a situation I can¡¯t understand from the beginning, I decided to ignore it for now. What¡¯s important now is figuring out what to do next, right? There are two options before me. Although there is no gourmet food, I could roughly get by in a ce where there is something to eat. Or I could somehow find a way outside. Just like the dogs that fled earlier, this ce is never safe. I can¡¯t tell if what lies outside is the world I know or a different one. But at least seeing a facility like this would make it more likely that it¡¯s my own world out there. At this point, my options are ultimately limited. If I have to die, I want to die outside. I don¡¯t want to die in such a nauseating ce. ¡­I want to stop eating things I can¡¯t even mention. Deciding to find an exit leading outside, I immediately hit an obstacle. It seems like following the main passage, excluding the minor corridors, would be the way to go. But I can¡¯t figure out which direction the wild dogs fled. One side has a presence that scared off the wild dogs. The other side is probably closer to the exit. ¡­I have to make a choice. In the end, the entry order had been given. As the man read the orders, his brow furrowed, and he retrieved a crumpled cigarette case from his pocket. *Click, flick.* The flint struck, igniting the cigarette he had taken out, and smoke began to rise. Taking a deep drag of the smoke, he felt his mind calming down and exhaled a sigh. Being tasked by his superiors to regain control was something he had already anticipated. Still, he seemed unable to hide his discontent. ¡°If they like it so much, why don¡¯t they go down there themselves?¡± As long as it was a ce where people could go, he didn¡¯t particrly mind, even if it wasn¡¯t a regr ce or even somewhat dangerous like a frontier or a mountain pass. He knew that this job was risky, but with decent money and good benefits, who would haveints? ¡­He had to sign a somewhat unusual contract, but for people like him, there was no other job like this. But. ¡°Entering an anomaly is like signing up to die, isn¡¯t it?¡± It was a term used to describe ces or entities that were difficult to exin by human standards, so the danger would be beyond words. Outside the work, there was no one toin to because no one knew about its existence. Remembering the chaos caused by those ranting about publicizing things, he swallowed a sigh. ¡°Sigh¡­.¡± His anger transferred toward the one who had caused him and his team to spiral down, but it didn¡¯tst long. ¡°That jerk, I almost feel sorry for him. He just did what he was told.¡± Since he took responsibility for it and went to this ce, he wondered if he would ever see his face again. Rather than worrying about some ungrateful nerd who might have already turned into a traitor, it seemed more productive to worry about their safety and the team¡¯s. Smoking, almost like chewing on the filter, he extinguished his cigarette with an ashtray and then double-checked themand. Once he filtered out the flowery phrases, the content was quite simple.
  1. Secure the tentative ¡®Fused Liquid Monster¡¯ codename 0746-KR-1.
  2. Necessary equipment to secure it will be provided with utmost effort.
  3. ordingly, permission is granted to enter the 0015-KR,monly referred to as the sewer, until the ¡®Fused Liquid Monster¡¯ is secured.
  4. The sender wished for their safety.
  5. After achieving the goal, he was instructed to burn the orders.
If they wished for their safety, they shouldn¡¯t have sent them down there in the first ce. They were guys who pushed them here andughed, saying they wished for their safety, so what could they expect. The man chuckled at the formally written safety wishes. ¡®But where¡¯s the equipment they promised to provide?¡¯ Folding the order neatly and tucking it into his pocket, he pondered upon the equipment he might get. Although he said that, he thought that the ce where the personnel would be deployed, as per his instructions, was rtively safepared to elsewhere, so as long as they paid little attention, nothing serious would happen. Despite being a space that didn¡¯t make logical sense. He mulled over the information about the ¡®sewer¡¯ reported so far. ¡°Just need to watch out for the big guy.¡± With that thought, he called the assistant manager. For some reason, the paper in his arms felt unusually heavy. Chapter 4: Master of the sewer Chapter 4: Master of the sewer *Thump, thump.* Walking along the flowing water, I take the time to check my body as I walk. I couldn¡¯t figure out why my appearance was the way it was, but I felt like I needed to understand this slime-like body well in order to safely navigate through here. It didn¡¯t seem like a wrong thought. If I had reacted to the wild dog¡¯s attack a little more human-like earlier, I might have ended up scattered on the ground or bubbling inside the dog¡¯s stomach by now. As I thoroughly examined my body¡­ I realized that I could choose not to digest things if I didn¡¯t want to. Wow, this can be really useful, right? For example, it means I can store my friends inside me. ¡­Even though there¡¯s no avoiding the digestion, it means we don¡¯t have to part ways immediately. Of course, it looks a bit¡­ off. Looking at the friends floating inside me makes me want to get rid of them quickly. So, I got rid of them. And¡­ that¡¯s about it for now. Surprisingly, that was it. Oh, there¡¯s one more thing. I could be squishy. I can¡¯t help it if you ask what nonsense it is. I mean, if I be squishy, I be squishy. Bing squishy could disrupt my form. But since that didn¡¯t seem very pleasant, I wasn¡¯t really up for it. If I make my body solid to clump together, it will resemble the silhouette of the girl I saw earlier. It¡¯s unclear whether it¡¯s like a transformation tree in a game that hasn¡¯t opened yet, or if Ick nourishment, or if the form is simply fixed. I couldn¡¯t figure it out. Today, I learned why protagonists in novels shout out status windows when they encounter such situations. I didn¡¯t want to know, but the situation was like that. I wanted to shout, too, but all I could hear was the unpleasant sound of jelly being squished. At this rate, will I be able to go outside and live there? Still clueless about finding a way out of this damp ce, I was indulging in vain musings. The only hope supporting me was the thought that there might be things I could do outside. Thinking of things I could do outside, I trudged along the damp passage. Honestly, I wonder how many days I¡¯ve spent here. Even if I try to be conservative, probably the entirety of my precious weekend already passed. ¡­I must have received a ton of work emails. Not all the thoughts about the outside were positive. Realistic worries about card bills and such were naturally upying my mind. But even those troubles felt precious in a way. Is it only after losing something that people realize its value? To learn that lesson by losing my body¡­ Isn¡¯t the cost too high? As my mood dimmed, my body started to feel sticky. I thought I could calmly handle the emotions like when the wild dog attacked, but apparently, that wasn¡¯t the case. As I proceeded, leaving behind a sticky trail¡­ A peculiar sound caught my attention. It sounded somewhat simr to when the wild dogs were approaching, yet distinctly more organized. Like the sound I heard during the third week of boot camp¡­ Feeling a strange unease, I immediately submerged myself underwater. The rhythmic sound stimtes a vague PTSD. I¡¯m no expert, but it felt like a military squad was nearby. But why am I hiding? If I weren¡¯t in this body, I might have anxiously awaited their arrival with tears in my eyes. But something was making me uneasy. Amongst the inte rumors, urban legends, and myths, there are tales of ces that deal with entities like me. Honestly, I found it intriguing to read about, but I didn¡¯t take it too seriously. However, now that my body has changed like this, confidently asserting that such things don¡¯t exist felt ludicrous. If those organizations really exist and they¡¯vee here¡­ What should I do? Uncertain, I focused on the sound of approaching footsteps in the murky water. I quietly held my breath as if drinking watered-down liquor, trying to be as silent as a dead mouse. Soon, a group of people appeared faintly illuminated. Fully geared. Their appearance gave off that kind of vibe. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because my vision was blurry, but I¡¯m confused as to whether they were people or not. Adorning what looked like a remarkably sturdy gas mask on their faces, along with heavily insted clothing. And. ¡­They all had guns. Not small handguns, but what seemed to be proper, formidable guns. I don¡¯t know much about such things, but the word ¡®gun¡¯ alone felt intimidating. Even guns that were treated as scrap seemed to be obsessively managed to the extent of being allowed only in gun ranges. I didn¡¯t realize how grateful I would be to not be able to breathe or speak. I would have involuntarily made a sound if I could. ¡°The nature of¡­ haspletely chang¡­ The tracki¡­ ain¡¯t worki¡­¡± ¡°Probably¡­ alrea¡­ dead¡­ time limit¡­¡± Gradually, from the approaching group, a very familiarnguage could be heard. Wouldn¡¯t the tears I shed have been mixed into the water flowing now? Hearing anguage I knew made me feel excited. I couldn¡¯t quite make out what they were saying, but just that was enough for now. ¡­I should probably think a bit more about whether it¡¯s advantageous for me that this isn¡¯t another world. Anyway. They continued to cautiously survey the surroundings, looking around as they kept moving forward. Though at times I feared being discovered, they ultimately couldn¡¯t find me perfectly dissolved in the water. Encountering normal people had me a bit on edge, so I decided to follow them for now. It was a somewhat risky choice, but since their goal wasn¡¯t clear, it seemed best to follow along. They might not have been here for me, and perhaps following them could lead to an exit? I can worry about it after finding an exit. Continuing ahead, suppressing gloomy thoughts, I begrudgingly swam to follow them. ¡­I felt a bit embarrassed calling it swimming. Crawling on the muddy ground would suit the description better. To those people¡­ How do I currently appear to ordinary people I encounter? Meeting normal people dampened the excitement I had felt. Moving forward with my sticky body, I advanced diligently to keep up with their pace, resembling the silhouette of a little girl. ¡°Do you think we can find it here?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll keep searching until we find it.¡± The man wearing the multipurpose gas mask heaved a cynical response. *Swoosh.* Although the sight of air being exhaled from the man¡¯s gas mask portrayed a certain intimidation, it seemed there was no one around to be startled. Since they were all wearing the same gear, it might be more amusing than surprising. In the midst of it all, someone leading the group said softly. ¡°Let¡¯s take a short break.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Seething inwardly, the man responded to the order by leaning against the wall. The sweaty feel of the protective gear was unpleasant, but a brief respite was necessary to keep his body going. Leaning on the wall, the man scanned his surroundings. His eyes met a moist and stickyndscape. In the distance, a dim corridor continued, and within the darkness, the eyes of beasts shimmered. The man sighed as he felt as if he was being watched. The leading man, looking at the view, said¡­ ¡°Soon, that ¡®thing¡¯ should appear there.¡± ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t seem like good news.¡± ¡°Once we investigate past that point, today¡¯s search will be over, so endure a little more.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Theforting words were sweeter than a sweet rest. The man thought he¡¯d quickly finish the search, return home to bathe, and perhaps enjoy a cold beer from the fridge. The thought brought a contented smile to his face. Could it have been that someone was able to read his thoughts? Encouraging the man, another muttered under his breath. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean for you to rx just yet. This is the riskiest part of today¡¯s search, so don¡¯t let your guard down.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Acknowledging the potential danger himself, the man shook his head, dispelling the warmth of the scene. Even if it was a ce with a low-risk level, an anomaly was still an anomaly. After taking sufficient rest, they continued their journey, meticulously checking for the ¡®liquid monster.¡¯ They were scanning thoroughly with the meager light of flickering light bulbs, making it no easy task. *Thump, thump.* As they proceeded¡­ The man at the forefront raised his fist. Following him, the others all stopped in unison, aiming their barrels upward. The man who stopped the group saw a huge space. A space where themon murky water gathers. A space where passages like rat holes gather. And¡­ It is a sub-anomaly of the anomalymonly called the sewer and can be said to be the master of the sewer. Codename 0015-KR-B. It was also a ce where a huge crocodile was sleeping. Indeed, following the man¡¯s gaze revealed the nonsensically colossal sleeping crocodile. It was the size of a house. It¡¯s a statement that truly fits its massive body. Their heavy firearms seemed minuscule inparison. It was not advisable to approach, but they couldn¡¯t resist orders to confirm this centerpiece and the end of the giant anomaly. Just investigating to see if there¡¯s something here. They hadn¡¯t nned to confront the giant crocodile either. To eliminate it would only have it reappear somewhere else, and wrestling against it would prove disadvantageous. Moreover¡­ *Plop.* The man scrutinizing the massive crocodile suddenly turned to the unexpected sound of water. Discovering an intruder, the giant crocodile began to move slowly. As the leader faced the source of the unexpected sound, those looking at the man collectively lowered their heads. Seeing the man turn around again¡­ A golden jewel caught his eye. No, it wasn¡¯t a golden jewel. It was the eye of therge crocodile. ¡®This darn it¡­¡¯ Upon detecting the intruder, the huge crocodile started to nudge and fidget. His massive body began to shift in motion. The man signaled for everyone to slowly retreat. If they didn¡¯t provoke further, there might still be a chance to leave quietly. However¡­ *Plop.* Another noise cut through the air. The crocodile¡¯s gaze fixed towards the man¡¯s position in the passageway. Upon pinpointing the sound¡¯s origin this time, the man turned towards it. There, something bright blue was seen quickly diving. ¡®¡­It seems inevitable.¡¯ Taking a deep breath, the man sent a signal in response. Avoiding a collision seemed increasingly unlikely. Chapter 5: Uncertainty Chapter 5: Uncertainty ¡°Damn it,¡± the man cursed as smoke spewed from the gas mask covering his face. The smoke, almost like a manifestation of the man¡¯s anger, soon mixed with the dampness of the sewer and dispersed. It mingled with the flowing, sticky odor, emitting a smell mingled with the scent of rust kes on the floor. Had nothing covered his face, he would have choked and twisted his dry throat. Eventually, the rusty smell merged with the viscous puddle flowing on the floor of the vast space, creating a pungent stench. Intense was the stench of blood, mingled with the smell of gunpowder and decaying flesh. Meanwhile, a huge crocodiley copsed with holes riddling its body, oozing viscous substances. Despite its capability to easily swallow a person, the crocodile appeared tattered, yet its huge body still writhed with tenacious vitality fitting for its size. Nevertheless, its breath seemed on the verge of ceasing. Though massive, it was just a crocodile. However, the man behind the gas mask showed no sign of victory in his contorted face. Instead, unease and restlessness emanated from him. As he watched the crocodile take itsst breath, the man shouted to the others, rummaging around the crocodile. ¡°Have you secured the target?¡± ¡°Not yet¡ª¡± ¡°Damn it. Fall back!¡± Wasn¡¯t it all over now? Puzzled by the man¡¯s words, those searching around the crocodile immediately retreated. *Ssh.* Simultaneously, as the crocodile finished its final struggle, its body suddenly began to melt away, resembling crumpled mud after a child¡¯s y. Emitting a pungent smell filling the sewer, the dissolving crocodile vanished without a trace, mixing with the sewage water. Wasn¡¯t it the ideal situation to search for the target that had just fled towards the crocodile? Although puzzled by the retreat order, they did not question it. After all, that was one of the virtues the suppression team should have. Even if orders are suspicious, they had to follow. That¡¯s how they could survive. *Whoosh!* Gradually growing louder, an unidentifiable noise filled the sewer, resembling arge entity swallowing sips of water at the waterfront. *Ssh!* Soon, a massive pir of water shot up, sttering sewage in all directions amid the mixture of various filths and foul odors. *Ssshh¡­.* Along with a sound resembling heavy rain, the crocodile rose from the previously unseen sewer floor, with something drooping from its nostril-like openings resembling mucus, a bluish substance resembling the silhouette of a young girl. ¡°So, it was over there.¡± The target they had been searching for so desperately, the ¡®merged liquid monster,¡¯ was right there. The man who confirmed it furrowed his brow. ¡°I heard it has no intelligence.¡± Observing the behaviors of the ¡®liquid monster¡¯ different from what was written in the report, the man thought something was definitely wrong. Unlike the description of just a sluggish mass of liquid, what was visible now seemed to possess will and intelligence. That suspicion turned into certainty as it appeared tethered to the crocodile¡¯s nose. From the beginning, fleeing to use the crocodile as a shield raised doubts, but now it was certain. The situation had changed. Now, the liquid monster hanging like mucus seemed to be apletely different entity from what was reported before. ¡­and it was not a good sign for the man and his team. When dealing with anomalies, small and subtle changes could cost lives. If you didn¡¯t know about your enemy, you were in trouble. In some games, not knowing means failure, but within anomalies, not knowing means death. If a moment ago, the man had not given orders, the remains of his team member would have been caught in the crocodile¡¯s jaws like leftovers. They wouldn¡¯te back to life like the crocodile. The man was a rational person. ¡°Everyone retreat. We¡¯re leaving this ce immediately.¡± He chose to leave before the crocodile¡¯s interest returned to them. If they leave from here alive, they coulde backter. Wow, what a mess this is. I never imagined I could be more surprised than by my transformation into a slime, but boy, was I wrong. Even when the crocodile appeared, I was a bit surprised but somehow epted it. Why wouldn¡¯t it be there? City legend says that there is a giant crocodile living in the sewers of America. But this was not just an unsubstantiated rumor. There are records of crocodiles up to 2 meters long being discovered, and even a record of a baby crocodile being found in Korea, where I live. ¡­Of course, it¡¯s quite an old story. I had thought it had be an unbelievable urban legend by now. I thought it would be scary to have such a big crocodile living in sewers. But my surprise didn¡¯t end there. As I stood there, surprised by the giant crocodile, I felt someone sneaking up behind me. When I nced back, someone holding a vacuum cleaner-like thing was creeping up on me. I was startled by the sight that seemed like they wereing to grab me no matter what. But at that moment. The crocodile started to rampage. And then I heard gunshots. I made a quick decision with a chilling head, just like when I was attacked by a wild dog. I thought I would be caught by them if I stayed like this. My decision was swift. I decided that they wouldn¡¯t find me right away if I headed towards the thrashing crocodile covered in blood. ¡­Ultimately, there was no choice but to move forward. Besides, a vacuum cleaner man was approaching from behind to suck me in. So, I ttened myself near the crocodile. Being small and squishy, my body fit perfectly under the crocodile. It was surprisinglyfortable, not having to breathe in the filthy sludge. As Iy beneath the crocodile, enduring the stench, I seized an opportunity during themotion. I felt the crocodile stop its movements. I thought that the crocodile wasn¡¯t strong for its size. ¡­being killed so unceremoniously was slightly disconcerting. While lying t under the crocodile, bizarre helmeted figures approached closely. I held my breath, unable to move a muscle. There was no way to escape, but I tried desperately. In the midst of it all. As someone yelled, a disgustingly bitter taste flooded my senses. It was like mixing all the things I¡¯ve ever thrown in the trash and eating it up. I shuddered at the hellish taste. Bam! Amidst the sound of gushing water, I felt my body suddenly floating upward. In the sight of a spectacle like a grenade exploding with water gushing, I instinctively clung to whatever came my way. Regaining myposure, I realized a huge cavern-like structure appeared in front of me. From the cavern emerged hot breath and mud. I realized that what was in front of me was not a cave. That means¡­ Looking down, I noticed teeth that seemed like they would turn me into food scraps if I were pierced by them. It dawned on me that the gushing water and slime were from an alligator. The alligator, presumed dead after being shot earlier, had suddenly reappeared in full strength. It¡¯s not even that deep here for such arge creature to emerge from underwater. Around that time, I just gave up trying to understand. After all, I turned into a slime that had already surpassed my understanding. Apparently, my was filled with secrets unknown to me. That got me a bit excited. I was still curious about what caused this transformation. Despite this excitement, I was still aware of where I was. The situation around me remained unchanged. I was still surrounded by people aiming guns and vacuums at the huge alligator¡¯s nostril. Quite a surreal sight. Yet, time seemed to be on my side. As the man presumed to be the leader shouted, those aiming guns started to retreat without hesitation. Even to me, an outsider in military matters, their retreat seemed highly organized. If the alligator wasn¡¯t there, would I have been captured in that sack hanging from the vacuum by those people? But was being captured even an option? I don¡¯t know. When the thought of being captured crossed my mind, I instinctively made a judgment and ran away. I was afraid. I was scared, no doubt about that. Before bing the slime, I had no idea such things existed. I could specte that someone was preventing it. Excitement and uneasiness washed over me simultaneously. The feeling that if caught, I wouldn¡¯t be in for a pleasant time, right? But ironically. I had to follow them. Hanging from the nostril, dripping down like a runny nose, I chased after them. *Thump, thump, ssh!* Thanks to the alligator¡¯s thrashing, I was able to stick to their backs. Already exhausted, they continued through the sewer without noticing I was following. After passing through quite aplicated route, a sight I had never seen before appeared before me. *Bang!* The sound of water dripping somewhere mixed with the sound of metal grates. *Drip, drip, drip.* I saw adder that the pursuers were climbing. And above it, a faint light was seeping in. Not just the dim light of a bulb but a bright spotlight. Yeah. I had finally reached the exit of this damp and soggy ce. Chapter 6: Choice Chapter 6: Choice Around 13:10, entered ¨€¨€-KR, initiated search for ¨€¨€¨€-KR-1. Around 15:17, reached the depths of ¨€¨€-KR, encountered ¨€¨€¨€-KR-B and ¨€¨€¨€-KR-1 simultaneously under the judgment of the on-sitemander. Simultaneously conducted suppression fire on ¨€¨€-KR-B and capture of ¨€¨€¨€-KR-1. Around 15:47, as ¨€¨€-KR-B regenerated, the silhouette of ¨€¨€¨€-KR-1 was revealed. *(Blurry photo suspected to show ¨€¨€¨€-KR-1 hanging from ¨€¨€-KR-B¡¯s nostril) (Censored)* Around 15:49, the situation was deemed beyond control, and the team started withdrawing from ¨€¨€-KR as per themander¡¯s decision. Failed to secure ¨€¨€¨€-KR-1. Around 17:20,menced evacuation from ¨€¨€-KR followed by blocking entry points. Around 17:25, ¨€¨€-KR entrance waspletely sealed off.
  1. Based on this, a request for analytical support is being made.
  2. Reconsideration of the identification name of ¨€¨€¨€-KR-1 is requested.
End. ¨€¨€ Branch, Deputy Manager Hwang¨€¨€
  1. Ensure thorough surveince of ¨€¨€-KR¡¯s entrance.
  2. Approval for dispatching the analysis team.
  3. Propose expanding the search area if ¨€¨€¨€-KR-1 is not found after a 7-day search, considering the possibility of ¨€¨€-KR having escaped.
  4. epting the chief¡¯s request to ssify ¨€¨€¨€-KR-1 as a unique point separate from ¨€¨€¨€-KR, assigning a new identification code and a new handler.
  5. In preparation for the expanding search area, information regarding civilians suspected of being fused with ¨€¨€¨€-KR-1 is attached.
End. ¨€¨€ Branch, Acting Station Chief Han¨€¨€ Near the entrance of ¨€¨€-KR, there is running water, and there are ces where iron bars are stuck. The passage is so narrow that only small beings, such as Entities 1, 3, and 5, can pass through, let alone humans. *(Photo of tightly packed iron bars in the passage)* The destination of the flowing water has not been identified yet. Therefore, to find out, we decided to send out arge number of signal transmitters. *(Photo of personnel with blurred faces gathering and deploying signal transmitters)* However, since no response was received from the sewer, it was determined to vanish due to the nature of anomalies. At that time, a signal was received from outside ¨€¨€-KR instead of from inside, and as a result of dispatching agents, we confirmed that our deployed signal transmitters were the source. It seems as though it is being ¡®discharged¡¯ to somewhere else, but it is not certain. Therefore, it was decided that it would be better to conduct more diverse attempts, such as biological experiments, to clearly investigate. I found the exit, but I couldn¡¯t leave through it. As soon as they left, it was as if the cover was immediately closed, with a bang, and the light disappeared. Even if it had been open, I didn¡¯t think I could have left through there anyway. I¡¯m not sure what kind of people they are, but judging by their extreme caution, they are probably guarding it like a fortress. Unless knocking allows passage, it seems difficult to leave through the same exit those people used. In that case, what choice do I have left¡­ I gazed at the tightly woven iron bars next to the passage they took. Beyond that thing swallowing the sewage with a ¡®shoaaa¡¯ sound, it was incredibly dark. It¡¯s a far cry, even from the tiny light bulb hanging here. It is as if saying this ce and that ce are different. *Shoaaaa!* The sounding as if a waterfall is pouring down is truly deafening. Iron bars that seem impossible for a human body to pass through. ¡­ Right now, with my current body, passing through those iron bars seems possible. But¡­ should I really do it? That is still the issue. But in reality, there is no alternative other than that. Somehow, although I had been searching for a long time, they seemed to find the passage effortlessly. There seems to be something I don¡¯t know¡­ Unless there is a status window or something, it might be difficult for me to figure it out. ¡­There is probably not enough time for that. It was clear that they came to catch me, so it was certain they woulde down again. However¡­ Being caught might also be a strategy, right? Not that I didn¡¯t think about that, but the image of those ¡®groups¡¯ floating in my head wasn¡¯t very pleasant. Back then, it was just a joke, a fictional y, but now it¡¯s a real story for me. It has be non-fiction. If I were sucked into that vacuum-like thing, countless experiments would be awaiting me immediately, wouldn¡¯t they? Living hidden in the sewer might actually be a better life. Truly a gutter life¡­ In this serious situation, only half-baked thoughts keep popping into my mind. Perhaps my mind is still too close to that of an average person to fully ept this situation. I feel that way sometimes. Perhaps it was a wishful thought that if I could prove I was originally human, they would help me. Very tempting. I felt like pounding on something blocking the exit and shouting that I was there, wanting to do it right away. *Thud! Thud! Thud!* But something inside me seemed to warn me that I shouldn¡¯t do that. Like when I was chased by wild dogs. That something didn¡¯t react when I was hanging from a crocodile¡¯s nostrils¡­ Yeah, ¡®sensation¡¯. Some sensation came over me. I grabbed onto the iron bars. Apanied by a cool touch. *Whoosh!* Pitch-ck darkness. Aplete darkness where nothing could be seen weed me. A sight that evoked a sense of terror. ¡­Well, I might as well try my luck anyway. If I go in here ande out into the sewer again, I¡¯d be miserable. I¡¯ll have to survive while trembling with the uncertainty of when they mighte again. If¡­ I could go to apletely new ce, that¡¯d be great. Escaping from here. If I disappear from here, maybe they won¡¯t be able to find me. Well, in the worst-case scenario, I might just end up dead. I decided to trust my quite sturdy body, even though I was a bit hesitant. In the end, the water is flowing, so if I just go with the flowing water, wouldn¡¯t it work? Let¡¯s think positively. With determination, I boldly pushed my body through the iron grating. Feeling like I had be a viin from an old movie, I passed through the iron grating. I felt an irresistible force pulling me in a huge current. Instinctively grabbing onto the iron grating, I soon let go of my sticky hand. I, who had yearned for exploration and discovery, had set out on the adventure of the unknown and mystery I had so desired. Letting my body go with the flow felt like riding a slightlyrger slide in a pool. But all around me was blocked off, with not a single ray of lighting in. It looked like nothing¡­ I couldn¡¯t tell if I was flowing or falling. Nothing was visible. Just feeling the cold touch against my soft body, I could only determine that I was still submerged in water. The massive current kept dragging my tiny body somewhere continuously. Aplete darkness where even the change in sight could not be felt. ¡­If I had been in a human body, wouldn¡¯t I have already fallen into terror and struggled? At that moment, I sensed something entering my body. In the blink of an eye, information about its taste flowed into my mind. It felt like putting Lego in my mouth and gagging, so I spat it out. What on earth had entered my body? Since then, asionally, things have entered, and I immediately spat them out. As fear, pleasure, or whatever came, I somehow felt like everything was okay. *Shoooo¡­* At some point, I realized I was looking up at the sky. Although the stench lingered, the vast sky I had never seen before in that sewage-like ce spread out before me. The sky wasn¡¯t clear. Thick rain clouds poured heavy raindrops down. The fat raindrops sttered on my face. Raindrops fell as far as the eye could see. They flowed over my soft body, mixing with the water passing by me, and streamed somewhere. Now, they seemed to shed tears for me, as I could no longer shed them myself. I stood silently, letting the raindrops hit me, gazing at the sky. Who knew that a gloomy sky could look so beautiful. It was an experience beyond what I could have ever imagined, even in my dreams. Chapter 7: Hearing Anew Chapter 7: Hearing Anew After gazing at the sky for a while, I cautiously nce around. Judging by thenguage they used in my memory, it seems like I haven¡¯t fallen into another world, so to speak. Escaping various threats and emerging from the sewer seemed like the right decision, but the future looks daunting. For instance, let¡¯s say someone spots me. At first, it might be somewhat okay. My reflection in the water appears closer to a human silhouette than a monster or an animal. Upon closer examination, one might categorize me as a non-human creature, but at a nce, I seem pretty human. ¡­from a distance. Anyway, Even if it¡¯s fine at first, rumors will slowly spread. Reporters wille rushing, and streamers or simr folks will flock in droves. Honestly, how can one endure living without seeing a moving liquid monster themselves? It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t understand them. I, too, asionally engage in behaviors that could make others tilt their heads or frown, just for a ¡®little¡¯ stimtion in my everyday life. I have no intention of causing harm to anyone, not even as much as the size of a fingernail. Well, there was a minor issue of things not going as I wished, but at least my mindset is like that. Anyway, if things get too noisy, there¡¯s a high chance those guys who chased me in the sewer wille looking for me. No, it would be more urate to think that they will definitelye looking for me. So, without hesitation, I close my eyes and prepare myself to throw my body beyond the iron grating. If they let me live normally after being captured, I might consider it, but such things wouldn¡¯t happen. That¡¯s why I decided to first figure out where I am. I still don¡¯t know what to do next¡­ But if possible, I want to go back home first. Even though I¡¯m not the same, there¡¯s no ce like home to seek sce. And so, after surveying the surroundings. The ce where my body is stuck seems to be¡­ a drain. It¡¯s for sure when you see the rain pouring in vigorously. It seems I managed to get out from a sewer drain. People might call this ¡®washed out,¡¯ but I decided to call it an escape. It seems quite gloomy around, with the rain pouring and the sun setting. I thought my luck was pretty good in a way, but then I realized what good luck is when I¡¯ve be like this. As I scan the surroundings with dissatisfaction¡­ I see something strangely familiar. It doesn¡¯t take long for me to realize an unexpected fact. The ce where I escaped along that dark stream¡­ ¡­was near my house. I think it¡¯s truly a bizarre coincidence. Since a familiar ce was in sight, finding the house where I used to live wasn¡¯t that difficult. Fortunately, it was dark and raining, so arriving in front of the house was easier than I thought. Simply following the drainage ditch along the road was a very easy task. Easier than taking candy from a child. I thought I might have to fight against a rat staring at me when I was halfway home, but being a cowardly fellow, it hesitated to approach, eyeing me cautiously. Looking at the fellow, I remembered my ¡®friends¡¯ I left in the sewer. I probably won¡¯t be able to see them ever again. We didn¡¯t even get to say goodbye. Perhaps they might be happy that I disappeared. It¡¯s somewhat regretful. But besides that, a strange feeling of difort lingered as I approached the house. However, I couldn¡¯t figure out where that feeling wasing from. Maybe it¡¯s because my body has transformed like this. Instead of returning home like the golden phoenix, I ended up returning home like a jellyfish. It can¡¯t be helped if my mood feels uneasy. Hmm¡­ I stuck my head out of the drain and looked outside. Only themppost a little further away blinked, illuminating the surroundings. As I pondered how to enter my tiny sanctuary, a few options were presented to me. One was simply rushing straight home as I am. It didn¡¯t seem bad, considering it was night and raining. But the risk seemed too high, so I decided to hold off for now. Next, go inside through the drain pipe on the wall. Realistically, this seemed difficult. Even if I managed to squeeze my body in somehow. ¡­I don¡¯t even know how to navigate the pipe to my apartment, let alone if I can crawl up there in the first ce. What if I crawl in but end up in a different apartment? And then bump into someone! That would be the worst. And thest option. Having considered that far, I looked at a sturdy cardboard box left in a slightly dark spot. Thest option was to flip that and move around. ¡­This isn¡¯t a game. What crazy idea is this? Who knows what might happen. But after careful consideration, it didn¡¯t seem like a bad option at all. Once inside the box, no one would know what I am. If I just stood there, maybe people would mistake me for a delivery package. These days, people aren¡¯t that interested in their neighbors, so this might be an effective strategy. Let¡¯s make an exception for those people stealing packages. After weighing my options, I decided that now was the time to move boldly. I really missed the instant noodles stacked inside my apartment. With determination, I slowly moved, equipping myself with a cardboard box. In the corner, there was a very trustworthy box with arge stapler firmly stuck in it. The generously sized box made me understand why other people¡¯s house cats like boxes so much. So, I carefully turned the box over and poured all the waste that had entered my body into the drain. Feeling the sensation of the asphalt, I dashed towards the house. The asphalt that I had never directly felt due to shoes felt rough and hard. Squirming along, I eventually passed through the unlocked ss door. When I look at the loosely opened door, I think of the neighbor woman who argued with the homeowner. The homeowner¡¯s grandfather wouldn¡¯t listen to a damn thing about fixing the door. But today, silently, I expressed gratitude towards him. Thanks. Grandpa. Still, shouldn¡¯t we fix the door? The next obstacle I faced was the staircase. It was an old building without even an elevator. I had to climb quite a few stairs. When buying, I tried to convince myself it was good exercise and had a nice view, but now it just irritated me. *Thud, thud.* Every time the box hit the stairs, it felt like my nonexistent heart was pounding. As I was climbing the stairs smoothly, *Boom! Crash!* A loud noise came from downstairs as the ss door opened. My squishy body trembled. Due to the gap between the stairs, I quickly moved and found a spot in the corner. I hoped that it was someone from the lower floor. Shaking in the dark box, I trembled. *Thump, thump.* Just by listening, footsteps that seem exhausted and weary can be heard slowly approaching. Well, if someone is leaving work at this time, it would be strange not to be exhausted. Moreover, it¡¯s raining. *Thump, thump, thud.* The footsteps on the t ground soon turned into the sound of climbing the stairs. *Thud, thud.* The sharp footsteps echoed inside the box. Sadly, the unidentified footsteps showed no signs of stopping. It seemed they wanted to pass by me. *Thud¡­ thud.* *Thud.* The footsteps were gradually getting closer. Eventually, they stopped in front of me. I did not have cold sweat anymore, so should I say jelly is flowing instead. Now, it feels like my nonexistent throat is drying up. I never thought not needing to breathe would be so appreciated. I felt like I was truly dead, crouching still like a stone, hoping for someone to pass by. Eventually. *Tap, tap.* With a light tapping sensation on me, a familiar voice echoed somewhere. ¡°Who on earth delivers packages here¡­ But is this even a package? I can¡¯t see a delivery slip.¡± A tired female voice. As she touched me lightly, the box tried to float in the air, so I desperately reached out my sticky hand to grasp the box. After a few taps, she eventually said in a voice filled with annoyance. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know. As long as it¡¯s not mine, it¡¯s fine.¡± *Tock, tock.* The footsteps that lingered in front of me finally seemed to move away and start climbing the stairs again. *Tock, tock¡­ Thump¡­ ng. Beep beep beep beep beep click.* The sound I longed to hear finally reached me. Confirming that the one who touched me had entered their apartment, I quickly continued my climb. *Thud, thud.* Apanied by sticky sounds. I finally made it to the front of my apartment. But there was no time to be happy. I couldn¡¯t rx until I went inside. *Clunk.* I quickly came out of the box and climbed on top of it. I reached out my hand out of habit, but since my hand couldn¡¯t reach it, it was an inevitable choice. I climbed on top of the box and started opening the door. *Thud, click.* *Sticky, click.* *Squishy, squeak.* *Plop, squeak.* *Squeak.* I pressed the number. *Click, tter.* With a click, the front door opened. I grabbed the handle by jumping from the box and ng! The door opened. After confirming the door was open, I held onto the handle with my elongated arms, carrying the box inside. I threw the box inside and closed the door. *ng! tter!* I heard the sound of the door locking. I brushed off the dust and went inside. My familiar room came into view. The dust had piled up, giving the impression that nothing had changed since thest time I left. Feeling a prickly sensation. First, I looked for something to eat. ¡­My stomach was growling so much. Considering how frantic I had been moving and thinking, it was only natural. Chapter 8: In the dark room Chapter 8: In the dark room *Cluck, cluck.* It was an ordinary room with white dust piled up. At first nce, it seemed ordinary, but inside, there was something strange. *Cluck, cluck.* There was a quivering mass resembling jelly flopping around. The silhouette shrouded in darkness was unclear, but it felt like that of a little girl. It stayed still for a while, trembling on the floor. Eventually, it suddenly got up, taking steps with a squelching sound. With a sticky sound as it moved, circr footprints were imprinted on the white dust piled up on the floor. The small footprints seemed more animal-like than human. Perhaps feeling the taste of dust that entered through its feet, the part clustered into a face shook lightly. The jelly-like hair spread out like an umbre. If it could make a sound, it would probably sound like ¡®Yuck.¡¯ After pausing and shaking its head for a moment, it resumed its steps. It was a firm and decisive movement, as if it had a clear goal. It arrived at the refrigerator. Without hesitation, it opened the refrigerator wide. With sticky hands attached, the refrigerator easily revealed its interior. However, as it inspected the refrigerator, it touched its forehead with its hand, seeming slightly bitter. Following its gaze inside the refrigerator, it was filled with packs of discounted beers bought at the convenience store. Was it worried about getting drunk? Deciding not to reach out with its jelly-like soft hands, it gently closed the refrigerator door atst. It appeared content with the fact that the electricity was still running for the time being. After closing the refrigerator, it moved its steps once again. Its next destination was the sink. The urate target seemed to be the pantry hanging above the sink. It reached out its hand in front of the sink. Obviously, it couldn¡¯t reach the pantry, so it was aiming to climb up to the sink. *Thud.* A bluish hand touched the silver sink. Feeling the coldness, it shivered and jumped up onto the sink as if crossing a hurdle. Or at least that¡¯s what it intended to do. *Clunk!* But it didn¡¯t seem that easy. With its sticky body stuck to the sink, it struggled to climb up, stuck. However, determined not to give up, it repeated climbing up to the sink. The result was¡­ failure. *St! Creak! Thud! Creak!* Frustrated by the failure, it pounded the sink cab with tiny and soft fists. Startled by the small noise, it hesitated, then sighed as if contemting and crossed its arms as if lost in thought. As if finding a solution, its arms stuck together. Seemingly finding an answer, it scurried off and brought back a box it had overturned. Then, it flipped the box onto the sink. *Thud.* Climbing on top of it, it attempted a small jump back onto the sink. Finally, managing to get up there. *Teong, teong.* With a look of joy on the sink, it yfully kicked its foot around. ¡­Although it immediately stopped due to the loud noise, it seemed quite ted. After some twists and turns, it reached the cupboard and, with a squeak, opened it. Inside, instead of a fridge, there were piles of food products like ready meals and cup noodles. Nodding its head in a somewhat proud manner, it reached out, taking out food items and neatly stacking them on the sink. Then. Was this the manifestation of its will to protect the food? Its body, instead of being sticky as before, boasted a refreshing and fluffy texture. However, it seemed to bepletely absorbed in the food, not noticing it. *Twitch, twitch.* After tossing all the cup noodles and ready meals on the floor, it seemed satisfied. Eventually, it hopped off the sink. *Ssh!* Though its height momentarily decreased from the impact, it quickly recovered. Sitting in front of the cup noodles, it seemed to ponder as it alternated between the cup noodles and the sink. Seeing the stove, it seemed to be considering whether to boil water. After hesitating for a moment, it tore open the cup noodles packaging. As the torn stic entered its body, it made bubbling sounds and slowly melted away. *Bubble!* After opening the lid of the ramen cup, it took out the contents and gently sprinkled the seasoning on top. It didn¡¯t seem to care much as the seasoning sprayed everywhere. The pale yellow noodles were gradually covered in a reddish hue. Satisfied, it gazed at the noodles covered in seasoning and then lifted them up. It absorbed the noodles into itself. *Shiver!* Its slimy body shivered slightly. Perhaps due to the spicy taste, a faint red hue appeared on its bluish body and soon disappeared. With bubbling sounds, the noodles floating inside it slowly melted away. Awkwardly but with a satisfied look, it prodded the spot where the noodles were melting, then feeling unsatisfied, it tore open another cup of ramen. Consuming the contents in a simr way, it gazed at the remnants it left behind pensively. Looking at a stic wrapper that entered unnoticed, it tensely shoved the ramen container into its body. Watching the container slowly¡­ very slowly melting, it eventually spat it out with a ¡®puh!¡¯ sound. No matter how it thought about it, this doesn¡¯t seem right. After filling its stomach like that, it wandered around for a bit, then approached the fridge again. Then, it took out a beer it had previously overlooked from the fridge. Holding arge can in each hand, it made its way under a small (actually quite huge to itself) bed with a clinking sound. *ng!* Pulling the melting stic with its hand to get the can, it hesitated and stared at it with a thoughtful look. *Gushing.* It poured the beer out through a small hole. A golden stream flowed as if passing through its throat. In the center of its bluish body, golden ripples swayed as if something golden was embedded. Eventually, after opening the rest of the beer cans and chugging them down, it pushed aside the remnants of cup ramen and beer under the bed. Then, pulling off the thin nket on the bed, it crawled under the bed like it wanted to sleep there, too. Dust that had piled up thicker under the bed floated in its body. The beer can and cup ramen that had been pushed out a moment ago also entered its body and floated around. The bluish-looking apartment dweller looked at the scene nkly as if it was drunk. It wrapped itself tightly with a nket around its body, crouching as if it wanted to sleep. *Bubble¡­ bubble.* Various things made gurgling noises in its body. Whether it fell asleep or was lost in thought, Only itself,ying under the bed, seemed to know. [ssified] NameHan Hosu¨€¨€Age2¨€upationOffice workerResidenceLocated in ¨€¨€-do, ¨€¨€-si, ¨€¨€-dong, a one-room apartament.Family RtionsNone ording to the investigation, he was captured on nearby CCTV before the incident urred. With no sightings afterward, he is the most probable candidate suspected to have fused with ¨€¨€¨€-KR. Confirmed absence from work after the incident. Reputation was neither good nor bad. Lack of close friends is attributed to asional peculiar behaviors, but further confirmation is required. We nned to send surveince to the residence after the ¨€¨€¨€-KR lockdown, but it is currently on hold. High likelihood of fusion with ¨€¨€¨€-KR into ¨€¨€¨€-KR-1 presumed. After searching the so-called sewer five times since the blockade, it was concluded that the so-called ¡®Damn Snot¡¯ seemed to have escaped through the sewer. Referencing Research Report 9 on ¨€¨€-KR, attempting to track ¡®Damn Snot¡¯ led to radio silence. Deemed to be challenging. Disposed of ¨€¨€-KR-B (Crocodile) five times during operations to observe peculiar changes, yet no alterations were observed. Proposed expanding the search radius and dispatching personnel to the assumed residence of the fusion candidate, Han¨€¨€. End. ¨€¨€ Branch Control Team Leader Hwang¨€¨€
  1. Conduct the operation on the premise of securing the target.
  2. Methods are at discretion, but minor casualties are eptable.
  3. Upon securing, the subject must be held in a separate containment chamber.
  4. Post-securing contact is restricted to authorized personnel only.
End. ¨€¨€ Branch Manager Park¨€¨€ Chapter 9: Food Safety Chapter 9: Food Safety I feel all mushy inside. If you ask me to describe this sensation, I can only say it feels mushy. I can¡¯t even figure out how to articte this feeling myself. It¡¯s probably because my body is morphing into an amorphous shape. So, it seems there¡¯s no one in this world right now who can understand my feelings. If there¡¯s someone else who has transformed into this kind of body, that would be pretty scary in its own right. ¡­It might, however, turn out to be a good thing for me. As I move my mushy body, I notice a damp nket soaked with sticky substances. I can¡¯t help but recallst night¡¯s sudden gloominess and the uneasiness of not knowing who might appear next, prompting me to drink some beer. I wonder if it was the beer I drank. In this situation, I question whether drinking beer and getting drunk is wise, but honestly, I can¡¯t help it. Texture is crucial when eating, but with this squishy body, I can¡¯t experience that. I merely swallow and digest everything internally. Just like when I digested a dog and observed changes in my body, I wonder if consuming something bigger would trigger further changes. It doesn¡¯t seem like something to ponder right now, so I shake my body to clear my mind. Well, eating meat isn¡¯t that different after all, I guess. As I sluggishly crawl out of bed, faint daylight peeks through the curtains. Even that brings satisfaction and makes my worries vanish. How long had I been stuck in the sewer to feel this way, anyway? After emerging from under the bed, I first tidied up the food I spilled on the floorst night. I knew I shouldn¡¯t leave traces of my brief snack, but I didn¡¯t think of cleaning up the mess yesterday. After arranging things neatly as they originally were, I need to figure out how much time has passed. But that¡¯s not easy. Everything I had, like electronic devices and my wallet, has disappeared. Even my cherishedptop is nowhere to be found. I never dreamed I¡¯d experience the dark side of modern society like this. Without a smartphone, I can¡¯t even tell the time. Still, my shock is slightly lessened. After all, I had already tasted the sludge in the sewer. There¡¯s nothing I can do about my grim situation. Having quickly given up, I head to the bathroom this time. It¡¯s not like I need to use the bathroom. I just want to see what I look like now. So far, I¡¯ve only seen my vague reflection. Now is the time to see my true appearance. I turn the doorknob and enter the bathroom. I feel an ufortably strange sensation, simr to what I felt in the sewer. Feeling oddly ufortable, I lower the toilet seat cover and hop onto the sink. Since I stepped on a box to get up, it must be near the sink. *Ssh!* Although I turn into a puddle in the sink, luckily, it doesn¡¯t flow down the drain. It¡¯s not my fault, but the sink¡¯s annoyingly wobbly design is to me. Since I keep slipping, I grab onto the faucet and check myself in the mirror. In the mirror, I see the image of a tiny girl tinged with a bluish hue. I hesitate to call it a girl¡¯s appearance because it reveals many ws that make it hard to consider human. ¡­It would have been better if I had transformed into a human girl. At least then, I could have tried to find a way to survive somehow. This is definitely a dead-end. It might have been better if I could change my body color¡­ but s, it seems I don¡¯t have that ability. Appearing human but not quite human. How did this even happen? How should I live from now on? Right now, the money in my bank ount will be auto-debited for rent and utility bills, but I hadn¡¯t saved up a lot of money. It was uncertain whether I could stay here for a long time from the start. Just thinking about the little peace,fort, and civilization I may not be able to enjoy makes me gloomy. Perhaps I should just try to enjoy the present. Jumping from the sink with a ssh, I leave the restroom. Then I decided to eat a ready-to-eat meal I didn¡¯t consume yesterday. The most agonizing thing in the drain wasn¡¯t the damp space or the fear of being attacked at any time. ¡­It was eating tasteless food. Even melting and eating cup ramenst night felt like stars were exploding in my head. Especially the MRE I¡¯m about to eat now, which seems quite decent. It¡¯s affordable and tastes excellent. Last night, for some reason, I craved cup noodles, but inparison, this one would have been a much better choice. So, tearing open the retort packaging feels satisfying. But why does it smell like this? Is it spoiled? Something¡¯s off. It used to have a pleasant aroma not long ago, but now it oddly emits a sour smell. It can¡¯t be spoiled, yet I still check the expiration date, and it¡¯s far from expired. Could it be because I didn¡¯t heat it up? No, I remember it tasting good even when I ate it cold out ofziness. Feeling puzzled, I open another package, only to be greeted by the same strange sour smell. It¡¯s not inedible, but it¡¯s a smell I¡¯d rather not taste. Was it always like this? In my confusion, my eyesnd on the retort package. [Soylent Purple Co.] [Beef Curry] [Soylent Purple Co.] [Pork Soy Sauce Stew] Somehow, my stomach feels uneasy. I experience a strange sensation I¡¯ve never felt before, even though I¡¯ve eaten raw animal intestines. There seems to be something with the same name, but my memory is fuzzy. Putting aside the forgotten memories and feeling betrayed by the MRE I trusted, I sprinkle the spices on the cup noodles like yesterday and eat them. *Squish.* The cup ramen floats on my bluish body. It¡¯s not crunchy or deeply cooked, but as a savory chunk, it¡¯s quite delicious. Once again, I realize the importance of texture. Yet, I keep staring at the retort package I tore open. The sour smell and the taste in my memory started to sh in my mind. Is it just the smell? I¡¯ve transformed, that¡¯s why! Just ignore it! It must be some weird ingredient. Look at how your body has changed! Surely, many things remain hidden in this world¡¯s darkness, right? It¡¯s just a delusion. But it¡¯s a convincing delusion. For me, always curious about the unknown, it¡¯s an irresistible delusion. Then, let¡¯s examine the MRE¡¯s contents. I grab the package again and check the ingredient list. Nothing seems particrly special. I¡¯m unsure about the seasonings or chemicalponents, but it clearly lists beef and pork as ingredients. Still, does that make any sense? What if it¡¯s truly made by apany connected to secret organizations? ¡­What exactly is it made of? I don¡¯t feel good. I be increasingly convinced that I must avoid being caught by those chasing me. And then¡­ ¡°Did youe from thepany?¡± ¡°Yes, I came to check because Mr. Hosu didn¡¯t show up for work.¡± ¡°Oh, really? He didn¡¯t seem like that kind of person¡­ Well, for now¡­¡± I hear familiar and unfamiliar voices outside the door. The familiar one is thendlord¡¯s grandfather¡¯s voice. The unfamiliar one ims to be from thepany, but it¡¯s a voice I¡¯ve never heard before. If they were sending someone to check, it should¡¯ve been someone familiar¡­ I don¡¯t have close friends, but wouldn¡¯t they send someone I somewhat know? That is to say¡­ Feeling threatened, I tidy up the surroundings, grab the MRE and packaging, and slip under the bed. There¡¯s no time to escape now. *Click, click¡­* I hear the sound of the front door opening. I stuff the retort pouch, packaging, and cup noodle container under my body, wrap myself tightly in the nket, ¡­and hide in the corner as discreetly as possible. Hoping not to be discovered. If¡­ they catch me. What should I do? Should I spray ink in their eyes and run like an octopus? The woman, staring at the document smeared with ck ink, sighs while pressing her temples. ¡°What on earth is the Director thinking?¡± She muses after reviewing the personal profile she had recently sent to the Compliance Department. Then, as she reads the directive that had been submitted, her suspicion turns into certainty. Because the items she had requested to be censored were deleted instead. Someone must have deleted them, and since no one in this research facility outranks her except for the Director, nobody else could have. With a troubled expression, the woman taps her desk, recalling the recent chaos caused by the so-called ¡®Damn Snot¡¯ in theboratory. It was initially thought to be a standard incident of recovering entities derived from leaked anomalies, but this time, it was different. ¡°It¡¯s wrong to say it¡¯s ordinary because civilians were involved.¡± She feels remorseful, but that is all. Her concerns lie more with the Director¡¯s suspicious behavior. ¡°Did that damn snot witness something?¡± Could it be that his human consciousness is still present¡­? If so, things be incrediblyplicated. An anomaly with human consciousness. ¡°¡­Could it be?¡± It might be too far-fetched. Perhaps the Director simply wanted to quietly inquire about the work. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s suspicious.¡± She can¡¯t just sit idly by. It doesn¡¯t suit her temperament to remain silent after having her responsibilities usurped. The woman shreds the document, rises from her seat, and walks off to somewhere. Chapter 10: Monster Under the Bed Chapter 10: Monster Under the Bed The door, which had seemed tightly shut, suddenly creaks open, revealing a hunched old man and a jovial man with a bright smile. The old man yawns, his face almost expressionless, while the other man steps in ahead of him, his smile wide as he surveys the room. Though he smiles, there¡¯s a dryness to it. His droopy, seagull-shaped eyelids barely conceal the cold scan of his pupils as they survey the surroundings. Yet, he manages to speak in a voice brimming with sympathy. ¡°Looks like nobody¡¯s home, huh?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ I thought he wasn¡¯t that sort of person, but you really can¡¯t judge a book by its cover.¡± The younger man¡¯s gaze, scanning the floor, catches small and faint footprints left behind. Small round footprints, seemingly left by a tiny animal, are evident. The old man, having entered with him, appears not to notice, possibly due to his failing eyesight, but for the younger man, they are as clear as day. ¡®¡­I¡¯m not sure if he left, but it definitely seems like he was here.¡¯ Everything points to the temporary codename ¡®Damn Snot¡¯ having stayed here. Lightly umted dust holds faint traces. An odd arrangement of MRE pouches and cup noodles lies on the floor. A messy box, clearly out of ce, is visible to anyone. ¡­And finally. ¡®This smell¡­¡¯ The scent of a product from Soylent Purple Co. lingers. Though it has faded, and the old man seems oblivious, the man, experienced in such matters, detects that faint smell. It seems someone was in this room not long ago. Merely from the scent, it¡¯s impossible to ascertain whether ¡®Damn Snot¡¯ or somebody else was present, butbined with the other clues¡­ it¡¯s clear that it was probably ¡®Damn Snot.¡¯ ¡®¡­How peculiar.¡¯ This indicates that ¡®Damn Snot¡¯ possesses intelligence. Or they might have seen this ce as their ¡®nest,¡¯ instinctively making their way here and integrating into this space. ¡®It¡¯s not for me to judge.¡¯ Idle spection only increases the workload and shortens the lifespan. This principle is especially true in the environment where the man works. Thus, the mere possibility of ¡®Damn Snot¡¯ having been here is sufficient for him. Investigating further is impossible with the old man present. Particrly the bathroom, the cupboard, and¡­ ¡­under the dark bed, within the deep shadows. Considering the risk of ¡®Damn Snot¡¯ potentially lurking there, he deems it too dangerous to probe these spaces, especially given the possibility of an ambush. ¡°I-I suppose it¡¯s about time to leave, right? It¡¯s not polite to linger in a room without its owner for too long.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. That¡¯s true.¡± The man takes a final nce under the dark bed before stepping away. His report is straightforward. Evidence of someone¡¯s presence has been found. Based on the non-human footprints, it¡¯s presumed that ¡®Damn Snot¡¯ had stayed at the victim¡¯s house. Though the main entity wasn¡¯t found, it¡¯s highly likely it is hiding. No additionalments are made. A mere listing of facts suffices for the man. Quickly leaving the building, the man discreetly makes a call. As he delivers his sinct report, A figure, face obscured, enters the building. ¡­Did they leave? My jelly quivers, not flesh. It seems my efforts to erase traces and gobble up what was tucked beneath the bed have worked; the homeowner and their presumed visitor depart without a word. Perhaps I¡¯m overreacting. After all, they might have sent a stranger from mypany. It shouldn¡¯t matter, but upon reflection, nothing really changes for me. I still mustn¡¯t reveal myself. So, can I afford a moment¡¯s rxation now? As I sigh in relief inwardly, I recall the recent scramble under the bed. I hastily devoured the MREs without properly disposing of them. Despite the unpleasant odor, I had no choice given the situation. The taste was tolerable, even though it wasn¡¯t particrly warm, unlike the smell. Before bing a slime, I would marvel at the convenience and vor for the price, but now, what do I call it? It tastes, somehow, indistinct. Eating it felt like consuming cheap imitation meat rather than the real thing. The sauce tasted familiar, yet the melting chunks of meat had a peculiar vor. It was a taste I had never encountered before; I could tell it was some kind of processed meat, but unlike anything I had ever tried. Did my taste change with my transformation? Yet, instant noodles and beer remain as they were. Perhaps consuming only fishy-smelling meat in the sewer traumatized me regarding meat? I don¡¯t know. Something feels off, but Ick the information to resolve my doubts. Anyway. I wait until the voices and footsteps vanish, then cautiously emerge from under the bed. Silently, I squat in front of the stacked MRE containers on the floor. Instead of dwelling on the uncertain future, I find myself more intrigued by the mystery before me. That¡¯s just who I am. And since this curiosity connects me to my humanity, maybe I don¡¯t want to let it go. I might be a bit tipsy from dodging the person searching for me. Squatting, I scrutinize the MRE packaging, turning my head to spot something previously unseen. That¡¯s when I fail to notice another visitor creeping up behind me. No, this is peculiar. Having be a slime, I¡¯ve grown quite sensitive to movements, so why didn¡¯t I sense this? *Click!* ¡°¡ª!?¡± Startled by the sound of something locking, I attempt to move, but my body remains immobilized. Trapped as if inside a box, I can¡¯t budge. Regaining my senses, I scan my surroundings and realize I¡¯m encased in some kind of rectangr contraption. Looking up, I see a hand holding it in ce. Shifting my gaze, I spot an individual, their gender ambiguous, munching on what seems to be bamboo. A bizarre figure wearing sunsses, casually chewing on bamboo. It¡¯s not like he is a ninja to suddenly appear. This situation is truly bizarre. But I can¡¯t focus on that individual any longer. With a rustling noise, the box-like contraption holding me bes enveloped in dark fabric. I hear a creaking sound and soon feel a sense of movement as if I¡¯m being carried away. My body jiggles in sync with the footsteps of my captor. It¡¯s only then I realize I¡¯ve been caught and am being transported, seemingly abducted. What¡¯s happening? Did my attempt at deception fail? Or is this someone else? A myriad of thoughts swirl in my mind, a mind I¡¯m not even sure exists in the same way anymore. What now? Am I doomed to be trapped and experimented on for life? Would it be better to reveal I was originally human? But can I evenmunicate that? And if I can, would they help me? Perhaps they could even restore my human form. Help! Is anyone there? *Thunk!* The sound of a car door closing snaps me out of my frenzied thoughts. Gloom fills my mind instead. I naively thought I could avoid capture by deceiving them. Since transforming into this jelly-like form, my emotions have been more vtile than ever. *Buzz¡­* I hear the car engine start. I¡¯m definitely being kidnapped. Confusion reigns within me, but it¡¯s followed by a calmness reminiscent of facing a crocodile or armed individuals. Though there¡¯s no time to breathe, I exhale and hear what sounds like someone spitting. ¡°Um, everything is fine, but there¡¯s this persistent nagging feeling¡­¡± A male voice breaks the silence. It¡¯s a weary voice. This man eventually starts talking to someone else. ¡°I mean, we¡¯ve secured it, but is this really the right course of action? What? I-I should just proceed? But what if the doctor decides to punish me? I could end up in a dire situation, you know?¡± My non-existent heart flutters. The scenarios I vaguely imagined or joked about are starting to materialize. ¡°¡­Well, it should be okay, as you said, but given the circumstances¡­ What? Ah¡­ Okay, got it.¡± The man responds gravely to whatever is being said on the other end, then falls silent. *Buzz¡­* The sound of the moving vehicle blends with the noise of other cars outside. The man doesn¡¯t speak again. An oppressive silence takes hold. ¡­A silence whose end I cannot foresee. Why did he stop talking? Being kidnapped, any information could be crucial. Now¡­ where am I being taken? How much time has psed in this state? The sound of surrounding traffic fades away. It seems we¡¯re nearing our destination. Chapter 11: Don’t eat me, please Chapter 11: Don¡¯t eat me, please The vehicle carrying the trembling jelly speeds out of the city and into the suburbs. It reaches a road frequented by massive cargo trucks, slips into a parking lot surrounded by buildings that resemblerge warehouses and factories, andes to a halt. Even as the vehicle ceases movement, cargo trucks continue to move tirelessly in and out of the warehouse adjacent to the factory. Goods stream from the warehouse onto the trucks non-stop, and the trucks,den with cargo, head directly towards either the city or the countryside, bustling with activity. The workers loading the goods appear weary from their strenuous efforts, yet their smiling faces reveal the rewarding nature of theirbor. Above the bustling, weary workers, a peculiar sign catches the eye. [Soylent Purple Co.] A man shades his eyes as he disembarks from the parked vehicle. With the care of someone holding a delicate dish, he retrieves something from the back seat and moves it with cautious steps. Whenever the object wrapped in ck cloth twitches, the man halts in his tracks and stares at it intently. He resumes his journey only after the twitching within the cloth-wrapped bundle subsides. Navigating through the giant shadows of the warehouse, he passes by the busy area where workers swiftly move about, and enters the factory. Upon entering, a faintly sweet scent fills the air. As the man stealthily makes his way through the factory, where Soylent Purple Co.¡¯s main products are being produced, countless items are being packaged and transported back to the warehouse. From the well-maintained facilities and rigorously managed production line, products continue to emerge incessantly. He delves deeper into the facility, passing doors marked with stickers stating ¡®Authorized Personnel Only.¡¯ The break area for the factory workers lies quite a distance from his current location. *nk. nk.* As he moves past, the closed doors exude an air of imprability, suggesting not even an ant could pass through. The man¡¯s silent trek allows him a glimpse of the cooking process for the products being manufactured in the factory. This process begins as a ¡®red blob¡¯ appears in the dimly lit corridor. Large ¡®blobs of flesh¡¯ descend from hooks and flow into the production facilities. These flowing blobs are cut into pieces andnd in their designated spots. The small pieces of meat,bined with various ingredients, are transformed into Soylent Purple Co.¡¯s products. Though most of the process is automated, human figures are asionally visible. They ponder the origins of red meat and the type of meat that requires such varied cooking methods. Yet, no one truly questions it. Since the cooking is entirely automated, there¡¯s no room for doubt. It¡¯s merely about ensuring the factory operates smoothly and reporting any issues. Thepensation is generous, and the benefits are substantial. Especially since employees can purchase Soylent Purple Co.¡¯s already affordable products at even lower prices. It¡¯s indeed the ideal workce. He harbors a sense of pride about this. Thanks to the products they produce, which are sold nationwide for their low prices and great taste, they are among the most donated items to those in need. Of course, there are those who quickly resign due to some mysterious urrences, the reasons for their swift exit unknown. But is it not their fault for not adhering to the rules? The individuals working at Soylent Purple Co. are content today. And they are likely to remain content in the future. Observing them, the man entering the factory contemtes. This meat¡­ ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯ Initially, the man also consumed products from Soylent Purple Co. He believed it wasteful not to indulge in them, given their affordability and deliciousness. However, since he started working behind the scenes of this factory, he has found it too unsettling to touch them. Should he wish to investigate, he could, but¡­ The man shakes his head. In his current position, it is often preferable to know less than he already does. Moreover, venturing beyond the boundaries of the rules could lead to undesirable consequences. He is uncertain if a misstep might result in such an oue. Therefore, he opts not to indulge his curiosity about whatever lurks within that dark passage. Then, as the man sighs, he recalls the woman who entangled him in this predicament. Remembering her bold and sweet voice that reassured him, he shakes his head. He feels like a fish that has swallowed bait, yet truly¡­ there is no escape. As the man sighed deeply, he arrived at the deepest part of the factory. Extracting something from his pocket and pressing it against the wall, an electrical sound precedes the door opening to reveal an elevator. ¡®By the way¡­¡¯ It hasn¡¯t moved for some time now. The man in the elevator examines therge tray in his hands. It had been creaking vigorously moments ago, but now, there is no movement at all. Surely¡­ it isn¡¯t dead, right? As the man felt uneasy. The elevator closed. The vehiclees to a stop, and suddenly, I feel as if my body is floating in mid-air. My jelly quivers uncontrobly, beyond my control. Is this happening because I¡¯m experiencing something that might be unfamiliar to modern people, like kidnapping? ¡­Though it might bemon elsewhere, in South Korea, where I¡¯ve lived until now, it¡¯s rare. Experiencing something firsthand that I¡¯ve only read about in novels, seen in movies, or heard in the news feels surreal. Well, I¡¯m not human now¡­ not anymore. Oh, man. I guess the fear of being kidnapped is the same whether you¡¯re a slime or a human. I suppress a sarcastic remark and feel my trembling body gradually calming down. Yeah, they say that even if you enter the tiger¡¯s den, you can survive as long as you keep your wits about you, right? I tell myself to pull it together. My jelly¡¯s trembling stops. Then, as if to wee this calm, a scent drifts in. No, now it¡¯s an unfamiliar scent. The strong smell of Soylent Purple Co.¡¯s MRE fills the air. It¡¯s an intense smell reminiscent of a pool filled with Soylent Purple Co.¡¯s products. Imagining a pool filled with ready meals bubbling, I can¡¯t help but let out a dry chuckle despite having no lungs. So, I must have been brought to Soylent Purple Co.¡¯s factory. ¡­To a food factory? An ominous thought crosses my mind. What if all the products made by Soylent Purple Co. are made from creatures like me? What if someone who seeded in capturing me is taking me to a butcher shop? Would being caught in the sewer have made any difference? It seems like it wouldn¡¯t, but at least in the sewers, they wouldn¡¯t hunt for ingredients. I feel like I was dragged to Soylent Purple Co.¡¯s factory in exchange for tasting beer and cup ramen and spoiled MRE, but there¡¯s nothing I can do about it now. No way¡­? I¡¯ve been in the sewers for quite some time; the smell¡­ the smell might still be on me¡­ I might not be suitable for food¡­ *Clunk!* *Thud¡­.* Trapped in darkness, all sorts of wild thoughts race through my mind. If I¡¯m brainless, where are these thoughtsing from? But finally, with a closing sound, the delusions begin to fade. Suddenly, I feel as if my body is being lifted upwards. Unless I¡¯m experiencing skydiving while being held in ce, I must be in something like an elevator. *Clunk.* With a noise, my body returns to its original state. Should I be grateful for my body¡¯sck of response? Or should I sarcastically thank my captor for making me go through this? And amid all this, another tedious movement begins. I cross my fingers, hoping it¡¯s not a jelly processing factory, feeling anxious. *Thud.* Apanied by a sound like dentures falling out, my body, which was swaying back and forth,es to a stop. *Flutter!* Soon after, I hear the sound of a cloth being drawn aside. There¡¯s no light appearing¡­ It remains dim and dark. *Click.* And all I can hear is the sound of a door being locked. Right after that. *Pop!* Suddenly, a bright light shes. My sight is filled with a sudden brightness. Luckily, having no sensitive eyes, my vision quickly adjusts back to normal. It¡¯s quite a relief. Then, I still find myself trapped in a square box. K-Kidnapper, sir? You¡¯re not nning to leave me like this, are you? My second thought, after that foolish one, is that the room ispletely white. I almost decided to quickly find any stain, no matter how small. If my sky-blue jelly stains something, it will probably show up immediately. I haven¡¯t seen it myself, but if there was ever a sterile room, this would be it. The room is obsessively white. Ironically, it looks much nicer than the studio apartment I used to live in. ¡­Even though it¡¯s empty. Feeling a slight sense of destion, I hear a click, and the restraints constricting my body loosen. As the pressure around me releases, I¡¯m able to regain my usual form. For some reason, I feel like a ttened mushroom that¡¯s been stepped on by an Italian plumber. Maybe it¡¯s just my mood. Once out of the box, I nce around. Then, I see something resembling arge mirror. I call it ¡®something¡¯ because it¡¯s mounted too high to reflect what¡¯s below. It¡¯s positioned as if only a giant could see their face in it. At that moment. *Click.* The door opens, and someone enters. *Tap, tap.* I shift my gaze towards the sound. There. ¡­An alien is approaching me. It¡¯s as white and huge as this room. Dark andrge eyes stare at me. My jelly, which had expanded out from the box, now shrinks down. Chapter 12: First Encounter Chapter 12: First Encounter ¡°It¡¯s smaller than I thought¡­¡± ¡®Feels even smaller than when I first saw it.¡¯ ¡°¡­It¡¯s not being disrespectful, right?¡± ¡®What are you thinking right now?¡¯ ¡°¡­Is the owner not taking care of it properly?¡± ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡°No, I¡¯m kidding, okay? Instead of that¡­ try to do something.¡± The woman who made a bad joke casually scratched her cheek. Without realizing it, a thought popped into my head. Ahem. Clearing her throat, she nced back through the ss, urging the person on the other side of the inte. ¡°You aren¡¯t offended by this, right? I¡¯ll treat you to a meal after this.¡± ¡®¡­The ce we went tost time was quite nice¡­¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s finish the task first.¡± The woman, Han Seori, refocused on the view beyond the window. It waspletely white beyond the ss. In the room, so bright it felt oppressive, there were two beings¡­no, one person and one anomaly. The anomaly, codenamed ¡®Damn Snot,¡¯ was brought in by the man, Kim Cheonsu. Once Kim Cheonsu had ced the anomaly in the room, he returned wearing a thick protective suit. The other one. The newly ssified ¡®candidate¡¯ anomaly, codenamed ¡®Damn Snot.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t an official name but a nickname given by those who searched through the sewers to find this anomaly. Although theyughed and said the name suited it as it was found in alligator nostrils, it was probably not just a coincidence that they had endured hardships in the dirty and smelly sewers for several days. Since a name was expected to change once it was officially ssified, there was no need for anyone to raise doubts. It was true that the suppression team had a hard time because of the ¡®snot¡¯, after all. While staring at the anomaly ¡®Damn Snot¡¯, which had caused such difficulties, Han Seori unconsciously muttered. ¡°¡­Pretty cute.¡± I feel sorry for the suppression team, but that was my first impression. Although the soft and translucent sky-blue body looked somewhat strange, its overall silhouette resembled that of a girl, which made me feel somewhat affectionate. However, Han Seori harboured doubts in her mind. ¡®I heard that it fused with a man named Han Hosu, as reported.¡¯ ¡­Was that person really like that? Han Seori recalled the personnel file that she had read and discarded. While pondering over the photo that was btedly attached there, shepared the image in her mind with the trembling jelly inside the istion room. ¡®¡­They lookpletely different.¡¯ Moreover, when Kim Cheonsu in the protective suit entered and saw the trembling figure¡­ It wasn¡¯t easy to recognize the sturdy man in the photo. The jelly-like figure, in the form of a girl, triggered her protective instincts. It was enough to startle Kim Cheonsu, who was approaching to do something. It¡¯s almost like watching someonemit a nasty deed. As Han Seori gazed at the figure, she took out a notebook and a pen from her pocket to jot down some notes. It was a method she used to organize her thoughts. [Are we sure the fusion target is Han Hosu?] It seemed impossible to rule out the possibility that it was just a coincidence. ¡®But it was caughting from Han Hosu¡¯s house.¡¯ In that case¡­ [If the fusion has absorbed only intelligence and knowledge?] Han Seori pondered on this while tapping the words with her pen. Though it seemed trivial, it was a very important issue. ¡®Damn Snot¡¯ shows intelligence because of remnants of Han Hosu¡¯s consciousness. Or. Is the unique being that absorbed his intelligence merely imitating him? Taking the appearance of a small girl might also be to evoke protective instincts. If remnants of Han Hosu¡¯s consciousness remain¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be natural to have a simr appearance? ¡®It¡¯s too early to jump to conclusions.¡¯ Regardless of which it is, the key point was having consciousness. ¡­If there are remnants of Han Hosu¡¯s consciousness, things might get a bitplicated, but cooperation seems possible. Originally, it was the responsibility of theb where she worked as an assistant to handle and confirm everything systematically. The sudden return of the suspicious director was the issue. To make matters worse, there were nasty rumours about the director. There was a rumour circting that some trivial anomalies were secretly taken out to satisfy someone¡¯s curiosity. He vehemently denied it, but¡­ well¡­ ¡®No smoke without fire, right?¡¯ Han Seori, who had taken notes, looked back through the ss window once again. As the hesitant Kim Cheonsu cautiously approached ¡®Damn Snot¡¯, the tiny girl seemed to tremble with fear at his giant silhouette. ¡°¡­You told me to do this, but what do I do now?¡± He seemed a bit¡­ like a pervert. My internal evaluation of Kim Cheonsu seemed to decline. That¡¯s why Han Seori felt fortunate that ¡®Damn Snot¡¯ had been brought here. I hadn¡¯t grasped what it really was yet, but seeing that appearance, it perfectly fit the criteria of ¡®trivial anomaly¡¯. I hadn¡¯t exactly figured out what ¡®Damn Snot¡¯ was, but it needed proper ¡®istion¡¯ in either case. First, I needed to know what it was to decide what to do. Meanwhile¡­ ¡°Uh, um¡­ hello?¡± A voice with awkward friendliness came from behind the ss window. Han Seori watched that figure with a strange gaze. It was like watching a viin approaching a girl ying in a yground. No, it might be even worse. To ensure Kim Cheonsu¡¯s safety, he was dressed in protective gear, which made him quite intimidating. In contrast, the frail body of the small girl was shrinking and shivering. ¡­Maybe it absorbed not only intelligence? ¡°Let¡¯s not get closer and just have a conversation. How about mentioning its name? Instead of ¡®Damn Snot¡¯, remember the fused civilian name?¡± Han Seori mumbled so pitifully, and as Kim Cheonsu stopped and took a step back, he spoke. ¡°Uh, are you Mr. Han Hosu?¡± Then, the trembling of the jelly-like creature, who was shrinking and trembling, stopped. It now had a calm demeanourpared to the quivering moments before. Seeing that, Han Seori swallowed hard. Could it be that the least likely scenario was the correct answer? She gazed at the sky-blue girl, who seemed to be calming down with a trembling face. Finally, the girl¡¯s mouth opened as if about to reply. And then. *St!* Mucus sttered from the girl¡¯s mouth, covering Kim Cheonsu like a fishing casting over a fish. ¡°Ahhhh!?¡± Kim Cheonsu, wearing the hazmat suit, seemed at ease with a gentle expression, but in the unexpected situation, he screamed in shock. ¡°¡­.¡± Seeing Kim Cheonsu being covered in mucus, Han Seori hesitantly grabbed the walkie-talkie with a puzzled expression. ¡°Could someone please bring out Agent Kim?¡± As it seemed like an attack with no lethal force, Han Seori frowned in confusion. Why did it attack? ¡­Could it not be Han Hosu after all? Han Seori felt uneasy and peered at the girl behind the ss. As something muchrger approaches, I instinctively step back. Meeting others in the sewer feels surreal. There¡¯s a muchrger crocodile facing me. But this time is different. A person muchrger than me approaches, exuding an intimidating vibe. Isn¡¯t it odd not to be scared? I can¡¯t even fend him off with these soft fists! It¡¯s only natural for my trembling body to step back. It¡¯s strange to be approached by someone with a purpose and not being able to do anything¡­ It¡¯s scarier and more helpless than I thought. I feel like something is bubbling inside of me. And then. Someone without a visible face says. ¡°Are you Han Hosu, by any chance?¡± Huh? Huh??? It feels like my non-existent heart is pounding. Do these people know that I am Han Hosu? Did they pull me out to help me? Suddenly, even the white room that felt ustrophobic seemed to have a reason, and the imposing figure in front of me started to look friendly. Yeah, I¡¯m not in my human form right now, so being cautious is obvious! I¡¯m so happy. I¡¯m filled with the belief that the people who recognized me will restore me to my original self and let me return to my ordinary life. I¡¯m not ready to give up yet. Dreaming of a bright future, I look at the massive figure with satisfaction. The figure wears an opaque helmet reminiscent of a spacesuit, reflecting my image, of course. I feel like my shrunken body is expanding again. It¡¯s crucial. I have to convey to them that I am Han Hosu. Out of all things familiar to me, ¡®speaking¡¯ is naturally the mostfortable. But there¡¯s one thing I overlooked. I can¡¯t speak. More urately, I remember how to speak but can¡¯t produce any sound. Yet, in that sudden situation, I forget about it. I urgently want to ¡®speak¡¯ and let them know that I am Han Hosu, that I am human. So, I shout that I am that person. *St!* ¡°Whoaah!?¡± Huh? The slime that oozes from my body engulfs the figure in front of me. The figure hit by the sticky slime falls to the ground and rolls around. The slimy substance stters everywhere. I stare at that sight in a daze. Before long, the tightly closed door opens, and others resembling the figuree in, dragging the figure out. Although there¡¯s no blood running through my body, it feels like my blood is drying up. Definitely. I damn messed up. Chapter 13: Humanity Chapter 13: Humanity *Squish. Squish.* Han Seori, having pushed Kim Cheonsu outside, continues to peer inside through the ss with a puzzled expression. ¡°¡­Why did he do that?¡± The ¡®Damn Snot¡¯ spits out a thick mucous towards Kim Cheonsu, who is in protective gear, and trembles with a sky-blue body stuck in the white corner. The petite figure of ¡®Damn Snot¡¯, resembling a girl, renders its actions bewildering. For Han Seori, watching someone ensnared in slime and dragged outside is frustrating. Yet, the absence ofmunication puzzles her. She feels it¡¯s about time for him to return. ¡°He didn¡¯t seem particrly dangerous¡­ Did some new traits manifestte?¡± As Han Seori grows concerned over the still absent Kim Cheonsu, she fiddles with themunicator. The door, previously closed, opens, and a dazed Kim Cheonsu walks in. Seeing him unharmed, Han Seori is relieved and teases him. ¡°You were wearing the hazmat suit. Why were you so surprised?¡± He struggles toe up with a witty response. Observing his attempts to project masculinity during their private encounters, Han Seori bursts intoughter. Unable to respond, he merely lowers his head. The situation is embarrassingly awkward for him. The mucus spat by ¡®Damn Snot¡¯ is harmless to people. Ingesting it can lead to choking and potential death by asphyxiation, but¡­ The same is true for konjac, jelly, and rice cakes. These are hardly dangerous. With mixed feelings, Kim Cheonsu justifies himself in a reluctant voice. ¡°It was unexpected, so I couldn¡¯t help it. I mean¡­ I didn¡¯t see any information about spitting.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, that could be possible. Those peculiar things¡­ are quite unpredictable.¡± Though Han Seori teases him, she isn¡¯t without understanding. Her observations from a safe distance contrast with the frontline perspective. Hence, Pointing at the tiny silhouette behind the ss, she inquires, ¡°So, what was your impression seeing it up close? It¡¯s so small that you can¡¯t see the details from here.¡± ¡°Impression¡­ Do you mean?¡± ¡°Yes. Even the trivial things are fine.¡± Kim Cheonsu, scratching his head in confusion, sighs before responding, ¡°Well, uh¡­ Cute?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Han Seori looks at him incredulously. She shared the sentiment but never anticipated those words from him. ¡°Take a look. Aren¡¯t you surprised too, Doctor?¡± ¡°¡­Is that relevant? Besides, I wasn¡¯t asking for jokes, was I?¡± Hmm. As Han Seori asserts her authority amidst confusion, Kim Cheonsu straightens and speaks with a serious tone. ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s difficult to say exactly what it is. It seemed terrified, but attacking suddenly doesn¡¯t seem very friendly.¡± *Thud, thud.* Listening to Kim Cheonsu, Han Seori taps on the ss and speaks cautiously. ¡°¡­Did it really attack?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°¡­It seems a bit too insignificant to call it an attack.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Threat?¡± ¡°That might be more fitting. After being kidnapped by you.¡± That means, ¡°Indeed¡­ Whether it was a threat or an attack¡­ it seems aware of the situation it¡¯s in.¡± What matters now is understanding the mindset of the tiny slime blob. Regardless, giving it time appears to be the best course of action for now. No matter the interpretation, its slime excretion indicates a highly unstable state. ¡°Let¡¯s give it some time to calm down and then conduct further experiments.¡± Han Seori decides while observing the jelly quiver. She also acknowledges her own impatience. It seems she was too hasty. ¡°¡­I need to conclude this investigation before the boss finds out.¡± First, they decide to offer it food. It appears to be a sound approach to confirm if it can behave in a human-like manner while calming down. Mentally agreeing, Han Seori instructs Kim Cheonsu to deliver a hamburger. After the bulky figure departs, I find myself huddling in a corner, lost in thought about what might be of me. There¡¯s no particr reason for me to be confined to this corner. It simply feelsforting. Suddenly, I find myself yearning for the sewer. The worst scenario imaginable churns in my mind: being processed into an MRE¡¯s meat. Though it¡¯s merely a figment of my imagination, the thought is horrifying. Envisioning my jelly-like form, being crushed into tiny pieces and consumed by others makes my jelly contract in fear. Previously, such macabre thoughts wouldn¡¯t easily cross my mind, but now, with danger looming, they seem all too usible. My anxiety wouldn¡¯t have been so intense had I not attacked, would it? Why did I do that? Shouldn¡¯t I havemunicated my intentions through means other than words? If only I had acquiesced to that bulky figure¡¯s demands¡­ Curse this foolish jelly of mine! Ugh! The sensation of my jelly quivering uncontrobly intensifies as I sp my head firmly. The cold, hard truth that I am no longer human confronts me. While trapped in this corner, my form wobbles like jelly¡­ *Click.* The sound of the locked door opening reaches my ears. Atst¡­ it approaches. But I am not prepared. Having already died once, must I face death again? Yet, devoid of any means to express this, I merely jiggle my jelly in response. A profound sense of helplessness envelops me. Visions of my fleeting life sh before my eyes, signalling that my time to die is likely near. My existence as Han Hosu was brief, and now, my short life as a slime draws to a close. I¡­ Don¡¯t want to die¡­ *St!* Eek! *Bubble, bubble¡­* I snap back to reality at the sound of something being ced on the floor. *Click.* As my vision clears, I see the door closing once more. ¡­Huh? Then, Observing what has been ced on the floor, I find myself perplexed. It¡¯s because there lies a very familiar item. So¡­ um, it¡¯s a hamburger. Though somewhat surprised, that¡¯s indeed the case. A hamburger rests on a tray before me. Absentmindedly, I sniff the aroma wafting from it as if I had a nose. Looking here, and there, it bes evident that only a hamburger and I upy the empty room. Whether the person who left it has truly gone or simply vanished, it¡¯s just me and the hamburger. It¡¯s as if we¡¯re on a blind date. Moving cautiously as if under a spell, I approach the hamburger. Almost mesmerized, I reach out and take hold of the hamburger. Wrapped in paper, the hamburger exudes freshness and warmth. It¡¯s the usual L Company burger I¡¯vee to rely on. What could this signify? Are they intending to fatten me up before consumption? Or perhaps they¡¯re offering forgiveness? ¡­Maybe there¡¯s no n to transform me into jelly gummies. Regardless, I decide to eat. Though not physically starving, a fierce hunger gnaws at me internally. Considering the energy expended, pondering my recent experiences, this hunger seems natural. As I begin to unwrap the paper, I hesitate for a moment. Then, opting not to unwrap it, I shove the entire hamburger into my lower stomach. This act ofziness in unwrapping, coupled with a demonstration of my utility by consuming even waste neatly, suggests I might be seen as convenient for maintenance if I leave nothing behind. Admittedly, the taste of the melted paper is less than appealing, yet the burger within is delicious. Some might dismiss hamburgers as mere fast food, but when analyzed, they fit into the realm of healthy eating. The bread provides carbohydrates, and the patty supplies protein. Add some vegetables, and despite the possibly excessive sauce, isn¡¯t dressing also added to sds? Separately, they constitute a healthy brunch. Together, they¡¯re dubbed fast food. This irony amuses me. ¡­Naturally, potatoes and beverages are excluded from this healthy bnce. But the meal remains tasty. Even though the paper¡¯s vour detracts somewhat, I proceed to ingest the remainder of the hamburger without removing the wrapping. As I watch the hamburger dissolve, its rich vour bes unmistakably clear. After consuming the burger, my attention shifts to a te left on the table. I pause, contemting whether to eat it as well. What a conundrum. To assert my utility and avoid being turned into gummy bears, I ponder whether I should consume it. Should I? Would that seem too uncivilized? What to do? As I fixate on the te with intense focus, *Click.* The sound of the door opening startles me. Uncertain of my next move, I dart to a corner with the te in tow. In a frantic bid to justify my utility, I force the te into my stomach. Oof. It tastes akin to sucking on a metal rod. Then, As someone¡¯s horrified scream fills the air, the te slipping from my stomach falls out. Plop. Watching my jellies leave with the te sends shivers down my spine. It feels as if they¡¯re warning me, ¡®You¡¯ll end up like that too.¡¯ As I sadly watch my jellies depart, a new te is offered to me. There lies a new burger weing me. It seems tes are indeed not meant to be eaten. Yeah, that¡¯s right. I reach for the burger as I hear the door close behind me. Delicious. Chapter 14: Control Zone Chapter 14: Control Zone Han Seori, with her night-colored hair tied up, looks at the lump on the tray. On the tray, there lies a lump suspected to be part of the so-called ¡®Damn Snot¡¯. Seeing it, she feels her mind bing slightlyplicated. It isn¡¯t the worries about the jelly-like lump, but rather ¡®Damn Snot¡¯ itself that is messing with her head. ¡°Hamburgers¡­¡± She eats the crust without hesitation, even attempting to swallow the tray. No matter how one looks at it, the fact that the tiny jelly girl was a ¡®grown man¡¯ until a short while ago seems unbelievable. Just in case, she tries adding other food as well. She grabs a sandwich from Store S and swallows it whole. Luckily, this time, she doesn¡¯t swallow the tray. She quickly swallows the paper bowl packed with ice cream and even the spoon. She gazes at the mint chocte, wondering how she would react, but her expression remains unchanged. She even swallows things like an ice cream wrapper without a second thought. Even with a paper straw in the drink, she puts it all in her belly at once, even eating the damp straw that had been soaked in advance. She even takes the food in stic containers and puts it directly into her stomach. However, once she snatches the tray, she never touches it again. It seems she has basic learning abilities, but¡­ ¡°¡­ it¡¯s hard to say if there¡¯s still the consciousness of an adult male.¡± It seems a bit far-fetched. What Han Seori hopes for is that she would open the packaging and consume it like a ¡®human¡¯. However, putting it directly into the lower abdomen from the start makes Han Seori sceptical that what is inside the slime girl is an adult man. She does seem to have intelligence, though. It¡¯s clear from the fact that she doesn¡¯t swallow the tray again. Seeing the trimmed dried squid from the convenience store, she recoils in disgust, suggesting she has preferences. Her attack abilities are feeble, and she seems easy to control. Initially, ¡®Damn Snot¡¯, who spat out slime, seeming very anxious, now seems to have adapted as she starts venturing out from its corner to look around. When the door opens, she hesitates momentarily but then approaches the food on the tray, swiftly takes it, and leaves. Watching that¡­ it seems possible to tame her if food is delivered properly. Although it is still unknown how much intelligence she possesses. Yet, more than that¡­ Han Seori gazes at the photo taken up close of ¡®Damn Snot¡¯. ¡°¡­ She¡¯s actually kind of cute.¡± At first nce, her alien skin is apparent. It¡¯s hard to call it skin. It looks soft, like jelly-like skin. It even seems transparent enough to see the insides, so it has many ws to call it skin. It looks like a lump forming a single entity. Organs or even a brain don¡¯t seem visible, so the way she moves itself is iprehensible, but¡­ ¡®Because it is an anomaly.¡¯ Understanding the principle seems difficult. But honestly, upon examining her appearance, Han Seori is a bit amazed. Her small and petite stature is at afortable height to pet, and her face made of jelly is quite intricate. Like a sculpted, wobbly face, it is difficult to read emotions but gives a very cute impression. She seems to take a form that triggers protective instincts in humans. But ironically, would this girl-shaped figure be aware that she is jeopardizing her own fate? Anyway¡­ Watching her escape from the corner, wandering around¡­ ¡°It seems like she has adapted to this ce by now.¡± It seems like the time for a proper test is approaching. To prevent her from wandering off to dangerous ces, Han Seori has to find parts that are worth receiving ¡®special management¡¯. Initially, there was a reliance on the consciousness of a man named ¡®Han Hosu¡¯, but it seems unlikely, so other parts had to be found for utility. If there hadn¡¯t been rumours about the boss going crazy, Han Seori wouldn¡¯t have gone through this trouble. Han Seori sighs and suddenly looks at the wobbly jelly piece on the tray. ¡°What if I use this as bait to prove the misconduct of the boss?¡± She shakes her head at the thought. Because then, she wouldn¡¯t be any different from the boss. It isn¡¯t even certain. She taps the jelly piece on the shelf with gloved hands and heads out. Having confirmed it isn¡¯t dangerous, she ns to enter the istion room herself. It¡¯s not like Han Seori is particrly captivated by her cuteness. So she thought. *Squish.* Lately, without a throat to clear, the variety of foods entering my body makes me yearn to produce such a sound. The taste of the packaging always feels a bit odd as I swallow everything whole to prove my worth. Doesn¡¯t continuously providing food like this affirm my usefulness? Especially the tremendous utility of even disposing of the stic. Honestly, even though I don¡¯t excrete anything, I¡¯m quite curious about where all these things end up. Despite my limited knowledge, I understand well that this should be impossible. It truly dawns on me that I¡¯ve be inhuman. Anyway. They only touch me asionally, solely to feed me, and nothing more. Escaping from the sewer felt like a reward. If nothing changes from here on¡­ wouldn¡¯t that be the dream life everyone yearns for? They take care of my meals regrly, freeing me from any responsibilities. ¡­Of course, it bes a bit dull since there¡¯s nothing to do. Here, there¡¯s not even a toy to amuse me with. I wanted to count the stains on the ceiling, but in this ustrophobic space, not even a single speck of dust can be found. It would be nice to have a smartphone here¡­ But that¡¯s unlikely, right? They say humans are creatures of adaptation. When I first arrived here, I could never have imagined harbouring such thoughts. While I sit here, nkly staring at the white ceiling. I hear the sound of the door opening. Is it mealtime already? Though it doesn¡¯t feel like I¡¯ve eaten much, my body seems capable of endless consumption, so I see no reason to decline. ¡­As long as it¡¯s not that sliced octopus they¡¯ve recently introduced. However, contrary to my expectations, the figure that enters isn¡¯t carrying a tray. The woman stepping through the door is smartly dressed. With her warm smile and brown hair, she maintains her distance from me. As she looks at me, I return her gaze. Unlike those who came before, bulky with equipment, she appears almost vulnerable. Realizing this fills me with a sense of joy. It¡¯sforting to know I¡¯m no longer seen as dangerous. After exchanging looks for a moment, she extends her hand, offering a greeting with a simple ¡°Hello?¡± Almost producing slime again unintentionally, I mp my mouth shut, preventing any potential escape of the slimy substance. It¡¯s a close call, but I manage to keep the jelly-like substance at bay¡ªspraying someone with it would have dire consequences. I struggle to contain my bubbling body, determined to prevent any idents. As I fight to keep myself in check, the woman, still contemting, approaches me. The woman stroking her chin now stands close, squatting to bring her eyes level with mine. Up close, she¡¯s even prettier than I initially thought. I wonder what she wants this time. As I gaze at her, apprehensive, She reaches out, slides her hand under my armpit, and swiftly lifts me. Feeling human warmth for the first time in ages is startling yetforting. Because I¡¯m tense, her hand doesn¡¯t sink into me. I manage to prevent my body from reacting as it does when ensnaring a crocodile. Being lifted gives me a sensation akin to that of a cat being picked up. It¡¯s somewhat embarrassing, yet my skin betrays no sign of my relief. In the midst of this, She starts talking to herself. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s safe. Huh? What did you say?¡± Suddenly, the woman¡¯s casual chatter turns serious. ¡°Prepare the containment device. I¡¯ll handle it¡­ Let¡¯s meet at the entrance to Zone D.¡± Somehow¡­ I get a bad feeling about this. The woman holding me looks troubled and mutters, ¡°I still need more time¡­¡± She sighs, holds me closer, opens the door, and begins to run. With each step she takes, I wobble. Feeling as though I might spill out if I rx, I huddle up, hearing a concerned voice from above. ¡°¡­Do you understand what might happen?¡± The ominous tone of her voice¡­ What on earth¡­ is going to happen to me? Fears long forgotten in thefort of my previous life start to creep back in. As we proceed, a sign reading ¡®Restricted Area¡¯es into view. The woman, now there, paces and gnaws at her nails, visibly agitated. ¡°Why isn¡¯t he here yet?¡± *Thump, thump, thump, thump.* Simultaneously, footsteps begin to resound from the other end of the corridor, causing the woman¡¯s expression to drop with disappointment. After a nervous nce around, she looks at me with a troubled expression, sighs, and says, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll understand, but you can¡¯t leave from here, okay?¡± With that, she opens the door to the restricted area and sets me down. The door closes immediately behind us. Silence envelops the space. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s happening, but I have a sinking feeling something unpleasant is about to ur. The owner of those footsteps¡­ probably. Dreadful thoughts resurface in my anxious mind. Looking around nervously, I realize the need to find a hiding spot, just in case the door opens. Trusting a door that could open at any moment seems unwise here. ¡­Sure, the woman said not toe out. But she didn¡¯t say not to go in. Perhaps that means I should seek refuge within? With that thought, I take tentative steps forward. The creeping fear¡­ ¡­I try my best to ignore it, pretending to be an explorer. Chapter 15: Sneak, sneak Chapter 15: Sneak, sneak The area isbelled as a restricted zone¡­ It is a space, unlike anything I might have anticipated. I¡¯m not sure what I typically envision when I hear ¡°restricted zone.¡± It¡¯s supposed to be about secrets that the world shouldn¡¯t know. ¡­Of course, it could be that I was too preupied with escaping to notice, but from what I¡¯ve seen, it wasn¡¯t like that at all. The deeper I venture, the more it feels like a neglected space rather than a vault for something precious. It feels somewhat abandoned. Not that it¡¯s dusty or anything¡­ An indescribable strangeness envelops the ce. The dimly lit, elongated corridor seems tailor-made for concealing shadows. The ground doesn¡¯t feel dusty under my feet, not abandoned in the slightest. I suspect someone periodically maintains it. But why does it feel so deste? It might just be my mood. Spending time alone in a room, daydreaming, or navigating extreme conditions in the sewers to survive could have numbed my senses. So, it might be that I¡¯m attributing meaning to something that¡¯s inherently meaningless. When was thest time I found myself in a ce like this? If my body were still the same as before, perhaps my heart would flutter with excitement with each step. ¡­Is it because my body has transformed that I feel this way? I continue to feel uneasy for some reason. But I can¡¯t pinpoint the source of this uneasiness at all. After transforming into a slime, did I acquire some new sense? ¡­It seems the only thing I¡¯ve gained is an all-purpose stomach that¡¯s always full. And then. Vibrations start to echo from beyond the corridor I had just traversed. I walk deeper, making sure the part of me touching the floor remains as dry as possible. It seems my interpretation of being told to hide here was correct. Had I naively remained at the entrance, I would have likely been captured. But. As I delve deeper inside, a small question emerges. Why are people here trying to hide me? I recall the woman who nced my way a moment ago. Her appearance was notably pretty and intellectual, notmonly encountered. Perhaps she¡¯s used to encountering beings like me, given herck of hesitation toward me. Wait a minute. Does this mean beings like me aremon in the world? But why have I never heard such tales in my lifetime, in this era? My jelly quivers, a sign of my excitement. Well, with crocodiles resurrecting continuously, nothing seems too oundish anymore. It¡¯s astonishing how well-hidden everything is, to the point where even someone with my curiosity knew nothing. Could that¡­ be possible? Even if we¡¯re talking about ces as obscure as the sewers. I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s challenging enough toe to terms with my transformation into slime, let alone grasp such a terrifying truth at this moment. As I attempt to escape. Right in front of me. A door appears. ¡°Ah, Dr. Han. I was wondering where you went, and here you are.¡± ¡°¡­Director.¡± Han Seori, maintaining aposed expression, observes a middle-aged man who smirks smugly while looking at her. Although the man, referred to as the Director, is smiling, there¡¯s an underlying difort beneath his finely arched eyelids. Han Seori averts his gaze and speaks softly. ¡°By the way, what brings you here? I¡¯m here to check on the anomaly in the factory.¡± She didn¡¯t undertake this task without reason. Of course, she had spent most of her time observing a small slime, but she had a valid justification. Perhaps theposure in Han Seori¡¯s voice doesn¡¯t sit well with him. The man, his lips trembling momentarily, quickly regains hisposure and smiles broadly. ¡°I¡¯m here to assist you as well. The anomaly here is quite significant, you know.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Nonsense. Han Seori didn¡¯t know the rumours about the Director were true, so she ran off in a panic just in case. She bites her tongue internally but maintains herposure outwardly and ps her hands. ¡°Oh my, there was really no need for you toe, sir¡­ Well, anyway¡­ Shall we go?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Despite her nonchnt demeanour, she is sweating profusely down her back. ¡®¡­Can I go in?¡¯ After allowing her to roam around the small room, the Han Seori worries if she would just stand there as soon as he opens the door. In the worst-case scenario. ¡®She is not isted in the researchb yet, so if she wanders around, it should be fine¡­¡¯ That small and cute slime might never be seen again. But since Han Seori can¡¯t do anything immediately, she thinks what happens next is up to the fate of that small slime girl. ¡®I hope she finds a ce to hide.¡¯ ¡°Aren¡¯t you going in?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going.¡± At the Director¡¯s urging, Han Seori pins her ID badge to the panel. She slowly opens the door this time, not rushing as before¡­ *Click.* *ck.* Since it has only been a few seconds, Han Seori, feeling nervous, looks beyond the door with a cold face. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Fortunately, the slime girl seems to have scurried off somewhere, just as Han Seori had hoped. Exhaling a sigh of relief internally, Han Seori takes a confident step forward. Walking ahead, Han Seori leads, and the Director silently follows her. *Thud, thud.* *ck, ck.* Their differing footsteps echo through the corridor. While walking through the strangely dark corridor, the Director furrows his brow and mutters. ¡°This ce is always ufortable.¡± ¡°¡­Wouldn¡¯t it be okay to turn back if you feel that way?¡± ¡°I agreed to help, so I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡­You¡¯re good with words. Han Seori nces at the Director, following from afar, and then turns around. She takes worried steps, wondering if ¡®Damn Snot¡¯, the slime girl, might be hiding somewhere in the darkness. Just then. The Director speaks up as if he¡¯s just remembered something. ¡°By the way, does Dr. Han know about the anomaly called ¡®Damn Snot¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­I probably do. It¡¯s the anomaly causing a stir in the research facilitytely, right?¡± ¡°Right¡­ We need to secure it quickly, but it seems to have disappeared again.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so.¡± As Han Seori tries to respond casually, the Director, seeming disappointed, purses his lips and remains silent. Since she also keeps her lips sealed, silence falls upon the corridor once again. It¡¯s unclear how much time has passed like this. Finally, they arrive at a new door and cautiously enter through the automatically opened door. Then, with a loud bang, something is sprayed onto them. Following that, a hot wind gushes out and envelops their bodies. ¡®¡­If she had passed through here.¡¯ Her body must have trembled. Imagining that adorable image, Han Seori giggles for a moment beforeposing her expression. Luckily, the Director seems unaware of it as they are also frowning at the heat blowing out. Whether the ¡®procedure¡¯ ispleted, the door in the opposite direction from where they came in opens. Han Seori, having adjusted her hair, takes the first step forward. Following closely, the Director also keeps up behind her. Before them, a huge space appears. It looks like a factory there. A pale andrge b of meat hangs on hooks, continuously falling somewhere. The meat, appearing to have been ughtered a while ago, shows bright red flesh trembling visibly. If an ordinary person saw it, their heart would tremble, but¡­ The two proceed slowly inside with faces that seem unimpressed. Han Seori doesn¡¯t forget to take a notebook out of her pocket as if she is working. ¡°There seems to be no significant issue with the delivery.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Since there haven¡¯t been any reports of issues, I guess everything¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s just a regr check-up.¡± ¡°Who said something like that?¡± A hint of dissatisfaction is in her voice. She gazes at the bs of meat hanging on hooks and slowly makes her way towards their origin. As she gets closer, a strange scent emanating from the meat tickles her nostrils. But she isn¡¯t as bothered as before. Perhaps she has gotten used to it. Right now, her focus is on whether the slime girl is hiding well or not. ¡®¡­Just in case.¡¯ What if those bs of meat attached to hooks ended up in the factory? A bted sense of unease creeps into her mind, but it¡¯s already toote for regrets. She has to focus on cleaning up the mess. *Scratch, scratch, scratch.* She hears a sound as if something is being cut right next to her ears. Then, a huge machine appears before her eyes. From numerous holes on it, with the sound of scratch, scratch, scratch, bright red bs of meat are sliced and popped out. The bs of meat being carried out on hooks seem to emerge from there. *Scratch, scratch, scratch.* As if cutting off the flesh of something swelling inside. While gazing at something spewing out huge chunks of meat, Han Seori suddenly thinks about what would happen if the slime girl went into those holes. It isn¡¯t a sight she wants to imagine, so she quickly shakes her head. ¡°Is there any problem?¡± ¡°¡­No, no issues at all.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Han Seori, faking her way through, wanders around, pretending to inspect the machine. All the while, she thinks about hiding the slime girl if she finds her. Luckily, there is no sign of the slime girl. But still, she starts to feel a bit uneasy. Will she be able to find the hidden slime girl? She begins to worry a bit. ¡®¡­Well, she seemed quite friendly to me.¡¯ Would shee out if called forter? ¡­Han Seori didn¡¯t know. Well, since she¡¯s already started going through all this trouble, she might as well endure a bit more. And then, in the midst of it all. A loud rm begins to echo throughout therge space. Han Seori stiffens her face. The middle-aged man, referred to as the Director, smirks and clenches his jaw. Chapter 16: Pillar Chapter 16: Pir Whoa! Yikes! Feeling extremely weird, I worry about what to do if the door doesn¡¯t open, but to my surprise, the closed door swings wide open as if weing me in. Unaware that it is a trap, I innocently take a step forward. I have to watch helplessly as a fierce wind tears through my body. It sprays a strange-tasting liquid and shoots icy wind at me. The wind is so harsh that it leaves temporary holes in my body. Just thinking about it makes me feel like my jelly is oozing out. Fortunately, before I turn into a donut, the wind subsides, and the door on the opposite side, which had been closed, opens. I rush out through the open door. I shouldn¡¯t wait for the door to close. Rather, I need to find a ce to hide from the pursuers. As soon as I step outside, the door closes firmly. It seems like some sort of device to filter out non-humans. ¡­I feel like I saw something simr in a restaurant obsessed with hygiene, but I quickly look away. Now, the important thing is where I am and what I should do next. And what I see is¡­ Chunks of bright red meat. Chunks of meat hang onrge hooks, disappearing into a deep passage whose depth is immeasurable. The meat looks like it has just been ughtered, with the bright red flesh bubbling as if boiling. Seeing the boiling chunks of meat wriggling as if alive makes me feel queasy. If I hadn¡¯t been like this, I might have thrown up everything in my stomach. Should I be happy about this? That¡¯s one thing. I catch a faintly familiar smell. Certainly, the meat in front of me doesn¡¯t resemble any meat I have seen before. Yet¡­ a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu lingers. It feels like I have seen it somewhere before, and for some reason, I feel like I know its taste. In the midst of that. *nk¡­ nk¡­* Therge chunks of meat on the hooks create an endless procession and vanish somewhere. As I nkly stare at it, a question suddenly arises. Why does a ce that houses something like me exist¡­? Then one thought pierces my mind. Something like a secret organization¡¯s base, whatever it is. The controlled area is the procession of chunks of meat. Meat chunks I have never seen before. As all the pieces of the puzzle fit together, my jelly trembles. The fact it points to is the chunks of meat exiting somewhere from the controlled area. It seems to refer to the meat of creatures like me. ¡­Could it be that all the food I¡¯ve been given¡­ was for this? To expand my jelly for this? For some reason, after mindlessly consuming everything given to me, I feel a bit heavier. Eventually, my gaze reaches the endless row of chunks of meat. Then my bluish jelly pieces, swaying on hooks, seem to be heading somewhere, ovepping with them. My body feels limp. Whether influenced by my emotions or not, my jelly weakly drips down. Some has already pooled on the ground, creating a strange atmosphere. Shaking my head causes some parts that are no longer mine to fall and drop below. When I regain focus, the flowing mucus-like substance reenters my body. I want to forget. I want to forget the fact that I¡¯m no longer human, but the situation constantly tries to inject it into my mind, and I hate it. Why do I have to endure this¡­ Being sad but unable to cry is just pitiful. During that time when I am moping around, forgetting even why I came here. [$!*($!] A voice can be heard from somewhere. Due to my foggy mind, I can¡¯t understand what is said, but it makes me realize why I am here again. ¡­For now, hiding is probably the first step. I decide to try to think positively. Upon reflection, I seem to have been too negative. How much jelly cane out of me, anyway? Not even that many chunks of meat cane out of me, so my fuel efficiency isn¡¯t great. My body¡­ If I can prove other usefulness¡­ could that work? I shake my head while thinking about the woman who greeted me with a friendly face. Then the voice I heard earlier, filled with longing,es to mind. Was that fake too? I don¡¯t know. I wish someone would tell me the answer if they knew. Thinking that, I head towards the source of a loud noise, and that¡¯s when I see something strange with my eyes. It is¡­ something shaped like a pir. Arge pir extends upwards from the floor. There is a fairlyrge hole in the pir, from which sharp sounds of scraping can be heard incessantly. Then, like squeezing out a pimple, red chunks gush out, dangle, and are carried away on hooks. ¡­Yeah, all the chunks of meat I have seen so far areing out of that pir. It is truly bizarre. Enough to make all the worries I had just moments before disappear. A stick oozing out raw meat. At first it might sound a bit strange to some people. Besides the fact that a crocodile in the sewer ising back to life, it is not beyondmon sense. At least it is something existing in a form I know. But this¡­ what on earth. [$(!$!#] At that moment. Once again, I hear someone¡¯s, no something¡¯s, voice. It gives me that same strange sensation. It feels different from overhearing what other people are saying on my way here. The voice doesn¡¯t seem to be spreading through the air. And the origin of that sound is. From the meat. *Thump, thump.* It ising from the pir. Originally, it would have been right to avoid that ce, but. As if possessed by something, I quickly approach the pir where the meat is being carved out. As I get closer, the smell wafting from the meat bes stronger. I can tell the identity of those flesh lumps. ¡­the smell emanating from Soylent Purple Co.¡¯s MREs that I used to enjoy eating every time. The strange smell of the MRE that I felt after I turned into a slime. Was this what its main ingredient was? *Rustle!* Although it is my first time seeing these strange things. ¡­they have already deeply entered my life. While I am staring nkly at the flesh chunks being hung on hooks. In the distance, the sound of tiny footsteps begins to approach. It seems like they have alreadye this far while I am dawdling. ¡­ I am suspicious of what they want from me. But. Thinking of the woman who looked at me with a warm and worried face. I decide to hide for now. It isn¡¯t because she is pretty or anything. But there is one problem. ¡­There is nowhere to hide. The path is limited, and the spaces to hide are only the holes where pieces of meat areing out. *Squelch!* Only holes where meat is getting sliced off remain. The dark hole below is an exception where the end is not visible. No matter how gtinous I am, it seems like I would make a loud st if I fall. It is basically like having no choice at all. The hole where the meat ising out is high up. Even if I were taller, I wouldn¡¯t reach. That means one of the many holes pierced in the pir. Apart from the hole right in front of me, there is nowhere to hide. Looking closely, there are gaps. The meat doesn¡¯t entirely fill the holes. ¡­It would be a tight squeeze. Even the strange soundsing from inside bother me. ¡°For the delivery¡­¡± Now a voice is heard. There is no choice. I fly into the hole as the meat is being sliced off, nning to go to an unseen ce before the de passes. *Squelch!* As I pass through to a certain extent, the de that is slicing the meat leaps out and cuts my leg. There is no pain, but seeing my leg being cut off is extremely shocking. ¡­Still able to move without hindrance, I wriggle vigorously towards the inside. [#@$@$$!] Another weird sound echoes closer now. As the meat starts to inte, I crouch down. The bright red chunk of meat presses against my body as it passes by as if licking me. *Snap!* Unfailingly, the cut piece of meat disappears. *Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping!* Loud noises starting from outside. Startled, I crawl further inside before the new piece of meat intes. The smell from the MRE fills the air strongly. How long has it been since the warning sound started? Frantically operating the panel, Han Seori sighs and turns off the warning sound. In front of her, a sign saying ¡®foreign object removalplete¡¯ appears. Although she has resolved the emergency, her expression doesn¡¯t seem all that pleased. Seeing her like that, the manager speaks with a subtle expression. ¡°It seemed like the check was worth it. Why the gloomy face?¡± Han Seori manages her expression and replies to that voice. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not exactly a pleasant thing when problems arise, right?¡± ¡°Well, true. Anyways, what was the issue?¡± ¡°¡­Seeing that the foreign substance was removed, it seems like something leaked from the upper factory.¡± ¡°Oh, we should pay more attention to that and inform others.¡± Looking at the director¡¯s somewhat disappointed face, Han Seori nods, feeling an indescribable emotion. ¡­Is this the fate of the slime girl? Han Seori forces a smile. She leaves the control zone with the director. For now, she thinks returning is the priority. Chapter 17: Han Seori Chapter 17: Han Seori [ess permission being verified¡­.] [Permission granted.] [Retrieving relevant information.] [¨€¨€¨€-KR-1] -> [¨€¨€¨€-KR-2] [Canned food that nobody eats] -> [Infinitely ¨€¨€¨€ing chunks of meat] [Photo of an old canned food] [Photo of a giant pir-shaped hole-pierced machine] Date of initial discovery: 19¨€¨€.9.2. (Estimated)
Initially discovered as the form of an old canned food (¨€¨€¨€-KR-1), but ressified as opened ¨€¨€¨€-KR-2 during experiments at the ¨€¨€¨€ branch. It is assumed that ¨€¨€¨€-KR-1 got lost during this process.
Initially thought to be canned food distributed during the World War, butter confirmed to be a product that has never been manufactured by anypany. Content was estimated to consist of things that do not exist in the world.
Subsequently confirmed as anomaly through the following experiments, and amodated in ¨€¨€¨€.
Following is an excerpt of the experiment record when anomaly ¨€¨€¨€-KR-1 was opened. Dr. ¨€¨€¨€: Can you check if there¡¯s a record of the can being opened with a can opener? Agent ¨€¨€¨€: Doesn¡¯t seem to be one. Dr. ¨€¨€¨€: Really? Why not? Agent ¨€¨€¨€: If I knew that, wouldn¡¯t I be dressed the same as you, Doctor? Dr. ¨€¨€¨€: Stop messing around and bring a can opener. Subsequently, Agent ¨€¨€¨€ exited theb and reentered with a can opener. ¨€¨€¨€ Dr.: Who¡¯s that person behind you? ¨€¨€¨€ Agent: Brought him just in case. Because I¡¯m precious. ¨€¨€¨€ Dr.: ¡­Remember everything gets documented? ¨€¨€¨€ Agent: Geez, it¡¯s just opening a can, why are you like this? Weren¡¯t you the one who was going to do it anyway, Dr.? ¨€¨€¨€ Dr.: Heh heh¡­ Well, you brought him, so let¡¯s give it a shot. You followed the process and brought him, right? ¨€¨€¨€ Agent: Yes. ¨€¨€¨€: ¡­Are you really going to give me ¨€¨€ for just opening a can?
Conversations unrted to the experiment that followed have been edited out.
Dr. ¨€¨€¨€: Alright, let¡¯s get started then. Following Dr. ¨€¨€¨€ instructions, ¨€¨€¨€ used the can opener on ¨€¨€¨€-KR-1. Previously unresponsive, ¨€¨€¨€-KR-1 suffered damage to its lid when the can opener was applied. Dr. ¨€¨€¨€: What the? Why is it opening? Agent ¨€¨€¨€: Huh? Huh? ¨€¨€¨€: Aaah! Recording terminated. Oue: The packaging of ¨€¨€¨€-KR-1 was opened, revealing the ¨€¨€¨€-KR-2 inside.
For details on the damages and records, refer to the separate report.
Following the 5th ¨€¨€¨€-KR-2 disposal meeting, it was decided to process ¨€¨€¨€-KR-2 for consumption through ¨€¨€¨€lent ¨€¨€¨€ple ¨€o..
The food safety was confirmed after seven experiments.
[¨€¨€¨€-KR-2 Consumption Report] [¨€¨€¨€-KR-2 Processing Facility Blueprints] [¨€¨€¨€-KR-2 Processing nt Security Measures Report] Writer: Dr. Han¨€¨€. During the regr inspection, foreign substances entered from outside, and the procedures were followed to handle them. Subsequently, it was confirmed that it operated without any anomalies. ¡®Phew¡­¡¯ Han Seori sighs as she gazes at the monitor, taking a break from writing the report. She looks over the records one more time, just in case, but there doesn¡¯t seem to be any particrly helpful information. Only the result of handling the ¡®foreign substance¡¯ suspected to be a tiny slime girl. Upon careful consideration, she realizes that it is amon urrence. Anomalies appearing randomly and then disappearing is something that happens frequently. It is just one of the many anomalies she has encountered and processed. ¡®¡­¡¯ Unable to find an answer to why the slime girl keeps bothering her, Han Seori asks herself but can¡¯t find a solution. Ultimately, the Director with dangerous intentions failed to achieve their goal, and the silenced anomaly that had escaped seems like a good oue, right? However, not satisfied, she absentmindedly taps on theputer again. [¨€¨€¨€¨€-KR] - Under investigation. The screen disys information on the slime girl stored in the database. Naturally, it is still in the investigation stage. Han Seori scratches her head as if realizing something while looking at it. ¡®¡­It was my doing.¡¯ It must be bothering her like this because she couldn¡¯t conclude it. Now that it hase to this, it seems necessary to find traces of the slime girl, ¡®Damn Snot.¡¯ At least entering either disappearance or acquisition in that database seems like it would ease her conscience a bit. ¡­By the way. ¡¯What the heck is ¡®Damn Snot¡¯ really¡­ It¡¯s getting absurd.¡¯ Inside the istion room, Han Seori eats a hamburger, letting out an indeterminate sigh while recalling the slime girl that had been bouncing around. She gets up from her seat, hangs her ID card around her neck, and leaves the room. It seems like she will have to search for traces of the slime girl here for a while. ¡®¡­Let¡¯s consider it as a vacation.¡¯ She grimaces as she thinks of the pir beyond the control zone. It feels like an extremely unpleasant ce to call it a vacation. She heads towards the control zone. I see my severed leg buried in a chunk of flesh protruding outward. It¡¯s not ufortable, but witnessing a part of me disappear like that is quite¡­ shocking. But should I call it a blessing in disguise? As I crawl inside, I realize my body has shrunk. Looking down, I see the severed leg has grown back, but it seems like my body has shrunk instead. Although I¡¯m mentally shocked, it makes it even more convenient to hide my body. ¡­If I just shrug this off, I feel like I won¡¯t be myself, so I make an effort to feel uneasy. Even though that feeling quickly disappears as the smell of retort food wafts up¡­ Anyway. As I continue to move inside, whether it¡¯s due to the darkness or not, I can¡¯t make out what¡¯s in front of me. *Gulp.* Suddenly. I begin to fall downwards. A gust of wind shakes my body more severely than the wind that almost created a hole in me a while ago. No, I managed to hide, but is this how it ends up? A somewhat anticlimactic ending¨C *Argh!* Falling down, I collide with a chunk of meat trying to escape through another hole with a thud! Feeling like my soul is escaping, my vision blurs, but it seems to slow down my fall. *Thump!* My vision wavers. It reminds me of the sight of Japanese people pounding rice cakes that I saw on the inte. *Thump!* Whenever I hear the sound, I inevitably collide with the chunk of meat, slowing down. ¡­After several collisions. *Thud!* Ind on the hard floor like a piece of gum. If this were a ride, as soon as I got out of here, I would have sued the amusement park. If I had been a person instead of jelly, by now I would have probably ended up simr to that chunk of meat. Feeling like my bones are shaking, I sit there dazed, then I snap out of it and look around. For some reason, there is a faint light, so checking the surroundings is not a problem. But¡­ something is off. The overall vibe of the room feels simr to that of the white room where I had recently eaten a hamburger and delicious food. Although everything is in shambles, it looks the same. Scary enough to raise questions. *Pop!* I see the mound of minced meat in the center of the room swelling and rising. And at its base, there is a small tin can. So, um¡­ It¡¯s filled to the top, spewing out numerous pieces of minced meat. Is that sounding from that small can? Does this¡­ make sense? It feels like all themon sense I knew so far has already died. With squelching sounds, the bright red minced meat continues to inte without stopping. Then what should we call that kind of meat? Canned essence of meat? No wonder it tasted weird; it¡¯sing from there. ¡­Wait, so they¡¯re selling that kind of thing in MREs? Unbelievable. The darkness seems much deeper than I thought. I can¡¯t help but doubt if they want to sell my jelly all inted like this. While I¡¯m feeling blue like that. Something strange is visible beside the canned food. I bend down to get a closer look. ¡­A white skull catches my eye. The skull, wearing clothes with numbers on them. It¡¯s so shattered that it looks like it can¡¯t break more. There is enough of the shape of the skull left to tell it¡¯s a human skull, but I probably wouldn¡¯t have realized it was a skull if that much wasn¡¯t left. Although this factory is already a lost cause, the sanitary conditions are beyond dreadful. I me myself for eating this deliciously until now. So this is where the cheap and tasty aspectes from. ¡­I wonder if reporting it to the Food and Drug Administration would solve it? I¡¯m having a foolish thought. [#@$&*(!] My jelly shivers at the sudden sound of a voice. A strange voice that doesn¡¯t seem to spread into the air. It¡¯sing from a canned food with red chunks of meat sticking out. ¡­Can¡¯t I really report this? I stare at the canned food with a sense of unease. Chapter 18: Like a Fairy Tale Chapter 18: Like a Fairy Tale [!#$%^_] ¡­What could it be, really? Even as I roll the jelly around and think hard, I can¡¯t figure out what the ¡®voice¡¯ is trying to say. As I approach it, the loud ringing seems so immense that I understand why there is no one in here. If one kept hearing this kind of thing, an ordinary person would probably feel immense stress. So, is this some sort of controlled area? Trembling at the vibrations emitted by the voice, I brush off my shivering body and cautiously venture away from the canned food to explore the ce. As a result, a room with a simr feel to the ce I had stayed briefly beforees into view again. But unlike there, I don¡¯t feel the same. I feel more confused than in a white room. Even amidst this, whether it is electricity or not, a few remaining light bulbs are emitting a very dim light. I am quite uneasy about how it seems like they are about to go out any moment, but still shining. Maybe this is also some kind of special device like the canned food over there. Upon closer inspection, something resembling an exit passage catches my eye. Determined to see if I can leave from here, I cautiously approach, but the heavily crumpled door shows no signs of opening. The bulbs are working, so why isn¡¯t this guy budging at all? Well, the answer is simple. It must be too damaged to even qualify for the term ¡°worn.¡± If the bulb was also shattered, it would have been scary. Still, thanks to the cracks, I can sneak a peek outside through the door. If I had an ordinary body, even approaching the smashed door would have been difficult, but I have a body that can handle such minor things. But if I move carelessly, I might end up getting cut just like my leg had been severed a while ago. I have to be careful. Even with my diminished body, it isn¡¯t easy dangling from the door, but I manage to peer outside, swaying back and forth. I thought I would see a simr sight to when I had left the ce where I had eaten a hamburger, but¡­ What I see is a space with apletely different atmosphere from the inside of the cannery. The solid walls stand firm, separating the space where the can and I are, as if to say that nothing can escape. When reaching the wall, I see a part of the scenery I had expected, but beyond the wall, the atmosphere ispletely different, like it is a different space. I wonder if finding out what¡¯s beyond that wall would be¡­ perhaps impossible. Though I have a body that can melt anything, first, I need to swallow it, right? It is doubtful if I can melt it, and I have no idea how big I have to be to swallow those walls. That means the passage for me to go outside is¡­ [@$&)@!] It seems like the only way out is through that loud can emitting chunks of meat. ¡­Now that I look at it, the ceiling has copsed. I gaze at the chunks of meat rising through therge hole. The can babbling something from below is a bonus. As I watch the meat rising as if they are bean sprouts, I chuckle softly. Anyway. The reason forughing is nothing special. Watching the chunks of meat endlessly rising towards the top, I recall a fairytale I read when I was young. The protagonist in that fairytale surely¡­ rose to the sky riding up on a beanstalk growing so rapidly, going into arge castle to steal a giant¡¯s treasure and be rich. It feels like a simr story. It is a bit vague, but it is probably something simr©¤ Wait a minute. ¡­What if I climb up on this guy like the protagonist in that fairytale? I¡¯m actually in a better situation than him. I have a body much more flexible than a human¡¯s, and although the fairytale protagonist surely climbed up one stem at a time¡­ I¡¯m more like taking a super high-speed elevator up. Since the meat is rapidly growing from the can, who knows where it ends. It means if you just grab onto it, you can go up. Otherwise, like the fairytale protagonist, you have to go up one step at a time. ¡­Why bother going back when there¡¯s an easy way out? [!((!)!)] And I really want to leave that noisy can behind fast. But making such a noise¡­ Does that mean it¡¯s alive too? ¡­I don¡¯t know. Should I be the one to find out? I nce around once more, confirm there is no other way, and slowly approach the can. [!$$] It is quite unpleasant to be barked at by that inexplicable voice. However, I decide to endure it with a generous heart. That bean sprout will be the one to help me escape from here. Although I am not exactly thrilled by the sight of chunks of meat popping out of the small can. Looking at my transparent body will probably bring some good after all. ¡­Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve already eaten a ton of MREs outside. What could the guy who was already going to be eaten do anyway? At any rate. I approach the guy, causing my jelly to tremble. I stick to the growing chunks of meat like glue. As my sticky hands cling to the chunks of meat. My body starts to shoot up at an uncontroble speed. It is so fast that I think maybe I have been too careless. Riding a gyro drop without any safety measures would probably feel like this. No, it can¡¯t bepared. At least that goes up slowly when it rises. My body shoots up at a rapid speed as if it were a rocketunching. Taken aback, I naturally have to embrace the chunk of meat tightly. Embracing a huge chunk of meat feels strangely pleasant, but I have to concentrate because I know that if I let it go, I will definitely fall down like I did earlier. This time, I might not have the same luck as before. I could just end up as a scattered jelly mess on the floor. Realizing that I start to worry if I have acted too rashly. There must be a reason, even in fairy tales, why the protagonist slowly climbs up, right? Fairy tales are supposed to give moral lessons, so maybe there is a lesson in that, too? In the midst of my irrational thoughts, I feel like the speed at which I am rising is elerating. ¡­In this state, can I really escape through the hole? If I get caught slipping into the hole by chance, it probably won¡¯t end well. I soon regret clinging to that hunk of meat. But it¡¯s toote now. Whether I end up alive or dead like the man who rode the tiger, I need to pull through. Yet I can¡¯t help but wonder how it would¡¯ve been if I had just slowly climbed up step by step. ¡°Umm¡­¡± As Han Seori enters the control zone, she inspects the machinery, suddenly feeling hungry. Quite some time has passed since she entered, and seeing the chunks of meat in front of her, the hunger is only natural. Although curious, Han Seori can¡¯t participate in the safety assessment of those chunks, having only tried them once from an MRE outside. Naturally, the memory of the taste of the meat triggers her hunger. Even though she had tried it only once and found it unpleasant, the taste lingered in her mind. ¡®Should I eat something?¡¯ Thinking of ordering food if Kim Cheonsu is still around, Han Seori sets off. At the moment, when she is leaving the containment area, *Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!* ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Once again, a loud rm starts ringing throughout the containment area. Just shortly after dealing with the anomaly. It is supposed to be a frustrating and confusing situation. Somehow, Han Seori finds herself smiling. ¡­It is a strange expression, resembling a programmer driven crazy by recurring bugs, yet a glimmer of hope sparks in her mind. To have consecutive abnormalities in a dormant anomaly means there is a cause. The high possibility is that the cause could be the slime girl she thought she had eliminated. Han Seori takes a step towards the panel immediately. Regardless of whether the slime girl is alive, she has to address the issue at hand first. Rather than worrying about the meat going up the factory, the issue is that the chunks of meat are not being discharged. As Han Seori approaches the panel. She sees red lumps of meat dripping sky-blue mucus. There are a significant number of them. Seeing the mucus, the slime girl naturallyes to mind. ¡®¡­What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Han Seori is extremely flustered. But she is a pro. Despite her head being in a panic, unsure of what to do, her body reaches the panel and starts operating it to resolve the situation. Of course, her speed is slower due to the panic, but her body is moving to address the issue. She slowly follows the procedure to resolve the problem. *Beep, beep, beep, beep.* Unpleasant sounds fill her space. Han Seori doesn¡¯t stop her hands, but her eyes are busy searching for the potential slime girl wherever she might be. Chapter 19: Different Ending Chapter 19: Different Ending Oh no¡­ Ah, that¡¯s not good! *Swish!* With a strange squeaking sound, my body ms into what seems to be the ceiling. ¡­So basically, I can¡¯t jump down from the rising lump of meat after all. As a result, I end up touching the ceiling somewhere with the remaining lumps of meat. The lump of meat that hits the ceiling splits like a fountain, and it seems to be sucked into a hole. And there are things sticking like jelly on it, presumably parts of me. The splitting lumps of meat tear my flesh. A wave of bted regret sweeps over me. Tears do not flow, but my eyes feel moist, and my trembling jelly seems to sense my end approaching. I should have climbed up step by step. I regret it now, but it¡¯s toote. Now, stuck to the ceiling like gum, all that¡¯s left is to be chopped into pieces by the meat knife. Torn to pieces, I¡¯ll be distributed in MREs all over the country. As I have this creepy thought, a strange sensation makes my stomach churn. Feeling a strange sensation rather than the countless previous ones, I grimace at my jelly. Regaining myposure. The taste of meat I feel in the MRE is intense. Well, it feels like a lump, but the raw vibe is strong. It all means one thing. Even as my body is crushed into a lump of meat, it seems to digest and convert it into my solid flesh. I forcefully push the meat down my throat, swallowing it reluctantly. Despite the unpleasant taste, the meat torn out by the meat knife has a lot of flesh, allowing me to maintain my form. ¡­ If I were an ordinary human, I would have perished, mingled with that lump of meat by now, but my slightly special body allows me to survive. Though I don¡¯t quite feel grateful for this body, as without it, none of this would have happened in the first ce, so I¡¯m not too pleased. Anyway. It¡¯s like getting an extra life in a game. I never imagined my body could have such powerful digestion, but if I think about how long this willst, I¡¯m being too careless. [@$5?$] Amidst this, a familiar voice continues to echo once more. However, this time, it feels like a distorted voice that I can actually understand. Thinking it might be an illusion, I listen carefully, but only the unpleasant meat taste lingers. Well, it¡¯s unlikely for unknown speech to suddenly be understandable. Rather than worrying about what is unknown, it seems better to first figure out how to escape this ce. While I contemte, the pieces of meat continue to assault my body, with undigested parts being expelled along with my jelly. It feels like adding fuel to the fire in a hopeless situation. It seems different somehow, but anyway, that is it. I¡¯m maintainingposure in such a situation, probably because I don¡¯t feel much pain. I think I can maintainposure not because I¡¯ve be non-human but because without the pain that humans would feel, it just feels in to me. Feeling grateful for being able to stay calm yet feeling uneasy, I start to sense a creeping feeling in my stomach. It seems like there are limits, after all. It¡¯s not like a blue cat¡¯s multidimensional pocket. Since it¡¯s not quantifiable, I don¡¯t know exactly how much longer I can endure. *Gwak!* I once again look at the chunks of meat entangled in my body. They are sticking to my jelly and oozing out through holes. I try moving my body while looking at the shape resembling a mix of meat and jelly, but honestly, it¡¯s impossible. The force pushing me towards what seems like a ceiling is too strong. It is impossible to move with the chunks of meat tangled up¡­ so, in the end, I don¡¯t have many choices. One option is to remove what forms the core of my body and n for the future, but since I have no idea how to do that, I decide to pass on it for now. What remains is¡­ entrusting my body to a part of the splitting chunks of meat. In the end, both options depend on luck, but thetter is something I can do immediately. [G@*#)] And then. Once again, a voice is heard. This time, I can clearly hear it. The voice that I couldn¡¯t understand is gradually changing into anguage I canprehend. Somehow, it gives me goosebumps. I can¡¯t grasp the meaning behind it. It feels very ominous, so I decide to act on my n right away. I push and shake the arms and legs stuck under the chunks of meat. Then, I silently counted one, two, and three in my mind. I tightly hold onto the splitting chunks of meat with all my strength. Whether this n will be a failure or lead to salvation, I can¡¯t tell. It will soon be revealed. When I surrender my body, my sight quickly shakes in all directions. The lump of meat that is quicklyunched finally pierces into a hole as if being sucked in by a vacuum cleaner. My trembling body follows suit. I feel like I¡¯ve experienced too many times recently what I thought I might only experience a few times in my life. ¡­The thought that this is just the beginning slowly creeps up, but I push it away because I don¡¯t want to think about it further. I¡¯m too tired to think about the future right now. Absentmindedly sticking close, I slip out through the hole. *St!* I hear a familiar sound. ¡­I see the des that had sliced my legs in my field of vision. The pieces of meat that have gone ahead of me are being cut out one by one. *St!* As I watch the fleshy pieces being ruthlessly cut off, my jelly begins to thicken. It isn¡¯t the unimaginable threat, but the immediate fear of knowing what it feels like makes me scared. And then. Realizing that I can simply let go of the lump of meat since I havee this far, I discard the lump of meat that has been carrying me so far. It feels like meeting an old enemy on a narrow bridge and forming a temporary alliance. ¡­Now that we¡¯ve each arrived at our destination, it¡¯s time to go our separate ways. I don¡¯t know how the lump of meat buried under my jelly will be dealt with¡­ Anyway. Listening to the squeaking sound from outside, I try to gauge the timing of the de popping out. Sitting like this makes me feel like I have entered a game. *Squeak, squeak.* *Creak!* Aligning with the timing of the des shooting up again, I cross the des. It¡¯s unfortunate that a small piece of the poor jelly gets cut off, but finally, I reach the hole the lump escaped from. The lump that went ahead of me gets hooked on a hook and dangles around. In front of me, a hook identical to the one that hooked the lump is gleaming. I think about ignoring it and jumping down, but the hole I emerged from is quite high, so I hesitate. Meanwhile, another lump is approaching behind me. Unable to do anything, I end up hanging on the hook. As I put my weight on it, the still hook begins to move. I think it doesn¡¯t move at first, but after the lump hits me and falls off with a thud, it begins to move. At that moment. [Annoying @*#!] An eerie voice echoes from behind me. Ignoring that voice, I hang on the hook and watch where the lumps ahead of me are heading. It seems like I can reach the height soon enough to jump if I hang on just a bit more. I calmly wait for the right moment. ¡°Huh?¡± A voicees from below. Not the creepy voice, but a voice I secretly want to hear again. Lowering my gaze, I see a smart and pretty woman with a distorted face staring at me. Her appearance is quite amusing, andughter bubbles inside me. When will I ever see such a beautiful woman with a twisted face? By the way, she seems to have been persistently searching for me. ¡­Why? I wonder, but it doesn¡¯t feel that bad. Maybe the truth about this factory is a bit different from what I thought. Maybe she isn¡¯t trying to lure me in for my jelly. I don¡¯t know. Just. The embrace of a person. Maybe I¡¯m touched by the warmth of someone who is kind to me. As we get closer to the ground, I let go of the hook and jump down. *Thud!* With a loud sound, I finally reach the ground. Amidst the groaning from the impact ofnding, the woman jumps towards me abruptly. Feeling a mixture of joy and unease, I straighten myself up nervously. I half expect the approaching woman to lift me up likest time, embracing me. *nk.* Ah. With a sound, I find myself trapped in a box simr to when I was caught here before. Is the positive impression I had of her until now causing this? Trapped in the box, I feel a sense of betrayal and re at her. I wonder if it feels like being stared at by a blob of jelly. Does she understand what I¡¯m trying to convey? ¡°¡­It¡¯s just a procedure, so nothing can be done.¡± She mutters softly. However, as I look at her hesitant face, it doesn¡¯t seem like she is particrly confident either. It somehow feels more like making excuses, you know? ¡­Sigh. Still. The situation is better than when I was first captured. As I arrive here, I see a lot of meat pieces cut off along the way, which makes the inside feel quite spacious. The woman who put me in the box maniptes the panel attached to the machinery. Before long, the beeping sound disappears. Although I don¡¯t do anything, it feels oddly satisfying, as if a big task has beenpleted. It¡¯s not like I have anything to do with it, but that¡¯s how I feel. The woman, who has stopped the sound, lets out a sigh and then walks away with the box I am in. In my sight, I see a pir from whichrge pieces of meaty blobs areing out again. ¡­What was thest voice I heard? I forcefully push that memory far back due to uneasiness. I really don¡¯t want to know. Chapter 20: Do Slimes Dream of Hamburgers? Chapter 20: Do Slimes Dream of Hamburgers?
I am pleased to present this bonus chapter, which has been made possible thanks to the wonderful review written by tripad. Please enjoy this bonus chapter as a small token of my appreciation for tripad¡¯s contribution to my trantion work.
I once again find myself captured by a woman whose name I don¡¯t even know, returning to the same white, ustrophobic room as before. It feels quite strange, as it resembles the ce where the MREs were made. By the way, that means the ce with the MREs was originally doing something simr to what they do here, right? It seems pretty messed up¡­ Was there some kind of ident? I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not particrly eager to find out. Just thinking of that ce brings back thest voice I heard, leaving me feeling uneasy. The feeling of an iprehensible voice suddenly bing understandable¡­ It feels so ufortable that it¡¯s hard to describe. I understand a bit about going crazy just by reading the text. ¡­Perhaps it ends with me vaguely understanding due to the kind of person I am. I don¡¯t want to remember, but once a thought sticks in my head, it doesn¡¯t seem to want to leave anytime soon. That thought about the MRE torments my mind. Why on earth am I suddenly able to understand it? As I ponder the thought, I can easily guess the reason. It isn¡¯t certain, but almost definite. ¡®It¡¯s probably because I ate that weird lump of meat.¡¯ There is no other reason. When I tried to focus on the canned food before, it still sounded as iprehensible as ever. The moment when it all started to make sense to me was the moment after digesting all that meat. What the heck does this mean? Hold on a second. The fact that I tasted MRE means that it was distributed outside. Is this¡­ okay? I give up thinking while staring at my jelly bubbling. I¡¯m entering a deep philosophical moment because that seems like the only thing I can do. As I ponder, I realize I¡¯m just a tiny slime betrayed and captured. Although the concept of betrayal is purely subjective, by my standards, humans are naturally selfish creatures, right? I may not be considered human at the moment, but because I was a human, it feels quite natural. Should I be grateful for being released from the box, though? How long has it been since I nestled in the corner with my insides bubbling? I sit there staring into space, not even feeling the passage of time in this silent ce. The tightly closed door suddenly opens, and this time a new man walks in. The man, looking very uneasy, is holding a tray, and a very familiar aroma fills the room. My jelly bubbles following that scent, but I feign disinterest and sit there feeling numb. As the man seems very cautious and unenthusiastic, I can be a bit rebellious. Well, if you¡¯re going to leave it, then just put it down and go, right? As if he¡¯s hearing that, the man puts down the tray and quickly leaves the room. I wonder what I did to scare him like that. More than that, he is someone I met for the first time today, yet he somehow feels oddly familiar. After racking my brain, unable to recall the man¡¯s face, I shift my attention away from the man who fled the room. I approach the tray on the floor. There lies L Company¡¯s delicious burger that I enjoyedst time. It is generously apanied by fries and a drink. Well, people can sometimes betray you, right? After devouring the meat and realizing some time has passed, the sight of the burger makes my jelly bubble. Or maybe I just have a good appetite. Anyway, I grab the burger on the tray and devour it. The burger still tastes great, and the fries are really good. I actually like that the friesck a crisp. Whether soft or crispy, they are just fries to me. And as I gulp down the c, it feels like a party is happening inside me. The fizzy sensation is more refreshing than just drinking the c. I am no longer bothered by vague worries about what will happen next. Betrayal might have happened, but the burger set is worth it. So be it. At that moment, I was unaware of the changes that were happening in my body. ¡°You are not scared anymore, huh?¡± ¡°¡­If the Doctor had ever experimented with the slime girl, he would have ended up like me, right?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Is that so?¡± Kim Cheonsu sighed deeply, then turned away. ¡°I¡¯ll be off then.¡± ¡°Well¡­ to think a man ended up like this¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. By the way, when will you keep your promise?¡± He had a good memory. Looking away from Kim Cheonsu¡¯s gaze, Han Seori twirled her hair with a pen and said softly, ¡°We might have to wait a bit longer. Hmm¡­ it seems moving that girl to the research institute would be for the best.¡± ¡°¡­You promised.¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± As Han Seori smiled with her eyes, Kim Cheonsu scratched his head, opened the door, and left. Watching Kim Cheonsu¡¯s back, Han Seori smiled with a hint of bitterness, then turned her head. Suddenly, she noticed the slime girl wriggling on the other side of the ss. When brought back to the containment area, the slime girl used to be stuck in a corner like a sulking child, which was perplexing. Now she was moving around freely¡­ it seemed like her anger had been vented. However, despite her cute appearance, what that implied was not so light-hearted. The fact that the slime girl possessed intelligence beyond just cognitive abilities was good enough. But in reality, her intelligence seemed much higher than her appearance suggested. Her hanging from a hook andnding on the floor¡­ suggested she understood how it worked. ¡®¡­Should have gone with the intelligence officer.¡¯ What if the slime girl only disliked her? ¡­This didn¡¯t feel right. A strange attachment formed, causing Han Seori¡¯s thoughts to wander in a weird direction constantly. It wasn¡¯t a good sign, but whenever she looked at the small slime girl, her heart couldn¡¯t help but soften. Fortunately, what mattered was that she was able to safely bring the slime girl back to the research facility. And as a special surveince specimen that the director couldn¡¯t casually meddle with. Han Seori felt proud, realizing that all the hardships she had gone through weren¡¯t in vain. Being able to designate the slime girl as a special surveince specimen was a rare urrence. It was not only because of her intelligence. It was because of the strange changes that had urred in the slime girl. Han Seori gazed at the slime girl behind the ss. More specifically, at the tiny blobs of jelly trailing behind her. It looked like something out of a game, resembling a ¡®slime¡¯. After isting her again and consistently feeding her for a few days, suddenly tiny blobs started appearing behind the slime girl. Initially, it seemed like the blobs were excreted slime, but upon observation, there were movements detected in the tiny blobs. What was amusing was that even the slime girl seemed surprised as she looked at the moving blobs with a startle. ¡®¡­Maybe.¡¯ Could it be a new ability she didn¡¯t have before? Otherwise, why would the slime girl be so surprised? Among all the things the slime girl had consumed, the only suspicious thing was the ¡®endlessly multiplying meat blobs¡¯. Han Seori seeded in emphasizing this point and cing the slime girl under special surveince. The director came with a deeply furrowed face, but since this was a familiar urrence to her, she couldn¡¯t help butugh. Instead, what happened was¡­ Now, things had gotten bigger than just the slime girl being taken away by the director. The fact that the slime girl consumed the ¡®endlessly multiplying meat blobs¡¯ and gained an ability even she didn¡¯t know was¡­ ¡­it led to the decision not to produce MREs anymore, as they concluded that undiscovered effects might be present in the chunks of meat. Since that method was originally meant to handle the multiplying meat chunks, they couldn¡¯t stop the factory operation. The finance team frowned upon the increasing stock of meat, but wasn¡¯t that a case of putting the cart before the horse? Han Seori wanted to object but couldn¡¯t find the right words. She also knew that some of the research funding wasing from there. Since it was she herself who brought the slime girl here in the first ce, she was the one suffering losses by delving too deep. During the subsequent meeting, when the opinion that the ability to ¡®multiply¡¯ the chunks of meat had been absorbed, distribution seemed likely to be quickly restored. Han Seori felt it was a bit reckless and dangerous, but she didn¡¯t push her opinion strongly enough to dismiss the majority. She didn¡¯t want all the attention on her, but it seemed like her ideas wouldn¡¯t be epted anyway. She thought it would be better to focus on researching the slime girl than wasting energy elsewhere. Thus, she was satisfied with assigning the slime girl to herself as originally nned. Lost in thought, Han Seori gazed once again at the slime girl beyond the ss. And then, she saw the slime girl holding in her hands a round, jelly-like substance that followed behind her. The sight of her holding round chunks with both hands was quite adorable. It gave Han Seori the feeling of a little one looking after her younger sibling, perhaps? In the midst of it all¡­ ¡­She saw the slime girl putting the squirming, jelly-like substance into herself. Seeing that, Han Seori blinked her eyes. And canceled her previous impressions. Indeed, anomalies are¡­ anomalies, she thought. Han Seori took a deep breath, regained herposure, and began preparing to transfer the slime girl to the researchb. Chapter 21: To My New Home Chapter 21: To My New Home
I am pleased to present this bonus chapter, which has been made possible thanks to the wonderful review written by HollyMollyyyggggv. Please enjoy this bonus chapter as a small token of my appreciation for HollyMollyyyggggv¡¯s contribution to my trantion work.
Wow. What¡¯s this? As I was leisurely picking up food from the tray, I noticed something squirming behind me one day. I was briefly startled since the door wasn¡¯t open. Watching it squirm a little away, I felt a strange sensation. It was difficult to pinpoint the exact feeling. Seeing it wriggle like slime in a game made me feel queasy. By the way¡­ Did that thing just detach from my body? Staring at it intently, it didn¡¯t seem to be doing anything specific. My detached body was just wobbling like blue pudding. It didn¡¯t talk to me ore close to touch me; it just plopped down like a blob. When I moved further away, it came crawling back just a bit. In my ordinary life, it was a very creepy presence, so I made a conscious effort not to touch it. However, since there was nothing else to entertain me, I was secretly pleased to have something to watch. I wonder how long it¡¯s been since I¡¯ve been observing the squirming creature from afar. The locked door opened, and just likest time, a person dressed in a spacesuit-like outfit walked in. Judging by the familiar movement, he seems to be the man who always brings me food. I don¡¯t know his name, though. Anyway, during thest meal, he didn¡¯t show any signs of fear, but now, it seems like he¡¯s scared of that tiny little one. The ttery is too much towards that tiny creature. I feel the internal intimacy I had built up is diminishing. Ugh¡­ coward. Watching hime in, set down the tray, and leave made me feel bubbly inside. Well, I burst intoughter, I suppose. Stories of such cowards are quite amusing, after all. I was more curious about what food the man left behind today. The circumstances of a man afraid of a viscous substance smaller than his own fist were none of my concern. Either way, the man was clearly a coward. The important thing is to look good in front of that intellectual woman. As I nervously approached the tray, I saw steam rising from it. I don¡¯t have taste buds, but somehow, I felt my mouth watering as I looked at the tray. There was a convenience store lunchbox ced there. Something feels odd. It seems almost like there¡¯s no difference between a burger and that, yet staring at the lunchbox makes me feel uneasy. Does itck sincerity? Well, I should eat whatever is served, even if I¡¯m full, but still¡­ something doesn¡¯t feel right. I¡¯ll eat it, though. I reach out, keeping my gaze fixed on the lid, and a warm smile reminiscent of a skilled actor graces my face. This time, I don¡¯t n on devouring it in one go, but to open the lid and just eat the food. It was also a way to showcase my usefulness to the researchers observing me. I used to eat everything, including the packaging, but I thought it didn¡¯t highlight my usefulness as much. Packaging separately, food separately. Wouldn¡¯t this make my utility more noticeable? *Snap.* I felt the hard and smooth texture as I opened the lid. *Phoo!* Steam rushed out, blurring my vision, but it posed no threat to me now. The contents were quite satisfying. In the toppartment, there were various side dishes, including stir-fried kimchi. In the middle, a generous space for meat seasoned with red sauce and meat marinated in soy sauce, side by side. Below that, there was multigrain rice and a round fried egg¡ªa well-bncedpositionmonly found in lunch boxes. As I realize how seriously I¡¯m pondering over this, I recognize once again howcking in entertainment this ce is. I didn¡¯t want to be experimented on, but¡­ It¡¯s a bit unsettling to see that I used to try tomunicate before, but now I am not attempting that. Moreover, when I think about whether it¡¯s better to reveal that I was originally a person or not, I am not sure. Maybe just living and eating my meals diligently like this isn¡¯t so bad? It would be nice to have a bit more entertainment, though. No, it¡¯s not like¡­ it¡¯s not that I¡¯m thinking about this because my life is easy right now¡­ Okay? Okay? As I pondered with the lid open, the mucous-like substance that was flickering suddenly started moving around on top of the lunchbox. What I saw with my own eyes was the wriggling slime with the fried egg inside it. I could hear a bubbling sound inside my head. There¡¯s no way the one who picks out only the strawberries on the cake came from me. I picked out the one eating the fried egg and pushed it far away. No, seriously, it should at least ask before eating and not just reach out to the table carelessly. I want to know who raised it. I, who was nning to enjoy a leisurely meal, immediately grabbed the lunchbox and poured it all into my stomach. Thinking vaguely that someone might be watching me from somewhere, I waited for a moment. And I also put the stic container into my stomach. After neatly pushing the empty tray in front of the door, I approached the one still bubbling with the fried egg. Then I lifted the one with both hands and stared at it. Expressing my annoyance at the one daring to pick out only the strawberries on the cake. But even so, the one didn¡¯t spit out the fried egg, instead leaving behind a sense of something umunicable. Why did it suddenlye out? Staring fixedly at it, it seems like a part of me has indeed separated, no matter how much I think about it. Since its colour was exactly the same as mine, it couldn¡¯t be anything else. Doesn¡¯t that mean it has to listen to what I have to say? But why did it just swallow the fried egg on its own? Is it because the most delicious thing was taken away from me? As I heard gurgling sounds inside, I unknowingly put the slime creature inside my body, consuming it whole. The fried egg was delicious. ¡°Just endure it for a bit, and it¡¯ll be over soon¡­¡± Kim Cheonsu looked at the box containing ¡®Damn Snot¡¯ and then opened his mouth, ncing at Han Seori as she mumbled gently. ¡°Do you¡­ understand it?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± Looking at the suspicious box, Kim Cheonsu squatted down nonchntly and examined it intently. Then, ¡®Damn Snot,¡¯pressed in the box, came into view. Though the box seemed spacious when she was first captured, now her face looked sunken, probably due to eating and gaining weight during all this time. Despite that, Kim Cheonsu¡¯s eyes were still captivated by the remaining cuteness on her somewhat sunken face. There, ¡®Damn Snot,¡¯ with a face that seemed to be smiling sarcastically, was visible. ¡®¡­What¡¯s this?¡¯ Although her face hadn¡¯t changed dramatically enough to be called a smile, and it was hard to recognize due to beingpressed in the box, somehow, it felt that way. ¡­Maybe just his imagination? Feeling strange, Kim Cheonsu casually tapped the box and then stood up from his spot. ¡°Seems like she can recognize you¡­¡± ¡°Really? Maybe we canmunicate after all.¡± ¡°She seems to have bad taste¡­¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s start moving. Hand me that.¡± Kim Cheonsu handed the box to Han Seori, who then covered it with a cloth. Once covered with the cloth, the box trembled slightly. ¡®¡­Does she, unexpectedly, dislike darkness?¡¯ Considering she came from a damp sewer. For some reason, ¡®Damn Snot¡¯ didn¡¯t like the feeling. Although the days of being called ¡®Damn Snot¡¯ were numbered, Kim Cheonsu never knew that she would always be called ¡®Damn Snot¡¯ deep down. Anyway. The two went through a slightlyplicated path, got into a car with tinted windows, and departed somewhere. As the blue jelly in the darkness trembled, Kim Cheonsu reflected on the actions he had taken so far. The vehicle drove off on a well-polished road. Watching the factory shrinking in the rearview mirror, Kim Cheonsu asked in a low voice. ¡°I heard there was some issue at the factory this time¡­ Is everything okay?¡± Han Seori, who was leaning against the window with a bored look, replied nonchntly. ¡°Well¡­ I mean, there¡¯s nothing good in knowing, right?¡± ¡°¡­Haha, that¡¯s true, I guess.¡± Did he just ask for no reason? Kim Cheonsu closed his mouth with a puzzled look on his face. He tried to change the atmosphere a bit, but it seemed like a failure. However, he understood Han Seori. It was probably because it was a story with nothing good in knowing. It was typical of Han Seori to casually take care of things like that. ¡­She seemed a bit soft towards ¡®Damn Snot,¡¯ but that was just how she usually was. And then. Han Seori, who had been pursing her lips, slowly opened her mouth. ¡°You buy ¡®Solvent Purple¡¯ MREs, right?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­ it¡¯s better not to eat them for a while.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. For a while.¡± Kim Cheonsu pondered her words and nodded. Silence fell inside the vehicle once again. After a while, the car arrived in front of a barricade guarded by men. Approaching the vehicle with a hostile demeanour, they demanded the windows be rolled down by knocking on them. Awoken by the noise, Han Seori groggily showed her ID, which was hung around her neck, to the man requesting it. ¡°You may proceed.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± As Han Seori nonchntly responded to the suddenly polite attitude, Kim Cheonsu started the car without a word. The car pulled up in front of a well-maintained building that seemed clean and orderly. At a nce, the building looked like a university campus. Carrying the box, Han Seori got out of the car and walked into the building. The interior didn¡¯t seem particrly remarkable. Finally reaching the elevator with a sign saying ¡®Under Inspection,¡¯ Han Seori looked around before brushing her ID badge against the panel. The elevator, which had been dark until then, slowly opened as Han Seori boarded with an indifferent expression and pressed a button. The elevator closed tightly and descended underground. Shortly after. As if it would nevere back up. The lights went out. Chapter 22: 7496-KR Chapter 22: 7496-KR I¡¯ve done a lot of self-reflection while trembling in the darkness. The part where Iined silently about the lunchbox was what got me reflecting the most. Who could possibly understand my slight trembling and difort? So, will they suddenly blindfold me and move me somewhere else? Is this really the end? Being sold in pieces as wobbly jelly¡­ Thinking about it, the kind voice of a woman somehow felt reassuring. ¡­Yes, she did betray me back then, but she said it was an unavoidable procedure. Come to think of it, if I were in her shoes, I might have acted the same way. I know I am not a danger, but do others not know that? Emphasizing that I am a good jelly¡­ Ugh, I don¡¯t know¡­ The darkness always makes me have all kinds of thoughts. A white room that feels ustrophobic is no different. Sitting in that white space, only eating the food thates periodically, unnecessary thoughts flood my mind, imagining all sorts of negative situations. Nothing is decided yet. If I had something to focus on, maybe I would feel a bit better. As I¡¯m lost in thought, I suddenly feel a sensation through my body that was sitting somewhere. From the sound of thumping, it seems like we have arrived at our destination. Then, there was a clunking sound. Something wrapped around the box that enclosed me was removed. And then, a space that looked like a very neat elevator appeared in sight. I was being embraced by an intelligent and pretty woman, descending somewhere. The woman doesn¡¯t say anything in particr. After a while of descending in a strange silence, the elevator stopped, and the door leading to the unknown swung open wide. As we stepped outside with a clunking sound, an empty hallway came into view. It wasn¡¯t entirely deserted. Here and there, you could see individuals wearing outfits that might remind you of office workers, even though they were scarce. Every time the woman carrying me passed by, they slightly nodded their heads; it felt like the woman carrying me held quite a high position. Even though they didn¡¯t greet me, for some reason, I felt good. They busily moved around, bustling past doors marked with a serial number and KR at the end. Behind them were people who somehow seemed familiar, like those I had seen in sewers. ¡­I wonder. As I looked at them like that, It felt like they were looking at me too. No, they were definitely looking at me. Doesn¡¯t the abyss gaze into you if you gaze into the abyss? As I look at them, perhaps it¡¯s only natural for them to look back at me. But¡­ something felt off. I don¡¯t know why, but I could sense hostility in the strong gazes of the people following those in white clothes. They seemed to look at me with faces full of anger, sending me heated res. If the person holding me wasn¡¯t this woman, they would snatch me away immediately, stick me somewhere, and cause me unimaginable harm. My body shrank from this unexinable malice. What did I do wrong? Why are they looking at me like that? Whether it¡¯s unfortunate or fortunate, those are terrifying gazes. ¡°Gah! Aaah! Help!¡± ¡°Move quickly!¡± ¡°Excuse me! Excuse me!¡± When the door with 1924-KR written on it opened, they disappeared. Or perhaps it¡¯s more urate to say that they shifted over there. One of those who came out was suffering, shedding tears of blood from their eyes, and the faces of those supporting them as they headed somewhere were extremely pale. Something seemed off. Even I, facing a horrific sight I had never seen before, felt my jelly harden. But what made me most afraid among all of this was¡­ The gazes fixedly followed the guy oozing blood and heading somewhere, seemed eerily ordinary, as if observing something very usual. Although their expressions carried a subtle mix of unease and fear, they didn¡¯t seem surprised at something so unusual, like it was familiar to them. Seeing their extraordinary reaction, I truly realized I had stepped into a strange ce. If everything I had experienced so far (excluding canned food) was just the beginning, the events here wouldn¡¯t be that easy. Trembling with fear, I couldn¡¯t even dare to imagine what would unfold next. Eventually, The woman¡¯s footsteps halted in front of a doorbelled 7496-KR. It somehow felt like that was my new¡­ abode. My feelings¡­ were truly peculiar. What¡¯s going to happen to me now? On the screen, the slime girl could be seen fiddling with a cube, moving it around and inspecting it. With a clever twist of her gtinous hands, she matched the cube¡¯s colours perfectly. Finally, Han Seori, who had been watching from outside, entered the room with a vague smile and reached out her hand. The slime girl confidently extended hers, looking somewhat proud of her aplishment. Han Seori, scratching her cheek with a puzzled look, unsure of how to react, chuckled and ced a candy from her pocket onto the slime girl¡¯s hand. Receiving the candy, the slime girl cleverly unwrapped it, ate the content, and then¡­ ¡­she put the remaining trash into a tiny gtinous creature that had been fidgeting nearby. She seemed to hesitate for a moment before kindly giving one more candy to the jelly-like creature¡­ ¡°Should I call her intelligent¡­ or should I call her mischievous¡­¡± ¡°The one beside her is the same as mentioned in thest report, right?¡± With a contemtive look and a slight scratch on her cheek, Han Seori responded in a low voice. ¡°She was readmitted here shortly after being discharged. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s the same individual as before.¡± ¡°I see.¡± As the conversation continued, the screen changed. This time, it started with Han Seori pointing at something and speaking. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll throw this and you¡¯ll bring it back, alright?¡± Although there was no verbal response, the slime girl seemed to understand the words, nodding slightly. For some reason, Han Seori was bothered by her chubby face, but¡­ *Whoosh!* As the thrown ball hit the ground, the wobbly slime girl moved, picked up the ball, and brought it back to Han Seori, gently cing it in her hand. ¡°Well done.¡± With a proud expression, Han Seori patted the slime girl¡¯s head. The slime girl seemed to have a subtle expression, but it wasn¡¯t certain, and she didn¡¯t show any hostility towards Han Seori. Eventually, Han Seori handed a snack to the slime girl. Once again, the slime girl unwrapped it, took out the contents, and handed the packaging to the jelly creature. Seeing this, a perplexed man with a somewhat absurd voice said to Han Seori. ¡°¡­Is this some kind of pet training, or what exactly is this?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not exactly the same, but you could say it¡¯s simr.¡± The man had a questioning expression, wondering what the point of this was. Seeing the man¡¯s uncertain expression, Han Seori shrugged her shoulders and gestured for him to look further at the screen. The man thought there was nothing more to see. ¡°What on earth can you do with that squishy thing?¡± Finally, the screen changed, showing Han Seori lifting the slime girl. Seeing this, Han Seori stiffened, and the man watching let out a hollowughter. The faces of those watching together became equally ambiguous. The man whoughed bitterly advised Han Seori in a concerned tone. ¡°¡­Wouldn¡¯t it be better to control your emotions? It seems there is some sort of mental contamination from that anomaly.¡± ¡°¡­It was just a form of reward. She likes it.¡± ¡°Although it doesn¡¯t seem like it¡­ oh well.¡± Blushing, Han Seori quickly skipped the video. Upon doing so, this time, a reasonablyrge piece of metal could be seen melting inside the slime girl¡¯s body. Even considering the fast yback, it was clear that the metal was melting rapidly. Only then did the others, including the man, stiffen their faces and look at Han Seori. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that dangerous? At that rate, even a person could be devoured quickly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why what I showed earlier is important. It¡¯s to demonstrate there is no intention of harm from that anomaly.¡± ¡°¡­Hmmm.¡± It indeed appeared that the slime girl was obedient. More so than any other anomaly that had appeared so far. While anomalies that helped humans exist, they were the exception rather than the rule. Strictly speaking, they weren¡¯t much of a help. Even then,pared to the abundant anomalies that existed, the small anomaly currently on the screen was undoubtedly ¡®anomalous¡¯. As the slime girl finished melting the huge piece of metal, a table filled with numbers appeared on the screen. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the result of measuring the weight after the anomaly has consumed arge object.¡± The table on the screen indicated that the slime girl¡¯s weight was gradually increasing. The man, noticing a sudden decrease in weight, asked. ¡°What caused the sudden decrease?¡± Han Seori replied with a somewhat bitter expression. ¡°¡­It¡¯s the result of a slight durability test. Her weight increased, but it was puzzling that the anomaly did not grow beyond a certain size, so I conducted an experiment¡­¡± Han Seori¡¯s expression did not look good when she was recalling that moment. She had a worried look as if concerned about a pet, and the man could not hide his unease. ¡°When body parts are cut off, her weight decreases, and her body fills up again. So, if¡­ enough energy is provided¡­ she can regenerate infinitely.¡± ¡°I see.¡± So, what are you trying to say? The people gathered in the meeting room looked at Han Seori. With eyes still full of questions, Han Seori took a shallow breath and said, ¡°What if we use that anomaly to investigate the characteristics of other anomalies? And in the future, could she be useful even when securing newly appeared anomalies?¡± Contrary to what had been disyed on the screen so far, the proposal, which felt a bit harsh, stirred up the meeting room with noise and unrest. Chapter 23: The Melancholy of Han Seori Chapter 23: The Mncholy of Han Seori
I am pleased to present this bonus chapter, which has been made possible thanks to the wonderful review written by DerpyFoxKit. Please enjoy this bonus chapter as a small token of my appreciation for DerpyFoxKit¡¯s contribution to my trantion work.
Han Seori let out a deep sigh. Although reaching a conclusion had been postponed, the topic they had discussed was not particrly pleasant. It was because the Anomaly, the ¡®All-Melting Slime¡¯, with its bleak name, came to mind. They had just been talking about it, so it seemed natural in a way, but Han Seori let out another deep sigh as she took a step forward as if there was another reason. Entering her personal space and sitting in front of her desk, she made a bitter face as she looked at the candy rolling around on the desk. There was no other reason, but Han Seori, who recalled the ¡®experiment¡¯ mentioned earlier, closed her eyes and reminisced about that time. At first, it was curiosity. The slime girl seemed to ¡®consume¡¯ things by melting them, but her body didn¡¯t grow. There was a situation where she shrank and then grew, which was a bit strange. Also, if she had epted something, shouldn¡¯t there be feedback? ¡­One couldn¡¯t expectmon sense from an Anomaly, but it was undeniable that it was an interesting aspect. It was still ambiguous what kind of mindset Han Seori had when she brought in the ¡®All-Melting Slime¡¯, but she was also one of those who studied Anomalies. It didn¡¯t seem like a question to be taken lightly. The weight measurement started from that small question. At first, Han Seori directly measured the weight after feeding her something. Despite trying several times with the feeling that there was no significant change, Han Seori couldn¡¯t feel any increase in weight with her senses. Since it was an experiment filled with personal feelings anyway, Han Seori would smile satisfactorily and move on to the next step. Next, Han Seori brought in a scale that could measure quite heavy weights. The weight and precision were quite excellent, so it seemed perfect for the experiment. Han Seori, who brought the scale, lifted the slime girl, who was tilting her head, and ced her on the scale. ¡®¡­There¡¯s no particr rejection to the scale.¡¯ She wondered if there would be any reluctance to measure the weight since she had the appearance of a girl¡­ but there was no such indication. Deep inside, Han Seori¡¯s thoughts leaned more towards the idea that the human consciousness might remain inside the slime girl. The scale that was already tilted seemed difficult to revert without considerable effort. If the consciousness of a person named ¡®Han Hosu¡¯ was really inside that girl. ¡­A normal young man taking on the appearance of a girl and behaving like that would have to be seen as such. She couldn¡¯t help but me the young man for such behaviour. It didn¡¯t seem quite right. Considering the personal information she had read, he didn¡¯t seem like a person with such preferences. Well, it could be a secretly hidden hobby¡­ but, well. That¡¯s a bit¡­ isn¡¯t it? Even if humans reveal their hidden nature in a crisis situation, for that nature to be the appearance of a little girl¡­ ¡­Anyway. What mattered now was the weight. With that thought, Han Seori lifted the slime girl high. She ced her on therge scale. However. The scale¡¯s needle only quivered slightly from the impact when the slime girl touched it, but for some reason, it refused to move. ¡°Huh?¡± Han Seori stared at the needle with nk eyes. ¡®0¡¯ Is this¡­ possible? She kept blinking at the unmoving needle for a long time. Then, as if in disbelief, she once again stuck her hand under the slime girl¡¯s armpit and lifted her up. Along with the soft and squishy sensation, she felt weight. She wasn¡¯t heavy, but she wasn¡¯t exactly light either. To be specific, she was just the right weight to lift. Oddly enough. ¡®¡­As expected, an Anomaly is an Anomaly.¡¯ Faced with the strange characteristic that appeared unexpectedly, Han Seori pondered for a moment and then headed outside the quarantine room to where the Anomalies that had already been deemed ¡®safe¡¯ were gathered. ¡®It should be in our branch.¡¯ Arriving at the storage room, Han Seori scanned the list and, upon discovering what she wanted, filled out a withdrawal form. ¡°Confirmed.¡± ¡°Good work.¡± After submitting the withdrawal form and taking the Anomaly, Han Seori returned to the slime girl¡­ the ¡®All-Melting Slime¡¯. Then, she ced a scale in front of the slime girl. At that, the slime girl blinked her jelly and seemed a little perplexed. ¡®¡­Has she never seen a scale before?¡¯ A small weight was added to the scale in her mind. The already solidified prejudice firmly rejected other opinions. Perhaps that was what she wanted to believe. Han Seori once again lifted the slime girl and ced her on the scale. The scale, which looked like an ordinary scale, was also an Anomaly despite its appearance. That Anomaly, named ¡®The Dieter¡¯s Sorrow¡¯, moved the needle regardless of the situation the subject was in. It was an Anomaly that only did that, so it was judged as ¡®safe¡¯ and was asionally used in iprehensible situations. Yes, just like in this situation. When the slime girl was ced on it, the needle of the cutely designed scale slowly began to move. Seeing that, the slime girl seemed to find the moving needle fascinating and stared at it nkly. Seeing her reaction, Han Seori felt both a chill and excitement as her guess was confirmed. She seemed like someone who had made a thrilling discovery. ¡°Then¡­!¡± The excited Han Seori handed the nut she had brought for the experiment to the slime girl, and the scale moved its needle by the amount of the nut¡¯s weight. Eventually, the slime girl, whose insides were gurgling, habitually put it inside her body, and the small nut melted away with a bubbling sound. The scale¡¯s needle was almost the same as when the nut went in. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Although she didn¡¯t know how it happened, it seemed that some kind of power that humans couldn¡¯t perceive was at work. If she had been satisfied with figuring that out, Han Seori wouldn¡¯t have been sighing deeply like she was now, but¡­ ¡­From there, the out-of-control Han Seori tried putting this and that into the slime girl¡¯s body and diligently measured the increasing weight. Then, in the mind of the excited Han Seori. The thought suddenly came to her, would it also be possible to reduce the weight? Han Seori, whose mind had unknowingly tilted the scale in her head, eventually¡­ ¡°*Sigh*.¡± She ended up crossing an ambiguous line. It was good to have obtained data, but Han Seori shuddered at the thought of the slime girl¡¯s face, which somehow looked devastated. ¡®¡­If there was a favorability rating, it would have dropped drastically.¡¯ But that was just a personal impression. ¡­However, Dr. Han Seori, a researcher at this facility, couldn¡¯t deny that it was an incredibly fascinating discovery. The appearance of storing mass or energy in a ce beyond human perception and regenerating the body. If that was the case, as long as sufficient energy was provided¡­ wouldn¡¯t it mean that she could endure any extreme situation? If the scale in Han Seori¡¯s mind had tilted towards the idea that the slime girl contained a human¡¯s sense of self, she wouldn¡¯t have had such thoughts. ¡­But her scale was already biased. She couldn¡¯t stop her thoughts from flowing in that direction. The ¡®All-Melting Slime¡¯ was an Anomaly. And the people who were dying without finding a way to deal with the Anomalies were living, breathing humans. She had been advised to observe the slime girl further, which only added to Han Seori¡¯s already dismal mood. Han Seori, who had been ruffling her hair, suddenly got up from her seat and took a step. With her shoulders slumped, Han Seori headed to the quarantine room where the slime girl was. Unable to muster up the courage to go inside, Han Seori operated the panel with a faint sigh. Since the inside could be viewed from the outside, she was going to at least see her face before leaving. In Han Seori¡¯s eyes. She saw the slime girl lying weakly among the toys. Seeing her deted appearance as if she felt somewhat dejected, Han Seori felt both cuteness and mncholy. Despite providing enjoyable things to match the girl¡¯s appearance, seeing her depressed state made Han Seori think that it would be better to refrain from experiments for the time being. The only thing moving inside the room was a small slime creature, separated from the slime girl, wriggling around. It seemed to have no emotions as it attempted to swallow the doll sitting still. The slime girl blocked a small creature, trying to swallow the doll with a listless touch. ¡®¡­There is still a possibility.¡¯ Won¡¯t time solve this, too? Han Seori nodded to herself and operated the panel to end the video feed. Immediately after, she stood in front of a vending machine with only one button, and without even inserting a coin, she pressed the machine¡¯s sole button. *Clunk*. She silently picked up the can that was dispensed. It was a can with no printing on it. Han Seori swiftly opened the lid and chugged it all down on the spot, then inserted the empty can back into the dispenser. *nk*. Hearing the sound of something falling somewhere, Han Seori, with a slightly reddened face, staggered back to her personal space. ¡­What does she think of me? Cutting off my arm out of the blue¡­ I was startled, thinking it was for some kind of research, but I generously let it slide. After all, I had eaten a lot of things I didn¡¯t want to eat, so it would grow back right away. But the problem is¡­ I looked at the toys scattered all around me. Several toys that young children, especially girls, would likely y with were rolling around. ¡­Why did you put these in here? Are you telling me to y with these? Dumbfounded, Iy t on the floor, and the slime creature in charge of the garbage wriggled and tried to swallow the doll. I hastily stopped it. What if she thinks I¡¯m going to eat people? You¡¯re really not helping. After grumbling inwardly for a while, I approached the creature, worried that it might swallow the doll when I wasn¡¯t looking. I made a posture as if I was going to grab and eat it with both hands, threatening it. It was a threat that I would shove it back inside my body if it did that again. ¡­It was a bit embarrassing, but since I couldn¡¯t speak at the moment, I had no choice but to use bodynguage. The creature seemed to understand, as it just wriggled like before. It stopped trying to swallow the toys. Well, that¡¯s a relief if it understood. I let out a bubbling sigh of relief and looked at the toys again. Especially the dolls. Then I had a thought. It wouldn¡¯t be right to just leave them since she brought them for me, would it? Friendly behaviour would be better than hostile behaviour. I picked up the doll that the slime creature had tried to swallow. ¡­From now on, your name is Alice. I should y with it for a bit. It was absolutely not because I was bored. Chapter 24: It’s You! Chapter 24: It¡¯s You! ¡°Uh, um.¡± Han Seori raised her drowsy body. She got up from the bed, stared at the mirror with a dazed face, went into the bathroom, tidied up briefly, and came out. It seemed like the effects of the drink she hadst night on impulse still lingered. As she sat in a chair and recalled what happened yesterday, what came to her mind again was the thought of the slime girl. The more she thought about it, the more regret she felt. The regret that¡­ she could have done a little better. But what can she do about the spilled water? Unless there was an anomaly that could turn back time. There was no way such a convenient anomaly existed. ¡­Even if there was, well. It didn¡¯t seem like it would lead to a very good ending. Thementation ended there. Han Seori picked up her notebook and employee ID and left the room. She had the misfortune of running into the director on the way, but since there were many eyes watching, the director was busy pretending to be friendly with a heartyugh, so she didn¡¯t feel bad. Naturally, the ce she arrived at was the istion room where the slime girl was being held. But for some reason, it was a little noisy in front of the istion room. Feeling suspicious, Han Seori cautiously approached the istion room, hiding her footsteps. And she saw familiar silhouettes. ¡®¡­They look like people from the suppression team.¡¯ They seemed to be the ones who had given the slime girl the terrible nickname ¡®Damn Snot¡¯. Realizing their identities, Han Seori scratched her head. Could it be that they gathered here to take revenge for making them wander in the sewers? ¡­No way. Unless it was an anomaly that wasn¡¯t officially ¡®secured¡¯, it didn¡¯t make sense for them to do such a thing to an anomaly that was properly isted. In the first ce, it was something they had to risk their lives to do, and this ce wasn¡¯t lenient enough to let that slide. ¡®¡­Unless there was a higher-up who turned a blind eye to it.¡¯ For example¡­ someone like the director? Well¡­ even if the slime girl seemed easy, they wouldn¡¯t gather like this and openly try to mess with her. Then why were they gathering? The question turned into suspicion, and Han Seori carefully approached them from behind. They seemed to be examining the inside of the istion room, with the internal screen turned on. And there¡­ was of course the image of the slime girl reflected. ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± Seeing that, Han Seori inadvertently let out a voice. Hearing her voice, the suppression team, startled, looked at Han Seori, but her attention seemed to be already focused on the screen. On the screen, the slime girl was wriggling while holding a doll. She wasn¡¯t just ying with the doll, the scale was quiterge. She gathered the toys that were put into the istion room, ced the wriggling jelly-like substance in the center, and surrounded it¡­. ¡°It seems she remembers what happened in the sewers.¡± ¡°Ah, I see¡­ I think I read about it in the report.¡± At the voice that suddenly came, Han Seori realized the source of the d¨¦j¨¤ vu. It looked like they were surrounding the jelly-like substance in the center. ¡­That was what it was called, but since there were plenty of toys and dolls, it was a rather cute sight. ¡®She must have liked it.¡¯ By the way. ¡°Why are you all here?¡± Han Seori, who turned off the video by manipting the panel, stared at the gathered people as if interrogating them. Those who were questioned examined Han Seori¡¯s face while clearing their throats and muttered in a small voice. ¡°We just came to see what kind of face it has. It made us suffer so much, can¡¯t we at least see its face?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ is that so? You didn¡¯te to do something bad¡­¡± At Han Seori¡¯s doubtful voice, they waved their hands and shook their heads. ¡°Oh, how could that be?¡± ¡°I guess so¡­?¡± They exchanged awkwardughs and disappeared beyond the corridor. After confirming that, Han Seori manipted the panel again to disy the internal video and smiled unknowingly. ¡®¡­Even if they came with bad intentions, seeing this would make them lose that desire.¡¯ Anyway. Seeing that the slime girl liked the toys, Han Seori, who put them in, felt satisfied, but on the other hand, it was a bit chilling. ¡­It seemed she clearly remembered the incident in the sewers, so she would probably remember what Han Seori had done as well. But what can she do? ¡°¡­¡± It was what she had to do. Han Seori stood there for a while, nkly taking in the sight of the slime girl, and then moved her feet. At my age, ying with dolls couldn¡¯t be particrly fun. In the first ce, I couldn¡¯t even remember when I had yed with them, so I impulsively named the one that was close to me, but there didn¡¯t seem to be much to do. So, using Alice as a pillow, I briefly lost consciousness. ¡­Saying I lost consciousness may sound a bit strange, but to exin it in terms of this body, it could be said that I fell asleep. Surprisingly, if I wanted to sleep, I could do something roughly simr. This body seemed to not get tired if it had energy, but I was a human, so I felt mental fatigue. So, how long had it been since I fell asleep hugging Alice? Since the passage of time wasn¡¯t felt here either, in fact, it might not have been that long since I fell asleep. Still, I felt a sense of refreshment, so I looked around. I still see scattered toys and wriggling jelly-like substances. Come to think of it, I named the doll I saw for the first time today, but I didn¡¯t name that one. ¡­I can¡¯t call it a trash can either, so it would be good to give it a name. I can¡¯t call it anyway. Many name candidates passed by, but none of them were particrly appealing. Alice looked just like Alice, but when I looked at the jelly-like substance, nothing came to mind. I can¡¯t call it Liar either, you know. For some reason, I was worried that if I gave it that name, it might eat me up someday. ¡­Even if it would disappear immediately if I swallowed it, it¡¯s an absurd imagination, but don¡¯t they say there¡¯s some power in names? Then¡­. Wouldn¡¯t Daesik be a good name for it? It¡¯s a name that feels somewhat affectionate and somehow looks loyal. So. ¡­Now what? Not knowing how much time has passed means that time feels like an eternity to me. It¡¯s a fresh realization, but smartphones andputers melt time tremendously, and I realize it only after bing this body. But it would be nice to have them anyway. It¡¯s odd to have this thought when I was trembling until a while ago, but now that there¡¯s no immediate threat in front of me, I feel like the curiosity that was suppressed inside me ising back to life. Get out of here and run away? Well. I, who looked around instead of just lying down and sleeping, couldn¡¯t find a way to escape from here. Isn¡¯t it a clich¨¦ to have a way to escape through a vent or something? When you feel disappointed by the strictness, you naturally reminisce about your glorious days. When were my glorious days? Ironically, I want to pick the time when I was in the sewers. Although I could only put tasteless things in my¡­ not mouth, but body, it was a time when I could drive away even armed people and make my own choices. The sweetness of freedom¡­ is that what it is? When I came to my senses, I found myself already moving to gather the surrounding toys to express that time. ¡­Is this what auto-hunting is? It might just be an excuse. Anyway. Now that I¡¯ve gathered them like this, it¡¯s more exciting than I thought. In the center, Daesik was ying the role of a crocodile, and the dolls, including Alice, took on the roles of the armed group that came to find the crocodile and me at that time. They didn¡¯t have the weapons they were holding, but it could be called a doll pl¡­ no, a soldier y. As expected, it was clear that people go crazy when they have nothing to do. I thought so. But I couldn¡¯t help but find this trivial y fun. Just as the crocodile couldn¡¯t kill anyone, it¡¯s natural that Daesik can¡¯t eat anything either, right? The operation begins and the dolls gradually move towards Daesik. ¡­They were moving, led by my sticky hands. The dolls that passed through the wall of toys and reached near Daesik¡­. What am I doing? Instead of a sigh, only bubbling sounds were heard. The moment Iy on the floor feeling self-loathing. The sound of the closed door opening was heard, so I hurriedly threw Alice in my hand into the corner. The thought of being caught by an adult woman ying with dolls as a grown-up was dizzying. Then. ¡°Hehe¡­.¡± The familiar woman smiled somewhat contentedly and lifted me up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about yesterday. I was too excited¡­ Anyway, I¡¯m d to see you like my gift.¡± ¡­Could it be that she saw everything I was doing until a moment ago? How? Co, could you see me from the outside too¡­? While I was bubbling in shock, the woman who put me down picked up the doll from the corner and put it in my hand. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you more if they break, so y with them as much as you want.¡± No, that¡¯s not what I mean. She seemed to believe that I would understand what she said. Wait a minute. ¡­Does that mean she noticed that there¡¯s a person inside this jelly? Then¡­ why is she treating me like this? It might not matter at all¡­ that I¡¯m a person. A sense of unease slowly rose that I might face even more terrible things if they knew I was a person. Even that woman who was smiling kindly at me. In the end¡­ she¡¯s a woman who belongs to this strange group, isn¡¯t she? Even if a way to let them know I¡¯m a person appears. Is it really safe to let them know that? My dilemma deepened. In the meantime. Somethingrge entered the room. Chapter 25: Han Seori’s Plan Chapter 25: Han Seori¡¯s n ¡°Well, this time, it won¡¯t be stuffy! Of course, it won¡¯t hurt either.¡± The intelligent-looking woman made a nasal sound that didn¡¯t suit her and lifted me up by shoving her hand under my armpit. While I thought that her appearance was both unbnced and cute, I was confused about how this person actually wanted to treat me. No, if you¡¯re going to treat me like a child, then just treat me like a child all the way. At this rate, her eyes might suddenly roll back, and she might just chop off someone¡¯s arm. I thought she might be the kind of mad scientist that appears in various creative works. She¡¯s young and pretty, but¡­ it¡¯s a pity. Anyways. This time, she put me in arge ss container. While hanging onto her bosom and entering the container, I noticed a rectangr object hanging from her neck. It had the name Dr. Han Seori written on it. There were other things written, but my gaze was fixed there. It wasn¡¯t particrly because her chest was in that direction, but just¡­ I thought we had the samest name. But still, a doctor. At that age and with that appearance, she¡¯s a doctor? Could it be that she used some incredible science and technology to make her appear younger? As she was putting me in the container, our eyes met. Feeling somewhat flustered, I averted my gaze, and Han Seori muttered with a somewhat satisfied expression. ¡°Hm? Could it be that you¡¯re feeling embarrassed¡­?¡± It was a ridiculous misunderstanding, but since I couldn¡¯t correct it anyway, I left it alone. ¡­If I spit mucus on her face, I could express my dissatisfaction, but if I did that, my life might be in danger. Well, I couldn¡¯t tell how old the person inside was, but it was true that her appearance itself was pretty, so there was no need for that. The woman named Han Seori, who put me in the ss container, soon took out a notebook from her pocket and started scribbling something. Come to think of it, if I wanted to convey something¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be possible to scribble it in the notebook? With that thought, I tried wiggling my fingers, but I thought it might be a bit ambiguous. I solved the issue of picking up objects by sticking to them in a sticky way, but I was worried if I could write with these fingers. Well, even if I scribbled roughly, I could probably convey the general idea¡­ But I thought I should wait a bit longer to see if it would be good for me. Until now¡­ I thought it was better this way. There¡¯s no need to go to work and no need for economic activities. When it¡¯s time to eat, they bring me food, and embarrassingly, they even put in toys so I won¡¯t get bored. If only I could somehow change these toys to something else, it would be a truly satisfying life. ¡­The problem would be whether or not I can trust this person named Han Seori. If nothing special happens¡­ maybe it¡¯s not so bad to live like this. If I gradually pretend to develop intelligence, maybe someday I¡¯ll be able to enjoy a bit more of a civilized life. As I stared at the notebook with such intentions, Han Seori¡¯s eyes met mine. ¡°Ah.¡± She made a sound as if she had thought of something. ¡­Could it be that she noticed I was looking at the notebook? I think it¡¯s a bit too early¡­ What should I write in the notebook to make it usible? As I was thinking such thoughts and jiggling my jelly, something fell on my head with a *plop*. It has finallye. Thinking that, I raised my gaze, and Alice, which I had thrown earlier, was on top of my head. Feeling like I had be stupid too, I grabbed Alice in my hand, and a voice that felt somewhat satisfied was heard. ¡°Could it be that you were sad because you didn¡¯t have a friend?¡± ¡­Are you really a doctor? As I was holding Alice in my arms and feeling like I was bing stupid too, Han Seori took out a small trowel from her pocket, and this time, she scooped up Daesik, who was wriggling on the floor, and put him in the ss container. I touch Daesik with my bare hands, so why does she scoop him with a trowel? She really seemed like a bit¡­ of a strange person. Anyway, the inside was wider than I thought, so it wasn¡¯t stuffy like she said. But what is she trying to do by shoving me in a ss container? While feeling tense in an unfamiliar situation. Seeing Han Seori¡¯s somewhat dazed face made the tension naturally dissipate. ¡­Could it be a trap to make me let my guard down? As I was pondering, my reflection faintly appeared on the wall. The sight of me holding a doll looked every bit like a little girl. It¡¯s a cute appearance, even to my eyes. ¡­Could it be because of this appearance that she can¡¯t get a grip on herself? Then, I recalled the actions I had taken so far. The most vivid memory is of getting caught ying with the doll just a moment ago. Maybe it would be better to just live as a slime like this. Revealing that the one inside here is a man named Han Hosu. ¡­It means I have to acknowledge that I did those antics in my right mind. If that¡¯s the case, maybe it would be happier to live as a slime that doesn¡¯t know anything. I thought I would observe a bit more for now. But I feel a bit¡­ deted. Anyways. While I was doing that, the open lid was closed, and Han Seori grabbed the handle of what looked like a cart on which the ss container was ced. ¡°Well then, shall we go?¡± A voice that sounded somewhat lively. ¡­Seeing her title as a doctor, the sense of difort is no joke. When I only saw her pretty and intelligent face, I didn¡¯t think much of it. Is this my prejudice? A doctor-discriminatory point of view? Regardless of what I thought, the door soon opened. The corridor I had seen when entering here began to appear. At the same time. *Squeak, squeak.* The sound of wheels rolling was heard. My field of vision is moving. So¡­ now I¡¯m trapped in something like a ss container, loaded on a cart. When we came out into the corridor, Han Seori didn¡¯t make those unusual nasal sounds like before, so I became a bit anxious. They say you only realize the value of something when it¡¯s gone. Because of that, I end up holding Alice tightly for no reason. As if my mood had been transmitted to him, Daesik also started trembling. Still, it was one of the few opportunities to learn theyout of this ce, so I carefully observed my surroundings. The sight of rooms simr to the one I came out of stretching out in a row gave a feeling of some kind of hotel. But seeing that reminded me of the person who was bleeding from the eyes and screaming when I came here, so I didn¡¯t feel very good. ¡­Still, after being in a white room anding outside¡­ it¡¯s not bad. Yeah, people need this kind of stimtion, after all. As we were passing through the corridor. As if it were really a hotel, I saw numbersbined with KR written above the doors. What could it mean? As I was looking at the meaningless string of numbers, I heard murmuring sounds. Soon, a group of people were seen approaching this way. They were people who looked like they could handle themselves in a fight. They walked over with heavy steps, then suddenly blinked as if they had seen something unreal. Then they slightly bowed their heads to Han Seori and carefully asked. ¡°Uh¡­ Doctor? This is¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s 7496-KR, though?¡± ¡°That, ¡®Damn Snot¡¯¡­ is it correct?¡± Wait a minute. ¡®Damn Snot¡¯, you say. Could they be referring to me? While I was feeling dumbfounded, Han Seori¡¯s blunt voice was heard. ¡°Are you still¡­ calling it by that unofficial name?¡± ¡°¡­Haha, the memory of suffering because of that thing is so vivid. By the way¡­ what are you doing?¡± Seeing the man who seemed to be the representative unable to move in front of Han Seori, her stupid appearance from a moment ago became even more iprehensible, but I also felt somewhat relieved. Is this the feeling of a fox riding on a tiger¡¯s back? I feel a strange sensation. Han Seori spoke confidently to the man¡¯s question. ¡°To show how friendly 7496-KR is to humans¡­ I¡¯m going for a walk with it.¡± ¡°¡­Aha.¡± Hearing those words, I somehow felt like a zoo monkey. It was because people other than the man started gathering around the ss and staring at me intently. Regardless of gender, they all had a rough appearance, so I felt intimidated for no reason and hugged Alice, and I saw the corners of their mouths twitching. ¡°Hmm¡­ It is certainly cute.¡± ¡°Well, we did suffer for about a week¡­.¡± As expected, people¡­ no, slimes have to be pretty to be looked at. If I looked like Daesik, they might be ring at me fiercely. ¡­No, it¡¯s not that Daesik is ugly, but isn¡¯t there quite arge gap between Daesik and me? Anyway! If what Han Seori wants is for me to be friendly to humans, it seemed like it would be advantageous for me to respond to that as well. To do that, it would be best to use Alice. I attempted to hug Alice, which had a good reaction from them. ¡°How cute¡­.¡± Among them, one woman looks at me with a satisfied face. Then, after exchanging some conversation with Han Seori. She slightly opened the lid and slipped the chocte from her pocket inside. *Plop.* Feeling the chocte touch my head, I reached out my hand to grab it. Looking around, I saw gazes that somehow felt sparkling. It was somehow a bit burdensome. Since I knew what they wanted from me, I diligently unwrapped the chocte. This time, I also took the contents and had Daesik dispose of the trash smeared with chocte. I believe he won¡¯t have anyints since I left some chocte for him. Then, with exmations, the lid opened again, and various snacks from their pockets poured down on my head like a rainfall of deliciousness. ¡­They say not to give this kind of stuff to animals at the zoo. But then again, I¡¯m not a zoo monkey. While thinking that. I felt a bit¡­ you know. Still, there were a lot of snacks that I hadn¡¯t tasted in a long time, their vors dancing on my tongue. So it wasn¡¯t too bad. *Squeak, squeak.* While I was diligently snacking, savouring each morsel. The people who had gathered dispersed like leaves in the wind. When I came to my senses, an unfamiliar space unfolded before my eyes, beckoning me to explore its mysteries. Chapter 26: Weren’t you raising me? Chapter 26: Weren¡¯t you raising me? *Rattle, rattle.* A sound that felt a bit out of ce in the noisy space echoed through the room. The source of the noise was a ss cylinder containing 7496-KR, the All-Melting Slime. In other words, it was Han Seori who came in with a stern face, carrying the slime girl inside the cylinder. The sudden noise drew the attention of those inside, and it didn¡¯t take long for their expressions to change to puzzlement. Some were surprised that the Anomaly hade out of the facility in a ss container, while others looked at Han Seori as if she was doing something strange. ¡°¡­What are you doing? Don¡¯t you think you really need to get a mental evaluation?¡± Eventually, a man with a stern-looking face stepped in front of Han Seori with a disapproving expression. But for Han Seori, this was exactly what she had hoped for. She was almost disappointed at how long it took him toe. Instead, she smiled faintly and opened her mouth. ¡°Ah, Committee Member Yoo Kangjik.¡± ¡°Dr. Han Seori. I don¡¯t think this is a situation for greetings¡­¡± The man pushed up his rigid-looking sses and red at Han Seori. He had not expected her to be so reckless. Carrying around an Anomaly that hadn¡¯t even gone through a danger ssification yet in this manner. If she had been under his direct supervision, he would have immediately processed her ¡°resignation,¡± but unfortunately, she belonged to the research centre. Moreover, she held the authority of the deputy head of the research centre. So, for now, since nothing had blown up yet, all he could do was tell her to take it back. He wondered if she had reached such a position at a young age because of these antics, but since she had caught his eye, he couldn¡¯t just let it go. Yoo Kangjik sighed lightly and looked at Han Seori. ¡°Do I really need to spell it out for you?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a look instead? It might help with the danger assessment, you know.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yoo Kangjik felt a dizzying sensation. This must be what they mean when they say talking to a wall. Rather than conversing with someone who made no sense, it seemed better to give in to what she wanted and coax her. ¡­Though it¡¯s not like he had any other choice anyway. But even so, Yoo Kangjik thought she was making a fuss. ¡®I think I¡¯ve already reviewed all the necessary documents.¡¯ What more did she want him to see? He looked at the ss cylinder with meticulous eyes. Then, the vague image of the slime girl came into clear view. ¡°¡­¡± There, ignoring Yoo Kangjik, the slime girl was looking around and tearing open the packaging of the snack in her hand. In the slime girl¡¯s arms was a blonde doll, and as she tore the packaging, crumbs fell on top of the doll¡¯s head with a *pitter-patter*. The girl took out the contents, put them into her own body, and then lowered her gaze as she put the packaging into the wriggling blob of slime next to her. She then brushed the crumbs off the doll¡¯s head and into the blob of slime. Somehow, it looked like she was giving a treat, and Yoo Kangjik unknowingly curled the corners of his mouth. Seeing this, Han Seori grinned wickedly to herself. ¡®I saw it on his desk.¡¯ She recalled the small mascot that had been on Yoo Kangjik¡¯s desk. A person who looks stern but unexpectedly likes cute things. Could he still say the same things as before after seeing this girl right in front of his eyes? As Han Seori chuckled, Yoo Kangjik, who had noticed, cleared his throat. ¡°*Ahem*¡­ It seems there is an¡­ unreported¡­ Anomaly¡­ I think it might be¡­ a mental type¡­ Anomaly¡­¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Faced with her triumphant expression, Yoo Kangjik gritted his teeth. ¡°¡­I admit it¡¯s cute. But you know better than anyone that it has nothing to do with the danger level, don¡¯t you, Doctor?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not working.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Yoo Kangjik¡¯s guard was stronger than expected, unlike the people who had been cautious of them just a moment ago and were now looking pleased, forgetting about it. Well, that¡¯s probably why he holds the title of ¡°Committee Member.¡± Still, it didn¡¯t seem like aplete failure. The people who had jumped up in surprise and astonishment. And those who had given her a look that said, ¡°Is it you again?¡± also approached with intrigued faces. Wasn¡¯t this all thanks to Committee Member Yoo Kangjik, who was clearing his throat suspiciously in front? Although she couldn¡¯tpletely convince him, it seemed like enough publicity. After talking with others for a while, preaching about the harmlessness of the slime girl and how friendly she was to humans, Han Seori smiled with a satisfied face. Yoo Kangjik, who saw her, shook his head and sent people back to their seats, then looked at Han Seori. Han Seori, who had been smiling with an embarrassed face, now looked a bit tense. She seemed to know what he was going to say. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll concede that she¡¯s friendly to humans, as you say. But still¡­ we need to do a danger assessment.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ yes, we should.¡± In the end, the inevitable hade. Feeling troubled, Han Seori nced at the ss cylinder. She could see the girl eagerly digesting her snacks with a *gurgle gurgle* sound. As she stared nkly, Yoo Kangjik spoke. ¡°Then, will you hand her over to me?¡± ¡°¡­No, I¡¯ll take her. Nevermind.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Yoo Kangjik felt somewhat uneasy at her sudden change of words. But this was the procedure, so there was no reason to feel strange. ¡®¡­What? What is this uneasiness?¡¯ As he felt confused, Han Seori obediently stepped back after releasing the handle and said, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, um. Yes.¡± Yoo Kangjik hurriedly grabbed the handle. He was holding it so tightly that he could feel the warm heat. As he lowered his head, the top of the slime girl¡¯s head came into view. Upon closer inspection, there were small protrusions growing out like weeds. The protruding parts seemed like stray hairs, so he unknowingly pursed his lips. Eventually, he regained his senses and pulled the cart containing the slime girl. Han Seori followed silently behind him. Her face seemed to show a hint of apology. ¡­But it was unclear who it was directed towards. Suddenly, someone who looked like¡­ an old¡­ fogey blocked my view. Somehow, his face reminded me of the manager who always nagged at me. If it weren¡¯t for the ss, I might have unknowingly spit out some slime. Anyway. It wasn¡¯t a face I particrly wanted to see, so I was finishing up my remaining snacks when I heard a grating term. Danger assessment. It was a term that tantly reminded me that I had be a non-human entity, even though it shouldn¡¯te as a surprise now. It shouldn¡¯t be a big deal at this point, but I felt strangely bitter. ¡­Ah, it¡¯s because of the dark chocte in my stomach right now that I feel bitter. As I was nkly passing the garbage to Daesik. The cart I was riding on started moving again. The ce I had been in until now had an atmosphere that could bemonly described as¡­ amand and control room. I¡¯m not sure if it was really amand and control room, but it seemed like it was based on the atmosphere. There was a map with unknown symbols all over it, and next to it werebinations of numbers and English letters that I had seen in the previous room. asionally, I saw things like JP, EN, or CN instead of KR, so¡­ I thought it might be some kind of international organization. It was a guess, but it seemed pretty usible. My brain had already melted away, but my brilliant intellect still remained. Heh. While feeling pleased with myself, the moving cart came to a stop. Looking back, the pretty Han Seori was nowhere to be seen, and the man who resembled the manager I had seen earlier was holding the handle. ¡­What the. Ha, Dr. Han Seori? Weren¡¯t you raising me? Did you¡­ hand me over to the manager? As I felt shocked and terrified, the door opened, and a person wearing equipment reminiscent of a spacesuit, just likest time, took me out of the ss container. As my viewpoint rose higher, I could see various things. First, I saw Han Seori standing behind the manager guy, and I noticed the balding spot starting to appear on the manager¡¯s head. Somehow, I felt a sense of solemnity. I was left alone in a space that felt somewhat deste. Alice and Daesik seemed to have been left inside the ss cylinder. The surroundings had faint dark marks, and there were huge w marks on the wall. ¡­Could it be the danger assessment? It isn¡¯t what I think it is, right? As I was panicking, the closed wall rose up. *Thump, thump.* As the wall opened, the sound of something¡¯s footsteps came from inside. I focused on the open wall with my slime highly tensed. ¡­It might be closer to my body reacting automatically. Perhaps because the memory of the sewers was still vivid. Eventually. A ratherrge silhouette, by my standards, began to emerge from the darkness. The first thing I saw was a pointed horn gleaming menacingly in the dim light. Below the small but sharp horn, the figure of what was presumed to be a wolf slowly revealed itself, its fur a dark and matted grey. With each echoing footstep, its identity became clearer. It was a¡­ horned wolf wearing a dog cor around its neck, the metal tags clinking with each movement. No, wait, is this really what I think it is? They assess the danger level in this way? Ah, no! *Growl!* The creature looked at me, its eyes glinting with hunger as it licked its lips and slowly began to approach, its muscles rippling beneath its fur. Its gaze was like that of a predator eyeing its captured prey, ready to pounce at any moment. My slime boiled and bubbled, quivering with tension. Seeing that, for some reason. I felt annoyed. In the past, I might have been scared by such an appearance, but it felt strangely different now. Then, I remembered the giant crocodile I had seen in the sewers, its scales glistening in the murky water. ¡­Come to think of it,pared to that monstrous beast, this doesn¡¯t seem like a big deal. The creature approached leisurely, its ws clicking against the hard floor. How lightly did it see me that it was approaching while drooling profusely, the saliva dripping from its jaws? Do pets really go without being neutered these days? I could¡¯ve sworn I saw something unsightly dangling between its legs. Geez¡­ you¡¯d think they¡¯d do that for the sake of the creatures¡¯ lifespans. Seeing that it has horns, maybe they can¡¯t help it? Because it¡¯s a rare species? I don¡¯t know. I calmly waited for the creature approaching with its guard down, recalling the memory of hunting stray dogs in the sewers, their whimpers echoing off the damp walls. But¡­ as it got closer, it seemed to look a bit bigger than I initially thought. Its teeth also looked a bitrge, with yellowed fangs protruding from its gums. ¡­Uh, was it this big? Didn¡¯t they bring in the wrong one? Suddenly, my slime dripped down, sttering on the floor. At that moment. *Woof!* The creature opened its huge maw wide, revealing rows of sharp teeth, and thrust its snout towards me, its hot breath washing over my gtinous form. Its teeth were yellowish, a testament to itsck of dental hygiene. Chunks of ckened flesh were stuck between its fangs, the stench of decay filling the air. Unpleasantly. As I watched the creature thrusting its maw as if it would tear me apart and send shreds of slime flying in all directions. I thought of the manager who had brought me here a little while ago, his stern face shing through my mind. Indeed. Physiognomy might be a science, after all. Chapter 27: This Is Self-Defense, Right? Chapter 27: This Is Self-Defense, Right? ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Uh, um¡­¡± Han Seori looked anxiously at Yoo Kangjik, who was stroking his chin next to her. It wasn¡¯t because she was particrly interested in him, but rather because the slime girl who went in to measure the danger level showed an unexpected sight. Currently, the information about 7496-KR, the all-melting slime, was a bit biased. It was natural in a way, as she didn¡¯t show the usual characteristics of Anomalies that have a strange effect on people¡¯s minds, bodies, or the environment. Although various things were revealed through Han Seori¡¯s experiments, they hadn¡¯t conducted full-scale experiments yet, so the information was somewhat limited. Moreover, aside from the fact that she escaped from the sewers, she hadn¡¯t shown any hostile behaviour since then, so they had postponed objectively assessing the danger level. Once inside, it seemed trivial for her to melt a person, but seeing her spit out harmless mucus, she didn¡¯t appear to be hostile to ¡°humans¡± for now. Then they had to find out if it only applied to ¡°humans¡±. As usual, Yoo Kangjik, who had put down the slime girl there, decided to follow the procedure for testing Anomalies that exert physical force. It was to confirm whether 7496-KR¡¯s aggression was only absent towards humans, and at the same time, to gauge the power of 7496-KR, which was presumed to be a physical type. ¡­It was a bit violent and dangerous method, but he wasn¡¯t too worried as he had some means of control. Of course, it was a method that couldn¡¯t be used on Anomalies that couldn¡¯t be controlled to that extent. Yoo Kangjik thought that 7496-KR wasn¡¯t that far gone. He hoped the cute little slime girl wouldn¡¯t get torn up by the wolf¡¯s teeth. So the sight before his eyes now made him feel a bit¡­ strange. Honestly, when the horned wolf first opened its mouth and charged, sweat poured from Yoo Kangjik¡¯s hands. It seemed like the small slime girl would be torn apart like this. The moment Yoo Kangjik thought, should he press the switch in his hand to stop the horned wolf? The slime girl slightly dodged the horned wolf¡¯s mouth with a bored expression. ¡°¡­¡± The horned wolf, which had lost its prey, snorted and was startled, and at that moment, the slime girl¡¯s punch sted the horned wolf¡¯s tightly closed snout. *St!* ¡­With a squishy sound, the slime girl¡¯s soft fist ¡°patted¡± the horned wolf¡¯s snout. It sounded like the wind was blowing from somewhere. It might have been the horned wolf sneering. At that feeble resistance, the horned wolf instantly opened its mouth and bit off the slime girl¡¯s fist. *St!* With the sound, the slime girl¡¯s fist instantly disappeared. The slime girl gets bitten with a slightly troubled look. Her fist regrew with a bubbling sound, but it seemed difficult tond an effective hit. Her body looked too soft for that. It was curious how such a soft thing maintained a human form, but it seemed difficult to find a scientific basis for it, as she was an Anomaly. Seeing the two entities attacking each other, Yoo Kangjik stroked his chin and thought. ¡®¡­It seems she¡¯s not unconditionally friendly after all.¡¯ Judging by her immediate counterattack, it appeared that she reacted to harm inflicted upon her, though the extent of her power remained unknown. They watched the slime girl narrowly avoiding teeth and ws or getting cut off in chunks. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Sh, shouldn¡¯t we stop it?¡± He inwardly sighed as he saw Han Seori making a fuss beside him. No matter how he thought about it, 7496-KR seemed to have an Anomaly that manipted the mind, like hypnosis. Otherwise, there was no way she would make such a fuss, right? Yoo Kangjik had already erased from his mind the fact that the corners of his mouth had also twitched. Meanwhile. *Poof!* The sound of jelly splitting was heard, and the slime girl was pierced by the horned wolf¡¯s horn. The horned wolf ran towards the wall with an angry cry, with the slime girl stuck on its horn. *St!* A sticky sound was heard as the slime girl¡¯s body hit the wall. Despite the impact, the slime girl, who managed to maintain her form, swung her cotton fists to attack the horned wolf, but it didn¡¯t seem very effective. At that, the horned wolf, which had thrust its horn into the slime girl, regained itsposure and growled. If it had ended there. Yoo Kangjik would have pressed the switch to subdue the horned wolf. Han Seori would have let out a sigh of relief and wiped her head. However. As the horned wolf¡¯s horn stirred inside the slime girl¡¯s body, something strange happened. 7496-KR, who had been hitting the horned wolf with her soft fists, suddenly shook her body. *Bam!* She struck down again with her fist, but unlike before, a dull sound was heard. At the sound that even felt heavy, the horned wolf, which had been smugly stirring its horn until a moment ago, staggered weakly. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± At the sudden situation, not only the horned wolf that got hit but even Han Seori, who had been fidgeting, froze stiff. As the staggering horned wolf eventually copsed, the slime girl, looking at it, started to absorb the barely breathing horned wolf into her body with a bubbling sound. Seeing the horned wolf quickly melting away with a bubbling sound, Yoo Kangjik spoke softly. ¡°¡­It seems more dangerous than I thought. And what was that dull sound just now?¡± ¡°¡­Could it be that she figured out how to condense her body¡­?¡± Yoo Kangjik, who scratched his head as if troubled, pressed the button in front of him and opened his mouth. ¡°You recorded the entire video from earlier, right? I¡¯d appreciate it if you could send it to me.¡± After saying that, he looked at Han Seori, who was peeking anxiously beside him and muttered. ¡°And send it to Dr. Han Seori as well.¡± At his mutter, a slightly trembling voice came from the speaker. "...Understood." Soon, Yoo Kangjik took his hand off the button and shook his head while looking at Han Seori. ¡°It seems to be a more dangerous Anomaly than you thought, Dr. Han¡­ Don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°But, but our child doesn¡¯t bite people¡­ Yes.¡± Han Seori muttered unconsciously and then shut her mouth tight. Even she thought it sounded like someone possessed by an Anomaly. ¡°¡­But seeing that you realized it yourself, it doesn¡¯t seem to be 7496-KR¡¯s Anomaly?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s not like that¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, well. If you say so.¡± Yoo Kangjik turned his gaze back to the slime girl. There was no trace left of the fairlyrge horned wolf. As the traces of the horned wolfpletely disappeared, a small, protruding jelly was seen growing on top of the slime girl¡¯s head. Somehow, it felt like they shouldn¡¯t continue this kind of experiment any further. ¡°¡­I think we should end the test here. Judging from the results, it seems we can¡¯t give her a ¡®safe¡¯ rating.¡± ¡°¡­I agree.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Let¡¯s do the remaining tests another time.¡± The abrupt start of the danger level test ended hastily due to the sudden situation. The damn dog bastard dared to touch my precious, precious ce. The director outside, who hadn¡¯t taken any action until now, was annoying, but right now, the wolf¡¯s horn that touched my precious, precious ce was more annoying. As if my body had some survival instinct, I felt a sudden hardness in my hand. I swung my fist with all my might. *WHAM!* Unlike before, there was a sickening crunch. Soon, the wolf that had been sticking its horn inside me and stirring it around staggered and *plop!* copsed. It literally copsed with a *thud* after being hit. It could have been startling, but somehow, my heart was boiling with rage, so I was relentless. Not long after, the wolf hit by the blunt force was panting with thin breaths. It looked happy when it was hunting me, but now it looked miserable. The fact is that nobody said anything. It means I can devour this, right? Bad dog bastard. It probably never dreamed that it would end up like this. I immediately pushed it into my body and quickly devoured it like digesting a lump of meat. The taste of raw meat that I hadn¡¯t had in a long time. It was a bit¡­ peculiar. Maybe because it was a creature that didn¡¯t exist on the blue I knew, it was difficult to specify what this taste was. Did I even have memories of eating dogs or wolves raw in the first ce? I experienced it once in the sewers, but honestly, I couldn¡¯t remember the taste I felt then very well. I didn¡¯t want to recall it even if I tried. At least I couldn¡¯t feel the rotten smell unique to the sewers, so the taste should be better¡­ I just vaguely thought so. After devouring the horned wolf like that, a bubbling sound came from my body. Something protruded from the top of my head. It looked like something long, like hair had sprouted. You know that thing. Commonly known as¡­ an ahoge. Since I possess a shining intellect, shouldn¡¯t it be called a knowledge pouch instead of an ahoge? ¡­But. Why did this grow? The dullness I felt in my fist earlier, and something¡­ something is happening, but I have no idea what it is. Even Daesik appeared out of nowhere, so what could I possibly know? By the way. Is it still not over? As I was fiddling with the protruding knowledge pouch, the tightly closed door opened, and the person in the spacesuit I saw earlier entered. Earlier, he lifted me up without hesitation, but this time, he tried to catch me with arge-like thing from a distance. I went in obediently, dumbfounded. ¡­Did the danger level or whatever go up just because I devoured one horned wolf? I was obediently caught in the and taken outside, where I saw the ss container with Daesik and Alice. As I slid into the ss container, the lid closed. When I came out, the faces of Han Seori and the director looked quite subtle, indicating that there seemed to be a problem. Could it be¡­ that the horned wolf was something one-of-a-kind in the world? No, if I wasn¡¯t supposed to eat it, they should have told me. My first day out in the unidentified facility. Ended somewhat unsatisfyingly. Chapter 28: Is this what I wished for? Chapter 28: Is this what I wished for? It seems that a considerable amount of time has passed since the hazard test or whatever ended. Since this stupid space doesn¡¯t have a clock, I couldn¡¯t tell exactly how many days have passed, but considering the frequency of meals being brought in, I presume a significant amount of time has gone by. If they were providing me with three meals a day, it might be less than I think, but if it¡¯s one meal a day¡­ it could be more time than I expected. Well, what¡¯s the point of knowing how much time has passed? Time is no longer an important resource for me. No, rather, I should say I have an abundance of it now. I¡¯ve gone from being a time beggar to a time Bill Gates. Lying in a white room with unpleasant toys, I can understand why NEETs frequently surf the inte. It¡¯s excruciatingly boring. Maybe they do it because they feel like they¡¯ll go crazy if they don¡¯t do something, just like me. It could also be due to anxiety. Compared to that, my situation isn¡¯t too bad. At least I don¡¯t have to worry about making a living in the future. Although there¡¯s no bed, it¡¯s much better than when I was wandering the sewers, and as I mentioned earlier, mealse regrly, even if I¡¯m not sure if they arrive on time. If there were only other things besides toys, anyone could enjoy the life of a carefree unemployed person that everyone dreams of. Is this too greedy of me? It doesn¡¯t seem impossible if I slowly melt my shining intelligence into a puddle of brilliance. I devoured the horned wolf and fiddled with the protruding knowledge pouch, grumbling in my jelly mind. It¡¯s because I haven¡¯t had a chance to show off my brilliant intelligencetely. Even the visits of Han Seori, who sold me to the deputy director, have be infrequent. She just opens the door and enters with a face full of fatigue, only to give me snacks. She doesn¡¯t try to experiment on me with her eyes rolling back likest time. It doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s lost interest¡­ I don¡¯t know. I¡¯d have to know something to say. The only people I know here are Han Seori, the deputy director, andstly, the coward. I don¡¯t even know their names except for Han Seori. Well¡­ it¡¯s not like we¡¯re close, right? Except for Han Seori, I guess you could say we have an awkward rtionship. I haven¡¯t even seen the coward since I came here. I spent time nkly staring at the knowledge pouch that swayed back and forth when I tilted my head like a mesmerizing pendulum of wisdom. Even the doll soldier game I enjoyed has be boring now. As I was doing that. Suddenly, I became curious about what was in the room next to mine. It was a bted interest, but it was unavoidable for me. Since there wasn¡¯t a single hole to escape through, I never even thought about it in the first ce. In other words, my boredom has finally reached its limit. As I abruptly stood up from my spot, Daesik, who was squirming next to Alice, shook his body. He ced the caramel-stained wrapper on his head as if saving it forter, which looked quite funny. Taking my eyes off Daesik, I stuck to the white wall like a curious blob of jelly. Although I didn¡¯t know who lived next door, I thought I might be able to find out something by doing this. But. It seems to be well soundproofed. I remember when I stayed at a motel once, I could clearly hear the sounds of lovemaking from the next room. ¡­ It¡¯s not like I¡¯mparing it to that, but I did it anyway. Considering the time when I went on an outing trapped in a ss container, the distance seemed quite significant. There¡¯s no way I could hear anything. The moment I shook my head with a grumbling sound. I heard a noise. It¡¯s a faint sound. I hear a strange sound from somewhere. What is this sound? Following the source of the noise, I realized it wasing from beyond the door that Han Seori always entered and exited. It seemed to be a sounding from outside, not from a neighbour. What could it be? Then, the scene I saw on my first day here suddenly came to mind. The person suffering with blood flowing from both eyes and the chaotic crowd. Did another ident ur? I started to think that this ce might not be as safe as I thought. At that moment. The door opened, revealing Han Seori with a hurried expression and a ss container. At the same time. I hear an ominous sound. I had a bad feeling about this, like a jelly sensing an impending earthquake. ¡°Ah¡­ this isn¡¯t right.¡± Han Seori buried her face on the desk, scratching her head in frustration. It seemed that the grand n to increase the slime girl¡¯s favorability had failed. Although the atmosphere was great at first. ¡®The hazard test ruined everything.¡¯ Who would have thought that she would suddenly awaken her abilities when threatened? She knocked down the horned wolf with a thud and devoured it. It might be a refreshing scene in a novel, but to Han Seori, it sounded like her n was falling apart. On top of that, after eating it, there were even changes in her body. Because of that, the meals provided to 7496-KR were limited to fast food and snacks. Some even said that they shouldn¡¯t be provided at all, but¡­ ¡®That¡¯s a bit too much.¡¯ If she goes on a rampage because she doesn¡¯t even have that, who will take responsibility? It was clear that it would be the worst choice to make the umted favorability disappear like a popped bubble. Anyway. Because of that, an additional obstacle was added to Han Seori¡¯s argument to make effective use of 7496-KR. While they were tempted by her proposal to utilize 7496-KR, even Han Seori couldn¡¯t refute the question of whether she was truly being controlled. What if she gained sufficient power through that intelligence? Would she remain obedient? Even Han Seori hesitated for a moment at that question, so the deputy director¡­ no, Yoo Kangjik tly rejected it. ¡®Isn¡¯t it better than people dying¡­?¡¯ How can she show that the slime girl is favourable and cooperative towards humans and us? Honestly, it seemed difficult. Even if the slime girl knew how to write, it didn¡¯t seem like it would make much difference. The answer that woulde back was obvious. How can we trust that? They would say. ¡®Should I give up?¡¯ Since it wasn¡¯t the only thing Han Seori had to worry about, 7496-KR, she slowly began to feel tired. At least taking the time to give snacks to the slime girl was the only thing that brought a smile to her face. ¡­ If only she had just stored her mass and used it, being cute, pretty, and squishy, none of this would have happened. Han Seori grumbled to herself and reviewed the video recorded during the hazard test. Upon closer inspection, it seemed that when the horn of the horned wolf touched a slightly discoloured part inside the slime girl¡¯s body, her movements reversed as if a hidden switch had been flipped. As if a switch had been pressed. After that, when the slime girl swung her fist, it was estimated that instead of a metallic *nk!*, a fleshy *thud!* resonated through the air. ¡®Come to think of it.¡¯ I had fed her some chunks of metal for experimentation. ¡®Is it because of that?¡¯ Since it was roughly simr in terms of sound, Han Seori¡¯s guess didn¡¯t seem entirely wrong. So is it my fault? Then. Someone knocked on the door. Han Seori, who was biting her nails, pressed a button on the desk, and the door opened, revealing an armed person entering. ¡°Dr. Han.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ right. You said a new anomaly was arriving today.¡± ¡°Yes. Shall we go?¡± ¡°Alright¡­.¡± Yeah, let¡¯s work instead. Since finding a way to utilize the slime girl seemed bleak, Han Seori also began to feel like giving up. Although she felt a bit attached since she had saved her from the director¡¯s clutches¡­ if it doesn¡¯t work, it doesn¡¯t work, right? As Han Seori followed the armed person, embracing her concerns, she muttered upon seeing someone who looked a bit clumsy. ¡°There¡¯s an unfamiliar face.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. A few new recruits joined recently.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± That means someone ¡®quit¡¯. Indeed, is there no way to¡­ make use of it? It made her feel bitter, even though she had be ustomed to seeing a normal person disappear and a new one take their ce. Then. *Bang!* A strange sound came from beyond the corridor. Since it wasn¡¯t a pleasant sound, not only Han Seori, who was thinking about other things, but also those escorting her stiffened their bodies. At that moment, a voice flowed from the waist of the person who was talking to Han Seori. ident urred during anomaly transport. The anomaly currently being transported is... ¡°¡­Oh no.¡± An ominous sound is heard. Han Seori, who grasped the situation from the radio transmission, recalled the anomaly scheduled to arrive today. ¡°¡­Wasn¡¯t it an entity that doesn¡¯t react unless there¡¯s an anomaly nearby?¡± In response to her question, the man holding the walkie-talkie sighed and said, ¡°It must be a mistake made by the new recruit.¡± ¡°¡­We don¡¯t know.¡± Han Seori, who pressed her temples firmly as if she had a headache, spoke in a calm voice. ¡°Move all the anomalies nearby to another location. It seems to be around here. Call for more support.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Nothing seems to be going well. Even though Han Seori thought it was fortunate that the anomaly had been identified, 7496-KR, the slime girl, came to her mind. ¡®¡­She should be isted nearby.¡¯ Realizing this, Han Seori headed to the istion room where the slime girl was, carrying the ss container she had used to move the slime girl. Others will take care of moving the rest, but isn¡¯t she the only one who doesn¡¯t avoid the slime girl? If she hesitated, not only the person moving the slime girl but also the slime girl herself would certainly be in danger. So. It was only natural for Han Seori, who thought she was the only one who could move the slime girl, to open the istion room where the slime girl was with the ss container. Opening the door and flinching at the sight of the slime girl right in front of her, Han Seori hurriedly picked up the slime girl and put her in the ss container. However, despite Han Seori¡¯s efforts. The rm began to sound in the corridor, its shrill cry echoing through the halls. It seemed that contrary to her thoughts, the situation would not be easily resolved. Chapter 29: Nice to meet you Chapter 29: Nice to meet you *Whoo-oong¡­ nk.* The sound of some kind of machinery moving was heard, and the tightly closed giant door opened. Beyond the door, a fairlyrge and sturdy-looking vehicle was visible. It was a vehicle with a huge container attached, possibly for transporting cargo. As the door fully opened, the vehicle that came out stopped at a ce presumed to be a parking lot after passing through a long corridor. When the vehicle stopped, the cargopartment and vehicle doors opened, and tense-looking people got out one by one. Then someone spoke in a lively-sounding voice. ¡°This is thest one for today, right? ¡®Drinks¡¯ after we¡¯re done? I heard the bar inside this branch is really good.¡± As the man joked around, a pleasedugh flowed from the mouths of the others as if in agreement. However, as if pouring cold water on it, a blunt voice stiffened the atmosphere. ¡°The job¡¯s not done yet.¡± Even so, the man continued speaking while stretching. ¡°Eh¡­ it¡¯s as good as done. Honestly, what¡¯s inside there right now¡­ it¡¯s just a ¡®big piece of wood¡¯, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Even if it looks like that, it¡¯s an anomaly. If you let your guard down and something happens, are you going to take responsibility?¡± The man finally grumbles inwardly and shuts his mouth. Transporting anomalies is a very stressful job, no matter how much they emphasize its safety. That¡¯s because it¡¯s a job where you might go to the afterlife in the blink of an eye, so it would be stranger not to be stressed. Even so. The man, who was joking around, thought that humour was needed in such a scene. Because idents can happen even if your body is too stiff. ¡®Well, I¡¯m only doing this because there¡¯s a disciplinarian here.¡¯ The man who answered ¡°Yes, yes¡± to the blunt voice shrugged his shoulders while looking around. Then he burst intoughter. Yeah, this is just right. Eventually, the man who was joking around took out the walkie-talkie from his waist and spoke in a voice that felt serious this time. ¡°Do you read me?¡± "Reception is good." ¡°We just arrived. Have you cleared all the anomalies near the entrance?¡± "It will be done soon." ¡°Do it thoroughly. Unless you want to turn us all into ¡®pancakes¡¯.¡± "Understood." ¡­He¡¯s no fun. The man who finished the radiomunication looked at the anomaly being unloaded from the cargopartment, following the blunt voice instructions. Something made of rough wood material is unloaded. It showed no signs of movement and was in a shape close to a long cylinder. Eventually, as itpletely left the cargopartment, the ominous appearance attached to the end was revealed. A wooden pir with a distorted human face carved on it. A ¡®guardian totem¡¯-shaped anomaly emerged from the cargopartment. For some unknown reason, it was one of the strange ones among anomalies that started activity when other anomalies entered its range. The fact that it attacked anomalies when it started its activity probably contributed to that. There was a n that utilized this, but it was cancelled as soon as it was revealed that it did not distinguish between friend and foe. The agents who were put into the test at that time were ¡®resigned¡¯, so its danger went without saying. ¡­Still, as long as there were no anomalies around, it was just an ordinary and heavy ¡®guardian totem¡¯, so the level of danger was not set very high. Its range was not very wide either, so if it was isted in a somewhat remote ce, it wouldn¡¯t cause problems. But it was like a time bomb that might explode at any time. The guardian totem-shaped anomaly was destined to be disposed of if it couldn¡¯t find a use here. Because there was no reason to iste something that wasn¡¯t even helpful. ¡­Of course, there was the problem of finding a way to dispose of it. That was something unrted to those currently transporting the anomaly. The man, who was looking around in case there was a problem, eventually thought that going off work was not far off as he saw the door leading to the research centre opening. As long as the anomaly in the transparent container didn¡¯t suddenly move. ¡®Ah.¡¯ I shouldn¡¯t think like this. Bringing bad luck. Eventually, the anomaly loaded on the spacious cart began to move. The moment they all passed through the open door together. A radio call came from his waist. "I hope you can wait ten more minutes." What? The man who was joking around grabbed the walkie-talkie with a stiffly hardened face and stopped the procession. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the door opened because the preparations were finished?¡± "What are you talking about?" ¡°The door is open right now¡­¡± *Crack!* The sound of something cracking was heard. ¡°Everyone get away from the container!¡± *Thud! ng!* Along with a dull sound, someone¡¯s loud shout is heard. The man holding the walkie-talkie thought it was already toote andy t on the floor. Because that¡¯s what he had to do, considering what was about to happen. *Boom!* The container shattered and ss shards flew in all directions. Then, the guardian totem that had been unresponsive like an inanimate object began its activity. The guardian totem that started its activity, as if uninterested in ordinary humans, disappeared beyond the fork in the road, making *boom! boom! boom!* sounds. In the ce it passed, huge marks were left behind. ¡°Damn it.¡± Leaving behind someone¡¯s angry shout, the guardian totem moved its huge body with *boom! boom!* sounds. And *bang!* stomped on something that was lying on the floor. The sound of something being crushed was heard, and it became unrecognizable after being trampled by the ¡®guardian totem¡¯. The guardian totem stomped its heavy body *boom! boom!* several times as if it had a grudge against it. *Boom!* The corridor shakes from the huge impact. At that moment. ¡°Huh?¡­ What the?¡± The closed door opened, and a person holding a box with an anomaly sealed inside appeared. The man, who was nkly staring at the ¡®guardian totem¡¯, soon turned pale and began to run away in a fluster. Fixing its sight on the anomaly, the guardian totem began to chase the fleeing silhouette. *boom! boom! boom! boom!* The man¡¯s mind was in utter chaos after seeing something crushed by the guardian totem. The *boom! boom!* sounding from behind didn¡¯t help. It was impossible to stay sane. His breath quickly became ragged. As the ground shook. The fleeing man soon lost his bnce and stumbled. ¡°Ah, ugh¡­ ah¡­¡± Struggling to get up, he soon realized what the guardian totem chasing him wanted and threw the box containing the anomaly at the guardian totem. They say anomalies are important, but there¡¯s no way they¡¯re more important than his life. *Thud!* He kicked the box with the anomaly far away so that it wouldn¡¯t target him. Then he let out a sigh of relief. ¡®I-it only targets anomalies, right?¡¯ Now I¡¯m saved. The box that flew towards the guardian totem returned to the side of the one who threw it with a dull sound. The man¡¯s thoughts ended there. And now they will never continue. *Boom! Boom!* The guardian totem that fulfilled its mission rushed towards the newly appeared target. The closed door was shattered by several consecutive impacts. *Boom! Boom!* Every time the guardian totem moves. As if leaving footprints. Crimson marks are left behind. A loud warning sounds above the guardian totem¡¯s head. Within the recognition radius of the guardian totem that moved like a bird chasing an insect. Appeared a young woman running while holding onto something. And a sky-blue girl moving in a ss container. The guardian totem chases the two without dy. ¡­What is that? Han Seori put me in the ss container and started running with an urgent look on her face. An ominous siren sound is heard above my head. It was the first time I saw her so desperate, so I, the slime, also naturally became tense. What on earth happened? That question was soon answered. Because a huge guardian totem popped out from around the corner. ¡°Huh?¡­ When did it get here?¡± Han Seori¡¯s urgent voice is heard. She nced at me with a very distant look while running. ¡­I wonder what it is. This ominous premonition. Someone should have told me that such a g is troublesome. The huge guardian totem with a terrifying face wasing straight towards me and Han Seori. Should I say it¡¯s approaching? The way it¡¯s *bang! bang!* stomping on the corridor as it approaches, it reminds me of that thing called a pogo stick that I saw on the inte. Since that looks older than a pogo stick, the pogo stick must have been modelled after it. With the siren sounding above my head and the *boom! boom! boom-bang!* behind me, it was very disturbing. In the midst of my jelly wobbling from annoyance. I saw that the bottom of the guardian totem was dripping with red marks. That can¡¯t be¡­ what I think it is, right? Seeing that, I realized¡­ well, how dangerous the situation Han Seori and I were in was. And. ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­¡± As if she seldom exercised, Han Seori was breathing very roughly. She was so drenched in sweat that it felt like she was soaking wet. Soon. Her legs gave out, and she ended up falling. ¡°Kyaah!?¡± Of course, when she fell, the ss container I was in toppled over, and my body was ejected out of the open lid. ¡°Ow, ouch¡­ it hurts.¡± While Han Seori was writhing in pain, the guardian totem approached close by with *boom! boom!* stomping on the floor. Judging by the marks smeared on its bottom¡­ it seems to be a pretty¡­ very dangerous fellow. ¡°We, we have to run away¡­¡± Han Seori¡¯s voice gave strength to my opinion. It looked easy for me to slip away alone, but Han Seori seemed to be injured by the broken ss on top of the shock of falling. *Boom!* In the meantime, the guardian totem approaches us. *Boom!* I looked at Han Seori, who was coughing and gasping for breath, once. And ran towards the guardian totem. ¡°Huh?!¡± *Boom!* After passing its massive body. Like I did before. I spat out some mucus. Would someone consider it a reward? I don¡¯t know. Whether the aggro was definitely pulled by that, the fellow who was looking straight ahead. *Koong!* Turns its body with a sound. I wiggled my jelly at Han Seori, whose face had turned nk. Then, I ran hard with the guardian totem on my tail. *Boom! Boom! Boom!* It must be angry because it¡¯s running at a very fast speed. ¡­It was very cool and good to have safely gotten Han Seori to this point. If I slightly turn my head back, I can see the huge guardian totem with a terrifying face chasing me. Now¡­ what should I do? I suddenly felt a little regretful. Chapter 30: But Who am I? Chapter 30: But Who am I? *Thump! Thump!* It was good to stay calm in this crisis situation, but there was no clear solution in sight. I thought I should have stayed next to Han Seori and listened to what she was saying. But if I did that, she would be a bloody pancake right now instead of herself. I didn¡¯t want to imagine that sight, so I tried to erase it from my mind. Based on the circumstances, I didn¡¯t want to see the sight of Han Seori getting hurt while running away together, as she got hurt because of protecting me by putting me in a ss container. There¡¯s no solution, and it may be reckless, but since she fell into danger while trying to protect me, I should do this. It¡¯s quite gratifying. What should I do now? That thing is rushing towards me, *Crash! Crash!* shaking its dreadful face wildly as if I were its parents¡¯ mortal enemy. Perhaps because it was the path it had passed through, the floor was already dented. Another notable thing is¡­ the absence of people. Well, if there were such a thing roaming around and people were crowding, that would be strange, too. But besides that. I wondered why the people who appeared in the sewer didn¡¯t show up at all, even though sirens or something like that were ringing so loudly. It seemed like they could quickly turn such arge wooden barrel into a rag with those terrifying firearms they were holding. ¡­Could it be that they came to catch me because I¡¯m weak, and they can¡¯t even approach that because it¡¯s strong? Somehow, I feel like their evaluation is falling in my heart. The strong bullying the weak. It¡¯s the worst, isn¡¯t it? ¡­But if I think about it carefully, there¡¯s no way that¡¯s the case. The fact that this thing is here in the first ce means that it was caught¡­ so maybe there was some kind of ident. I¡¯m not sure what it is. I thought that they might not be as thorough as I thought. Well. The people working here aren¡¯t aliens or anything; they¡¯re just people who eat the same meals as I do, so what¡¯s the difference? Over there, across the sea, the white and ck guys carry guns in every house, so having a gun doesn¡¯t make you special. I¡¯ve shot a gun before, too. Although they¡¯re not very good memories. Anyway. In the end, it¡¯s something that people do. There¡¯s no way there can be no mistakes. Now that I¡¯ve assessed the situation and determined an ident urred, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m running away©¤ *Crash!* Suddenly, the sounding from behind changed from *Thump! Thump!* to *Crash!*. At the same time, I felt my body being cut off and falling. When I looked back, I saw the thing that had been just bouncing along now copsed forward. On its copsed face, blue lumps that had fallen off from my body were sttered all over. It would have been nice if it had copsed from exhaustion. But it gets up again. ¡­Isn¡¯t this cheating? Jelly flowed down my spine at its sudden dirty y. It was really ying this like some kind of game. But in this life-or-death game of tag, getting touched doesn¡¯t make you a chaser. So I ran again with the newly grown jelly. Now, I had to keep ncing back, not just looking ahead. And that was quite troublesome. If the speed is the same, wouldn¡¯t running while looking back inevitably lead to getting caught? I can¡¯t even not look. Didn¡¯t my jelly already get cut off while not looking? I felt a sense of crisis that I hadn¡¯t felt until a little while ago. Ah, this is driving me crazy. How nice would it be to have eyes on the back, too? ¡­Huh? *Bang!* While I was turning my head, that thing did another dirty trick, so I narrowly avoided it. It wasn¡¯t something I couldn¡¯t dodge if I was watching. While it was momentarily stuck in the floor, having an intimate moment with my jelly smeared on its face. I felt like I had some kind of realization like lightning had struck my head. Isn¡¯t this the moment of realization that appears in martial arts novels? The realization I gained was, why do I have to turn my head to secure my vision in the first ce? Let¡¯s think about it carefully. Unfortunately, I¡¯m not human right now. This is a fact that doesn¡¯t change no matter how much I deny it. I am now a small, trembling slime. A slime with a dangling knowledge pouch on top of its head. Moreover, I¡¯m translucent. I have the silhouette and features of a human, but that¡¯s just the appearance. In the first ce, my body doesn¡¯t perceive the world through the eyes on my face, right? With that thought, my senses expanded. There wasn¡¯t even a bubbling change. Just a single thought changed, but the world that seemed to be seen through human eyes looked different. Should I say it feels like looking at a panoramic photo all at once by spinning around? Honestly, I felt something like motion sickness, but it disappeared quickly. I quickly started running again. I didn¡¯t have to look back, but a solution hadn¡¯t emerged yet. Still. *Bang!* It was better than a little while ago. Because I could clearly see its movements. But then I could see things that I couldn¡¯t see until a little while ago, starkly. Like the broken doors, their frames splintered and hanging off the hinges. ¡­And the bloodstains inside them, dark red and ominous. I haven¡¯t seen their faces, but it doesn¡¯t feel very good. *Crash!* While avoiding the falling totem again. A forked path appeared. If it were a little while ago, I would have had to turn my head to see where to go, but enlightened, I only had to run. One side was clean, and the other side had traces of that thing. The ss shards scattered all around inly showed signs of a big struggle. Judging from the red marks here and there, it seems people were also hurt. But more than that. Beyond the open door, I saw arge vehicle. Arge and sturdy vehicle that makes a man¡¯s heart pound. It looked so sturdy that it might be able to stop that thing from rampaging, don¡¯t you think? Without hesitation, I chose the direction with the vehicle at the fork in the road. *Crunch, crunch.* The ss shards trampled by my feet entered my body. The taste of ss was more astringent and throat-burning than I thought. Is it because it¡¯s originally sand? I¡¯m not sure. I tried hard to ignore the slightly familiar taste mixed in here and there. After arriving in front of the vehicle like that, I looked around for a bit and then climbed into the back, which seemed to be a cargopartment, not the driver¡¯s seat or passenger seat. Hoping that the copsed totem didn¡¯t see me, I climbed into the cargopartment and, grunting and bubbling my jelly, closed the door. Then darkness enveloped me, thick and heavy. The tranquillity that came for a moment was in vain. *Thump! Thump!* I could feel it approaching close to me. Every time it moved, the vehicle shook slightly, so I couldn¡¯t not know. *Thump!* The sound of it striking the ground came from very close. Did it lose me? I really hope so. No, but when are these peopleing anyway? *Crash!* While grumbling about those who weren¡¯ting. The sound of something heavy being crushed could be heard. Judging by how my body was shaking. *Crash!* That crazy guardian totem seemed to know where I was. It was a very malicious stalker among stalkers. *Craash!* The presumed wood and sturdy metal collided, but why was there a sound of metal being crushed? Is it crazy? I thought it wasn¡¯t ordinary wood, but isn¡¯t this going too far? *Bang!* Actually, from the fact that simr things to the room I was in were shattered, I had thought this might happen. ¡­It¡¯s just that there was something that stimted a man¡¯s dreams, so the choice was biased towards this ce. *Craaash!* Damn it. In the end, the car couldn¡¯t withstand its attack and was crushed. Beyond the wall that was crumpled like a crumpled paper, the hideous face of the guardian totem began to appear. As if there hadn¡¯t been any impact at all, its face had be uglier than a little while ago, twisted and gnarled like an ancient tree. Before itpletely breaks¡­ *Crack!* I have to decide what to do. Run away. Or¡­. Try to fight. I mulled over the behaviour patterns of the thing I had observed while running away. Honestly, if I calmly observe¡­ I think I can deal with it. Especially now that I have no blind spots. If there¡¯s a problem. Can I digest that, too? The only attacks I can do are spewing mucus and digesting. Ah, I also used hardening when I ate the horned wolf, so maybe that¡¯s possible, too. I have a few attacks that I can do. *Crash!* There¡¯s no way my cotton fists will work on this sturdy car. Then, in the end, can I melt it? That¡¯s all I need to judge. I tried to recall the things I had eaten. Thinking of the¡­ metal pieces that Han Seori gave me¡­ Couldn¡¯t I do it? I gained confidence. *Bang!!* Now that it has its head stuck in the crushed car. I opened the door of the car and went out. Honestly, there was no need to open the door. It was already loose from the impact. And. I climbed up its body, which had its head stuck in the car. The sticky body was optimal for climbing trees, and it was easy because it wasn¡¯t standing vertically but was tilted. *Squish¡­!* When I reached what would be its neck in human terms. It pulled its face out of the car. I climbed onto its topknot to devour its head and stuck it into my body. *Bubble bubble¡­.* It didn¡¯t melt quickly like usual, but I felt its body slowly being digested. It tasted really bad, but seeing the possibility, I tightly clung to its head. *Bang!* It must have felt it, too, as it wiggled its body like crazy to get me off. *Whoosh! Whirr!* It felt like riding a drop tower without a safety bar. When the fierce wind sound was heard, some of the jelly was thrown off. As I endured like that, in my field of vision. I saw the figure of a person carefully approaching from where I hade out. ¡­Only now you show up? They were toote. At that moment. That guardian totem drives its body into the sharp part of the heavily crumpled car, jagged metal piercing its wooden flesh. The sharp piece of metal quickly approached in front of my eyes, glinting menacingly in the dim light. Chapter 31: Disaster Brought by Complacency? Chapter 31: Disaster Brought by Comcency? ¡°All anomalies that were isted within the area have been relocated.¡± ¡°¡­Where is 5077-KR?¡± At Yoo Kangjik¡¯s question, the woman manipted the panel to disy the surveince camera footage on arge screen. The rather clear image showed a jelly girl running about in a fluster and arge guardian totem chasing after her, leaving *Thud! Thud!* marks on the floor with each thunderous step. Seeing this, he pressed his temples tightly. ¡°It¡¯s still chasing 7496-KR.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fortunate for us.¡± At the woman¡¯s murmur, Yoo Kangjik watched the slime girl fleeing from the guardian totem¡¯s relentless attacks. Whether it was a coincidence or not, it was true that she was helping them at the moment. Thanks to that slime girl, 7496-KR, bing the focus of the guardian totem¡¯s pursuit, they had bought time to remove the dangerous elements. ¡®To say she¡¯s intentionally helping¡­¡¯ It just looks like she¡¯s running away. Since he hadn¡¯t seen the moment the slime girl started being chased, in Yoo Kangjik¡¯s eyes, it looked like the slime girl was running away to survive. Apart from the fact that she was helpful¡­ he thought it wasn¡¯t a matter to be concerned about. However. ¡®The fact that she¡¯s out means someone likely let her out¡­ who, ah.¡¯ It must have been our Dr. Han. Then he checked inside the control room. Among the busily moving people, Han Seori was nowhere to be seen. ¡­Could it be. Did she get caught while trying to move 7496-KR? ¡°*Hah¡­*¡± Losing a high-level talent like Han Seori was a painful thing, so Yoo Kangjik sighed and ruffled his hair. Precious hairs fluttered from his sparse scalp. ¡°This is troublesome.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Yoo Kangjik tapped the desk, *tok, tok*, while looking at the monitor. There were many suspicious points about this incident. First, the slime girl luring and fleeing from the ¡®guardian totem¡¯ was strange, but the fact that the ¡®guardian totem¡¯ suddenly started moving in the first ce was also fishy. No matter how disorganized things had be with the recent addition of new employees, the istion procedure for the ¡®guardian totem¡¯ itself was as simple as it gets. As long as you don¡¯t bring an anomaly close to it, there¡¯s no problem. So, if they had just followed the procedure, there would have been no issues at all. For some reason, that procedure was not followed. The door opened on its own, and as soon as it entered, the guardian totem started moving. Well, there was also the possibility that the field staff had made a false report to hide their mistakes, but Yoo Kangjik thought that was unlikely. Not because he trusted his subordinates but because the testimonies of those from other branches and internal personnel were simr. It was unlikely that employees from two different affiliations would have colluded without an agreement, so the possibility that someone had deliberately done this also had to be considered. They needed to discuss this, but¡­ the director was out of the office again, and the deputy director seemed to have lost his life due to being overly engrossed in an anomaly. ¡®Hoo¡­¡¯ Who has the authority after Dr Han Seori? No, can we even trust that person in the first ce? Yoo Kangjik stared at the screen with a serious expression, then opened his mouth to speak. For now, catching or disposing of the ¡®guardian totem¡¯ was the priority¡­ He was about to lower the containment walls to limit the slime girl¡¯s movement path. If the ¡®guardian totem¡¯ eliminates the slime girl in a ce without other anomalies, it will cease activity. ¡­It was a bit ufortable since she was something Han Seori had been interested in, but he thought it was better than innocent people dying. That would be the case unless Han Seori, presumed dead, appeared. ¡°Lower the containmen¡ª¡± At that moment. The closed door opened, and Han Seori, supported by someone, limped into the centre of the control room. Yoo Kangjik blinked in surprise at Han Seori being alive. ¡°Ah, thank you. You can go back to work now.¡± Han Seori, who had approached Yoo Kangjik, sent back the person who had supported her and blinked. ¡°What¡¯s with that face? You look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost.¡± ¡°*Hrm-hrm.*¡± While he cleared his throat, Han Seori looked at the screen and hardened her expression. ¡°¡­7496-KR is still luring it, I see.¡± ¡°Luring? What do you mean by that?¡± When Yoo Kangjik asked in a puzzled voice, Han Seori revealed what she had seen without embellishment. It was a story about how the slime girl bounced out of the ss container, spat slime at the guardian totem, waved her hand, and disappeared with the guardian totem. ¡°¡­You expect me to believe that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true! Let¡¯s see¡­ There was a CCTV there, so if we check, it should show up.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Alright, I understand for now.¡± ¡­He thought there was a possibility it was distorted since it was Han Seori¡¯s im, who seemed to want to make use of the slime girl, but if there was evidence left behind, they could check it. The real problem was that with Han Seori¡¯s appearance, it had be ufortable to carry out what he had been thinking of doing just a moment ago. It was obvious she would oppose it based on what she was saying. But since there was no other solution at the moment, he spoke in a low voice. Then, contrary to his expectation that she would oppose it outright, Han Seori replied in a surprisingly calm voice. ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s not a bad idea, but if what I said is true, wouldn¡¯t it be a bit of a waste? She seems like she could be useful in many ways.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± As he muttered as if surprised, Han Seori smiled awkwardly. ¡°¡­I won¡¯t deny that I¡¯m attached to 7496-KR. But I also think people are more important.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Yoo Kangjik nodded and looked at the screen, feeling a strange sensation. Fortunately, the slime girl was heading towards an area without other anomalies on her own. ¡®She¡¯s not moving knowingly, but it¡¯s fortunate.¡¯ Moreover, after allowing one attack, the slime girl dodged all of the guardian totem¡¯s attacks. She certainly seemed like she would be very useful if she was friendly to humans. ¡°So, what do you n to do now?¡± In order to preserve the slime girl, they had to catch or dispose of the guardian totem. Looking at it now, it seemed like a battle between a spear and a shield, so it didn¡¯t seem like it would be easily settled. Especially with the suspicious circumstances, it was a priority to resolve the situation quickly. They needed some kind of method. At Yoo Kangjik¡¯s question, Han Seori seemed to fall into thought as she looked at the screen. Luckily, the slime girl was not heading towards a passage leading elsewhere but a dead end where vehicles were parked. The door leading to the surface was locked, so even though it was unintentional, it had turned out as Yoo Kangjik wanted. ¡­If she had headed to a ce with other anomalies before they could take action, he would have lowered the containment walls, but Yoo Kangjik didn¡¯t mention it on purpose. Meanwhile, the slime girl hid in a vehicle, and the guardian totem struck the vehicle down with a truly crazed momentum. Watching that, Han Seori¡¯s eyes caught the guardian totem¡¯s surface slowly chipping away. ¡°Come to think of it, the guardian totem¡­ was it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s have the personnel take axes and chainsaws and go in. Let¡¯s try to ¡®remove¡¯ it while it¡¯s distracted by 7496-KR. If it doesn¡¯t work, have them retreat immediately.¡± ¡°¡­Well, let¡¯s try that for now.¡± Now, it was a matter of whether the slime girl would be destroyed first or the guardian totem would be destroyed or stopped. Since they had a bit more leeway to try somethingpared to before, Yoo Kangjik did not refuse. Inwardly, he hoped the slime girl would survive rather than the uncontroble guardian totem, but he didn¡¯t show it. As the orders were given, agents armed with axes and chainsaws approached the area where the slime girl and guardian totem were shing. In the meantime, the vehicle was destroyed, and the slime girl that came out of the vehicle began to actively attack the guardian totem. Watching her struggle with her cute appearance made his heart tingle. The slime girl dangling from the guardian totem¡¯s head. And the guardian totem rampaging as if trying to shake her off. The moment the agents equipped with axes and chainsaws arrived. The guardian totem swung its body towards the sharply crumpled vehicle, with the slime girl still hanging from it. It seemed like the slime girl¡¯s body would be cut off by the jagged metal, and Han Seori, who was sitting, stood up with wobbly legs. ¡°Ah!?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The slime girl¡¯s head, which hit the metal, flew through the air. It sounded like *St!* The slime girl¡¯s head that fell to the floor seemed to have lost strength, as it melted into a glistening puddle of slime. ¡­Could it be that she dies if her neck is cut off? ¡®Her arms¡­ were fine, though.¡¯ Han Seori looked at the screen with a pale face. At the same time the slime girl¡¯s neck was severed, the guardian totem¡¯s head was stuck inside the mangled vehicle, so she couldn¡¯t tell if the slime girl was alive or dead. ¡°Tell them to enter.¡± Unlike the cruel reality, Yoo Kangjik¡¯s order was as cold as it could be. With his voice, those who were standing by with axes and chainsaws rush towards the guardian totem. *Thwack!* *Chunk!* The axes and chainsaws make crude sounds as they sh into the guardian totem¡¯s body. They seemed to have a lot of pent-up frustration as they swung their weapons without hesitation. ¡­It wasn¡¯t human anyway, so there was no need to hold back. And. Like the can opener that had opened a can that no one could open. Contrary to its ferocious appearance, the guardian totem¡¯s flesh began to be carved away by the axes and chainsaws. They had thought it unlikely, but seeing it being chopped apart bit by bit, those watching were at a loss for words. ¡­It had been neglected due to its troublesome nature, so it seemed inevitable. But thinking of those who had lost their lives because they couldn¡¯t respond to it, the inside of their mouths felt bitter. *Crunch!* With the final axe swing, the guardian totem¡¯s waist is split. The guardian totem, split in half, no longer moved. The remaining guardian totem¡¯s body entered the torn vehicle. The ring rm stopped. The situation was over. It tastes like sucking on wood. It really tastes bad¡­ Yuck! Chapter 32: End of the Incident Chapter 32: End of the Incident
I am pleased to present this bonus chapter, which has been made possible thanks to the wonderful review written by Xyll. Please enjoy this bonus chapter as a small token of my appreciation for Xyll¡¯s contribution to my trantion work.
I thought it was really going to take my life. If you think about it, it had already taken my ¡°life¡± in a sense, but it was still¡­ no, it was a situation where my jelly couldn¡¯t help but tremble. As a person who used to be human, my head was cut off. How many people wouldn¡¯t be surprised by that? I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s unfortunate or fortunate, but even though my head was cut off, I didn¡¯t die. If I could make a sound, I might have made silly noises like *gasp*, *cough*, *hack*! Anyway. As I gathered my thoughts, I could feel the taste of the ¡°guardian totem¡± entering my body and melting very slowly. The taste¡­ wasn¡¯t very good. It tasted like sucking on raw wood covered in fine dust. No, let me correct that. It tasted even more horrible than that. It was so bad that I felt sorry forparing it to the branches I had curiously tasted in my childhood. I guess I should say I¡¯m fortunate that I didn¡¯t have to try to find a simr taste? It was a taste from the afterlife that I had never tasted in this world. While I was wrinkling my jelly with distaste. The guardian totem, stuck in the wreckage of the vehicle, seemed to be tightly stuck. It wriggled, trying to get out, but couldn¡¯t move. Seeing the guardian totem bubbling with its face buried in my body, I felt very good. Ha, serves you right. I gave my head and took a head, so, at a nce, it might seem like we¡¯re even, but since my head and arms are as good as new, I can say that I got a one-sided benefit. ¡­I don¡¯t know what would have happened if the small and precious part had been cut off, but for now, I was the winner. As I was savouring the joy of victory. *Kwajik*! *Weee-eee-eee*! I heard a terrifying sound that was hard to hear from all around. ¡°Kill it! This bastard!¡± ¡°Huh!? It¡¯s really getting stuck!¡± ¡°It¡¯s splitting! It¡¯s splitting!¡± And I also heard the angry voices of some enraged people. Hearing those angry voices, my jelly trembled. From what I heard, it didn¡¯t seem like they were talking to me, but¡­ What on earth is happening outside right now? *Kwajik*! *Crunch*! *Crack, crack, crack*!! I heard a brutal sound, and the guardian totem¡¯s body began to tilt more and more. Before long, I heard the sound of thick wood shattering, and the movement of the guardian totem wriggling inside my body ceased. Even after that, I asionally heard angry voices and the sound of wood being shattered. As the movement stopped, the guardian totem¡¯s head began to be digested very quickly. As I melted it, I looked outside through the split gap. Then I saw people who looked familiar, with very angry faces, cutting the thing that used to be a guardian totem as if they were doing a violence experiment. Seeing that sight, which even felt hateful, I couldn¡¯t muster the courage to go outside. I thought that those mes might spread to me as well. From their perspective, there might not be much difference between me and that guardian totem¡­? Suddenly, I wanted to see Han Seori. Come to think of it, she seemed to be hurt, so I wonder if she¡¯s okay. As I was watching them turn the guardian totem into kindling. From a bit far away, I heard footsteps that felt urgent. Without realizing it, I hid deep inside the vehicle. Meanwhile. I felt the footsteps that were a bit far away, getting closer and closer. I couldn¡¯t count the exact number, but it seemed to be quite a lot. Among them, I felt a somewhat different sound lingering near the entrance of the container. Soon, the door that was crushed and couldn¡¯t be opened slowly opened. ¡°H-here it is!¡± I saw the face of Han Seori, who was holding crutches. Discovering a person who was favourable to me, my body moved on its own. As I approached Han Seori without realizing it, The people next to her raised their voices with uneasy looks. ¡°I-isn¡¯t it dangerous?¡± ¡°Shall we shoot it?¡± Their gazes seemed to look at me like they looked at the guardian totem outside, so I stopped, trembling my jelly. But seeing me like that, Han Seori instead shouted at those next to her. ¡°Are you crazy!? Step back!¡± When Han Seori shouted, those next to her were startled and distanced themselves from her¡­ no, from me, to be exact. After making sure the others had moved away, Han Seori sighed and smiled, saying to me. ¡°It¡¯s okay now¡­e here.¡± I didn¡¯t like the voice that sounded like soothing a child, so my jelly bubbled a little. But I silently approached Han Seori. Then, remembering that she had been hurt, I unconsciously touched her leg. ¡°Ow¡­¡± When I hastily removed my hand at the sound of her voice that sounded slightly pained, I heard Han Seori¡¯s faintughter. Soon, my view soared upward. Han Seori lifted me onto her arm and said with a chuckle. ¡°The unexined lightness is helpful at times like this¡­ I¡¯m d you¡¯re alive.¡± After saying that, she tilted my body to make me lean on her. I didn¡¯t like being treated like a child. But looking at the faces of the others and Han Seori¡¯s face with my expanded view¡­ I felt strange. Their gazes, which were surely looking at the same thing, were clearly different. Han Seori looked as if she had found a lost child, while those with her still looked at me with suspicion-filled faces. Especially those over there holding axes and chainsaws (realizing that was the source of the sound made my jelly tremble) gave me suspicious looks. Some stepped on the remains of the guardian totem as if giving a warning. ¡­It seemed like I shouldn¡¯t leave Han Seori¡¯s side, so I wrapped my arms around her neck, and Han Seori smiled with a delighted face. She seemed to be misunderstanding something, but since it seemed like it would be to my advantage, I just left it. Seeing that no one objected to her, even in this situation, it seemed like Han Seori¡¯s status was quite impressive. If I have her favour, at least¡­ I won¡¯t end up like that guardian totem, right? While I was calcting inwardly, Han Seori spoke, pressing her crutches on the ground and walking. ¡°Could you gather all the scattered pieces? Without missing a single one.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Her voice was very cold, unlike when she spoke to me a little earlier. ¡­But wait a minute. She¡¯s telling them to gather the pieces of the guardian totem now? Since that¡¯s the only thing they shattered¡­ it¡¯s probably that. Is that okay? I swallowed the guardian totem¡¯s face. As I trembled my jelly in bewilderment, Han Seori, who seemed to be flustered, patted my back with her crutches tucked under her armpits. When my trembling jelly touched Han Seori¡¯s hand, it shrank and hardened as if shrinking. As if she had never spoken in a cold voice, Han Seori whispered to me in a gentle voice. ¡°It¡¯s okay now¡­.¡± That¡¯s not what I mean¡­. ¡­Ah, whatever. I ate horned wolves, too, so what are they going to say about me eating some wooden thing? Thus, embraced in the arms of the authority figure. I returned to the ce from which I had emerged. In the middle of the clear traces of the guardian totem¡¯s rampage, unlike a little earlier, the corridor was full of people. It was questionable where they had popped out from to that extent. ¡­Their gazes differed only by a degree from those who had shattered the guardian totem, and didn¡¯t feel particrly different. For no reason, I held Han Seori tighter and swayed. I suddenly remembered that I had left Daesik behind. ¡­Will he be okay? I don¡¯t know. But considering the sights I had seen so far¡­ it didn¡¯t seem very likely. Thinking that he might have disappeared, I felt regretful for always giving him garbage. Is this why they say to treat others well while they¡¯re around? There was no mistake in the old saying that you only realize the preciousness after losing it. Daesik¡­ you must miss me. Somehow, I felt solemn. Han Seori felt pity as she looked at the slime girl trembling in her arms. How scared must she have been toe into her arms so meekly like this? Not only did they say they had to shoot in that situation, but they also acted threateningly, wielding axes as if to intimidate her. She sighed inwardly. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t understand their position. ¡®They must have gone mad after losing their colleagues.¡¯ Still, shouldn¡¯t they separate public and private matters? It was thanks to the slime girl that the damage didn¡¯t increase further. ¡®Well, there are still more people who don¡¯t know.¡¯ ¡­It will probably get a bit better once people get to know her. Han Seori, who had moved her steps with the slime girl, arrived at the istion room where the slime girl had originally been isted. ¡°Oh my¡­ this ce is broken too.¡± Han Seori frowned. There were mountains of things to do after isting the slime girl. ¡®I wonder if there¡¯s a vacant ce right now.¡¯ It seemed like there would be no space for the time being due to the rampage of the guardian totem. But isting her with just any anomaly didn¡¯t seem right, as Han Seori knew there would be people who would object to that. So she shook her head, dismissing the idea. ¡®Should I just¡­ keep carrying her around like this?¡¯ As Han Seori was wondering while holding the slime girl, she suddenly noticed that the slime girl¡¯s condition was strange. Wondering why, Han Seori tilted her head and realized that the small slime blob that always apanied the slime girl was nowhere to be seen. Inside the broken istion room, only the toys that had been put in for the slime girl were scattered here and there. ¡®¡­Is she sad about losing a friend?¡¯ You¡¯re no different from people. Feelingpassion, Han Seori patted the slime girl and noticed the blonde doll that the slime girl always carried with her. It¡¯s fortunate that at least that remains. Sighing in relief, Han Seori approached the doll to give it to the slime girl. At that moment. *Rustle*. At the sudden sound, Han Seori stopped in her tracks. It seemed like something was left inside the istion room. If it was a hostile anomaly, it could be dangerous, so Han Seori tensed her body and examined the inside of the istion room. Eventually. She saw the blonde doll slowly pushing itself up from the floor, its small body rising to a standing position. Chapter 33: Suspicions Chapter 33: Suspicions ¡°¡­Why is she here?¡± ¡°There wasn¡¯t anywhere else to quarantine her.¡± Looking at Han Seori¡¯s brazen face, Yoo Kangjik felt a stiffness in the back of his neck and rubbed it. In his line of sight was 7496-KR inside the ss container. The slime girl flopped down on the bottom of the ss container, hugging a cute blonde doll while looking at him. In the time it took for Han Seori to go to the scene and bring back that blob of slime, he had checked the surveince cameras to verify her ims and looked at the slime girl with veryplex feelings. As she said, that slime girl clearly seemed to have moved to save Han Seori. Rolling out of the ss container, looking at Han Seori, spitting out mucus to get the guardian totem¡¯s attention and lure it away from Han Seori. ¡®Was the waving of her hands also to lure it?¡¯ Far from luring, it just looked cute¨C No, that¡¯s not it. Recalling the image of the slime girl absently waving her hand, Yoo Kangjik¡¯s lips twitched before he shook his head. Seeing that, Han Seori spoke in a puzzled voice, as if wondering what was wrong with him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± Are you tired? Shrugging her shoulders, Han Seori sat down without a word. As Han Seori sat down with her crutches, Yoo Kangjik, who had been looking at the ss container with the slime girl, also took a seat. Soon, the small number of people there began a meeting for post-incident procedures. The first item on the agenda was rted to damage restoration. As procedures were already underway to quarantine the ¡®guardian totem¡¯, the damage to the facility was not too severe. However, as it had begun moving before being fully sealed¡­ some damage was unavoidable. The fortunate thing was that dangerous entities had been prioritized for relocation, so a terrible disaster of them getting loose was avoided. For example, if the anomaly called the ¡®Woman in the Frame¡¯ had gotten free, the hallways would likely now be littered with bodies missing their lower halves. And if corpses piled up like that, the ¡®Corpse Flower¡¯ would bloom¨C At the mention that the damage was less than expected, Han Seori smiled contentedly while looking at the ss container. She was in a good mood since the slime girl¡¯s actions supported her argument about her being useful. As they were discussing the damage situation and restoration, Han Seori tilted her head while looking at the status board disyed on the huge screen. ¡°There are a lot more missing anomalies than I thought?¡± It was a number that would have been overlooked if not scrutinized carefully, but it could not escape Han Seori¡¯s eyes. The man under her gaze scratched his cheek awkwardly and answered in a low voice. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they have gone missing from being attacked? Looking at them one by one, I saw that they were all anomalies quarantined in the affected areas.¡± Han Seori shook her head. To say they disappeared from being attacked and crushed by the guardian totem, the number was higher than expected. It almost felt as if they hadn¡¯t vanished from the attack¡­ but rather that someone had intervened. ¡°There are too many for that.¡± As she said that, the faces of those attending the meeting, including Yoo Kangjik, stiffened. ¡°Are you suggesting outside interference, Deputy Director?¡± ¡°Well. It can¡¯t be confirmed yet¡­ but looking at the circumstances, the fact that something intervened midway seems undeniable.¡± ¡°¡­Who would have done that while we were supplementing new recruits?¡± ¡°Who knows¡­.¡± As Han Seori muttered that, one organization came to her mind. It was likely the same one the others in this conversation were thinking of. ¡®¡­Twilight¡¯s Call.¡¯ That was the name of the group in the minds of Han Seori and those seated in the meeting room. A group of people presumed to have belonged to branches andbs all around the world. While not much was known, they were said to have the radical aim of not suppressing anomalies for the sake of humanity¡¯s twilight so the dawn of anomalies would not be obstructed. As could be guessed from their somewhat abstract goal, they seemed to have as their objective the liberation of all anomalies, iming anomalies should not be recklessly suppressed for the sake of humanity, for human survival. ¡­To call it ¡®liberation¡¯ made it seem almost identical to causing humanity¡¯s extinction. In a sense, they could be considered simr to doomsday cultists that ran rampant at the turn of the century, but Looking at documents that were inessible without proper clearance, it was clear they were not of sound mind. It was perhaps not entirely unrted to Twilight¡¯s Call that Yoo Kangjik was looking at Han Seori with doubtful eyes. Anyhow. As the people in the meeting room thought of ¡®Twilight¡¯s Call¡¯, Han Seori thought of someone a little different. ¡®¡­The Director.¡¯ Always being absent despite unsavoury rumours lent credibility to suspicions about him. Was he a coborator with Twilight¡¯s Call? Or, ¡­did he deliberately cause an incident for his personal desires? Whichever it was, Han Seori felt she could no longer stand by. Until now, things had never blown up to this extent, and she hadn¡¯t paid much attention to it as she was absorbed in research, but Han Seori looked at the slime girl nkly, hugging the doll inside the ss container. Then, she felt a scratchy sensation as if a fishbone was caught in her throat. Forcibly swallowing that down, Han Seori pped her hands to draw the murmuring gazes to herself. ¡°As it¡¯s not confirmed to be their doing yet¡­ let¡¯s not act rashly. We can¡¯t do anything about Twilight¡¯s Call right now anyway.¡± If they could, it would¡¯ve been quashed long ago. ¡°So, for now, let¡¯s focus on facility restoration and internal discipline.¡± As Han Seori summed up, no one spoke further about ¡®Twilight¡¯s Call¡¯. With the meeting over, Han Seori took her crutches and pulled the cart with the ss container with one hand out of the meeting room. Not long after she arrived at her personal space, ¡°Doctor Han.¡± ¡°Hm? Ah, Committee Member Yoo.¡± She turned her head at the voice calling her from behind. There stood Yoo Kangjik with an awkward expression, looking like he had something to say. Seeing his face that seemed to have business with her, Han Seori smiled and muttered, ¡°If you were going to do this, it would¡¯ve been nice if you moved it for me from the meeting room.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not that idle of a person.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Curtly replying, Han Seori touched the employee ID around her neck to the panel. As the locked door opened, Yoo Kangjik grabbed the handle of the cart containing the slime girl. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll move it for you.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­ how kind of you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for sarcasm, is there?¡± Han Seori went inside with a smirk, and Yoo Kangjik followed behind her with the slime girl. I heard some serious-sounding voices¡­ but I couldn¡¯t make it out well. Perhaps because I was in a ss container, I could sense the nuances conveyed in their voices but couldn¡¯t understand the specifics. The only thing I caught was¡­ the name of some group called ¡®Twilight¡¯s Something¡¯. It sounded like a name an angsty middle school student woulde up with, so it felt weird to hear it in such a serious atmosphere. I felt very stuffy, and I tried to open the lid, but it seemed out of reach even if I stretched my hand. ¡­I could probably open it if I moved my body intensely, but that didn¡¯t seem like a good idea. I waited for a chance while pretending to look around, but the balding department head kept ncing at me. Acting strangely while being tantly monitored didn¡¯t seem advisable. Anyway. After the ruckus of the guardian totem¡¯s attack ended, boring daily life resumed. Sleeping in the same space as Han Seori was a bit exciting, but¡­ well¡­ thatsted only a day. The next day, I was moved back to the pristine white room, and Han Seori seemed busy, only asionally putting in snacks like before. There were no experiments or anything. Being at the centre of power, she was probably busy. Indeed, it would be stranger not to be busy after such a major incident. ¡­Though the higher-ups in my mental image didn¡¯t seem very busy, Han Seori was different, wasn¡¯t she? In the midst of that, a curious thing happened. Usually, the only one who entered my white room was Han Seori, but while I was nkly lying down and staring at the ceiling, a group of people suddenly barged in. Startled, I took Alice (now containing Daesik) and went to the corner. They looked at me with somewhat awkward faces, put down arge tray, and said, ¡°Um, we don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll understand¡­ but we heard the damage was minimal thanks to you.¡± After that, they confessed things like threatening me with axes and chainsaws and apologizing, then left my room with relieved expressions. Listening to that in silence, I felt dazed and headed to the tray they had put down. And there¡­ was chicken. What was this? So they put in a special meal as thanks? Huh. The magnificent and savoury aroma I hadn¡¯t noticed until then, due to tension, entered my body and induced shivers. Alice (aka Daesik), who toddled over from the corner, saw the chicken and tried to leave Alice to go for it. He always popped out when it was time to eat. ¡­At first, I thought Daesik was dead. But, when I went to where I originally was, Alice suddenly started moving on its own. I was also startled and trembled with jelly, but Han Seori calmly observed Alice and muttered, ¡°¡­There seems to be something else inside this.¡± While I felt puzzled, Han Seori put me down, took Alice, and shook it. *squelch* Daesik, who had been inside Alice, popped out. ¡°Oh. So that¡¯s how it survived.¡± Along with Han Seori¡¯s intrigued-sounding voice, Daesik, who fell to the floor, shivered and approached my feet to rub against me. I was also inwardly d he was alive, so I responded by tapping his body. Then Han Seori smiled contentedly and ced Alice in my hand. ¡­But I didn¡¯t particrly miss this. The funny thing was, as soon as Alice was in my hand, Daesik rarely clung to me persistently. When I put Alice down in puzzlement, Daesik crawled back inside it. It was a wonder how he got in. He must have liked it because he toddled over in doll form and clung to me. ¡°Oh my¡­.¡± Since then, Daesik has stayed inside Alice. Him creeping out when eating something is a bit¡­ nauseating. ¡­Could he be plotting to eat more by upsetting my stomach? But fat chance. My sewage-tempered stomach has long passed the stage of being upset by that. Putting the slightly hot chicken in my belly, I feel a smile blooming in my jelly without realizing it. The crispy texture was there, and I missed having a beer, but the chicken was chicken. After eating the meat, I put the meaty bones into Daesik. The sight of meaty bone fragments floating around in his body was a bit¡­ unsightly. Anyway. After slurping up even the oil on my jelly hands, I flopped down again. With no new toys restocked, there was nothing to do. Come to think of it, when I ate the horned wolf, I got an ahog¡­ I mean, knowledge pouch¡­ I wonder if anything changed after eating that terrifying thing? I got up from my chicken-induced lethargic sprawl. It was to see if there were any changes. Chapter 34: I Trusted You!!! Chapter 34: I Trusted You!!! ¡°Ah¡­ I want to rest.¡± Han Seori muttered nkly and stretched. Even though the damage was less than expected, cleaning up afterwards was not an easy task, so she felt tired in many ways. ¡­Especially since the director contacted her with a very regretful face and probed for information, she felt twice as tired. ¡®The rumours swirling around the director are really bad. His reputation is in tatters.¡¯ She wanted to quickly catch him red-handed and send him somewhere else forever, but there were no usible leads. There was no trace of whether the person who had shown suspicious behaviour died in themotion or escaped. ¡®It seems that Committee Member Yoo Kangjik also thinks it¡¯s suspicious¡­¡¯ But that didn¡¯t make him any different from Han Seori. Rather, Yoo Kangjik, who had not been dispatched here for long, would inevitably know less than Han Seori. So¡­ the possibility of him asking something seemed extremely low. But she was worried that something might really go wrong if left like this. It was unknown whether the director was involved in this incident, and even if the director was not involved¡­ it was just as serious. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lost in thought, Han Seori manipted the panel and turned on the video of the istion room where the slime girl was quarantined. Since her worries were only increasing, she wanted to do some healing. Soon, the image of the slime girl began to appear on the quiterge monitor. It was very cute how she shook the slime that grew like an antenna on top of her head this way and that, as if she had something on her mind. ¡®Come to think of it.¡¯ The wreckage of 5077-KR ¡­was quitecking. Muttering like that, Han Seori looked at the slime girl sitting in the middle of the istion room, wobbling her slime as if she didn¡¯t know anything. ¡®¡­Did 7496-KR eat it?¡¯ Recalling how the slime girl swallowed the horned wolf and her antenna grew, Han Seori erged the screen and filled it with the slime girl. Watching the glistening slime girl with a smile on her lips, she shook her head and checked to see if there were any changes in the slime girl. ¡®There doesn¡¯t seem to be any external change.¡¯ If there was a change¡­ there was. The fact that the round, slimy external entity now lives inside the doll. ¡®It seems toe out when eating, though.¡¯ It appeared to be because the doll became a safe haven in a crisis situation. If that¡¯s the case, even that small slime¡­ didn¡¯t seem to be something the slime girl made just to use as a trash can. To put it another way¡­ could it be said she created a family member? ¡®Then is 7496-KR the mother?¡¯ Han Seori, who had thought that far, cancelled her words with a creepy feeling down her spine. It felt somewhat dangerous. ¡®What mother¡­ they¡¯ll be more like siblings or sisters, right?¡¯ Anyway. Since there didn¡¯t seem to be much change, Han Seori reduced the screen size again and looked around the slime girl. Then, she saw a cleanly empty tray. Wondering what that was, Han Seori recalled the group that hade earlier to get permission to enter. It made herugh to see them flocking to distribute meals instead of her. It seemed that spreading the news of the slime girl¡¯s exploits¡­ had quite an effect. Until recently, she was seen as a threatening anomaly, but now her image has changed to a somewhat friendly anomaly. ¡­In other words, she has be an easier target once again. And now the internal atmosphere is very chaotic. Since new personnel need to be recruited, there is a high possibility that they will not be suspicious even if strangerse and go. Then¡­ won¡¯t they try to target the appetizing-looking slime girl again? Normally, it would be out of the question to sneak out the slime girl who became a special management target, but now, it would be much easier to sneak her out than at any other time. ¡®I don¡¯t know if the director is rted to Twilight¡¯s Call.¡¯ Whether it was the director or Twilight¡¯s Call, there was a good chance they would covet the slime girl. Twilight¡¯s Call would be crazy about an anomaly that is friendly and intelligent to humans, and the director would do it to satisfy his personal greed. Perhaps if she hadn¡¯t helped the slime girl escape, the slime girl might have disappeared. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant thing to say that there was an insider, but it seemed usable. It would be good to catch Twilight¡¯s Call¡¯s insider or to be evidence of the director¡¯s corruption. It seemed like a waste not to do this when she had thought it through this far. But if there¡¯s one thing that bothers her¡­ ¡­Is it the fact that this n doesn¡¯t involve asking for the slime girl¡¯s opinion before proceeding? She pondered what the hell that meant, but considering that she saved her¡­ it was natural to feel ufortable. But. She was also aware that it presented a very good opportunity. Han Seori looked at the monitor with a deeply troubled face. Seeing the slime girl lying down with the moving doll filled her with a sense of cuteness, but she couldn¡¯t help but sigh, wondering if it was really okay to do this. Looking at the squirming slime girl on the monitor. She pondered¡­ and pondered again. Being popr is also¡­ such a tiring thing. Ever since some time ago, when people flocked to give me chicken, other people have also oftene to see me. No, quite a lot, in fact. Although I don¡¯t know their names, there is no reason to refuse since they show favour to me and give me snacks. ¡­Anyway, even if I say I don¡¯t like it, they¡¯lle regardless, so voicing my opinion doesn¡¯t seem to have much meaning. Maybe that¡¯s why various things have piled up in my room? Things were left by those who approached me, tapping my slime with trembling hands and smiling with satisfaction. In other words, it can be said to be a tribute to those who have fallen for my appearance, right? ¡­The word ¡®tribute¡¯ is a bit strange, but no more suitable wordes to mind. ¡®Offering¡¯ has a bit of¡­ an odd nuance. There is also the word ¡®gift¡¯, but for some reason, I prefer ¡®tribute¡¯ more. Anyway. Since I don¡¯t know what changes urred after eating the guardian totem, their visits are quite wee to me. Daesik is also happy to be able to eat the packaging of various things due to the sudden increase in food. I don¡¯t have any doubts that he is really happy. However, it is a bit unfortunate that Han Seori¡¯s visits have be less frequent. I already know she is a busy person of high status, but still. I finally got to live the life of Bill Gates, which I had always wanted. Somehow, being the slime feels bitter. Then. The anomaly urs at a time when people¡¯s footsteps in the corridor be less frequent. I don¡¯t know the exact time, but judging by the fact that people¡¯s visits have stopped, it must be aroundte at night. Bored because no one ising, I am touching the things people left behind. Then, my proud knowledge pouch starts to twitch. Wondering what it is, I blink my slime, but there is no particr change. Then. Suddenly, white smoke spews out from the toy I am touching. ¡­At first, I thought I had touched something wrong. But when I think about it, it doesn¡¯t seem to be a toy that could produce this kind of smoke. It¡¯s not a car, and there¡¯s no chimney or anything like that. In the blink of an eye, my room is filled with smoke. Thinking ¡®whatever¡¯, I throw it into the corner, and Alice (aka Daesik), feeling uneasy, clings to my leg. Holding the guy who has be much more timid after the guardian totem incident in my arms, I wait for the smoke to settle. Then, I hear the sound of the door opening and someone¡¯s footsteps. It seems that someone hase to solve this stupid situation. Since it¡¯s a stupid structure without even venttion, this kind of annoying thing happens. Soon, the silhouette looking around seems to have found me, and it quickly approaches me. As I approach with a happy heart, I see a familiar-looking object in the hand of the figure hidden in the mist. Ah. In a moment. My body is trapped somewhere. It bes simr to when I first came here. ¡­This time, Daesik, who is with me, is also trapped. Wondering what the hell this is all of a sudden, I look at the person who used the object, but I can¡¯t see anything due to the thick smoke. What? Are they going to put me in another room until the smoke disappears? Well¡­ even in my eyes, this thick smoke is unusual. When I look with my expanded vision, I see the smoke that fills my room spreading outside. Still, the smoke continues to spread without any sign of decreasing. By then, I also felt something strange. If they are going to move me to another room and solve this¡­ shouldn¡¯t they get out of here before that smoke spreads outside? But the person holding me doesn¡¯t do that. Rather, they seem to be waiting calmly, as if waiting for the smoke to spread. Shaking my slime with suspicion, I feel Alice being squeezed by the pressure. And. As if they don¡¯t like me moving, my vision suddenly darkens. It¡¯s not because of the fog, but it seems that my container has been put into something. Soon, I felt my slime swaying. The feeling of moving, step by step. Considering all those things together. It seems I¡¯m being kidnapped again. After much consideration, Ie to that conclusion. ¡­What the hell is going on? I don¡¯t know who it is, but¡­ if you take me, s-something big will happen! I e-even slept in the same room and! Received snacks from a person of high status here! I try to escape by jiggling my slime, but it seems difficult due tock of space. If I hadn¡¯t let my guard down, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. ¡­It seems I trusted people too much. *Wobble*, *wobble*. Feeling my slime being shaken. Somehow, I miss Han Seori. Chapter 35: Not Worth Pondering Over Chapter 35: Not Worth Pondering Over The tedious travel seemed to have no end in sight. The journey from the canned food location to our current shelter took much longer than my trip to the canned food location in the first ce. At first, I ambitiously tried to memorize the route by wriggling my jelly, but my determination soon scattered. It was too much information for my small jelly to absorb. I¡¯m not sure if I could have remembered it even in my human body, but now it seems unlikely. After living a life receiving plenty of offerings¡­ no, tributes, my desire to return to how things were has faded quite a bit. Just as I was thinking it might be fine to live like this, getting kidnapped again felt rather odd. Anyway, as I¡¯m swaying my jelly while heading to a different ce, I can¡¯t help but think misfortune is deeply intertwined with my fate. Even when I was human, I preferred poking around for interesting things rather than being cooped up at home. Seeing myself wandering around even after bing like this, while I never seriously believed in things like fortune-telling, there might be something to it. Although I felt good that I was still myself, even in this body. This time, I have a bad feeling about it. I¡¯ve already experienced being kidnapped, and now I¡¯m not alone since Daesik is in my embrace, so the situation seemed better. Come to think of it, my ahoge¡­ no, the knowledge pouch that was twitching earlier now drooped lifelessly. Perhaps this is the reason. I couldn¡¯t find the changes that urred after digesting the guardian totem. Maybe this is the answer? My guess is that it might be the ability to detect threats. It twitched before that suspicious person entered, so it seemed like a reasonable assumption. Saying it like this makes me feel a bit odd as if I¡¯vepletely left my humanity behind, but it¡¯s also kind of fun. They say if you give up, you¡¯ll be at ease. As the thought of returning to being human fades, I find myself enjoying this body. Or maybe it¡¯s just because it¡¯s dark all around, making me think too much. Anyway. Is Daesik okay? Even I struggled to move my jelly, so I can only imagine how tough it must be for the kid buried inside a doll. He seems to have changed a bit after the bad experience he had recently. It¡¯s enough to make me wonder if he¡¯s assimted with the doll¡¯s appearance. Come to think of it, the only thing he¡¯s seen outside is the doll, so it might be natural. If he took after me, he wouldn¡¯t act like that. In the meantime, I could feel the air subtly changing. Until now, we have been outside, but now it seems we¡¯ve entered a building. If you ask me how I can tell the difference, I¡¯ll say it¡¯s because I can. I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s just a feeling. How do you exin that? It¡¯s like asking how you make your heart beat. Anyway. I heard muttering voices from quite close by. I couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying, but it seemed the culprit wasn¡¯t alone. Then. The cloth lifted slightly, and a pair of eyes appeared in the darkness. And seeing that, my jelly trembled. Eyes filled with greed that I¡¯ve never seen before in my life. It was an unpleasant feeling. I was taken aback to receive such a greedy gaze. It sent shivers down my spine to have those eyes, brimming with avarice, directed at me. To not even see me as a fellow human being¡ª Ah, I¡¯m not human right now. But still, isn¡¯t this a bit much? I¡¯d prefer eyes that saw me as something beneath them. Those eyes, which seemed somewhat familiar, disappeared as quickly as they came, seemingly satisfied with my appearance. I could feel my tensed jelly rx. It might be odd,ing from a former human. But humans really do seem to be the scariest. As the cloth closed, I heard muttering again, and my jelly began to slosh as we started moving once more. Even though my jelly had rxed, if I had a heart, it would probably be pounding wildly. Meaning I still hadn¡¯t fully calmed down. As I was curled up like that, suddenly, it felt like the sky flipped upside down, and my body spilled out. *Thud!* I heard a sound, followed by a woman¡¯s voice. ¡°Huh? Where did this dolle from?¡± But the voice didn¡¯t continue. The woman, as if checking if I was alright, quickly put me into a strange contraption. I, who had been huddled up, was immediately sucked in. But Daesik inside the doll was left outside. Having suddenly be separated, I felt a bit anxious about the doll that was in my embrace disappearing. For better or worse, the woman, who had been looking back and forth between the doll and me, smiled somewhat contentedly, ced the doll on top of my head, or rather, on top of whatever was confining me, and leisurely left. Since Daesik didn¡¯t move, she must have thought it was just a hobby of mine or something. It¡¯s a bit embarrassing to think that way. But it wasn¡¯t just embarrassing, so I was relieved. One thing is that Daesik is outside. And the other is that the woman didn¡¯t seem to be aware of Daesik¡¯s existence inside Alice. So, first of all, whatever was covering the box I was trapped in must have disappeared. I decided to take a look around. It¡¯s hard to say I did it calmly when my jelly was trembling, but I tried my best. Alice¡¯s hem visible above my line of sight was a bit of a hindrance, but it wasn¡¯t a big problem. And so, what I saw was¡­ How should I put it? It was simr to where I originally was, but the facilities seemed somewhat shabby. It was quite different from the space, which was so clean that it felt obsessive. It¡¯s like the difference between a luxury hotel and a motel in a back alley. Basic cleaning was done, but that was it. At this rate, the room I lived in when I was human would be better. It also seemed a bit gloomy. I thought to myself, these guys really aren¡¯t the proper sort. Putting that aside. So¡­ what now. Seeing as they brought me to such a shabby ce, it seemed to be a different group from the one that first took me, Han Seori¡¯s group. The fact that they didn¡¯t know about Daesik inside Alice made it more likely. If life here wasn¡¯t bad¡­ I might not have thought about going back. But¡­. Considering the facilities and the greedy gaze that looked at me earlier. I think it¡¯s better to get out of here. I looked around again. Then I felt a bit puzzled. If it were me, I would have installed cameras to monitor something like myself, but I couldn¡¯t see anything like that. Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯mining. It was a good thing for me. Unlike where I originally stayed, there were many holes to escape through here. Having made up my mind, I tapped Daesik¡¯s bottom, which was sitting dazedly above my line of sight. To be precise, I tapped the lid of whatever was holding me. After a few taps, Daesik came down to the floor and pointed his eye sockets at me. As if he was looking at me. Would it be an exaggeration to say I felt some strange emotion from those eye sockets? Anyway. As I looked at him with eyes, saying to take me out, the kid just stared at me nkly. For a while¡­ quite a while. Then, as if he finally understood, he leisurely came over and tipped over whatever I was in. It didn¡¯t openpletely, but there was a gap for me to get out, so I oozed out like a real slime. And¡­ after only my upper body had escaped. Holding back tears¡­ no, jelly. I closed the lid with my hand, severing my lower body. It couldn¡¯t be helped. Not knowing when someone mighte in to check, I had to leave something simr inside, right? As I got out, my line of sight lowered slightly. I was suddenly scared that I might have cut off too much, but it seemed necessary to avoid being caught. Aftering out, I straightened the strange box and carefully locked it. Then I gestured to Daesik, who was standing there nkly. Um¡­ when I waved my hand roughly telling him toe out of there quickly, somehow he understood and came out of Alice with his jelly drooping. I tried to put Daesik on top of my head, but I felt the knowledge pouch twitching. If I had to specify the direction, it was pointing to my side¡­ to the wall. It was somewhat strange that it was pointing to the wall, not the entrance where peoplee and go. Why the heck was it moving? I couldn¡¯t figure it out, so for now, I put Daesik on my head and lifted Alice¡­ And ced her on top of whatever was confining me. Just like how that woman had put her down earlier. That meant. Alice could no longer be with us. It couldn¡¯t be helped. It would be too strange if a doll that was there suddenly disappeared. Then, there would be no reason for me to leave a piece of my body behind. Daesik, on top of my head, must have sensed the farewell, as he kept wriggling, so I tried my best tofort him. We can always buy another doll¡­ I also felt a bit strange leaving her behind when the time actually came. Anyway. Not knowing how much time we had, it seemed we needed to move quickly. Daesik and I, leaving Alice behind, headed towards the venttion duct I had seen from the inside. At first, I wondered if we could climb up, but making my body sticky made it easier than eating cake. It was like bing the hero in a red skintight suit. As we sneakily entered the venttion duct, dust got into my body. The environment really wasn¡¯t that good. I want to go back quickly. As Daesik and I were about to head towards the exit. The knowledge pouch on my head kept twitching. This time¡­ it was pointing diagonally downward, not to the side. In other words, I am assuming there are simr rooms lined up where I am. I thought there might be something in the room next door. I wondered what that had to do with me, but the knowledge pouch¡¯s constant reaction bothered me. I curled up my jelly for a moment, lost in thought. Chapter 36: Curiosity Killed the Cat Chapter 36: Curiosity Killed the Cat *Glub, glub.* I stared at what was in my sight as my jelly bubbled. Curiosity piqued, I tilted my head without realizing it, transfixed by the scene before me. What could that be? What came into view was a beautifully sculpted statue. Statue¡­ I wasn¡¯t sure if I could call it that. I had no idea what the material of that smooth thing was. It sparkled too much to be stone, and the texture was too much like a rock to be metal. Putting aside what the material was, I was just wondering why such a thing was in a ce like this. I had seen photos of statues sculpted by Michngelo, but even those seemed to pale inparison to the beauty of this statue. ¡­Of course, those statues had value beyond mere beauty, so it was difficult to say which was superior. Anyway. It was a statue beautiful enough to make you stare nkly, even in a situation like this. Most striking were the wings extending from the smooth shoulder des, so borate they seemed lush even for a statue. I wondered if it was meant to represent an angel, but it gave the feeling that it would really p its wings and fly away. Staring at it nkly, I somehow felt proud. As if I, too, was as amazing as¡­ something. ¡­Mm, I must have gone crazy for sure. *Ahem*. I bubbled my jelly toe to my senses, then focused my gaze again on the knowledge pouch on my head. The blunt end of the knowledge pouch was pointing directly at that beautiful statue. ? Why was it doing that? I tried wriggling it just in case, but the knowledge pouch remained fixed on the statue, unmoving. I got a bit annoyed and tried grabbing it with my hand to turn it, but it swung back with a *whoosh*! It was quite troubling since I couldn¡¯t take that with me. But I felt regretful about just passing by since it bothered me. In other words¡­ the cursed curiosity that turned me into the slime was welling up. I thought I would remember this moment for the rest of my life, so I decided to approach the statue for a little while. I thought the knowledge pouch might be satisfied with just a brief touch. But unlike my room, I could see what was presumed to be surveince cameras here. No matter how curious I was, I wasn¡¯t a fool who couldn¡¯t tell what was dangerous. If I had been told I might end up with this body, I would have been careful there, too. I felt sorry for the knowledge pouch, but I was thinking of giving up when it urred to me. If I spit out the mucus¡­ couldn¡¯t I cover it? I thought I could spit out the mucus like a unit from a slightly old game. Of course, that unit shoots its spine instead of saliva, but what can I do if I only have mucus? Anyway. The n was to buy time by spitting out the mucus, take a look, and then run away without looking back. I thought it wouldn¡¯t make much difference to see it up close, but it was still better than just passing by. They say curiosity killed the cat, but I¡¯m slime, so I should be fine. I chewed my jelly, imagining spitting out a watermelon seed as I finished preparing. It was time to use the mouth that seemed to exist only for formality. Get ready. *St*! It was good that I seeded on the first try. The jelly shot out with a *splut*! Just like the unit in the game did, as I had imagined. But. ¡­I didn¡¯t ask for the power to be simr, too. I had roughly imagined it sticking to the lens and falling off little by little, but the camera that got hit by my jelly swung around with a *clunk*! The jelly was stuck all over it, giving a very¡­ strange feeling. *Sigh*, when did things I do ever go ording to n? If they did, I wouldn¡¯t be here. Now that it¡¯se to this, it would be better to check quickly ande back up. Daesik didn¡¯t seem to have much interest, so I quickly went down and approached the statue. It was even more beautiful up close. It felt so lifelike as if it would really move. A statue that a collector would want to buy even for a fortune. But I didn¡¯t forget my situation, so I quickly checked the knowledge pouch. It was still just pointing its blunt end at the statue. It showed no particr reaction. ¡­What did it want me to do? Enough. I think I¡¯ve done enough for the knowledge pouch¡­ for my curiosity. I still got chills thinking about those greedy eyes. So I stuck to the wall again and went into the vent. As I did, I noticed some strange lines on the statue, but I really had no time now, so I moved through the vent with Daesik. Crawling through the dark vent, thoughts about the statue soon stoppeding to mind. A man and a woman can be seen sitting in a dark room. The man had his eyes closed and was rubbing his temples as if tired, while the woman was staring at the monitor with slightly dry, reddened eyes. On the monitor was a very beautiful statue that seemed to represent an angel. The woman, who had been staring intently at the statue, tapped around her eyes with a wet tissue and spoke. Her gaze remained fixed on the monitor. ¡°Isn¡¯t it about time to switch shifts¡­?¡± The man replied in a low voice to her whiny voice. ¡°The rm hasn¡¯t gone off yet.¡± ¡°Ah, what¡¯s a few minutes? Can¡¯t you switch a bit early? Don¡¯t you know consideration? Consideration?¡± ¡°What are you talking about in this era of gender equality?¡± ¡°*Sigh*¡­¡± The woman let out a deep sigh. Why did that kind of thing have toe in during her shift of all times? Why today of all the many, many days? She was already worried about her skin, dry and cracked from fatigue, so she grumbled with a dissatisfied face. ¡°When will that thing even be sold?¡± ¡°How would I know if you don¡¯t know? But who would even buy that? To maintain it like that, you have to work people to the bone like this.¡± The womanughed with a *pfft* at the man¡¯s mumbling. ¡°Would the kind of people who buy things like that care about that? And it¡¯s not like it moves unconditionally just because you¡¯re not looking.¡± ¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s true too. Who cares about whom anyway.¡± If even a fraction of the selling price dropped, they wouldn¡¯t be thinking like this. As the man grumbled inwardly, an rm sounded from the smartphone in his pocket. ¡°Switch quickly.¡± ¡°Got it. Stop nagging.¡± The man, who had his eyes closed, blinked to adjust them. He still felt stiff, but there was still quite some time left until the full shift change, so he could only sigh. The man, who was about to slowly switch roles with the woman©¤ ¡°Huh?¡± He felt uneasy at the woman¡¯s sudden sharp voice. The man quickly looked at the monitor and realized that the screen that should have been showing the statue was strange. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why does it look like this?¡± ¡°I, I don¡¯t know, it suddenly became like that?¡± ¡°Ah, damn¡­¡± The screen that should have shown the statue was full of noise as if it had been damaged by something. The screen had turned blue, so it seemed to be seriously broken. ¡°This is driving me crazy, really. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°*Sigh*¡­¡± The man had a bad feeling about it, but he had to go check, so he urged his colleague. The two people who left the room walked down the dimly lit corridor. ¡°I always think this, but¡­ It feels like an ident will happen someday.¡± ¡°But what¡¯s the use of someone like me at the bottom saying anything? There¡¯s nothing to do but keep your mouth shut and get the money thates in steadily.¡± The man, frowning his eyes,ughed at the words of the woman beside him. ¡°But it¡¯s a bit better now that we¡¯re out.¡± ¡°¡­You must be happy being so carefree.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± How did she end up working here? Unlike himself, who couldn¡¯t get a normal job, the man thought the woman wasn¡¯t someone who should have drifted to a ce like this, so he felt somewhat bitter. Well, for me¡­ it¡¯s good, but. While he was thinking this and that, the two arrived right in front of the room they had been monitoring on the screen just before. In front of the door, the two swallowed nervously with a *gulp*. The man worriedly said to the woman. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to blink, say so before blinking.¡± ¡°You do the same.¡± ¡°*Chuckle*¡­ Okay.¡± She doesn¡¯t even know he¡¯s worrying for her. The man grabbed the doorknob and, before opening it, blinked several times as if to blink in advance, making his eyes moist. Then©¤ He carefully unlocked it and slowly opened the door. *Creeeak*¡­ A creaking sound was heard as if it hadn¡¯t been oiled in time. As the door opened wide. A very beautiful statue stood before the man¡¯s eyes. One might be expected to admire its appearance, which seemed to purify the eyes, but the man instead felt terror and broke out in a cold sweat down his back. ¡­Perhaps it was only natural. The statue, which should have originally been in the centre, hade all the way to the front of the door. ¡®If I knew it would be this nerve-wracking. I should have called someone else.¡¯ The man, who hadn¡¯t wanted to take away time with the woman for no reason, regretted it a little, but he collected himself, cleared his throat with an *ahem*, and spoke. ¡°¡­Hey.¡± He called out to the woman who should have been behind him like that, but. ¡°J-Jeonghee?¡± For some reason, the woman didn¡¯t answer. The man, whose back had gone cold, put his hand on the lock to close the door and moved slowly with bloodshot eyes wide open. At that moment. *Flicker*. The light flickered. The man, who had his eyes wide open, realized in that split second that the statue hade a little closer. The statue was blocking the door with its body to prevent it from closing. ¡®Damn, how can people do this?¡¯ Stay calm. The man slowly backed away, staring at the statue. The beautiful statue was looking at the man with a benevolent face. Feeling chills down his spine, he slowly¡­ slowly backed away without taking his eyes off the statue. The man, who had put some distance between them, fumbled at his waist while continuing to stare at the statue. Because the woman who had been with him had disappeared, and the Anomaly that had been confined was walking out the door. He thought he had to report it. The man, fumbling at his waist with a sweaty hand, grabbed the walkie-talkie with trembling fingers and turned it on. ¡°T-This is©¤¡± *Flicker*. The light flickers again. ¡°H-Hic!?¡± In that short moment. The statue was approaching the man. A speed that couldn¡¯t be understood bymon sense. A noise-filled voice came to the ears of the man breathing roughly. "What? Why are you not saying anything after calling?" ¡­Right. If I can just hold on a little longer. The man slowly backed away and stared at the statue with bloodshot eyes. Then he spoke into the walkie-talkie. ¡°T-The¡­ thing we had confined hase out. I-I request backup.¡± "Ah, damn, you can''t even do that one simple thing properly and what... I''ll be right there, so hold on." ¡­This sucks. But it¡¯s fortunate that they¡¯reing soon. If the light just doesn¡¯t go out until I get a bit further away©¤ *Pop*. With the sound of something small bursting. ¡°Huh?¡± Pitch-ck darkness fell. *Squelch*. *Crunch, snap, st*! *Crack*! The sound of something being crushed could be heard in the darkness. Chapter 37: Don’t Mess With the Slime When It’s Eating Chapter 37: Don¡¯t Mess With the Slime When It¡¯s Eating ¡°You don¡¯t need to go in person, do you?¡± ¡°¡­I suggested it, so I can¡¯t just back out now. And¡­ if the target is there, my presence will be helpful.¡± It doesn¡¯t seem like that¡¯s the only reason you¡¯re doing this¡­. Kim Cheonsu, who had those words at the tip of his tongue, sighed deeply to himself. As he looked at Han Seori wearing shy equipment, he rubbed his neck as if troubled. He tried to recall the root cause that led Han Seori toe all this way. ¡®It must be because of 7496-KR¡­¡¯ That damn snot from before. What was it called now? Something Slime. No matter how he thought about it, ¡°damn snot¡± seemed to fit better, and the slime girl¡¯s new name felt hazy to Kim Cheonsu. ¡­Considering what happened, ¡°damn snot¡± did seem more appropriate. ¡®I¡¯ve been thinking that since back then.¡¯ Han Seori¡¯s interest in 7496-KR seemed excessive, to the point of being concerning. Even now, the way she spoke of the ¡°target¡± was troubling¡­ ¡°I hope it¡¯ll be okay¡­¡± No matter how you looked at it, she was clearly worried about 7496-KR, the slime girl. It seemed she wanted to handle any unexpected situations herself. Kim Cheonsu wasn¡¯t in a position to just tell her no, so he couldn¡¯t say much more. Sensing his unease, Han Seori scratched her cheek with a slightly sheepish look and spoke in a low voice. ¡°I really don¡¯t n on going in myself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief then.¡± Their conversation ended with those quiet words. In the silence, the convoy of vehicles they were in continued toward the designated coordinates. Inside the endlessly moving vehicle, Han Seori felt she understood why the ¡®target¡¯ director was absent from his post so often. If he¡¯s in such a remote ce, of course, he¡¯d have to be absent¡­ Han Seori shook her head, recalling what the director had told her when she was first assigned to the currentb. Back then, she thought the director trusted and relied on her. At that time¡­ ¡®¡­I was naive.¡¯ Well, she was still young now. Thinking that, Han Seori felt a bitter taste. To put it coldly, she had been so absorbed in research that she had aided the director¡¯s corruption¡­ It was almost like cleaning up her own mess. The slime girl wasn¡¯t the only reason she was taking direct action. A sense of responsibility also yed a part. Anyhow. She had seized an opportunity to make amends and things had been going ording to n so far, but¡­ Han Seori felt something was a bit off. Even in her opinion, the current situation at theb was¡­ optimal for causing trouble. However. ¡®If I¡¯m having this suspicion¡­¡¯ ¡®Doesn¡¯t it mean the other side could be thinking the same?¡¯ Yet things were progressing too ideally. Since she had been waiting for an insider to cause trouble, attaching a tracker was easy. Just in case, she had put a transmitter on the doll the slime girl cherished, so there was no worry of losing it. The coordinates sent by the tracker matched the transmitter¡¯s location, so they weren¡¯t chasing the wrong ce. Any sensible person would suspect a trap in this situation. Of course, you could end up chasing shadows with a nonexistent threat, but something definitely felt amiss. ¡­But she also couldn¡¯t ruin an ongoing operation based on unproven suspicions. Han Seori sighed and once again warned those heading to the destination to be careful. Meanwhile. The vehicles that had arrived at the destination began to stop one by one. The area around the destination was. Very. Quiet. I knew something was terribly wrong. The dim lighting through the venttion duct that I was wriggling through disappeared, and after more time passed, the murmuring of people began to be heard. ¡°Sh, shit! Wh, why is the generator broken!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, grab a shlight!¡± It seemed like they were rushing around in the dark, but based on the sounds, things weren¡¯t going well. Up to that point, I wanted to think maybe there was just a power outage, but¡­ *Crunch, crunch¡­ Snap¡­ Squish.* Some strange noises were heard. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± *m! m!* Soon, a male voice cried out, followed by gunshots echoing. But those sounds quickly died down. *Crack, crackle¡­ Slurp, slurp.* Very unpleasant sounds were heard. Sounds of something¡­ chewing on bones. Grotesque sounds. I didn¡¯t know what was being chewed, but¡­ what was being chewed was probably from the people who were alive until a moment ago. Realizing that made me, the slime, feel nauseous. Something more sickening than consuming raw, sewage-smelling meat bubbled up inside me. ¡­At least I was fortunate not to see that sight directly. If I had, I might have really vomited up slime. But my stomach quickly settled. Feeling Daesik wriggling above my head, I realized this wasn¡¯t the time to be doing this. I didn¡¯t know what was happening, but it was clearly a favorable situation for me. You could say¡­ it had be the perfect day to escape. I felt a bit sorry for the nameless people, but if they worked under that greed-eyed bastard¡­ they probably weren¡¯t good people. Having rationalized it, I started wriggling again. People might not have been able to, but my slime eyes (I still don¡¯t know what acts as eyes) quickly adapted to the darkness, making it possible. ¡°Urgh¡­¡± *Crunch, crackle¡­ Snap. Squish! Slurp! Slurp!* Meanwhile, the unpleasant sounds kept being heard. The curiosity I felt earlier when seeing the statue didn¡¯t stir this time. ¡­Because my slime was precious. As I diligently moved my slime, there was one problem. The very minor issue of where exactly I needed to go to get outside. I¡¯ll admit, I had never been in a ce like this before. It was a space narrow enough to be tight if I hadn¡¯t left some of my slime cut off in the room I was in until a bit ago, so it was only natural. In this kind of situation, you¡¯d think I¡¯m going mad bouncing around trying to find the way out. At that moment. *m! m! Ratatat!* Gunshots rang out, and bullets flew into the ce where I was hiding my body. *Pew! Pew!* Holes were made, and some fragments were embedded in my body¡­ ¡­Giving me a rather unpleasant taste. No, well, I should be grateful I didn¡¯t turn into a donut slime¡­ but damn, that was nasty. Meanwhile, the shouts and gunshots that had been heard ceased. Then, without fail, that sickening sound of something being eaten came again. Based on what I heard, it ate a lot, so just how huge was this thing¡­ to eat so much? If I was caught by that¡­ I probably wouldn¡¯t even be a mouthful. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d amount to as much as a jelly stuck in its throat. I¡¯d probably be gulped down in one go¡­ and die. Attempting to move really did seem like the best option, whether I ended up as porridge or rice. If I kept moving, wouldn¡¯t I eventually reach an exit? There was an inner whisper that it would be much easier to find by going down, but would I be an idiot to go down after hearing those sounds? I decided to go my own way¡ª The moment I made that decision. *Crash!* With that sound, I felt the sensation of my body falling downward. Before I could even figure out what happened, my body *St!* crashed into something hard. *Plop¡­* A sound was heard, and some indescribably bizarre taste was felt. Regaining my senses and restoring my vision¡­ A sight that was hard to ept unfolded around me. What was presumed to be a corridor was drenched in red traces. They tantly showed the meaning of the sounds I had been hearing. However, it was¡­ clean to the point the origin of the traces was unrecognizable. Except for the red traces, that is. What the hell¡­ did this? More importantly, what had entered my stomach now? Although it had been in my sight, it was pushed to the back due to the vivid red scenes assaulting my eyes. I focused on the unnoticed something. Then¡­ ¡­I saw that the head of the pretty statue that had piqued my curiosity earlier was inside me. What was slowly melting with a bubbling sound was none other than that statue. Why¡­ is this here? Looking closely in confusion, I saw the statue was covered in red traces, just like the corridor. The head was inside me so it was distinguishable, but I couldn¡¯t see below it well. However¡­ some reddish tentacle-like things were visible here and there. And following them back to their origin¡­ they seemed toe from this statue. ¡­Ah. The realization hit me. My neighboring statue in the next room¡­ ¡­Seemed to be a being simr to me. So¡­ it appeared I had interrupted its meal. I felt cold slime flowing down my back. Laughing awkwardly, I wanted to go back up and apologize for disturbing the meal, but¡­ Based on what I could see with my expanded vision, it seemed difficult for me to go back up there. But something was strange. *Bubble, bubble.* Even though the one who had been eating was clearly slowly melting inside my body¡­ ¡­It showed no movement at all. It was still as if time had stopped. I felt like I had gained the ability to stop time, like in some novel oric. I was unable to move rashly due to the anxiety that this statue would move with me if I did¡­ I sensed someone fleeing with small footsteps nearby. Following that, the sound of busy footsteps was heard in the dark corridor. And¡­ From all directions. A lot of them. There seemed to be nowhere to run. Meanwhile¡­ *Bubble, bubble.* The statue was slowly being digested inside my body. Chapter 38: An Encounter Chapter 38: An Encounter Considering Han Seori¡¯s worries, Kim Cheonsu felt a strange feeling about the situation unfolding before his eyes. ¡®Why is it so quiet?¡¯ It should be quiet since it¡¯s a secretly hidden ce, but even considering that, it was strangely quiet. There should have at least been people guarding this ce, but they were nowhere to be seen, which felt amiss. Perhaps Han Seori¡¯s concerns weren¡¯t just groundless after all, he thought. Fortunately, it seemed he wasn¡¯t the only one who realized this, as the order to enter didn¡¯te. Meanwhile, the group that had left to assess the situation returned, heading towards them. Seeing their pale faces, it was clear that something unexpected had happened. Soon, an order was issued from the leader who had spoken with Han Seori. It was a simple yet somewhat ominous order to attach lights to their helmets and never wander alone. It wasn¡¯t a difficult task, so the group quickly finished preparing and set out in teams to secure the destination. Kim Cheonsu, who stood at the very front, frowned at the smell of blood wafting as soon as he entered the building. It seemed the ¡°trap¡± he had secretly anticipated wasn¡¯t quite right. Perhaps this situation was even more terrible than a trap. Inside the building, where something bad had clearly happened, all that remained was the stench of blood and the weapons lying here and there. That was the only trace of people having been there. While thinking it was fortunate in a way, Kim Cheonsu felt his body tense at the bizarre sight. No matter how much one prepares, achieving perfect preparation is nearly impossible. With the thought that this might be hisst, he searched the building with his colleagues. Examining the traces scattered on the floor, Kim Cheonsu felt a strange unease. He understood that the traces were likely left by the rampaging Anomaly. However, there were odd traces left on the victims¡¯ equipment. They seemed like traces left by humans rather than an Anomaly. Especially on the shlights they were presumed to have been holding, the traces were heavy. No, it seemed almost all the traces were left there. Seeing the traces that looked as if they had been damaged by people, he had a feeling that this wasn¡¯t simply a case of negligent Anomaly management. He reported this, but the order remained the same. Only amand to investigate more carefully was returned. ¡®It¡¯s dangerous.¡¯ His colleagues, with whom he shared the information, also tensed their faces and readjusted their weapons. Then. "Detected signs presumed to be an Anomaly in the basement. Requesting support." Would that even be meaningful? Considering the surrounding circumstances, he thought it might be meaningless, but he had to go. The group exchanged nces and began to descend towards the basement in unison. Numerous lights fixed above their heads illuminated every direction. Arriving at the guided location, they saw the group that had requested support staring somewhere with dazed faces. ¡°What the¡­¡± With Kim Cheonsu¡¯s puzzled mumbling, the group that had been called for support arrived at the scene one after another. Thinking that an appropriate number had gathered, the order to approach was given, and even Kim Cheonsu, who had been feeling puzzled, tensed his body. Soon, a bizarre sight came into his view. Something long and red was stretched out in all directions. Those tentacles had sharp teeth-like protrusions, with shreds of flesh, presumed to be from the victims, hanging limply. Following the source, a statue-like object could be seen, and all those tentacles seemed to originate from the statue. The tentacles protruding from the thin cracks seemed to have swallowed the victims. Looking up, the wings that somehow evoked a sense of reverence were drenched in the red traces of blood. The hands gathered as if in prayer at the center of the chest felt as if they were begging for forgiveness for what they had done. Could such acts be forgiven with a single prayer? The strangest thing was that despite the scattered prey it had eagerly devoured all around. It showed no movement at all. As if it had turned to stone, struck by divine punishment. Finally, in the eyes of those who fully raised their gazes. With a *slurp*¡­ *slurp* sound. 7496-KR, the slime girl, was seen absorbing into her body what was presumed to be the statue¡¯s head. ¡°¡­?¡± At the soft sight that didn¡¯t match the ominous scene, question marks popped up in the minds of those watching. At that moment, perhaps the power facility had been restored as the light returned to the passage that had been buried in darkness. *Slurp*¡­ *slurp*¡­ They thought they had seen wrong, but it was indeed 7496-KR. The slime girl, as if greatly flustered by the current situation, was melting the object inside her belly. Could it be that 7496-KR had devoured it? Despite the gruesome scene and the soft appearance of the girl that didn¡¯t match it, the tension of those surrounding 7496-KR and the presumed Anomaly did not ease. Even amidst the bizarre confrontation, the slime girl diligently melted the statue. At some point, the statue rapidly melted as if losing strength and, with a *crumble* turned into stone fragments. Falling onto the copsed stone fragments, 7496-KR, the slime girl, plopped onto the ground and ced a wriggling glob of slime on top of her head. Then, as if surrendering, she raised her hands high. At this, confusion spread across the faces of those aiming their weapons at her. ¡°It might be a trap.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll snatch us when we let our guard down.¡± Even those who had seen the slime girl¡¯s friendly demeanor didn¡¯t readily show a positive reaction to the scene that had unfolded around the slime girl. As Kim Cheonsu wondered how long this strange confrontation wouldst, he thought about Han Seori, who was still outside the building. If this bizarre standoff with the slime girl continued, she mighte down to investigate herself. ¡®At this rate¡­¡¯ Kim Cheonsu imagined Han Seori saying she woulde down to the basement. He pondered her likely actions for a moment. Then he concluded that she would definitelye down if the confrontation persisted. It seemed inevitable that she would personally intervene. ¡®It¡¯s dangerous.¡¯ Kim Cheonsu knew he couldn¡¯t let that happen. There might still be other threats remaining, and what if they were targeting Han Seori? So. Kim Cheonsu mustered up his courage, recalling the memories of ying(?) with 7496-KR, the slime girl. To prevent Han Seori froming here directly. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll try making contact.¡± ¡°Additional equipment, hm? What did you say?¡± ¡°I said I¡¯ll try making contact. I think¡­ we¡¯ve built a bond of sorts.¡± Though I don¡¯t know what 7496-KR thinks. The man looking at Kim Cheonsu had a face that seemed to say, ¡°What the hell did this kid eat wrong?¡± But when Han Seori heard his voice, she made an ¡°Oh!¡± sound. ¡°¡­Pardon? You¡¯re authorizing it? No¡­ hm.¡± The man, with a troubled look on his face, gave Kim Cheonsu a look asking if he would really be okay. Kim Cheonsu, who confidently nodded at the worry seeping from that face, soon received permission and put down his weapon. Then, taking off his helmet, he slowly approached 7496-KR, the slime girl, and spoke. ¡°You¡­ Damn Sno- no, um¡­ what should I call you¡­ ah, anyway, do you remember me?¡± As Kim Cheonsu slowly approached and spoke, the slime girl¡¯s face turned towards him as if reacting to his voice. Kim Cheonsu gulped at the somewhat indifferent-looking eyes. Is this the¡­ Damn Snot¡­ that I remember? Am I going to meet my end because I pointlessly spoke up? To be honest, he had stepped forward to¡­ earn some points from Han Seori, but now that he was up close, he somewhat regretted it. ¡®Come to think of it, she spat slime at me.¡¯ Will it be okay? ¡°There, it¡¯s okay now. I¡¯ll take you to Dr. Han Seori, so¡­¡± *Twitch*. As Han Seori¡¯s name left Kim Cheonsu¡¯s mouth, the ahoge on top of the slime girl¡¯s head twitched. Kim Cheonsu, thinking it was a positive signal, lowered his posture and spread his arms as if waiting to pick up a child. The slime girl, after twitching her ahoge as if pondering for a moment, acted as if sighing and slowly approached Kim Cheonsu. The moment everyone¡¯s attention was focused. The slime girl clung to Kim Cheonsu. And sprayed a bundle of tentacles from her body. *Whoosh*! *Whoosh*! At that abnormal behavior, gun muzzles were aimed at Kim Cheonsu. Even though Kim Cheonsu knew they weren¡¯t pointed at him, he felt strangely disappointed and opened his mouth. ¡°I¡­ I think I¡¯m fine¡­ You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± He was also startled by what had spurted from the slime girl¡¯s body, but it felt familiar. Rather, this seemed better than the slime. Since he didn¡¯t feel like his body was melting or anything, he thought it was the slime girl¡¯s way of expressing something. But. Is it just my imagination, or does 7496-KR also look a bit flustered? 7496-KR was attached to Kim Cheonsu¡¯s body, but she wasn¡¯t exactly in an embracing posture. If anything, it felt like a backpack worn on the front. The sky-blue tentacles protruding from the slime girl¡¯s body were attached to Kim Cheonsu¡¯s torso, seemingly supporting the slime girl¡¯s body. Seeing this, Kim Cheonsu felt strange. It was like looking at a cat that didn¡¯t want to go into the water. ¡®Is it because she doesn¡¯t want to be held by me¡­?¡¯ Kim Cheonsu, who had tried to hold the slime girl in his arms, felt somewhat disappointed and lowered his hands. To others, it looked like the slime girl was tightly hugging Kim Cheonsu. ¡°¡­Does he have that kind of preference?¡± ¡°N-No, it¡¯s not like that! I¡¯m not touching her!¡± ¡°Hm¡­ well, okay. I¡¯ll assign a few personnel to escort you back to Dr. Han.¡± ¡°No, but¡­¡± If I was really holding her, I wouldn¡¯t even feel wronged. Soon. Kim Cheonsu, receiving lukewarm and dubious gazes from his colleagues. Left the building and returned to where Han Seori was. When 7496-KR spotted Dr. Han Seori, she released the tentacles that had been wrapping Kim Cheonsu, approached Han Seori, and hugged her. This time, she hugged normally without spraying tentacles. Seeing this, Kim Cheonsu somehow felt displeased. Why does she seem to discriminate between people? Nevertheless. ¡°Ah, Agent Kim Cheonsu. Thanks to you, the situation was resolved easily. Thank you.¡± ¡°Haha¡­ it was nothing.¡± He was in a good mood again at Han Seori¡¯s praise. Meanwhile. Han Seori, who had been patting 7496-KR with an apologetic look while holding her in her arms, hardened her face as she heard the report. Chapter 39: Bewildering Results Chapter 39: Bewildering Results
I am pleased to present this bonus chapter, which has been made possible thanks to the wonderful review written by Azriiff. Please enjoy this bonus chapter as a small token of my appreciation for Azriiff¡¯s contribution to my trantion work.
The moment of bing a slime donut riddled with holes was upon me. A familiar face approached as I trembled like jelly. Hearing his voice triggered a hazy memory. Ah, right. It was the guy who had made a fuss and fallen over when I spat out some mucus¡­ But that made me all the happier to see him. Amidst the situation with dark muzzles pointed at me¡­ it was a somewhat friendly voice. I didn¡¯t like how he spoke as if cating a child¡­But gazing at the ominous metal rods aimed my way naturally instilled humility. If I spit mucus again here¡­ I¡¯d be a honeb slime¡­ Still, his words about taking me to Han Seori sounded very positive. I guess being next to the powerful really is sweet. No wonder I went to sleep, ate meals, and did everything with her. So I decided to entrust myself to him¡­ but seeing his awkward smiling face approach was a bit¡­ creepy. If a grown man smiles sheepishly as he approaches, and it doesn¡¯t feel unpleasant, that would be even stranger. I had no hobby of embracing dark-skinned men, so I felt the urge to resist, but the image of me as a honeb slime came to mind, and I decided to give up. But then. Suddenly, something like tentacles shot out from my body and wrapped around him. He admirably didn¡¯t seem startled, but I was very surprised and felt my jelly heart pounding. I worried they might consider this an attack and st both of us away. But he admirably realized I had no intention of attacking and spoke up for me. This was moving, even if he was a man. Feeling touched, I looked at the suddenly protruding tentacles. If you could call them tentacles. Honestly, I think they¡¯re more like an extension of my jelly. I wondered why they suddenly emerged¡­ I realized my body was slightly separated from the man. So¡­ maybe the result of not wanting to embrace him created this, I thought. As for why these tentacles suddenly appeared¡­ well, I¡¯m not really sure, I assume it¡¯s a result of absorbing the statue that seems simr to me. ¡­It really is like a game. Gaining abilities from eating things. Honestly, calling it an ability seems a bit iffy. It¡¯s closer to my jelly, just stretching out. I feel like something simr would happen if someone pulled on my body. Then maybe¡­ did I gain other abilities? But the game system didn¡¯t kindly inform me of my abilities like systems usually do, so honestly, I was a bit doubtful. It¡¯s only natural since I don¡¯t know the statue¡¯s abilities in the first ce. Meanwhile. Han Seori, equipped with various things, appeared in my sight. Noticing me, she smiled with a hint of bitterness. I wondered why, but feeling I¡¯d finally reached safety, my jelly felt at peace. Is this the sweetness of power? The tentacles stuck to the man¡¯s body, then returned to me, and I carefully approached Han Seori and nestled into her arms. This time, no tentacles spurted out. I sensed an absurd gaze from behind, but I didn¡¯t really care. If you¡¯re jealous¡­ you be Han Seori then. You¡¯d have to get through her right-hand man first, but that¡¯s impossible. While nestled in the arms of the powerful, Han Seori seemed to be talking to someone in a slightly stiff voice, as if something was wrong. This outing seemed a bit tiring for me, too, and I felt oddly sleepy. I couldn¡¯t properly make out what she was saying. Just as I thought, I was falling asleep. ¡­I remembered Alice, left behind somewhere. Brightening my sight, which was trying to darken, I squirmed while nestled in Han Seori¡¯s arms. ¡°Hmm¡­ hm?¡± Han Seori, lost in thought, turned her gaze to me. It was an odd look as if wondering why the child was acting that way but having seeded in catching her attention, I felt a bit embarrassed and¡­ ¡­showed gestures to express Alice. Like pulling Daesik on my head into my arms, or moving my hands as if ying with a doll¡­ things like that. Honestly, I thought she could just buy a new doll¡­ B-but Daesik liked it so much that I had no choice. If Daesik hadn¡¯t always been inside it, I wouldn¡¯t have gone this far. Anyway! Understanding my desperate exnation, Han Seori¡¯s stiff face softened into a satisfied smile as she nodded. ¡­She understood what I meant, right? I don¡¯t know. I felt I¡¯d done all I could at this point, so for the first time since bing a slime, I gave in to the sleepiness that came over me. ¡°Oh my!¡± ¡°Whoa, isn¡¯t this girl too fond of women?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ well, she has the appearance of a girl¡­ so maybe she¡¯s drawn to simr appearances?¡± ¡°*grumble*¡­¡± I heard the man¡¯s grumbling, but it wasn¡¯t enough to disturb my sleep. Feeling the warmth from Han Seori¡¯s body. I fell asleep. Han Seori muttered while looking at the slime girl who really fell asleep in her arms. ¡°She really fell asleep.¡± ¡°Did she not sleep before?¡± Han Seori looked at Kim Cheonsu with an expression asking if he really didn¡¯t know and said, ¡°At least since entering theb¡­ she never showed signs of falling asleep like this. Maybe¡­ it means she¡¯se to fully trust us.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Like an older sister caring for her younger sibling, Han Seori patted the slime girl¡¯s back and continued, ¡°If you¡¯ve gathered everything inside¡­ there should be a doll, so please retrieve that as well.¡± ¡°Oh? Uh, understood.¡± Hearing the reluctant voice, Han Seori sat down with a much stiffer face than when looking at the slime girl. ¡®¡­The director wasn¡¯t inside, they said.¡¯ Either he wasn¡¯t there originally. Or did he run away as soon as the incident urred? She thought it was one of the two, but Han Seori didn¡¯t seem very worried. The former director had left behind very clear evidence of corruption. From the brief reports, it seemed he might not only be expelled but also disposed of. That was very encouraging¡­ but this also felt a bit¡­ fishy. The traces were left behind by the presumed victims sacrificed to the anomaly. The evidence of corruption gathered together so cleanly for some reason. ¡­It didn¡¯t take deep thought to see that a third party had intervened. And if it wasn¡¯t the former director going insane¡­ ¡®Twilight¡¯s Call.¡¯ It was clearly their doing. But thinking that way, something was odd. The situation had flowed too favorably for us for it to be their doing. Maybe¡­ they aimed for everyone entering to die, but since there were no threatening situations after entering, that didn¡¯t seem to be it. In the first ce, if you consider them to not act logically¡­ it could just be a whim. But Han Seori couldn¡¯t shake this uneasy feeling. ¡°The doll you mentioned and what the agent retrieved earlier, presumed to be traces of the anomaly, have been recovered. We seem to have found everything, so we¡¯ll return.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Good work.¡± Traces of 7496-KR. What could that be? Han Seori felt the soft and fluffy sensation from her body and smiled. Right, think positively. The original goal of expelling the director seeded, and 7496-KR returned safely, so isn¡¯t that good? ¡­As for Twilight¡¯s Call. Well. They weren¡¯t ones she could do anything about right now, so worrying would only be a headache. Wouldn¡¯t it be more productive to consider how to gain ¡®cooperation¡¯ from 7496-KR who could now be consideredpletely friendly? ¡­Seeing her nestled in her arms, sleeping like a child, made Han Seori¡¯s heart a bit weak. But thinking it couldn¡¯t be helped, she returned to theb with the group. The returning Han Seori was greeted by the deputy director, Yoo Kangjik, and he took the evidence of the former director¡¯s corruption, saying he would prepare the procedures, then disappeared with a determined look. Han Seori watched his back as he left, then turned around. She wanted to sleep together with 7496-KR, the slime girl, but¡­ she thought it was impossible for now, so Han Seori carefully put the slime girl down in a new istion room. As she gently ced the doll the agents had retrieved next to her, the blob of jelly hanging from the slime girl¡¯s head wriggled and entered the doll. The slightly dirty doll slowly moved closer to the slime girl¡¯s side, theny down pretending to sleep next to the curled-up slime girl. It was unclear if it was really asleep, but Han Seori smiled contentedly at the heartwarming scene and left the istion room. ¡­Han Seori, deciding she wouldn¡¯t make her do dangerous things without a word anymore, returned to her room to handle the remaining work. Han Seori, who somehow weed the morning again, began her day listening to Yoo Kangjik¡¯s excited voice. And to check on the slime girl, she headed to the istion room. ¡®What should I give her to make her happy¡­.¡¯ Rubbing her bleary eyes, Han Seori entered the istion room and¡­ An unexpected sight met her eyes. Chapter 40: Change and… Chapter 40: Change and¡­
I am pleased to present this bonus chapter, which has been made possible thanks to the wonderful review written by ToastedBaguette. Please enjoy this bonus chapter as a small token of my appreciation for ToastedBaguette¡¯s contribution to my trantion work.
At the time, Han Seori and the others were packing up everything they needed to pack and withdrawing. A woman who was watching the scene from a distance with binocrs smiled bitterly and looked at the people who were leaving. The face hidden in the darkness is revealed in the moonlight, her features etched with a somber beauty. She was the woman who was with the first victim sacrificed to the anomaly. The owner of the name that the guard desperately called out before his consciousness was engulfed in darkness. The mastermind behind thismotion. The woman who lowered her binocrs clicked her tongue with a somewhat regretful expression. ¡°The director¡­ No, I guess he¡¯s the former director now. What a shame¡­ Anyway, he¡¯s a guy who cares about his own life, so is that why¡­.¡±He had already run away. The rat bastard. As expected of the guy who shifted the me onto her, as soon as things went awry, he pulled his own body out and ran away. Leaving behind the lives of those he hired as if they were rags, discarded without a second thought. Jeonghee didn¡¯t seem to mind too much that the former director had run away, as she didn¡¯t expect him to die here in the first ce. Anyway¡­ She had gathered a lot of evidence of the damn guy¡¯s corruption, so even if they didn¡¯t want to deal with it, it would take care of itself. Thinking there was no need to get her hands dirty, she removed the mask that was covering her face. As the rather gentle-looking face was peeled off, a woman¡¯s face with dark circles under her eyes appeared underneath, her skin pale from stress and sleepless nights. Finally, enjoying the wind blowing directly on her face, she heard a vibrationing from her thigh, which hardened her expression. Carefully taking out her smartphone and pressing the call button, a somewhat ridiculous voice was heard as if it had been modified. ¡°So, did you aplish what you wanted to do?¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­ Thanks to you.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s time to pay the price. Can I look forward to it?¡± ¡°O-of course.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯ll send you the details separately.¡± The woman, who had been politely answering the phone, put the smartphone back in her pocket with a sigh. The woman, who had been facing the wind, became lost in thought as she recalled the voice she had heard from the other end of the line. A group that allowed her, a researcher, to do such a thing. Secretly called¡­ Twilight¡¯s Call. The name sounds like it was made up by a middle school student, but the level is iparable to that of a middle schooler. When she received a suspicious call, she was the woman who had lost everything, like a hermit crab without a shell. She couldn¡¯t see anything at the time, but she ended uping this far. If asked if she regretted it, she did feel some regret, but now that things havee to a point of no return, it seemed she had no other choice. ¡­In the first ce, aren¡¯t the ones who betrayed and abandoned her after the incident more evil? The same goes for those who turned a blind eye and left her to suffer alone. She didn¡¯t know much about it, but it was clear that there would be consequences. As she thought this, the man who had been persistently talking to her briefly came to mind but quickly disappeared. Now, she didn¡¯t know if the road ahead of her would be downhill. Or uphill. But it was clear that it would not be an ordinary life. ¡°¡­Come to think of it.¡± She thought of the strange anomaly that hade in a box. Thinking of the slime girl, she soon left with a bitter smile. Perhaps because she got involved with a group of lunatics who believe that anomalies should be liberated. She didn¡¯t feel so bad about the slime girl, who was the reason she ended up like this. Wow, is this how refreshing it is to sleep? I was as surprised as a fish out of water experiencing air for the first time. It was good that I fell asleep due to the sudden drowsiness, but to be honest, I was also anxious. Don¡¯t they say that people, well, not people anymore, die when they change suddenly? I had a vague anxiety that I might suddenly drop dead like this¡­ But what do you know? As my blurry vision brightened, I felt a refreshing feeling that I had never experienced with a human body. Maybe I¡¯m making up for not having slept until now. I wonder if a few days have passed while I was sleeping. But well¡­ It doesn¡¯t really matter, does it? Now that I don¡¯t have apany to go to work for, even if I slept for a few days¡­ there might be someone to nag me, but for now, I had nothing to worry about. As I was spacing out like that, my vision was restored, and then I saw Alice crouched next to me. From the way she was wriggling little by little, it seemed that Daesik was inside. Is she pretending to sleep because I¡¯m sleeping? ¡­Or is she really sleeping? Anyway. I felt rewarded for enduring the embarrassment and bothering Han Seori. Daesik. Is this enough repayment for opening the box? As I was smiling happily like that. I saw something strange in my field of vision. Daesik seems to be inside the doll, but isn¡¯t that another Daesik in the corner? ¡­What the heck is this? My jelly suddenly got goosebumps. Startled, I poked Alice, who was sprawled on the floor. Daesik finally stopped pretending to be asleep and got up and toddled around. If that¡¯s the case, then the one over there is not Daesik. Who are you¡­ I approached it and, feeling somehow eerie, didn¡¯t grab it with my hand but extended a tentacle and lifted it up. It looks no different from Daesik on the outside. But¡­ The way the slime wriggled, it somehow seemed to have a bad personality. Then. The thing spewed out tentacles like I did. The tentacles entangled with my tentacles like octopus legs approached me. After a brief flinch, the tentacles that approached me¡­ They seemed to envelop my body, then were immediately absorbed into my body. Having lost its tentacles like that, the creature¡¯s body visibly shrank. ¡­Cheeky little thing. I don¡¯t know how it appeared, but it seemed that a clear hierarchy was established between it and me. To fix the thing¡¯s insolence, I poked it here and there with my tentacles and gave it a ride on the drop tower. Can you feel it? The difference in power? I wonder if the manager who used to bully me felt this way, too. You were the only one enjoying this fun. But still, I can¡¯t forgive you. Anyway. While giving the new family member a lesson on hierarchy. I realized one more thing that made me ufortable. It was good that I was diligently sorting out the hierarchy. ¡­But at some point, Han Seori hade in and was looking at me with a strange expression. She looked at Alice (Daesik) toddling around, me, and the cheeky blob of slime and approached me. Feeling somehow embarrassed, I retracted my tentacles, and the slime that had been thoroughly beaten fell to the floor with a plop. Meanwhile, Daesik, who toddled over to it, patted the thing as ifforting a junior who had been beaten by a senior. Daesik. You¡¯re making me feel like¡­ such a piece of trash. Honestly, I didn¡¯t do anything wrong¡­ right? That guy picked a fight with me first. Han Seori squatted down in front of me to match my eye level and stroked my head as she spoke. ¡°It seems like a new friend, so what about it bothers you so much¡­?¡± It was as if she was asking why I was making such a fuss over someone who was supposed to be weed as a new member of our little group. I felt my jelly welling up with inexplicable anger. No, it¡¯s not for a petty reason, but because that guy attacked me first! Unable to convey this anger, I could only wriggle my fingers, and Han Seori, who chuckled, took out a bunch of candies from her pocket and handed them to me. Then, Han Seori, who had been looking at me with a strange gaze, muttered that she woulde backter and left the room. As if she wouldn¡¯t interfere with the affairs of the slimes like some kind of invible thing. Was it something like that? Although I wasn¡¯t exactly scolded, I somehow felt icky, so I sat cross-legged and called the two blobs of slime, Daesik and the still unnamed one. They came right over when I gestured. For now, I decided to be satisfied that the hierarchy had been well established. I called them over, put the candy between my legs, and tore open the wrapper. Then I took out the contents and threw it roughly where the mouth would be. Now that I think about it, there was no need to¡­ shove it in the stomach. It¡¯s a bit¡­ unsightly. Anyway. While feeling the slowly melting sweetness, Daesik, who thought it was time to eat, slowly came out of the doll. I immediately unwrapped another candy, split it in half, put half in my mouth, and put the other half in Daesik¡¯s body. Daesik trembled with joy, his jelly quivering with delight. Next, I put the remaining trash into the cheeky one¡¯s body. It seemed to wriggle its jelly in dissatisfaction, rippling with annoyance. ¡­If you¡¯re upset, you do it. If you hadn¡¯t defied me, I would have been willing to give you a piece. Isn¡¯t it your own fault? I wriggled my jelly as I unwrapped another candy. Anyway. After being kidnapped, various things that weren¡¯t there before entered this white room. There are various things, but among them, my favorite is definitely¡­ The bed. It seems they brought one in after seeing me sleep, so now I can sleep whenever I want to, which is very good for me, as I have nothing to do. The only thing is that sometimes, when I open my eyes, the other one, not Daesik, is on top of me. I¡¯m not sure if this guy is still after me or if he¡¯s just being a brat. Well, except for the bed, everything else is a toy, so maybe that¡¯s why I¡¯ve be more attached to the bed. So, I would roll around on the bed, eat when the food came, and do various experiments with Han Seori. For example¡­ checking how much tolerance I have for cold things. Or what kind of reaction I show to mes or electricity, and so on. A series of somewhat ominous-looking experiments continued. It was as if they were trying to find out what kind of environment I could adapt to. In between, people came to visit. Whether they came on their own or were brought here, I met a lot of different people. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡­ ¡°Can you melt this? Oh¡­ You can, you can!¡± ¡­Seeing what they were doing, it seemed they thought I could roughly understand what they were saying. That level is a bit¡­ miserable by my standards. I wonder if they see me as a puppy? Anyway, one day, while I was living a rtively happy life. I saw Han Seoriing in with an excited yet bitter face. Somehow, I had a bad feeling, an ominous chill running through my jelly. Chapter 41: First Experience Chapter 41: First Experience Han Seori entered with an odd expression on her face and took me somewhere. It was always the same, so I wondered about her strange look but obediently followed her. In the past, I was transported in a ss container, but these days, I hold her hand and move. The funny thing is, when I was in the ss container, there were often people who looked at me with anxious eyes, but now that I¡¯m holding her hand and walking¡­ There are more people who pet me in passing or give me snacks. Well, it¡¯s not like that never happened when I was in the ss container, but it was a bit more passive. Feeling the irony, I put the snack given by someone whose name I don¡¯t know into my mouth (which seems to exist only nominally) and let it melt. In the meantime¡­ A different space than usual greeted me. I¡¯m not sure how to describe it, but¡­ it seemed to be some kind of gym.I¡¯m not exactly sure, but that¡¯s the feeling I got. What are they going to make me do this time? As I entered the ce with Han Seori, Kim Chon-soo¡­ no, I think I heard his name¡­ ah yes, it was Kim Cheonsu. Kim Cheonsu approached me, carrying a fairlyrge box. Gently setting down the box, Kim Cheonsu opened it when Han Seori nodded. Not having good memories with boxes, I flinched as the box opened, and Kim Cheonsu chuckled as he rummaged through the box. The fool seemed to find my startled reaction amusing, still wearing a grinning face. Since I wasn¡¯t human, my cheeks didn¡¯t redden, and my face didn¡¯t heat up, but somehow, the jelly around my face seemed to boil and bubble. No, if you were trapped in a box a few times, you¡¯d react the same way, wouldn¡¯t you? I guess this is what they call being once bitten, twice shy. I felt like punching him a few times, but I restrained myself. Should I just hit him once? While I was debating whether to teach the cheeky fool a lesson, he took something out of the box, approached me, and said as he put something on me. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to eat this.¡± The guy put some kind of bracelet on my wobbling arm. Wondering what it was, I turned my hand downward, and whoosh! The bracelet fell to the floor with a clunk. As the fool fussed and picked it up, Han Seori asked in a puzzled voice, ¡°Huh? You put it on properly, right?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll work on the arm.¡± Scratching his head at her question, the guy looked me up and down, then fixed his gaze on my face¡­ more precisely, the area around my neck. Hmm¡­ this punk couldn¡¯t possibly have that kind of¡­ preference, could he? As I eyed him suspiciously¡­ The guy said something I didn¡¯t expect. ¡°Well, it might look a bit weird, but how about putting it around the neck?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± At his suggestion, Han Seori seemed to ponder as if in a dilemma. Wait a minute. You¡¯re going to put that around my neck? What is that thing? Feeling flustered, I looked at the thing in the guy¡¯s hand that was supposed to be a bracelet. It looked like something you¡¯d put on an animal. Oh no, this won¡¯t do. I sent a desperate look to Han Seori, and as if she understood, she smiled faintly and nodded to Kim Cheonsu. Did you really understand what I meant? The fool fiddled with the bracelet to lengthen it a bit, then started to fasten it around my neck with a click-click. Feeling like this wasn¡¯t quite right, I tried to gently push his hand away, but¡­ ¡°Hey, even if it tickles, bear with it for a bit. It¡¯s all for your own good.¡± Even merchants in less savory trades say that kind of thing when putting restraints on their captives. I felt like a traveler being force-fed an unptable meal. With a click¡­ Something was fastened around my neck. To be honest, it wasn¡¯t ufortable. But it felt like something inside me was withering away, so to speak. It felt like I had be something less than human. Okay¡­ yeah. Let¡¯s think of it as a choker. I was never really into that edgy fashion trend, so I had no memory of ever wearing that kind of essory in my life, but¡­ if I tried to think of it that way, I felt a bit better. Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I thought it might not look too bad on me. Anyway¡­ They told me not to melt it, so for now, I did as they said. When a long time passed, and the thing around my neck didn¡¯t enter my body, they took out something else with a satisfied look on their faces. This time¡­ it was a bag that felt squishy. The fool put the bag on me with a somewhat pleased look. When was thest time I wore something like a backpack¡­? Perhaps because I had that ominous thing called a choker around my neck, I felt little resistance to wearing something¡­ no, this isn¡¯t a backpack. Anyway. If that was their intention, I¡¯d have to say it was brilliant. Is this that thing called negotiation skills or something¡­? After I was fully equipped, they put things that felt heavy in the bag this time. Rather than my body tilting backward, the problem was the things digging into my jelly, so Han Seori and the fool repeated putting things in and taking them out to find the optimal weight. What happened after they found the optimal weight, you ask? Well¡­ there was another ordeal to find the optimal weight. You see if I moved, it would dig into my jelly. Several dayster¡­ Han Seori watched 7496-KR, the slime girl, writhing restlessly within the confines of the ss container. The slime girl¡¯s restlessness seemed to stem from the cramped ss container, and Han Seori didn¡¯t look too happy about it. She wanted to just bring the slime girl along like she did at the research center, but there was a person with a balding head who strongly opposed it, saying it was absolutely not allowed. Not wanting to cause more concern for him, who was already busy, Han Seori had no choice but to put the slime girl in a safe ss container and bring her, as he said. However¡­ Considering where they were going now, she wondered if there was really a need for that. ¡®Seems like an unnecessary waste.¡¯ But what can you do? Han Seori was willing to let it slide for the sake of preserving Yoo Kangjik¡¯s lush¡­ no, what little hair he had left. But the real problem was¡­ ¡®I¡¯m the one who suggested doing this, but¡­¡¯ Will it be okay? Han Seori sighed with a bted worry. Then, the slime girl, who had been writhing restlessly within the ss container, looked at her. As the slime girl looked at her, Han Seori also looked at the slime girl. A slightly indifferent-looking face. But she definitely reacted to her sigh¡­ so she must be worrying about her. Does she know what she has to do from now on? Han Seori, who had been looking at her with a concerned gaze, shook her head and thought, ¡®Even though she looks like this¡­¡¯ She¡¯s an Anomaly. It had been quite some time since the incident they called a kidnapping had ended. Han Seori, who had left the other procedures to the man with thinning hair, had been conducting various tests in the meantime to see what she could do with the slime girl. In what environment can she adapt? Can she wear equipment? And so on. The most important thing among them was whether she could understand speech. It might be difficult to exchange detailed information, but she should at least be able to understand simple objectives in order to be properly ¡®used.¡¯ In that regard, the slime girl was very interesting. Perhaps thanks to the diligent training of giving her snacks, she seemed to be able to give various instructions to some extent, even if she did notmunicate. It felt a bit strange to treat the little girl like a puppy, but it was necessary, so it couldn¡¯t be helped. It was also kind of cute how she wriggled around as if trying to say something. Come to think of it, from the time she asked her to find a doll, it was already a sign thatmunication was possible. ¡®Should I¡­ try teaching her to write?¡¯ Somehow, it seemed possible, but¡­ for now, if she could return from the urgent matter at hand, it would be something to consider. The moment Han Seori twirled her hair¡­ *BLAM BLAM BLAM!* *KA-BOOM!* The sound of gunshots and something exploding in the distance was heard. It seemed they had almost arrived at their destination. As the vehicle carrying Han Seori and the slime girl stopped, the gunshots that had been heard also stopped, as if it was almost over. Han Seori opened the door, got out with the items she had brought, and pulled out the ss container loaded on the cart. A few people silently followed behind her. Soon, she saw¡­ Monsters that had be honebs from being shot. Somehow, they looked like monsters that appeared in a cartoon she had seen as a child. They had be lumps of meat, so it was impossible to distinguish their forms, but she seemed to have had that thought when she saw the data she had read. Anyway¡­ As she approached, a man who seemed to be in charge of the surrounding area came over. The two people exchanged slightly awkward greetings, and their gazes were drawn to the slime girl who was nkly looking outside from inside the ss container. The heavily armed man said with a slightly unpleasant face, ¡°Are we really putting this thing in there?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s hard to manage it regrly¡­ and we might find a clue to sealing it off, you know?¡± ¡°I heard about it, but¡­¡± The man sighed lightly as he looked at the wriggling girl, but he didn¡¯t really voice any opposition. Even if she looked like that, she was an Anomaly, so she shouldn¡¯t be viewed by human standards. Han Seori also seemed to have read the man¡¯s thoughts as her face turned bitter. ¡°More importantly, is it really possible?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t expect to seed on the first try either. She seems to like wandering around¡­ so I¡¯m thinking of making an internal map.¡± ¡°I see. Anyway, we¡¯ve cleaned up the emission this time, so it should be safe for the time being.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After the man returned to his post¡­ Han Seori took the slime girl out of the ss container and, likest time, attached equipment around her neck. She also put a bag containing high-calorie food on her back in case the task took a long time. The slime girl was still looking around with a nk face¡­ Han Seori patted the slime girl¡¯s head with a slightly worried look on her face. Whether she knew or not of her concern¡­ The slime girl was nkly staring at the monsters that had be lumps of meat. Unlike its owner, the slime girl¡¯s ahoge twitched actively. Chapter 42: My First… Mission? Chapter 42: My First¡­ Mission? Han Seori, are you perhaps¡­ abandoning me? No, did I do something wrong? Maybe I misunderstood something. I see a dark passage in my view. Compared to a sewer, there was no sewage, and it wasn¡¯t musty, so you could say it was a better environment. But judging from the corpses of monster-like things scattered around that I saw a little while ago outside, it seems it may be more dangerous than a sewer. If those things are lying around, it means there are a bunch of alligator-like creatures roaming around. ¡­Why the hell did you bring me to a ce like this? Is this how it feels to be given a cold shoulder? The bag on my back is empty, too, isn¡¯t it? Han Seori, why¡­¡­Well, it¡¯s probably not like that. Considering how she cherished me in her own way until now¡­ she might think I can survive here, rather than abandoning me. Thinking that way, I pondered the words Han Seori said to me before entering here. Did she say I¡¯d be able toe out when the timees? ¡­So I, who couldn¡¯t ask when that would be, silently looked at her, and she pushed me in here with a bitter smile. Still, I wasn¡¯t lonely. Daesik came with me and¡­ Sosik is wriggling towards the unidentified lump of meat¡­ yeah, he has a name now, too. Since he seems to have a big appetite, I named him Sosik, meaning to eat a little less. Despite his name, Sosik approaches the unidentified lump of meat and pushes a piece of meat into his body. I thought it was a bit repulsive. ¡­But I thought it would be better to eat it for now. Considering what I¡¯ve experienced so far, it seemed like if I ate it, it would somehow be my energy or something. So Daesik, who was jiggling his jelly, and I approached next to Sosik. While putting the lump of meat into Daesik, I also picked up a lump of meat and put it in my mouth. I was worried about what kind of strange taste it would have, but guess what? It tasted better than I thought. Hmm, yeah, it¡¯s like¡­ the taste of steak tartare that¡¯s slightly past its prime. Ah. Since steak tartare refers to the seasoned one¡­ maybe raw beef slices would be more appropriate. ¡­Of course, it¡¯s a bit concerning that the taste is starting to fade, but it was better than I expected. It had a bitter taste that I assumed to be gunpowder, so maybe it¡¯s right to call it steak tartare¡­? Then. As I was consuming the meat with enthusiasm, the lumps of meat suddenly began to sink into the floor. Startled by the somehow familiar yet game-like scene, I grabbed Daesik and Sosik and stepped back. Soon, the melted things returned to where they originally were, as if saying they were going back. They disappeared without a trace. Everything that was nearby vanished. Seeing that bizarre sight, it hits me that I¡¯ve entered an anomalous zone. ¡­Wait a minute. Come to think of it, that alligator in the sewers also melted like that and reappeared, right? I shivered and hugged the two blobs of jelly, looking around frantically. I sharpened my vision and raised my senses, wondering if monsters would suddenly surge up from the floor like that thing. But contrary to my brilliant deduction, a monster suddenly popping out didn¡¯t happen. As if ufortable in my arms, Sosik wriggled his body, bringing me to my senses as I jiggled the jelly. So¡­ should I go in now? Even though I could avoid looking back, I deliberately looked behind me. I see the passage I came through. It¡¯s closed now, but. It seemed Han Seori wanted me to go in there ande back out¡­ so I had no choice but to go in. She said she¡¯d give me something if I came back with her arms wide open¡­ so she wants me toe back, right? I jiggled internally and moved my steps inward with Daesik and Sosik. As I went further inside, I felt like the passage was getting smaller. No, it¡¯s not just a feeling. It definitely seems to be shrinking. The ceiling is getting closer and closer. At some point, the ceiling stopped shrinking. Stairs that looked like they were carved out of stone appeared in front of me. Seeing man-made-looking stairs suddenly appear in a natural cave feels a bit unsettling. Those monsters wouldn¡¯t have made those stairs on purpose, so does that mean someone came all the way here and carved these stairs? ¡­That¡¯s a bit strange too. It¡¯s a sight that doesn¡¯t make sense, but the sensation on my feet tells me these are indeed stairs. Before I knew it, Sosik was bouncing his body and going down the stairs. Ooh¡­ what if his jelly bursts bouncing like that? Maybe because he recently popped out, he has no fear. I didn¡¯t like following behind him. But I also headed down the ominous stairs. The darkness wasn¡¯t really a problem. As soon as the stairs appeared, torches zing on the walls appeared as if this was really a dungeon in a game. How the hell did our blue hide these things? It¡¯s just surprising that I lived without knowing about these things at all when I was human. I ran around so much trying to find things like this. ¡­Should I say I¡¯m d I at least fulfilled my wish now? A space where only the sound of jelly jiggling and Sosik bouncing could be heard. My footsteps stopped at the same time as Sosik¡¯s bouncing sound ceased. As I reached the end of the stairs, I didn¡¯t know how far down I hade. This time¡­ unlike the natural cave, an artificial space greeted me. The sky was not visible, just the same, but I couldn¡¯t help but tremble at the sight before my eyes. I half-jokingly called it a dungeon when I was upstairs. But it seems¡­ I really came to a dungeon. ¡°Hmm¡­ the noise is starting to kick in¡­.¡± Han Seori muttered while looking at the scene shown on the monitor. The screen showed a bouncing blob of mucus going down the stairs and asional blobs of jelly covering the screen. Han Seori, who had screamed not to eat the corpses of the anomalies expelled from the anomalous zone that the slime girl had consumed a little while ago, now looked at the screen with a worried face. Soon, the stairs ended, and the real anomalous zone seemed to begin. 922-KR. An anomalous zonemonly known as the Labyrinth of Crete. If you ask why an anomalous zone in Korea is called something like the ¡®Labyrinth of Crete,¡¯ the answer would be that this name reflects the characteristics of the anomalous zone in a way. That cursed space begins with a maze from where the slime girl is setting foot now. I don¡¯t know if it was just a maze continuing on¡­ but there are traps that are difficult for humans to approach in many ways lying in wait everywhere. That¡¯s why it was tested on the slime girl, too. Anyway. Thebyrinth would have been fine if it only existed, but it periodically spewed out monsters. But even now, only the cycle has been found, and it hasn¡¯t been revealed why the monsters pop out. Still, why is it called the Labyrinth of Crete? ¡­Simply because those who explored the deepest heard the cry of a cow. The poprity of Greek and Roman mythologyics in Korea also had an influence. If it weren¡¯t for that, well¡­ wouldn¡¯t it have been called something like a barn? Han Seori also thought the Labyrinth of Crete was better than something like a barn maze. In fact, since the search party went missing after that report, the reality of what¡¯s inside is unknown. Whether there really is a monster like the ¡®Minotaur¡¯ inside the Labyrinth of Crete. Or if there¡¯s just¡­ something that makes a sound simr to that is unknown. Considering it¡¯s an anomalous zone, there might just be a recording device that makes cow cries. In that situation, the reason she sent the slime girl down was simple. About 95% desire to understand the internal structure through her, who seems to have excellent survival skills. ¡­The remaining 5% is a slim hope that the slime girl might stumble upon a way to shut down 922-KR during her exploration. Honestly, Han Seori tried not to get her hopes up too much for thetter possibility. Her main goal was for the slime girl, who seemed better equipped for this than humans, to map out more of the anomalous zone¡¯s interior before returning safely. The path the slime girl moves is recorded in the device hanging on the slime girl¡¯s neck and transmitted to her. It won¡¯t be difficult for the slime girl to get out, either. ¡®When would be good?¡¯ When the timees, the ¡®ne¡¯ on the slime girl¡¯s neck will indicate the way for her to return. She easily followed the arrows engraved on the floor in the previous test, soing back won¡¯t be a problem. Han Seori looked at the screen again. The slime girl seems to hesitate a bit, but she enters thebyrinth with the blob of slime presumed to have been born from her. The bouncing blob of slime leading the way is quite¡­ a rxing sight. It was like watching a puppy being followed. Han Seori couldn¡¯t tell what kind of face the slime girl was making¡­ But seeing the bouncing slime leading the way¡­ maybe she¡¯s enjoying it. Han Seori, who had that thought, felt a bit peckish and ordered a meal. Coming out for a moment, the corpses of monsters that she couldn¡¯t handle in time caught her eye. ¡®¡­She ate that, right?¡¯ Recalling the slime girl eating that, a thought crossed Han Seori¡¯s mind. ¡®¡­Does that taste good?¡¯ But she quickly shook her head and sighed. ¡®No matter what, that¡¯s a bit¡­¡¯ Chapter 43: Common Sense Chapter 43: Common Sense It Failed. I stared at the ceiling, feeling a bit dazed. Whates to mind when you think of mazes in amusement parks or resorts? If you proceed without hesitation, it¡¯s fine, but if you wander around a bit¡­ I think everyone has been gripped by the urge to just see the path from above. Sometimes, looking down at the maze from high up, I thought of those who were heading the wrong way and came up with a brilliant idea to get through this bizarre maze. ¡­The idea was to climb up the walls that make up the maze and find the exit or whatever right away. If I were an ordinary human, I wouldn¡¯t have thought of it, but the current me could climb walls like a friendly neighborhood red spandex-wearing hero. So. As I proceeded with the two blobs of jelly, I came up with that brilliant idea.And climbed up the wall. Inwardly, my jelly quivered. If I looked in a mirror, I wonder if the corners of my mouth that had no reason to be there would be turned up? But¡­ how do I endure this? The sensation of gazing down at this iprehensible space, just imagining it, made my jelly tremble. I was excited to see what kind of scenery awaited me up there. There was a time when I had such thoughts. Let me say it again. ¡­It failed. Perhaps it was my fault for hoping formon sense despite saying it was a space that couldn¡¯t be understood withmon sense. I climbed the wall¡­ and kept climbing, but I couldn¡¯t see the end. Excited, I don¡¯t think I noticed that the scenery visible below kept getting farther away. Just how high have I climbed now? The bottom is so far down. Even for me, if I fell from here¡­ I feel like I¡¯d be a puddle of jelly. Daesik and Sosik, who I¡¯ve been carrying on my head, are probably trembling because they feel the same way. ¡­Hey, wouldn¡¯t it have been nice if you had stopped me before things turned out like this? Huh? Sosik, why¡­ did you stay still? Are you saying we should die together when I stretch out my tentacles? In a space where not a single breeze blew, it feels like a bitter wind is blowing. Phew¡­ let¡¯s stay calm. If I could climb up, that means I can climb down, too. I can¡¯t use my jelly like a rope by attaching it to the wall and climbing down, but can¡¯t I just go down step by step? Yeah, even this time, it only felt like a crisis from a human perspective. I just need to go down step by step. One step at a time. No. One jelly at a time. I almost thought with human standards again. Even if I feel I can¡¯t go back, the path I¡¯ve trodden thus far won¡¯t vanish in an instant. ¡­Just as I ascended here, intoxicated with myself. I¡¯m losing my mind, really. As I was climbing down one step¨C no, one jelly at a time like that, The brick my right hand was holding suddenly popped out with a *boink!* My body was very startled because there was no problem on the way up, and I instantly lost bnce. As my body swayed, the two blobs of jelly sitting nicely on top of my head swayed. In the blink of an eye, I saw Sosik, who was at the very top, fall down. I felt my jelly shrinking. Although our first meeting wasn¡¯t good enough for me to say nice things, even as a lie, for some reason, I didn¡¯t dislike him that much. The reason is¡­ I don¡¯t know. I hurriedly stretched out my arms, but it was already toote. The jelly tentacles that stretched out btedly only waved in vain in the air. Sosik instantly became a small dot, and soon¡­ with a pathetic *plop*©¤ ¡­Huh? Something was strange. To me, who was feeling a sense of loss at Sosik¡¯s fall, the sound of jelly bouncing *boink* was heard from a very close ce. It was very¡­ cute for a sounding from way down there. In the first ce, it¡¯s strange that I can hear it. ¡­And even if I could hear it, a grim sound like *st*¡­ or *st!* should be heard, shouldn¡¯t it? I focused my gaze below where Sosik fell. No matter how much I look around, it¡¯s still far down. So much so that my jelly trembles just from focusing my vision. But¡­ it doesn¡¯t match the sound I heard just now. ¡­Hmm. Could it be? Common sense. Is it dying here again? I tried throwing the brick-like thing I happened to be holding in my hand on the floor with a *fwoosh*! Then I saw it this time. The brick, which I thought was falling, became a dot at a speed too fast to be called falling. Judging by the *thwack!* sound that was heard right away, I think I can be sure now. I hugged Daesik, leaped backwards onto the floor, and¨C *Thump!* ¡­I felt the sensation of the backpack I was wearing on my back pressing into my body. The ceiling that seemed endless hade down in a single stride, and next to me, Sosik was looking at me with a pathetic face (probably). Yeah, I was the fool for thinkingmon sense¡­. I suddenly fiddled with the choker around my neck and jumped up. ¡­I decided to take a short break. I don¡¯t know about physical fatigue, but mental fatigue is no joke. It feels like I was drunk on excitement about discovering a cheat code and then encountered the GM. Anyway. I put the backpack that was on my back in front, opened it¡­ and took out something that I grabbed. Then something long and heavy came out. When I opened the packaging¡­ there was a pitch-ck chocte bar that smelled strongly sweet. Just by looking, the food¡¯sbat power (the calories) seemed very high. I wondered if it would have any meaning for me, but¨C Oops. I thought withmon sense again. I don¡¯t know. Han Seori must have prepared it for a reason. I immediately tried to shove the long, ck thing into my body, but I saw the two wriggling blobs of jelly, and my hand stopped. I had no choice but to break the chocte bar in half¡­ no, why won¡¯t this break? Anyway, I snapped it in half with a *crack*, then cut it in half again and put one each into the two. Normally¡­ I would have only given Sosik the wrapping, but I heard food is important for soldiers. How sad would it be to eat only the shell in this situation? ¡­I don¡¯t know if they feel emotions¡­ I don¡¯t know. They probably do. I watched the two blobs of jelly melt the chocte bar with a gurgle, and then I put the remaining chocte bar into my body. Along with the gurgling sound, an overwhelming sweetness enveloped my jelly. A sweetness that makes it seem like your teeth will rot. Perhaps that expression exists for this. Ah, of course, I can eat as much as I want since I don¡¯t have teeth to rot! ¡­Should I like this? But now that I¡¯m actually melting and eating it, I feel a bit empty. Honestly, it¡¯s a bit disappointing that I can¡¯t chew. These days, I¡¯m realizing anew how important the element of ¡®texture¡¯ is when ites to savoring food. Actually, if I had been born with this kind of body from the beginning, it wouldn¡¯t really matter, but I originally had strong teeth. Daesik and Sosik are lucky. They were born without teeth from the start. Deprivation is an emotion felt only by those who have experienced something. As I nkly melted the chocte bar, I confirmed that Daesik and Sosik hadpletely melted their chocte bars and got up from my spot. ¡­Since I wasted time for no reason, I should hurry and proceed inside. I hope¡­ Han Seori isn¡¯t watching me right now. Please, not that. Because it¡¯s embarrassing. By the way. Why does this thing on top of my head keep twitching? The state of the knowledge pouch was unusual. ¡°Puhaha¡­.¡± Han Seori, who was looking at the monitor with a worried face, finally burst outughing. It was because the slime girl showed the same behavior as the expedition team that had gone down earlier. Since the screen was looking at the ceiling, it seemed the slime girl had also realized the truth. Han Seori wiped the tears that had welled up in the corners of her eyes while giggling. ¡®I wonder what expression adorns her face now¡­.¡¯ She was very curious. Separate from that, the intelligence of the slime girl¡­ certainly showed signs of being special. The fact that she thought to climb up there¡­ isn¡¯t that proof that she has quite excellent thinking abilities? Even the way she follows training well. As expected¡­ I wonder if she fully understands everything that¡¯s being said. Han Seori, who was watching the slime girl¡¯s small hands distribute the chocte with satisfaction, put the french fries in front of the monitor into her mouth. The well-fried french fries felt crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Meanwhile, the slime girl who finished digesting seemed to start moving as the screen began to shift. ¡®It¡¯s about time.¡¯ You¡¯re advancing into unknown territory. After walking for a while like that, Han Seori felt a question. ¡®¡­You haven¡¯t been caught in a single trap yet?¡¯ Is that possible? It¡¯s a strange feeling that can¡¯t be expressed as just being lucky. Han Seori tapped on the desk and fell into thought. Soon, as if exceeding its limit, the screen sent by the slime girl began to experience severe noise. All that remained was¡­ a very small signal showing the slime girl¡¯s path. Han Seori, who cleared the screen full of noise, looked at the slime girl¡¯s path. Looking at it, her feeling of unease deepened. The steady path the slime girl progressed on¡­ It¡¯s like footsteps heading towards a precise destination. ¡®¡­Perhaps.¡¯ She might actually aplish something? No way. Because the slime girl¡¯s path was strange, it was too peculiar to be dismissed. Han Seori focused on the monitor, feeling a puzzling sensation. Chapter 44: The Maze Chapter 44: The Maze My ahog- I mean Knowledge pouch perks up. At first, I thought it simply moved ording to my movements. So, to verify, I tried moving my jelly slowly and moving my jelly in a different direction from where the knowledge was pointing. But as if ignoring thew of action and reaction, the knowledge pouch pointed in the same direction as if wanting to guide me somewhere. Not even apass would be this upright. When I think of it, the movements of the knowledge pouch are sometimes a bit strange. It perked up strangely right before I was almost captured by someone and also when passing by that bizarre statue. Sometimes, it perked up while passing through corridors, but since the knowledge pouch only perked up without talking to me, I couldn¡¯t know exactly why it was doing that. Hmm.I tried to recall the moments when the knowledge pouch perked up. At first, I was kidnapped, and the next time, I was forced to dawdle in front of a statue that ate people. ¡­Isn¡¯t this weird? Every time it perked up, something unfortunate happened. When passing through corridors¡­ I couldn¡¯t figure out why, but reflecting on the major events, it was definitely the case. I¡¯m debating whether I should pluck out the perking knowledge pouch. Staring at my jelly while pondering, I made a decision after much thought and moved my jelly. First, I went ahead bouncing and retrieved Sosik, pierced by a spike that shot up from the floor. ¡­The knowledge pouch is enigmatic, but this fellow is also problematic. Does it want to be just jelly instead of Sosik at this rate? *Tsk tsk.* Clicking my tongue at the jelly inwardly, I picked up Daesik, who was wriggling obediently below me. Sosik was included. Holding two blobs against my chest¡­ it felt somewhat uncanny. Quickly shaking off that feeling, I proceeded through the maze-like space, following the knowledge pouch¡¯s guidance. And lo and behold. Surprisingly, nothing happened. I proceeded cautiously, recalling Sosik getting pierced by a spike earlier, but as if ridiculing my actions, nothing happened. After that, my jelly that had shrunk expanded, and my steps gradually gained confidence. Daesik and Sosik also didn¡¯t wriggle as if enjoying the peaceful stroll. Then I saw peculiar things. Objects that are somewhat foreign to this space. But familiar objects to me. Like guns. Well, those kinds of things. Seeing the scenery indirectly telling me what happened here, my jelly stiffens again. Meanwhile, ¡°Ooooh!¡± A bizarre sound was heard from the direction the knowledge pouch was pointing. An eerie, strange sound that made me uncertain if it was a beast howling or what. While the deceiving walls were no big deal, the strange sound emanating from where the knowledge pouch pointed felt somewhat meaningful. Can I really trust this thing? ¡­Han Seori said I¡¯d be able to return when the timees, I think. When would that be? Could that possibly be now? Now, please!? Couldn¡¯t it be now? Despite the cry in my heart, there was no reaction around me. Only Daesik and Sosik wriggled against my chest. The knowledge pouch urged me on as if nothing was going on. Not being able to sigh when I want to is so frustrating. No, should I be d? They say sighing brings bad luck, so not being able to sigh means¡­ Pushing such stupid thoughts aside, I took inevitable steps. ¡°Ooooooh!¡± The sound gets closer and closer. After proceeding through the tedious but tense maze for who knows how long, *Perk, perk.* The fellow perking above my head finally led me to where it wanted. Honestly, it was hard to gauge how long I had walked since my legs didn¡¯t hurt and my feet didn¡¯t ache. I used to get signals from my legs after walking a certain amount, but this body doesn¡¯t have that, which is both nice and bitter. Anyway. I approached what the knowledge pouch was pointing to, feeling a strange sensation. *Ooh, ooh, ooh.* On something that looked like an altar, I saw an orb floating like a superconductor. The knowledge pouch clearly pointed to that. A mystical sight. Taking in the sight that seemed like a treasure for me upon reaching the heart of the maze, I felt somewhat excited. nkly standing there, I approached it slowly like a treasure hunter. Did someone pulling a sword from the stone feel this way, too? ¡­No, if it¡¯s like that, I shouldn¡¯t approach it. Then a ring¡­ ¡­Let¡¯s forget it. Whatever I imagined, it didn¡¯t seem very pleasant. I don¡¯t know why I keep thinking of such things. As I stood in front of the orb with light seeping from it, *Click, click.* A strange sound beganing from my neck. For a moment, I thought it might be a bomb ne activating to dispose of me, who was no longer needed, but thinking rationally, that possibility was low. ¡­Being alone in an all-white room seems to have only improved my strange imagination. It might have been a bit better if Daesik or Sosik could talk. Meanwhile, aser shot out from the ne that was making a peculiar mechanical sound, And an arrow appeared on the floor. It looks to be pointing the way I came from. Ah. This is a sign to return. How did it even know I found something? Could it be¡­ that it was watching the whole time? ¡­I really hope that¡¯s not the case. Anyway, since the timing was so uncanny, I didn¡¯t give much thought to taking the orb. It seemed to be telling me to hurry up and bring it out. An orb floating in midair wasn¡¯t surprising anymore, albeit mystical. It would be natural, considering the number of mon sense¡¯ I¡¯ve killed to get here. Putting Sosik down briefly, I grasped the rather heavy orb and turned around, pondering where to put it. *nk!* Almost simultaneously with a sharp, metallic sound, a huge silhouette appeared. *Whoosh!* With the sound of something bing lighter on my back, I hear the contents of the bag on my back scattering. Soon, a shadow loomed over my body, and I saw a monster that suddenly appeared in my sight. It was holding a veryrge axe, and it seemed the axe it swung had sliced the bag on my back. A brutal monster that suddenly appears like the ones that melt away. I put the orb in my body, which was ironic considering I was just wondering where to put it, grabbed Sosik, And ran. *Crash!* The moment I moved, I saw its huge axe cleaving the ground. I could sense the raw power behind each swing just from the way the fragments flew in all directions. Pebbles bounced off me as I learned the taste of rocks, and I ran like crazy, looking at the arrows reflected on the floor. The knowledge pouch swayed loosely as if it had done its job, so the only thing I could trust now were these arrows. ¡­There¡¯s no way I can memorize that long, long maze, right? I¡¯m starting to feel bad for thinking it was a bomb ne for a moment. Anyway, I jiggled Daesik, Sosik, and the jelly as I ran and ran. Thanks to my expanded vision, I could clearly see the figure of the fellow chasing me from behind. It was a very good advantage, but¡­ Being able to keep staring at it¡­ This means I can¡¯t look away even if I want to avoid that sight. The figure of a two-legged cow wielding a huge axe. It really looked like a mythical monster. What the hell is it so upset about that it¡¯s chasing me as if to kill me¡­ *Slice!* The huge axe de grazes above my head. *St!* With that sound, the knowledge pouch is scattered on the floor. A new knowledge pouch immediately regrows in ce of the severed one. Experiencing a part of my body being lost, I think I know why it¡¯s chasing me. ¡­It¡¯s probably because of the orb trembling inside my body even now. But, I think it¡¯s toote to go back and return it now. Even if I didn¡¯t bring it in the first ce. Frankly, it would be impossible to avoid that axe and muscr cow to put it back. I¡¯d be lucky not to be squashed jelly. *Slish! Sck!* Only my innocent knowledge pouch keeps getting chopped off. The feeling of being gradually eaten away doesn¡¯t bode well. There¡¯s still a long way to go before escaping, But if the knowledge pouch keeps getting severed¡­ it doesn¡¯t seem like it will end well. From the experience of my body being sliced, my body size also got smaller the more my body was cut. ¡­A smaller body might be able to hide in a mouse hole, *Swish!* I avoided the swinging axe again, but the knowledge pouch was severed again. ¡­But avoiding what¡¯s chasing me would be very difficult. It became a match between beingpletely devoured by that mad cow or escaping this ce first. I briefly considered charging at it like I dealt with the guardian totem before¡­ But the situation was quite different from that one. That one was fixed in ce at the end and had no arms or legs. ¡­If I cling to that fellow now, My jelly will surely be ripped apart. Even without that axe, those bulging muscles would undoubtedly tear me to shreds. *Slice!* Sure enough, the knowledge pouch falls to the floor with a *st!* ¡­What should I do? ¡°Moooo!!!!¡± Hearing its irritated roar, I thought I shoulde up with a countermeasure quickly. ¡­Before I get caught and shredded, that is. Chapter 45: Is there really no hope of escaping from the cave? Chapter 45: Is there really no hope of escaping from the cave?
I am pleased to present this bonus chapter, which has been made possible thanks to the wonderful review written by ChosenChildOfCreation. Please enjoy this bonus chapter as a small token of my appreciation for ChosenChildOfCreation¡¯s contribution to my trantion work.
¡°Hmm¡­.¡± *Crunch.* Along with Han Seori¡¯s nasal sound, the thin and long snack held in her mouth crumbled and entered her mouth. She nkly chews the snack while staring at the monitor. Her eyes, looking at the monitor, were filled with intrigue. ¡°Oho¡­.¡± *Crinkle.*Han Seori rummaged through the remaining snacks and checked the trajectory that 7496-KR, the slime girl, had passed through. At a nce, it seemed like she was going around in circles, but looking at the whole¡­ The slime girl was advancing towards the center of the anomaly, no, the byrinth.¡¯ ¡®Putting together her movements so far¡­.¡¯ At this rate, will she reach the ce presumed to be the center? Han Seori found it thrilling, but on the other hand¡­ it gave her goosebumps. ¡®¡­To think there¡¯s such a vast space underground.¡¯ If the North Korean army¡¯s underground tunnel from the urban legend and ghost stories really existed, it would be this massive. ¡­Perhaps this anomaly could be the source of the bizarre rumors her grandfather used to shout about, Han Seori thought as she swallowed a hollowugh and crunched on the snack. ¡®Though, the chances of that are slim.¡¯ But it was just as absurd. Judging from the fact that it wasn¡¯t properly observed from the outside, there was a high possibility that thebyrinth itself was an anomaly. That meant there might be something that created the maze at the center where the slime girl was heading. As Han Seori came up with that possibility, worry for the slime girl began to well up in her heart. If it were an ordinary maze, there would be a high chance of an exit and treasure¡­ or something simr at the center and end. But the ce the slime girl entered was clearly an anomaly. The possibility that a monster that hasn¡¯t emerged yet might be waiting at the center¡­ couldn¡¯t be ruled out either. Perhaps¡­ it¡¯s an anomaly where mythology is mixed in. Wouldn¡¯t there be a higher chance that what awaits at the center is a new trial rather than a treasure¡­? Han Seori, who had been thinking this and that, turned her eyes to the small red dot indicating the slime girl¡¯s location. It seemed like she would soon reach the ce presumed to be the center. Before long, the devil Han Seori and the angel Han Seori began to fight inside Han Seori¡¯s head. The devil Han Seori says, ¡¯Isn¡¯t this why we put the device on 7496-KR¡®s neck and sent her in to do? It¡¯ll be fine, 7496-KR is smart and has good survival skills.¡¯ The angel Han Seori says, ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter if something happens anyway, right? It¡¯s the anomaly. It¡¯s not like a person will die.¡¯ ¡­Huh, are the two fighting? While Han Seori blinks, feeling the absurdity. The actively blinking red signal was seen stopped at the ce presumed to be the center. Han Seori, who was looking at the red dot that had precisely stopped at the center, pictured the slime girl¡¯s squishy appearance in her head and operated the device with a sigh. The fact that she went straight there meant there were no traps on the way, so it seemed better to use human hands from here on out. Waiting for the slime girl to return like that, Han Seori. ¡­narrowed her eyes at the red dot moving at a crazy fast speed. ¡®Why is she suddenly acting like that?¡¯ Even though the device was activated, the slime girl who had been hesitating at the center suddenly began to move at a fast speed. It was as if a monster had popped out or something. The fortunate thing was that she seemed to be following the guidance well and was escaping towards the exit. However. It seemed like it would take quite some time for her to get out. In that situation, if she was really being chased¡­ ¡°Haa¡­.¡± Thinking that the development she didn¡¯t really want to imagine had urred, Han Seori pressed her temples as if she had a headache. But what can she do? It seemed to have happened the moment she hesitated a bit, so it couldn¡¯t be helped. Han Seori brushed herself off and stood up, opened the door, and went out. ¡°Ugh.¡± The sunlight made her eyes sting. As if scolding herself, Han Seori grumbled her lips and headed to the man managing 922-KR, the Labyrinth of Crete. No matter what, losing a friendly anomaly would be a painful thing, wouldn¡¯t it. She had to prepare for the worst. The arrow turns. I immediately changed direction to round the corner, and a huge axe swung over my head. But this time, *fwip!* my knowledge pouch doesn¡¯t get sliced off. Only the innocent wall of the maze crumbles and spills its guts. Slow. *GRRROOAARR!* As I dodge the swinging axe once more, the muscle cow chasing me bellows as if frustrated. It was all thanks to the help I unexpectedly got from Sosik. Perhaps worried that my knowledge pouch would decrease as it got cut, he stretched out his tentacles and grabbed my aho- no, knowledge pouch. Thanks to that, I could avoid my knowledge pouch pping and getting cut even when moving swiftly. You really can do it if you try, can¡¯t you? He must have really thought it was a crisis because he grabbed a stone rolling nearby with his tentacles and¡­ *Whoosh!* ¡°Mooo!¡± He threw it at the monster cow to obstruct it. Stimted by that, Daesik also spewed sticky goo on the floor. The sticky goo wasn¡¯t adhesive enough to grab it, but it was enough to hinder it for a moment. ¡­Of course. *Thunk!* That¡¯s not to say it became safe. It¡¯s not enough for him to just swing it, so now the bastard is throwing the axe. To avoid the axe flying as if to fill the passageway, I had no choice but to slow down, so the distance that should have already widened didn¡¯t meaningfully increase. ¡­I couldn¡¯t even tell how much I had walked, so I felt frustrated not knowing how much was left until the exit. If I stumble and get crushed by that axe, I might instantly turn into a squashed rice cake. *THWACK!* ¡°Moooo!!!¡± Meanwhile, Sosik threw a brick and hit the bastard¡¯s head. If that hit a human, they would¡¯ve copsed, but man¡­ it¡¯s persistent. Judging from how very tough it is, it¡¯ll definitely taste bad too. It¡¯ll probably taste like chewing rubber bands. Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ll have a chance to eat it anyway. ¡­But. I feel like Sosik¡¯s attacks are somehow only fueling that guy¡¯s anger¡­ It¡¯s¡­ probably just my imagination, right? Sosik wiggles his jelly as if he has no idea and keeps throwing stones. It almost looks like he¡¯s relieving stress. ¡­I wonder what he¡¯s so dissatisfied with to be doing this. It¡¯s a mystery. After running like that for who knows how long. My body was fine since it doesn¡¯t get tired, but this extreme situation of being chased was starting to mentally exhaust me. My concentration is starting to¡­ wane, should I say. Like, no matter how easy it looks to sit in a chair and y games all night, your concentration eventually diminishes over time, and you start nodding off, making your character die. ¡­Although it seems like I¡¯m escaping with room to spare thanks to the two blobs¡¯ help. It¡¯s like walking a tightrope. *THUD!* As I was running and jumping over the axe that struck the floor. Suddenly, I felt a presence from the direction the arrow was pointing. It was people who were outside when I came down here. What! So they came to help! I knew I could count on them! As I wiggle my jelly and approach, they make urgent gestures at me. It seems like¡­ they¡¯re telling me to get down. Seriously? When there¡¯s a crazy muscle cow chasing behind me? ¡­It¡¯s not like they can¡¯t see it. I don¡¯t know. A bit mentally exhausted, I quicklyy on the floor with the two blobs, wishing for this situation to end soon. Soon. *WHOOSH!* *RATTA-TAT-TAT!* *KABOOOOM!* I hear a sound like a huge straw blowing wind, gunshots, and finally, something like a bomb exploding. The inside of the maze quickly fills with ck smoke, and thinking they¡¯re finished with what they prepared, I hurriedly get up and approach them. ¡°Phew¡­ This much should have gotten rid of it, right?¡± As I get closer, I hear a very ominous voice. ¡­Saying that makes fate want to prove you wrong. *CRUNCH, ROAR!* An axe that flew out of the dark cloud took the life of the one who said that inauspicious line. ¡°Provide covering fire and retreat!¡± In the confusing situation where no one could move, the person presumed to be the leader shouted loudly. Only then did theye to their senses and move in unison, and someone who spoke said to me. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know if you understand, but you too follow¡­ huh?¡± Of course, I was already running away following the arrow, so it was an empty cry. The owner of the voice, seeing me already fleeing, caught up to me, out of breath, and made a dumbfounded sound. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re already running away. A pretty disloyal anomaly, aren¡¯t you.¡± What do you mean, disloyal? I ran away because you told me to¡­ I listened really well, you know. I¡¯d like you to tell me I listened very well. After running for a while like that, the crazy cow popped out of the thick smoke. The bastard who survived even that tremendous explosion chased us like a cockroach that insecticide doesn¡¯t work on. Guns are fired, and bombs fly towards him. He falters since it must hurt more than bricks. But seeing him keep approaching even while faltering¡­ gave my jelly goosebumps. Looking at that and running and running some more. I saw the stairs I saw when I came down here. I hurriedly climbed the stairs. ¡­Of course, with the crazy cow too. The fortunate thing is, whether he can¡¯t use the axe anymore or he discarded it because it¡¯s a narrow space, the bastard was empty-handed. But. His eyes are bloodshot, the bastard frothed at the mouth, and¡­ Got even faster. Like a final boss monster making itsst struggle. His rugged, muscr hand grazes my jelly. I sped up at the sudden approaching threat, but I couldn¡¯t get very fast on the stair-shaped terrain. The man running with me must have been very tired, too, letting out rough breaths. Watching the man run without even looking back makes me very envious. Because if I keep looking at that ferocious appearance, it feels like my mental strength is being shaved away. But. Is it okay to drag that thing that doesn¡¯t die even from guns and explosives outside? ¡­They must have thought it all through to do this, right? I don¡¯t know. For now, I have to survive first¡­ Anyway. The exit was right ahead now. Chapter 46: Extraordinary Chapter 46: Extraordinary
I am pleased to present this bonus chapter, which has been made possible thanks to the wonderful review written by besisis21. Please enjoy this bonus chapter as a small token of my appreciation for besisis21¡¯s contribution to my trantion work.
*Huff, huff, pant¡­* An armed man stumbled out of the passageway connected to the anomaly, his breath ragged andbored. Following close behind, people of simr appearance emerged one after another, like a living tide. As someone who couldn¡¯t control their momentum tumbled out, some of those guarding the exit where they were popping out moved in unison to drag that person to safety. Those who came out gasping for air after catching their breath joined the ranks of the guards. The equipment held in the hands of the group aiming at the entrance¡­ was a mismatched array. While the worn uniforms and gear were as consistent as if measured with a ruler, the weapons in their hands¡­ were as diverse as if at a flea market. Some gripped ominous-looking firearms, while others clutched butcher knives that looked like they had been painstakingly forged in a cksmith¡¯s shop.Someone else hefted a pole to subdue a massive, cow-like beast, while some had their burly bodies lowered as if they were heroes of legend. They waited with bated breath for the monstrous creature that would emerge from within. ¡®Will this even be effective?¡¯ Though it seemed questionable, the monster in thest transmitted video had discarded its weapon, so it seemed somewhat worth a try to some extent. Understanding these so-called anomalies was impossible, but their weaknesses were¡­ often surprisingly absurd things. Aren¡¯t there cases where things like can openers, ordinary axes, or chainsaws are their Achilles¡¯ heels? *Gulp.* But the tension was unavoidable, thick, and palpable. If they fail to subdue it, preparations have been made to ultimately copse this space itself, so they have done all they could to prepare, in a sense¡­ But if asked, ¡®Will everyone be able to survive in that process?¡¯¡­ It seemed like no one would answer ¡®yes.¡¯ *Sigh¡­* Han Seori, observing from a slight distance, swallowed a sigh inwardly. ¡®This has spiraled far beyond what I anticipated.¡¯ Han Seori¡¯s initial n was merely to map out the man-eatingbyrinth below. ¡­Though she thought it was partly her own fault, she also harbored a tiny, faint hope of finding a clue to shut it down¡­ but she didn¡¯t expect events to unfold in this manner, leaving her a bit flustered. The anomaly 922-KR, the Labyrinth of Crete, was only managed without any gain or means of deactivation, the nickname sticking like glue. The oue seemed imminent - would someone pen a new myth befitting the moniker, or would they crumble like the powerless humans of the original tales? The result seemed like it woulde out in a moment. Han Seori¡¯s thoughts turned to the slime girl who caused the current situation, though she felt partly to me herself. 7496-KR, the slime girl, seemed more capable than she had initially assumed. Witnessing an unprecedented irregrity¡­ the slime girl had likely stumbled upon something thaty at the core of the anomaly. Moreover, that being¡­ a cow monstrosity. Han Seori found it peculiar that the jokingly given name ¡°Labyrinth of Crete¡± had proven urate in the end. It was for that reason that those waiting tensely for the slime girl and cow monster ahead had somewhat anachronistic weapons in their hands. There was no time to verify, so it went straight to actualbat. This might feel a bit unreasonable, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. If it truly had its origins in mythology¡­ it just might work. However, there was one concerning point: in the myth, the helper Ariadne only told Theseus, who entered thebyrinth, how to get out. In the end, the story is that the cow monster inside was defeated by Theseus¡¯¡­ heroic physique. ¡­Is that possible for modern humans? No, in the first ce, does a human that meets that standard even exists, since it¡¯s mythology? It¡¯s not like they could hastily bring a UFC champion, either. Han Seori and the manager had no choice but to trust the agents before their eyes. ¡­They could only hope that what they prepared for the worst case wouldn¡¯t have to be used. Eventually, *THOOM! THOOM! THOOM!* A tremendous sound reverberated from within the anomaly. The immense noise shook the very ground, sending chills down the spines of not only Han Seori but also those awaiting the cow monster¡¯s arrival. Just by not throwing their weapons and running away, aren¡¯t they already doing their job? Soon, apanied by a deafening noise, dirt erupted into the air. It felt like the creature had drawn very close. *CRASH!* ¡°MOOOOO!¡± With a resonant cry, someone covered in dirt popped out with 7496-KR, the slime girl, in his arms. The slime girl was held in the man¡¯s arms, and her two slimes were held in the slime girl¡¯s arms. Behind them, leaping to avoid the explosion, a silhouette appeared that was even more gigantic than they had feared. Its hands were so immense and muscr that it seemed a mere flex of its fingers could reduce a person to a bloody pulp. There seemed to be no one with the courage to charge at that sight with a butcher knife, let alone bare hands. ¡­But no one could me them for that. It was just that there was no hero there. Still, they could struggle as humans. ¡°Fire!!!¡± Towards the iprehensible being that popped out of the nest, one of the most vicious things created by humans was fired. Along with the noise of gunpowder exploding, fist-sized things were thrown, and soon, an explosion loud enough to deafen the ears was heard. The dirt flung in before seemed trivialpared to the massive clouds of debris that billowed up from the onught, but the pale-faced humans did not relent in their desperate attack. They fired their weapons more and more fiercely in desperation, and with stone-faced expressions, they shut their mouths. With the momentum that if someone said, ¡°Did we get it?¡± they would sew that person¡¯s mouth shut. ¡°MOOOO! AAARGH!¡± As if their struggles were having an effect, the cow monster¡¯s pained screams pierced the air. The humans fired and fired again with a small hope. How long had passed since they poured out their all? Around the time when someone thought, ¡®Did we get it?¡¯ in their head¡­ The humans had no choice but to stop struggling. It was also because they had used up everything they had prepared, but the resounding roars that had been heard were no longer audible. There had been a precedent of someone bing not of this world after saying a magic spell, so no one there opened their mouths rashly. *Gulp.* The sound of someone swallowing their saliva is heard. The thick dirt slowly began to settle with the wind blowing from somewhere. As the dirt settled, ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°¡­Oh my god.¡± Voices that sounded somewhat hollow were heard, and the fallen form of the monster that seemed like it would crush anything until a moment ago was seen. Most were happy that the monster died, but some looked at the monster with bitter faces. ¡®¡­In the end, does it mean it can be done even by normal humans?¡¯ The fallen monster had its lower body missing. To be exact, it seemed to have been swallowed by what was originally the entrance to the ¡°Labyrinth of Crete.¡± It was presumed that along with the suddenly vanished entrance, the cow monster¡¯s lower body also disappeared. Perhaps the humans¡¯ valiant struggle had yed a role in preventing the cow monster from escaping before it was ensnared. But the bitterness welling up inside could not be avoided. ¡­Should they take sce in the fact that even the cow monster was bound by the limits of a living creature? In the strange atmosphere, For now, the imminent threat seemed to have ended. As I was running for my life, I suddenly recalled my indifference to the death of the one who hade to help me a little while ago. ¡­I think it¡¯s very sudden, but it may be natural to think of the dead in a situation where you might die. But, thinking of that nameless person, I was oddly apathetic. Was it because there was no time to think due to the sudden situation? Or did my tired mind block worries that would torment me? ¡­Or maybe I was unconsciously thinking it doesn¡¯t matter since it¡¯s a total stranger. At the sudden difort, I hesitated, and the man walking with me clicked his tongue and picked me up. ¡°Phew¡­ you must be tired.¡± No, not really. But it was true that I was confused. Did I lose my ability to empathize with others after bing a slime? ¡­I don¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t feel like I had no emotions or couldn¡¯t feel them, so it was more confusing. Anyway, As my worries were about to grow bigger, I felt some fresh air. But it was short-lived. Along with someone¡¯s shout, an even more tremendous noise and explosions bigger than before began to echo all around. *Gasp, wheeze¡­* The man holding me, perhaps because the tension was gone, copsed on the floor and didn¡¯t think of getting up. But he still seemed to be breathing, so I escaped his arms and got up. Then Han Seori, who appeared out of nowhere, popped out and picked me up. ¡°¡­You¡¯re safe.¡± Muttering that, Han Seori held me and took a step back, looking at the billowing dirt. I was also watching it, so I had a strange feeling. ¡­Will that thing die with that? It was fine a little while ago. But it seemed I was worrying for nothing. The monster had died¡­ split in half. To be precise, it appeared to have perished along with the space I escaped from rather than sumbing to the guns and bombs. Han Seori let out a sigh of relief with a somewhat bitter face above my head. ¡°¡­Well, what¡¯s resolved is resolved.¡± Muttering that, Han Seori put me down on the floor and gestured to someone. ¡°Bring the containment box.¡± While others were cleaning up the remains of the cow monster, Han Seori squatted down to meet my eyes and said, ¡°Can I take what¡¯s inside you?¡± ¡­Huh? I was wondering what she meant, but I noticed the orbs floating inside my body. ¡­I had forgotten about this, too, since the situation was so urgent. I stopped imagining spitting out the orbs to give them to her. Spitting out orbs from the mouth is¡­ a bit much. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m a cat coughing up hairballs. As I silently (I can¡¯t speak anyway) nodded my head slightly, Han Seori smiled contentedly as if it was as expected. And put her hand inside me. *Squelch!* With a wet sound, her slender, pale fingers entered the slime. ¡­Uh, that¡¯s¡­ a bit, um, troubling if you do it so suddenly. Her hand smelled strongly of the potato chips I sometimes ate. Quite¡­ a lot. Chapter 47: Rather a Reward Chapter 47: Rather a Reward
I am pleased to present this bonus chapter, which has been made possible thanks to the wonderful review written by zhanxian. Please enjoy this bonus chapter as a small token of my appreciation for zhanxian¡¯s contribution to my trantion work.
¡°Ah.¡± Han Seori, who had absentmindedly put her hand inside the slime girl, examined the slime girl¡¯s condition as if she had just realized it. Her face was slightly flushed, seeming too excited at the thought of finding what was presumed to be the ¡°core¡± of the 922-KR. Just a moment ago, she was worried about what would happen if the cow monster didn¡¯t die, but her change in attitude was startlingly quick. Han Seori thought it was only natural. ¡®If not¡­ would I even be here now?¡¯ Probably not.Having quickly rationalized her actions, Han Seori made eye contact with the slime girl, who seemed to be staring at her, and grinned awkwardly as she fumbled with her hand. She was going to pull her hand out right away if the slime girl tried to melt it. But forget melting. She only felt a cool and soft sensation¡­ the slime girl really did seem friendly to humans. Just then, She saw the slime girl making a motion as if smacking her lips. Han Seori, who was tilting her head at the face that looked as if it was¡­ tasting something, saw the traces of snacks covering her other hand and felt embarrassed. ¡­It seemed the slime girl was¡­ eating away the crumbs and seasoning stuck to her hand. If it were a dog or cat, she would have to worry about their health, but there was no need for that with the slime girl, so that was a relief in that regard. As Han Seori was stirring the inside of the soft slime girl with her hand, she grasped the orb presumed to be the core of the 922-KR Labyrinth of Crete. She wanted to pull it out in one go, but while carefully watching the slime girl¡¯s reaction, Han Seori very carefully and slowly pulled out her hand. *Slurp¡­* With a small sound, Han Seori¡¯s hand touches the air. Contrary to the expectation that something sticky would be on it, Han Seori¡¯s hand was clean to the point of feeling fluffy. It contrasted with her other hand covered in cookie crumbs. ¡®No, I just didn¡¯t have time to wipe it because I was in a hurry.¡¯ ¡­Who am I making excuses to? By the way, why isn¡¯t the person I sent to bring the istion boxing? While Han Seori was grumbling about the person who wasn¡¯ting, The slime girl, who was nkly staring at her other hand, brought her face close to Han Seori¡¯s hand. ¡°Eh?¡± Before she knew it, the slime girl took Han Seori¡¯s snack-seasoned hand into her face. ¡­I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s right to say she took it in, but Han Seori¡¯s hand was again enveloped in soft slime. *Gloop¡­ gloop¡­* Very faint bubbles rose near the slime girl¡¯s face. Han Seori felt her heart flutter at the same time as embarrassment at the sight of a slime girl savoring her hand. One was because she felt embarrassed to show her unkempt side, and the other¡­ was because she was happy that the slime girl seemed to have opened up her heart. ¡­Perhaps she was just tired of running away and recharging her energy¡­ but Han Seori decided to think the slime girl had opened up. No matter what, this was the first time the slime girl had taken such¡­ action first. ¡®¡­It¡¯s a bit strange.¡¯ She stared at the device dangling from the slime girl¡¯s neck, then shifted her gaze to the slime girl¡¯s face. She justified leaving her hand in by telling herself she could pull out immediately at any sign of melting. Then, as she was happily watching the slime girl use her foot to nudge away the two slimes that had approached, Han Seori heard, ¡°Huff¡­ hah, I, I brought it here.¡± ¡°¡­Mm, good work.¡± A voice disturbing her appreciation was heard. ¡­It was a bit¡­ much to call it a disturbance since she was the one who ordered it¡­ but still. Han Seori, who was about to throw a tantrum for no reason, received the item while generously forgiving him thanks to the slime girl¡¯s cute and friendly appearance. She opened the box with her hand, which had be clean thanks to the slime girl, and put in the orb presumed to be the core of the 922-KR. ¡®Why did you bring such a big one?¡¯ That grumbling was short-lived. ¡°Huh?¡± *Click, click, click.* A strange sound came from the orb that went into the box, and a small structure ©¤presumed to be abyrinth©¤ began to form inside the transparent box. At the sight that was almost like¡­ a type of bottle ship, Han Seori blinked and took in that scene. And it was the same for the slime girl below her. Soon, a small ant nest-like maze waspleted, and Han Seori burst into admiration and then broke out in a cold sweat. ¡®If we hadn¡¯t tried putting it in beforehand, it could¡¯ve been big trouble.¡¯ If she had taken it to the research center without knowing, the research center might have turned into a maze. Han Seori, who meticulously locked the box, sighed with a somewhat refreshed feeling and looked at the slime girl looking at the box in her hand. ¡®Now that I see¡­¡¯ She got smaller than when we came in. The slime girl¡¯s hardship was felt in that appearance, so Han Seori felt a little touched. Plus, she now had ammunition to loudly refute those who would say the slime girl wouldn¡¯t really be helpful, so she was in a good mood. Han Seori, who smiled contentedly while looking at the slime girl, ced her hand on the slime girl¡¯s small head. Han Seori, who pressed the jelly protruding out, patted the slime girl¡¯s head while saying, ¡°Mm, good job. So¡­¡± Han Seori, who was trying to praise the slime girl, suddenly recalled the codename attached to the slime girl. ¡®¡°All-Melting Slime¡±¡­.¡¯ Isn¡¯t that too lifeless and unfitting? The slime girl didn¡¯t melt everything she touched¡­ so wouldn¡¯t it be better to revise it? ¡®For example¡­¡¯ Something like Slime Girl¡­ or Jelly Girl¡­? Wouldn¡¯t such cute names suit her better? Well, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s fixed anyway, so we can gradually change it. Han Seori, who was patting the slime girl¡¯s head while thinking of other things, blinked her eyes at the sensation of her hand being pushed away. Looking down, the slime girl was pushing Han Seori¡¯s hand a little¡­ timidly. That behavior seemed to be feeling somewhat shy, so Han Seori smiled warmly and took her hand off. Taking her hand off, with a *boing!* sound¡­ the agoge on the slime girl¡¯s head sprought up. ¡°Ahaha¡­ sorry, I guess it was ufortable.¡± Since it wasn¡¯t shown on screen, Han Seori didn¡¯t know that the slime girl¡¯s ¡°knowledge pouch¡± had led the slime girl to the center of thebyrinth. Anyway, Han Seori, who handed the snacks in her pocket to the slime girl, Thought she should give the slime girl a new name when she got back, and picked up the slime girl. Then she handed the box to the man who was staring at the slime girl with a dumbfounded face beside her and said, ¡°¡­Stop staring and take care of the box.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Well¡­ our 7496-KR is pretty cute. Han Seori stared at the slime girl¡¯s twitching antennae for some reason, ¡­And returned to the research center with the slime slimes bouncing below, along with the slime girl. Thinking she would be busy for a while again. I ended up taking Han Seori¡¯s hand in my mouth without realizing it. No, honestly, how could I resist? My body had already shrunken from using up energy, and where else would I get to taste that familiar potato vor in my mouth? Even a person fasting wouldn¡¯t be able to resist this. I was worried Han Seori would think I was strange, but thanks to my cute appearance, she seemed to feel more endearment than anger. ¡­Perhaps, She thinks of me as something like a puppy¡­? Seeing the thing dangling from my neck like a cor, I can¡¯t help but feel that way. ¡­I felt a bit strange. Now that I¡¯m not human anymore, should I be happy with this treatment? Anyway, The sight of the orb I had stored in my body going into a familiar box and creating a miniature-likebyrinth¡­ was very interesting. It somehow felt mystical, so it really must have been a mystical thing. Until Han Seori pulled it out, I had forgotten about it, but¡­ It was a bit embarrassing to be patted on the head, so I gently pushed it away, but she seemed to have misunderstood¡­ I left it alone. What¡¯s the point of exining when I can¡¯t even talk anyway. And so, I was able to return to my room for the first time in who knows how many days. ¡­Now, I naturally call it a room, but, well¡­ if this isn¡¯t a room, then what else would it be. I won¡¯t need a bath¡­ (they won¡¯t let me take one anyway), so I wobbled into the room and threw myself on the bed. I don¡¯t really know what it was all about, but it seems to have been resolved well¡­ so I can sleep a little, right? They won¡¯t throw me into somewhere else right away, will they? Seeing Han Seori¡¯s satisfied face¡­ I think I did well? Being buried in the bed, I felt a bit thrilled thinking that. Maybe a life that somewhat¡­ resembles the life I wanted isn¡¯t so bad. The moment my consciousness was sinking into darkness, The door opens, and the man walks in with heavy footsteps. He was holding a tray in his hand, on which a lot of food was piled up. My darkening vision brightens and clears up. My senses, sharpened to a point, are busy receiving information to identify the food on the tray. Chicken¡­ and jelly¡­? Why is there jelly? But I can¡¯t resist the chicken. As I approached the guy, he said with a dumbfounded face, ¡°¡­You gluttonous little thing.¡± Should I hit you? I feel like I can be forgiven even if I hit you once right now. Should I let you taste a vicious and tough jelly punch? As I was contemting whether to show him a jelly punch, the sound of the tray being ced on the floor made me sit down obediently. ¡°Kuk¡­ are you an anomaly or a puppy.¡± ¡­Ha. I want to punch you. By the way, An anomaly, huh. ¡­Me? It seems they call things like me anomalies. Well, I guess it¡¯s not really important. What was more urgent was the huge jelly and chicken in front of my eyes. Wow, there¡¯s even pork belly. Ehehe, you greedy gourmand, control yourself! Don¡¯t you know there¡¯s a limit even to simple pleasures? Chapter 48: I Regained My Everyday Life? Chapter 48: I Regained My Everyday Life? Containment Cell 7496-KR. Kim Cheonsu, who brought a ¡®special meal¡¯ for 7496-KR at Han Seori¡¯s request, felt pleased as he saw the slime girl spring up the moment he entered the containment cell. Because the creature that had spat mucus at him and somehow red at him before now seemed happy to see him. It was like the feeling of a hissing cat allowing you to pet it. But it didn¡¯t take long for him to realize that this was his own misunderstanding. ¡®¡­It¡¯s not me.¡¯ She got up because she smelled the food. Kim Cheonsu swallowed a sigh as he looked at the slime girl and slime creatures that eagerly approached the tray as soon as he set it down. These creatures would probably prioritize the chicken over helping me if I was in danger¡­? ¡­Well, maybe Dr. Han Seori would be an exception.Someone once said something like this. Betrayales from having expectations. Those bad creatures. ¡°¡­You gluttonous little thing.¡± ¡°Guk¡­ are you an anomaly or a puppy?¡± The slime girl didn¡¯t respond to Kim Cheonsu¡¯s voice. But¡­ she looked at him with a face that somehow evoked a strange feeling. ¡®¡­What?¡¯ It seemed like she was ring at him¡­? And also, like she was having some violent thoughts? Kim Cheonsu tilted his head at that face. But only for a moment. As the slime creatures who had been waiting for an opportunity wriggled closer to the tray, the slime girl who had been looking at him with that subtle expression turned her attention to them. The slime girl picked up the slime creatures approaching the tray and set them down. But it seemed toote, as each mucus creature had a chicken leg floating inside it. Seeing that, the slime girl plopped down as if she had lost her country and red at the slime creatures with a dumbfounded expression. Her soft hands were trembling as if contemting whether to take out the chicken legs inside them or not. ¡®Hmm¡­ I wonder what she¡¯ll do.¡¯ Remembering that the slime girl had swallowed the first slime creature that came out, Kim Cheonsu thought that the slime girl might swallow those slime creatures. Come to think of it. ¡­Which one came out first? No matter how he looked, he couldn¡¯t tell them apart. ¡®I wonder if Dr. Han can distinguish them?¡¯ While he was having such pointless thoughts, The slime girl seemed to have given up as she abruptly turned around and looked at the tray again. It seemed she had decided to let the slime creatures live this time. Instead of swallowing them, the slime girl took the chickens on the tray, one in each hand, and shoved them into her body. Seeing that, a peculiar question came to Kim Cheonsu¡¯s mind. ¡®¡­Is she melting or eating them?¡¯ Isn¡¯t it all the same? ¡­I don¡¯t know. There must be a difference, which is why she was so disappointed? Kim Cheonsu watched the chicken dissolving and bubbling inside the slime girl¡¯s body. Although it wasn¡¯t exactly an appetizing sight, the greasy smell made him feel a bit peckish. Bending his body while looking at the slime girl, Kim Cheonsu reached out his hand toward the tray to see how the slime girl would react. The slime girl, who had been savoring the taste of chicken, stared nkly at Kim Cheonsu with eyes on her cute-looking face as his hand touched the tray. Somehow, it looked like she was cursing at him with her eyes. If he brought his hand a little closer, she seemed ready to spit mucus at him. Kim Cheonsu thought that look was quite cute and hurriedly raised both hands as he spoke. He was a little worried that she might really spit out something like acidic mucus this time. Although the possibility seemed low. ¡°Okay, okay. I wasn¡¯t trying to eat it, so calm down.¡± But the slime girl seemed suspicious of that, as she kept sending nces at Kim Cheonsu while putting the food on the tray into her body. Eating without even looking, her gluttony had truly¡­ reached a state of mastery. ¡°Sigh, really¡­¡± She¡¯s being so cautious just because I pretended to touch it once. Kim Cheonsu somehow felt wronged. ¡®¡­It¡¯s probably because she was tricked before, right?¡¯ It¡¯s not¡­ because she dislikes me, right? Right? He felt strangely uneasy. Actually, he didn¡¯t really care if Anomaly hated him¡­ but the slime girl, 7496-KR, was somewhat¡­ special to him. Because the slime girl was the only subject that could bring him closer to the person for whom he had feelings. It made sense, considering the number of times Han Seori sought him out had meaningfully increased thanks to the slime girl. ¡­The thought that theck of progress was due to his ownck of ability¡­ seemed to be creeping up, but for now, he was satisfied with just seeing her often. ¡®¡­Sigh.¡¯ As the slime girl ate her meal, Kim Cheonsu wasmenting his situation. Tap tap. ¡°Hm?¡± Tap tap. Feeling something touching his body, he came to his senses with a start. Looking around, he realized that the slime girl was touching his leg. As he lowered his gaze, the slime girl reached out her hand toward Kim Cheonsu. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± On top of the slime girl¡¯s soft-looking hand was a piece of chicken. ¡®¡­What?¡¯ Is she making fun of me, saying I can¡¯t eat this? Or is she bragging? It took him a while to realize that she was sharing a piece of chicken with him while feeling puzzled. ¡­It seemed he was slow to notice because he had red at her so hard earlier. ¡°Sigh, really¡­¡± Feeling a strange emotion, Kim Cheonsu took the piece of chicken from the slime girl¡¯s soft hand. ¡®¡­Is this the first time?¡¯ Sharing something with an Anomaly. Recalling the beings that would take your life at the slightest misstep¡­ it made him feel a bit emotional. Kim Cheonsu held up the piece of chicken he received from the slime girl to the light. ¡®¡­It¡¯s breast meat.¡¯ Fortunately, separate from that, it didn¡¯t seem to have any traces of the slime girl¡¯s body on it¡­ so there wouldn¡¯t be a problem eating it. ¡­No matter how friendly, eating something with traces of an Anomaly on it was¡­ risky in many ways. ¡®If I tell Dr. Han, will she be envious?¡¯ Chuckling inwardly, Kim Cheonsu lowered his gaze to express his gratitude to 7496-KR. ¡°Hm¡­?¡± In his eyes, He saw the slime girl holding the tray high up in the air. At the slime girl¡¯s feet, the mucus creatures were wriggling and rubbing against the slime girl. ¡®¡­.¡¯ Faced with a scene that made it seem like the slime girl sharing a piece of chicken with him was a big event, Kim Cheonsu couldn¡¯t help butugh. He had an understanding of why Han Seori paid so much attention to the slime girl. Come to think of it. ¡®It seems she wants to give it a new name.¡¯ ¡­What about Piggy Slime? Judging by her behavior, it seems to suit her perfectly. Kim Cheonsu watched a slime creature extend its tentacle and left the containment cell. To brag¡­ no, to report what had just happened to Han Seori. ¡­It absolutely wasn¡¯t to brag. The man was making a somewhat sad face. ¡­Did he make such a face because I didn¡¯t let him eat a piece of chicken? What kind of face is that to make just because you couldn¡¯t eat some chicken? Even when I lowered my head so I wouldn¡¯t have to see that face, I could still see it since my vision covered everything, so it kept catching my eye. Yeah,pared to those two creatures who thoughtlessly swallowed the chicken legs, how well-behaved are you? ¡­It¡¯s a bit¡­ pitiful for a grown adult to make such a face because he couldn¡¯t eat chicken. Looking at my room, it seemed like people working here were treated well, but apparently not really. Judging by how he was coveting my food, it seems he can¡¯t even afford to buy chicken. ¡­The fact that he still offered me chicken, despite that, strangely touched me. Anyhow. While I was distracted by the man for a moment, Daesik and Sosik approached the tray again! Again! Wriggling. So I picked up the tray. Daesik was obedient before, but it seems like it was influenced by Sosik¡­ it¡¯s doing things it didn¡¯t do before. Birds of a feather flock together, as the old saying goes. There¡¯s not a single lie in the old sayings, I realized. I held up the tray, avoiding the two blobs of slime, and sucked up the food on the tray with my tentacles. Originally, I would have shared the food with them appropriately. ¡­But it seemed like a clear establishment of hierarchy was necessary. They had already ate the chicken legs, It¡¯s not like they¡¯repletely starving, right? I came to a decision with slime gathered in the corners of my eyes. It¡¯s absolutely not because I couldn¡¯t eat the chicken legs myself. Those bad guys. With my eyes on the creatures wriggling at my feet, I shoved the food into my body. Well¡­ even if I say shove, Since I can¡¯t chew anyway, there¡¯s no difference, is there? Bad guys. As I pushed away the creatures extending their tentacles with my feet, I was eating¡­ It¡¯s delicious, as always. The chicken goes without saying, but the boiled pork, which was usually too expensive to eat, was very wee. The only thing I wish is¡­ if there were dipping sauces or greens to wrap it in? The meat and fat that melt in your mouth are delicious. Thest thing left is¡­ a veryrge jelly. Moreover, it¡¯s in the shape of a teddy bear. It somehow looks like something I saw on XTube. I wonder what it tastes like, I thought as I tore off the arms and legs of the teddy bear-shaped jelly and gave one each to the creatures reaching up with their tentacles. Then I shoved therge jelly into my body as if hugging it. Hmm. ¡­Since I can¡¯t feel the texture, it¡¯s no different from candy. It¡¯s a bit disappointing that I can¡¯t chew. Is there really no way for me to properly experience the sensations and textures of food? Sigh, it won¡¯t be solved by worrying about it. As I set the tray down, my vision, which had been awakened by the food, started to blur again. It seemed closer to mental exhaustion than anything¡­ Although it didn¡¯t seem to matter, even if I didn¡¯t sleep, humans originally needed to sleep for 1/3 of their lives, right? I¡¯m not human anymore, but, ¡­Honestly, there¡¯s nothing to do even if I keep my eyes open. So I crawled onto the bed, and the two blobs of slime that had been dissolving the jelly also seemed to want to get on the bed, wriggling. Sosik climbed up, and Daesik seemed to have finished eating the jelly and entered Alice. Even so, it wasn¡¯t enough to get on the bed, so it rustled underneath. ¡­You could climb up the frame. I stretched out my hand and lifted Daesik onto the bed. Then, as Iy down on the bed and pulled the covers over, the creatures who had been gluttonous and running wild until a moment ago snuggled into my arms, wriggling. ¡­Well, I felt Daesik snuggling, but Sosik was¡­ it felt like it turned its back and stuck to me? Even though they¡¯re the same slimes, they seem to have different abilities and personalities. Although they united to aim for my food earlier. But¡­ I didn¡¯t find that too hateful, so, With the thought that I might be smiling, I fell asleep. Good night. You little piggies. And so, I regained my peaceful everyday life. Other than Han Seori suddenly bringing a can of potato chips with an impressive-looking bearded man printed on it and looking at me with sparkling eyes, nothing much happened. I wondered what she wanted, but the chips were delicious. They tasted the same as the ones on Han Seori¡¯s hands. Then, one day, Han Seori, who had left with a somewhat disappointed face, came to see me again with a subtle expression. I had a bad feeling about seeing an expression I had never seen before. Chapter 49: MRE Chapter 49: MRE Hmm¡­ Honestly, I¡¯m a little¡­ no, very confused. ¡°Ugh¡­ I don¡¯t want to work¡­¡± Since I had nothing to do even if I woke up, I was wriggling under the nket when Han Seori entered through the door. I thought something might be wrong since she left with a sullen face a while ago¡­ but looking at what she¡¯s doing now, it was clear that something definitely happened. She walked in like a zombie, her footsteps dragging heavily, and suddenly entered the bed I was lying on. Startled, I moved my body away, but Han Seori hugged me and started muttering something. ¡°Sigh¡­ I don¡¯t want to work¡­ But why am I doing this¡­?¡± Inevitably held in her arms, I listened to her muttering¡­ and it seemed a bit¡­ foolish.Although Han Seori sometimes did dumb things, likest time, with her intellectual face, she was basically a logical and calm person. A person whomonly brings to mind words like cold beauty¡­ or career woman. But the voice is now mumbling while hugging me. How should I put it? ¡°Why do people have to work¡­ No, I have to¡­ I have to, but¡­ I don¡¯t want to¡­.¡± Should I say she seems like a corporate drone crushed under the weight of societal expectations? ¡­Well, things like me¡­ what was it called again? Ah, right, an anomaly. That¡¯s what they said. Not everyone managing anomalies like me may be superhuman¡­ but it felt somewhat out of ce. Somehow, it reminded me of the past and made me feel a sense of kinship. If it¡¯s really just an exhausted Han Seori seeking a ce to rest anding to me¡­ it might not be bad to ept her while pretending not to know. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll lose anything, right? The story would be a bit different if the one hugging me now was Kim Cheonsu. However¡­ something was odd. ¡°Ugh, what am I doing here¡­ It¡¯s warm¡­ Cold and squishy¡­ Should I call it squishy¡­ Mmm¡­ I want to stay like this forever¡­.¡± I wonder if she¡¯s gone crazy. It didn¡¯t seem like she had simply regressed to infancy due to work stress. ¡­Please don¡¯t ask me how I know. Anyway. Like a pendulum swinging between two extremes, her mood keeps changing. It¡¯s like two personalities are fighting to take over each other. The original Han Seori fighting the Han Seori who wants toze in bed. I couldn¡¯t figure out why she came here to do this, but it was clear that her condition was abnormal. ¡­It would be nice to keep feeling her silhouette digging into my jelly like this. But somehow, it felt like Daesik in Alice and Sosik were looking at me pathetically. So I carefully moved my jelly to gently push Han Seori¡¯s face away. As my small hand pushed Han Seori¡¯s face away with a squelching sound, Han Seori, who seemed shocked, spoke in a trembling voice. ¡°Do, do you dislike me¡­ No, ugh¡­ My head¡­.¡± As if a sudden headache had hit her, Han Seori scrunched up her face and tightened her arms around me. Thinking it might help, I covered her forehead with my knowledge pouch, and her scrunched eyes slightly rxed. After suffering like that for a while, Han Seori got out of bed, pping the nket as if announcing her glorious resurrection. While¡­ still holding me. ¡°¡­What the hell is this?¡± Muttering in a confused voice, she blinked at me, wedged in her bosom. ¡°Huh¡­? Why are you here¡­ Wait? This isn¡¯t my office?¡± Holding me and making a dumb voice, Han Seori awkwardly put me down and suddenly turned serious. Her tightly closed lips were clear proof that she wasn¡¯t in her right mind until a moment ago. Having returned to the normal Han Seori I knew, she left my room with a serious face. It felt like a storm had passed. Somehow, amidst the stinging gazes of the two jellies looking at me, I neatly arranged the nket Han Seori had left behind. And just as I was about to get back on the fluffy bed¡­ The door opened again, and zombie-like footsteps were heard. This time¡­ it was Kim Cheonsu, the ordinary man, with his arms full of something. Focusing my gaze. Unlike usual, his arms were full of instant food. From ramen to canned food¡­ I see a lot of things that require very simple cooking or can be eaten right away. Among them was the MRE I had eaten before. Presumably, it is the one made from the chunks of meat popping out of the can. ¡­I shouldn¡¯t eat that. By the way, it¡¯s already time to eat, huh? He always brought it on a tray, but today, did he just carry it? Oh well, as long as it tastes good. As I rubbed my jelly, Daesik came out of Alice, and Sosik wriggled closer. Kim Cheonsu, who had walked over limply, dropped the food with a heavy thud¡­ and copsed on the bed I had tidied up, muttering. ¡°I¡¯m so tired I could die¡­.¡± ¡­What¡¯s up with everyone today? They say in a mad world, the sane man seems insane. When the only two people whoe here act like that, it makes me wonder if I¡¯m the weird one. Well¡­ I was also lying on the bed feelingzy until a little while ago¡­ Rubbing my chin, I poked Kim Cheonsu¡¯s ankle, which was lying on the bed. Didn¡¯t Han Seori also note to her senses until she touched my jelly earlier? But the guy just twitched his ankle at the poke, sighed tiredly, and spoke in a very low voice. ¡°Why¡­ I brought it for you¡­ Eat it yourself¡­ And you eat the packaging, too, anyway¡­ Ugh¡­.¡± He seemed to be in an even worse state than Han Seori. Anyway. That was the extent of my kindness. Although something seems strange¡­ what can this jelly blob really do, cooped up in this white room, rolling around on the bed and fiddling with toys? ¡­He might be close to resignation. By the way. I hope his smell doesn¡¯t seep into my bed¡­ Wait a second. Could it be that he knew Han Seori hade and gone¡­? No way¡­ That can¡¯t be¡­ As I looked at the ordinary man with a doubtful gaze, I headed to where he had dumped the instant food for a meal. In front of the food, I saw two blobs of jelly sitting quietly. Hmm, it seems there are benefits to disciplining them. If I looked in the mirror, the corners of my mouth engraved on the jelly would probably be turned up in satisfaction, right? I sat down and examined the things he had brought. ¡­First of all, I have no idea why he brought ramen. He didn¡¯t even bring a gas burner¡­ Does he want me to crush and eat it raw? In the past, I might have been happy with that crunchy texture¡­ but honestly, it didn¡¯t really appeal to me. I precisely split the ramen in half and sprinkled the seasoning on both sides, then generously divided the ramen between the two jellies that admirably hadn¡¯t eaten without permission. They seem to melt it well without much trouble, perhaps because they¡¯re also Koreans. With a satisfied face, I opened a can of spicy tuna, even including the stic wrap I gave them. No, I tried to open it, but it doesn¡¯t open well. So I just put it in my stomach. As the taste of sucking on the spoon ended, the familiar taste of spicy tuna was felt. Since there wasn¡¯t much difference, even if I couldn¡¯t chew this, it was somewhat satisfying. As I ate the food one by one like that, in the end, only the MRE, presumably made from the ¡®canned food¡¯ in the underground, remained. ¡­Why did he bring that? I don¡¯t want to eat it anymore after eating all I could in my lifetime in the underground. And it tastes a bit strange, you know? Hmm. What about Daesik and Sosik, not me? They might like it. To share with the two, I tore open the packaging. Kim Cheonsu, who was lying on the bed, suddenly sat up. Kim Cheonsu, who had sat up, cast his shadow over my body and snatched the MRE from my hand. Dumbfounded by the absurdity, as I nkly stared, Kim Cheonsu tried to put the MRE in his mouth with a happy face. But he was subdued by those who suddenly barged in through the door and was dragged out. The MRE he was about to eat was also confiscated and disappeared from the room. It seemed like¡­ something was happening. ¡­But it didn¡¯t seem like any of my business, so I carefully returned to the bed and covered myself with the nket. When you¡¯ve eaten¡­ it¡¯s the rule to take a nap. ¡°We have to stop sales, I¡¯m telling you!¡± Han Seori, who was yelling at someone in anger, sat down with a weary face, then suddenly got up again. Coming to her senses, Han Seori scolded the other person again and paced the room, pressing hard on her temples. It seemed there was a problem, as she thought it was strange from earlier. After the slime girl brought Han Seori to her senses, she returned to her office and ordered status reports on those in the research center and the branch. Seeing that Kim Cheonsu¡¯s condition seemed off when he entered the slime girl¡¯s istion room, she sent someone. Then, a strange scene was discovered. The sight of Kim Cheonsu snatching the MRE from the slime girl. Kim Cheonsu¡¯s face as he took it from the slime girl¡­ definitely didn¡¯t look sane. ¡®¡­Wait a minute.¡¯ If that¡¯s the cause¡­ could it be? With a pale face, Han Seori manipted the panel to turn on the news. [The number of peopleining of sudden lethargy is increasing©¤] [A clear cause has not yet been found©¤] Something seemed to have gone terribly wrong. Han Seori immediately set out to handle the situation upon grasping it, but¡­ ¡®¡­How many of those were sold in a year again?¡¯ If she, who only ate it during taste tests, was like this, then what about other people? Han Seori let out a deep sigh. It seemed like it would be beyond what she could handle. Chapter 50: Snatching Chapter 50: Snatching A space that appears to be a meeting room. It looked like they were having a video conference. At first nce, it seemed like a dignified scene, but the conversation wasn¡¯t so dignified. ¡°I told you it would be dangerous, didn¡¯t I!¡± ¡°You kept your mouth shut then, and now you¡¯re saying this?¡± ¡°I know you have one foot in distribution, so don¡¯t pretend to be clean.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± As she listened to the conversation, Han Seori pressed her temples. Judging that this disturbance wouldn¡¯t end on her watch, she quickly contacted others and summoned those involved.It was good that they responded to the call. No, in a way, they had no choice but to respond. The ce they were at¡­ probably couldn¡¯t avoid damage either. ¡®Although they didn¡¯t seem to get along well usually¡­.¡¯ Do they have to fight even at a time like this? Han Seori felt the drowsiness spreading through her body along with irritation and pinched her thigh. She had a small doubt about whether this feeling came from the anomaly. Erasing that thought from deep within, Han Seori slowly spoke. ¡°Ahem¡­ can¡¯t we have that conversationter? For now¡­ I think taking care of the situationes first.¡± ¡°¡­I suppose so.¡± ¡°My, my, what an unsightly thing we¡¯ve witnessed.¡± ¡­Is this why they split up thebs and branches all over the ce? Still, it was a relief the argument didn¡¯t continue. Shaking her head inwardly, Han Seori shared the information she had grasped with them. As a result of investigating as much as she could. It seemed the cause was indeed the MREs from Soylent Purple Co. currently being distributed. Those experiencing simr symptoms to her had, without fail, consumed Soylent Purple Co.¡¯s MREs. A bit of drowsiness. A state as if having the Monday blues. If the symptoms were mild, like Han Seori¡¯s, there may have been no need to gather people like this. However¡­ the situation was developing in an rming direction. ¡®If I remember correctly, I said to him to avoid it if possible back then.¡¯ Recalling Kim Cheonsu, who was just dragged away and quarantined, Han Seori thought. Seeing that MREs were found in his house, it seemed he didn¡¯t listen to her warning very carefully. Or¡­ maybe he couldn¡¯t throw away what he had already stocked up¡­ ¡®*Sigh¡­*¡¯ Anyway. Those who consumed arge amount, like Kim Cheonsu, craved the MREs like addicts suffering from withdrawal symptoms. The peculiar thing was, they would lie around as if everything in the world was bothersome, but if they smelled an MRE, they¡¯d lose control and rush to it. Basically, it seemed to inflict a terrible sense of lethargy on humans, and if they consumed a bit more, they¡¯d be like Kim Cheonsu. Fortunately, there was no one who looked worse off than Kim Cheonsu yet, so they didn¡¯t know what would happen if it progressed further. But already, quite a few people at thisb wereining of this lethargic feeling. The number was rather high, but fortunately, the ratio of those reaching a state simr to Kim Cheonsu didn¡¯t seem very high. ¡­She could only vaguely specte that it was because the sry here wasn¡¯t low, so the consumption amount was low. ¡®I¡¯m not sure of the exact details, but¡­.¡¯ In the first ce, she didn¡¯t keep track of everyone¡¯s family circumstances, so it was ambiguous information to call data. Gathering information from outside theb was also limited. In the end, it was a matter that required mobilizing people¡­ but with those who needed to work allining of this lethargic feeling, how could things function properly? Anyway. The point was that if the consumption was low, it stayed at the level of feeling a thick sense of lethargy, and if the consumption increased further, those symptoms worsened. ¡°¡­Everyone suddenly started talking about feeling lethargic, so I thought it was strange, but it was because of that.¡± ¡°Is there a solution?¡± ¡°This has be troublesome.¡± Hearing their nonchnt voices, Han Seori inwardly let out a hollowugh. In the end, while reaping the benefits, they didn¡¯t even put it in their own mouths, did they? It contrasted with Yoo Kangjik, who was quarantined after having MREs while being cooped up here and unable to go home. ¡®It¡¯s somewhat understandable why people fall into Twilight¡¯s Call.¡¯ Even if I know they¡¯re spouting sophistry. Han Seori erased the thought that popped into her head and continued speaking. ¡°For now¡­ those with mild symptomse to their senses even from light contact. Just stopping the sales should have some effect.¡± Han Seori recalled taking the slime girl out of the istion room and having her p the others repeatedly a while ago. ¡­However, she realized a whileter that the slime girl didn¡¯t need to do that. ¡®I came to my senses like that, so it couldn¡¯t be helped.¡¯ Feeling slightly embarrassed, she heard a light voice and responded with a sigh. ¡°The solution is simpler than expected?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s for the mild cases. It won¡¯t work for severe ones.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± While someone was muttering hesitantly, ¡°Excuse me.¡± Han Seori gestured for the person who opened the door and came in to approach. In a somewhat tense state as she had said to report only urgent matters. After hearing from the person who entered, Han Seori couldn¡¯t hold back a deep sigh. It was ominous news that unidentified individuals were approaching the product factory. It was fortunate to learn what ultimately happens to those addicted to the MREs. ¡®If we don¡¯t resolve this quickly¡­ will we be able to handle it?¡¯ Han Seori shared the details with a serious face. Then, as if the gravity of the situation was conveyed, a voice flowed out, thick with tension. ¡°This has be a headache. For now, we¡¯ll mobilize personnel as much as possible.¡± ¡°In the end, I think we need topletely eliminate ¡®that.¡¯ But, wasn¡¯t itmercialized like this because no method was found to eliminate it?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡± If it had been a bit earlier, Han Seori might have also just sighed deeply. The very reason this insane n tomercialize an anomaly came about was because they couldn¡¯t find a way to get rid of that ever-increasing anomaly. But. ¡®¡­If it¡¯s 7496-KR, it might be possible.¡¯ I don¡¯t know about multiplying lumps of meat, but the can itself that spits out the lump of meat wasn¡¯t that big¡­ If it could just be put inside 7496-KR, there might be a way to handle it. If they dyed any longer, it would be unmanageable. Han Seori immediately spoke her thoughts, and it was very quick to gain agreement on it. There was no other way anyway. I, who had been sleeping cozily under the covers, was grabbed by a sweat-drenched Han Seori and taken out of the room. And then¡­ like Han Seori a while ago, I went around pping the faces of people who had lost their minds. I¡¯m doing it because Han Seori told me to, but I was wondering what the hell this was. But maybe it was because there was nothing else to do other than y with toys or sleep all day. Honestly¡­ it was kind of fun. As I was excitedly pping around without knowing that Han Seori had entrusted me to someone else. Han Seori approached me with a determined face. She held me in her arms, quickly walked somewhere, and looked at me. Before long, she and I boarded the vehicle we had taken when going to the byrinth¡±st time. Perhaps because it was urgent, unlike then, I wasn¡¯t trapped in a ss tube. As soon as we got in the vehicle, it departed, and Han Seori sighed and put the same cor around my neck asst time. Soon. She showed me something somewhat familiar and spoke to me. ¡°This time, you¡¯ll just need to follow the arrows from the start. And¡­.¡± Han Seori stroked my head, pointed to what appeared on the screen, and continued. ¡°Devour this for me.¡± Saying that she picked up the surrounding junk and gently pushed it into my belly. Focusing my gaze on the screen, I saw a familiar object. Thinking back, it was in my memory. The strange can in the basement spewed out red lumps of meat. It wasn¡¯t a memory I particrly wanted to recall, so my jelly was bubbling. Seeing the bubbling jelly, Han Seori spoke with a somewhat¡­ desperate-looking face. ¡°¡­Did you understand? Can you do it?¡± Han Seori, speaking like that, was looking at me with a face I had never seen before. Desperation, impatience, a bit of fear, anticipation, hope. A veryplex expression that couldn¡¯t be defined with a single word. I couldn¡¯t nod my head and just nkly stared at her face. Han Seori must have thought I didn¡¯t understand as she repeated the same words again. Finallying to my senses, I silently (not that I could speak anyway) nodded my jelly. Then, her face brightened a little. ¡­That reminds me. What the hell happened to make her do this? Is it rted to the people whose faces I¡¯ve been pping? Come to think of it¡­ The man¡¯s condition was a bit strange today, wasn¡¯t it? Combining the events and experiences I had today, I roughly got the answer. Maybe¡­ he ate something he shouldn¡¯t have and got sick. Huh¡­ and she¡¯s asking me to eat that? Then¡­ what about me? *Reeeeee!* While looking at Han Seori, who was sighing without a word, I felt the vehiclee to an abrupt stop. As I got out of the vehicle, I heard a chaotic noise from a distance. The entrance to somewhere was right in front of me, so the noise quickly vanished. Anyway. After taking the elevator, I came down to the ce where I was ced after being kidnapped. ¡­I didn¡¯t particrly miss it. Chapter 51: Only Me Chapter 51: Only Me The reunion with my first kidnapping location was the worst. No, from the beginning, since I was abducted and brought here¡­ It¡¯s only natural that the image in my head isn¡¯t very good. But regardless of my personal grudges, the situation didn¡¯t look too good. In the fairly spacious hallway, people with faces that looked like they¡¯d lost everything dear to them were sprawled about, and the ones who looked rtively fine were busy taking care of them. *Thud thud!* Hearing a sound, I looked in that direction and saw a person inside a ce simr to where I¡¯d been confined here. They¡­ Right, they have a face simr to Kim Cheonsu¡¯s, who snatched the MRE from me. ¡­If a zombie apocalypse like in novels or games were to happen, I suppose it would look like this nightmarish scene. Except their prey isn¡¯t people¡­ but those MREs with that strange taste. While I was making such observations, Han Seori, her face stiff, silently picked me up and passed through that pandemonium.My feeling about seeing that uproar was¡­ how should I say¡­ somewhatplicated. Thinking that the people who ate that all over the country would end up like that gave me the chills. I was a bit startled that Han Seori chose me, the slime¡­ no, the anomaly to stop that. I wondered if I could have taken time off work if I was still human¡­ It was a pathetic thought. It¡¯s a strange feeling. I¡¯m clearly aware that something huge happened. But¡­ Is it because it¡¯s not my fault? I just¡­ epted it. It feels like I¡¯ve be a¡­ psychopath or somethingcking empathy. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because I¡¯m not human anymore, but a slime¡­ I¡¯m just confused. Meanwhile, Han Seori, who ran diligently, opened the door to the restricted area I enteredst time. As the door opened with a mechanical sound¡­ The sight of reddish lumps of meat sprawled here and there came into view. Looking closely, people in protective suits that looked like spacesuits were holding back the rising lumps of meat over there. Someone cut the lumps of meat, someone burned them, and someone moved them somewhere. But it doesn¡¯t look like they¡¯re effectively blocking it. Putting the methodology aside, it just¡­ looks severely short on manpower. Even I, an amateur, can see that, so¡­ I wonder how those people blocking it must feel. As I watched them struggling, Han Seori, who put me down, told me again what I need to do. As I nodded, she patted my head, and a familiar arrow appeared on the floor. ¡°Fuck, is there an end to this shit?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! Something that can solve this wille soon, so hold on!¡± ¡­The ones who looked quite overwhelmed were apparently waiting for me. As the knowledge pouch perked up, Han Seori looked at me with aplex expression. I could read the many emotions in her eyes. Among them, I felt a bit of guilt, so¡­ I was a little resentful that she made me eat that ¡®canned food¡¯¡­ but I could understand a bit too. They probably really had no other way¡­ so they had no choice but to rely on an anomaly like me. ¡­I wonder if that canned food is also an anomaly. The thought of ¡®yuck¡¯ was¡­ unavoidable, it seems. Still, I was somehow excited. While climbing the wall with my sticky body, I jokingly thought I became like a friendly neighborhood slime in a red skintight suit. ¡­This really feels like I¡¯ve be that kind of hero. Well, I don¡¯t know how it¡¯ll actually turn out, but what matters is how I feel, right? So I felt pretty good. I waved to Han Seori and followed the arrow. ¡°Whoa, fuck, what is this?¡± ¡­There was a minor incident where I almost got shot by friendly fire, but I still felt pretty good. Anyway. After the minor incident, I entered the wriggling lump of meat. The somewhat unpleasant smell was. The same as before. And. [Dear¡­.] A faint voice was heard. ¡­Honestly, I may have to admit it. The reason I didn¡¯t think much of Han Seori¡¯s request¡­ was perhaps because I was subconsciously underestimating that ¡®canned food¡¯. I thought it would be an easy task. I just¡­ felt like I was going to an exotic restaurant in a slightly rough area, not a gourmet trip to eat a small canned food after passing through lumps of meat. But the path to the canned food was¡­ harder than I thought. To begin with, I should have noticed it when people were struggling outside, not in the ce where the hooks were roaming. After leaving where they were, ¡­The passages were full of lumps of meat. Squeezing through the tangled lumps of meat was a harrowing ordeal as I tried to make my way deeper inside. [Bother¡­some¡­.] The voiceing from the can echoed in my slime, and squeezing through the sticky¡­ lumps of meat felt like going through intestines. Fortunately, as if the word bothersome was sincere, the lumps of meat were busy escaping to the outside. They didn¡¯t attack me while wriggling like tentacles. ¡­If I had to fight that thing, I would have already be a slime topped with meat lumps. That¡¯s how overwhelmingly massive the meat was. It was a bit¡­ unpleasant to feel the wriggling texture every time I passed through the narrow gaps between the meat lumps. Then. I was reminded of a cartoon I saw when I was young while looking at the continuously multiplying meat lumps. It was a cartoon with a blue roon robot from the future, and one of the episodes had continuously growing bread like now. I remember it involved using some tools to make it grow, but only the bread remained in my head. At a young age, I thought it would be good if tasty bread kept growing, but remembering an article I read on the Inte when I was a bit older, it was quite creepy. ¡­In the end, it said our gxy would be swallowed by a bread ck hole due to the increased bread mass. Will this also¡­ turn into a meat ck hole if not stopped? Thinking that it doesn¡¯t feel like someone else¡¯s business. I was worried if I could survive outside the blue or die in a meat ck hole. There would be no one to give me an award, but wouldn¡¯t I deserve a Darwin Award? ¡­It doesn¡¯t seem like the end I want to face. *Squelch! Squelch!* How long had it been since I passed through the meat lumps that kept growing? Before my eyes¡­ a slightly familiar space appeared. Should I say it¡¯s familiar? Filled with meat lumps other than the protruding hooks¡­ there were hardly any simrities to the ce I knew. Still, perhaps because it was such arge space, there was rtively more roompared to the outer passage. As I vacantly looked around, An arrow appeared in the remaining space, and I saw my knowledge pouch pointing in the same direction. I was puzzled in the maze, but at this point, there was no way I wouldn¡¯t know what the knowledge pouch was pointing to. It seems¡­ to have the ability to detect anomalies like me. Until now, there were confusing circumstances together, so I couldn¡¯t be sure, but now¡­ I was close to certain. That ability appeared after I devoured the guardian totem¡­ it¡¯s probably its ability. Hmm, it¡¯s a bit¡­ thrilling. Don¡¯t men have a thing for dinosaurs andbining robots? Isn¡¯t this simr to abining robot in a way? ¡­There¡¯s a slightly cruel condition of having to eat the target tobine, but anyway, that¡¯s how it is. While having stupid thoughts for a moment to relieve the tension, I headed in the direction the knowledge pouch and arrow were pointing. Actually, I thought I could find it even without them. Wouldn¡¯t I just need to go from where the meat lumps are stretching out in real time? Thest time I came here, I remember it being noisy with loud sounds. Now¡­ only the sound of the meat lumps moving and the interior failing to withstand it were heard. It was quiet. But it doesn¡¯t seem like a pleasant quietness. *Squish¡­ squish.* Eventually, I reached the hole where the meat lumps were originally being cut out. The hole the meat lumps were escaping from had greatly expanded, and the de that had been cutting them seemed to have broken down and wasn¡¯t moving. Passing through the passage with the dull de, I arrived at the space where I fell before, like in the story of Jack and the Beanstalk reaching the giant¡¯s castle in the sky. I saw meat lumps still stretching far up and filling the long passage. ¡­Recalling how I almost fell and diedst time. I stuck to the wall to avoid the growing meat lumps. Last time, I was really lucky that the meat lumps cushioned me, and I survived, but thinking the same luck would happen this time would be a naive idea. ¡­Still. I couldn¡¯t help but think when I¡¯d finish going down this high ce. While feeling bored and descending, [Bother@$%] A huge voice resounding through the entire space was heard. The knowledge pouch perked up. But apart from that, I could instinctively tell. If I go down a little more. I could meet the canned food. *Gurgle.* My slime bubbled. If I were human, I would have gulped. ¡­Alright. Then, shall I go and save the world? Chapter 52: I can eat this can Chapter 52: I can eat this can I. Descended. As I stuck my slime on the ground, it felt familiar¡­ no, I had some doubts about calling it familiar. Looking at where my slime touched, it seemed I had indeed arrived at that cramped space where I saw the can. However. Unlike then, I could see chunks of meat scattered here and there. It wasn¡¯t half water and half meat, but 80% meat with the remaining 19% water. 1% was left for the can. The chunks of meat that defied gravity and gushed upwards¡­ were probably not rising of their own ord, but there may have been some kind of device. If not that¡­ they may have been cut off while exiting. Fortunately, the severed chunks don¡¯t wriggle.Meaning there¡¯s no need to push through wriggling chunks of meat to get out like when I came here. ¡­Of course, I still had to push the chunks of meat to get out. But in the field of chunks of meat buried in darkness, there was no need to worry about how to find the can. It was very easy to find what moved among unmoving things. *twitch twitch* Since the knowledge pouch was pointing somewhere, I wasn¡¯t particrly worried about finding it. ¡­However, I¡¯m still not sure if it detects what Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu call an ¡°Anomaly.¡± Since there was no other reason for the knowledge pouch to twitch, I think I¡¯m probably right. As I walked in the direction the knowledge pouch pointed, as I expected, Amidst the silent chunks of meat, I saw one making gurgling noises all by itself. [Bothersome@4a] Along with the word presumed to be ¡°bothersome¡± that had been heard for a while, chunks of meat that continue to proliferate and gush upwards are seen. The chunks of meat stretching out with gurgling sounds don¡¯t seem to intend to stop whether I came or not. After watching it for a while, I hardened my hands and feet like when I subdued the horned wolf and cleaned up around the gurgling ascending chunks of meat. I¡¯m not ttening them like a pork cutlet hammer¡­ just gently pushing them aside. I want something big and hard. Anyway. After tidying up the surroundings using even my tentacles, the familiar thing revealed itself. Seeing endless chunks of meat spewing from a small can¡­ indeed, I could see why they called it an Anomaly. Would there be anyone who understands chunks of meat spewing from that can? ¡­There isn¡¯t, so they sent me. Thinking that, I newly realized that from their perspective, I, too, had be an iprehensible existence. A¡­ lifeform (although I take the form of a girl, so it¡¯s strange to say that) with the ego of the human ¡°Han Hosu.¡± I understand why Han Seori tried to cut off my arm and figure something out not long ago. ¡­I probably would have done the same, right? Well, they probably don¡¯t know that I¡¯m inside it. Then, thinking it was more convenient to hide it in many ways, I approached the can. Grabbing the can endlessly spewing red chunks of meat, the can trembles intensely as if resisting capture. Perhaps it¡¯s trembling due to the force of the spewing meat chunks. *ng!* Lifting the grabbed can, I thought about how it was even stuck to the ground in the first ce. Han Seori told me to eat this up. Looking at it trembling in my hand, I recalled the things I had eaten so far. ¡­Excluding food, since that would be too many. Mice, wild dogs, metal, horned wolf, strange guardian totem (it was probably an Anomaly), the beautiful statue (this too)¡­ Hmm. I could also see why they asked me to eat it up. Even I think I seem likely to eat up anything well. However¡­ Recalling the chunks of meat that swarmed me as if to trample me when I first came here, I hesitated a little. But. I didn¡¯t really have the option of not eating it. Even if it wasn¡¯t Han Seori¡¯s request, if I eventually can¡¯t stop these proliferating chunks of meat¡­ the ce for me to live will disappear. ¡­I mean, I couldn¡¯t really feel it when they said things like a ck hole or whatever, but it was clear that something big would happen. The world has to be peaceful for me to eat delicious things like chicken. When this is over¡­ they¡¯ll let me feast on all sorts of delicacies, right? Saving the earth is a humble thing that deserves at least that much. ¡­Like a steak or something. Or¡­ what was it¡­ something expensive¡­ like foie gras or caviar, would be nice too. Thinking of the delicacies I hadn¡¯t been able to eat, I stabbed the can, spewing chunks of meat into my body. *Shink.* Along with the sensation of something hard entering my body, an indescribable bizarre taste was felt all over. And. Until now, when I ate something, I have heard *gurgle*¡­ *gurgle* sounds. But now. *glorp glorp glorp glorp.* A loud sound, like boiling water, was heard. [Bothersome@4a] A voice of indeterminate gender is heard from inside my body. *glorp glorp glorp.* Does tasting it mean I can digest this? ¡­I don¡¯t know. Even if I try to look closely at what¡¯s inside my stomach, it looks hazy due to the boiling slime. *ng!* Then, I was pushed by the force of the spewing chunks of meat and fell to the ground. *glorp glorp, squish squish!* Along with the sound of slime boiling, the gushing chunks of meat envelop my body. From a distance, it would seem as if chunks of meat were erupting out of me. Due to the piled-up chunks of meat, the already dark space became even darker. The only thing that could be called light now¡­ was the arrow from my choker. *glorp glorp glorp.* The bizarre taste is felt along with the taste of chunks of meat. Meanwhile, I could feel the chunks of meat piling on top of me, getting heavier and heavier. They went up well before, but why are they weighing me down now? And so Iy there with the can stuck in my belly, hoping it would be digested. More than anything else, ¡­this indescribably awful taste was the most agonizing. ¡°We¡¯re severely short on personnel.¡± ¡°Stop saying things everyone knows and move quickly.¡± ¡°¡­Phew.¡± Maybe I should just scarf down an MRE, too. The man who swallowed a sigh at the sudden heavy workload shook his head, looking at the person being dragged by the one who spoke to him. He saw a person limply being dragged as if intoxicated by drugs, hanging their limbs helplessly. ¡®¡­Well, I don¡¯t want to end up like that.¡¯ The man, sighing, headed to his assigned location and looked around. ¡°I don¡¯t want to work¡­.¡± ¡°Is it because it¡¯s Monday¡­ It¡¯s harder than usual.¡± Here and there, peopleining of mild ¡®symptoms¡¯ caught his eye. ¡®They said to leave the mild cases alone?¡¯ Recalling that he was told to leave them be as interfering would only make it worse, the man took another step. Whether he was lucky or not, no situations requiring his intervention urred in his assigned area. Nevertheless, the man looked around, feeling a strange ominousness. As if the man¡¯s thoughts had nted a seed, ¡°Kyaaa!?¡± ¡°Wh, What are you doing!?¡± Noisy sounds beganing from the corner of the convenience store. ¡®Ah, shit.¡¯ The man, who inwardly sighed, ran to the ce where themotion was heard. Entering the convenience store where the screams were heard, he saw a person rampaging and knocking over the store shelves. The person who copsed against the shelves, knocking them over, roughly tore open the ¡®MRE¡¯ that was disyed there and shoved it into their mouth. ¡°Th, That person must be crazy¡­.¡± ¡°Um, um, excuse me, customer? You should at least pay before eating¡­.¡± Seeing that crazed behavior, the clerk and others just stared at the person with pale faces. Seeing that, the man sighed inwardly, took out his ID from his pocket, and shouted. ¡°You are under arrest as a criminal caught in the act.¡± What he took out was a police ID. With the appearance of the perfect person for the situation, people¡¯s faces brightened, though they still thought ¡®is that all?¡¯. ¡®So¡­ what did I have to say next?¡¯ The man who roughly notified them thought it was meaningless and handcuffed the person, still hurriedly eating the MRE. Their obsession with MREs was strong, but subduing them wasn¡¯t very difficult as they were no different from a normal person. The man heard murmurs from people around him and took the subdued person out. Behind him, he heard the clerk¡¯s voice asking ¡°what do we do about all this?¡±, but the man couldn¡¯t answer that as he wasn¡¯t instructed to. As the clerk was flustered, the man who left the convenience store put the rampaging person into the prepared vehicle and swallowed a sigh. The one fortunate thing was that as the rampaging person moved away from the MREs, their movements weakened as if they had calmed down. Then, just as the man was about to go back out, ¡°Huh? Where the hell is this¡­? Ha, handcuffs?!¡± A rtively lucid-sounding voice was heard. The one most startled by that voice was the man who had brought the voice¡¯s owner there. ¡®What? There was nothing about them regaining their senses?¡¯ The man, breaking out in a cold sweat, turned around and smiled awkwardly. Erasing memories was beyond what he could do. ¡­For now, he thought he should reassure the restrained person with some usible words. ¡°Have you lost your memory?¡± ¡°What? Wh, who are you?¡± The man thought the situation from a little while ago was actually better. He desperately racked his brain. Chapter 53: Don’t Tell Me… Chapter 53: Don¡¯t Tell Me¡­ *Glorp¡­ glorp.* I couldn¡¯t tell how much time had passed. However, judging by the sloshing sound stilling from inside my body, it seems digestion hasn¡¯t beenpleted yet. The indescribably bizarre taste¡­ I can¡¯t feel it well now. I don¡¯t know if my sense of taste has be numb, like my nose being paralyzed. In the first ce, how do I experience taste? No matter how much I ponder, I still don¡¯t know. Well, although I don¡¯t have the appearance of a human, I roughly have human consciousness, so it would be strange for me to understand those anomalies. ¡­I wonder if even the anomalies can¡¯t understand each other? If they could understand, maybe the horned wolf would have be my new friend.The guardian totem, too, and the statue¡­ and that monstrous cow. How could that be possible? As I was absently waiting, lost in thoughts that didn¡¯t seem very nutritious, *Squish¡­ squish.* I could sense the pressure on the jelly gradually weakening. Perhaps because the part that detects taste is like shutting my eyes, I was keenly aware of that subtle change. The lumps of meat that had been proliferating as if blood was draining from my body were slowly¡­ slowly¡­ slowing down. Lumps of meat that had lost strength and crumbled like minced meat fell *plop, plop* onto my body. The thought that this tedious time is finally ending makes me feel quite good. Eventually, ¡°Bothersome¡­ ah, the end is finally approaching for me too.¡± Along with a ttering metallic sound, a voice of indeterminate gender was heard. It¡¯s a rather familiar voice I¡¯ve been hearing since I first came here. Surprisingly, the anomaly that I didn¡¯t know what to call seemed to know that its death was imminent. And as if that was the only salvation given to it¡­ it muttered in a voice that even felt somewhat sweet. I feel a chill at the thought I can¡¯t understand. Isn¡¯t the instinct to live¡­ the strongest for living things? ¡­I don¡¯t know. Can these things, called anomalies, even be considered living things? Feeling my jelly gettingplicated, I just gave up thinking. There¡¯s no point in trying to understand what I can¡¯t understand. It will only make my jelly ache. Anyway. The ¡®canned food¡¯ that left a curiously strangest words didn¡¯t say anything else. Quietly melting away inside my jelly. It was as if my existence, a being like this, was inconsequential. As if savoring the¡­ ¡®peace¡¯ that wille to it. ¡­I felt like spitting it out for a moment. But then I thought if it sprouts up again, it might do something nasty, so I waited nicely¨C No, I¡¯m a good slime, so I waited nicely. I wasn¡¯t thinking that. Not long after, I sensed that the canned food boiling inside my body hadpletely melted away. I think it muttered something at the end¡­ but honestly, I couldn¡¯t hear it well. Hmm. It must have been the excuse of the loser, so there was no need to listen. ¡­It felt like it got some kind of mental victory, but I tried hard to ignore it. Soon, as if a stuffed nose had cleared, the smell of raw meat wafted strongly from the surroundings. Unable to understand what was happening, I wriggled in the darkness and went outside, and I saw the red lumps of meat that had been wriggling before were somewhat *drooping* now. The appearance boasting vigorous vitality could no longer be seen, and it seemed to have be an ordinary lump of meat that could be seen in a butcher shop. ¡­Seeing it packed full of only meat with no fat at all, it didn¡¯t seem like it would be very popr. Well, it would be perfect for braised meat. By the way. I digested it all¡­ but I don¡¯t feel any particr change. Should I sleep? As I scratched my neck in puzzlement, a clicking sound was heard. The chocker that Han Seori put on me was still on my neck. It felt so much like part of my body that I didn¡¯t notice it. Then¡­ is she watching? The arrow should appear soon? The moment I thought that, I saw a huge silhouette falling over my head. Startled, I dodged to the side, and a huge sound of *crash!* was heard. Red lumps of meat ssh in all directions. I wonder if I¡¯d end up like that, too, if I fell from a dizzying height¡­? Feeling like it was not someone else¡¯s business, I focused my vision upward. ¡­A rain of lumps of meat had begun to pour from the sky. If I had to make an analogy¡­ yes. A bloody hail poured down from the sky. I remember there was a game among ssic games called ¡°Avoiding X.¡± I dodged the *squish squish* falling lumps of meat, feeling like I was ying that. Then I remembered the ce where I had been crouching until a little while ago and took shelter there. *St st st st st!* The sounds of sandbags bursting rang out noisily. Listening to the sounding at a slightly irregr interval feels like listening to ASMR. Just as I thought I might fall asleep like this, Silence came as if nothing had ever happened. Rather, hearing no sound at all gave me goosebumps. Going back outside, I saw a¡­ pile that had been made. Lumps of meat that had sttered and stuck tenaciously to the floor were scattered all around. The floor was drenched with what might be blood or meat juice that had spurted out from inside the lumps of meat. ¡­As it wasn¡¯t a very pleasant atmosphere, I decided to quickly get out of there. Going back was the same asing down. It was a very boring thing, but it was rather fun to think that I could rest now. After crawling up for a long time, I finally arrived at the hole leading outside, and familiarly slipping out of the hole, I followed the arrow that had appeared at some point. Han Seori, looking somehow extremely haggard, was waiting for me. ¡°¡­Good work.¡± She lifted me up with a happy yet somewhatplicated face and, this time gently put me down in a rather luxurious ss jar. Hmm¡­ I feel like I need some warmth right now¡­ well, whatever. Han Seori seems to be thinking of returning right away as she immediately leads the ss jar towards the outside. The passageways were still full of lumps of meat, but seeing that they weren¡¯t growing anymore, it seemed to have been definitely resolved. ¡­Seeing the exhausted people resting here and there, unlike when I entered, I had a truly strange feeling. How tired must they be to not even give a nce to Han Seori carrying me? Anyway. I was able to return to the room I was staying in. Han Seori, who took me out of the ss jar, carefully put me down on the floor and said softly, ¡°For now¡­ thanks¡­ and um, that¡­ see youter.¡± She smiled at me with a very tired face and went outside. Hmm¡­ Come to think of it, there were probably more people outside who ate that MRE than the people here. ¡­Are they busy cleaning that up? Is this even something that can be cleaned up? Impressive. If it can be cleaned up, that is. As I returned, Daesik (in the Alice) and Sosik wriggled and approached. Somehow, the way they rubbed against me made it seem like they felt lonely while I was gone. ¡­It was a bit unexpected for Sosik to do that, but it¡¯s not a bad feeling. As I was caressing them like that, the door opened again. I thought Han Seori had returned, but this time, Kim Cheonsu came to see me. Somehow feeling a sense of deja vu at the sight, I frowned my jelly, and he coughed, *ahem*, and approached me, saying, ¡°¡­Thank you. I heard you helped mee to my senses.¡± Hmm¡­ has my achievement already reached the ears of this man? Or¡­ since Han Seori was a bit close with him, maybe he found out first. But. His condition was a bit strange. A different strangeness from when he rushed to the MRE. The ordinary man looked at me for some reason, then covered his eyes with both hands and let out a sigh. His cheeks seem somewhat red while covering his eyes. It must be my imagination, right? Or¡­ was he embarrassed to be saved by me? Eventually, the guy who sighed pped his cheeks *smack smack*, then suddenly fell prostrate and began hitting his head on the floor. ¡­Has he gone crazy? Wondering why he¡¯s doing that, I blocked his forehead, and he muttered in a very serious voice, ¡°This is all because of a strange dream¡­ that can¡¯t be¡­.¡± He muttered something iprehensible, then got up from his spot with a reddened forehead. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll repay youter. For now¡­ I have a lot to do.¡± The man rambled about something I didn¡¯t even ask, then made an ordinary man-like exit. I shrugged my shoulders as I watched him leave. Judging by how they¡¯re acting, the people outside seemed likely to be busy for a while. Then there¡¯s nothing for me to do but roll around on the bed anyway. As if that thought was the reason, Or¡­ I don¡¯t know if the same thing that happened after eating the statue is happening, But somehow¡­ drowsiness suddenly came over me. Lying on the bed, tremendous fatigue washes over me. As my vision darkens, I saw Daesik lying next to me. ¡­And. For some reason, Sosik was on my belly. He had no expression. But somehow, ¡­it felt like he was smiling. But I couldn¡¯t ovee the sleep that came over me, And fell asleep. Don¡¯t tell me¡­ We¡­ were good together, weren¡¯t we? Maybe I was the only one who thought so¡­. Chapter 54: After That Chapter 54: After That
I am pleased to present this bonus chapter, which has been made possible thanks to the wonderful review written by naughtt. Please enjoy this bonus chapter as a small token of my appreciation for naughtt¡¯s contribution to my trantion work.
Current StatusEliminatedDate of Elimination2¨€¨€¨€.¨€¨€.¨€¨€
Confirmed to have beenpletely eliminated after being absorbed by ¨€¨€¨€¨€-KR(All-Melting Slime -> Girl Made of Slime (modified at Dr. Han Seori¡¯s suggestion)).
It was an anomaly in the form of a can secured during the period called the interwar period after World War I, but it was opened with an ordinary ¡®can opener¡¯ and changed to a state of infinitely producing meat. After discussions and experiments to deal with the growing pieces of meat, a ¨€¨€ facility was established and ¨€¨€ed in the form of ¨€¨€¨€¨€. It didn¡¯t cause any particr problems for ¨€¨€¨€¨€ days, but on 2¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€, it caused the following conditions in those who consumed it. Stage 1: Feeling bored and lethargic. Seized by the thought of wanting to rest, it is a state where one can escape by oneself by reacting to external stimuli. Stage 2: Loss of energy and motivation iparable to Stage 1. Once you reach this stage, you can¡¯t get out of the state even with external stimuli, and you tend to obsess over ¨€¨€¨€¨€ made by ¨€¨€¨€-KR-2.Stage 3: Completely losing one¡¯s senses, stopping at nothing to get close to ¨€¨€¨€-KR-2. Since no one has seeded in actually contacting ¨€¨€¨€-KR-2, it is not known what happens after that.
It was judged that there was a risk of exposing the location of the ¨€¨€boratory set up at the ¨€¨€ factory by people in the process of reaching Stage 3, so there was a n to move it to ¨€¨€.
A strangemonality was found among those who had reached Stages 2 and 3. Attached is the conversation record of a ¨€¨€ branch agent who had reached Stage 2 as reference material.
[Conversation Record of Agent Kim ¨€¨€] Dr. Han Seori: It¡¯s been a while. Are you feeling a bit better? Agent Kim ¨€¨€: Thanks for your concern, I think I¡¯m okay. Dr. Han Seori: I¡¯m d to hear you¡¯re healthy. Rather than that, there¡¯s something I want to ask¡­ Agent Kim ¨€¨€, you said you saw something in that state, right? Agent Kim ¨€¨€: Can¡¯t you ask someone other than me¡­? Dr. Han Seori: Isn¡¯t this better than going to relocate the ¨€¨€b?
It was judged to be an unnecessary conversation and was deleted.
Agent Kim ¨€¨€: Should I say in that state¡­ As I was thinking about wanting to eat ¨€¨€¨€¨€, my vision darkened. Like I was dreaming. Even there, the desire to eat ¨€¨€¨€¨€ felt the same. As I was having that never-ending dream¡­ suddenly, something blue appeared. Dr. Han Seori: Blue? More details.
In this process, agent Kim ¨€¨€ tried to retract his statement but opened his mouth at Dr. Han Seori¡¯s persuasion.
Agent Kim ¨€¨€: ¡­Something made entirely of blue appeared and embraced me. And then I came to my senses. That¡¯s¡­ it. Really. Dr. Han Seori: Well, it doesn¡¯t seem like anything special, so why were you so reluctant? By the way, something made of blue¡­ What was it like? Could you tell me in more detail? Agent Kim ¨€¨€: Uh, well¡­ like¡­ ¨€¨€¨€¨€-KR¡­ Dr. Han Seori: I hope it¡¯s not what I¡¯m thinking.
Subsequent conversation records were reviewed and censored at the individual¡¯s request.
[End of Agent Kim ¨€¨€¡¯s Conversation Record] Those who consumed ¨€¨€¨€¨€ to the point of reaching Stage 2 testified that they saw a ¡®blue¡¯ something beforeing to their senses. The identity of the ¡®something¡¯ has not been clearly revealed yet, but it is likely to be ¨€¨€¨€¨€-KR who consumed ¨€¨€¨€-KR-2.
ordingly, it seemed necessary to erase the memories of those who consumed ¨€¨€¨€¨€ and witnessed ¡®something,¡¯ so it was carried out but ultimately failed.
Additionally, when ¨€¨€¨€-KR-2 was eliminated, the pieces of meat inside the ¨€¨€b turned into ordinary pieces of meat with unknownposition.
There was a dispute in the process of disposing of the remaining ¨€¨€¨€¨€, but it was decided to collect and dispose of everything released to the market.
After that, the risk level of ¨€¨€¨€-KR-2 was changed from ¨€¨€¨€¨€ to unrated (eliminated). [End of Document] [Document on ¨€¨€¨€-KR-2 Cleanup Costs] [Conversation Records of Agents Who Consumed ¨€¨€¨€¨€ Stages 2 and 3] [Spection on the Identity of What Was Seen After Consuming ¨€¨€¨€¨€] [Report on ¨€¨€¨€¨€-KR] It feels like it¡¯s boiling and bubbling. Actually, I¡¯ve been saying I was sleeping, but I¡¯ve never had what you¡¯d call a dream since I became a slime. Well, I mean, I had a ton of dreams when I was human, but I don¡¯t remember having anything you could call a dream since I became a slime. But what I see in my sight now¡­ I think it might be a dream. Because the can I ate was floating in front of my eyes. From that empty can¡­ for some unknown reason, I felt a lot of dissatisfaction. I¡¯m sure thest time I heard its voice, it seemed satisfied¡­ Maybe I¡¯m having this dream because I felt sorry for it. Anyway. It¡¯s my dream, so I can do whatever I want with it, right? ¡­Feeling a bit dissatisfied, I grabbed the can and threw it on the floor. If we had met outside, that would be one thing. But if it appears in my dream, of course¡­ it should crawl on its own, shouldn¡¯t it? *Whoosh~* The flying can rolled with a tter and crawled on the floor pathetically. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve felt the sensation of kicking a ball, and as I gleefully kicked the can around, I felt like the self hidden in my heart was popping out. While kicking the can with a refreshing feeling that I can¡¯t exin, *Bam!* The rolling can slowly melted away and disappeared somewhere. ¡­That cowardly bastard! Thinking it had run away, I was waving my jelly around. Waving my jelly. I woke up from the dream. *Thud!* I felt something hit my jelly and copse on top of my body with a thud. nkly blinking my hazy vision, I recalled the scene I had seen just before falling asleep. ¡­That image of Sosik looking at me with a mischievous grin. How could an ordinary jelly make a smiling face, you ask? But that¡¯s how I felt. Anyway. I thought it might be Sosik who had climbed up and copsed after being hit by my jelly. But. Something was strange. *Bubble, bubble.* What I thought was Sosik¡­ wasn¡¯t Sosik¡­ No, is it Sosik? It¡¯s confusing. A tiny girl was lying face down on my belly. A small, blue girl who seemed to resemble me was bubbling her body as if everything in the world was bothersome. In the midst of the confusion, the reason I judged it to be Sosik was, When I poked its head with my jelly, jelly tentacles that I had seen many times before stretched out from behind its back and pushed my hand away while struggling. nkly staring at it, I sat up on the bed with a dry chuckle. Then, the thing that was on my belly flowed down onto the bed with a plop. As if to say it was happy, Sosik stretched its tentacles and covered its body with the nket I was using. But no way. I stretched out my jelly and removed the nket, then grabbed the thing presumed to be Sosik. A very small form, but definitely resembling me. When I put my hand under its armpits and lift it up, its waist stretches out like a cat¡¯s body. Rather than stretching, it seems to be an act of wanting to touch the bed by extending its body. While doing that, it struggles with its tentacles to remove my hand, so it seems to be Sosik, but¡­ Why did it suddenly take this form? ¡­And why does it look so fed up with the world? While I was lifting it up and observing, Daesik (in Alice), who was lying next to me, also wriggled and got up. The guy wriggled and got up, lifting Alice¡¯s face as if looking at Sosik. *Gasp!* Like a person¡­ No, like a shocked doll, it stiffened its body. Its expression and its main body were not visible, but Daesik seemed very shocked. ¡­Daesik is still a slime inside there. ¡­Could it be jealous? Perhaps living inside Alice¡¯s body isn¡¯t just to find stability there. The guy, havinge to its senses, clung to my waist and tapped me with Alice¡¯s hand. As if saying to make it like that too. ¡­That would be very troublesome. Because I, too, woke up to find Sosik changed like this. Daesik, clinging to my side, is patting my waist. Sosik in my hand has now given up and is hanging limply, grabbed by my jelly. Could it be¡­ that I¡¯m still dreaming? A dream within a dream, as they say. This sight, which might be simr to this nightmare, might be a dream. But the sensation of Daesik patting my waist is too vivid. Meanwhile, ¡°Kim Cheonsu. Didn¡¯t I say not toe here?¡± ¡°No, D-Doctor, it really wasn¡¯t like that!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Kim Cheonsu, who looked more energetic thanst time, and Han Seori entered through the door. Han Seori was carrying a tray stacked with food. *Crash!* Upon seeing me, Han Seori dropped the tray and opened her mouth. Next to her, Kim Cheonsu, who had been babbling, also alternately looked at Sosik and me with a startled face. Soon, I felt an indescribable emotion in Han Seori¡¯s expression as she alternately looked at Kim Cheonsu and me. ¡­I had a feeling something was wrong. Chapter 55: A New Routine Chapter 55: A New Routine ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Han Seori, who was looking at the screen with a serious face, unconsciously twisted the corners of her mouth upward. ¡°How cute¡­¡± She felt her tired face rx and focused on the screen. The screen showed a blob of jelly wriggling on the belly of what seemed to be a sleeping slime girl. Tentacles made of jelly stretched out from the jelly blob and began poking the slime girl¡¯s body here and there. It was almost like¡­ it was massaging the slime girl who had returned after a long job. An impure person like Kim Cheonsu might call it a bizarre sight. But to Han Seori, it looked infinitely heartwarming.She watched it with a delighted face as it continued for a while, then fast-forwarded through the time. It was a recorded video, so it wasn¡¯t difficult. As she manipted something, time began to pass quickly. The slime girl was nearly motionless. As if she wasn¡¯t just asleep but unconscious. Nevertheless, the jelly blob sitting on top of the slime girl kept poking the slime girl¡¯s body as if it wanted something. ¡­But it seemed to give up after quite some time, as it retracted its tentacles and drooped down. Han Seori, who had been feeling the umted stress disappear, sighed. ¡®While I was busy and couldn¡¯t check.¡¯ It seems like something happened. But nothing particrly special was happening on the screen. ¡®Should I fast-forward a little more?¡¯ Just as she thought that, Han Seori¡¯s eyes caught the slime girl starting to wriggle her body. ¡°Huh?¡± Han Seori paused the screen, rewound to the point where the slime girl¡¯s wriggling began, and reyed the screen. Eventually, the slime girl, who seemed to be sleeping like the dead, *Fwump!* Kicked off the nket covering her with her foot. The jelly blob that had given up poking the slime girl and was wriggling on top of her was swept away and flew off the screen. ¡°Kuh-heuk.¡± Han Seori burst intoughter at the cute sight she hadn¡¯t seen before but didn¡¯t take her eyes off the screen. Her intuition from years of observing anomalies was telling her, Soon¡­ she would be able to find out what had transformed that small jelly blob. Meanwhile, the slime girl on the screen was doing something that looked like she was wildly kicking something, iling her arms and legs. When she zoomed in on the screen¡­ it also looked like she wasughing. ¡®Is she sleep talking?¡¯ It seemed highly likely since she hadn¡¯t moved until now. ¡­She¡¯s having a dream. Well, even beasts dream, so there¡¯s no reason an anomaly like the slime girl can¡¯t. Soon, the jelly blob that had flown off-screen came closer to the slime girl, wriggling its tentacles haphazardly. This time, it seemed menacing, like an angry person. As Han Seori felt a strange feeling, the jelly blob used its tentacles to jump high, *Splotch!* And struck the slime girl¡¯s belly. ¡­It didn¡¯t seem to have any particr meaning. The slime girl¡¯s belly, which had been momentarily indented in the shape of the jelly blob, immediately popped back out. But¡­ the strange thing happened after that. As soon as the small jelly blobnded on the slime girl¡¯s belly, the slime girl¡¯s body suddenly began to bubble. The startled jelly blob tried to escape, but its body was stuck to the slime girl and wouldn¡¯t move. Eventually, From something estimated to be the slime girl¡¯s core, an extremely faint something transferred to the jelly blob. The jelly blob, which had epted it at its core, its body bubbled even more violently than the slime girl. The jelly blob that was bubbling like boiling water in a pot on an induction stove then began to change into a familiar form. The small¡­ slime girl form that Han Seori had just seen with her eyes a moment ago. The small slime girl that had transformed from the jelly blob sprawled absent-mindedly on top of therge slime girl¡¯s belly. ¡­As if everything in the world had be bothersome, it sprawled on top of the slime girl, And didn¡¯t move as if asleep. By then, the slime girl had also stopped moving, so it looked like a small slime girl was sleeping on top of arge slime girl. The doll lying limply next to them was a bonus. Not long after, the slime girl woke up from sleep and also seemed to feel bewildered as she picked up the small slime girl and observed it. ¡®It wasn¡¯t intentional¡­¡¯ Anyway, Han Seori, who had confirmed the video repeatedly after that, sank into her chair. This time, it seemed like something had changed in an existing individual. She did not make a new one. Because even though faint, something could be seen moving from the slime girl¡¯s core to the small slime girl. In any case, the slime girl, jelly blob, and small slime girl seemed to be closely connected. ¡®Then,¡¯ If the slime girl is destroyed, will the small ones be eliminated together? What about the opposite? Han Seori, who had been having the same ominous thoughts, shook her head. ¡®What am I thinking right now.¡¯ Han Seori, who drank the water on the desk, recalled what had happened a little while ago. ¡­The sight that seemed as if the slime girl had a small ¡°child¡± and the story of Kim Cheonsu, who had a strange dream. In fact, Han Seori also knew that Kim Cheonsu was falsely used. It¡¯s just¡­ At that time, she couldn¡¯t know what had happened, and Kim Cheonsu¡¯s testimony was very¡­ suggestive, so it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡­She might have released the stress that had built up on Kim Cheonsu. In the first ce, it¡¯s something that happened in a dream, so how could it affect reality¡­. ¡®¡­It could be possible.¡¯ In the first ce, since it was a story entangled with an anomaly¡­ ¡°It can¡¯t be¡± doesn¡¯t exist. As Han Seori was ruminating on Kim Cheonsu¡¯s testimony, a document about disposing of all the MREs came into view. ¡®This is¡­ a big deal, too.¡¯ The amount already spread across the country must be quite a lot. How can this hardship even be put into words? But it wasn¡¯t her job, so she quickly erased it from her mind. Then, ¡®¡­Perhaps.¡¯ If I eat a ton of MREs, too, could I see her in my dreams? If I save a small portion of the remaining supply¡­ ¡°Ha.¡± Han Seori sighed and shook her head. The current¡­ incident was ultimately the result of badly handling things for ¡®a little¡¯ profit, wasn¡¯t it? ¡­Of course, there was also no way to dispose of those growing lumps of meat, but just the thought of processing and selling it now felt very dangerous in retrospect. It¡¯s because there were many guys like the ¡°former¡± head of the facility who was now driven out and missing that it was actually put into practice. Thinking that way, Han Seori felt a little regret but soon thought there was nothing to regret. More importantly, the problem was the slime girl, 7496-KR. ¡®It seems like¡­ rather than digesting anomalies, she absorbs them?¡¯ But it wasn¡¯t intuitively clear. What was certain was that there were always some changes aftering into contact with an anomaly. Antennae sprouted, making a jelly blob, and this time, she transformed the jelly blob into a form simr to herself. Plus, it was suspicious that the victims saw something simr to the slime girl in their dreams. In addition, even if you try to erase that memory, the brain might be overloaded, and you could be an idiot. In fact, if youbine the testimonies that have been heard so far¡­ it seems there wouldn¡¯t be much of a problem even if the memory of the blue ¡°something¡± isn¡¯t erased. Because thebined stories were closer to sightings of a blue ¡°something¡± rather than a slime girl. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± But for now, she was too busy dealing with the aftermath to take her hands off things rted to the slime girl. Even today, she had gone to bring the missed meal. ¡®It¡¯s difficult.¡¯ But¡­ isn¡¯t finding that out her role? ¡®For now¡­ after taking care of the situation.¡¯ Even if Han Seori herself didn¡¯t go out, as the highest person in charge of the research center disappeared, the amount of work she had to take care of was like a mountain. When everything is over¡­ I¡¯ll have to start researching 7496-KR again. Thinking that, Han Seori looked at the number of documents to be approved, and her face turned ck. In the room that Han Seori left in dismay and Kim Cheonsu left pale, I silently approached the food that had fallen from the tray and be a mess. ¡­Actually, appearance or texture didn¡¯t really matter to me, so as long as it tasted good, it was fine no matter what happened to the food. But perhaps there¡¯s a reason why they say good-looking rice cakes taste good, too, as my appetite wasn¡¯t really stimted. I fed the food to Daesik, who was patting my leg. It wasn¡¯t that I particrly disliked eating things that had fallen on the ground. I just didn¡¯t have an appetite. ¡­Let¡¯s say it¡¯s because my stomach is full from eating that canned food. As I was watching Daesik deliciously dissolve the food, I saw Sosik sprawled on the bed, staring at me nkly. He¡¯s looking at me with a very hungry face. An expression that he wants the food to be given to him quickly. After staring for a while, I threw the food to him, and Sosik, who was wriggling his tentacles, was hit in the face with a st and swallowed the food. ¡­Is that really the Sosik I knew? Seeing him asionally jerk makes me think it¡¯s Sosik¡­ but he¡¯s be veryzy and lethargic¡­. It reminds me of the canned food I ate. What the hell happened while I was sleeping? Is this also some kind of anomaly thing? As an ordinary person, I had no way of understanding it, so I gave up. Like that, it had been several days of just receiving and eating the food that regrly came with the new Sosik and Daesik. I wanted to ask for the food I really wanted to eat, but the people who came seemed to be very busy and were in a hurry to just put the food down and leave. Not to mention Kim Cheonsu or Han Seori. Then, one day, Han Seori came to the room with a strange object. Chapter 56: Slime has its own way Chapter 56: Slime has its own way Like a sloth that had grownzy, I hesitated in front of the things Han Seori had brought. Someone disinterested¡­ no, like an anomaly. Looking at me like that, Han Seori¡¯s face became somewhat troubled. Seeing that expression of hers wasn¡¯t very pleasant, but I thought this was unavoidable. Of course, it was. What was ced in front of me right now¡­ was, well, an educational book for young children who had just started learning words and letters. It¡¯s not that I was particrly offended by the children¡¯s study book. Objectively or subjectively, my transformed body was that of a small girl, after all. Since I can¡¯t even speak, it seemed natural to try to teach menguage through this most basic of textbooks. But I had to think carefully here.Of course, it might not be bad to absorb the letters like a sponge and get a good evaluation from Han Seori. If that happened, I could naturally demand what I wanted, and I might be able to get useful information whilemunicating with her. But I felt the losses would be greater than the gains. Wouldn¡¯t it be optimal to just pretend to roughly understand? When I was put into thebyrinth this time and went to swallow that strange can, I felt it. If I showed that I could perfectly understandnguage and freely write letters¡­ I had a premonition that a very tiring thing would happen. Right now it was just following arrows to touch and swallow¡­ But it seemed highly likely I would get caught up in more bothersome things. This was almost a certainty. Isn¡¯t there a saying like that in the military? Don¡¯t try to do well. Just go for the middle. Hide your strength. Since I solved thebyrinth and the can, haven¡¯t I shown my usefulness enough? Isn¡¯t this enough that I don¡¯t have to try harder now? The canned food that grumbled ¡°bothersome¡± as I swallowed it, maybe that¡¯s why¡­ anyway. They say, ¡°Be careful what you wish for¡±. Well, there¡¯s no one to judge me anyway, right? That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve tried hard enough. I should rest now. Lying on the bed and watching the opened textbook, I took the colored pencils Han Seori had handed me and scribbled something on the book. ¡°Hm!?¡± Hearing Han Seori¡¯s startled voice, I felt my non-existent heart being pricked. But I scribbled on the textbook as nned. I briefly wondered what to draw¡­ Hmm, there is no need to worry about the subject matter. Wouldn¡¯t it be fine to draw Daesik, Sosik, and Alice? I drew the round Daesik with moderate effort so Han Seori wouldn¡¯t be suspicious, then the shrunken Sosik and the blonde doll Alice. I even drew Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu in the corner, so she might be disappointed, but shouldn¡¯t she feel good? After finishing the drawing like that, Han Seori, who was nkly staring, muttered with a serious face. ¡°Hmm¡­ what did it draw? Ah, this seems to be the first slime¡­ what are the others¡­?¡± What? She can¡¯t recognize these? Hm¡­ disappointing¡­ and she calls herself a doctor. Anyone can see these: Daesik, Sosik, Alice, and finally, Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu! Why can¡¯t she tell? At that moment, I was ovee with the urge to write letters, but I held it in firmly. Having realized the harm in letting her know I couldmunicate, I had to endure it. Watching Han Seori¡¯s still puzzled face, I focused on the picture I drew. Hmm. Is it because I hid my skills too much? I could draw much better than this if I put my mind to it. But redrawing it would mean I perfectly understood what Han Seori said. As if there was no problem, I slightly raised the corners of my jelly mouth and looked at Han Seori. Then Han Seori, looking at my jelly, smiled ambiguously and patted my head. Getting praised for nothing special felt quite good, but somehow, it didn¡¯t feel refreshing. ¡°Hmm¡­ was it too early to start this stage¡­? Then should I try a different method¡­¡± Muttering like that, Han Seori took the candy wrapper from her pocket, unwrapped it, and put it in my jelly. Huh? She¡¯s unwrapping it. Then what are Daesik and Sosik supposed to eat? While I was feeling puzzled, Han Seori took out another candy, unwrapped it, and ced it on Sosik¡¯s body that was lying next to me, and also put candy in front of Daesik inside the doll. Shocked at the sight of the discipline I had painstakingly established crumbling, I approached with a *squish*, and gathered the candy distributed to Daesik and Sosik. ¡°Oh, my?¡± Whether or not Han Seori let out a slightly surprised voice, I did what I had to do. I couldn¡¯t bear to see the discipline I had worked hard to establish copse. I split the candy I had gathered in half and directly distributed it to the two. Daesik, who had wriggled out at some point, just trembled with joy, but Sosik, who had been sprawled out¡­ ah, you¡¯re the same. The one who had looked like it found everything in the world bothersome regained his appearance from before transforming in front of food. Han Seori watched it with a very interested face and started scribbling something. ¡°Hmm¡­ does it want to take care of them directly¡­¡± Muttering something without looking back, I surreptitiously put the candy into my body while she wasn¡¯t looking at me. It wasn¡¯t that I particrly wanted more candy. It was to clearly establish the hierarchy. Anyway. Han Seori, who had been observing interestingly, muttered that she should find another method, patted my head once more, and left. It seemed there was unexpectedly no problem with me snatching away the candy and distributing it. Like that, some timeter. Han Seori came to my room with something again. This time, not alone but together with the usual man, Kim Cheonsu. ¡°Hnng.¡± I wondered what they brought with them, grunting. It seemed to be quite arge TV. A wall-mounted one at that. After grunting for a while, Kim Cheonsu installed it on the wall. Then he fiddled with the wall, and with a *click!* sound, the wall that had nothing opened. Wait, there was something like that hidden in this room? As I vacantly watched, Kim Cheonsu pulled out a few cords from there and connected them to the wall-mounted TV. ¡°Hm, good work.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Kim Cheonsu, who stammered at Han Seori¡¯s praise, spoke with a somewhat wronged-sounding voice. ¡°That time really was just a coincidence¡­ you believe me, right?¡± ¡°Hah, I¡¯ve been believing in you from the start, Cheonsu.¡± ¡°Re-really?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Seeing Kim Cheonsu readily smiling with a stupid face, I thought it seemed quite pitiful. Apart from that, the wall-mounted TV that suddenly appeared¡­ was an object of great interest, to say the least. To think arge TV that I didn¡¯t even have at home would appear here. After Kim Cheonsu left, Han Seori, who was smiling contentedly while looking at me, took out a remote control from her pocket and turned on the TV. After a brief buzzing sound, a newscaster appeared on the screen. [Up until recently, Soylent Purple Co., which was responsible for ordinary people¡¯s food, is finally undergoing closure procedures. The opposition demands that they should im responsibility for failing to protect the dining tables of ordinary people©¤] ¡°Ah, not this one.¡± Han Seori, who was watching the news, hurriedly changed the channel. Before long, on therge screen. Content that children would really watch started ying. Why isn¡¯t that¡­ X-suni. It seemed she thought the textbook wasn¡¯t working and decided to change directions to video. But no way. I pretended to be disinterested¡­ no, I really wasn¡¯t interested, so it wasn¡¯t pretending. I sprawled on the bed and acted uninterested. Except for Daesik, who had entered Alice sitting politely as if watching TV, it seemed to have worked on him. Han Seori¡¯s face, looking a bit troubled, felt like a prick to my conscience, but I quite like my current lifestyle. I hope there won¡¯t be any more work. Wouldn¡¯t proving my usefulness by solving two cases be enough? Whilezing around and deciding to obtain what I wanted to eatter by roughly drawing it, Sosik also crawled over and vacantly started watching TV. These days, I heard they show XTube to kids. Seeing Sosik¡¯s nk face, I could kind of see why they used to call it the idiot box. If it were me, too, if my child was vacantly staring at the TV, I think I would have called it the idiot box. More importantly. She even brought a TV. I wonder¡­ if she¡¯ll bring aputer? That would be too much to hope for, right¡­? While lying on the bed and letting my jelly wobble. I recalled what the newscaster had said just now. That Soylent Purple Co. is undergoing closure procedures. If I hadn¡¯t be like this, I think I, too, would have been quite shocked by that news. It was a brand famous enough to be called a friend of ordinary people, as the newscaster said, and I, too, was quite indebted to it. Well, now it has be the worstpany in my mind. Come to think of it. The fact that news like that is being broadcast¡­ means what happened some time ago has been quietly buried as if it never urred, right? With that thought, Han Seori, who was smiling awkwardly while looking at me, started to feel scary. If she¡¯s a big shot here, she must have been involved somehow in the process of taking care of it, right? I hope I¡¯m not being too cheeky¡­ She¡¯s smiling because I¡¯m not crossing the line, right¡­? While making my jelly tremble without Han Seori noticing. ¡°Hm? Okay. I¡¯ll go now.¡± Having received a call from someone, Han Seori left the room. Leaving the remote control on the bed. After confirming she had left this ce, I looked around needlessly and grabbed the remote control. Leaving it here¡­ This means I can watch whatever I want, right? It was time to enjoy some culture after a long time. I should just change it back before Han Seories. Chapter 57: Radio hijacking…? Chapter 57: Radio hijacking¡­? Stealthily, I reached my hand towards the remote control. Although there was no TV at home, I couldn¡¯t hide my excitement at the civilized machine that hade into my hands after a very long time. Ah¡­ Of course, the cor that snapped around my neck with a click could also be said to be one of the most civilized machines I had ever experienced. But that wasn¡¯t the civilization I wanted. It was what Han Seori¡¯s side had wanted in the first ce. Well¡­ This is something Han Seori brought because she wanted to¡­ but? Anyway. As I delightfully picked up the remote control, I felt the familiar texture of the material. While fiddling with the remote control, being careful not to get slime stuck on it, and feeling that texture.Suddenly, something that happened not long ago came to mind. Thinking of that, I felt a little uneasy and looked around my room. A white room. The only things here are a bed and a few toys that I no longer y with. And. [Suni~] I don¡¯t know why they¡¯re sitting there nkly in front of that stupid box. Just Daesik and Sosik squirming in front of it, mesmerized by the screen. Apletely white space with nothing in it¡­ although a few items have been added, there was basically nothing attached to the walls. Actually, it might be foolish to think there wouldn¡¯t be a single surveince camera in a space like this. If I were managing these Anomalies in a ce like this, I would have installed surveince cameras densely all over. Who knows what they might do at any time? Just leave them alone? Ah, of course, I don¡¯t mean I would do that, but that others would. Moreover. ¡­There was also a time when Han Seori acted as if she had seen something when there was definitely nothing in the room. When I looked around to see if there were any peepholes, thinking there might not be any since there was nothing, it seemed there were cameras hidden now that I saw the usual man installing that wall-mounted TV this time. Is this the famous hidden camera? No, isn¡¯t this a vition of human rights? Even if I want to say that, I¡¯m slime now. An unemployed me who is living off of someone¡¯s kindness, or a me who is caught for my brilliant intellect and worked like a ve. (Although I don¡¯t know what it would actually be like) If I had to choose between the two, it would be the former, so it seemed like I wouldn¡¯t be able to raise an issue anyway. I guess if you gain one thing, you have to give up another. ¡­Which means. There¡¯s no point in trembling my slime, wondering if I¡¯ll get caught while flipping through channels. I felt like I had be a bit of a fool. I might have be a little stupid as my brain turned into soft jelly. I¡¯m at the point where I question how I¡¯m even having these thoughts, so it wouldn¡¯t be strange if I got a little dumber©¤ What are you talking about? I have a knowledge pouch. Anyway. It was impossible to secretly change the channel behind Han Seori¡¯s back and then change it back. But that doesn¡¯t mean I want to watch those round characters, either. Although Daesik and Sosik seem very interested, it¡¯s the boss who decides the channel. Like how the senior picks a bed in the barracks or how grandma ims the living room. I don¡¯t know, I saw Han Seori touching the remote control, too, so it¡¯s not strange for me to operate it, right? Still, since I was a little defiant, I held Sosik, who was nkly staring at the TV, in my arms. The little one, who was iling as if annoyed, soon gave up and began to focus on the TV again. Conscious of the camera that could be anywhere, I slowly moved my tentacles. After putting the remote control in Sosik¡¯s dazed hand. I pressed the remote control with Sosik¡¯s fingers. [Friends©¤] [Next is the news.] The characters that seemed like they would roll away disappeared, and the newscaster I had seen a little while ago appeared again. After staring at the news for a while, I was enveloped in a strange feeling. Even though there was a disastrous incident where people got sick from eating food made with what they call anomalies, the world was still going on the same as always. Even though my existence was turned upside down and disappeared in an instant, the world didn¡¯t seem to change at all. ¡­Well, I guess it would be too self-conscious to think the world would be turned upside down because I disappeared. That¡¯s only natural. So, rather than how the world works, I wanted to enjoy the stimting cultural life I had always enjoyed. What¡¯s the point of being interested in the world that will keep going on fine without me? It¡¯s not like I can fit in between anymore. With a slightly twisted feeling. Feeling the sensation of secretlying out to the living room as a child and holding my breath while flipping through channels, I operated the remote control again. Why does this make me feel so thrilled? Is there really too little entertainment here? *Click, click.* As I passed channel after channel, it waste at night, so a movie with a yellow tag in the upper left was ying. Oh, um¡­ my goodness. Is it because it¡¯s been a rtively long time since I¡¯ve been cut off from entertainment? Normally, I would have scoffed and changed the channel, but somehow, the video in front of my eyes felt very interesting. The betrayal of watching something I shouldn¡¯t and the primitive feeling of secretly watching something, even though I think I¡¯ll get caught anyway, was very stimting to me. As I was gurgling my slime like a child, [Wow! Friends, you¡¯re back!] Huh? Where did my yellow-tagged video go, and why are you showing up again? The round character who uttered a creepy line began to hum a song as if reciting a vocabry book, shaking its body again. Unable to adapt to the sudden change in situation, I tilted my head but soon realized why this happened. I saw Daesik (in Alice)¡¯s hand, which hade close at some point, on the remote control. Sosik, who was trying to secretly sneak by pretending not to know, was a bonus. Do you like X-suni that much? Is this why adults say not to show kids XTube? Mommy¡­ no, Daddy¡¯s not sleeping yet¡­ I¡¯m telling you, I haven¡¯t closed my eyes, kids¡­. I changed the channel again. [How can you go anywhere looking like that?] [Monkey butts are red~ If they¡¯re red, they¡¯re apples, apples are©¤] Get this hand off©¤ [Bananas, bananas are long©¤] I don¡¯t want to act violently. So©¤ [Fast~ If they¡¯re fast, they¡¯re nes©¤] No, fuck. In the end, caught up in violence, I pushed Daesik and Sosik far away. TV is this scary. Only then, seeing the slime drooping as if sullen, I gurgled my slime with satisfaction and focused on the screen again. But. As if broken, the screen that had been wildly flipping through channels showed a ck screen full of noise. And only spat out buzzing sounds. It sounded very ominous. Seeing that, I came to my senses with a start. ¡­Huh? Don¡¯t tell me it broke down just because of this? Just from pressing the channel a few times!? Startled, I trembled my slime and first gently put the remote control in Sosik¡¯s arms. At that moment. The door opened, and Han Seori returned. Finishing her call and entering, she tilts her head and approaches the TV. ¡°Huh? Why is this acting up?¡± I¡­ don¡¯t know. Han Seori, spotting the remote control nestled in Sosik¡¯s arms, snatches it from Sosik and fiddles with it. Seeing that she doesn¡¯t seem to intend to me anyone, I gurgled my slime in relief. Ahem, that¡¯s why I handed over the remote control, knowing this would happen. Mm-hmm. I knew Han Seori wouldn¡¯t get angry. Meanwhile. ¡°Uh¡­?¡± The buzzing stopped, and someone wearing a strange mask appeared on the screen. As Sosik and Daesik¡¯s gazes turned to the TV now that it was fixed, a bizarre voice began to flow from it. [Announcement from Twilight¡¯s Call.] ¡­Hmm. What¡¯s with that name reeking of 8th-grader syndrome? It¡¯s not a scene from a movie yed by a broadcaster. The things you¡¯d expect from one are missing. It feels like a snuff film you¡¯d only see on the deep web. Wondering what the hell this was, I looked at Han Seori, but she was also just staring at the screen with a stiff face. [We¡¯re tired of your attitude of hiding the truth.] [They have a right to know too.] [The rising sun will tell who is right.] It began to spew out simrly ambiguous and meaningful words. What is this? It was a sight that seemed like a hidden camera prank in a different sense. But Han Seori¡¯s face is cold enough to be scary. If this is acting, shouldn¡¯t she be an actress instead of a doctor? ¡­Since she has the looks for it. Ahem. Anyway. The person who had been rambling on like a real 8th-grader syndrome patient, Brought up some kind of timer and then disappeared. As the person of unknown gender vanished, the stopped timer began to tick down. As if implying a time bomb. ¡°¡­Why are those bastards suddenly acting up?¡± Along with Han Seori¡¯s slightly rough muttering, The timer of something steadily began to run towards 0. It seemed like¡­ like something was happening. It has nothing to do with me¡­? ¡­Right? Chapter 58: The Rumblings of a Storm Chapter 58: The Rumblings of a Storm I too¡­ ¡®¡­What is this¡­¡¯ The woman who was once called ¡°Jeonghee¡± felt a strange feeling as she looked at what was unfolding in front of her. In the dark room, several holograms floated around like hanging picture frames, their ethereal glow casting eerie shadows on the walls. They showed people wearing ridiculous masks, just like the ¡°someone¡± sitting in front of her, their features obscured behind grotesque facades. All of them were hiding their identities behind masks, their true selves concealed from view. Perhaps even those she knew were hiding their identities beneath those masks, their familiar faces reced by inscrutable disguises. As she watched, a strange thought came to the woman¡¯s mind, unbidden and unsettling. ¡®¡­If I just disappear like this, no one will know, right?¡¯It was questionable how everyone, including herself, could be tied together under the name ¡°Twilight¡¯s Call¡± when they couldn¡¯t even trust each other and were hiding their faces, their bonds as fragile as the masks they wore. Were they even tied together in the first ce, or were they merely strangers ying at unity? While she was grateful that they helped her revenge¡­ it didn¡¯t seem like the future would be very bright if things continued this way, the path ahead shrouded in uncertainty and doubt. ¡®¡­This is probably why they¡¯ve been quietly hiding until now.¡¯ She, too, had other intentions behind her mask, her true motives concealed behind a facade ofpliance. A ridiculous voice echoed, jarring in the hushed atmosphere of the room. It was something she had to focus on, so she pricked up her ears and concentrated, straining to hear every word. ¡°Did we decide to release the Sky Whale this time?¡± ¡°We need at least that much to attract attention, right? Puhaha.¡± ¡­The Sky Whale. A few years ago, it was reported to have vanished after its observation was cut off, but could it be that they had secured it here, hidden away from prying eyes? More than that, Not only was she surprised by the thought of releasing such a thing, but she also felt a sense of incongruity in the way they talked about the anomaly called the ¡°Sky Whale¡± as if it were their property, a mere tool to be used as they saw fit. From what she had heard, Twilight¡¯s Call was an organization that sought the freedom of anomalies¡­ something like that, so there seemed to be some contradiction in their words, their actions belying their supposed ideals. Why on earth were these people trying to use anomalies as they pleased, treating them as a means to an end rather than beings deserving of respect? If the rumors were true¡­ rather than suppressing and exploiting the Sky Whale¡ª ¡­Right, it wouldn¡¯t be iprehensible to think that they were protecting it from being suppressed elsewhere, keeping it safe from those who would do it harm. But, ¡°But¡­ is that slime-like girl really as important as they say she is? No matter how I think about it, it doesn¡¯t seem to add up.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Didn¡¯t you read the data I sent? That slime has infinite possibilities. Above all, she¡¯s cute.¡± ¡°Well¡­ if that¡¯s all true, then sure, but it¡¯s all spection, isn¡¯t it?¡± What was this perspective that seemed to view anomalies as mere objects, things to be studied and exploited rather than beings with their own agency? The ce she originally belonged to was no different from here, but at least¡­ they didn¡¯t treat them like pawns in chess, like tools to be used and discarded at will. Secure, iste, protect, and observe. Just what are these people thinking? ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing if this can be cleaned up, too. They seemed to have covered it up well this time.¡± ¡°It felt refreshing to see that thing those greedy bastards made go through the process of closing down, heh.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shame we weren¡¯t there to see it.¡± How were they any different from the director of theb she was in, their motives just as selfish and callous? If the director moved for his own greed and wealth, These people seemed to be moving with an even more abstract malice, their intentions inscrutable and sinister. Perhaps they were even worse than the director, their cruelty hidden behind a veneer of righteousness. However, the woman who was once called ¡°Jeonghee,¡± listening to their conversation, felt a strange sense of kinship, a twisted camaraderie born of shared resentment. Because whenever they talked about the organization she belonged to, they united in their enthusiasm, their hatred burning bright. ¡­Just like herself. Feeling the atmosphere that seemed to be filled with deep resentment, the woman who was once called ¡°Jeonghee¡± finally realized why Twilight¡¯s Call had approached her, their true motives bing clear. They may not have been people who gathered for the liberation and freedom of anomalies. Their cause is nothing more than a convenient lie. Perhaps just for revenge¡ª Just as her thoughts were deepening, The holograms disappeared as if the meeting had ended, and darkness fell over the room like a suffocating shroud. *Tap, tap, tap.* Soon, the ¡°someone¡± in front of her giggled and approached her, their footsteps echoing in the silence. The someone who approached the woman once called ¡°Jeonghee¡± spoke while wearing a mask, their voice muffled and distorted. ¡°Are you¡­ disappointed that it¡¯s different from what you thought?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Well, I guess it could look that way. We are currently using anomalies, after all.¡± The masked someone gently held the hand of the woman once called ¡°Jeonghee¡± and continued, their touch cold and unsettling. ¡°In the end, the ends justify the means. My ultimate goal is indeed the liberation of anomalies, ok? Well¡­ while I can¡¯t deny that there are those who want to satisfy their desires in the process.¡± The someone behind the mask lets out a slightly rough breath, their excitement palpable. As if excited, their voice trembling with barely contained fervor. ¡°The sight of anomalies and humans coexisting together¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be truly beautiful? Ah, no need to answer. The answer will naturally be¡­ ¡®yes.¡¯¡± They¡¯re insane. The woman once called ¡°Jeonghee¡± felt a cold sweat run down her spine, her skin crawling with unease. Did this person really believe that anomalies and humans could coexist, or were they merely deluding themselves? Or were they deceiving even themselves¡­ to hide their sticky vengeance, their true motives obscured by a facade of idealism? She didn¡¯t have the ability to read people¡¯s minds, so she couldn¡¯t tell what kind of thoughts this ¡°someone¡± behind the mask had when saying these things, their intentions as opaque as the mask they wore. The ¡°someone¡± behind the mask, looking at her sweating behind the mask, whispered while tapping her shoulder, their touch sending shivers down her spine. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know what you need to do soon¡­ so rest well until then.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Good.¡± But the woman once called ¡°Jeonghee¡± had no other choice, her fate inextricably tied to theirs. Because she, who had already be a dead person, had nowhere to return to, no ce to call home. Although she didn¡¯t know what awaited her at the end of this path, She didn¡¯t think the ending would be very good, the future as bleak as the darkness that surrounded her. ¡­Didn¡¯t the sight of herself, who used them for revenge, already provide the answer, a grim portent of what was toe? She closed her eyes quietly while watching someone leaving with a mask on, their footsteps fading into the distance. Witnessing the strange broadcast in the istion room of 7496-KR, Han Seori immediately called a meeting likest time, her voice tight with urgency. This time, Yoo Kangjik, who had recovered from the aftereffects of the MRE, was also present. He also seemed to have seen the video, as he had a very serious expression, his brows furrowed in concern. As a result of gathering information while convening the meeting, it seemed that the broadcast was only transmitted to research centers and branches in various locations, its reach limited and targeted. If it had been broadcast nationwide¡­ no, worldwide, regardless of the content, it would have been a hot topic, the news spreading like wildfire. Seeing how quiet it was, they could probably be sure of it. The silence speaks volumes. Something was strange, a sense of unease permeating the air. Considering their purpose as it had been known so far, there was no need for them to do this, their actions seemingly at odds with their supposed goals. Because there would be many more effective ways thaning out like this, their methods are cryptic and confusing. So, ¡®¡­It seems like they¡¯re after something.¡¯ Although she realized that it was strange, she couldn¡¯t figure out what they wanted, their motives as inscrutable as ever. So there wasn¡¯t much that she and Yoo Kangjik could do right now, their hands tied by ack of information. ¡°Since you¡¯re all here¡­¡± ¡°What is this all about?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to know that too¡­.¡± Han Seori sighed, pressing her temples, the weight of responsibility heavy on her shoulders. It felt like there had been too many incidents recently, each one more troubling than thest. Not only anomalies leaking from the research center, But also an anomaly that was being transported going on a rampage, and an incident of an anomaly being kidnapped, the situation spiraling out of control. The involved director also went missing, vanishing without a trace. A new anomaly was also isted, its presence adding to the growing chaos. And an anomaly that was thought to be safe had an incident, leading to a literal disaster, the consequences far-reaching and devastating. They somehow resolved it, but¡­ ¡­Strangely, there were too many things happening, the coincidences piling up in an unsettling way. To the point where she missed the days when she only did research, the simplicity of the past a distant memory. ¡®When are they going to send the new research center director?¡¯ They wouldn¡¯t put me in the director¡¯s position like this¡­ right? Feeling anxious, Han Seori cleared her throat and spoke, her voice wavering slightly. ¡°¡­The cover-up that Twilight¡¯s¡­ ahem, ahem¡­ Twilight¡¯s Call is talking about¡­ is probably referring to the recent Soylent Purple Co. incident, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s the only recent incident rted to our branch research center.¡± This is turning into a real mess, the situation spiraling out of control. ¡­Should we hold an exorcism or something, a desperate attempt to ward off the growing chaos? With the oing headache, Han Seori sighed and said in a low voice, her frustration evident. ¡°¡­Does anyone have any idea what they¡¯re trying to pull?¡± ¡°If we knew, we wouldn¡¯t be sitting here like this.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s catch them this time and uproot them.¡± Isn¡¯t that why we¡¯re in this situation¡­? In the end, the meeting wasn¡¯t very fruitful. The discussions went around in circles. Rather than proposing a fundamental solution, they only exchanged perfunctory words, their efforts feeling futile. From the beginning, it could be known that they wanted something different from the fact that they weren¡¯t doing anything abruptly. Their actions were calcted and deliberate. But since they didn¡¯t know what they wanted, it was frustrating, and theck of information was maddening. But they couldn¡¯t ignore the decreasing timer either, the countdown to an unknown fate ticking away. ¡°Still, it¡¯s a relief that the situation has been taken care of. It would be best to dispatch agents and see if there are any clues, right?¡± ¡°The possibility is low, but it¡¯s better than doing nothing.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why they¡¯re doing this all of a sudden when they¡¯ve been quiet.¡± Han Seori nodded in agreement, her expression grim. The fact that it only became known through hearsay meant that they had not revealed themselves in this way until now, their sudden appearance all the more unsettling. At least because of what happened today, everyone in the branches and research centers will be talking about Twilight¡¯s Call for a while, the news spreading like a virus. Why are they doing this? Are their motives a mystery? What do they want? Are their desires as enigmatic as their identities? In the end, Han Seori¡¯s concerns were not resolved, and the meeting ended with a hollow echo, the questions left unanswered. Han Seori spoke to Yoo Kangjik, who was silently looking at her, his gaze intense and probing. ¡°¡­For now, let¡¯s focus on internal control.¡± ¡°That would be best.¡± Seeing Yoo Kangjik leave, Han Seori sank into her chair and manipted the panel, the screen flickering to life. Soon, the slime girl watching TV appeared on the monitor, her expression one of blissful ignorance. Seeing the leisurely sight of her watching TV together, Han Seori let out a sigh of envy, the weight of responsibility momentarily lifted from her shoulders. ¡®¡­I¡¯m jealous.¡¯ I wish I could live without any worries like that, too, free from the burdens of leadership and the looming threat of the unknown. Han Seori smiled bitterly as she looked at that cute sight, the innocence of the slime girl a stark contrast to the dark machinations at y. ¡®I must be really tired too.¡¯ Leaving the video of the istion room where the slime girl was isted on the monitor, Han Seori felt fatigued and leaned back in her chair, her body heavy with exhaustion. Day by day passes, each one feeling like the ominous calm before a brewing storm. Chapter 59: A Hint of Danger Chapter 59: A Hint of Danger
I am pleased to present this bonus chapter, which has been made possible thanks to the wonderful review written by Ikxi. Please enjoy this bonus chapter as a small token of my appreciation for Ikxi¡¯s contribution to my trantion work.
[Our adventure starts right now!] The ending credits roll along with the vigorous voice of a boy with aical hairstyle. The story was a bit childish and clich¨¦, but it felt very interesting and fun to me at the moment. Daesik and Sosik seemed satisfied, too, as they were sitting still and staring at the screen. Should I say it¡¯s fortunate that we agreed on a channel that we could all enjoy after some discussion? Anyhow. Those weird guys.It seems like about 5 days have passed since we saw the broadcast where someone calling themselves ¡°Twilight¡¯s Call¡± appeared and mumbled something. The timer that was shown then suddenly disappeared at some point, but now that I could watch TV, I could roughly tell the time. The news always informs you of the date and time. After seeing the ending credits finish, I changed the channel and turned on the news. As the pretty announcer unni, no, nuna, rambled on about this and that, I checked the date and time. Yup. It¡¯s been 5 days. If my calction is correct, I think there are roughly¡­ 2-3 days left until that timer ends. Perking up my knowledge pouch, I mulled over what I had seen back then. The ominous words spoken by that guy from Twilight¡¯s¡­ Twilight¡¯s Call. He definitely said he was fed up with hiding the truth, right? I¡¯m not exactly sure, but it was roughly that nuance. At first, I thought the scope was too broad. There are too many hidden truths in this world. Even excluding the existence of anomalies like myself, things like the corruption of those in high ces¡­ Stuff like that. But after checking the news from time to time over the past five days, I think I know what hidden truth they¡¯re talking about. If what Twilight¡¯s Call¡­ said was broadcast nationwide, wouldn¡¯t it have been mentioned at least once on the news? Well¡­ It¡¯s possible that the people hiding the existence of anomalies controlled it. If they erase the memories of people all over the country, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult. ¡­Is that possible? If it really is, that¡¯s a bit¡­ Anyhow. Thinking that way, it seemed highly likely that Twilight¡¯s Call only broadcasts to the TV in the room I¡¯m in or only to the building I¡¯m in. If so, what they¡¯re talking about is probably the story of the canned foodpany. But it was hard to guess why they were angry. I understand that they¡¯re unhappy about hiding that truth, but I can¡¯t understand why they¡¯re getting angry about it. Hmm¡­ Could they be a group of people who bought a ton of Soylent Purple Co.¡¯s stocks? Because Soylent Purple Co. went under, and all their stocks turned into data scraps? Even so, that can¡¯t be it. I got the feeling that there might be some kind of faction split, even among the people hiding the existence of anomalies. Indeed. In ces where people live, things that people do are all like that. If everyone thought the same way, wouldn¡¯t that be even more creepy? ¡­I don¡¯t like politics, but that¡¯s the world people live in. Hmm. So. ¡­What the heck is that timer that¡¯s no longer visible now? I don¡¯t know. It seems this is the limit of my abilities. With this much, aren¡¯t I quite smart? It felt good to use my brain (not that I have one) for the first time in a while, but I wanted something sweet because I thought too hard. As if knowing how I felt, The door opened, and an exhausted-looking Han Seori entered. In her hand was a tray with food on it. The dark circles under her eyes seemed to have gotten darker than 5 days ago. Is it because of the broadcast by those Twilight¡¯s Call guys? ¡­Because of them, I was just lying around watching TV, but I wasn¡¯t too happy to see Han Seori¡¯s face getting more haggard. ¡°It¡¯s time to eat¡­¡± Look at that. Her voice has no strength at all and is staggering. If she goes to the countryside in that state, won¡¯t she be force-fed until her stomach bulges? Han Seori, who put down the tray without strength, crouches down as if to watch me, Daesik, and Sosik eat. I carefully approached and distributed the food to Daesik and Sosik, then stared at Han Seori for a moment. And held out food to her. I thought that the one who really needed food right now might not be me but her. My hand reached out without thinking. At first, Han Seori nkly stared at my hand, then received the food from my hand with an awkward smile. It was just ordinary bread, not some kind of animal food, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problem. She tore off a corner of the bread she was looking at and ate it, then put the rest inside my body. ¡°¡­Thanks. That gave me some strength.¡± What are you saying after just one piece of bread? ¡­It¡¯s not like I made it anyway. Han Seori, who was crouching like that, watched me, Daesik, and Sosik eat with a satisfied face. Eventually. When I finished eating, Han Seori carefully approached and hugged me. ¡°Can I hold you for a bit?¡± At the voice that sounded like a tired person found their only resting ce, I couldn¡¯t move in her arms. Han Seori being this exhausted must be because of those Twilight¡¯s whatchamacallit guys, right? She was muttering in a very irritated voice back then, too. Although I¡¯ve never seen the Twilight¡¯s whatchamacallit guys¡­ somehow I didn¡¯t like them very much. By the way. She is unexpectedly big. I¡¯m talking about height. Seeing my view rise higher than I thought, I tried hard to think of something else. It was warm, perhaps because Han Seori¡¯s body temperature was being transmitted. Below, Daesik and Sosik were at Han Seori¡¯s feet, looking up at me and Han Seori. Are they envious? Heh. Somehow, I felt good. *Beep¡­ beep.* The time on the timer filling the screen had quickly decreased, now indicating less than a day remaining. Meanwhile. At the news that something suspected to be an anomaly appeared in the East Sea, Han Seori fell into thought for a moment. ¡®¡­Could that be rted to the timer?¡¯ Considering the timing, there was a good enough possibility. Unless a spaceship suddenly emerges from the sea, it probably is. What the hell are they nning? Han Seori pressed her temples *squeeze, squeeze* at the headache that started again. Han Seori, who was tapping on the desk and pondering, manipted the panel and called Kim Cheonsu. Before long, a sweaty Kim Cheonsu hurriedly came to the space where she was. Seeing him covered in sweat, Han Seori blinked for a moment and opened her mouth. ¡°¡­What were you doing beforeing?¡± ¡°Ah, um¡­ I was moving luggage from the closedb.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­? Isn¡¯t that still not finished?¡± ¡°Ah, it just¡­ ended now.¡± ¡°I see¡­ You must have had a hard time.¡± Kim Cheonsu¡¯s face, which was like a dead man¡¯s, brightened noticeably at Han Seori¡¯s recognition of his hard work. Han Seori spoke with a determined face. ¡°I think I need to go down to the East Sea area¡­ Could you prepare a vehicle?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Are only the two of us going?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Well¡­ They¡¯ll probably prepare everything over there, right?¡± As Han Seori murmured that, Kim Cheonsu¡¯s half-dead face became even brighter. In a small voice, Han Seori said: ¡°¡­We¡¯re not going on a trip.¡± ¡°Ah, of course, I know that. I¡¯ll prepare right away!¡± ¡°¡­And take a shower before we leave.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The moment the excited Kim Cheonsu turned his body, Han Seori spoke as if she had forgotten: ¡°Prepare a small anomaly transport vehicle, not a regr one.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I said prepare a small anomaly transport vehicle.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± In the time Kim Cheonsu hurriedly left, Han Seori, who decided to head to the East Sea where something estimated to be an anomaly was discovered, thought: ¡®¡­Those bastards have something in mind.¡¯ Really¡­ if they were going to expose the secret of Soylent Purple Co., what they should have done was not warn them, but take action through news, inte, tabloids, etc. In the first ce, they were in no position to give such a warning. And¡­ Han Seori felt like she knew what they were aiming for. Although it was just a hunch¡­ maybe they were aiming for 7496-KR, the slime girl. From what she found out, unfortunately, the recent abnormal incidents urred in the branch andb where she was. And¡­ 7496-KR got her jelly involved in almost all the incidents. Well, she herself was also involved in almost all of them, but rather than targeting a person, it would be more natural to think they were targeting an anomaly. ¡­It could be that she was barking up the wrong tree. ¡®If those bastards are really targeting 7496-KR,¡¯ Wouldn¡¯t they draw attention with ¡®something¡¯ in the East Sea and aim for theb to seize 7496-KR? If it was something like that, their actions made sense. They probably needed time to prepare ¡®something,¡¯ whatever it was. And they must have done ridiculous things like broadcasting to get all their attention focused there. The puzzle pieces fit together. Then, Han Seori¡¯s course of action was simple. Take what they want and flee to the East Sea branch, which will be boiling with anger. ¡®I¡¯ll give Committee Member Yoo Kangjik a heads-up around halfway, and he¡¯ll take care of it.¡¯ The fewer people who knew, the better. That¡¯s why Han Seori chose Kim Cheonsu. He¡¯s rtively trustworthy, at least. ¡®¡­¡¯ While preparing to leave, Han Seori silently looked in the direction of the istion room where the slime girl was. It may be a bit of a strange thought, But she hoped that what Twilight¡¯s Call was aiming for wasn¡¯t the slime girl. She hoped that her thoughts would end as just excessive delusions. But ironically, ¡­She had to act on the premise that her thoughts were correct. Han Seori smirked and moved her steps to the istion room where 7496-KR was watching TV. Chapter 60: On The Way Chapter 60: On The Way As Iy dazed in bed watching TV like an idiot, I saw the door open. There was still time before mealtime, so I wondered if Han Seori going to do some kind of experiment. Even more so because Han Seori brought the ss container she used when transporting me. Han Seori lightly picked me up, put me inside the ss container, and then also put in Daesik and Sosik. Leaning against the ss with the feeling that what was toe had finally arrived, *rustle* with the sound of fluttering cloth. The ss container was covered with a cloth. Seeing the surroundings darken, I somehow had a bad feeling. It felt simr to being covered with a nket, but whenever the ss container was covered with cloth, didn¡¯t something bad happen? Instinctively, as I trembled my jelly, a slightly muffled sound was heard. ¡°Can you bear with it for a bit?¡±Perhaps she felt the vibration of me trembling my jelly. Hearing Han Seori¡¯s voice that sounded somewhat apologetic, I felt embarrassed and sheepish and reprimanded my jelly. As my jelly quieted down, I heard the sound of the ss container moving. ¡­She really must have felt my jelly, no, me trembling. How embarrassing¡­ Unable to sigh, my jelly just bubbled, With a *clunk* sound, I felt the sensation of the ss container being ced on something. A familiar feeling. I had ridden in cars so much in this state that it was second nature to me. Anyway. I thought we were going to do an experiment¡­ but it seems we¡¯re going to another strange ce again. Yeah¡­ I did rest for a long time, and I thought this was a pretty good break. There was the unfortunate incident of watching the broadcast of the chuunibyou cult in the middle, but it was a very rewarding break, eating delicious things and watching TV. So where are we going this time? As I twitched my knowledge pouch and let my imagination run wild, The cloth that covered my view was lifted, and I saw a somewhat familiar interior. A space where the outside wasn¡¯t visible. The only things supplying light here were the small lights on the ceiling and the small window that seemed connected to the driver¡¯s seat. It felt a bit bleak. Rather, the room I¡¯m staying in now was so white that it felt somewhat open, but this dark space felt suffocating enough to feel a bit stuffy. As I felt a bit stuffy, A familiar voice was heard through the small window. ¡°Are you already taking her out?¡± ¡°Yes. She doesn¡¯t seem to like being covered with a cloth very much.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I think I know why she doesn¡¯t like that.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s definitely not a good memory.¡± Han Seori, who was talking with the voice presumed to be Kim Cheonsu¡¯s, opened the lid and reached out toward me. But I couldn¡¯t react to it. Because my jelly bubbled with embarrassment and shame. Oh my god. I can¡¯t believe she knows that I trembled my jelly and the reason for it. I¡¯m so embarrassed I could die. On one hand, it was scary. I also suspected there might be a device that reads my thoughts or something. Probably not¡­ Swallowing my jelly inwardly, I felt the need to act more bold and manly. It seemed like my thoughts had turned soft, just like my jelly. ¡°Hm? It feels warm somehow¡­¡± As Han Seori put her hand under my armpit and picked me up, I came to my senses at her murmur. Indeed, because I felt embarrassed, my jelly felt a bit hot. In my sight, I see Han Seori looking at me with an ambiguous face. She had an ambiguous expression, as if uncertain whether what she felt was right. It wasn¡¯t toote yet, so I quickly regained myposure, and Han Seori tilted her head and put me down. As I felt the bubbling of relief, Han Seori took Daesik out of the ss container. Daesik, who came out as Alice, seemed scared of the unfamiliar space and came close to my feet, sticking to me. ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Han Seori, who let out a delightedugh, reached out her hand to take Sosik, who remained in the ss container. But she didn¡¯t achieve her goal. As if the inside of the ss container was cozy, Sosik avoided Han Seori¡¯s hand and stuck to the bottom. Like a cat going into a box. Since they¡¯re both suspected of being liquids, they might be somewhat simr. Anyway. Han Seori, who was scratching her cheek as if embarrassed, seemed to give up on taking Sosik out. It was as if taking me out was her only purpose. Leaving the lid of the ss container open, she sat on something that looked like a chair installed in the two-and-a-half-ton truck. Then she tapped the chair next to her as if telling me to sit there. Somehow, I felt treated like a child, and I felt a bit displeased. ¡­Normally, I wouldn¡¯t have thought much of it, but I felt that way because of what happened a little while ago. As I hesitated, Han Seori rummaged through her bosom and pulled out a chocte bar. Is she trying to move me with just that level of snack? The embarrassment I felt a little while ago was still greater, so I calmly just stared at the chocte bar. The one who moved before me was, Daesik, who was stuck to my legs. Daesik, who carefully approached with Alice¡¯s body, looked up at Han Seori with Alice¡¯s body. Looked is a strong word. It might be closer to imitating a person rather than looking. Han Seori must have fallen for it because she picked up Alice (aka Daesik) and sat her next to herself. Then she tore open the packaging of the chocte bar and put it down in front of Alice. Daesik, who was excited, leaked out from inside Alice and swallowed the chocte bar. Daesik, who happily swallowed the chocte bar, went back inside Alice and plopped down on the chair. ¡­Look at that guy. He seemed to have realized the power structure of this space. He realized that I couldn¡¯t do anything to Han Seori. You just wait¡­ Let¡¯s see what happens when we go back. However, apart from that, I felt a bit embarrassed that she was trying to lure me with a chocte bar. It¡¯s because of the actions I have been doing up until now. ¡­Perhaps it was natural for Han Seori to lure me with a chocte bar. Because I had been excitedly falling for it until now! So while I was reflecting on my past, Han Seori rummaged and took out another chocte bar. Why the hell does she carry so many chocte bars in her bosom? They say women have a separate dessert stomach, but do they also have a dessert pocket? Anyway. Since I had no intention of excitedly falling for just a chocte bar, I crossed my arms and turned my head as if uninterested. ¡°Huh¡­? Why are you doing that¡­?¡± Then Han Seori looked a bit perplexed. A beauty was pretty even when troubled. To drive the point home, I moved *squish, squish* and sat on the chair opposite her. Seeing that, Han Seori made rustling sounds or tore open packaging to try to draw my attention. Somehow, it felt good to see that. When would I normally get to see a scene like this? A beauty floundering to get my attention. While chuckling to myself without Han Seori noticing, *tter.* Sosik poked out a face simr to mine from the slightly closed lid. Then he reached out his hand as if telling Han Seori to give him the chocte bar. Seeing that, Han Seori handed the chocte bar to Sosik¡¯s hand with a face that said a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Sosik slowly pushed it into his body and went back inside the ss container. When the two jellies are both eating chocte bars, wouldn¡¯t it be a bit strange if I¡¯m the only one not eating? She¡¯ll take it out again anyway¡­? It¡¯s an infinite pocket, isn¡¯t it¡­? If a new chocte bar came out of Han Seori¡¯s infinite dessert pocket, I was going to approach her this time and receive the chocte bar as if I couldn¡¯t resist. There was no particr reason to keep rejecting her goodwill. However. Han Seori¡¯s pocket must not have been infinite. A chocte bar didn¡¯te out again. Han Seori, who had fallen asleep without realizing it, rubbed her eyes groggily. Kim Cheonsu, who noticed her waking up, spoke. ¡°Are you awake?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ yes. Sorry. I identally fell asleep.¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll arrive at the East Sea branch soon, so you woke up just in time.¡± ¡°Already?¡± After saying that, Han Seori sniffed. Indeed, the scent of the sea seemed to be faintly felt. ¡®I sent a message to Committee Member Yoo Kangjik before falling asleep.¡¯ There wouldn¡¯t be any problems, but somehow, she felt bad for leaving Kim Cheonsu alone and falling asleep. Han Seori decided she should treat him to a big meal once this was over. In the eyes of Han Seori, who came to that decision, the slime girl sleeping on the chair across from her was seen. Looking at her brought to mind what happened before falling asleep. ¡®¡­Is her condition not good today?¡¯ She refused even the snacks she liked so much, so it felt somehow¡­ strange. ¡®Her body was a bit hot, too.¡¯ Han Seori felt something was off about the slime girl¡¯s behavior that was different from usual. Was she that¡­ ufortable with being covered with a cloth? If that¡¯s the case¡­ it¡¯s a bit unfair. After all, it was for the sake of the slime girl. Since Han Seori can¡¯t read her mind, she couldn¡¯t know the exact reason. In the meantime, Did Kim Cheonsu open the window? The sound of waves was heard from far away. That irregr sound that made one think of healing made Han Seori smile slightly. ¡®Once this job is over¡­¡¯ Should she go see the beach? Although she won¡¯t be able to go together with the slime girl, it seems like a pretty good idea. Han Seori turned her head after looking at Kim Cheonsu¡¯s silhouette, which was hazily visible through the small window for a while. She also couldn¡¯t know what he was thinking right now. As Han Seori turned her head like that, The antenna-like thing on top of the slime girl¡¯s head was seen twitching. It had been lying t on the chair, but *twitch!* it suddenly straightened up and stayed fixed as if pointing at something. As Han Seori felt wonder and curiosity at that strange sight, Along with Kim Cheonsu¡¯s flustered voice, ¡°Wh-what, why so suddenly©¤¡± *Screech! Whoosh!* An ominous sound was heard. Chapter 61: The Big One Chapter 61: The Big One The vast and blue sea. The sea, with a gentle breeze blowing, created small waves, hiding its blue inner thoughts. Regardless, the water¡¯s surface was so calm that it felt like boats should be crowding it. However. Contrary to that feeling, the vast sea was eerily quiet. At first nce, it might have looked like a scene with nothing particrly unusual. The sea was wide, and the surface was covered by rolling waves of blue and dark seawater, as implied by the phrase ¡°the boundless ocean.¡± But if this was the seashore wherend could be seen, not the middle of the boundless ocean, it would be a bit different. The sea near thend was bound to have deep traces of humans.Close by, there would be beaches and viges where people reside. Far away, there would be fishing boats leaving for fishing and naval vessels patrolling the coastal waters. However. On the beach, there were only traces of people having been there until recently, but no sign of human presence could be found. In the vige where life¡¯s noises should have been heard, only an eerie silence flowed. Not even the fishing boats that should be gathering seasonal seafood and the naval vessels that should be patrolling with them were seen. In the sea that even exuded a somewhat ominous atmosphere, only birds seeking food left behind by the people who existed there were seen fluttering around. The white birds seeking food seemed to be stained with a dull color for some reason. Only the air, mixed with the salty sea smell, seemed to awaken me to the reality that this was real. In the space that had been so quiet. A pitch-ck vehicle was seen driving on the road. The vehicle driving on the coastal road, as if not feeling the dissonance with its surroundings, sped by without stopping. The vehicle felt foreign in this quiet space. As if that foreignness had stimted something. The calm sea suddenly began to feel noisy. The white birds, as if sensing some danger, left their food and flusteredly flew in a flock in the opposite direction of the sea. At that moment. *Kuuuung¡­* The water¡¯s surface ripples as if an earthquake had urred. That massive tremor soon created rough waves. The waves that hit thend swallowed up the remaining traces of humans. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, it revealed greedy fangs, but no prey they wanted was seen in the sea. *Chwaaak!* The sea¡¯s sudden fangs were also revealed towards the ck vehicle driving on the coastal road. But it wasn¡¯t an ordinary vehicle; the ck vehicle drove through the water and continued on the road, but it couldn¡¯t help but slow down. The vehicle that briefly slid and creaked as if skidding seemed to move on as if nothing had happened, but. *Baam!* Soon, with a huge sound, it was as if a bomb had exploded. A gigantic silhouette burst out from the sea. The silhouette that burst out with a wave iparablyrger than before draped its huge and heavy body over the coastal road. In the dark shadow, darker than the mere darkness that it created, the ck vehicle that didn¡¯t manage to escape was faintly visible. The vehicle, whose speed had been reduced by the water stream, seemed to have sensed the crisis and increased speed regardless of the slippery road. Soon. With an unintelligible, bizarre cry. The huge form poured down where the vehicle had been a moment ago. *Crunch! Crack!* The road was bitten off where the vehicle had been with the purpose of swallowing it. On the road torn off by that huge mouth, a wound remained as if crushed by something enormous. *Eujuk eujuk.* The silhouette that had buried its heavy body on the ground like that would have had to flop onnd as it failed to achieve its desired goal. If it hade from the sea, that¡¯s how it should have been. However. The silhouette that had swallowed the coastal road lifted its heavy body in the air as if swimming in the sea. *Pueok!* As it soared upwards and swung its tail, the sound of the earth splitting and the air bursting was noisy. *Buooong!* The identity of the silhouette that made a sound as if a huge steam engine was moving was¡­ ¡­A whale whose size was difficult to estimate. Moreover, one that seemed to be flying as if swimming in the sky. The whale that had spouted water from its blowhole moved its huge body towards the vehicle that had narrowly escaped. A movement that clearly targeted the ck vehicle. The whale that had lightly swum in the sky opened its mouth as if lunging at its prey and rushed towards the vehicle that had been speeding away. *Gagak! Kkigik!* The bizarre sound of concrete and steel bars being torn rang out. The vehicle that couldn¡¯t escape the impact of that shock wave swayed unsteadily. A precarious state where it seemed like it would overturn immediately with a single mistake. Fortunately, as if the driver¡¯s skills were good, the vehicle maintained bnce on a razor¡¯s edge. But as if trying to match the bnce, misfortune fell upon the vehicle. The ground that collided with the whale¡¯s body flew towards the vehicle. *Kkagak!* *ng!* The rocks that pierced the rear of the vehicle shattered the rear door and window as they brutally invaded inside. Messy skid marks were left on the cracked coastal road. The vehicle that lost bnce scraped the guardrail like a drunk person, creating sparks. The vehicle that narrowly regained bnce this time, too, was driving with its door ripped off. Inside the ripped-off door. A woman clutching her red-stained head and girls and a doll made of a blue jelly-like substance were seen. The woman, whose head had turned red, seemed to have been hit by fragments and was holding the blue girl with hazy eyes. Complex emotions rose on the face of the blue girl held by her. Guilt, anger, helplessness. A whirlpool of negative emotions that couldn¡¯t be pinpointed. Eventually, the blue girl who escaped from the arms of the unconscious woman pushed everything that hindered the woman from lying down into her own body. They melted away in an instant, and space for the woman to lie down was immediately secured. The girl whoid the woman down felt her twitching antenna-like hair and looked at the whale floating in the sky. No, it was unknown if she was looking at it. The sight was meaningless to the girl. But the girl seemed to be looking at the whale. A clear hostility was felt. The girl who had been fiddling with her twitching blue antennae held the doll and the girl resembling her in her arms. And jumped out of the staggering vehicle. Was it because she thought the huge whale was targeting her? The girl¡¯s thoughts were unknown, but. The blue girl jumping out of the vehicle was clearly seen. *St!* The blue jelly sttered everywhere, and the girl¡¯s silhouette rolled on the broken road. The girl, whose body had briefly deformed from the sudden impact, quickly regained her original form and faced the whale that seemed to be looking at her. An overwhelming difference. It was a gap that made it seem like a fight couldn¡¯t be established, so the girl¡¯s actions looked like nothing more than bait. A fragile appearance that seemed to have given up on her life. Meanwhile, the vehicle that had briefly faltered quickly left the scene. The whale, too, without chasing the vehicle, rushed towards the blue girl who was standing still on the coastal road. Opening its huge mouth. The girl, as if relieved that the whale was targeting her, disappeared into the whale¡¯s mouth while holding the doll and the small girl resembling her in her arms. *Kwa-dududuk!* Dust rose, and the surrounding ground that couldn¡¯t withstand the whale¡¯s weight bulged. Even the rising dust couldn¡¯t hide the whale¡¯s body. *Passuk.* The whale that had been burying its heavy body on the ground eventually wiggled its slow body and slowly rose into the sky with the dust. It was as if swallowing the blue girl was truly its only purpose. The ¡®whale¡¯ that devastated the surroundings leisurely swam in the sky. And disappeared into the gathering dark clouds. The blue girl seemed absurdly small to fill the whale¡¯s belly. But the whale seemed satisfied. ¡­For now. In the sky where the whale and blue girl disappeared, helicopters btedly appeared and noisily disturbed the surroundings. One of the helicopters that flew in a flocknded near the vehicle that had stopped after going a short distance. Those who got off with a stretcher put the woman who fainted with blood flowing from her head onto the helicopter. The scruffy man who got out of the driver¡¯s seat was with them, too. The man looked at the woman on the stretcher with a devastated face, then thought of the whale and blue girl that had disappeared beyond the sky and sighed. All the man could do right now was. Hope the woman was safe. And hope the helicopters he called would find the whale¡¯s location. ¡­Lastly. The blue girl was swallowed by the whale. Even though it seemed impossible, he dearly hoped she was safe. He felt he had to. Because thanks to the blue girl¡¯s choice, he and the woman could promise a next time. Dark. Dark and damp. Realizing I was in a situation simr to a sewer but even worse, Iughed. But I don¡¯t particrly regret it. Because of that thing, Seori Han got hurt. I thought I wasn¡¯t very attached to her, but I might have been relying on Seori Han more than I thought. Well¡­ the normal man who was driving¡­ no, Kim Cheonsu, too. He didn¡¯t let go of the steering wheel in that situation, so he shouldn¡¯t be called a normal man but should be properly called Kim Cheonsu. Anyway. I seemed to have entered the whale¡¯s belly. The only fortunate thing is that Daesik and Sosik are with me, too. However, the whale, which clearly seemed to be targeting me, might attack the car again because of the two left in the car. It felt quite reassuring. ¡­I hope this isn¡¯t a double suicide. Well¡­ for now. I¡¯m alive, aren¡¯t I? I decided to think positively. Now then. ¡­What do I do now? Somehow, I felt like I had be Pinhio, swallowed by a shark. Chapter 62: The Flying Whale Chapter 62: The Flying Whale ¡°What the¡­ Why did the ¡®Sky Whale¡¯ show up so soon?¡± The masked woman muttered in a voice that seemed to be frowning. Her eyes appeared to be looking at the screen in front of her. The screen only showed the huge tail of the whale pping as it disappeared into the clouds. She, too, was slow to assess the situation due to the unexpected event. But. It didn¡¯t really matter. It¡¯s not like she had any loyalty to her ¡®former¡¯ workce. Setting off an incident ording to the timer¡­Did they even say what would happen when the timer ended in the first ce? The timer itself was practically a ruse to fool all the branches andbs. And it was a good thing for her that the Sky Whale was freely released and flying in the sky. It would be even better if it went to a ce with as many people as possible and made its presence known. ¡®By the way.¡¯ We need to hurry. Originally, she had intended to start work earlier than the timer, so the preparations should be ready. The ¡®huge¡¯ bait of the Sky Whale was thrown out on its own, but there will be no problem. She doesn¡¯t care about the bait. Her goal is to steal the anomaly called the 7496-KR ¡°Girl Made of Slime.¡± Since the Sky Whale was released earlier than expected, it seemed like she would have to move up the time to invade theb where the target anomaly was located. Originally, she had nned to carry out the work faster than the timer, but it was a little earlier than that, so it was slightly annoying. However, other than that, everything looked good. In fact, even being released early¡­ might be a good thing. Isn¡¯t a surprise attack the most effective in the first ce? As they say, to deceive the enemy, first deceive your allies. Imagining what would happen from now on and giggling, she made a call somewhere. ¡°Move the n forward.¡± It seemed like she heard a sigh from the other side, but the woman didn¡¯t say much as she was in a good mood and hung up. Perhaps it was because she thought everything was going ording to n? The woman¡¯s mask quivered grotesquely with her distortedughter. Hmm. How did Pinhio escape from the shark¡¯s belly? By the way, was it really a shark? Wasn¡¯t it a whale? It seems impossible to move around in a shark¡¯s belly¡­ Wouldn¡¯t it be a whale? ¡­It didn¡¯t seem particrly important, so I decided to think about something else. Anyway, whether it¡¯s a shark or a whale, if it¡¯s this big, it doesn¡¯t matter. Upon pondering, it seemed that it wasn¡¯t Pinhio who was eaten first, but old man Geppetto. So I¡¯m not Pinhio but became old man Geppetto. Then, is the solution to wait until Pinhioes to save me? ¡­I don¡¯t think so. If I ask, ¡°Did youe to save me?¡± the answer would only be, ¡°No, I was eaten too.¡± Let¡¯s put aside the minor point that I can¡¯t even make a sound to ask in the first ce. Actually, I jumped in recklessly without thought because my insides were boiling, and it seemed to be aiming for me. But I couldn¡¯t think of any good ideas. Meanwhile, the first method that came to mind was making a hole in the whale¡¯s body and escaping. However¡­ That was blocked from the start by several realistic problems. First, the ce where I¡¯m standing now. Judging by the hardness I feel, it seems to be part of the bridge that the whale swallowed just now. It was floating in some kind of liquid¡­ *Sizzle¡­.* With a small sound, it was slowly melting away. This tremendous digestive power. I wasn¡¯t particrly surprised. I could melt that much if I put it in my body, too. The problem will be after the concrete I¡¯m stepping on disappears. I think what¡¯s melting the concrete is probably the whale¡¯s gastric juice. Can I really survive if I fall in there? Just because I can melt well doesn¡¯t guarantee I won¡¯t be melted. Even if I turned into a slime, there¡¯s only one life. I didn¡¯t want to recklessly go in and literally turn into a jelly. Seeing Daesik and Sosik climbed up high (on my head and shoulders)¡­ they probably think the same - if we fall in, there¡¯s no turning back. Putting aside the gastric juice ind for now. Let¡¯s look around. It¡¯s dark and damp. Of course, there won¡¯t be lights inside the stomach. It¡¯s natural to be damp since it¡¯s inside the body. The darkness is understandable, but this vast stomach is way too wide. It is so wide that it feels like I¡¯ve be a piece of a raft floating on ake of gastric juices. It feels dark not only because my vision is limited but also because it¡¯s so wide. In this situation, finding the stomach wall and making a hole? In the first ce, there was no way to make a hole, and I couldn¡¯t approach it. Even if I could add acidity to the mucus I spit out, could I prate a stomach that can withstand gastric juices simr to mine? It seems difficult unless I swallow it. I¡¯m confident I can definitely melt it if I swallow it, but¡­ So, for now, next. The next thought that came to mind was a very ssic method. ¡­The method of flowing like this and being excreted through ¡®there.¡¯ Or finding a way to the stomach wall somehow and escaping through the mouth could also be a method. If I find the stomach wall, it seemed like it could be a way to either endure or escape through the front or back. But there was one problem with this, too. I don¡¯t know if this guy excretes fragrant X through its smoke hole. Above all. This bastard flies. It¡¯s a giant flying whale, you know. What if I¡¯m excreted, and it¡¯s high up in the distant sky? If I¡¯m unlucky, I might not be a fish cake but a puddle. If things go really bad, I might arrive at Bikini Bottom while being submerged in the deep sea with bubbles. ¡­Isn¡¯t that bad? No. *Sigh* My jelly trembles. I felt a little miserable that I couldn¡¯t purely rejoice at seeing the mysterious and fascinating creature of a flying whale. I also want to make a fuss while watching the sky whale from outside, but what I have to do is a dirty survival game. ¡­The ideal thing would be to somehow stick to a ce that doesn¡¯t melt and get help from Pinhio. I don¡¯t know if that Pinhio will be Han Seori, Kim Cheonsu, or someone I don¡¯t know. With my shabby knowledge, I couldn¡¯t think of a way to subdue this huge flying creature, but wouldn¡¯t they have something? Then. *ng!* *Slurp!* *Ssh!* Strange sounds are heard. As my mind, which was lost in thought, awakens, along with the fishy smell of gastric juices, I saw something moving. Wondering what it was, I checked, and Sosik on my back stretched out its tentacles and grabbed anotherrge piece of concrete. Perhaps because the concrete I stepped on was rtively small, when Sosik pulled it, the concrete I was stepping on slowly moved there. Oh, there was a method like this. I also thought about putting my jelly in gastric juice and paddling, but. Maybe because it¡¯s young, its mind seems unrestrained. ¡­It¡¯s said that creativity is best when you¡¯re young, right? However, perhaps because it¡¯s young, the speed at which the concrete moves forward isn¡¯t very fast. At times like this, an adult needs to step up. I also stretched out my tentacles and pulled the concrete. Then, the speed picked up quite a bit, and we were able to move to a somewhatrger concrete. As I climbed up and stuck close, perhaps because it was a rtively high ce, I could faintly see what was presumed to be the stomach wall in the distance. I think it¡¯s definitely the stomach wall. In a space where everything slowly melts away, the only thing that would show movement would be its internal organs. For now, let¡¯s set the goal of getting there. My eyes gradually adapt. I nned the optimal route to reach the wriggling stomach wall. First, go there with the concrete we rode on, then transfer to the next concrete and go¡­ Good. I can go. Although Sosik came up with the idea, in the end, it¡¯s my role toe up with the detailed method. As if its energy was drained from providing the idea or as if it was now telling me to figure it out, Sosik hung limply on my shoulders. Daesik is still waving its arms on top of my head as if cheering. ¡­If there was popcorn, it would tear it open. Sigh. These little ones. I told you, at times like this, an adult needs to step up. I, who got back on the concrete we rode here, stretched out my tentacles towards the next concrete. *Ssh.* It feels like riding a duck boat on ake. Ah, of course, I don¡¯t have memories of riding one because there was no one to ride with, but wouldn¡¯t it feel something like this? It would be a simr experience if you released a school of piranhas into theke. *St!* *Slurp!* *Ssh!* With some squishy sounds, I proceeded through theke of gastric juices with the two little ones. When I saw it from the huge concrete, I thought it was close, but when I actually tried to go, it was extremely far. It¡¯s a case of an object being farther than you think. But fortunately, I have a body that doesn¡¯t get tired. How long have I been going? I saw something pink and wriggling in my sight. ¡­So, the internal organs can be this big. As I looked at the wall made of wriggling flesh that was undoubtedly the internal organ of a living being, Something strange appeared in my sight. On the wall that was clearly the internal organ of a living being, For some reason, there was metal attached all over it. It was at a high ce, so I almost missed it, but I can definitely see it. ¡­What¡¯s that? Was it not a sky whale, but, A mecha whale? It turned out to be an even more thrilling creature. For a moment, I silently stuck to the stomach wall. The soft, pulsating sensation was very¡­ bizarre. Anyway. After sticking, I moved my body to check that strange ce before more gastric juices seeped from the wall. Perhaps¡­ it could be a new escape route. With the thought that it might not be so bad, I moved. Chapter 63: Inside Chapter 63: Inside ¡°Damn it.¡± Yoo Kangjik muttered while fumbling with his increasingly sparse hair. Feeling the slick sensation from his hard fingertips, he sighed deeply as if the ground would cave in and took his hand off. What more could touching it do besides making it shine? But he couldn¡¯t help feeling a little wronged. ¡®What the hell do they think I am?¡¯ His role, dispatched from the main branch, was to inspect the lower branches and research centers. Of course¡­ nominally, his duties included helping out. But still.Isn¡¯t this too much? It was fine that the head of the research center, who could be considered the top rank, had his corruption revealed, and the position suddenly became vacant. That was exactly what he had to do. However. As if the world was mocking him, strange things kept happening. And the result was the current situation. Deputy Director Han Seori took an anomaly and an agent with her and went down to the East Sea branch. If it had ended there, he would have thought there must be some reason, ¡®It¡¯s just a guess, but there might be an intrusion or attack soon.¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll tell you moreter. Please take care of the research center.¡¯ ¡®Wait, hold on!¡¯ Yoo Kangjik felt like his hair was falling out of his head. Although helping was part of his job, *Sigh.* Comining wouldn¡¯t change anything. More than that, Han Seori¡¯s meaningful¡­ no, clear warning weighed on his mind. He stared at the slowly decreasing red timer, lost in thought. ¡®¡­Certainly.¡¯ Calming his mind and mulling it over, there were quite a few suspicious points. First of all, it was strange for those guys, whose existence was only vaguely known, to suddenly engage in such public activities. Rather than a sudden change of heart, it seemed reasonable to think that it was to hide some other purpose. ¡®It seems Han Seori left with an anomaly.¡¯ Pondering what it could be, Yoo Kangjik felt like he knew what it was. Manipting the panel, he saw an empty istion room on his screen. It was a pristine white room that felt somewhat luxurious to be called an istion room. ¡®¡­Could their real target be 7496-KR?¡¯ If so, Han Seori¡¯s actions were somewhat understandable. Amidst the chaos in all the branches and research centers nationwide, The state of alert at the East Sea branch, where something was currently detected, would be the most¡­ strict. Was it because she herself was unsure that she didn¡¯t say it in detail? ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯ Yoo Kangjik¡¯s contemtion didn¡¯tst long. Although he hadn¡¯t observed Han Seori for very long, the judgment she had shown so far was quite excellent. Her being selected as the deputy director at that age¡­ was probably the decision of those above rather than the director¡¯s influence. ¡­Even though she sometimes acts in ways he can¡¯t understand, in the end, hasn¡¯t it all turned out fine? ¡®It¡¯s well known that doctors are all entrics.¡¯ Isn¡¯t that why people like him are here? Han Seori also falls into that category¡­ an entric. ¡°Tsk.¡± Yoo Kangjik, who clicked his tongue softly, scratched his oddly shiny crown and manipted the panel. Then, in the (by his standards) luxurious istion room that had been empty, 7496-KR appeared with her small slimes. The slime girl, little slime girl, and moving doll wriggled while looking at the TV. ¡®It should be enough as an illusion.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t sure if they were really after 7496-KR. But what Yoo Kangjik did next, thinking this was probably Han Seori¡¯s intention, ¡­was preparing for intrusion and attack. Yoo Kangjik really hoped that if something had to happen¡­ it would be an intrusion. That would minimize the damage. However. The next day at dawn, An explosion was heard from somewhere in the research center. ¡°Damn it.¡± He felt very wronged. Climbing up the sticky stomach wall¡­ I saw something strange. Something that looked like a door was attached to the whale¡¯s stomach. A door that seemed to be made of a very sturdy material. When I pulled the handle, fortunately, it wasn¡¯t locked, and a door barely big enough for one person opened without resistance. *Creak!* As if it hadn¡¯t been maintained for a long time, the door let out a sharp scream. If I were human, I might have frowned and let go of the handle. Anyway. As I opened the door and went inside¡­ I saw a passageway made of flesh. ¡­I really feel like I¡¯ve entered a game. Perhaps for economic reasons, only the floor showed traces of humans, and the rest was close to a perforated organ. Then, *Booooom!* A huge vibration and sound rang out, shaking Daesik. Is it because the door is open? Indeed, it would be natural to feel difort if a hole suddenly opened in your stomach. *Creak!* When I closed the door I was holding, there was no sound, as if it was relieved. Then, *gulp!* I, lost in thought with Daesik wobbling, Should I just leave it open? Wouldn¡¯t it copse from exhaustion? But soon, I decided to just keep it closed. My limited knowledge tells me that thergest whale on Earth lives fine, even with cancer. So even if it feels difort, it will likely adapt quickly. Then, it seemed best to choose the option that didn¡¯t hurt my conscience. ¡­Well, it might not matter. I had a feeling that in the worst case, either I or this whale would have to die¡­ for there to be an ending. Where the hell did this thing suddenly pop out from? Thinking like that, I walked along the passageway made of flesh. Since only the path to follow was covered with flooring, there was no worry of getting lost. The only problem was that the passageway was narrower than it looked from the outside. It seems to be gradually healing. It wasn¡¯t a problem for me to pass through, but it would be difficult for an adult male. As I progressed, feeling the damp sensation touching my jelly, A ratherrge space weed us, unlike the passageway. It was as if someone had made a base, and there were traces of something having been installed. Those traces were also all crumpled as the space healed, so I couldn¡¯t tell what this ce was for. ¡­If I could fathom the thoughts of those who make this kind of thing in a ce like this, wouldn¡¯t that be even more problematic? Still, one thing became clear. The flying whale is not a mecha whale¡­ but a being that has something presumed to be human-made base-like thing inside for some purpose. And now that it has served its purpose, it seems they took the important things and¡­ left everything else behind. Thinking that, I felt a little sorry for the whale. I was a bit displeased that it hurt Han Seori to eat me, Anyway. Since the passageway was still there, I moved my feet again with a *squish squish*. Because once this passageway and spacepletely heal, I won¡¯t be able to pass through again. But that won¡¯t be today. Probably. While walking through the stretchy yet solid and narrow passageway, A door simr to the one on the stomach wall appeared. This time, it looked a little sturdier, so it seemed to be a rather important space. *Creak¡­ squeak.* Is that why? The door won¡¯t open. After thinking for a moment, I enveloped the handle in my slime. I couldn¡¯t eat the whale, but melting a small handle wasn¡¯t that difficult. As the handle that entered my slime melted, the lock seemed to have been released, and the door rattled. ¡­I don¡¯t think I can close this again. Will it be okay? I don¡¯t know. Thus, entering through the opened door, *Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!* I felt something huge vibrating. Thinking there might be another creature, my startled gaze fell upon a fiercely beating red something. *Thump! Thump! Thump!* That¡­ seemed to be the heart. Although it was too huge to be called a heart¡­ my meager knowledge was telling me it was the heart. Every time it pounded, a gruesome sound of *Thwack! Thwack!* reverberated around. Indeed. Since it¡¯s such arge creature¡­ the heart must be that huge too. Then, A foul stench came from somewhere. Although a fishy smell had been present in the passageways I¡¯d passed through, the stench here was iparably foul. So much so that even Sosik and Daesik trembled and clung to my body. *Thump! Thump!* Putting aside the pounding heart for now, I *squish squish* moved my feet to find the source of that foul odor first. Finding the source was¡­ both easy and a little difficult. No matter how absurd it may sound, that was actually the case. Because, The stench was emanating from the entire space where the heart was beating. And its source was, For some reason, rotting and crumbling chunks of flesh¡­ ¡­and there weren¡¯t just one or two of those rotten chunks. Unlike the outside that was gradually healing, The Sky Whale seemed to be rotting from the inside. Seeing that, I felt strange. Chapter 64: The Whale Chapter 64: The Whale
I am pleased to present this bonus chapter, which has been made possible thanks to the wonderful review written by Espay_2000-_-. Please enjoy this bonus chapter as a small token of my appreciation for Espay_2000-_-¡¯s contribution to my trantion work.
¡°Ugh¡­.¡± Feeling pain in her head, Han Seori opened her eyes. A pure white ceiling. As she took in the unfamiliar ceiling, she muttered in a slightly dazed voice, ¡°¡­Where is this ce?¡± As she mumbled that, Kim Cheonsu, who had his eyes closed next to her, opened them with a *snap!* Seeing Han Seori looking rtively fine, Kim Cheonsu let out a sigh of relief.¡°How is your body?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Other than a bit of a headache, I¡¯m alright. What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ unharmed. Yes.¡± Seeing Kim Cheonsu unscathed, Han Seori felt relieved. She had lost consciousness, so she didn¡¯t know what had happened, but seeing Kim Cheonsu fine, it seemed things had worked out somehow. Since 7496-KR was an anomaly¡­ she likely wasn¡¯t here. However, a scene she had hazily seen before losing consciousness slowly resurfaced in her mind. The red liquid was covering her vision. She thought she had seen 7496-KR covered in that liquid jump out of the car. ¡­Was it a dream? She looked at Kim Cheonsu with a slightly uneasy face. As if knowing what she would ask, Kim Cheonsu¡¯s face became somewhat resentful yet also guilt-ridden. ¡®¡­No way.¡¯ An ominous imagination slowly sketched itself in Han Seori¡¯s mind. It wasn¡¯t a dream¡­? ¡°Did something¡­ happen to 7496-KR?¡± She hoped not, but the answer that flowed from Kim Cheonsu¡¯s mouth was not what she wanted. ¡°¡­She seems to have been eaten by the thing chasing us. Perhaps she thought that thing was targeting her.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Han Seori felt slightly dizzy. Feeling a throbbing pain in her head at the sudden truth, she clutched her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But it couldn¡¯t be helped. Your safety was more important to me than 7496-KR¡¯s, Doctor.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Hearing Kim Cheonsu¡¯s words, Han Seori waved her hand and reassured him as he looked a bit anxious. Seeing his pale blue face, it was as if¡­ she would harm him. Han Seori had no intention of ming Kim Cheonsu either. Rather¡­ She thought he had made the right decision. Depending on the level of importance, it may differ¡­ But fundamentally, prioritizing human lives is only natural. Han Seori also understood that fact with her coldly logical mind. But. For some reason, she didn¡¯t feel too good. Was it because she felt regret over losing an anomaly that was friendly to humans and excellent? ¡®¡­.¡¯ While repeatedly telling herself that wasn¡¯t it, perhaps it was because she had be too attached to 7496-KR. Her mind was a mess withplex emotions. After taking a deep breath for a bit, Han Seori looked at Kim Cheonsu and spoke. ¡°So¡­ Where is that thing now?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll check right now.¡± Seeing Kim Cheonsu go outside, Han Seori became lost in thought. And put forth a hopeful conjecture. ¡®Considering the size difference¡­.¡¯ If she wasn¡¯t crushed to death the moment she was swallowed¡­ The probability of her being alive inside the stomach seemed high. It was still too early to confirm she was dead. ¡®Come to think of it.¡¯ ¡­So they had a sky whale with them. She had heard it went extinct a few years ago¡­ To think it was alive and well like that. Han Seori pressed her temples as if having a headache. It seemed there were¡­ more variables than she had thought. Meanwhile, Kim Cheonsu, who had gone outside, returned. Soon, hearing the story he told, Han Seori blinked her eyes in confusion. The location had been identified, which was very good news, but the ce the sky whale was heading towards¡­ It was a bit strange. *St!* Like a swollen tumor exploding, it burst and sttered dead ck blood everywhere. *Plop plop!* The dead blood that sshed on my body floated around for a bit and soon disappeared as if it had never been there. It was the same for Sosik, but in Daesik¡¯s case¡­ it was a bit unfortunate. Daesik, wearing the doll, couldn¡¯t avoid the sttered dark red blood. Looking at Daesik being dyed red, I thought he looked like a ghost from a horror game. I hugged and patted the drenched Daesik and scrutinized the surroundings. The result of further exploring the surroundings as I felt something strange was not very good. It seemed the traces left in the whale¡¯s body¡­ were artificially made by someone. ¡­Only an idiot wouldn¡¯t know that after seeing this sight. Some ces where organs should have been werepletely empty, and most areas were rotting with irreversible damage. How the hell is it alive with a body like this? Even if it¡¯s an anomaly, considering it fundamentally has the characteristics of a living being. To this degree¡­ It seems it could drop dead at any moment. The word ¡°terminal¡± came to mind, and seeing its condition made me feel very disturbed. Who the hell did this to this creature? And why did this whale that flies the skies swallow me? Considering it left the fleeing car alone and swallowed the smaller me, it seemed I was the target. But. I couldn¡¯t figure out the reason¡­ so I was a bit frustrated. Then. *Rumble rumble!* Along with a huge vibration, as if an earthquake had urred, the ce I was standing on began to shake tremendously. It felt like it had crashed while flying, and a bitter taste was felt from my jelly. The vibration that had been going on for a while stopped after quite a long time. This sound¡­ Perhaps it hadn¡¯t fallen into the sea butnded on the ground. *Thump! Thump! Thump!* Even feeling impending doom, The whale¡¯s heart kept beating without stopping. As if it didn¡¯t know how to stop. ¡­Rather, it would be dangerous if it knew how to stop, Somehow, I felt the whale wished for death. It wasn¡¯t as if I heard any kind of voice. But¡­ somehow, it felt that way. The whale¡¯s huge heart boasted its vigor, unlike the surrounding areas, rotting and festering. ¡­Perhaps, Did the whale swallow me, wishing I would kill it? I seemed too small for it to think that way after swallowing me, but considering my ability anew¡­ it may be fitting. *Ssh ssh* I walked over to the heart, feeling the floor stick to my feet. *Thump! Thump! Thump!* The heart beating vigorously, unlike other ces, emitting the stench of death. *Thump! Thump!* My decision as I felt those vibrations wasn¡¯t very hard. Having already checked the surroundings ande back, The only thing I could do for this ¡°whale¡± was grant it eternal rest. I climbed on top of the heart with Daesik and Sosik. A heart sorge that climbing on top of it was an appropriate expression. Swallowing it whole at once would be impossible¡­ But it would be possible if I swallowed it bit by bit. *Thump! Thump!* Feeling the heart under my feet, I, feeling somewhat heavy-hearted, Put the bumpy protruding part of the heart inside my body. The heart rapidly melts with gurgling sounds. Once I made one fissure, its copse was very fast. It was as if it had been waiting only for that. Dark red blood spurting from the crack quickly filled my insides. Trying hard not to taste it, I swallowed everything inside me. I could handle infinite meat chunks to some extent, so this much was no problem. My body, which was blue in color, was dyed dark red. I saw heart pieces finely sliced by the pressure floating around inside me. I saw Sosik, who was hit by the spurting blood and blown away, iling beneath. Sosik soon floated around, looking as if he hade to a beach. Alice (in Daesik) was now just¡­ a red something. I diligently moved until the whale¡¯s heart disappeared, melting its blood and heart. The heart kept *thump thump* beating even as it slowly disappeared. While admiring its tremendous vitality, It made me realize¡­ that¡¯s why it couldn¡¯t die even in this state. *Glug! Glug!* How much time has passed like that? I felt the slime feet on top of the heart touch the floor. At that moment, *Moooooo!* The whale¡¯s cry, which felt like itsst struggle, made my jelly tremble. Is it because I ate the heart and blood? Somehow, I felt like I could feel the whale¡¯s emotions. Anger and relief and gratitude. ¡­What does that mean? Feeling confused, I plopped down on the floor. I see the tumors that had been bursting and festering quiet down. As the whale ceased its life functions, everything stopped. Even while thinking I needed to get out, For some reason, I couldn¡¯t move. Chapter 65: The End of the Whale Chapter 65: The End of the Whale Somewhere in the East Sea. Above the sea, rippling with blue light. Several helicopters could be seen heading somewhere, making a heavy sound. Soon, in the direction where the group was heading, something like a ck dot began to appear. A foreign silhouette that can be called an ind. The silhouette of the ck dot that looked like a speck became clearer as it got closer. The identity of what looked like a ck dot was a giant whale precariously lying on the ind. *Ssh, swoosh¡­* No warmth is felt from the whale, and it does not stir even as it receives the waves.But that didn¡¯t feel strange. Because when seen up close, the whale¡¯s body was covered in wounds of all sizes. Those who followed the whale fleeing the sky wondered how the whale was able to move despite such wounds. But soon, they erased the question. It would be strange to expectmon sense from an anomaly in the first ce. Soon, as Han Seori, supported by Kim Cheonsu, got off the helicopter, those who were feeling curious while looking at the whale began to unload things from the helicopter. What they took out of the helicopter were protective suits and equipment to dissect the whale. Looking at those brutal-looking pieces of equipment, you¡¯d think they¡¯d feel pity for the whale, but the faces of those putting on protective gear and preparing the equipment were extremely cid. Perhaps they had already experienced simr things many times and had be numb to it. It might seem rather cold-hearted, but to them, it was just something they obviously had to do. They couldn¡¯t just leave an anomaly that was surely already dead like this. Since moving something that big whole would be very inefficient, they can¡¯t be called cold-hearted. It was unavoidable. If it were alive, it would be a different story¡­. Like that, the whale dissection began while Han Seori watched from a distance. ¡°Hmm?¡± But from the beginning, they faced a slightly troubling situation. The whale, which ording to the data hadn¡¯t died long ago¡­ was dried up to a strange degree. It¡¯s not that the whale¡¯s volume has decreased, but the things that shoulde out of a creature that was alive until a little while ago are noting out. Speaking of which, the sea that should have been dyed red by the blood flowing from the wounds is also boasting its blueness. No matter how much of an anomaly it is, if it had the structure of a living thing, that was strange. That was the reason they brought protective gear, too. The man performing the dissection approached, took off his protective suit¡¯s mask, and asked Han Seori. ¡°Something seems strange¡­ Shall we continue?¡± At his question, Han Seori seemed to have a headache as she pressed her temples and was lost in thought. But soon, with a slightly brightened face, she signaled to resume the work. The man felt a bit of doubt, but since it was a job that had to be done anyway, he turned around without a word and returned to the dissection site. In any case, as long as he followed the safety rules well, it wouldn¡¯t be his fault, even if something went wrong. *Whirr! Chop chop!* Soon, the dissection work that had been paused for a moment began again. *Thud!* A piece of flesh fell to the ground along with the skin. The chunks of meat rolling on the beach had no blood at all. As if someone had sucked out all the blood from the whale. *Gulp.* The man who had asked Han Seori about continuing felt a tinge of unease at that bizarre sight. It seems like there will be something else inside in addition to the whale that¡¯s already dead. The man nced at Han Seori, who was supported by Kim Cheonsu, after looking at his teammates who were still conducting the dissection. ¡®Seeing as she came here in person¡­¡¯ She doesn¡¯t seem to be a bad person, even if she is annoying. He sighed inwardly as he thought of the so-called ¡®doctors¡¯ of the branch he belonged to while looking at the man and woman who came from the Metropolitan Branch. *Chop chop!* *Thud!* Meanwhile, the dissection proceeded smoothly. Work that progressed as if ants were eating prey. Fortunately, what the man was worried about didn¡¯t seem to happen. ¡­ However. The man and the others were soon shocked in a different sense. As they dug deeper, things presumed to be traces left by humans poured out. Steel frames to support something. An iron door covered in rust. ¡­Even cans that are presumed to have been left behind by someone eating. Those dissecting the whale frowned upon seeing those traces, sensing what had happened to the whale. Themon thought was that those who did this didn¡¯t seem to be in their right mind. The dissection continued in a slightly heavy atmosphere. The solid sound that shouldn¡¯t be heard from a biological entity was heard in session. ¡°This looks like a stomach.¡± ¡°Bring something to put it in, just in case.¡± In the middle of the dissection that continued in a rather somber atmosphere, *Chop chop!* The eyes of the one who reached the deepest part saw something strange. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Wh-what is it?¡± A space soaked in blood appeared, unlike the dried-up whale. It was understandable up to that point, but the strange silhouette that appeared there made him perplexed. When he shone a shlight to grasp the situation, the figure of a blood-soaked doll was revealed. ¡°What the?!¡± The doll¡¯s hair, presumed to have been blonde, was soaked in dark red blood to the point where its original color was unrecognizable. Of course, the whole body was also covered in blood, so it looked more like a lump of blood than a doll. *Twitch!* As if it noticed their presence, the doll that had been sitting nkly began to move. The workers who saw the movement sensed that it was something like an anomaly and greatly retreated. ¡°Ah, there¡¯s something inside!¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± The man who was coordinating the entire operation lost his words for a moment, ming himself for thinking it was going smoothly, and carefully went inside. There were no immediate casualties, so he thought he would check what it was first and then report it to Han Seori. The man frowned at the thick smell of blood that wafted from a different ce than anywhere else. ¡®So that¡¯s where all that blood went.¡¯ It was good that one question was solved, but a new question arose, so it couldn¡¯t be said to be a very good situation. As the man shone a shlight, A blood-soaked doll was seen. It seems unable to bear the blood soaked into its body as it wobbles unsteadily. And next to it¡­ A small girl made of blue slime was sprawled out. The girl lying in a puddle of blood, half-submerged, with a face that seemed to find everything in the world bothersome, was limply sprawled. Only the small thumping of something small inside that small body let them know it was still alive. The man who had confirmed that much realized that it was the anomaly Han Seori had mentioned. She said its survival was unknown, but it seemed it was alive. The man clicked his tongue andughed hollowly at the possibility that had seemed unlikely, so he hadn¡¯t really considered it. The man looked around the inside more closely, feeling somewhat relieved. ¡®She said it was friendly to humans, didn¡¯t she?¡¯ Then there¡¯s no need to worry. ¡°A- are you going in?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll probably be safe. You go tell the doctor over there that we found what she was looking for.¡± ¡°What? Yes!¡± After saying that, the man passed through the cut gap and went inside. The foul stench that asionally wafted from other ces was thick here. ¡®She said there were three.¡¯ Let¡¯s see¡­ Then there should be one more. Where is it? The man¡¯s eyes, after passing the blood-soaked doll and the slime girl submerged in blood, saw a space that seemed to have had something huge. And in the center of it, A girl stood, simr to the slime girl, sprawled on the floor but muchrger. The man felt an inexplicable chill upon seeing the girl made of slime. Unlike the other two he had just passed, therge girl emanated an unsettling aura. From the slime girl covered in blood, looking at him, He felt an anger headed somewhere unknown and unfathomable emotions. Her expressionless face, devoid of emotion, evoked a feeling of fear rather than a thought of her being pretty. The man licked his lips, feeling the cold sweat running down his back. ¡®Even though she said it was safe.¡¯ But she looks ready to kill me any moment? He slowly backed away, feeling the cold sweat running down his spine. The thought that he had to get out of there right now filled the man¡¯s head. But. Perhaps reacting to the girl¡¯s emotions, The doll and the small girl that had made the man pass by powerlessly were approaching the man, making sshing sounds. *Ssh.* *Ssh.* In front, the big girl slowly approaches. The slippery floor. The man, who had been backing away, slipped and fell on his bottom into a puddle of blood with a ssh. Blood sshed everywhere, wetting the beings approaching him. At the moment when the man was about to resign himself to death, *Ssh, ssh.* Along with the sound of someone approaching from the opened entrance, the rtivelyrge girl who had been approaching him stopped in her tracks. Therge girl who had been wobbling like jelly soon copsed like a puppet with its strings cut, and the sound approaching from the entrance approached the girl with intense noise. The identity of the sound was Han Seori in a protective suit. Han Seori, with a face filled with a mixture of relief andplicated emotions, picked up the girl and handed her to Kim Cheonsu, who btedly followed and took care of the doll and the small girl. Han Seori, who was silently heading out, said in a low voice. ¡°¡­ Now it seems we only need to finish the dissection. Please take care of it.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ yes.¡± The man replied weakly with a face as if possessed by a ghost. ¡­ I should quit this job. The man sighed deeply, ruminating on his retirement age. Chapter 66: Aftermath Chapter 66: Aftermath ¡°I¡¯m gonna die.¡± From the crown of Yoo Kangjik¡¯s head, sunken into the chair, precious strands fell miserably. He, who would normally have be a crying mess, sighed deeply as if he had no room to care about such things. What can you do about what¡¯s already been pulled out? Perhaps he had reached a state close to enlightenment. ¡®¡­Should I just shave it all off?¡¯ As he was having such extreme thoughts, the damage report from the raid was sent to him. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Seeing that, Yoo Kangjik let out a sigh of relief this time.Thanks to the preparations made after hearing Han Seori¡¯s warning, the damage didn¡¯t seem too severe. Because they knew in advance what would be targeted, preparing for it wasn¡¯t thatplicated either. In fact, the ces that were actually damaged urred were far from their ¡°target.¡± ¡­Could that have been another kind of smokescreen? It doesn¡¯t feel refreshing. But it¡¯s true they seeded in blocking it in the end. If so. ¡­Maybe it¡¯s okay to rest a little? Feeling such thoughts creeping up, Yoo Kangjik shook his head. We can only say it¡¯s ¡°really¡± over when the aftermath is handled, too. Therefore. Since the situation ended not long after the intruders reached the istion room where 7496-KR was isted, Now, it seemed almost certain that they hade targeting 7496-KR. ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯ Yoo Kangjik couldn¡¯t help but fall into deep contemtion. The beginning and¡­ end of what happened to the research center now was 7496-KR. It could be seen as something that happened in order to somehow secure the Girl Made of Slime, 7496-KR. He, too, had heard the story of how 7496-KR handled the incident caused by the ¡°canned food¡± while he was unconscious. That¡¯s why the current situation felt more difficult. ¡®Should we continue to iste 7496-KR here?¡¯ For now, the crisis was ovee by Doctor Han Seori¡¯s stopgap measure, but it would be foolish not to expect the same thing to happen again. If we think that the existence of someone leaking information from the inside is now a given constant, it will inevitably happen. Judging from the fact that the information about Han Seori¡¯s escape wasn¡¯t ryed, it doesn¡¯t seem that hopeless, but it doesn¡¯t seem negligible either. To manage such a risk, this research center was toorge in scale. Arge scale means that there are many people to manage, so it¡¯s that much harder to filter out suspicious individuals. ¡®No matter how much I think about it.¡¯ Moving to another ce seems better. ¡°Haa¡­¡± After contemting for a moment, Yoo Kangjik sighed, thinking that it¡¯s not something he can decide alone anyway. For now. It will be a concern after Doctor Han Seori and 7496-KR return. So he got up from his chair and headed to the scene of the damage. ¡®I don¡¯t know when they¡¯ll be back, but I should at least do some restoration before then, right?¡¯ ¡®¡­And thoroughly check if there are any other missing anomalies.¡¯ He disappeared out the door, shining his receding hairline. Watching the end of the whale and swallowing its heart, I felt a somewhat distant feeling and stood nkly. Because the taste of the whale¡¯s heart and blood that I had tried not to feel came rushing in like a whirlwind, I couldn¡¯te to my senses. It¡¯s not like I felt a taste that didn¡¯t exist in this world, like in some manga, and floated ¡°delicious¡± in my head. If it was just the taste, I might not have felt difort. Rather than that. The problem was the emotions¡­ that came with it, which were not my own. That was a bit of a startling thing. I admit that I eat well, but understanding that I can ¡°eat¡± emotions was still difficult. Okay. Let¡¯s say I can eat it. But then why does it feel like I¡¯m experiencing those emotions myself? The unpleasant feeling of emotions being forcibly injected. Even if I try hard to suppress it, it doesn¡¯t seem to settle down well, perhaps because I swallowed something vastlyrger than myself. The sensation of my slime boiling. I constantly tried to quell it¡­ but it didn¡¯t seem to die down easily. Still, it¡¯s what I ultimately swallowed. Thinking it would be somewhat sorted out, *nk! nk!* A sharp sound was heard, the whale¡¯s flesh split open, and those wearing something like spacesuits came inside. Then, the emotions that had settled down began to swirl again. This was not something I could control. Perhaps due to the repressed rebound, the anger that grew more intense engulfed my body. It reached a level where it felt meaningless to distinguish whether the anger I was feeling now was my own or someone else¡¯s. Fortunately or unfortunately, while I was trying to control my body, those who had entered earlier went back out. Feeling a little relieved and slightly letting my guard down at that moment, Unlike a moment ago, I see someone approaching with heavy footsteps. Anger engulfs my body again. I know I¡¯m not in a position toin after eating the heart. But this is a bit¡­ annoying. And that annoyance led to something I couldn¡¯t control. I, struggling to control myself, slowly approached someone who came in. Sosik and Daesik, who normally had no means to convey their intentions and had to gesture, also moved slowly towards someone, perhaps reacting to this emotion. I saw someone retreating in surprise and falling over with a thud. Feeling even more excitement, the emotion that reached its limit was about to lead to catastrophe. At that moment. I saw a familiar face enter my field of vision. A familiar face. As I saw Han Seori¡¯s face quickly approaching, I felt the emotions boiling inside me fade. And at the same time. My vision rapidly darkened. I think I fell asleep. How much time has passed like that? My dark vision brightened again. Feeling a dazed sensation, I looked around and first saw Daesik lying on the floor. Daesik, who had been covered in blood, looked spotless, as if someone had washed him. Seeing his clean appearance, as if what I experienced was a dream, I felt a strange feeling. I thought, was it really not a dream I had? I approached Daesik and sniffed him, burying my face. Instead of the slightly damp smell that usually wafted, the fragrant scent of fabric softener wafted strongly. I guess¡­ it wasn¡¯t a dream after all. Since I saw Han Seori¡¯s face before falling asleep, she probably washed him. Intoxicated by the scent of fabric softener that I smelled for the first time in a while, I came to my senses after sniffing enthusiastically. Next, I found Sosik¡¯s silhouette. That guy is really¡­ consistent even after bing like that. Seeing him sprawled out indulgently. ¡­I suddenly felt irritated. Oddly enough¡­ it was an immense irritation. *Thud!* My body, which had been moving without thought, ttened Sosik¡¯s defenseless sleeping body. Sosik, who became a pressed fish all of a sudden, woke up surprised, and I also stepped back, feeling that something was wrong. Could it be that¡­ Sosik couldn¡¯t endure this either? The guy rolled on the floor, tapping my feet! So it seems he¡¯s tapping my body like this to express his dissatisfaction. Usually, I would have snickered, wiggled my slime, and made fun of him. But I also felt something was off, so¡­ I stroked his head to express my apology. Very much so! Filled with apologetic feelings. Did my sincerity get through? ¡­Or did he feel bothered? Whichever it was, Sosik, who had been tapping my body, got tired of it andy down on the floor again. Relieved that the situation was handled for now, I sat on the floor and reflected on what was happening to me. Because the situation just now was definitely strange. The anger was amplified to an absurd degree. It¡¯s not a threefold increase in sensitivity but a threefold increase in anger. ¡­To the point where I thought I should be admitted to a mental hospital for anomalies like me right away, if there was one. I wondered why this was happening, and I could quickly figure out the reason. Because recently, the only thing that could have this effect on me was the whale. It¡¯s probably not because I ate something too big and got sick. I knew the reason, but¡­ I had no idea what to do with this startling change. Then. I saw Sosik sprawled in my sight. Come to think of it¡­ I think I felt something simr when I swallowed the can. I forgot about it because I woke up feeling refreshed, but if that temperament¡­ passed onto Sosik¡­? My knowledge pouch perks up at the brilliant deduction. Then, if I separate this anger-inducing something to Sosik, like passing it on, it should work. Because it was too rough a world to live with this anger management disorder. I felt the urgent need to separate it. Of course¡­ there was one tiny problem. ¡­So, the thing is. How do I do it? I was asleep when it passed to Sosik. I have no idea how to do it at all. I feel helpless, and anger wells up again. It really¡­ feels like I¡¯m going to go crazy. So I decided to just try it, whether it works or not. I tried imagining separating the anger-inducing something from my small and precious ce. Then, surprisingly, something easily responds. Something that flowed out from my precious ce was floating around inside my slime, bubbling. Chanting the image of expelling it to the outside in my head, I put strength into the slime. Soon. *Squish! Squish!* With the sensation of something escaping to the outside, ¡°You¡¯re awa©¤¡± Han Seori entered. Chapter 67: A Momentary Respite? Chapter 67: A Momentary Respite? Although it was terribly embarrassing amidst themotion¡­ Han Seori couldn¡¯t help but feel like she was on vacation. ¡­You may not believe it, but it was absolutely not something Han Seori intended. She wanted a vacation, but it was merely a wish. ¡®Comfortable yet¡­.¡¯ Ufortable. Afterpleting her supervision of the whale dissection (for other reasons), Han Seori returned to the East Sea Branch with 7496-KR and copsed, just like the 7496-KR she brought with her. It wasn¡¯t that there was a specific issue with her body, but rather it was closer to her copsing from pushing herself too hard despite originally being a patient. ¡°Since you pushed yourself to be sent as the on-site supervisor¡­ we¡¯ll take care of the rest on our side.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ well, go ahead.¡±The managers of the East Sea Branch excluded Han Seori from all their work. In fact, it was difficult to call it exclusion. It was strange from the start for her, who belongs to the Capital Area Branch, to be working at the distant East Sea Branch. Rather, allowing her to participate in the dissection work was closer to their consideration. Fundamentally, as she was a patient¡­ she didn¡¯t want to work at other branches either. It was only because of the exception called 7496-KR. Having achieved her objective, it was enough to rest her body for a while¡­ and wait for the sleeping 7496-KR to wake up. However, 7496-KR showed no signs of waking up anytime soon. Han Seori, who had a premonition that the wait would be long, sneaked out of the room but was caught by Kim Cheonsu and sent back. Under normal circumstances, it would be unthinkable, but the authority of Han Seori in a ¡®patient gown¡¯ had fallen that much. ¡­Above all, it was likely because this wasn¡¯t her domain to begin with. In addition to that. ¡°You retrieved her safely too, didn¡¯t you? Please. Please¡­! Get some rest until she wakes up. Okay?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, I got it.¡± As Kim Cheonsu pleaded for her to rest, Han Seori decided to obediently take a vacation that wasn¡¯t quite a vacation. If there was one thing on her mind. ¡®¡­Our Research Center is.¡¯ Hopefully safe¡­? Although she was worried about the well-being of the Research Center, she practically dumped on Yoo Kangjik. Han Seori, believing in Yoo Kangjik¡¯spetence, thought he must have handled it well and looked at the food Kim Cheonsu brought. ¡®Squid sashimi¡­ abalone¡­.¡¯ Is there a seafood market nearby? Come to think of it, does 7496-KR like seafood? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever fed her seafood¡­ ¡°Doctor?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°¡­You weren¡¯t thinking about that girl again, were you?¡± ¡°Ahaha¡­ I did¡­ a little.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m truly grateful that you¡¯re not lying.¡± Han Seori smiled and picked up a generous amount of squid sashimi with her chopsticks. An amount that seemed like a hearty serving by her standards. Soon, the squid sashimi covered in red gochujang was¡­ Held out not to Han Seori¡¯s mouth but to Kim Cheonsu¡¯s. Kim Cheonsu, who was fumbling for his own chopsticks, blinked at the unexpected situation. ¡®¡­This person.¡¯ Can¡¯t even eat when given. Han Seori, who grinned, pretended her arm was tired and said. ¡°My arm feels like it¡¯s going to fall off.¡± ¡°Ah, um. Yes.¡± Only after she said, that did Kim Cheonsu carefully open his mouth, and Han Seori¡¯s chopsticks entered. Having achieved her objective, Han Seori immediately withdrew her chopsticks and observed Kim Cheonsu, who began chewing the squid sashimi. Seeing his stern face soften just from being fed once, it seemed a little cute. ¡­It also seemed foolish. His appearance didn¡¯t really suit the word ¡®cute,¡¯ so it might be foolish. Han Seori felt a strange emotion. She also¡­ more or less knew what kind of feelings Kim Cheonsu had for her. Even if she had no interest in such things¡­ it was impossible not to know when he expressed it so openly. And¡­ Han Seori found it puzzling. ¡®Why does he like me?¡¯ Well¡­ objectively speaking, her specs were quite outstanding. Pretty face. Smart. Makes¡­ quite a lot of money, too. However, it didn¡¯t seem like Kim Cheonsu expressed fondness for her because of those things. Han Seori tried to view her own personality as objectively as possible. Coldness towards things of disinterest. Focuses only on research¡­ research subjects. Hmm. ¡®¡­Doesn¡¯t seem like a personality suitable for dating?¡¯ In the first ce, how could someone so young that even being called ¡®Doctor¡¯ is surprising have be the deputy head of the Research Center? She had no dating experience. Perhaps because of that. She couldn¡¯t understand Kim Cheonsu¡¯s fondness, so she couldn¡¯t ept it. ¡­Still. Seeing his devoted behavior this time, it didn¡¯t seem too bad. ¡®For the time being¡­ it would be difficult.¡¯ In her view, the timing was terrible. The small cracks that slowly began appearing since 7496-KR¡¯s capture. Han Seori could feel them. It wasn¡¯t that she thought 7496-KR was the cause of anything, but it was ominous that the quiet ¡®Twilight¡¯s Call¡¯ openly began their activities. The small unease that the current situation, which was being controlled well¡­ might copse. And perhaps. 7496-KR might be at the center of it. How could she, as 7496-KR¡¯s caretaker, pursue a romantic rtionship at such a time? In addition to being unfamiliar with epting another¡¯s feelings, for Han Seori, that was the biggest reason. As she contemted theplicated thoughts, Han Seori felt her temples begin to throb for some reason. ¡®¡­For now, I need to rest.¡¯ It doesn¡¯t seem wrong to say that. She didn¡¯t know how her rtionship with the man sitting across from her would turn out, but that much was clear. With that in mind, Han Seori carefully spoke while eating the food Kim Cheonsu bought. ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Kim Cheonsu.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?!¡± Kim Cheonsu, who was absentmindedly dipping the sashimi in soy sauce, looked at Han Seori with a startled expression. ¡®¡­Why is he like that?¡¯ Feeling slightly displeased, Han Seori continued speaking to resolve a sudden curiosity. ¡°These days¡­ do you not have dreams about blue jelly?¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Kim Cheonsu, who was chewing the sashimi, sighed as if he had eaten a mouthful of wasabi. ¡°After that¡­ well. I don¡¯t think there was anything intense enough to be memorable. In the first ce, isn¡¯t that how dreams are?¡± ¡°So it didn¡¯t persistently fol©¤¡± ¡°Just finish your food.¡± As Kim Cheonsu growled and ced a handful of sashimi on her te, Han Seori giggled to herself. Still. Teasing this bear-like person seemed quite enjoyable. This is. A curse. It would have been better if my sight had been partial and I had only seen Han Seori entering. But my sight showed both Han Seori entering and something falling from my bottom with a *st, st*,id bare. And because I was intelligent. I could imagine¡­ how it would look to Han Seori. At least¡­ it doesn¡¯t smell. No, but this was necessary. Otherwise, I felt like I would really develop anger management issues! In the meantime, Han Seori, who was watching with an ambiguous expression, approached and silently handed me something. Opening the packaging, I saw fresh seafood. What is this? Is it to replenish what I expelled? I carefully observed Han Seori¡¯s face as she handed it to me, but it didn¡¯t seem like that was the case. However¡­ I felt an even more unbearable¡­ strange gaze. A bizarre gaze I had never received once in my not-so-long but not-so-short life. A gaze that clearly conveyed warmth rather than displeasure. Why¡­ does it feel weird? Silently wobbling my slime and putting the seafood into my body, the thought of the whale suddenly came to mind. Along with the strange emotion that arose after eating it. Naturally, my gaze also fell on the mucus that had fallen and was wobbling on the floor. I still see it forming a shape. ¡­Wait a minute. This¡­ couldn¡¯t possibly be¡­ that kind of thing, right? Huh? Without even me noticing, Daesik and Sosik approached and poked holes in the stic to steal food. *Wobble wobble* I stared at the ¡®something¡¯ that was finally taking shape. Chapter 68: Bubble Bubble Chapter 68: Bubble Bubble *Poke Poke* As Han Seori poked the floating thing in the air with her finger, the poked thing spewed out mucus from its back and pped its cute tail. Seeing its angry appearance, Han Seori withdrew her hand and hid behind me, gently grabbing my shoulders. ¡­So. A grown woman angered something. And then she hid behind me. It was a scene that caused some cognitive dissonance, but if the angry thing floating in the air was a tiny¡­ jelly whale, it might be somewhat understandable. No¡­ then she shouldn¡¯t have messed with it in the first ce, right? Separate from that, the whale that was angrily calmed down and curled up on my palm. The tiny whale, which seemed to have fallen asleep¡­ was honestly a bit cute.Cute enough to understand why Han Seori mindlessly poked at it. ¡­Well, since none of the creatures so far have caused any harm, it¡¯s natural for Han Seori to not think much of it. Or. I took in the sight of Han Seori¡¯s head as she stood up, brushing herself off with an embarrassed smile. Her head was wrapped in a white bandage. It wasn¡¯t heavily wrapped, and at a nce, it could be mistaken for a fashion choice because of how little area it covered. ¡­She could have injured her head, so that¡¯s why¡­? That¡¯s probably not it, right? Anyway. The tiny whale making its insides bubble on my hand right now seemed to be the one I expelled from my body a bit earlier. The one I expelled along with an anger so intense it felt strange. That might be why it reacted so sensitively to Han Seori¡¯s touch. Although I didn¡¯t intend for this to happen, it ended up resulting in the birth of a baby whale with anger issues. I thought it was troublesome but also vaguely felt this might be right. If it had just leaked out without transforming like this, what would have happened? That emotion¡¯s source might have just gone outside¡­ and caused trouble for others. At the smallest scale, it could have transferred to Han Seori, who came in right after I expelled it¡­ She might have be someone unable to control her anger. Thinking bigger, as if an anger virus spread to the whole world¡­ something terrible could have urred, right? ¡­Well, that honestly seemed like overthinking. The world bing endangered just by one slime, what nonsense. I should say something that makes sense. At most, it probably would have ended with Han Seori bing short-tempered, right? Shaking my head at the jelly, I set the sleeping whale on the floor and reached out to eat the food Han Seori had brought. *Rustle.* But something was strange. The seafood tter that was full inside¡­ was revealing an empty te. With only a few pieces left nearby. Dumbfounded, I looked around and saw Sosik crawling up behind Han Seori¡¯s back. Han Seori was looking at it with a somewhat excited face. The guy who wouldn¡¯t stick to other people¡¯s bodies¡­ Why is it doing that now? I strode over to Han Seori¡¯s back to see Sosik¡¯s body hiding there. Then. Various seafood could be seen floating around in Sosik¡¯s tiny body, clinging to Han Seori¡¯s back. How hastily did it eat that the shapes were still intact? Sosik, who hurriedly clung to Han Seori¡¯s shoulder with its hand, Stopped moving as if iming it also fell asleep, sticking tightly to Han Seori¡¯s back like the sleeping whale on the floor. Seeing that¡­ I realized I had seeded in expelling that uncontroble anger. If I hadn¡¯t expeling it sessfully earlier, wouldn¡¯t I have lunged at Han Seori¡¯s back or whatever, opened up Sosik¡¯s jelly, and taken out the seafood? Seeing the bubbling jelly, I decided to forgive the guy for now. Since I had just given him a beating by being consumed with anger. Next, I approached Daesik behind Alice. It was also making its jelly bubble, not having fully digested yet. But¡­ since it was almost done digesting, There didn¡¯t seem to be anything to salvage. No, my seafood¡­! Since I didn¡¯t touch Sosik, it would be unfair to touch Daesik today. ¡­I decided to endure it for the sake of the two ¡°babies¡± that were recently born. That¡¯s the adult thing to do. Having finished digesting, Daesik went into Alice and plopped down next to the whale. ¡­What if it does that, and the whale wakes up and attacks? No? Since it¡¯s the oldest of the three, will it easily subdue the whale? Pondering over what would happen was somehow fun. One of the things that excites men is pitting things against each other, isn¡¯t it? In this case, it would be Daesik (IN Alice) VS baby jelly whale that can¡¯t control its anger. I had no intention of actually making them fight, so while just imagining it in my head, ¡­I felt a bit of regret. I really didn¡¯t want to remember the taste of whale, so it had been a very long time since I had seafood. But in the short moment I was grasping the situation, the guys ate it all. This is why I¡¯ve been trying to maintain strict discipline. It became like this again because I loosened up for a bit. As I was waving the empty bag in regret, Han Seori, who was struggling with Sosik clinging to her back, approached me. ¡°I¡¯ll buy it for you again¡­ um, cheer up?¡± It¡¯s not that I wanted her to buy it, but still¡­ This makes it seem like I made her unnecessarily concerned¡­? But there was no reason to refuse, so I silently waved the bag. You guys,e quickly and wave the bag, too. If you wave this, seafoodes out. While thinking of the same joke, Kim Cheonsu, looking tired, opened the door and came in. Some timeter. I couldn¡¯t understand why we came all the way down here, but we got in the vehicle again. This ce, with a view of the sea, also seemed to be one of their secret bases, and quite a few people showed interest in me. I didn¡¯t really like how those wearing gowns simr to Han Seori¡¯s were looking at me with curious eyes. Feeling those gazes made me realize again how gentle of a person Han Seori is. And Han Seori, who was protecting me from those gazes¡­ It was a bit cool. Although she hid behind me, scared of a baby jelly whale flying in the air not long ago. Anyway. While eavesdropping on the conversations of thoseing to see me, as it didn¡¯t seem like we were doing anything despite staying for a long time, It seemed there was an argument that the jelly whale was formed by eating a ¡°sky whale¡±, so we should leave the jelly whale behind. I, who was floating around hanging onto a whale, wondered what the hell they were talking about. Han Seori seemed to be the same, as the discussion didn¡¯t seem to progress much. But they seemed to reach a rough agreement, as they conducted a few experiments with me, the jelly whale, Daesik, and Sosik. There weren¡¯t any particrly memorable experiments, so I casually spent the time. The vehicle we took on the way back was sturdier and bigger than the one we came in. Inside, while Han Seori and I were preparing fro the return trip, Kim Cheonsu seemed to have gone to the market, as there were loads of seafood that I couldn¡¯t eatst time. Feeling my jelly tingle, I silently savored the seafood. Then, I felt one thing that was truly unsatisfactory. Chewing. This is really¡­ so unsatisfactory. Isn¡¯t the chewy texture of raw fish also very important? Recalling how I had made the jelly hard, I decided to try making teeth. I didn¡¯t intend to maintain them all the time and nned to only make them when I wanted to chew something. I focused my mind, and with a bubbling sound, my face, or more precisely, the area around my mouth, moved little by little. Before long, A ¡°mouth¡± made of blue color was created. The hole that originally only spewed out jelly and was far from a mouth¡­ became quite mouth-like in appearance. But it¡¯s a bit. It might look creepy from the outside. Since my body is transparent, might it look strange? Anyway. I picked up a piece of seafood and put it in my mouth. The seafood that bubbled into my nominally existing lips soon reached my teeth. And then. *Chomp chomp.* It felt like chewing underwater, but I roughly got the feeling of chewing something. Yes. This is it. ¡°Ooh¡­?¡± Han Seori seemed to be looking at me with extremely sparkling eyes, but I deliberately pretended not to notice and diligently chewed the seafood. Since I roughly made it after looking at Han Seori¡¯s oral structure¡­ it felt somewhat crude. But for me, who was chewing for the first time in a very long while, that alone was satisfactory enough. I can develop it moreter. While receiving the gaze of Han Seori, who was absentmindedly staring at me, it seemed we had returned to the ce we originally stayed. But the scenery¡­ Felt a bit unfamiliar. The only familiar thing was the Director¡¯s shining head, which I was seeing for the first time in a while. Chapter 69: Congratulations on your new isolation room Chapter 69: Congrattions on your new istion room The department head looked very haggard. I don¡¯t remember exactly when Ist saw him¡­ but he seems to have aged about three years more than then. Three years couldn¡¯t have suddenly passed while I was away at the beach. Does that mean something happened to our house¡­ no, to this ce? Held by Han Seori, I followed the department head¡­ and a familiar scene unfolded before my eyes. But while it was familiar, it was also somewhat unfamiliar. There were traces of repair work here and there, and the people walking around all looked very busy. So busy that they didn¡¯t even notice me being held by Han Seori. Behind me, Kim Cheonsu followed, pulling a ss container with free-spirited writhing slimes (especially the whale).To be precise, he was following Han Seori and the department head, not me. Anyways. While passing through a corridor that had be a bit unfamiliar, we arrived at the corridor where my original room used to be. Thinking about the end of my rather long journey, I was about to go to bed. ¡­But it was gone. Even if you ask me what I mean, I can only say it was gone. Because¡­ that¡¯s literally what it was. The room that I used to stay in had literally disappeared. Hmm¡­ it was as if a huge, sharp hand had swept my room away. As I looked at the room feeling a bit bewildered, for some reason, Han Seori patted my back and muttered that it would be okay. ¡­No, it¡¯s not that bad. To begin with, I don¡¯t even know what happened. What¡­ was there an earthquake or something? Did we go to the beach to avoid that? I don¡¯t know. Honestly, since it wasn¡¯t a room I bought with my own money, I didn¡¯t have much attachment to it, but thinking that all the things inside had disappeared, I felt a little disappointed. Especially the bed and TV. They¡¯ll¡­ put new ones in, right? It was taken from me once, so living with it being taken away a second time¡­ seems a little hard to endure. Anyways. It looked like there was a new room prepared to rece the missing one, and the department head¡¯s footsteps slid smoothly down the corridor. But we walked quite a bit. Even to me, who knows nothing, there¡¯s a nuance of¡­ how should I say, paying attention to security? Why, you know how it is in movies, right? The feeling of deliberately going around in circles to shake off a tail, then suddenly sneaking away and losing the tail. I¡¯ve never done it myself, but it feels simr to that. Then, a small door appeared. The department head operated the panel to open the door, revealing another small space. There was another door there, and the department head operated the panel again. But that wasn¡¯t the end. After aplex process that¡¯s hard to remember, we arrived at what I assume is thest door, and even though I didn¡¯t do anything, I felt exhausted. Operating the panel, the department head spoke in a voice that sounded a bit tired but had a hint of liveliness. ¡°I prepared as much as possible for now. How does it seem?¡± But Han Seori, who had been silently following him, responded in a dull voice. ¡°¡­Is there any point to this?¡± ¡°¡­I suppose you¡¯re right. I just wanted to try it once.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ you used that anomaly for this.¡± ¡°When else would we use it if not now?¡± The doors were reminiscent of an escape room. Was it really made using that anomaly thing? I don¡¯t know what it is, but I thought if you made an escape room with that, it would do really well. ¡­Ah, no? The theme is also important, so it wouldn¡¯t work well with just that. While pondering such trivial thoughts, I was able to enter my new home. The department head let me, Han Seori, and Kim Cheonsu in first¡­ He looked somewhat regretful. Is it because Han Seori pointed out that it was meaningless? It urs to me that the department head might be a more pure-hearted person than I thought. ¡­It¡¯s just that he had a terrible first impression on me. If I hadn¡¯t be like this, we might have been able to be good friends. The department head looks at me with eyes filled withplex emotions. Now, it might be difficult. Going inside like that, I noticed the space that has berger than before. Of course, there was a bed and a TV too. However, the toys that used to be scattered here and there were gone. Well, I¡¯m not particrly disappointed about that. After all, I didn¡¯t y with them anyway. While I was examining the new room, the slimes from the ss container came out. Soon, the humans who released the slimes immediately left as if they had other business to attend to. With all of them having serious expressions¡­ it seems like something big must have happened. Come to think of it, if an entire room vanishes, something big must have happened. Hmm. I feel like I¡¯m forgetting something¡­ is it just my imagination? I feel like I saw something like a timer¡­ or maybe not¡­ While feeling like I¡¯m on the verge of remembering something vague. I saw Sosik approaching my brand-new bed. No way. Using my superior size and length advantage over him, Iy down on the bed first. Feeling triumphant as Iy on the bed, Sosik curled up on the bed with a ¡°what do you want me to do?¡± expression and moved his slime rhythmically. ¡­Somehow, I felt a bit sheepish. Should I say it feels like I¡¯m the only one who cared? Ha. As expected¡­ since he¡¯s not originally human, he doesn¡¯t seem to understand how important this is. Grumbling inwardly, I look around and see Daesik also getting on the bed. The whale¡­ perhaps disliking being trapped in the ss container, was freely floating in the air enjoying its freedom aftering out. It kept banging into things inside the container earlier, even though it got all crumpled up. Does it know it won¡¯t get hurt because it¡¯s a slime? Or is that just its personality? ¡­I thought I might have gained a somewhat tiring neighbor. I¡¯m still considering a name for him. There¡¯s Sosik. And Daesik. But calling it ¡®Jungsik¡¯¡­ seems a bit too half-hearted, doesn¡¯t it? ¡­Gosik? Let¡¯s decideter. Since no one else will call them anyway, I could call them anything, but I decided to put a bit more thought into it this time. There are other things I want to check¡­ But I feel sleepy for some reason. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve rxed aftering to a ce I consider home. However, if you think about it, it¡¯s more like a prison than a home¡­ But who¡¯s going to say anything if I think that way? They won¡¯t even know I think that way. With that thought, I put off what I had to do for a bit. I wriggled into the nket. And went to sleep. I ate a lot of various seafood. But as expected¡­ Sleep is the best medicine. After isting (if you can call it that) 7496-KR in a new istion room, Yoo Kangjik and Han Seori headed to Han Seori¡¯s personal space. But first, they sent Kim Cheonsu back. It was one of the most secure ces in this research center. Han Seori entered the room and settled in as if she was used to it, and Yoo Kangjik plopped down on another chair with a deep sigh. Seeing Yoo Kangjik, who had drastically aged in less than a month, Han Seori spoke with an apologetic look. ¡°¡­Looks like you¡¯ve had a lot of rice cake soup while I was gone.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t gather here to joke around.¡± ¡°Ahaha¡­ I thought you liked that kind of thing¡­¡± Han Seori smiled awkwardly, averting her gaze slightly, then lowered her head. ¡°You¡¯ve had a hard time because of me. I never imagined¡­ it would really turn out like this.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you certain when you went down?¡± ¡°Well¡­ half of me was. Honestly, I was hoping it wouldn¡¯t be¡­ but unfortunately, it turned out to be true.¡± Han Seori, who had been told by Yoo Kangjik that they definitely seemed to be targeting 7496-KR, pressed her temples with a gloomy face. The two people were silent for a moment. Then, Han Seori spoke first with a determined face. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking a bit on my way up.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I think¡­ we need to move the istion room.¡± ¡°¡­You mean to a ce that pays more attention to security than that?¡± ¡°No. The security is already sufficient. But you know that¡¯s not a fundamental solution, right? We¡¯ve bought some time for now, but someday, the information will leak again¡­ and the same thing will happen again. And then¡­ a shallow trick might not work.¡± Yoo Kangjik fell into thought at Han Seori¡¯s serious words. Then what should we do? Actually, he also felt that a more fundamental measure was needed. But no sharp ideaes to mind. Soon, Han Seori, who smiled faintly as if understanding him,id out her n. And Yoo Kangjik, who quietly listened to it, scratched his head with a dumbfounded face rather than thinking it was brilliant. Of course¡­ among methods of maintaining security, it may be a bit old-fashioned, but it seemed to be a fundamental and secretive method. However. ¡°Will they approve of that?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t be sure about that.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Yoo Kangjik, stroking his chin. While inwardlymenting how he came to have such thoughts. Spoke with a somewhat excited face. And Han Seori, who heard his suggestion, also looked at him with a slightly surprised face. Nevertheless, it was an idea that appealed to her as well. She decided to think positively. If things go well¡­ She thought it would be very interesting. Chapter 70: Dreamers Chapter 70: Dreamers [Dreamers¡¯ Community] Among those in the know, there existed amunity that went by that name. Dreamers. On the surface, it sounds rather romantic. Indeed, it would be if one considered it a gathering of those who dream of the future. However. Thatmunity, which guaranteedplete anonymity, was a bit far from such romanticism. If one had to group them together. Right.One might call it a ¡°victims¡¯ association.¡± More precisely, it is an association of victims who see a ¡®blue something¡¯ in their dreams from a certain day onwards. That was the onlymonality among those who frequented the ce. Seeing some ¡®blue something¡¯ in their dreams. Apart from that, these people seemed to have nothing inmon¡­ was it really a coincidence that they ¡®happened¡¯ to gather here? That was a secret known only to the one who gathered them here. Anyway. Themunity that imedplete anonymity was usually filled with all sorts of misceneous posts. As if to create a smokescreen, posts about trivial daily life and¡­ndmine-like posts filled the ce every single day. Anonymous sites inevitably be such ces. However. There were days when disturbingly simr topics would be posted. On such days, even those who usually posted all sorts of strange things would have calm conversations like monks who had regained peace of mind. And not long ago was one such day. Since it came abruptly without any signs, the cycle seemed unpredictable. But on that day. Themunity would start with outcries from those who couldn¡¯t resist the urge to talk, from those whose stories wouldn¡¯t be believed even if they told those around them.
Monkey Roaming in Dreams I think I had that dream again after a long time I saw that ¡®blue thing¡¯ for the first time in a while, but it seemed to be in a strange state today. Should I say it looked angry? It seemed more irritable than when Ist saw it¡­ Seeing that made me a bit uneasy¡­ Is something going to happen? Did anyone else see something different? I¡¯ll be anxious if I¡¯m the only one who saw something different.
Monkey on the Train I had a simr dream. I tried to calm it down when it was angry. How about approaching it the next time you meet?
Monkey Eating Bananas Don¡¯t worry, I saw the same thing.
Monkey Eating Ground Meat Me too. Damn, what¡¯s with the usernames today?
Monkey Driving the Train Why was it angry? Honestly, I didn¡¯t know it was angry. The blue lump was just bouncing around. But seeing the stories being posted today, I guess it was angry. It rarely gets angry, right? What could have happened? It¡¯s really bothering me. More than that, there¡¯s something interesting. We¡¯ve been having simr dreams, but I think this is the first time we¡¯re having dreams with exactly the same nuance. What could this be? Anyone know?
Monkey on the Train If we knew, wouldn¡¯t we have already posted about it? Most people are here because they want to talk about seeing this.
Monkey Dancing with a Knife Don¡¯t know?
Monkey with a Flower Maybe this ce was created to check its progress? Isn¡¯t it strange?
Monkey Separating the Train Now that I¡¯ve dreamt about it, it does seem a bit strange¡­ Pondering over it, I don¡¯t remember how I got here. I¡¯ve been doing it naturally for a while, so I just kept going, but it¡¯s a bit scary. Maybe it¡¯s because ¡®that thing¡¯ got angry in the dream¡­
Monkey with a Flower Now that you mention it, me too.
Monkey on the Train I think I¡¯m the same.
Monkey Eating Bananas Huh?
Monkey Roaming in Dreams ¡­What?
Monkey Making Ground Meat Why are we all monkeys in the first ce?
[This post has been removed due to a report for viting the rules.] [The server is under maintenance.] [Maintenance time is approximately 8 hours.] [Maintenance has ended early.] Just as various experiments were conducted in the seaside ce, I thought they might do something here as well. I mean¡­ in my eyes, there have been many changes, haven¡¯t there? Especially that thing floating around that hasn¡¯t been named yet. But it looks like they decided to leave me alone for the time being. No experiments took ce. Just¡­ the daily life I had before going down to the seaside returned. Watching TV until I feel sleepy and fall asleep and eating food delivered when the timees is a very ordinary daily life. I thought I might turn into a rotten jelly at this rate, but thinking about it, it doesn¡¯t really matter¡­ I heard they call people like this couch potatoes. Then would I be a bed potato jelly? Truthfully, I was interested in discovering new abilities. Just like that thing flying in the air and rubbing its body in the corner, I wondered if I could also fly. But¡­ I didn¡¯t learn how to fly. I don¡¯t know what the problem is, but I couldn¡¯t fly. It¡¯s not that I particrly wanted to imitate Superman, but why can that thing fly while I can¡¯t? ¡­Maybe I just haven¡¯t learned how to fly properly. If not that. Perhaps¡­ when I spat out that strange emotion earlier, I also spat out the ability to fly? If that¡¯s really the case, it would be an utterly unfortunate thing. I just spat it out because I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to live a normal life if I kept that uncontroble anger. Spitting out only the anger and keeping the flying¡­ does seem a bit sly, but since it should have been my ability originally, wouldn¡¯t it be fine? ¡­Should I try again? But¡­ that would mean I have to swallow that whale floating around again. Is the whale I ate and spat out the same whale I knew? It¡¯s not that¡­ I had a sense of it being a friend. Thinking about eating it, I feel a bit icky. So I just gave up,y on the bed, watched TV¡­ and ate the snacks I had stashed away. Just as Sosik has tentacles. Maybe someday, the ability to fly will truly awaken in me. It¡¯s just not now. Come to think of it, I heard that birds also fall from their nests to learn how to fly. Then maybe I also have to learn to fly by falling from somewhere? When I briefly imagined falling from a high ce, my jelly trembled. I¡¯d probably be fine if it¡¯s not too high, but even a little height makes me scared that I¡¯ll be a jelly stter rather than a slime. ¡­Do I have to fly? If you want to fly¡­ there are many other things. Like an airne¡­ Come to think of it, there seems to be no need for me to fly with my own body. Hanging onto the whale¡¯s body and floating around¡­ that should be enough. Mm-hmm. Anyway. I¡¯m resting because I can¡¯t frolic in the room¡­ It¡¯s not because I¡¯m a scaredy-cat. Ah. But there is one ability I seem to have acquired. I don¡¯t know when it appeared, but it was the ability I briefly used inside the whale¡¯s belly some time ago. I threw the remote control I was holding into the corner of the bed with a flick. The remote control that flew spinningnded safely on the corner. After confirming that, I looked at the remote control and slowly let out the feeling of wanting it. Then. Daesik, who was nkly staring at the TV, slowly raised his body, picked up the remote control with Alice¡¯s body, and brought it to me. Seeing Sosik sprawled next to him, also making a wriggling motion¡­ and the whale rubbing its body in the corner, slowly flying over. I thought I might have be able to give orders¡­ or convey emotions to those little troublemakers. At that time, the way Daesik and Sosik were facing the fallen person¡­ was clearly under my influence. Maybe the emotion of anger was so¡­ intense that they even lost their individuality? Does that mean I can control them as I wish through sufficiently strong emotions? Commands? Right now, it¡¯s almost like they¡¯re moving reluctantly because they don¡¯t want to receive my unstoppable spam mail pleading, ¡®please please please give me the remote control.¡¯ Of course, kind Daesik must have moved to grant my request. ¡­Right? I patted the head of Daesik, who brought me the remote control. *Pat pat* Then Daesik happily raised his doll arm. Yeah. It¡¯s a relief he only raised one hand. But one frustrating thing is. I have no idea what these little ones are thinking. The only fortunate thing is that I can clearly see what they¡¯re thinking just by looking at them. Sometimes, I think it would be nice if we could just talk normally. Hmm. If I start writing or talking¡­ would they also start writing? Come to think of it, my n to pretend to understand writing and make demands fizzled out. Having propermunication with ¡®people¡¯ seemed likely to burden me, so it wasn¡¯t something to decide hastily. Anyway. Since I had nothing to do at the moment, I felt like a time millionaire. I feel like I wield the power of time, easily able to crush amunity or two. One day, while feeling that immense power. Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu came in together. And seeing what the two brought. ¡­It seems I¡¯ll be going out again. I suddenly felt the authority draining from my body. My jelly went limp. Chapter 71: Sign here, please Chapter 71: Sign here, please Han Seori looked at the glistening slimes. How did they multiply so much from the initial one? At a nce, they looked simr, but each had such a strong individuality that they were not difficult to distinguish. ¡­It was unmistakably a small version of the Sky Whale. Another peculiarity, if any¡­ would be that it was very aggressive. That entity, floating around like the Sky Whale, was docile to the slime girl¡¯s touch but didn¡¯t seem to like human touch very much. Considering other slimes were somewhat friendly to humans, this felt a bit strange. ¡®¡­They said Sky Whale had no heart.¡¯ If we assume it was born after 7496-KR devoured the Sky Whale¡¯s heart, this attitude would be somewhat understandable.Excluding the heart that disappeared most recently and was the reason for its death, quite a few things were already missing inside the Sky Whale. Based on the timeline¡­ It was clearly the doing of ¡°Twilight¡¯s Call¡±. ¡®¡­What are they after?¡¯ Through this incident, Han Seori thoroughly realized that they didn¡¯t really want the ¡°liberation¡± of anomalies. Would those who want such things do that to an anomaly? ¡­Or maybe they didn¡¯t know. They might try to package it as a noble sacrifice for a greater purpose. But whatever they said didn¡¯t matter. She had no intention of handing the anomalies over to such people¡­ especially 7496-KR. To do that, first¡­ ¡°Ramen.¡± *Flip* As Han Seori pointed to the screen, she also pointed to the word card. The screen showed ramen boiling in an orange broth. At the tip of her other hand was a word card that read [Ramen]. And next to it¡­ was the slime girl, 7496-KR, with a somewhat dumbfounded expression. ¡®¡­I wonder if she understands.¡¯ It was impossible to know since she couldn¡¯t speak¡­ but based on the slime girl¡¯s behavior so far, Han Seori thought it was quite possible. Tomunicate with the slime girl, she decided to first¡­ teach her simple words. Because she needed clear evidence that she couldmunicate with the slime girl to proceed with the ¡°work¡± she had in mind. To do that, she had to show that they weremunicating somehow. Due to the slime girl¡¯s physical structure, speaking seemed difficult, so writing seemed best. She heard there was an anomaly somewhere in the branch that could talk to animals, but it was uncertain whether it would work for anomalies as it was for ¡°animals.¡± Moreover. ¡®¡­The procedure is alsoplicated¡­¡¯ Recently, with the gradual increase of minor anomalies urring in various ces, borrowing it didn¡¯t seem feasible either. If Han Seori had not been in charge of 7496-KR, she might have been sent away somewhere, too. So. She had to produce some results. In order to protect 7496-KR from ¡°Twilight¡¯s Call¡±, whose motives were unknown. Thus. ¡°Banana.¡± Han Seori diligently tried to educate 7496-KR, mainly with letters and words. On the evening of the day, she taught a few words. Han Seori, though thinking it was a bit early, made a sign and entered the istion room where 7496-KR was. Behind her was Kim Cheonsu, who had a somewhat awkward face. Standing in front of the slime girl, Han Seori showed her the object she had brought with a smiling face. On it. Were the words she had intensively taught the slime girl. Those words were. Mostly food. ¡­It was natural, as that¡¯s what the slime girl showed the most enthusiasm for. [Dinner Tonight] [Ramen] [Banana] [Strawberry] [Bossam] [Jajangmyeon] ¡®It seems like she understands the words¡­¡¯ The slime girl wriggled closer as Han Seori spoke and stared at the sign she was holding. There were no pictures, only words, so one couldn¡¯t choose a menu without understanding the words. ¡°What would you like to eat for dinner tonight? I¡¯ll let you eat what you choose.¡± As Han Seori said that, the slime girl wriggled up and stared nkly at the sign Han Seori was holding. After hesitating for a moment, the slime girl bubbled around her mouth and then grabbed a pen lying on the floor. Han Seori considered whether she should make her wear gloves, but the slime girl grabbed the pen with surprising dexterity. And. *Squeak¡­ squeak¡­ squeak.* She began to write on the floor. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What?!¡± To the astonishment of Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu, the word written was. [Jajangmyeon] It was. Han Seori dropped the sign she was holding, picked up the slime girl, and eximed. ¡°I knew our kid was a genius!¡± ¡°C-calm down. D-Doctor.¡± ¡°No, I taught her the words today, and she wrote them so clearly! Isn¡¯t she a genius?¡± ¡°W-wasn¡¯t it misspelled?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the correct spelling!¡± ¡°¡­This is driving me crazy.¡± Maybe¡­ do you like children? ¡­You¡¯re quite domestic. Kim Cheonsu, who was smiling contentedly with a strange look, woke up from a slightly sweet dream at the order to quickly get the jajangmyeon, and left the istion room. That day, Kim Cheonsu. Dreamed of a blue slime happily eating jajangmyeon. This is¡­ more embarrassing than I thought. I felt like, just for writing a single word like jjajangmyeon¡­ was this much praise necessary? Well¡­ it didn¡¯t feel bad. If my former boss had also¡­ praised me generously like this, would going to work have been a bit more enjoyable? ¡­No, the boss wasn¡¯t pretty like Han Seori, so I don¡¯t think it would have felt as good. If you ask me if this is a superficial thought, I¡¯ll say yes. Anyway. Understanding and writing words was¡­ something I could originally do, so there was nothing new about it. But, will it be more bothersome for me? There were several reasons I wrote the words formunication despite that concern. One was. Han Seori¡¯s expression as she taught me the words looked so¡­ desperate. I don¡¯t know for what purpose she¡¯s trying to teach me the words, but it seemed there was something she could only do if I knew the words. It was like¡­ should I say, a graduate student waiting for their thesis to pass? So, even if I wasn¡¯t fluent, I decided to show that I understood to some extent. ¡­That¡¯s not why I wrote jajangmyeon. Anyway, as long as it works well, let¡¯s not worry about trivial things. Simply put, kindergarten-level conversation should be enough. And apart from that, the jajangmyeon I ate after a long time was really delicious. I believe the other kids must have liked it, too. If you¡¯re jealous, you write it. And another reason was. ¡­The whale flying in the air suddenly came to mind. Thinking back on the memory, I realize the state of the Sky Whale was very strange. Not only did it swallow me, but it also had such weird things hanging all over its body. Especially when I looked around at the end¡­ I felt like its insides were empty. A feeling that what should have been there was not there. Seeing the whale¡¯s final anger and the whale made of emotions stemming from the whale not being very fond of humans, all the more so. ¡­They couldn¡¯t have done such a thing, could they? It must just dislike humans¡­? For a moment, chilling spection came to mind, but recalling Han Seori¡¯s attitude so far, I calmed my agitated jelly. Anyway. That¡¯s why I wanted to know the truth about the Sky Whale¡¯s death. Who made it like that? Thinking of the whale¡¯s end, even after expelling that ¡°emotion,¡± my jelly bubbled, and I felt a very weak anger. Did the whale want me to avenge it? I don¡¯t know. But I thought it wouldn¡¯t hurt to find out. Wouldn¡¯t knowing what¡¯s what help in making decisions? ¡­Honestly, I¡¯m not sure if such a day wille. I don¡¯t know if I can express all that with kindergarten-level words. I would know if I had raised a child. Even if I went through kindergarten, would I remember all the words I used then? There must be quite a difference between the kindergarteners¡¯ levels from when I grew up and now. I thought the standard of ¡°kindergarten level¡± itself might be a bit¡­ vague. In the past, dictation was done only after entering elementary school, but these days, I heard there are English kindergartens. ¡­Now that I¡¯ve been called a genius, can¡¯t I do a little more? Anyway. As I pushed the concept that I could write a few words, I was able to choose and eat what I wanted. Since Han Seori¡¯s education was focused on me, the right to choose the menu was solely up to me. I wonder if our slimes, who eat everything they¡¯re given, have any likes or dislikes. That authority was quite wee. As Han Seori¡¯s education continued like that. A test sheet was handed to me. It seemed to be testing what I had learned so far, with lots of problems where I could fill in the nks with words from my memory. Easy. So easy. I filled in the nks without much thought. Not knowing what kind of events that might bring. I was thrilled. Chapter 72: Pioneer Chapter 72: Pioneer Hey, save my jelly. Thrown into a sudden cold, I clutched my jelly tightly and headed in the direction Han Seori had told me. To be honest, I thought I was a being unaffected by temperature. And that was somewhat true. Among the experiments I had undergone, there were several that exposed my body to hot and cold things. Even when I swallowed hot and cold food, I could feel the temperature, but I didn¡¯t tremble or get startled from the heat or cold. But¡­ perhaps that was useless in extreme situations. In my view, the forests were so dense that it was surprising that such a ce existed in Korea, and fields of pure white snow covered the ground. Behind me, I could see my slushy footprints. ¡­which soon became buried by the drifting snow and disappeared.There was a simple reason why only my footprints remained. All my jelly friends, whose activity had slowed down due to the cold, were nestled in my arms. Honestly, Sosik seemed no different from usual¡­ I don¡¯t think it was my imagination. Anyway. Being able to move¡­ means being able to adapt even in these extreme situations. With that hopeful thought. I carried Sosik on my back. In one arm, I held Daesik. In the other arm, I held the baby whale I named Jungsik and trudged through the snow. If more appear, should I name them Sososik or Daedaesik? I had such thoughts that seemed to warm my body. Then, I briefly mulled over why I was here in the first ce. No matter how much I thought about it. Thatst test I took. I think that was the problem. It felt like Han Seori had started to go out of control since I took that test. If Han Seori had a child, she¡­ would surely be called a helicopter parent. No, that¡¯s not the problem. What the hell did I solve that made her react like that? ¡­For me, there was no way to know where her change originated from. But I could tell that something was being hastily pushed forward after that. The room I stayed in changed every other day, and during that time, I couldn¡¯t see anyone else. The only faces I saw during that time were Han Seori, Kim Cheonsu, and¡­ the Department Head. Then, as if moving again, I was transferred to a sturdy, small ss container. Every time we moved like that, we rode in a pitch-ck car, but this time, we moved in a very ordinary car. It had tinted windows that seemed like they couldn¡¯t be seen through from the outside, so thanks to that, I got to see plenty of the outside while moving. But there was no particrly special scenery. I just thought we were going somewhere again. But something was different from usual. When darkness fell, we would change cars, and we could only rest after daybreak. Actually, strictly speaking, I didn¡¯t really need rest, so it was more like Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu were resting their bodies. Inside the ss container, I would vacantly watch the outside. Then, we would depart again. I had no idea where I was going. I¡¯m sure I asionally saw familiar roads, but¡­ figuring out where I was seemed impossible. Just as I was starting to feel dazed. The surroundings turned pure white. And with talk of having to find somece, I was left on top of the snow field. I wondered if it was okay to leave me like this. ¡­But a scene unfolded before my eyes seemed unconcerned about that. In andscape that somehow made it seem like I would be frozen jelly if I didn¡¯t find it, I decided to follow the guidance of the chocker that had been put around my neck at some point. Looking at Han Seori¡¯s face as she put me down outside¡­ she didn¡¯t seem to be trying to deceive me. Honestly, having been caught once by those persistent guys chasing me, I had no desire to argue further. ¡­It was also just annoying. I¡¯m regrly provided with meals and things to y with, so is there any reason to escape? If they had done something weird, it would be another story. Does this also fall into the category of something weird¡­ maybe it does¡­? Anyway. Following the guidance of the ne, I was trudging along the white snow field. The arrow that had been guiding me disappeared as if I had reached my destination. Still holding the wobbling guys, I looked around. ¡­Nothing seems to have changed. Still dense forests, white snow, and¡­ nothing. I keep thinking, wow, there¡¯s a ce like this in the country I live in. It feels like I¡¯vee to the middle of Siberia. Jokingly, Cheorwon-grad¡­ wait a minute. Could this ce possibly be¡­ really where I think it is? Just as I was feeling a PTSD-like sensation and trembling jelly. *Thud!* There was a sound, and the ¡®ground¡¯ opened. Yeah. The ground really¡­ opened. The umted snow poured down, cascading into the open passage. The arrow that had been dormant reappeared and, as if telling me to enter the sudden passage, began pointing arrows inside the passage. Yeah. Still, inside would be better than outside. In that cold, biting wind, you never know when my jelly might get frozen. When I went inside, whatever connected to the outside closed. And darkness came. After a brief period of adjustment, I moved forward following the arrows. When I entered somewhere presumed to be inside, Daesik and Jungsik began moving again. Seeing as I also didn¡¯t feel a sense of ¡®cold¡¯¡­ it seemed I had felt the cold because of the wind after all. The temperature felt simr both outside and here, so seeing such a difference¡­ there didn¡¯t seem to be any other factors. Throughout this, Sosik consistently stuck to my back, so I really felt his conviction. Sosik¡¯s conviction. *(T/N: Sosik means ¡°eating less¡±)* *Pfft.* *Ahem.* These puns really are the best for warming up a cold body. Feeling my body bing slightly warm. I clung to Jungsik¡¯s body. Jungsik, with Daesik also riding on his torso, flew quite well. Holding onto Jungsik and floating around, it felt like I was ying a game. Still. Since Jungsik is floating in the air, it doesn¡¯t seem like I¡¯ll have to discard him and jump. I wonder how long I walked like that. *Thud.* Jungsik¡¯s body was blocked by something presumed to be a wall and stopped. As if displeased by that, Jungsik *thud! thud!* banged his body against the wall. Feeling like I had boarded a broken amusement park ride, I let go of Jungsik¡¯s body and fell to the ground with a *thud.* Jungsik, groaning and with Daesik holding onto his body, enthusiastically body mmed into whatever was blocking him. ¡­That thing has quite a nasty temper, I tell you. If that guy really had the mass of a ¡®whale¡¯¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have been able to make such a soft remark. Watching Daesik, who looked like he was riding a rodeo, made my jelly wobble. Then. *Creak¡­* The sound of something old opening was heard, and a door leading somewhere opened. The door leading there seemed to have been neglected for quite some time, making an unpleasant sound. Perhaps mistaking it as something he had aplished, Jungsik, with Daesik, approached me with an air of triumph. ¡­It was clear that Han Seori, who had been watching, had done something. But lest that anger-uncontroble whale go wild, I meekly stroked his head. It wasn¡¯t particrly scary, but I felt a bit strange whenever that guy got angry. But stroking his head made him happily spew jelly from his back (despite Daesik riding him), which was a bit cute. ¡­However, I had to pick up Daesik, who had fallen to the ground after being hit by that jelly and brush him off. Looking at those guys. I get a strange feeling. They seemed to act on their own while craving affection from me. It felt like I had gained a responsibility I never asked for, devoid of pleasure. By the way. How long is Sosik going to keep doing this? Grumbling inwardly, I was about to go inside. Suddenly, theser that had been creating arrows began to form the shape of letters. The sentence created by theser reads as follows. [This is a ce humans cannot enter. I hope you find and eliminate the cause.] It was a sentenceposed of very simple and clear words. Compared to the test, this was simpler, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problem reading it. ¡­Wait, is it really no problem? I don¡¯t know. The milk has already been spilled, so let¡¯s not worry about it. I understood the words anyway, so what the heck. ¡­Staring at the letters with my jelly wobbling from stupidity. I couldn¡¯t pretend to be stupid now that I hade this far. Hmm. A ce humans cannot enter. Reading that sentence, I looked around¡­ and felt doubtful. It said humans cannot enter, but this clearly looked like a building made by people. But it seemed to have been neglected, with dust piled up everywhere, and a scream-like creaking sound came from the hinges. A ce made by humans, but one that humans can no longer enter, abandoned by humans? Why did I evene here? That wasn¡¯t mentioned, but the same curiosity that made me like this moved my body. Conquer a ce humans cannot go¡­? I can¡¯t resist this. Thus, I entered with my slimes, and the passage connecting to the outside closed. And as I expected. Inside, a structure simr to where I had been staying was visible. Which meant this ce was definitely made by humans. But why¡­ did it be a ce humans cannot enter? ¡­There aren¡¯t monsters or anything like that, right? My question was answered in a somewhat strange way. Because. The bodies of the jelly guys who came in with me¡­ were swelling up. Like balloons with something boiling inside. And what¡¯s maddening is. My body was also unable to maintain its proper form. My body was bubbling and boiling. So I immediately understood why humans can¡¯te in here. If this were a human body, wouldn¡¯t all the bones in the body be pulverized by now? As I was pondering what to do with my undting body. From somewhere. A strange sound was heard. It sounded like some machine was moving. Chapter 73: Am I the stupid one? Chapter 73: Am I the stupid one? ¡°Will this really be alright?¡± ¡°¡­Probably.¡± ¡°Looks like even you are aware this is a bit strange, Doctor.¡± ¡°To some extent¡­ I admit it.¡± Muttering that, Han Seori stretched. Watching her, Kim Cheonsu let out a small sigh. Of course¡­ he also had a feeling 7496-KR would be able to pull it off. Thinking it over, this reasoning seemed flimsy¡­ but somehow, it felt like it would work out. ¡®¡­Huh?¡¯Something¡¯s strange¡­ ¡°Agent Kim?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Yes.¡± Brought to his senses by Han Seori¡¯s voice, Kim Cheonsu pressed his eyes like he was tired. However, it wasn¡¯t just a feeling - clear signs of fatigue showed on Kim Cheonsu¡¯s face. After all, he was the one who had been driving back and forth day and night, so it would be strange if he wasn¡¯t tired. He scratched his head with a slightly dazed look. He felt something was off, but unable to grasp what it was¡­ like having a sneeze interrupted midway, he had an indescribable feeling. Eventually, Han Seori¡¯s voice, tinged with worry, reached his ears. ¡°If you¡¯re tired, get some rest. For the time being¡­ there¡¯s not much we can do anyway.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so.¡± ¡°Yes. Rather, things will get busy once your eyes are open, so sleeping is advantageous.¡± ¡°¡­Then I won¡¯t decline.¡± ¡°Please do that. Ah, could you turn on the heater?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Feeling something inexplicable, he decided it didn¡¯t matter and turned up the heater¡¯s temperature. Although he had nominallye out for work, the current situation itself¡­ felt quite wee. So much so that he felt grateful to 7496-KR, whom he had been worrying about just a moment ago. ¡®Right¡­ she¡¯ll return safely.¡¯ Hopefully, not too quickly but adequatelyte. Smirking inwardly, Kim Cheonsu fell asleep at once, aided by the warm temperature. Confirming that he was asleep, Han Seori looked at the screen. There, 7496-KR, who had arrived at the research center entrance faster than expected, could be seen. Han Seori, who remotely opened the door before it closed, left a message for the slime girl. A sentence as concise as possible. Han Seori was certain the slime girl would understand it. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to solve the test Han Seori had made. ¡®¡­Could it be?¡¯ What if what she was hiding wasn¡¯t that she was a genius¡­ but something else? Entertaining a certain possibility, Han Seori quickly erased it from her mind. While it¡¯s not impossible¡­ what does it matter? Whatever it was, it was a gesture that the slime girl wanted tomunicate in her own way, so Han Seori decided to think positively. ¡­And. Doesn¡¯t it seem more likely¡­ that she¡¯s a genius? So. ¡®She¡¯ll do well.¡¯ She took in the screen, which was getting darker. Soon, when that light disappears¡­ the connection will be cut off. In fact, it wasn¡¯t strange for Kim Cheonsu to worry. Rather, it is normal to find her faith strange. After all. Securing that sealed research center now¡­ all depended on that small slime girl. The choker left on the slime girl wouldn¡¯t be able to provide assistance either. She was aware it was a radical move, to the point where not being called crazy would be a stroke of luck. But it had to be done. Thinking it over, Han Seori felt a bit of bitterness. While her own efforts yed a part in getting this approved. ¡­It seemed the chaotic situation caused by ¡°that group¡± also had a hand in it to some extent. She wasn¡¯t exactly grateful. After all, the reason she was going this far was because of ¡°that group¡± in the first ce. To Han Seori, who was watching the screen getting darker and noisier, it felt like¡­ looking at the future. Putting together the information she had heard, something was off. They had managed to control the situation well so far¡­ but somehow, it felt like something was about to happen. ¡­Then. The right thing would be to prepare. Thinking this was absolutely necessary. Han Seori closed the screen, which hadpletely lost connection. Now, really. The task had fallen on that small slime girl. Feeling a bit flustered, I first assessed the situation. No one had exploded right away, including myself¡­ so I could say there was some room to breathe. Of course, my body had¡­ swelled up and gotten lighter, but that much, well¡­ it was something I could do even without facing this situation. Anyway. For now¡­ it seems the connection with Han Seori has been cut off. The choker, which had been enthusiastically emitting light until a moment ago, shows no reaction now. Even poking it with my jelly gave no response, so¡­ it seems to be broken, or there¡¯s some other reason. As my neck was slightly choked due to the swelling, I wanted to take it off, but I left it alone, not wanting to face a predicament after carelessly removing it. Next. Let¡¯s see what happened to me and the ¡°Trio.¡± Among them, Daesik seemed to be in the worst condition. It¡¯s not that he had swollen up enormously and was about to burst¡­ but with Alice intact, the sight of Daesik swelling up anding out from inside¡­ It felt like watching a scene from a horror movie. Good thing it¡¯s a doll - if that were a person¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be even more horrific? In the first ce, they say humans can¡¯t enter here, so that won¡¯t happen. The rest were¡­ more or less the same. Our swollen bodies gave us a strange sensation of lightness, almost as if we might bounce or float away at any moment. Somehow, it feels like being underwater. Looking now, rather than the body expanding, it felt like an attempt to bnce something that had failed. And as if my guess was correct. Our bubbling and swelling bodies soon stabilized, and the Trio and I returned to our normal bodies. I¡¯m not sure what it was, but it seemed to be resolved, so the Trio and I went inside. There was nothing else to do anyway, as the exit had closed. But. ¡­It seems the connection has been cut off. What if I feel like giving up? Surely they won¡¯t keep it closed forever until it¡¯s resolved¡­? Following a very small sound I had been hearing for a while, we went further in. It was my first timeing here today, but the familiarity of the structure is impressive. Do people who manage anomalies¡­ find mental stability in the same structure? That¡¯s how simr the structure is. Well¡­ how would a mere slime like me understand the thoughts of such intelligent people? But. Thanks to that, it¡¯s a bit eerie. It¡¯s like¡­ a feeling that this is what my ce would look like if it were ruined. Feeling awkward, I readjusted Sosik, who was clinging to my back, to the front. Couldn¡¯t hug the jiggling Daesik, after all. Meanwhile. *Tap tap tap¡­* The small sound that had been faintly heard began to grow louder. Come to think of it, that was strange. Whatever that sound is. ¡­Isn¡¯t it odd in itself to hear any sound in a facility where there are no people? Without realizing it, I had approached the source. Ah, wait a minute. I looked up. Then. The knowledge pouch says, ¡°So you¡¯re finally looking here?¡± and perks up. ¡­I just had to follow this, didn¡¯t I? As it can¡¯t be understood withmon sense, it must be the doing of that anomaly thing. And my knowledge pouch is a high-performance anomaly radar. Thinking like this, I gained confidence that entrusting it to me might unexpectedly be a good choice. So, with the Trio, I proceeded in the direction the knowledge pouch indicated. Before long. A huge door appeared. The knowledge pouch was pointing beyond this massive door. And the noise that had been continuously heard was alsoing from beyond it. With a shrug at the journey ending more inly than expected, I stood in front of the door. But. No matter how long I waited, the door didn¡¯t open. Blinking, I finally recalled that the choker¡¯s light had gone dark. Realizing my mistake, I ced my hands on the door and pulled left and right, but. ¡­As expected. The door doesn¡¯t budge an inch. I could feel the Trio¡¯s strange gaze piercing me. Hey. You can¡¯t open it either. It is utterly ridiculous, I tell you. ¡­By the way. What do we do now? It¡¯s¡­ not opening. I already miss Han Seori. Chapter 74: The Anomaly Chapter 74: The Anomaly My efforts to do something about the door¡­ yielded no results. There was no gap in the tightly shut door for my jelly to prate. I thought about forcibly pushing my jelly in through the cracks, but even putting aside the practical issue of my precious, precious parts not being able to pass through. The door was so seamless it could be mistaken for a wall if not for the pattern. Why did they make it so unnecessarily well-made when they¡¯re just going to leave it unused like this? Well, no¡­ They probably made it intending to use it. Still, I¡¯m left wishing they made it a bit shoddier so I could get in. It¡¯s not a poor construction, but wouldn¡¯t a gap just big enough for me be okay? Shaking my head, I gave up on opening the door and decided to look for another entry point.I surveyed the surroundings while stopping Jungsik from nging on the door. I considered dissolving the door itself, but unlike the whale¡¯s heart, there was no starting point I could eat. I need something I can swallow, even if small, to somehow get started¡­ But there¡¯s no such gap at all. In the first ce, a heart and a sturdy steel wall¡­ aren¡¯t the same. Meanwhile, a very faint sound kepting from beyond the door. As if mocking me. Feeling slightly irritated, I looked around. And discovered the passage of promised victory. A venttion duct that usually functions as an infiltration route in such ces. You could call it the spice of sneak action that lets you pass through any heavily guarded area. The funny thing is. No matter how heavily guarded a ce is¡­ ¡­For some reason, only the vents are shoddy. Anyway. It was nothing bad for me, so I made my body sticky and climbed up the wall. If I had the ability to fly in the air¡­ I wish it would manifest quickly. Reaching the vent entrance, I grabbed it firmly. And *whoosh!* Yanked it open. It felt heavier than expected, but I thought that even I could manage that much. But. The vent cover that was supposed to open didn¡¯t budge, and only my hand got sliced off in the shape of the vent, plopping to the floor. At that moment, I stared nkly at the traces. They regenerated at the speed of light as if nothing had happened. But the sttered jelly on the floor revealed what had just urred. No. What the heck? I was puzzled as to why, but upon closer look, I spottedrge screws embedded in each corner. ¡­Come to think of it, I feel like I experienced something simr before. Should I fill the screw holes with slime and dissolve them? I briefly considered that, but I didn¡¯t particrly want to eat metal chunks. If I can avoid the taste of licking metal with my tongue¡­ I don¡¯t need to do it, right? No one¡¯s threatening me to eat it. Before that, first. I *ng!* Lifted up the dazed Sosik leaning against the wall. The fellow wriggled like a fish out of water. I brought such Sosik to the door and put a metal rod I found nearby into his hand. I feel like he¡¯s contemting whether to hit me¡­ Must it be my imagination? Feeling something strange, I showed him how to tap the door with the rod. He seemed reluctant but soon began tapping the door¡­ *ting*¡­ *ting*. *Ting*¡­ *ting*¡­ *ting*. A sound that felt somewhat trivial reverberated through the surroundings. I had nothing to order Daesik at the moment, so I set him down next to Sosik. Then Jungsik and I floated up to the vent entrance. And. I forcibly pushed Jungsik inside. Since he¡¯s shaped like a whale, I felt like I wasmitting animal cruelty, but upon touching the vent entrance, he split into slime units and slowly passed through. After sending Jungsik¡­ It was my turn. Pressing my body against the vent entrance, I squeezed myself in with a *squish*. Passing through the vent feels strange. I thinkst time, I had to wait a bit for my body to stick back together. But now¡­ My slime reattaches at an rmingly fast speed. While I marveled at the speed that puts healing factors to shame. ¡­My body, which hadn¡¯t fully passed through, got stuck in the vent opening. In other words. My body was fixed in ce by the vent grate. Right in the middle of my waist. Simply put, my lower half dangled outside the vent. And my upper half entered inside. My upper half was being body mmed by the enraged Jungsik. His squishy tackles were quite fierce. I got hit by all of them since there was no room to dodge. ¡­Though it only made *squish squish* sounds. Anyways. Seeing how he¡¯s ramming into me, too. I think this guy really has issues. In any case. I pushed away the repeatedly ramming Jungsik and entered the vent. Entering that narrow, dusty space, I now feel a sense offort. I wonder if I can call myself a pro at vent infiltration now? ¡­Still, I don¡¯t like the taste of dust. I rearranged my slime for a moment and proceeded through the vent with Jungsik. While carefully listening to the sound of Sosik knocking on the door. Well¡­ I should be able to follow the direction the knowledge pouch points to. But just in case, it was insurance I left behind. In other words¡­ It was insurance in case the knowledge pouch wavers like now. ¡­Why is it acting up again? Upon entering the vent, the knowledge pouch that pointed beyond the door began to waver. Since even I, its owner, don¡¯t know how it works, I had no idea why it was doing this. Perhaps. Could there be other¡­ anomalies besides the one causing this strange situation? Thinking that, my slime felt a bit tense. I wish it had warned me beforehand if there was something terrifying. Feeling needless anxiety, I paid attention to the knocking sound and proceeded through the vent. The exit I wanted wasn¡¯t far away. We came in from right in front, so it being close is natural. Reaching the exit, Jungsik and I looked inside. Inside¡­ was a scene you¡¯d imagine when you think of a boratory.¡± It feels like viewing a model house¡­ *Thump, thump.* And I see the door that Sosik has been knocking on for a while. Seeing that I can still hear the sound, I can see that Sosik is doing his job properly. Honestly, his sprawled-out appearance looks hateful, so I made him do it on purpose. But to think he does it when told¡­ I felt strange. After feeling odd for a moment, I prepared to enter. It¡¯s mean to just leave him knocking. I pushed Jungsik in first, then squeezed my body inside the same way I came in. Jungsik, having experienced it once, generously floated towards the *thump thump* door. *ng!* With that sound, Inded on the floor, and this time Jungsik *ng nged* his body against the door where the thumping wasing from. ¡­Was he bothered by the noise from outside? I can empathize with the feeling if you consider it like noise between floors. But I wish he¡¯d endure it. Shaking my head, I approached the door and spotted a downward switch at a slightly high position, right where an adult human¡¯s hand would reach. Seeing ¡°manual open/close¡± written, it seemed the door would open if I pulled it down. With a strange excitement, I jumped with my bubbling slime and grabbed the handle. And pulled it down, putting my weight into it. Then. With a *thud!* The tightly closed gap in the door opened. I applied a bit of force, and the door opened very easily, making my efforts seem pointless. But. *Whack.* As the door opened, the metal rod struck my body. Startled by the sudden attack, I looked at the end of the rod. There was Daesik, or rather, Alice. Realizing he had hit me with the rod, Daesik looked shocked and threw the rod away. Feeling somewhat dazed, I shifted my gaze to the side and saw Sosik leaning against the wall with a disappointed look. I thought he was working hard. But he was cking off. ¡­Seriously, is Daesik the only decent one? Is the oldest the best, after all? I would have sighed deeply enough to make the floor cave in if I could sigh. Shaking my head, I embraced Daesik. Daesik seemed ufortable, probably because he hit me with the rod, but calmed down when I patted his head. Then, taking Jungsik, who rolled outside, and thezy Sosik. I searched inside, following the directions pointed out by the knowledge pouch. It¡¯s now pointing in one direction again. Before long. I found a strange object under arge desk. It was definitely strange. It was operating fine in this space with no electricity, and yet. I wondered why such a thing was here. Yes. What appeared before my eyes was. For some reason. *whirr whirr whirr* It was a spinning electric fan. Chapter 75: Strange Superstition Chapter 75: Strange Superstition If I look in the mirror now, I wonder if I¡¯ll see a very dumbfounded face. And with a good reason. I was all tensed up as I identified the anomaly¡­ and it turned out to be an electric fan. It was a sight that couldn¡¯t help but dete me. Even if it¡¯s an object called an anomaly. I mean, it¡¯s just an electric fan¡­ What on earth could be the identity of the thing causing strange phenomena in this abandoned ce? Could there possibly be another anomaly here? With that thought in mind, what appeared was just an electric fan.This sight would leave anyone feeling let down, not just me. ¡­My friends, seeing an electric fan for the first time, seemed intrigued by the whirling fan and slowly approached it, starting to poke and prod it. Even so, it didn¡¯t seem wise to carelessly touch something suspected to be an anomaly. Even if it was aplete letdown. I grabbed Daesik and Jungsik, who were poking the fan, and pulled them back. It wasn¡¯t to take out my frustration but for their safety. Of course. Even as I thought that, the idea that the fan couldn¡¯t do anything floated through my mind. Having pulled back the wriggling guys, I first checked the status of my knowledge pouch. The twitching pouch was pointing precisely at the whirling electric fan. No matter where I stood in rtion to the fan, the pouch stubbornly kept pointing at the fan. ¡­Could this really be the cause? Feeling the absurdity and watching the fan spin on setting 2, a story I heard sometime before vaguely came to mind. ¡°Korean people believe the superstition that if you sleep in a sealed room with an electric fan on, you¡¯ll die, so if you¡¯re rooming with a KATUSA soldier, be particrly mindful and considerate.¡± Apparently, that¡¯s what¡¯s written in the manual for U.S. soldiers deployed to Korea. I looked it up, and that kind of manual really exists. Of course, it was written that it¡¯s a superstition¡­ so the manual is more about being kind and considerate. I also have a vivid memory of hearing such a story from an elderly person. It was something about the air disappearing and suffocating to death if you close the door and turn on the fan. I know it¡¯s a nonsensical story. ¡­I can¡¯t even count the number of times I, in my human body, slept with the door closed and the fan on. If it really killed me, I wouldn¡¯t have be a slime like this. But. What if the fan in front of my eyes actually makes that happen? It¡¯s a really absurd story, but after seeing my existence, the flying whale, the infinitly multiplying canned food, etc., not believing it wouldn¡¯t be wise¡­ It would be stupid not to believe. And since I¡¯m smart, of course, I believe it. Then does that fan eliminate air in a space deemed sealed¡­ or something like that? To be honest, I could roughly guess, but I wasn¡¯t really sure what was happening either. ¡­F-Figuring that out is Han Seori¡¯s job, isn¡¯t it? Anyway. Since it didn¡¯t seem to have any other functions, I pressed the button without hesitation. The stop button, that is. They abandoned the facility just because you only need to press one button. Hmm¡­ well, in this world, there are buttons thatunch nuclear missiles if you press them, so abandoning one facility might be trivial. As I pressed the button, there was a *click* sound. The whirling fan expelled itsst breath of air and¡­ *Poof.* Turned off. It was truly an absurdly anticlimactic end. By the way. Why doesn¡¯t this have a cord? ¡­If you could generate electricity with this, wouldn¡¯t perpetual motion be possible? It seems like it would be woefully insufficient for that. Thinking those silly thoughts, I picked up the stopped fan. Wondering if it was over now, I returned to where I had entered. I put down the stopped fan there and sat on the floor, waiting for the door to open. But the door doesn¡¯t open this time either. Is it not time yet? As I was tilting my head, I remembered the knowledge pouch twitching this way and that. ¡­No way. Could it be that there was more than one fan? My body, having already limated to the inside, found it too difficult to tell if the strange phenomenon in this building had ended. When I thought about it, my body was still bouncing around, so it seemed like the strange phenomenon hadn¡¯t ended yet. Yeah¡­ there¡¯s no way it would end this easily. I, with my jiggling slime body, looked around and approached Sosik. And then I set him down next to the fan. I pointed to my eyes with my fingers and then pointed to the fan. Conveying the meaning of always keeping watch. Seeing that gesture, Sosik halfheartedly nodded and plopped down next to the fan. ¡­No, I told you to watch in case it suddenly moves, so why are you lying down. Ah. Does lying down not matter? If he sees the world the same way I do, he should be able to see the fan no matter what position he¡¯s in. Still. Somehow, my heart felt ufortable seeing him keeping watch in such a sprawled-out posture. Is it like seeing a new recruit assigned to guard duty nodding off in the guardhouse as soon as he was stationed? ¡­There was no good way to motivate him either, so I just gave up. I didn¡¯t want to waste energy on just that. Shaking my head, I left the fan and Sosik behind and moved my feet to search for another fan. For me who obtained the cheat key of the venttion duct, a locked door was no obstacle. Since the knowledge pouch told me the location of the fan, the work proceeded rtively smoothly. I followed the knowledge pouch to find fans, and when I came across another locked door, I infiltrated through the venttion duct. Inside, there was always an emergency release device, so the number of open doors grew one by one. ¡­And in proportion to that, the number of fans also gradually increased one by one. The facility I entered was wider than I thought, so while it went smoothly, it took quite some time. In addition to it being wide, my small body seemed to¡­ y a part as well. How many fans did I move like that? Eventually, when I put a fan at the entrance. There were so many fans gathered that if you kicked them, they would tter. Looking at it this way, it feels like I¡¯vee to a secondhand shop. With all their different shapes, it really feels like I¡¯vee to a bazaar. At that point, I started to feel a bit anxious. What if I gathered all these fans, and when the door opened, the fans all turned on at once? Since my body bubbled after the entrance closed, it might be fine, but. ¡­You never know what might happen. If Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu, who came down trusting me¡­ experience the same thing I did when I first came here¡­ Ugh. I didn¡¯t feel very good. I didn¡¯t like that. Feeling anxious, I, being a bit smart, was able to quicklye up with a solution. If fans operating is the problem. Then I just need to make it so they can¡¯t operate, right? Completely destroying them seemed like it might get me in trouble¡­ There¡¯s only one way to stop fans that spin on their own in a ce where electricity flows to other areas. I called Daesik and Sosik. When I gestured, Daesik toddled over, showing enthusiasm, while Sosik grumbled as he approached. I sat the two jellies that approached with unique personalities in front of them and disassembled the fan. I removed the front panel, turned the connected part to separate the des, and showed them. If you reassemble the front panel¡­ You¡¯re left with one fan without des to spin and just the des. After showing them that, I looked at the guys and pointed to the fan. Daesik thrust his doll fists forward, showing eagerness, while Sosik predictably showed a look of disgust. That Sosik is really a spoiled one. Jungsik wants to but can¡¯t because he¡¯s a whale. Will the daye when you understand the sadness of wanting to work but being unable to? ¡­I don¡¯t know about that. But. I resolutely pointed to the fan, and Sosik, seeming to think he had no choice, trudged over and started disassembling the fan. Though he put away his hands and used tentacles, he was doing it, so I left him alone. The two jellies, perhaps because they take after me and are smart, did a pretty good job of disassembling the fans after being shown once. Feeling satisfied, I left the fan disassembly factory behind and moved my bobbing steps with Jungsik to collect the remaining fans. Now, the structure of this building is clear in my head. It seemed I could wrap up the job of collecting fans soon. The feeling of adventuring was already gone¡­ but it was still somewhat gratifying. Because the feeling of solving some bizarre problem still remained. Even if it was close to a treasure hunt with the answer key visible. ¡­If I think about wasting time finding where the fans are, it¡¯s a bit terrible. It would have been easy if I were¡­ just the size of an average woman. But for the small and smart me, this facility was too big. While going back and forth between the entrance and inside like that. I finally saw a fan that gave off the strong feeling that it was thest one. Since it was wedged in the deepest ce, this had to be thest one. If this isn¡¯t thest one¡­ I don¡¯t know. I mutteredints that wouldn¡¯t reach anyone¡¯s ears. The whirling fan. I turned off its power. With a *click*. As the fan stopped operating. *ng!* *Creaak! Screech!* Strange sounds began to echo throughout the entire building. Chapter 76: The Red Button Chapter 76: The Red Button The identity of the strange noise that made me anxious was¡­ ¡­The sound of electricity flowing into the unnamed facility. I¡¯m not sure if it was drawing in electricity or had its own means of generating power, but after removing the fan that was sucking up all the electricity, power seemed to be restored to the facility. The sight of lightsing on one by one in the previously dark space was¡­ honestly, it was a little cool. It was like a scene from a movie where the lights turn on in sequence. As my surroundings brightened, a temporary change came over my body. Unlike when I first entered this ce, my bodypressed as if someone was crushing it from all directions. Like squeezing a water-soaked rag. The only difference is that, unlike a rag, the water doesn¡¯t drip onto the floor.Though my jelly shrank, it didn¡¯t flow onto the floor. Of course, since I wasn¡¯t a rag to begin with, that¡¯s only natural. Anyway. Just like the first time, my body quickly adapted to it and returned to normal. Watching my body stretch like a rubber band and then shrink, it really hits home that I¡¯m no longer human. No longer feeling bitter about this truth, I shook my jelly and checked on Jungsik, who came with me. It seems Jungsik experienced something simr to me, as he was shaking his body while sprawled on the floor. While he recovered, I dismantled thest fan. This should be thest one, right? Considering the power is back on. After I dismantled the fan, Jungsik, who had recovered from the shrinking aftermath, floated up wobbling. Hmm. So, is it really over now? ¡­No, whenever someone says that something else always happens. As I was feeling relieved that I couldn¡¯t mutter without realizing it since I couldn¡¯t speak¡­ A slightly stiff female voice echoed through the facility. Detection of an anomaly escaping within the facility, detection of an anomaly escaping within the facility. Identification and management of unregistered entity administrator... Judging by the rigid voice, it didn¡¯t seem to be good news. Somehow, I have a bad feeling about this. I ced the dismantled fan on Jungsik¡¯s body. For now, I nned to return to the entrance. Since Jungsik and I experienced the opposite of what happened when we first came here¡­ the issue of humans not being able to enter should be resolved. If we wait patiently at the entrance, Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu wille and solve the problem. As I headed toward the entrance¡­ When I reached the space presumed to be the center, I saw that the inside was dyed red. It wasn¡¯t that a bloody festival suddenly took ce, but things I couldn¡¯t see in the dark came into view. It was a huge screen that made me feel like I had entered a small movie theater. The giant screen shed red, disying some kind of message.
Management personnel should take action. If there is a malfunction, please manually end the situation.
And in front of me, I saw a brilliant button shining among various panels. The button seemed to be telling me to press it right now and end this situation. As if entranced by that button, I slowly approached it. Behind me, I could see Jungsik iling around, startled by the shing lights in the room. Standing in front of the button, I hesitated for a moment before carefully reaching out my hand. ¡­If I can end this situation without help, wouldn¡¯t it be better not to go all the way to the entrance? Since Jungsik looked distressed over there, I thought it would be good to end it quickly. Maybe it¡¯s just an excuse. Just an excuse to press that brilliantly shining button. No, but¡­ Honestly, how can you resist this? Don¡¯t all men have a longing in their hearts? For some, it might be piloting a giant robot. For others, it might be personally firing a 12-gauge shotgun. Those absurd yet cherished longings in one¡¯s heart. Among them, isn¡¯t pressing a suspicious but exciting button one of them? That anticipation that pressing it mightunch a nuclear missile. ¡­Well, that¡¯s probably not the case, but pressing a shiny button in a suspicious base. Isn¡¯t this a wholesome and modest dream? Judging by the circumstances, this button is presumed to end this noisy situation, so there seemed to be no need to decline. ¡­I also had a little faith that Han Seori or Kim Cheonsu would solve it even if something went wrong. It felt a bit like indulging in pleasure without responsibility, which made me feel slightly¡­ guilty. But in the end, unable to resist, I¡­ *Click.* ¡­pressed that button. While expecting this situation to end¡­ A slightly strange voice began to reach my ears. Detection of the management room being upied by an anomaly. Changing from manual to automatic procedure. Initiating facility closure protocol. Prompt evacuation is advised for any personnel remaining in the facility. *ng! ng! ng! ng!* Along with that voice, all the open doors closed. Feeling dumbfounded, I mulled over the voice I had heard. Hmm. So¡­ it was a button that ends the situation when a person presses it. ¡­But because I, who am no longer human, pressed it, did it turn out like this? To think I¡¯d make this mistake right after epting I was no longer human. No, honestly, isn¡¯t this bullshit? How does it know if I¡¯m human or an anomaly from just pressing a button! Regardless¡­ A timer that felt somewhat familiar appeared on the bright red screen. Jungsik, iling behind me, would also know what that meant. I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what would happen, but it didn¡¯t seem like anything good would ur. Feeling slightly annoyed, I tried manipting the panels around me this way and that, but the screen showed no response as if it were locked. ¡­This is maddening. Now that things had turned out this way, I couldn¡¯t help but be flustered. To think that after all the trouble of dealing with the fans, this would happen. What should I do? Should I just escape outside like this? Or should I eat all of this? As I was agonizing while clutching my jelly¡­ A clever idea suddenly popped into my head. ¡­Wouldn¡¯t it stop again if I operated the fan? Luckily, I had Jungsik hold the des after dismantling it, so there was no worry of the des spinning. So¡­ even if Han Seori or Kim Cheonsu, who were on their way, faced a terrible situation, they wouldn¡¯t get hurt. I was a little anxious, but the anomalies I had seen so far seemed to each have their own ¡°rules.¡± Just like how that beautiful statue didn¡¯t move when I was looking at it. ¡­Honestly, I¡¯ve only seen rules in a handful of the things I¡¯ve encountered, so I¡¯m not entirely certain. But at least this fan seems like it would be that way. So in order to resolve this situation¡­ I approached the fan that I had briefly set down to press the button. Ironically¡­ *Click.* I pressed the button. On high, with the hope that it would suck up the electricity. But¡­ Perhaps it was because the de wasn¡¯t assembled¡­ The fan was silent. Forget the motor spinning. It showed no reaction at all as if it were broken. This damn anomaly¡­ Somehow, I felt irritated, my jelly bubbling. Tossing it aside, I ran toward the vent with Jungsik. Since thest n had gone awry, escaping from here was the only answer. Before climbing into the vent, I tried the manual opening device, but this time the door wouldn¡¯t open. ¡­Once an anomaly reaches the management room, do they give up on the people inside? The procedure felt too cold. Considering the anomalies, while this measure seemed natural, it felt slightly at odds with themon sense I knew. Anyhow¡­ We need to get out of here before the timer runs out. I already moved the other slimes to the entrance, so we just need to get there. It should be open there, right? They wouldn¡¯t block the entrance after telling us to evacuate. Having made up my mind, I pushed Jungsik into the vent and carefully squeezed my body in as well. As the metal bars touched my waist¡­ Suddenly, a loud noise was heard. Since it was also visible from behind, I could clearly see what was happening in the ce called the management room. Before my eyes¡­ I saw the door that wouldn¡¯t open no matter how hard I tried easily opening. Soon, Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu appeared from the open door. The two, who entered with very urgent expressions, skillfully manipted the panels I had fiddled with. And then¡­ Ending the situation. The shing lights and noisy sounds¡­ Disappeared as if erased. ¡­While feeling the bubbling of relief, I also felt a sense of futility. If it could be ended this easily, why did it reject me? Honestly¡­ didn¡¯t I look human-like? ¡°Huh? Where is 7496-KR?¡± ¡°I thought it would be here¡­ Where did it go?¡± Meanwhile¡­ I heard the voices of the two. Only then did I realize that I was in a state with only my lower body sticking out of the vent. ¡­Honestly, it was a bit of an embarrassing pose, so I thought I should go into the vent ande out. I¡¯m no longer human, but¡­ I have this thing called dignity. However¡­ As I passed through the vent, the device I had worn around my neck suddenly shed. There had been no reaction, but I wore it around my neck since Han Seori had given it to me. ¡°Ah, over there¡­ huh¡­?¡± ¡°There? Hmm¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Agent Kim, stop looking and go to the entrance to bring the other entities.¡± ¡°What, why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Hurry up and go.¡± It seemed that thing had revealed my location. ¡°Hmm¡­ She¡¯s not dead¡­ Why is she doing that? Ah¡­ Trying to escape? As expected¡­¡± I could hear Han Seori saying something¡­ But I couldn¡¯t hear it well. My head was filled only with thoughts of wanting to die from embarrassment. Chapter 77: Our kid might be a genius, don’t you think? Chapter 77: Our kid might be a genius, don¡¯t you think? ¡°Mr. Cheonsu, wake up!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Mom, five more minutes¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not your mom, so wake up now! There¡¯s a response!¡± Han Seori felt slightly annoyed as she shook Kim Cheonsu¡¯s shoulder. Only then did Kim Cheonsu¡¯s drowsy consciousness clear up. Realizing what he had just mumbled, he squeezed his eyes shut. Calling someone you like ¡°Mom.¡± Isn¡¯t that the worst? ¡°If you fall back asleep, we can¡¯t go in!¡±¡°Ah, yes. I wasn¡¯t asleep¡­¡± Though he wanted to dwell on that thought, now wasn¡¯t the time, so Kim Cheonsu pped his cheeks and hurriedly exited the vehicle. Han Seori sighed and followed after him. *Crunch, crunch.* The two ran across the snow, all traces of slime girl¡¯s passage already erased. White steam rose from their mouths like smoke from chimneys. Leaving new tracks on the snowy field, the two soon arrived at the entrance 7496-KR had entered. Without hesitation, the two opened the door and marveled slightly at the light streaming into what should have been a dark passageway. They were skeptical that the problem had really been solved, but seeing the lights on¡­ It seemed she had done more than just solve the problem. ¡°As expected¡­ It turned out as predicted. At this level, she¡¯s really¡­ far better than any average agent, right?¡± ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t believe it, but¡­ I agree.¡± From the moment the slime girl normalized the closed research center, she had already surpassed anyparable level. It proved that anomaly-rted problems could be solved by an anomaly. ¡®I thought this when she solved other problems, too.¡¯ Her intelligence might be higher than we thought. ¡­Or her learning ability is exceptionally outstanding. Han Seori ruminated on the actions of 7496-KR, the slime girl, that she had seen so far. Finally arriving at the research center entrance, Han Seori¡­ ¡­thought thetter was more likely. It may sound a bit odd to say this, but initially¡­ she didn¡¯t seem all that intelligent. Rather than intelligent, she was more like a frightened child. Perhaps she couldn¡¯t act properly because she was being overly cautious¡­? Anyway. Since it was something that happened long ago, Han Seori stopped her train of thought and looked at the research center¡¯s door. The entrance, illuminated by light, gave off quite an eerie atmosphere. It was because it had be contaminated fromck of maintenance. Perhaps due to that eerie atmosphere? Feeling a strange nervousness, Han Seori quickly approached the panel and unlocked it. With a slight noise, the lock disengaged, and the tightly sealed door slowly parted sideways. Eventually, on the other side¡­ ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°¡­What the heck is this?¡± They saw the two entities split from 7496-KR sitting demurely next to disassembled fans. No, the entity that had entered the doll was sitting demurely, while the miniature version of 7496-KR¡­ was just sprawled on the floor. Like a person exhausted from work who copsed at a factory. Actually, it wasn¡¯t such a rare sight. It was a scene they saw every day. What left them speechless was¡­ The scene of quite arge number of fans disassembled and neatly lined up. The disassembled fans are arranged as if waiting to be assembled on a factory line. Han Seori looked around, feeling an odd sensation. The only entities near the fans are those two. Which means¡­ ¡®¡­Did those two disassemble the fans?¡¯ Since she didn¡¯t see it with her own eyes, it was hard to imagine. However. If that was really the case. ¡­They presumed that the two entities also had quite remarkable learning abilities, even if not as much as 7496-KR. By the way. ¡®Why are the fans disassembled?¡¯ Could this be the cause of the phenomenon that was urring in the research center? The moment Han Seori¡¯s thoughts deepened¡­ Detecting escape of anomaly within the facility, detecting escape of anomaly within the facility. Confirmation of unregistered entity administrator and... ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What?¡± The two, who had been spacing out, heard the broadcast and burst into hollowughter. Despite being neglected for so long, the facility seemed to be in fairly good condition. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the control room for now. The anomaly seems to have settled down, so let¡¯s check on those thingster.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The two headed towards the control room, listening to the regrly ying warning. The location of the control room was usually simr in any research center, so there was no worry of getting lost. However. What made the two anxious was¡­ Detecting control room upied by the anomaly. Changing from manual to automatic procedure. Initiating facility lockdown protocol. Prompt evacuation is advised for personnel remaining in the facility. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Wh-Why is it suddenly doing that?¡± ¡°¡­If it¡¯s not a malfunction, 7496-KR must have done something in the control room. She¡¯s quite curious¡­ Maybe she couldn¡¯t resist the shing panels?¡± ¡°Haha¡­ What a funny joke¡­¡± It¡¯s not a joke, though. Han Seori felt slightly embarrassed, but there was no time to dwell on feelings. If the lockdown protocol had started, there would have been no point in eliminating the anomaly. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry. Whatever the reason, the protocol has definitely started.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± From then, the two began to run. Proceeding without hindrance, the two were able to arrive at the control room. Once again, Han Seori operated the panel to open the door leading to the control room. As they had guessed, it was indeed the control room, so Han Seori hurriedly entered and canceled the lockdown protocol. Terminating protocol. Han Seori, thinking she could catch her breath, felt puzzled. 7496-KR, who she thought would be in the control room, was nowhere to be seen. While wondering, she remembered the device attached to 7496-KR¡¯s neck. Now that they have entered the research center, it should be able to connect remotely again. So¡­ checking the location of the now-online ne, Han Seori¡¯s eyes¡­ ¡­saw 7496-KR¡¯s lower body dangling from the vent. For some reason, 7496-KR, hanging from the vent, was motionless. Looking at that unusually resilient figure, Han Seori suddenly came to her senses and kicked Kim Cheonsu out of the control room. Kim Cheonsu seemed somewhat indignant, but Han Seori felt that she had to do it for some reason. Having sent Kim Cheonsu out, Han Seori approached the vent, feeling puzzled. She had no idea why 7496-KR wasn¡¯t moving. ¡°Hmm¡­ She¡¯s not dead¡­ Why is she doing that? Ah¡­ Trying to escape? As expected¡­¡± Han Seori, having thought that far, couldn¡¯t help but admire her. Fully understanding what the stiff voice was saying, and trying to find another way to escape instead of the unopenable door. As expected. My hunch was right. Han Seori smiled delightedly and looked at 7496-KR, dangling from the vent. Watching that unusually glistening figure, Han Seori called out to the still unmoving 7496-KR. ¡°It¡¯s safe now, so you cane down¡­!¡± 7496-KR, which had been motionless, finally wriggled its body. Instead of falling right away as expected, 7496-KR crawled into the vent. Then, pushing out the whale jelly that was inside¡­ It began looking at Han Seori from inside the vent. Seeing the floating jelly whale, Han Seori scratched her cheek, still looking at 7496-KR who refused toe out. ¡®¡­Why is she doing that? Is there still some threat remaining?¡¯ Han Seori, her expression turning serious, approached the central control panel and disyed the research center¡¯s management status on the screen. Having checked the status by operating the panel, Han Seori became even more lost. Despite thoroughly searching every nook and cranny, nothing particrly threatening could be seen. The fans nkly lined up at the entrance, which made her feel a bit creeped out, but that was it. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Unable to find the cause, Han Seori rummaged through the control room drawers and found a screwdriver. Then, she moved a stepping stool to get closer to the vent. There, she saw 7496-KR sitting scrunched up inside the vent. For some reason, 7496-KR¡¯s jelly was bubbling. Suspecting something was amiss, Han Seori quickly unscrewed the vent and opened it, reaching out towards 7496-KR. She was worried it might refuse, but 7496-KR obediently grabbed onto Han Seori¡¯s hand and came out. Eventually, 7496-KR was pulled outside¡­ ¡­covered its face with its soft hands as if wanting to hide its sight for some reason. But it didn¡¯t seem to work well, as it pped its legs in annoyance. Han Seori felt puzzled as to why 7496-KR was doing this, but¡­ Since that motion was quite cute, she decided to just leave it be. It wasn¡¯t an rming behavior after all. So after 7496-KR pped around for a while¡­ She only stopped pping once the other entities arrived at the control room. ¡­Nothing happened just now. Take a deep breath and count to three. One¡­ Two¡­ Three. How could I possibly forget what just happened, dammit? Anyway. Thanks to Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu stopping whatever protocol that was, the noisy broadcast was no longer heard. Right after that. Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu, as if they really intended to reuse this ce, took me to the control room panel. Then¡­ Registration of exception entitiesplete. They registered me and my slimes as exception entities. Honestly, I had no idea what it meant¡­ So, I had no thoughts in my head. Just¡­ epting it as is. ¡­It may be better to say I couldn¡¯t think that far due to other thoughts. So, I didn¡¯t think much of it. But my daily life, after the exception entity registration waspleted¡­ ¡­was quite different from what I had imagined. Chapter 78: A Changed Daily Life Chapter 78: A Changed Daily Life ¡°Here, can you move this too? Just put it over there where I told you earlier.¡± The thing that has changed the most drastically in my altered daily life is that Han Seori has started ordering me around. If you ask if she wasn¡¯t already ordering me around, I would say that the tasks she¡¯s assigning me now have a somewhat different nature. Until now, the things Han Seori had been ¡®requesting¡¯ of me were tasks that I was also interested in and stimted my ¡®adventurous spirit.¡¯ If it felt like I was doing work that bordered between a hobby and a job, even though I hated working Now, the tasks Han Seori is ordering me to do¡­ remind me of the work I did when I was human. These are tasks that I don¡¯t want to do but have to do. Misceneous tasks¡­ far from any adventure. Did she suddenly adopt a creed that those who don¡¯t work shall not eat?After registering me as an exception, she started assigning me very, very ordinary tasks. Tasks like moving the luggage piled up at the entrance inside, as I¡¯m doing now. Moving the disassembled electric fan was a rather tense job, but the things that started piling up after that were not very interesting items. When I move those things inside with the other slimes, I feel remorseful and miserable, wondering if this is why I fixed this facility. But it¡¯s not all bad. Han Seori, who registered the jellies and me as exceptions, has changed her attitude a bit while giving me these tasks. Her eyes are still filled with curiosity and interest, making me feel an indescribable chill, but I feel like she¡¯s treating me as¡­ something human-like rather than as the being called an ¡®anomaly.¡¯ It doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s fully treating me as human, but it feels somehow different from looking at me as an object of curiosity or something cute. The proof of that is probably the changed room. I didn¡¯t mention the rooms I stayed in beforeing here, but I was vaguely aware that they were meant to confine something. But¡­ the room Han Seori gave me this time was different. It was empty because it still needed to be filled with things, but it looked like a room ¡®people¡¯ would normally use. Instead of a white room that makes you feel like you¡¯ll develop OCD, the wallpaper in calming colors surrounding the walls is impressive. ¡­No, wait, that¡¯s not wallpaper, it¡¯s¡­ *ahem*. I¡¯ll have to change that too. Anyway. She gave me tasks and assigned me an ordinary yet special room. And if I used to always wait for Han Seori or Kim Cheonsu toe to me, now I¡¯ve gained freedom of movement. Actually, this was the most decisive change. I don¡¯t know how it turned out this way, though. Now, I can freely enter and leave my room, not only when I¡¯m moving luggage but also anytime. If I want to see Han Seori, I can open the door, go out, and knock on the door of the room next to me. I¡¯ve never actually tried it, though. Of course, it¡¯s an iplete freedom since I can¡¯t leave this facility, but freedom is still freedom. ¡­To be honest, I could probably leave if I really wanted to, but I don¡¯t feel the need to. Even if I went outside, everything was covered in snow, so I didn¡¯t particrly want to go out. But. Was there ever a town in our country where snow piled up all year round? I sifted through my memories but couldn¡¯t grab onto any. After pondering for a while, I finally gave up trying to recall. Hmm. Well¡­ it must have been somewhere. It¡¯s a small piece ofnd, and the weather is crazy, so it may have been a ce I didn¡¯t know about. If not. Maybe this ce has changed like this because of the anomaly? I don¡¯t know. Anyway, if it became winter without me knowing, I didn¡¯t want to go outside for the time being. ¡­If the weather is really going to be like this forever. My motivation to go out plummets. Not that I was going to anyway. I¡¯m not at the age to have snowball fights and make snowmen. While I was thinking that I might have to count my age from the beginning now that I¡¯ve be like this. I somehow felt peckish. I got up from lying down andzing around in my room after finishing the task Han Seori had given me. Looking around, the other slimes also seemed to be hungry and listless. In the past, I would have had to wait for Han Seori or Kim Cheonsu to bring food. But now it¡¯s different. I got up from my spot, went outside, and started walking. And following my memory, I headed to the kitchen. It didn¡¯t seem to originally be a kitchen, but it turned into a kitchen-like space after Kim Cheonsu and Han Seori tinkered with it. So. Now, if I¡¯m hungry, I can go and get my own food. I don¡¯t have to wait endlessly for someone to bring me a meal. ¡­To be honest, I sort of prefer when they just bring food to me, but this isn¡¯t bad either. And. Those two looked very busy, so¡­ it was a bit much to nag them for food. Looking at them walking around with faces that made me doubt if they were getting proper sleep¡­ I thought maybe they wanted to employ an extra pair of hands to lighten their workload. Anyway, that¡¯s how it is. When I went inside, I headed to where the food was stored. There was no raw meat, but there were quite a lot of various canned foods and instant meals. Among them, I noticed that the Soylent Purple Co. MREs I used to enjoy eating were missing and felt a strange feeling. It wasn¡¯t that I was disappointed that something I liked to eat had disappeared. Thinking that what I did is affecting the world¡­ somehow, I feel a thrilling sensation. An unwanted extraordinary life. I¡¯m not at the point of saying it¡¯s good to be a slime, though. But¡­ I might start feeling a bit thankful. After standing and wobbling my jelly for a bit, I grabbed the ramen. Out of habit from when I was human, I only took out one ramen, but then I counted the numbers for a moment. Daesik, Jungsik, Sosik. And me. ¡­One was definitely not going to be enough. I wobbled my jelly, thinking it couldn¡¯t be helped, and took out four more ramen. Along with therge pot next to it. Why five, you ask? To be honest, considering their appetites, I thought ten might not be enough either¡­ But what can I do if there is no more ramen? I stepped on the footstool someone had ced, filled the pot with water, and lit the fire. Back when I was hiding in my studio apartment, I ate uncooked ramen because I was afraid of getting caught¡­ looking at it this way, things have really improved a lot. Then, I tore open all the ramen and poured the dried noodles into the pot. That¡¯s when I realized one thing. I learned today that when you dump them in like this, quite a lot spills outside than you¡¯d think. ¡­I noticed when the things that should have stuck to my body fell off and dissolved with a bubbling sound. While tasting the vor of the dissolving noodles, I waited, and the water started to boil. Without hesitation, I added the ramen seasoning. Soon, I could taste the ramen broth. Perhaps because I dumped everything in at once, the ramen broth was swaying like waves with a *swish*. But it¡¯s no problem. In the past, I would have shouted, ¡°Ah hot, fuck¡± and cursed, but to me, who has be a slime, it¡¯s no different than seasoning. The slightly salty broth that sshed on me made me think I got the water bnce right. Next, I put the noodles into the steaming pot. This was easy, too. Because even the hot steam can¡¯t burn my body. Hmm. Maybe this body is cut out for cooking. I feel like I wouldn¡¯t even blink an eye if oil sshed with this body. While I was absorbed in my newly discovered talent. I felt someone approaching this ce. I didn¡¯t have to turn my head because I could see everything anyway. Then I saw Han Seori approaching with a tired face, sniffing the air. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this smell¡­ oh?¡± She was walking over with a weary gait, but then she smiled contentedly as she approached me and muttered softly in admiration. Heh. It seemed Han Seori was also surprised by my cooking skills. *Growl* Han Seori¡¯s belly clock rang. ¡°Ah¡­¡± She looked at me with an embarrassed face. Maybe she was a little shy. Her face seems a bit red, too. I looked at Han Seori, stepped down from the footstool after lowering the heat, and came down silently. ¡°Hm?¡± Leaving behind her puzzled voice, I went into the storage room and found a small pot, adle, and tongs. When I came out, I got on the footstool, scooped out the noodles with the tongs, and transferred the broth. Han Seori was looking at me with a strange face. She spoke in a slightly moved voice. ¡°Are you giving it to me by any chance?¡± ¡­It¡¯s embarrassing now that I hear it directly. I boiled one ramen per jelly anyway, so there shouldn¡¯t be a big problem giving away one serving. If they have a problem with it, they can boil it themselves. Anyway. After handing the small pot to Han Seori, I picked up the hot andrge pot and got off the footstool. Behind me, as I was heading back to the room carrying the heavy pot. I hear Han Seori¡¯s voice. ¡°¡­But who taught you how to make ramen? Did Cheonsu teach you?¡± Somehow, I feel a chill running down my back. ¡­I don¡¯t know. She called me a genius, so this much should be fine, right? I hurried back to the room, *squish squish* down the hallway. Then, btedly, realizing I didn¡¯t bring any bowls to share the ramen. ¡­I just ate it with my hands. This body made that very convenient. Han Seori, who followed me, seemed a bit flustered, but. Anyway. I was quite satisfied with the new facility I moved into. It was peaceful. ¡­When I say things like this, trouble always happens. I don¡¯t know. Contrary to my slightly uneasy feeling¡­ The ramen was delicious. Chapter 79: A Problematic Research Center Chapter 79: A Problematic Research Center ¡°Come to think of it, there were instructions on the back¡­.¡± As Han Seori muttered to herself while watching me and the slimes eating ramen from arge pot, she turned around with an unsteady gait and went back to her room. Why did she rush all the way here? Since I couldn¡¯t understand, I focused on the task of distributing the ramen to the slimes. It was an unavoidable choice as it would be unpleasant if I just shoved my hands in and ate one of the slimes by mistake. I regret not bringing some bowls. Going back again would be very troublesome, so I made up my mind to bring them next time. I fed the noodles into Jungsik¡¯s body. Inside the body of the whale-like creature.¡­Seeing the wiggly noodles floating inside his body gave me a weird feeling. It¡¯s not something strange, but those wiggly noodles¡­ reminded me of parasites. Especially since I heard that whales have a lot of parasites. Jungsik ate the ramen I fed him without knowing I was having such thoughts. Since everything inside could be seen at a nce, I had to watch all the wiggly noodles melt away. Daesik came out of Alice and ate enthusiastically, while Sosik seemed happy to have me feed him as he extended his body. It feels a bit strange since he looks simr to me. Anyways. As I was distributing ramen to them and shoving noodles into my own body. Suddenly, I had the desire to slurp noodles. When I saw it on the Inte, I used to think, ¡°Why do they like eating in such a vulgar way?¡± But now¡­ as I¡¯m shoving noodles into my body, I really miss eating like that. Hmm¡­ I¡¯ve already recreated chewing, so couldn¡¯t I do this too? I felt somewhat excited after calcting and distributing the slimes¡¯ portions of ramen. I put the ramen in front of me and racked my brain to figure out how to recreate slurping. But when I actually tried to do it¡­ I couldn¡¯t figure out how. To be exact, it felt like being asked how you breathe. In the first ce, you just naturally breathe. You don¡¯t understand the principle and then inhale, right? If you delve deeper, concepts like the autonomic nervous system and such woulde pouring out, much like the tubers hanging off the vines of a sweet potato nt, but¡­ ¡­I don¡¯t really know. Since those things all disappeared when I became a slime¡­ I have no idea what to do. So, I first attached the noodles to my mouth. Then, I tried to pull the noodles with the slime near my mouth. The difficulty level of this was easier than creating teeth inside my mouth to chew. It wasn¡¯t like I was creating something¡­ I was just pulling something from inside. But the result wasn¡¯t very satisfactory. It felt like ying a meat grinder in reverse. Instead of slurping the noodles, it looked like snot or saliva going back into the nose. As the noodles touching my body were dragged up, my body got covered in soup. It didn¡¯t matter since it would seep inside anyway¡­ but it was a very disappointing sight, and my slime drooped. While attempting this and that¡­ it hit me anew howplex the human body was. Trying to manually recreate everything I unknowingly enjoyed¡­ was very difficult. Was chewing and slurping this hard? In the first ce, the problem seemed to be that there¡¯s no empty space inside my body¡­ but this body doesn¡¯t need that space¡­. Ugh, my head hurts. Giving up on slurping noodles, I obediently ate the remaining ramen. While I was pondering, the ramen had gotten very bloated. But to me now, it felt like the quantity increased, so it was rather good. And so, as ordinary daily life continued, one day¡­ I approached Kim Cheonsu, who was sitting in the control room looking at something. Behind me, the slimes, Jungsik and Daesik, wriggled as they followed. If it seems like someone is missing, it¡¯s not a mistake. It wasn¡¯t a big deal anymore, so I decided not to pay it any mind. ¡­It may feel like looking at a sibling shut inside the house. In reality, no one was around toment on it¡­ so I didn¡¯t really feel it was a problem. It just seemed like a waste to bezy in my form. Anyway. As I approached Kim Cheonsu to ask what he was doing, he waved his hand half-heartedly and continued what he was working on. I stuck to the back of his chair and looked to see what he was doing. Focusing my gaze in the same direction as him, I saw what was likely the surroundings reflected on arge screen. In other words. ¡­Apletely white world unfolded before my eyes. Looking at a scenery where only snow could be seen, fitting to be called a snowynd¡­ some fairly old PTSD came creeping up. The only reason it didn¡¯t get worse was¡­ Because no one told me to go out and clear all that. I was confident I would faint if someone told me to go out and shovel that snow. ¡­I wasn¡¯t worried since I knew that wouldn¡¯t happen. Then. In the distance, I thought I could see something like barbed wire fences. Focusing my vision¡­ it definitely seemed to be barbed wire fences. My slime bubbled at the sight of structures you¡¯d usually see near military bases. I felt the urge to say something, but I was thankful I had no mouth to blurt it out. And then. Seeing that barbed wire fence and snow¡­ I felt like I could roughly tell where this ce was. Isn¡¯t the only ce with all these conditions is the border with ¡°that country¡±? If the season had changed to winter while I was at another facility¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be strange at all. News often reported heavy snowfall near the border with that country. I just didn¡¯t expect it to be this much. But. What the heck is Kim Cheonsu doing? Is he¡­ healing himself by looking at a ce with nothing? It certainly was a beautiful sight if you didn¡¯t have to worry about shoveling it. Should I say it¡¯s like looking at a sea made of snow? But it doesn¡¯t quite seem like that¡¯s what he¡¯s doing, so I was about to rip out the memo pad next to him and ask. *Boom!* Something exploded on the screen. It was very small, so it wasn¡¯t clearly visible, but with the sound of an explosion, snow could definitely be seen scattering in all directions. As I watched dumbfoundedly with my slime wobbling. The sound of simultaneous explosions could be heard. It looked as if something was zooming around, detonating bombs. And at the end of those explosions. ¡­The silhouette of something huge was revealed. Something huge I had never seen before in my life. The thing that appeared with the explosions¡­ looked like a giant snake. I¡¯m just saying it looked like that. It didn¡¯t feel like themonly mentioned Imugi or dragon¡­ It reminded me of a monster from a movie that aired a long time ago. The monster that pops out, reacting to sound as it wanders the desert and devours people. After causing explosions, it disappeared back into the snow with quite a loud noise. The surroundings that had been aplete mess were covered by falling snow as if nothing had happened, turning pure white again. Watching that scene. I got the feeling that something was strange about this area, too. I thought it was just the border with ¡°that country¡± having entered winter. But it seemed the problem wasn¡¯t that simple. While I was dazed, Kim Cheonsu¡¯s goal seemed to be recording that thing¡¯s movements as he manipted the panel to do something. As I watched Kim Cheonsu, I wished in my heart. Please don¡¯t let us get tangled up with that thing. I called upon all the gods I knew, wondering who I should pray to. Gods are probably all somewhere, too, now that I¡¯ve be like this, no? Or not? I don¡¯t know. Anyway, it¡¯ll be fine as long as they grant my wish, right? A few dayster. As I was wandering around the facility, I witnessed Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu looking at the screen with grave expressions. I tried hard to think that it seemed like they were just watching a movie, but. The two people¡¯s faces as they looked at the screen appeared full of concern. Seeing their faces that had cleared up after busy work be dark again¡­ ¡­It seemed something was about to happen. Could it be that none of the gods listened to my wish? Or maybe¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have done that? As I approached the two people without realizing it, I could hear them talking in sighing voices. ¡°You said it seems to be getting closer?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been observing it for the past few days¡­ Its range of activity has been gradually expanding. If my calctions are correct¡­ It seems to be heading straight for this research center.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± So¡­ that thing ising here? Why¡­? Like someone who heard the news of a tsunami hitting in the middle of the night, I unknowingly held my forehead. Han Seori, who finally noticed my presence, picked me up and held me to her chest. Han Seori held me close as if to relieve stress. As I felt her body heat, I became embarrassed, and then¡­ I saw Kim Cheonsu looking at me with strangely envious eyes for some reason. Seeing eyes that seemed envious¡­ I wanted to tease him a bit. I smirked at him, and he blinked and fake coughed. I was disappointed by his reaction, which differed from my thoughts. Then, Han Seori, who held me and relieved her stress (at least I think she did), said in a low voice. ¡°For now¡­ the fact that this research center began operating itself may be the cause. If so, there¡¯s only one way.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± Han Seori spoke as if feeling chills, shivering. ¡°We¡¯ll have to lower the facility¡¯s operating rate to a minimum.¡± ¡°You mean¡­?¡± ¡°No heating or anything for the time being. We¡¯ll try that and¡­ if there¡¯s a reaction, we¡¯ll have to find the right level.¡± Han Seori sighed. ¡°But if it keeps chasing us¡­ Well¡­.¡± Han Seori looked at my knowledge pouch for some reason. ¡­No, she¡¯s looking at me, right? Uh¡­ so she¡¯s telling me to somehow deal with that thing? Has she lost her mind? I mean, I can act like a friendly neighbor, but I¡¯m not a superhero, you know? I wanted to go back to my room. God, Buddha, Ah¡­ who else is there. Hoping in my heart that Han Seori¡¯s prediction would be right, I searched for the gods who didn¡¯t listen to my request. Please listen to me this time. But before the future of facing off against that huge thing. Bitter cold found us first. Chapter 80: Out of place Chapter 80: Out of ce *Crackling, crackling.* The bonfire burns bright red. The firewood stacked on a sturdy support burned so high that the word ¡°campfire¡± naturally came to mind. Feeling the cozy warmth spreading all around, one could almost feel like being at a nice resort. ¡­But looking around, one couldn¡¯t help but tilt their head in doubt. And for good reason. The scenery around the burning bonfire was far from a serene campsite or a vast expanse of nature. Instead of a tranquil moonlight and a sky that looked like paint had been poured into it, a stark white and barren ceiling could be seen. The space where an open view and a vast forest should have unfolded was instead blocked by closed-off walls.*Crackle Crackle* Sparks fly from the firewood, and a charred log falls to the ground. ¡­The floor where the log fell is also artificial tile, not green ground or soft soil. The bizarre sight of a bonfire inside a building. But as if to say it didn¡¯t care, a small shadow was cast over the fallen log. The floating shadow gradually grew bigger and got closer to the log. *Slurp* As the shadow turned pitch-ck, something blue swallowed the log into its body. Its identity was, of course, a small whale-shaped Jungsik. Showing interest in the bonfire, it chomps and wiggles its body with the charred log in its mouth. On the body of such a Jungsik, there were small red antlers attached and a somewhatical-looking red ball. Almost as if he was modeled after Rudolph. ¡­The original concept was a whale, so it would take some convincing, but anyway, that¡¯s how it was. And there was a gaze watching that Jungsik. Why is it eating that? It was the slime girl wearing a red Santa hat. The girl wearing a Santa hat, as if to match Rudolph Jungsik, looked at Jungsik, feeling like she had let a child into the water. Wondering if he would get sick from eating that¡­ Sitting next to the slime girl was Daesik, also in an unusual red Santa costume. Daesik (aka Alice), who seemed to like how he looked in a red dress modified from a one-piece, gently swayed his doll body side to side. Unlike Daesik, Sosik could be seen sitting on a box next to the slime girl with his arms stretched out as if everything in the world was bothersome. On top of the girl¡¯s head were decorations that looked like they were left over from decorating the tree. They were stuck on so haphazardly that one would think it is wise not to try to digest them. Behind Sosik, a rtivelyrge Christmas tree could be seen. There were gift boxes stacked underneath, but unfortunately, there were no gifts inside, as if they were just for decoration. And if you look a little further back from the slime girl¡¯s group, A tent can be seen set up. A bonfire and a tent inside a building. It was a sight that anyone would find bizarre. Not long after, the zipper of the tent went down and Han Seori, wrapped in a nket, came out, shivering. On top of her head was a red hat simr to the slime girl¡¯s. Han Seori, who came out with the nket, staggering, plopped down next to the slime girl. ¡°Haa¡­ it¡¯s the warmest around here, after all.¡± She let out a deep sigh. As she exhaled, White steam spread out in all directions like a dragon¡¯s breath. Han Seori, who was nkly staring at the white steam, got up quietly as if she had remembered something and rummaged through the surroundings. Soon, she found a kettle, put in water that was about to freeze, and ced the kettle on the bonfire. ¡°Want some hot cocoa¡­?¡± Han Seori looked at the slime girl with a doubtful voice. At her voice, the girl who was jiggling her slime slowly nodded her head, which had be a little stiff. Seeing this, Han Seori, blowing on her cold hands, silently began preparing the hot cocoa. Then she realized that the slime girl¡¯s movements seemed a bit stiff. ¡®¡­Isn¡¯t she cold.¡¯ Her body seemed a little stiff. Han Seori, who was pouring hot cocoa into a mug, recalledst night. They had been busy moving to prepare for lowering the Research Center¡¯s operation rate to a minimum, as per her n. If they were anyter, there was a high possibility that they would face something unpleasant without being able to do anything. Anyway, The preparations they made before lowering the Research Center¡¯s operation rate were as follows. First, as seen a little while ago, they lit a bonfire to keep them warm during the freezing cold that woulde. Venttion ducts will maintain air cirction, so there is no problem. Next, they brought food supplies and¡­ equipment for camping inside the building. Finally, ¡­to make this insane cold a little warmer, They brought out a tree and costumes that had been stuffed in the warehouse. It happened to be the right time for that¡­ and it was also to take a breather to some extent. But to enjoy it without worry¡­ ¡­it was too cold. The only fortunate thing was that there was no biting wind. If the wind had blown too¡­ ¡®Eek.¡¯ Han Seori doesn¡¯t even want to imagine it. As she shook her head, the sound of steam escaping from the kettle was heard. She took the kettle out and started putting cocoa powder into the lined-up mugs. It wasn¡¯t easy because the powder was frozen. Behind Han Seori, who was diligently scooping out the cocoa powder, Kim Cheonsu, who had been asleep in another tent, came over, tottering. He was wearing a brown reindeer doll costume. He looked like he would turn into Rudolph as soon as he put on the red nose. With Kim Cheonsu joining, it felt quite Christmas-like. ¡­Although they probably wouldn¡¯t want to receive the ominous gifts that would be delivered to them. Kim Cheonsu, in a deer costume, plopped down in front of the bonfire. Han Seori asked with a chuckle, ¡°Cheonsu, would you like some hot cocoa too?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯d be d if you give me some.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ then, could you¡­ dig into this a bit.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Upon hearing the answer, Han Seori handed the hardened cocoa to Kim Cheonsu. Soon, Kim Cheonsu dug it out, sweating profusely. How much time had passed like that? A sweet aroma filled the area around the bonfire, along with the hot steam from the mugs. The way they drank the cocoa was¡­ ¡­different for each of them. Daesik held the mug with both hands of the doll, slightly took out his jelly, and sucked the cocoa. It seemed like he didn¡¯t want toe out of Alice. Jungsik stuck his face into the mug and slurped the cocoa into his body. It looked like he was swimming in the cocoa. Sosik sprawled next to the slime girl, stuck arge straw into his head, and reached out a tentacle from behind his back to dip it into the mug. The thin tentacle could be seen sucking up the dark liquid. It seemed that even if moving was bothersome, he couldn¡¯t resist eating. And as for the long-awaited slime girl¡­ She sat there nkly with her Santa hat on, then brought the mug to her mouth. Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu, who were fiddling with the warm mugs, looked at the slime girl intently. The slime girl, feeling their gaze, jiggled her slime. Then, she tilted the mug. And then, *Drip*. The dark liquid flowed down her body in a sticky mess. ¡°Ah¡­.¡± ¡°Oh dear¡­.¡± Seeing her try to imitate them but fail, Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu made awkward smiles and drank their cocoa. Meanwhile, the slime girl, having seen the cocoa dripping down, made a jiggling sound, put the mug inside her body, and flipped it over. The cocoa flowed out like paint being poured into water. The slime girl pushed the sticky bits clinging to her body inside and took out the mug that was in her body. The mug, now as clean as if it had been washed, was ced on the ground with a slightly disgruntled motion. Han Seori, whoughed at the sight, finished her cocoa and got up from her seat. ¡°¡­Then shall we go and see how things turned out?¡± ¡°Won¡¯t we freeze to death on the way?¡± As Han Seori looked at him with a lukewarm face, Kim Cheonsu quickly made an excuse. ¡°¡­We, we¡¯ll be back soon. We need to have a meal, too.¡± The two who got up from their seats picked up their equipment and headed to the control room. The slime girl watching them leave seemed a bit fidgety. ¡®¡­I don¡¯t know what it is, but I hope it worked.¡¯ The girl recalled how Han Seori had looked at her that day. At that time, Han Seori didn¡¯t say anything to the slime girl. But the slime girl realized it almost instinctively. If there was no¡­ progress, dealing with what was shown on that screen¡­ would be her job. ¡®¡­I don¡¯t want that.¡¯ No matter how she thought about it, that didn¡¯t help. No matter how much she traversed thebyrinth, got rid of the endlessly multiplying canned food, and let the flying whale sleep peacefully, ¡­what was shown on the screen looked very ominous. Especially the shape that looked quiterge even from a distance. If seen up close¡­ it must be really huge. ¡®What do you expect me to do with that¡­?¡¯ It was true that the slime girl enjoyed exploring and researching the unknown. But this wasn¡¯t that kind of exploration¡­ Isn¡¯t she just going to die¡­? Even while thinking that, the slime girl thought it was a bit upsetting that the facility she had worked hard to reim would be unusable. ¡®¡­Who do you think you are.¡¯ Needlessly burning with hostility, the slime girl heard the footsteps of the two returning. Since no emotion was felt in their footsteps, the slime girl calmly waited for the two to appear. Hoping for a good result. Not knowing that her jelly was trembling. Chapter 81: A Magic Spell Chapter 81: A Magic Spell Watching Kim Cheonsu and Han Seori wobble towards me, I was having anxious thoughts, but then my jelly started to bubble. Why is it bubbling, you ask? It¡¯s funny¡­ no, it¡¯s amusing. For one thing, Kim Cheonsu was hrious to anyone who saw him. Isn¡¯t he wobbling around in a big costume? Wasn¡¯t the word ¡°wobbling¡± invented for that appearance? Honestly, if a slightly younger kid did that, I would¡¯ve thought it was cute, but unfortunately, Kim Cheonsu is a full-grown adult male. I couldn¡¯t help butugh. Next to Kim Cheonsu, who was wobbling around in a reindeer costume, Han Seori was rubbing her arms with a Santa hat pulled down. Considering their hierarchical rtionship, their outfits really couldn¡¯t be more perfect.My jelly was bubbling as Iughed at them¡­ Seeing that the two people¡¯s faces weren¡¯t looking too good as they got closer, it stiffened up. Not stiff from being frozen in the cold, but stiff with tension. But it couldn¡¯t be helped. The fact that their expressions weren¡¯t good meant that the reason Han Seori had looked at me meaningfully would be revealed. And even if they didn¡¯t say it, I could guess what it was. It would be fighting that huge thing. Hmm. I don¡¯t know. At first, I thought they were out of their minds, but while warming up from the bonfire, I wondered if it might be possible. To be exact, it¡¯s not confidence that it¡¯s possible, but more like wondering if this might be an experience you can¡¯t have anywhere else. It would definitely be an experience you can¡¯t have anywhere else. Maybe the cold has gotten to me. Maybe it¡¯s better to fight after being warm rather than continuing to be exposed to this cold? In the meantime, the two people approached me and plopped down by the bonfire. The two, who were warming themselves with melted faces, slowly spoke as if telling me to listen. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be¡­ working, does it?¡± ¡°Unfortunately not.¡± ¡°Then this too¡­¡± As Kim Cheonsu muttered while sniffling, Han Seori nced at me and replied in a low voice. ¡°Let¡¯s watch a little longer, just in case. We still have some leeway¡­¡± ¡°Asking for support elsewhere¡­ would still be difficult, right?¡± ¡°Then there would be no reason foring all the way here¡­¡± ¡°Right¡­ yes.¡± At Han Seori¡¯s reply, Kim Cheonsu looked at me with aplicated expression and got up from his spot. ¡°Let¡¯s eat something first¡­ that will warm us up¡­¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Soon, Kim Cheonsu started preparing a meal. Han Seori took something out from inside her clothes and fiddled with it. I also sat next to them and observed what Kim Cheonsu was doing. You ask, why am I not helping? I didn¡¯t really feel the need to. To begin with, you have to be simr in size to help each other out. If there¡¯s this much of a height difference, I¡¯d only be a hindrance rather than a help. Isn¡¯t this why adults say that staying still is helping? Getting scolded for trying to help when I didn¡¯t need to wasn¡¯t my style. Then what about Han Seori? If I shift my gaze towards her fiddling with something, I can sense her feeling a little embarrassed. Right. She got kicked out yesterday for trying to help Kim Cheonsu with food. I thought the reason she was surprised to see me making ramen was because she couldn¡¯t cook herself. I didn¡¯t see exactly what happened to get her kicked out¡­ but considering that Kim Cheonsu, who seems to like Han Seori, chased her away¡­ I wonder if she¡¯s really bad at cooking. For a man to chase away a woman he likes¡­ Just how bad is she at cooking? I shifted my gaze to Han Seori. Then, I could clearly see her fiddling with something with an intelligent face. She looks like she¡¯d be good at anything¡­ but it seems there are unexpected things she¡¯s not good at, too. Come to think of it, there are times when she seems a bit¡­ silly. Well¡­ having this level of ws is what makes someone seem human, isn¡¯t it? If someone is too perfect, you can¡¯t feel affection for them. And the fact that Han Seori is bad at cooking makes me feel a little¡­ just a tiny bit good. This means that I¡¯m better at cooking than Han Seori, who was a doctor at that age. Somehow, my jelly shoulders feel like they¡¯re puffing up with pride. As I was feeling a bit smug, Kim Cheonsu, who had been making food behind me, casually put food down in front of me. I wonder if it includes portions for the other slimes, too, as the amount is quiterge. The guy who casually put down the food turns his body with an expression that says it wasn¡¯t made for you. Even if a man does that, it only feels bad¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ thank you. I want to help¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s really okay. Actually, cooking is my hobby.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I heard that men who cook are popr these days¡­ that¡¯s nice.¡± ¡°Is, is that so?¡± Hmm. Watching Kim Cheonsu grinning foolishly¡­ I felt kind of annoyed. I stopped thinking about how to prank him. No matter his intentions, he prepared food for me, so I shouldn¡¯t do such a mean thing. Just¡­ because I feel annoyed. Well¡­ if there was a reason, maybe it would be a different story. Before I knew it, the slimes, sensing it was mealtime, flocked around me. The other kids are fine, but that Sosik guy is only quick when ites to eating, which is irksome. Is it weird that I¡¯m feeling this way? Who knows. I can¡¯t really tell since there¡¯s no one topare to. Anyway. The food that Kim Cheonsu made, which I presume is a stew, was quite tasty. Since I didn¡¯t have any taste buds, I just shoved it into my body, and it was very vorful. I emptied the bowl while sharing with the jelly guys. Anyway. It seemed like today would pass without incident. I shouldn¡¯t have thought that. Didn¡¯t I already know that? Nothing will happen. When this war is over, I¡¯ll propose to her. I desperately hoped nothing would happen. The same thoughts. Honestly, thinking about what¡¯s happening now, it may not be a simple clich¨¦. Like how they say, there¡¯s no smoke without fire. Honestly, I don¡¯t like that expression, but once things turn out this way, I think it¡¯s only natural to think there¡¯s something there. ¡°Wh, where is the way to the control room?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± I saw Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu with nk faces in my field of vision. It seemed like they got lost after being suddenly chased out. On that cold night (probably night) when nothing seemed likely to happen¡­ The facility we were in started shaking heavily. *Rumble rumble rumble!* At the huge noise that seemed like an earthquake had urred, even I, who was lying down using Jungsik as a pillow, had no choice but to get up startled. Naturally, Kim Cheonsu and Han Seori also came stumbling out of the tent in a fluster. And at the same time, the two people came out of the tent¡­ Something appeared in the space we were in. And it didn¡¯t just appear. It appeared through the ceiling, left a hole in the floor, and disappeared. *Rumble rumble rumble!* The floor is shaking. Even a child could predict what was about to happen. ¡°Run, run! D-Don¡¯t scatter! That way!¡± We ran in the direction Han Seori pointed. Grabbing the arm of Sosik, who still hadn¡¯t grasped the situation, checking if the other jellies were following. After running like that for a while¡­ That unidentified thing suddenly fell silent. Only then could my group catch our breath. Maybe because there was a huge hole in the ceiling. The surroundings seemed to have gotten a bit colder. As if proving that, the breathing out of Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu¡¯s mouths is very thick. It almost looks like the steam will freeze and fall to the floor. I looked around, feeling concerned. Because I had thoroughly looked around each corner while retrieving the fan, the structure of this facility was still rtively clear in my head. But maybe because of that vibration earlier¡­ the surroundings were a huge mess. Rather than this ce being weak, it seems to be due to it being abandoned for a long time. Well, I¡¯m not too sure about the details. Since I¡¯m not the one who made this ce. First¡­ Han Seori said we need to go to the control room, right? After looking around, I roughly guessed the location of the control room. I approached Han Seori and tugged on her sleeve. ¡°Phew¡­ why so suddenly¡­ huh? What is it?¡± Han Seori, whose nose tip and cheeks have turned bright red, looks at me with a puzzled face. I silently (I can¡¯t talk anyway) pointed to the corridor leading to the control room. Then Han Seori eximed softly and muttered. ¡°Is this the way to the control room by any chance?¡± When I nodded my slightly stiffened jelly, both Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu got dumbfounded looks on their faces. ¡°As the Doctor said, she really might be a genius.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t believe that?¡± Ahem. Rather than praising me, wouldn¡¯t it be better to get to the control room quickly? Feeling a bit embarrassed, I tugged on the two people¡¯s sleeves and started walking. The jelly guys, especially Sosik, seemed to have realized that something had happened and were obediently following along. Seeing how they are good at getting food and stuff like that¡­ they doesn¡¯t seem tock survival instincts. *Rumble rumble.* Then¡­ A small vibration reverberated through the entire facility. It didn¡¯t seem to be heading this way, so sighs of relief could be heard from all directions. I saw the two people¡¯s faces turning pale and then red repeatedly. We seemed to need to hurry. The human body seems to be more fragile than I thought. I hoped we wouldn¡¯t run into that thing on the way- I stopped thinking. Doubting if Icked learning ability. Slowly heading to the control room¡­ Maybe because of the thought I just had¡­ I kept feeling uneasy. Chapter 82: I’m cool Chapter 82: I¡¯m cool Round and round. My knowledge pouch perked up and started spinning round and round like a helicopter propeller. Kim Cheonsu and Han Seori, who were following behind, looked at it as if they were seeing something amazing. Han Seori¡¯s eyes were sparkling a little, full of anticipation as if wondering what I was trying to show this time. Unfortunately¡­ I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s spinning round and round like this, either. I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s detecting attacking anomaly¡­ But why is it doing this? I just wanted to know roughly where the thing that attacked the room we were in earlier is. To say it¡¯s broken¡­ Since it was a part of me, there¡¯s probably another possibility. For example, the possibility that the thing that made a big hole in the ceiling is so huge that it can be detected in all directions.I think this might be it. If it¡¯s so huge that detecting it at close range is meaningless, that could be possible. Honestly, I can¡¯t really ask the knowledge pouch, ¡°Hey, do a good job.¡± So it¡¯s a bit frustrating. I wondered if this is how Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu felt about me. Meanwhile, Han Seori was still looking at me with a face that said, ¡°Hurry up and show me something.¡± At some point, Kim Cheonsu joined that lineup. Is this the pressure a genius receives from those around them? When they stared at me like that, I felt like I had to spin the knowledge pouch faster and fly into the sky. ¡­If I did that now, I would just stter jelly all over the ce. And, Expressing my dissatisfaction to the two of them¡­ didn¡¯t seem like a good idea. The condition of the two who had lost the bonfire was slowly but surely worsening. I could see their movements getting slower bit by bit, and the red tips of their noses and faces were gradually turning blue. ¡­I think we need to get to the control room as soon as possible and raise the temperature to be able to do anything. To preserve their lives at least. Daesik also seemed to be having a hard time moving. Judging from the fact that I¡¯m still fine, there doesn¡¯t seem to be a problem with Daesik itself, but the problem is with Alice, the doll Daesik is in. Seeing the doll¡¯s body stiffening, my heart aches. The only constion was that Jungsik and Sosik were still rtively okay. Then, I started to see a familiar door ahead. The door leading to the control room. Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu must have noticed it, too, as their faces visibly brightened. Now, they seemed to have lost interest in my knowledge pouch spinning round and round. Earlier, I felt burdened, but now that they have lost interest again, my feelings are strangely mixed. ¡­What do they want me to do? Anyway, It won¡¯t solve the problem, but for now, being able to keep the two alive is very¡­ The floor shakes. Along with the *koo-goo-goo-goo* sound, The knowledge pouch that was spinning round and round started spinning a little more intensely. It felt different from when it appeared from the ceiling. This time, it¡¯s not the ceiling¡­ but the floor. Of all ces, it appeared right in front of the control room. Soon, Han Seori, feeling the vibration, muttered with a stiff face, ¡°It would be big trouble if it rushes into the control room¡­ What on earth is it chasing toe all the way here?¡± ¡°Not knowing is the problem¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± There¡¯s no way I could know what the two of them didn¡¯t. I wanted to chime in on that conversation, but it was impossible for now. Feeling the growing vibration, I fell into thought for a moment. Why is that thinging here? Reflecting on the two¡¯s conversation so far¡­ it seemed like an anomaly that was originally near here. Maybe it couldn¡¯te here because of that fan. What could be the reason for such a being to suddenly rush in¡­ There wasn¡¯t much time to ponder. The sound getting louder and louder meant that the anomaly would soon reach this ce. ¡°¡­Unfortunately, let¡¯s back off for a bit. Now that we have a general idea of its location, it won¡¯t be hard to find it again. If we stay here and the control room gets destroyed¡­¡± Han Seori trailed off, but both Kim Cheonsu and I knew what she was going to say next. Of course, I¡¯ll¡­ probably be fine, but I don¡¯t want the two of them to suffer that fate. Soon, with Han Seori leading the way, we started moving away from the control room. *Koo-goo-goo-goo!* Not long after, Along with a vibration that made it hard to even stand on the floor, The intact floor rose up like a volcano. ¡°Eek!¡± ¡°Urk¡­¡± From the cracked floor, something huge leaped out. The thing that broke the floor disappeared somewhere, breaking through the ceiling with a loud noise. I didn¡¯t realize it when we were running away from the bonfire earlier, But the body of the thing disappearing into the ceiling was very long. I could see why it went through the floor and out the ceiling. Is it because its body is too long and thick to do what it wants even if it wants to? And one more thing, The body of the being, which I only thought to be a living creature¡­ was literally hard. It didn¡¯t seem to be made of flesh and blood. I couldn¡¯t tell exactly because it disappeared so quickly, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a living creature. So¡­ it felt like a giant mechanical snake? I don¡¯t believe what I¡¯m saying either. Seeing such a thing was still amazing and exciting, ¡­But being surprised by the fact that such a thing exists¡­ Anyway, Finally, The ce where the thing broke through the floor was not next to Han Seori, Kim Cheonsu, or slimes. It was next to me. My jelly that couldn¡¯t dodge in time was sharply sliced off, but this level of injury is nothing to me. Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu ran over with pale faces, though. ¡°I, I¡¯m¡­ Ah, I see.¡± ¡°¡­Worrying was a waste, it seems.¡± Even if you¡¯re relieved, do you have to say it like that? Regardless of feeling slighted, it seemed clear what that steel snake was after. It seemed to be targeting me. Seriously. Now that I have this body, my poprity is at its peak¡­ I don¡¯t really want this kind of attention. Grumbling to myself, I took in Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu with my eyes. They had turned so blue that the word ¡°blue¡± was now fitting. In this situation where we don¡¯t know when the steel snake wille, how much longer can the two who came all the way here without being able to go to the control roomst? They probably won¡¯tst very long. Having finished thinking, I put Jungsik on Kim Cheonsu¡¯s head, Daesik in Han Seori¡¯s arms, and Sosik on her back. I pointed in the direction of the control room. ¡°¡­You¡¯re going to be the bait?¡± When I silently nodded my jelly, Han Seori sighed but didn¡¯t add anything. She was going to ask me to take care of it anyway¡­ So, nothing really changes. Still, the two¡¯s expressions don¡¯t look very good. But, As if they thought there was no other way, the two silently nodded and moved their feet towards the control room. Before that thinges. ¡°We¡¯lle to your aid as soon as we get the facility up and running!¡± With those words, watching the two slowly move away, my jelly wobbles. I didn¡¯t particrly feel like a hero, But honestly, Isn¡¯t this¡­ kind of cool? Maybe¡­ this action came from the confidence that I probably won¡¯t die. Well¡­ at least I¡¯m taking action, right? Smirking with my jelly, I picked up a metal pipe that had fallen nearby to draw the steel snake¡¯s aggro. *ng! ng!* I moved my feet in the opposite direction of the control room, banging here and there. Steel snake or whatever,e at me! I feel a groundless surge of confidence for some reason. And as if reacting to that, *Koo-goo-goo¡­* This time, the ceiling started to vibrate. [Amid heightening military tensions, the Ministry of National Defense has strongly retaliated against artillery provocations¡­] Inside a gukbap restaurant somewhere in Seoul, A man, eating gukbap, clicked his tongue upon hearing the announcer¡¯s voice on the TV. ¡°Those North Korean bastards were quiet. Why are they doing that all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Who knows, maybe they ran out of rice¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the first or second time, seriously.¡± The TV was talking about a loud sound that hade from the border area a few hours ago. Various stories circted, but in the end, it seemed that they had fired something from that ce in the north. In the gukbap restaurant filled withmotion rather than chaos at the story that now felt like everyday life, the man pouring kkakdugi soup into his gukbap chuckled and muttered, ¡°They say they fired artillery, and here we are, eating gukbap.¡± ¡°It¡¯s tough for the kids serving at the front lines rather than us.¡± ¡°True¡­ I hope nothing serious happened.¡± As the two men buried their faces in their bowls, the TV briefly showed footage of something exploding but soon moved on to the next news. The people sitting in the gukbap restaurant each made a remark, but they didn¡¯t seem to question the situation. So¡­ Seoul was safe again today. ¡­At least for them, that is. Chapter 83: Seeds Chapter 83: Seeds Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu moved their bodies, that felt like they were going to freeze, listening to the sounding from a considerable distance. The faces of the two didn¡¯t look very good for various reasons. The cold, which could only be called severe, made their bodies sluggish. And on top of that. ¡®¡­I never thought I¡¯d receive help in this way.¡¯ Han Seori recalled the appearance of 7496-KR from a little while ago. Entrusting them with the derivative entities with a solemn look (but still cute). The gesture telling them to go to the control room. Seeing that, Han Seori felt veryplicated emotions.As she thought, the fact that 7496-KR was very smart¡­ even in that situation, it made Han Seori happy. But¡­ receiving help from 7496-KR in this way was something she hadn¡¯t anticipated, so it was surreal. Of course, if they hadn¡¯t been attacked like this, 7496-KR would have been deployed eventually, but¡­ That and the current situation¡­ felt very different. So much so that she felt a bit of self-loathing for having such thoughts. At that, Han Seori shook her head violently. She used 7496-KR in this way was to reduce human casualties¡­ and to prevent 7496-KR from falling into the hands of dangerous individuals. It was something that couldn¡¯t be helped. That¡¯s definitely how it should have been. Han Seori felt a strange sensation as she felt the wriggling of the doll nestled in her arms and the tiny slime girl stuck to her back. That strange sensation was directed at 7496-KR, who was gesturing for her and Kim Cheonsu to go to the control room. ¡®¡­Is it really okay to do this?¡¯ Han Seori felt a peculiar guilt. Even though it¡¯s to reduce human sacrifices, is it really okay to do this? 7496-KR is risking her life¡­ to protect us? ¡®I¡¯m not agreeing with the ideas of those Twilight-whatever¡­¡¯ It was absurd to say she was agreeing since those bastards were using anomalies the same way anyway. She knew she shouldn¡¯t be having these thoughts. It was one of the most important rules. The Red Rule. It is about how those enthralled by anomalies don¡¯t have good endings. Han Seori realized anew. It was a rule based on human interests, after all. The thought that it was natural immediately rushed in, but that tiny seed seemed to be nted deep inside her heart. Without her knowing. No one knew how that seed would grow. It seemed most likely that it would just rot away and disappear. But perhaps. It could be a sapling that blooms different thoughts. Soon, the seed of that thought was buried without a trace. More importantly for her right now. It was important not to waste the time 7496-KR had bought. Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu, moving their stiffening bodies, soon reached the control room, opened the door, and went inside. Thanks to 7496-KR, the condition of the control room was very good. Han Seori quickly approached the control panel to activate the facility. She moved her hands swiftly, but¡­ Perhaps because something so huge had moved, it was impossible to operate the facility immediately. Han Seori, operating the panel, sighed. Frozen breath poured out from her pretty mouth. ¡°We¡¯ll need to check the maniptors.¡± ¡°Are there many issues?¡± Kim Cheonsu made a dizzy expression and trembled. It was unclear whether his trembling was due to the cold or because they couldn¡¯t operate it right away. Feeling simr emotions, Han Seori put red dots on the tiny screen and spoke. ¡°No¡­ we were lucky. There¡¯s not as much to restore as I thought.¡± ¡°Can we call this lucky?¡± ¡°¡­Stop saying that and move quickly if you¡¯ve checked. Turn on the transmitter andmunication device. If you don¡¯t intend to waste the time 7496-KR has bought for us.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kim Cheonsu took out the things he had carefully kept in his arms and turned them on one by one. Meanwhile, Jungsik, who had been wobbling above his head, floated up lightly. Kim Cheonsu licked his lips, feeling the coolness on his head. ¡®¡­It was warmer than I thought.¡¯ However, since it was a miracle that it had stayed still all this time, Kim Cheonsu felt regret but didn¡¯t reach out to Jungsik. He didn¡¯t want to purposely touch it and get hit by a headbutt. Then. Daesik (Alice), who hade down from Han Seori¡¯s arms, scurried over to Kim Cheonsu. Daesik, who had approached his feet, tapped Kim Cheonsu¡¯s leg. He lowered his head at the sensation on his leg while putting on themunication equipment, and Daesik raised his arms up high. ¡°¡­?¡± Making a face that he didn¡¯t understand, he felt a dumbfounded feeling and lifted Daesik. Soon, Daesik, who hadnded on Kim Cheonsu¡¯s shoulder, climbed up his face andy his stomach on top of Kim Cheonsu¡¯s head. Daesik then pped, signaling to go quickly. *Chuckle* Seeing that, Han Seoriughed, and Kim Cheonsu felt his face getting hot. He tried to put Daesik down, but Han Seori stopped him. ¡°It might be of help, you know? Disassembling the fans also¡­ seemed to be Entity 1 and 2 doing.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ I understand.¡± The moment that made them feel warmth for a brief time despite the urgent situation quickly disappeared, so the two returned to serious expressions. Soon, Kim Cheonsu left the control room to restore the facility. Han Seori continued to operate the panel to assist him. Behind her, who was doing so, there was one gaze staring intently. It was Sosik, whom Han Seori had forgotten to remove. Sosik, receiving the light from the screen and panel. Quietly made his skin sparkle. I made up my mind to face it, but the sense of being at a loss didn¡¯t change. *Kugugugugu* I can clearly feel it approaching me, but¡­ that¡¯s about it. Suddenly, the ground shook and began to crack as if a cookie was crumbling. With a *poof!* sound, the ground split open, and sharp fragments flew in all directions. Once again, a huge hole was created in the ground. Narrowly avoiding it, I tasted the fragments that had entered my body and ruminated on the anomaly appearance that I had caught a glimpse of in that fleeting moment. First, the ¡®beginning¡¯ part of the thing that popped out from the ground¡­ seemed to fit the description of a vacuum cleaner rather than a snake. ¡­Of course, vacuum cleaners don¡¯t have sharp things that look like they¡¯ll tear anything apart. Other than that, the rest was simr to a snake. Moving parts seemed to be divided into segments. Except that it was all made of a material like hard steel. Then, the thought urred to me that if I hung onto the separated segments, I might be able to ride on that thing. But. ¡­What¡¯s the point of riding it? Honestly, even if I hang on, won¡¯t my body just get shredded? I don¡¯t think so. Looking at my regenerating body these days, it feels like it might endure that, too, but why should I purposely hang on to it if there¡¯s no reason? Hmm. If I hang on to it, I might see a breakthrough. ¡­Like when I went into the whale¡¯s mouth. Then, to find a way to enter its insides, hanging onto its body seems to be the best method. Of course, if I wait where it pops out, I¡¯ll naturally go inside its body, but. Thinking about my body that had been cut off¡­ that didn¡¯t seem like a very good idea. Ignoring the path that looks rtively safe and jumping off a cliff¡­ isn¡¯t that the idea of a crazy person? ¡­If there¡¯s no way, even after hanging onto its body, I¡¯ll have to jump into its mouth, but I don¡¯t want to do that right now. No matter how much I regenerate, the feeling of my body being cut off isn¡¯t very pleasant. Anyway. As if understanding my thoughts. *Kugugugugu¡­* I could feel its presence approaching me. Now that I think about it¡­ It seems to be targeting me¡­ but why is it targeting me? What did I do wrong? I was just guessing about the whale¡­ but didn¡¯t it have some intended aim, even if it was unreasonable? It may sound like nonsense, but. Since the dead thing won¡¯t answer me, this is now the official theory. Then why is that steel snake targeting me? Since it¡¯s a machine¡­ I don¡¯t think it particrly wants me to kill it. Right? Too human-centric¡­ ah, I¡¯m not human anymore. Anyway, it might be too anthropocentric of a thought. That thing is also probably an anomaly¡­ it won¡¯t be an ordinary machine, will it? In the first ce, if such a machine had been developed¡­ it would be more frightening that we knew nothing about it. So, it must be an anomaly. ¡­Then say something. It¡¯s so frustrating, really. This must be how Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu felt about me. I understood why they tried so desperately to teach me writing. *Kwa-kwa-kwa!* While I sympathize with the two, I feel the vibration getting stronger. Thinking about it, it seemed there was no need to make a new hole, so I wobbled near the hole it had punctured. It was a really huge hole. It was so ridiculouslyrge that I would have to stretch out a lot to reach the other side. What could be inside that absurdly huge snake? A curiosity that I hadn¡¯t felt before sprouted vigorously. This must all be thanks to changing my mindset. Momentster, with fragments pouring down slightly to the side of the punctured ceiling, it appeared. I quickly liquefied my body and evaded it while eating the fragments. Then I reached out to the wriggling steel and stuck tightly to its body. My first impression of being stuck to something big and hard was. ¡­Will this facility be intact after this is over? It was an ominous thought. Chapter 84: Made of steel Chapter 84: Made of steel It¡¯s more thrilling than any rollercoaster I¡¯ve ridden in my life¡­ no, can you even call this thrilling? If I had ridden it with a human body, I would have turned into minced meat before I could feel the thrill, so it seemed more urate to say I felt terror rather than thrill. Well¡­ in reality, these two emotions are simr, but let¡¯s put that aside for now. The point is that I am currently facing such an extreme situation. To be honest, I ambitiously clung on, but¡­ I have no idea what to do. Rocks or whatever kept plunging into my body, and all I could see was intense darkness. When I could asionally glimpse the inside of the facility, I could make out my surroundings, but otherwise, it really felt like being buried alive. Of course, if you¡¯re buried alive, you wouldn¡¯t feel¡­ like you¡¯re riding an amusement park ride. That being said.¡­It wasn¡¯t particrly enjoyable. Because every time I emerged from a hole, I saw the facility being horribly destroyed. I was worried it might really copse or be irreparable at this rate. I can still do something in this situation¡­ Han Seori definitely said she would help¡­ but it seemed she still hadn¡¯t reached the control room yet. If not that. The facility might be wrecked, and they might be unable to do anything. Because the facility was being destroyed so terribly, the phrase ¡°smashed to pieces¡± naturally came to mind. ¡­So what will happen from now on? I¡¯ll probably survive somehow, but¡­ If they don¡¯t normalize the temperature right away, the two of them will die by freezing faster than by falling victim to this berserk steel snake. I really didn¡¯t want that to happen. So. I thought I should do something before it wreaks more havoc. I made my body even stickier and adhered to its solid body, moving forward. Even though I stuck my body close, the earthy taste entering my body was the same, but I could move somehow. Before long. I could reach the joint where its body connected. I clearly felt its body, which was mostly solid with a joint-like part in the center, wobbling. If I cut that off¡­ won¡¯t it self-destruct? Perhaps it will lose the propulsion to move and stop. Honestly, it was too difficult to predict what would happen. It¡¯s true that when I had a human body, I loved adventures and wandered in search of mysteries. But actually, I was able to see such things after I became a slime. In the first ce, the things I encountered as a human were either understandable withinmon sense. ¡­Or very absurd nonsense. Since I can¡¯t even figure out how this moves, predicting what will happen if I cut it is¡­ like rolling a polyhedral die and guessing the number. Moreover, it¡¯s a die with things other than numbers engraved on it. The worst. But it will be better than doing nothing. I, who reached the joint of the steel snake¡¯s body with my sticky body, crawled in and found the protruding part. Still looking at the knowledge pouch spinning above my head. I covered it with my body. I n to melt and eat it, starting from there. From the outside, it wasn¡¯t easy to find such a part, but the space between the joints was rtively cozy, so it was possible. Of course, it¡¯s only cozypared to the outside. If a human entered here, they would likely spill unpleasant fluids here and there. Anyway. Meanwhile, I felt the protruding part that entered my body slowly melting. It has a slightly disgusting taste, like sucking on iron. It also tasted like licking blood from a burst lip. Something tingling¡­ it feels like eating food with Sichuan peppercorns. ¡­It feels like that, but it¡¯s iparably disgusting. This isn¡¯t something you should pay to eat. It seems like you wouldn¡¯t be satisfied even if you were paid to eat it. The fact that I could taste it was a joyful thing in itself, so I endured it like a child eating something they don¡¯t like and melted it with difficulty. After a while. It wasn¡¯t just my imagination. I felt its movement slow down a little. Meanwhile, my body melted a considerable amount of its joint. *nk.* With that sound, the body I was gnawing at stopped inside the facility. Fortunately, as if the facility had been sessfully restored, a bright light came into the corridor that had been thickly covered in darkness. ¡­Although it was sporadic and sparks were flying due to the damage. It was restored anyway, so I felt relieved in a corner of my heart. Separately from that, thanks to the light, I could clearly see what happened to its body. Perhaps because I nibbled at it little by little, its steel body was in a dangling state. ¡­It didn¡¯t feel like I was exaggerating much, but that expression fit perfectly. The mechanical device that seemed to connect steel to steel was exposed, and where I had eaten away looked slightly tilted, as if it would break off with a little more effort. Perhaps because of that, it also stopped moving. As if the facility was operating, I felt warm air touch my body. Then my jelly bubbled. ¡­What? It¡¯s¡­ easier than I thought? I felt triumphant and focused more on melting its body with a grin. At that moment¡­ *Click, click¡­ ck.* I heard an ominous noise from inside its body. Feeling a creepy sensation, I immediately rolled my body. I saw something like aser being fired at the spot where I had been. Soon, the steel hit by theser melted with a sizzling sound¡­ as if grilling meat. Drops of molten metal falling showed how powerful theser was. They say small chili peppers are spicy, but aser that was barely a dot was that strong. ¡­Thinking that I almost turned into a bubbling slime soup, I didn¡¯t feel very good. *Whirring.* Another ominous sound is heard. I, who was standing tall enough for a gap to open, quickly lowered my posture. Then, theser grazed the knowledge pouch and shed through it with a *sizzle*. The knowledge pouch grazed by theser bubbled and *pop!* burst. Feeling my jelly shudder, I moved my body. The knowledge pouch soon sprouted again, but I thought it was dangerous to keep staying here. But wait. What the heck is firing these vicioussers? Is it trying to self-destruct? I, who fled in a fluster to avoid theser, clung to the dangling exterior of the steel snake. Once I went outside, theser didn¡¯t seem to follow me. I, who let out a sigh of relief in bubbles, slyly raised my gaze and looked at the inside of the joint. And there¡­ I saw a robot floating around that looked like it would appear in anime or games. A drone¡­ that looked like what you wouldmonly call a future design. It seemed to be looking around, turning its camera here and there. When it thought I had disappeared, it made a strange sound. Not long after, a few drones that looked simr but slightly different from it flew in from the inside of the steel snake¡¯s body. As I nkly watched, the drones began repairing the steel snake¡¯s damaged joint. Unlike theser that had been aimed at me earlier, they fired a weakser to attach the loose parts, and some drones suddenly disassembled and became parts to restore the steel snake. ¡­I absentmindedly watched it while bubbling my slime, as it seemed to embody a man¡¯s fantasy. Then, I suddenly came to my senses. I thought this wasn¡¯t the time to be doing this. It was obvious even to a kindergartener - once they finished repairing, the steel snake would move again. But. ¡­What should I do? I made the decision, but I didn¡¯t know what to do. Should I break all those drones first? The one that fires a strongser is a bit¡­ scary, but if I get close enough, I think I can somehow manage. Since it has a form that¡¯s easy to melt and eat¡­ if I get close enough, I think I can devour it. As I nced at them, plotting the optimal route in my mind. Can you hear me? Suddenly, I heard Han Seori¡¯s voice. Feeling dazed, I nodded my jelly, and Han Seori chuckled and spoke softly. I don''t know how you did it, but thanks to you stopping it, I was able to gather a lot of information in my own way. That¡¯s Han Seori for you! Then I can just jump down from here now, right? As I prepared to fall into the facility while reducing my stickiness. Han Seori¡¯s voice, like a bolt from the blue, reached my jelly. Arger signal than the ones near you is being detected from the inside. So... I''m sorry to say this, but it seems you''ll have to go inside and... take care of it. My hands be sticky again. It was to stick to the steel snake again, but. ¡­It might be liquid that flowed out instead of tears. Yeah. In the end, ites to this. Soon, Cheonsu will arrive to help you get in. Oh. That¡¯s¡­ very reassuring¡­ maybe? As I made bubbling, that sounded like a sigh. Behind me, from the corner of the visible facility. I saw Kim Cheonsu running towards me, drenched in sweat. On his head, Alice (Daesik) is clinging, gesturing as if shouting, ¡°Charge! Charge!¡± And in Kim Cheonsu¡¯s hand. He was holding something like a bomb. Uh. Wait a minute. You¡¯re not going to throw that now, are you? They say an unfortunate premonition is never wrong. ¡°This is killing me, really!¡± Along with Kim Cheonsu¡¯s scream, which sounded like it was squeezed out of him. The bomb-like thing in his hand flew towards me, drawing an arc while spinning. As expected, he is a stupid man! Chapter 85: Two-legged Rudolf and Jelly Santa Chapter 85: Two-legged Rudolf and Jelly Santa As Kim Cheonsu waddled and wobbled his way to the destination, he let out a deep sigh as soon as he arrived. ¡°¡­This is crazy.¡± As he had guessed from the word ¡®restoration,¡¯ the restoration point Han Seori had indicated was inplete shambles, a sight that rendered him speechless. Not only was it dark, but the exposed innards of the facility made it seem daunting to even know where to start the repairs. Feeling overwhelmed, Kim Cheonsu gritted his teeth and spoke. ¡°Is it really possible to restore this¡­?¡± Is it that bad? ¡°It¡¯s dark, so I can¡¯t see well¡­ But honestly, I don¡¯t have much confidence.¡± Still, we have to do it. If we don''t... we''ll freeze to death here together.¡­That might not be so bad either. No, what am I thinking? He pulled himself together, thinking the cold must have weakened his body and mind. ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± Please do. I''ll also try to do what I can from here. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± As he replied, Kim Cheonsu chuckled. Because despite sounding crazy in this situation, it didn¡¯t seem so bad, he thought. Though he suspected the cold might have temporarily made him lose his mind, the squirming sensation on top of his head seemed to indicate he was still alright. He sniffled and shone his shlight on the things that needed repair. ¡°This is disconnected¡­ and connected to here is¡­ Ah.¡± In the midst of it, Kim Cheonsu found himself in a very troubling situation. He noticed parts that should have been in ce had been scattered here and there from the impact. It was actually to be expected so that much was fine. ¡°This is driving me crazy.¡± As the white breath from his mouth dissipated, a part that had fallen through a cracked gap glinted under the shlight. Though the gap was quite wide, it was far too narrow for Kim Cheonsu to enter, leaving him at a loss. Time was tight to go back and get tools, so he had to use whatever was around. But no suitable tools were in sight. Should he try stretching his arm to the max? As he mulled it over, he felt a tapping sensation on his head and reached his hand up. Soon, Daesik (Alice) was dangling by Kim Cheonsu¡¯s grip. Come to think of it, he had this little one. ¡®¡­Is it possible?¡¯ Staring nkly at the doll dressed in a Santa outfit, Kim Cheonsu found it ridiculous even in his own mind, but still, ¡°¡­What should I call you? Specimen 1¡­ Mr.? Ms.? Uh¡­ Jelly doll? I don¡¯t know. Hey, Jelly doll.¡± Left with no choice, Kim Cheonsu called out to Daesik (Alice) in a slightly friendly voice. ¡®To think I¡¯d be talking to a doll at this age.¡¯ No, well, strictly speaking, it¡¯s not a doll, but¡­ Even so, Kim Cheonsu felt his face growing hot. Maybe he should thank it for raising his body temperature. Anyhow, At Kim Cheonsu¡¯s voice, Daesik nodded its head as if understanding, its blonde hair peeking out. ¡®¡­Does this kid understand, too?¡¯ It feels a bit¡­ strange. But it was toote to feel weird about it now, so he pointed to the cracked gap and spoke in a serious voice. ¡°Hey, Jelly doll. See that shiny thing inside the gap? I¡¯d really appreciate it if you could get that for me¡­ Can you do it?¡± This isn¡¯t a doll. It¡¯s an anomaly. This isn¡¯t a doll. It¡¯s an anomaly. I¡¯m not crazy, talking to a doll. Kim Cheonsu looked at Daesik(Alice), feeling awkward. As if sensing Kim Cheonsu¡¯s earnestness, Daesik pped its body while nodding its head. Its fluttering motions resembled a red moth, making Kim Cheonsu chuckle, but he realized it was a gesture asking to be put down. ¡°I, I¡¯ll put you down now.¡± Kim Cheonsu hurriedly ced Daesik in the gap and watched it with an anxious face. As if telling him to just trust it, Daesik wriggled assertively and entered the cracked gap. ¡®¡­Looks like it understands after all.¡¯ Then¡­ nothing to do but trust it. Having sent Daesik off, Kim Cheonsu began repairing the parts that didn¡¯t need thatponent. Perhaps because it was more of an ident than intentional damage, The restoration was much easier than it looked. *Phew¡­* Concentrating and moving his body, his frozen limbs gradually warmed up. Rudolf Kim Cheonsu, who wiped the sweat beading on his forehead, lowered his head at the sensation of someone tapping his foot. ¡°Oh?¡± There stood Daesik, who had sessfully retrieved the part, tapping Kim Cheonsu¡¯s ankle with it. Unable to speak, it seemed to be doing that. ¡®¡­But why the ankle?¡¯ The reason was a mystery, but Kim Cheonsu lifted Daesik up with a delighted expression. ¡°You¡¯re really amazing, huh?¡± At Kim Cheonsu¡¯s praise, Daesik squirmed its doll body as if overjoyed. Seeing that, Kim Cheonsu smiled like a proud father and took the part. ¡°Great, thanks to you, I can finish the repairs. Hey, could you hold this for a bit¡­?¡± How about this time? Riding on the shoulder of Rudolf Kim Cheonsu, Santa Daesik held the shlight with its tiny hand. When Kim Cheonsu pointed somewhere, it shone the light in that direction. ¡°¡­You are smarter than I thought.¡± Muttering that, Kim Cheonsu proceeded with the repair work using the part Daesik brought. In the midst of it, Han Seori¡¯s voice came through his ear. How is it? Think you can manage? Kim Cheonsu replied with a faint smile. ¡°Yes. It was a good idea to bring¡­ Jelly doll.¡± See? I told you I might be helpful. By the way, Jelly doll... What a cute name. Hehe.... Perhaps fixated on the term ¡®Jelly doll,¡¯ Han Seori giggled softly. Feeling embarrassed for some reason, Kim Cheonsu fumbled his words. ¡°Ah, no, that¡¯s¡­ If I call it Specimen 2¡­ it feels a bit¡­ impersonal, doesn¡¯t it.¡± I didn''t say anything, though? Anyway, please hurry. ¡°Yes.¡± Sighing, Kim Cheonsu nced at Daesik, who was sitting on his shoulder before resuming his work. Eventually, having finished repairing thest point, Kim Cheonsu felt a sense of relief lighter than before as he took a step. There were still quite a few points left to restore, after all. It was only natural for his pace to quicken upon hearing the noiseing from far away. How much time has passed like that? ¡°This is thest one!¡± I confirmed the connection. Good work, Mr. Cheonsu. Having finished repairing the final point, Kim Cheonsu shared the joy ofpleting the task with Daesik on his shoulder. Daesik also seemed to feel a sense of reward, pping its doll hands together in delight. Soon after, *Whoosh!* Along with the sound of something starting up, *Pop! Pop! Pop!* Light began to fill the previously dark corridor. It was a sight that seemed almost like salvation descending, making Kim Cheonsu stare nkly for a moment. Soon, warm air blew in, prompting Kim Cheonsu to take off the deer costume he was wearing. It was time for Rudolf Kim Cheonsu to return to being human Kim Cheonsu. However, the jelly doll on his shoulder seemed a bit reluctant, making him briefly wonder if he should keep wearing it. But, ¡­As the temperature rose, he was drenched in sweat, leaving Kim Cheonsu with no choice but to obediently take off the deer costume. As the sweat-drenched Kim Cheonsu was taking off the costume, Mr. Cheonsu! Could you take the bomb from D-15 and go to G-7? I think __7496-KR__ needs help! ¡°Pardon?¡± Hurry! We don''t have much time! ¡°Ah, no, I mean, yes. On my way!¡± Just as they say, misfortunes nevere alone, Kim Cheonsu held back tears and picked up the bomb Han Seori mentioned from D-15, the storage room. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ An EMP bomb, isn¡¯t it? Why this all of a sudden? Recalling the steel behemoth, he tilted his head and started running with Daesik. Having taken off the doll clothes, running was easier, but the question remained. He couldn¡¯t imagine this small EMP bomb being able to stop that huge thing. ¡®¡­The doctor must have a reason for ordering it.¡¯ Thinking that doubting would get him nowhere, Kim Cheonsu didn¡¯t harbor suspicions. As he ran diligently, a thought suddenly urred to him. Come to think of it, calling her 7496-KR¡­ really does feel impersonal. He nced at Daesik on his shoulder. ¡®When Dr. Han said a name was necessary, I didn¡¯t think much of it then.¡¯ ¡­Maybe a name is needed after all. Anyway, resolving the current situationes first. However, Kim Cheonsu¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t very bright as he headed to the location Han Seori specified. Through the corridor, the things that needed fixing appeared like a mountain before his eyes. An excessivelyrge facility for two humans, one anomaly, and three derivatives to use. ¡­In other words, The amount of repairs needed to handle was just¡­ too much. Even if that monster was dealt with, Could this ce¡­ be used again? Kim Cheonsu was genuinely worried about that. It definitely wasn¡¯t because he was overwhelmed at the thought of having to repair everything himself. Sometimeter, Before the eyes of Kim Cheonsu and Daesik, who arrived at the point Han Seori mentioned, A huge machine could be seen stopped in its tracks. The machine, as if caught between the ceiling and floor, was stopped with its connected parts dangling. And on the outside of that machine, A blue, jelly-like substance dangling from the metal could be seen. With antennae spinning around where a hat should have been, the being was most likely 7496-KR ¡®¡­What¡¯s she doing there?¡¯ While Kim Cheonsu was wondering, Throw that at the dangling part over there! ¡°Uh¡­ I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work.¡± Are you going to keep being a wimp? ¡°¡­Fine, I¡¯ll give it a shot.¡± Kim Cheonsu ran with all his might and used the momentum to throw the bomb in his hand with full force. At the same time, Daesik fell from his shoulder to the floor, The bomb, with its switch pressed, left Kim Cheonsu¡¯s hand and flew in an arc. Startled, Kim Cheonsu picked up Daesik and patted its body to dust it off. In his sight, 7496-KR could be seen frantically trying to avoid the bomb. ¡­To what extent should such mistakes be forgiven? More importantly, ¡®Did she instinctively realize that thing is dangerous?¡¯ Or, ¡­Did she see it on a movie channel or something? Who knows. As Kim Cheonsu was dusting off Daesik, Along with the sound of gunpowder exploding, a slightly brutal *kiiing!* rang in his ears. Getting hit by that up close would probably hurt, too. Will she be okay¡­? Kim Cheonsu felt needlessly worried. I didn¡¯t want to know what it felt like to be electrocuted. But maybe I should be grateful to still be alive. The thing Kim Cheonsu threw apparently wasn¡¯t the kind of bomb I had imagined. Seeing as I¡¯m still alive and well. Instead, my body feels tingly¡­ but bearable. Shivering, I looked at Daesik and Kim Cheonsu standing nkly outside, then went back inside the seam. The voice of Han Seori, which had been activelying through until a moment ago, can no longer be heard. And, The fellows who had been diligently repairing were now all copsed on the floor like¡­ bugs sprayed with pesticide. Among them, I put the one that had been shooting threateningsers inside my body¡­ Feeling a slightly tingling metallic taste¡­ I went inside. Inside the body of the steel snake. There was no stomach acid, so it was easy to move. Chapter 86: The Core Chapter 86: The Core I should havee without eating it. With each *squish squish* of my footsteps, something not yet fully dissolved, which I presumed to be a drone, sloshed around inside my body. It¡¯s not that it won¡¯t dissolve, but the dissolving speed is slow¡­ The foreign feeling is no joke. But I think it couldn¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s not like I swallowed it out of spite for shooting aser at me. I couldn¡¯t tell what had happened. It¡¯s just that the drones exposed to something like a bomb Kim Cheonsu detonated didn¡¯tpletely stop but wriggled intermittently. So¡­ It would have been troublesome if I had left them alone, and they suddenly got up and chased me, shootingsers. It was for my own safety, so it really couldn¡¯t be helped.¡­But having something slosh around inside me was quite unpleasant It would be fine if it was lighter, but it seems heavy because it¡¯s made of metal. No matter how much food I put in, it never sloshed around like this. Anyway. Feeling the taste of the metal melting inside my body, I calmly entered the steel serpent¡¯s body. This is the second time I¡¯ve been inside something this huge. But the impression waspletely different. When I was swallowed by the giant sky-swimming whale, I felt this strange feeling of being captured by a living creature. But now¡­ Well. Maybe it¡¯s because I came in of my own volition, but rather than feeling like I entered a body, it felt more like entering a building. In fact, even putting that aside¡­ The ce I¡¯mboriously moving through right now was barren. It is too barren to be called the inside of a living organism. Filled with parts of unknown function, the interior of the steel serpent definitely had a stronger appearance of a mechanical device rather than a creature¡¯s insides. And then, hearing the *click-ck* of mechanical devices interlocking, it also felt like an animal¡¯s cries or movements. It certainly seems to be an entity that¡¯s hard to understand. Why did something like this charge at me to eat me? Was it really trying to eat me in the first ce? I don¡¯t know. Well, it should at least say something as it charges at me. Who knows. Maybe I¡¯ll have to learn aputernguage to talk to this thing. Imagining a conversation with a machine in my head, there¡¯s nothing but *beep beep* or 0¡¯s and 1¡¯s, so my imagination is bing impoverished. With such thoughts, I wonder how far I¡¯vee. As I slowly progressed on the cold metal chunks. I felt the atmosphere around me had somehow changed. There was no change in what I could see right now¡­ But I sensed it had changed perceptually. Unable to exin that strange sensation in words, my jelly trembled. The body that had been sloshing until now had quieted down. And in my sight. I saw something floating far away. I don¡¯t know what it is, but it gives off a strong impression of being important just by looking at it. I¡¯m not sure what it is, but I get the feeling it¡¯s simr to the precious thing floating around inside my body. Without Han Seori¡¯s guidance and with my knowledge pouch spinning round and round, I had properly found my way to where I needed to be. Sensing my jelly puff up with pride, I observed that floating thing for a moment. The object suspended in the air was spherical in shape, like the one inside me. asionally emitting a small sound and faint light¡­ It gave the impression of being busy with something. In fact, there was a high possibility it was actually doing something. If that¡¯s the core that moves the steel serpent¡­ Now that the steel serpent¡¯s body has been severed. Its task would be obvious. Well, this isn¡¯t certain either. In the meantime, it floated around busily and then bounced up and down as if angry. Watching its quick movements, it seemed that if I swallowed it into my body, it would be like facing a situation where a pitch-ck monster bursts out of my stomach. With blue jelly sttering everywhere¡­ Imagining it popping out covered in lots of jelly made my stomach a bit¡­ queasy. I don¡¯t think resolving things by eating it will work this time¡­ Indeed, the guardian totem was swallowed by chance when a gap opened up. But normally, forget swallowing, there was a high possibility my body would have been crushed if I tried to eat it. But now there are no factors to bring that luck. With only me in this space, there¡¯s nothing to help me. Then¡­ What should I do? I was a little stumped. But it¡¯s not like I had much time to think, either. *Screech. nk.* A strange sound of something that had been misaligned clicking into ce began to be heard. Seeing the steel serpent¡¯s body vibrating¡­ It seemed the steel serpent would move soon, whether repairs were finished or not. Hmm. At that moment. I remembered a product called jelly cleaner for keyboards. A very excellent thing that catches two rabbits, fun and practicality, by pouring something simr to my current body onto the keyboard to clean it¡­ ¡­Actually, in theory, that¡¯s how it was, but in reality, it was a vicious thing that wrecked keyboards. I don¡¯t think it was fun either. Because my energy was only drained trying to detach the sticky pieces. Anyway. The point is that ¡®jelly¡¯ broke the machine. Comparing a keyboard to that floating object is probably very rude¡­ But aren¡¯t I also on a different level from cheap jelly sold at ©–iso? Although I sugarcoated it with words, in the end, it meant I would physically resolve it because it looked easy. So. I sprang up from my spot and toward the floating spherical something. I ran *squish squish*. I thought I approached stealthily, but it quickly noticed my existence. The circr lights, which feel like eyes on its body, started to flicker. Now that I was discovered, there was no other way, so I just charged at it. Using the momentum from running, I realized I had one misconception as I floated in the air. ¡­Seeing it up close. Its size was muchrger than I thought. Whether it grew or was an optical illusion, the sphere in the sight of me floating in the air looked difficult to swallow, let alone swallow and pop out. *St!* Eventually, my body, floating in the air, touched the sphere with a sticky sound. Then, as if to shake me off, it began to wildly swing its body. It felt like a wind strong enough to p human skin and the mouth if it had them. For now, it ended at the level of sttering jelly, so it had no effect on me. But my sight was flipping this way, and that way, it was a bit dizzying. ¡­Now, what should I do? Its size isrger than I thought, which is confusing. But soon, I made up my mind. I thought that no matter how big or small it is, what I have to do doesn¡¯t change anyway. Sticking tightly to its body, I concentrated and spewed out tentacles. And then. I stretched the tentacles toward what is presumed to be its eye, where the spherical lightes from. I can see the blue tentaclesboriously entering where the lightes from. Just like jelly cleaner seeping into keyboard keys. I wonder if it will break if I somehow put it in and stir it randomly. Inputer terms, it¡¯s like putting something sticky into the system unit and stirring it vigorously¡­ Ugh, just imagining it is terrible. In human terms, it might feel like inserting tentacles into the ear and stirring the brain. ¡­I regretted imagining it as my stomach boiled, but as if reacting to my imagination, I felt the tentacles spewing from my back, randomly stirring its insides. I also felt sensations presumed to be various parts, and there were ces where I felt electric tingling. I sprayed mucus on whatever I touched and beat everything the tentacles reached. It wasn¡¯t easy because every time a tentacle touched something, the sphere violently shook its body. Tensing my body so that it would not fall off while simultaneously controlling the tentacles was an extremely headache-inducing task. The one fortunate thing is¡­ My feeling that my regeneration ability had increased from before was not wrong. The tentacles stretched out farther than before, and I felt them quickly regrow even when cut by something. Just as there was nothing like a jelly cleaner for breaking keyboards. It seemed jelly was also excellent at breaking machines. The moment I thought that, I put more force into the movements. From all around the sphere. *nk nk nk nk nk!* An ominous sound was heard. Just hearing that sound made the jelly stand on end. The chilling feeling I felt when dodging theser outside¡­ Began to be felt from all directions. *Whiiing!* It wasn¡¯t just a feeling. Lots of red dots aimed at me were seen in my expanded vision. The things I thought made up the steel serpent¡¯s body were now aiming at me. Theirser pointers pointed at me like guns. I feel the surroundings getting hotter with increasingly loud sounds. It seemed that once that heat reached its peak, theser would erase my existence. I put more strength into the stretched tentacles. It didn¡¯t seem that falling off now would cancel that out. ¡­Because it looked like there was no way other than breaking the thing, that was using such an extreme method, akin to self-destruction. Adding mass to the tentacles, I stirred more diligently with the tentacles and spread mucus. I also didn¡¯t forget to dig toward the center with the thought that there would be something at the sphere¡¯s core. *Whiing¡­* Theser targeting me is getting thicker and more numerous. I felt my jelly boiling. I was exposed to thesers without being able to dodge them because it was hard enough just to move the tentacles while attached to the body. Fortunately, there was noser as powerful as the one I ate¡­ If I hadn¡¯t eaten that thing¡­ I might have really be jelly pieces right away. At that moment. Something. A strange sensation was felt by the tentacles. In the center, I dug into. Chapter 87: Authority Chapter 87: Authority *Crackle! Crackle!* Feeling the jelly touch something inside the sphere, I shoved all my jelly towards that spot. Soon, dangerous-looking sparks began to fly in all directions, and its body started shaking violently, indicating that it was effective. Along with that, I was able to escape from thesers that were targeting me. So. In the battle of whether thesers would melt me into a puddle of jelly or I would break it, I was victorious for now. However, thesers were still spewing out, so it didn¡¯t seem like aplete victory yet. Still, I thought that if I could neutralize the core, which was presumed to be the leader, somehow things would work out. I pushed the jelly tentacles into its precious parts and groped and stirred it recklessly.*Crackle! Crackle!* The moment sparks flew again. $)!$! Some kind of voice emanated from the sphere. It was a voice I couldn¡¯t understand. As if sensing my concern. Authority @re$% in progress... The iprehensible voice gradually started changing into something I could understand. What was strange was that it wasn¡¯t Korean and was basically installed in my head. I didn¡¯t know what it was, but it definitely wasn¡¯t Korean. Nevertheless, I slowly became able to understand what it was saying. It was a very bizarre sensation. But when have the actions of anomalies ever been ordinary? I just epted it as it was. It¡¯s not like it would be something I could understand anyway. Instead, I diligently did what I could do. Pushing the jelly tentacles into its precious parts and stirring the insides. I didn¡¯t know what effect my actions were having, but it seemed certain that it was causing some change in it. Thesers that had been spreading everywhere had all disappeared by now. *Squish, squish, crackle!* Upper@ authority change@ in progress @$ The body floating in the air descended to the floor like a sinking ship, and now I could understand more of what it was saying. Somehow, I even felt a sense of pride. Although I still couldn¡¯t understand exactly what it was saying, I had a feeling it was very good news for me. Is this why they say to hit a machine to fix it? It seemed that even anomalies couldn¡¯t escape that universal truth. The object that had been emitting a red light flickered through orange and yellow. Along with a green light. Resetplete. It spoke in a clear voice. Then. Please retract your body, Administrator. Any more da- *bzzt*, any more damage and it will be irrepa- *bzzt*, irreparable. Is it talking to me? I felt a bit strange at the unfamiliar title and polite request. I was deliberating whether to pull this out or not¡­ when suddenly, a somewhat urgent voice was heard. Administrator? Administrator? Administrator? Administrator? Although the tone was t without inflection, the rapidly repeating title gave me an eerie feeling. After a moment of contemtion, I retracted the tentacles. Even as I retracted my tentacles, I thought it might be a bit of a naive idea. What if it was just pretending? So I retracted the tentacles but tensed my body to be able to extend them again at any moment. To be able to stab the tentacles back into its body at any time. And there was one reason I didn¡¯tpletely destroy it. If I had somehow be its administrator or something simr. ¡­I wondered if it could repair the facility, just like it had repaired this steel serpent. Wasn¡¯t the facility in a terrible state when I nced at it? Although Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu seemed to have seeded in restoring it somehow, only the electricity was restored, while the gaping holes and shattered interior remained the same. Could Kim Cheonsu repair all of that alone? Well¡­ I don¡¯t think so. Considering that no one else hade even after quite some time had passed¡­ there seemed to be a reason why only the two of them had brought me here. So I couldn¡¯t expect anyone else toe either. I quite liked living here. So, I had essentially bet my chips on a gamble that could be a bit dangerous. ¡­Actually, since I could overturn the table right away, it might not be as dangerous as I thought. It seemed like the thought of a gambling addict, but I tried to ignore it. Anyway. The sphere, free from the tentacles, wobbled and floated into the air, dripping the mucus that covered its body. I also lowered my posture to gain propulsion in sync with it. Then, I heard the voice again. That was close. Administrator. Its attitude was polite, just like before. ¡­Although it was a bit eerie when it repeated the same thing, now that I heard it like this, it was quite a pleasant voice. After staring at it for a moment, I gestured, and the sphere that had been floating obediently descended and approached me. Hmm. Did the gamble seed? I¡¯m not sure yet, but it definitely seemed cooperative with me. By the way, there was one problem. Administrator? It kept talking to me. But I couldn¡¯t answer it. Because I couldn¡¯t speak. ¡­What should I do? There¡¯s no paper either. Inside the rtively intact control room. Han Seori, Kim Cheonsu, and the slimes huddled in front of the panel were just staring at the huge scrap metal reflected on therge screen. Kim Cheonsu, who had returned with nothing more to help with, and Han Seori, who had been watching the situation from the beginning, both looked at the screen with very anxious eyes. Although quite some time had passed since 7496-KR entered it, the huge steel mass remained unmoving. The fact that it wasn¡¯t moving meant that the worst had been avoided for now, but the two were anxious that there was no response even as time passed. The scrap metal didn¡¯t move, but neither did 7496-KRe out. It was frustrating not knowing whether it had destroyed the scrap metal or was struggling inside. ¡°¡­Should we go in with something?¡± ¡°With the equipment here right now¡­ would it be possible?¡± ¡°It would be difficult¡­ probably. Even just climbing up there¡­.¡± Han Seori didn¡¯t scold Kim Cheonsu further as she also understood his feelings. She just anxiously chewed on her soft lips. ¡°Huh?¡± At that moment. A fairlyrge sphere was seen appearing from the crack between the split steel, bobbing up and down. Seeing the strange machine pop out instead of 7496-KR, Han Seori held her breath, and Kim Cheonsu¡¯s face turned as blue as jelly. ¡°Th-that!¡± Then Han Seori noticed something and pointed at the screen while covering her mouth. At the tip of her finger was 7496-KR attached to the bobbing machine. Seeing its healthy appearance, Han Seori seemed to rx and slumped to the floor. Soon, as it approached the ground, 7496-KRnded on the floor and looked around. Then, it started heading somewhere with the sphere. Kim Cheonsu, who had been nkly watching, muttered in a dumbfounded voice. ¡°What on earth happened?¡± ¡°¡­Who knows. Since it seems to being this way¡­ I guess it was resolved well?¡± ¡°¡­There are things even you don¡¯t know, Doctor.¡± Then Han Seori, her face slightly flushed, snapped. ¡°O-of course there are. There are probably still anomalies appearing that I don¡¯t know about, so how could I know everything?¡± ¡°Ahaha¡­ I¡¯m kidding. Don¡¯t get so angry.¡± Seeing Kim Cheonsu chuckle at Han Seori¡¯s unexpected side, Han Seori red at him with a displeased face, then suddenly sighed. ¡°Why are you like that? Doesn¡¯t it seem to have been resolved well?¡± Kim Cheonsu cautiously spoke, wondering if he had crossed the line. Han Seori smiled at his quick change in attitude and muttered. ¡°It does look that way¡­ but the problem is that the research center is in a state beyond words right now. Even if we take care of the situation, I¡¯m doubtful whether we can continue using this ce.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± Kim Cheonsu, who had been walking around to repair it himself, immediately understood Han Seori¡¯s words. The current state of the research center was simr to a tent that had been torn to shreds. The power had been barely restored, but there were more red lights than green lights on the research center¡¯s status. If it had been an ordinary research center¡­ all the isted anomalies would have escaped, and unthinkable things would have happened. ¡®¡­Should I say we¡¯re lucky it¡¯s only us?¡¯ Kim Cheonsu and Han Seori sighed, filled with an emotion that was either joy or sorrow. Soon. The door to the control room opened, and 7496-KR and therge sphere floated in. Han Seori regained her original appearance and stared at the sphere. It has the appearance of something that could bemonly seen in science fiction media. Was there something like that inside that huge steel serpent? ¡­For something that had shown destructive behavior, it looked surprisingly¡­ cute. As the two looked on with tension, 7496-KR approached them with the sphere. The two, who had been tense, felt their tension ease as 7496-KR seemed to be controlling the sphere. Although they had no idea how it had done it, anyway, it seemed that 7496-KR had resolved the situation. She had never given birth to a child, but was this feeling when a grown child sessfully returns after achieving something? As the two were feeling a sense of pride from somewhere, they saw 7496-KR tapping the sphere. Why was it doing that? While the two were having that question. The sphere blinked brightly and made a sound. Beep boop beep beep boop beep. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What?¡± A mechanical sound that felt consistent reached the ears of the two. It sounded somewhat like a human voice, but they couldn¡¯t understand it, so they only felt puzzled. When Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu seemed to not understand, it was 7496-KR that felt flustered instead. An unknown silence lingered in the control room for a moment. Chapter 88: The Peace of Our Time Chapter 88: The Peace of Our Time It was an asion to go wild with joy. I tapped the orb a few times as if to tell the two to introduce themselves and brought it to the control room. Though not precise, it gave off a nuance as if it immediately understood my intention. I thought we might be able to use it as a means ofmunication, even if I didn¡¯t know why. However. My happiness circuit, which had been spinning round and round, soon blew up. They seem to be inferior beings made of flesh and blood. For starters, the orb didn¡¯t seem to like humans very much. In that sense, the current situation might be¡­ better. At first, I was startled when the orb said that, but Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu¡¯s reactions were odd.¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Puzzlement spread across their faces. I didn¡¯t sense any unpleasantness or fear from them. So¡­ perhaps. The orb was saying something that the two couldn¡¯t understand. It wasn¡¯t that they heard it and couldn¡¯t process the meaning. Rather, it felt like it wasn¡¯t even registering at all. ¡­Yeah, maybe it¡¯s better not to understand. As they say, ignorance is bliss. Administrator. I suggest eliminating the two inferior entities in this facility. Are you crazy? I swung my hand at the absurd voice. It seemed to be malfunctioning, so I felt the need to give it a good beating to fix it. I had just fixed it that way a little while ago. *Smack!* The orb, having been hit by the slime, lowered the part that emitted light as if feeling wronged. I should be thankful it¡¯s obedient to me, at least. ¡­But how does this thing know what I want to say? No, is it actually reading my mind? As I stared at my wobbling jelly, Han Seori, who was standing a little distance away and intently watching me and the orb, spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how, but¡­ it definitely seems to be under 7496-KR¡¯s control.¡± ¡°Is it just my imagination, or does that sound unpleasant?¡± It seemed certain that the two couldn¡¯t understand what this thing was saying. My ambitious n to use it as a terminal was¡­ impossible from the start. ¡­Well, it¡¯s not like I was able to do it, and now I can¡¯t. I guess it¡¯s better this way. I don¡¯t have to feel any sense of loss. Suddenly, the saying ¡°Trust leads to betrayal¡± came to mind. ¡­But I can¡¯t help but trust this, can I? It speaks to me clearly, but Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu can¡¯t hear it as words. So whatnguage is this thing speaking to me in? And how am I understanding it? I vaguely thought there must be some special reason since I seem to get the gist of it, being an anomaly and all. But seeing that it can¡¯tmunicate with Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu, my curiosity was piqued. I ced my hand on the orb and asked it a question. It seemed this was how it understood me. My question was simple. Why couldn¡¯t those two understand what it was saying? Then, a voice with little intonation was heard. It is only natural that ordinary flesh and blood entities cannotprehend mynguage. No, you brat, not that. I removed my hand from it for a moment and stared at my jelly. This thing was like a robot that ys the viin in creative works. Come to think of it, it¡¯s funny. If it hates humans, why did it target me first? ¡­Well, let¡¯s hear about thatter. First, I decided to resolve what I was most curious about. I had to know how it understood my intentions and how I understood its words¡­ so that I could decide how to deal with the two lost in thought. When I put my hand on it again and asked, itunched into an iprehensible spiel. Something about connections, analyzing my jelly¡¯s patterns, and whatnot¡­ As it went on, exining in what I presumed to be technical jargon. I, with my hand still on it, asked a simple question. So, can you make it so those two can understand what you¡¯re saying? That is impossible. I onlymunicate with you, Administrator. For something that seemed to have its tail between its legs just a moment ago, there was a sense of determination. Yeah¡­ I guess that¡¯s your trait. I felt silly for acting like a researcher when I¡¯m not one. All I wanted from this thing was to repair this facility. ¡°Hmm¡­ Are they conversing?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like 7496-KR is actually speaking, though.¡± But there¡¯s onest thing I¡¯m curious about. ¡­Can it understand what those two are saying? I put my hand on it and asked, and it replied, I see no value in interpreting such an inefficient means ofmunication. Just say you don¡¯t know. Somehow, it feels like an exhausting thing has rolled in. The only advantage this has over the slimes seems to be that it can understand me. Meanwhile, Sosik, who had been clinging to Han Seori¡¯s back, wriggled over and stretched out on top of the orb. ¡­Is it because we¡¯re simr beings? The orb didn¡¯t say anything like ¡°You filthy ape!¡± to Sosik and slowly bobbed its body so the little one could restfortably. Seeing this, I thought maybe it¡¯s not so bad after all. Anyway. For now, I need to show the two t why I brought this thing here. The details can be sorted out and discussedter. I tugged at Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu¡¯s sleeves and gestured for them toe out of the control room. The two looked puzzled but readily nodded. Then I noticed Daesik sitting on Kim Cheonsu¡¯s shoulder. The little one seemed to like Kim Cheonsu¡¯s shoulder and showed no intention ofing down. Somehow, I felt a strange sensation. What is this emotion I¡¯m feeling right now? ¡­I don¡¯t know. I was too tired to want to know. If it¡¯s something I don¡¯t have to worry about, all the better. Suddenly, the saying ¡°Trust only leads to betrayal¡± came to mind. Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu felt a bit startled. Because 7496-KR was tugging at their sleeves, gesturing for them to go outside the control room. If any anomaly other than 7496-KR had made such a gesture¡­ they wouldn¡¯t have followed. In the first ce, they wouldn¡¯t have evene to a research institute located in such a remote ce. But having seen 7496-KR¡¯s behavior so far, the two followed the slime girl without a word. They had no idea what was happening, but they felt that if they followed the slime girl, they would find out the reason. As they followed the slime girl, the sight of the wrecked research institute came into view. The situation had taken a good turn, but at this rate, who knew when they¡¯d be able to leave this ce. Suppressing a sigh, what appeared before the two he reasonwas the cause of the destruction that had actively moved about and shattered the research institute just moments ago. A huge chunk of steel. As the two felt puzzled, the slime girl, who had stopped walking, ced her hand on the orb with the tiny slime girl riding it. Seeing this, Han Seori thought, ¡®It feels like they¡¯remunicating through contact?¡¯ ¡­If I put my hand on it too, could I talk to it? I¡¯ll have to try itter. Han Seori felt her hand itch as she stared intently at what the slime girl was doing. As if the slime girl¡¯s body twitched, *Screech!* There was movement from the steel chunk. ¡°Huh?¡± Han Seori felt a bit startled at the sight. Why is that thing suddenly moving? Don¡¯t tell me it was brought here to hack into¡­ ¡®¡­No way.¡¯ What am I thinking? Am I really suspecting 7496-KR, who just faced off against that huge hunk of scrap metal for us? Han Seori shook her head. Even if 7496-KR was an anomaly, that was too¡­ inhumane a thought. And as if to prove her thought right, upon closer inspection, it wasn¡¯t the steel chunk moving, but rather, something attached to its surface was peeling off and flying somewhere. ¡°Cheonsu, want to follow it? I think I should stay here.¡± ¡°Oh, um¡­ yes.¡± Kim Cheonsu, who had been feeling uneasy at her voice, followed the drone - something that looked simr to what had threatened 7496-KR moments ago - with a reluctant look on his face. The doll hanging on his shoulder, dressed in red, was a bonus. As she watched them go, Han Seori nced between the slime girl and the orb. Meanwhile, Kim Cheonsu returned with an excited look on his face, having chased after the drone. After catching his breath, he shouted with a much brighter face. ¡°Those drones are repairing the facility!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, they¡¯re repairing the facility with that huge hunk of scrap metal!¡± Han Seori¡¯s face went nk for a moment. Then, she also smiled brightly and looked at the slime girl. Receiving her gaze, the slime girl crossed her arms with a look of pride. She seemed to want to look cool, but with that cute face, it was a difficult feat. So, Han Seori, slightly excited, approached the slime girl and lifted her up. ¡°I knew I could count on you!¡± She hugged the slime girl, who looked a bit dazed. As Han Seori hugged the slime girl, the doll perched on Kim Cheonsu¡¯s shoulder tapped his cheek. ¡°Hmm?¡± When Kim Cheonsu looked at the doll, it bounced up and down as if asking to be put down. ¡°You want to get down?¡± Kim Cheonsu nodded and put the doll down, and it hopped about as if it, too, wanted to cling to the slime girl¡¯s feet. Beside them, there was the floating orb and the whale-shaped slime. And on top of the orb, the tiny slime girl was fast asleep in afortable position. Seeing this, Kim Cheonsu couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡­It felt like looking at a family. He thought it strange and absurd to feel that way at the sight of anomalies and humans together. But he¡­ couldn¡¯t stop the warmth spreading in his heart. But. If it¡¯s a family, am I the dad? Haha, well, now¡­ Kim Cheonsu scratched his head, grinning to himself. ¡­Whatever his role may be, peace certainly seemed to have found the chaotic research institute. Chapter 89: Take in the new recruits!? Chapter 89: Take in the new recruits!? When the sphere repaired the facility back then, it was Han Seori who lifted me up high as if dering a sessor. But in fact, I think the one who liked it the most was Kim Cheonsu. ¡­Based on what I¡¯ve observed so far, he was mostly in charge of physicalbor, so it seems natural. As if proving that point, when he first moved in here, he had dark circles under his eyes and he crawled around like a zombie. However. Now, it seems like he has nothing to do. He must have been in a very good mood as he was humming and lounging around in the management office. Somehow, it didn¡¯t sit well with me, but considering how hard he worked so far. And how he helped me when I went inside the steel snake.¡­At that time, I thought he threw something like a bomb at me, but it ended up being helpful. Tsk, I wasn¡¯t scared at all. Lasers were scarier than some bomb. Really. ¡­Anyway. The sphere, as if it had no feelings for the steel snake it was moving in, mercilessly dismantled everything and used it as materials to repair the facility. Seeing how it speaks in the first ce, it seems close to¡­ ¡®not¡¯ feeling emotions¡­ so it didn¡¯t feel particrly strange. Nevertheless, I put my hand on its body, feeling concerned, and asked. If it was okay to dismantle everything like that. Then, its answer was a sight to behold. There''s no reason not to. That... is no different from this ce being repaired now. That made it tantly clear that this guy was an anomaly. In human terms, it¡¯s like your own building copsing, and you repair someone else¡¯s house with the wreckage. But seeing how it dismisses it as no big deal¡­ I definitely got the feeling that it was different from human-like beings. As I looked at it, feeling strange, it blinked its lights. Wondering what it was doing, I stared nkly. *nk, nk, nk.* With that sound, a somewhat¡­ avant-garde-looking chair rose up behind me. It was as if it was assembled in an instant ording to the sphere¡¯s will. Does that mean¡­ it has taken control of this facility? You don''t need to worry. I just need to make this ce my new home. Feeling dazed, I sat on that avant-garde-looking chair. Considering my body type, that chair is very low. It reallycks a human touch. Did it make this for me to sit on? Rather than a chair¡­ it felt like an abstract sculpture an artist might disy on a street corner. To put it nicely, it has a strong sense of its own world. But it felt¡­ quitecking inmon sense. Anyway. The important thing is that it¡¯s not just repairing the facility. The fact that it deliberately showed me that¡­ does it mean it¡¯s telling me to trust it? It didn¡¯t seem like the type to be so sentimental¡­ so maybe it was just stating facts. ¡­Should I just absorb it? For a moment, I sat on the bizarre chair and looked at it. If I absorb it, can¡¯t I remake it into something like a mecha slime, like other slimes? Then¡­ I could definitely trust it, too. Not knowing I was having such thoughts, it seemed to focus on facility restoration again as soon as I took my hand off. After much deliberation¡­ I decided not to. The facility isn¡¯t fully restored yet, but if I absorb it and it doesn¡¯t perform as well as it does now, it would be a bit troublesome. I wondered if I could even create a slime made of machinery in the first ce. If I ate it and just a round slime came out¡­ that would be a disaster. What I want is not an emergency food MK-2. And. ¡­Although there¡¯s the condition of having to put my hand on it, the existence of someone who understands me felt quite special. Although I couldn¡¯t use it as a terminal, just that alone felt somewhat fulfilling. Come to think of it. There was one thing I was curious about, so I put my hand on it. What I asked was. ¡­The question of why it targeted me in the first ce. It felt too tant, but I was so curious I couldn¡¯t stand it. But this time, too, its answer made me dumbfounded. That data no longer exists. It was corrupted when permissions were reset. So it¡¯s my fault? ¡­It¡¯s not lying, is it? With no change in expression and no inflection in its voice, only a deste voicees through. This is why I don¡¯t like machines. They have no affection. No affection! Then, feeling something tapping my foot, I looked down and saw Daesik wiggling against my leg as if he wanted to get on the chair. ¡­Why does he want to sit on this chair? Do you also like this avant-garde chair? Is this perhaps the sophistication of anomalies? And I, as a former human, find it bizarre? If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s terrible. As I put Daesik on the chair and felt dismayed, Han Seori, who had been busily doing something, opened the management office door and approached. Han Seori, who approached us, blinked her eyes and pointed to the chair, saying, ¡°When did you bring this here¡­?¡± At her question, Kim Cheonsu, who had been dozing off, jumped up from his seat and shouted, ¡°Wh-what are you talking about?¡± His appearance was just like a soldier caught napping by a toon leader in the situation room, so my jelly boiled. Kim Cheonsu, who hurriedly approached, narrowed his eyes and muttered, ¡°¡­What is this?¡± ¡°Well, how can you ask me that? Weren¡¯t you the one in the management office, Agent Kim?¡± ¡°Ah, um, that¡­ s-sorry!!!¡± When Han Seori, who usually called him Mr. Cheonsu, addressed him as Agent Kim, Kim Cheonsu turned ashen and bowed his head as if he would hit the floor. Watching him, Han Seori sighed to the point of feeling dismay. Han Seori waved her hand and said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. Since that anomaly is repairing the facility¡­ you must have been bored. I will make some work for Agent Kim who is like that soon¡­ so rest as much as you want.¡± ¡°Ha, haha¡­.¡± Kim Cheonsu¡¯s face turns blue. But he couldn¡¯t respond to Han Seori¡¯s words and trudged back to his seat. Kim Cheonsu lookedpletely burnt out despite doing nothing. Soon Han Seori turned around as if nothing had happened just now and looked at me. Her face, which had been full of sighs, was now filled with excitement. Han Seori carefully approached and looked at the avant-garde chair, then asked me, ¡°By any chance¡­ did you make this?¡± Should I say I made this? ¡­No, it seems better to say I didn¡¯t make it. Han Seori¡¯s expression looking at this didn¡¯t seem very good. I lifted my jelly and pointed to the sphere. To let her know that it made this. It wasn¡¯t really a lie, so I didn¡¯t feel guilty or pricked by conscience. ¡°Hmm¡­ is that so?¡± Then Han Seori stroked her chin, called up a panel, and started manipting this and that. ¡°¡­A superior entity has appeared in theboratory system.¡± I¡¯m not sure what that means, but based on the nuance, it seems she noticed that the sphere is freely controlling the facility. As expected of Doctor. She effortlessly aplishes what I cannot. ¡­ttering her in my mind, I watched with anxiety, but Han Seori only smirked without any particr reaction. She also seemed to have a look as if seeing something ridiculous. Putting away the panel, she poked Sosik lying on the sphere and asked me, ¡°Can I try putting my hand on this too?¡± The sphere shows no reaction to that question. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s appealing that it doesn¡¯t understand, or if it really doesn¡¯t understand. I boiled my jelly, put my hand on the sphere, and conveyed Han Seori¡¯s intention. ¡°Oh¡­ so that¡¯s how youmunicate.¡± Must I now suffer the touch of this lesser being? ¡°Ah, it feels like it¡¯s saying something.¡± Doing this makes me feel like I¡¯m watching some badedy. I also felt the hardship of being the person caught in the middle. After pondering for a moment, I nodded my head. If Han Seori puts her hand on it andmunicates with the sphere¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be good in many ways? Because then she could use the sphere as my vocal cords. ¡­If its way of speaking is a bit rough, can¡¯t it be corrected by touching it a bit with tentacles? Maybe it can be fixed? The reactions were divided as I nodded. Ma-Manager!? ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay?¡± The sphere let out a voice that felt emotional for the first time, and Han Seori gleefully flexed and extended her fingers. As I sent the intention for it not to move to the sphere, the sphere didn¡¯t avoid Han Seori¡¯s touch while spewing avant-garde curses. No, maybe it couldn¡¯t. From that, I could know one thing. That it has something like absolute obedience to me. ¡­Although it¡¯s mixed with a bit of a violent tendency. Realizing that I felt a bit strange. Stirring it with tentacles to make it absolutely obedient to me¡­ it felt a bit¡­ you know. But thinking it¡¯s still good to have something good, I watched Han Seori put her hand on the sphere. As her palm slowly moved and touched the sphere, something like the sphere¡¯s scream was heard. Hearing that, Han Seori frowned as if her ears hurt. What let her know she didn¡¯t understand it was. The voice of Kim Cheonsu, who had been sulking far away. ¡°What the hell is this noise?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing. Anyway¡­ it seems only 7496-KR canmunicate by cing a hand on it.¡± Han Seori muttered that while scribbling something on a memo pad. Han Seori, who put away her pen with a regretful look, looks at me and asks, ¡°Can it move while repairing the facility?¡± It seemed Han Seori wanted to do something. Maybe¡­ an experiment of some sort? I also thought it might be rted to giving Kim Cheonsu work. Then, It¡¯s okay with me. And well. It¡¯s always been this way, so it doesn¡¯t feel particrly new. Like a ritual that¡¯s usually performed when a new recruites in? The sphere would obviously say yes, so when I nodded my head, Han Seori began to look not at the sphere. But for some reason, at me. A chill suddenly ran through my jelly. Chapter 90: Dang it, don’t do that…! Chapter 90: Dang it, don¡¯t do that¡­! My uneasy premonition was spot on. Thinking about it, it was only natural. After all, I was the only one who couldmunicate with the sphere in Han Seori¡¯s eyes, so in the end, to conduct experiments on the sphere, my cooperation was absolutely necessary. Still, it wasn¡¯t an experiment where Han Seori¡¯s eyes rolled back, and she numbly cut off my arm, burned me, or shot something cold at me like before¡­ so my jelly wasfortable. Even now, she ovepped her hand on top of mine and ced it on the sphere¡­ doing some kind of cute experiment. I wonder if she thinks something will change by doing this. ¡­It just feels like she¡¯s trying everything thates to mind. ¡°Hmm~ Hello?¡± Han Seori, who had ovepped her hand on top of mine and ced it on the sphere, muttered with an interested expression.¡­as if saying, ¡°talk to me, please.¡± My jelly wobbles at her behavior, which seems cute even when doing something a bit childish. I think it suits her, maybe because she¡¯s pretty. After watching Han Seori talk to the sphere in that state for a while, I felt a bit sorry for her. As someone who could understand the sphere¡¯s words¡­ I knew that even if the sphere understood Han Seori¡¯s words, it would deliberately not react. Would a being that openly calls others an ¡®inferior species¡¯ bother to respond? ¡­But I didn¡¯t want to tell Han Seori that fact. Although I felt a bit sorry for her going through trial and error¡­ I couldn¡¯t predict how Han Seori would react. Well¡­ considering what I¡¯ve seen of her so far, there¡¯s a high possibility she wouldn¡¯t take it seriously. But who knows. Actually, I had never seen Han Seori deal with other anomalies. Even when her focus was slightly off with me, she looked at me with eyes that seemed to cherish something precious. She only showed an interested gaze towards the sphere¡­ I didn¡¯t sense any particrly strong feelings. However, these days, a bitter expression shes across her face from time to time¡­ but I couldn¡¯t understand why. So I hoped she wouldn¡¯t find out about that sphere¡¯s radical ideology. Anyway. I¡¯m starting to wonder if I should keep calling it a sphere. I thought it didn¡¯t really matter since I wouldn¡¯t have a reason to call its name, but doesn¡¯t calling it a sphereck affection? If it were just something that flew around at mymand and spewed out shockwaves, then there would be no need. But the sphere clearly possesses something like a sense of self, doesn¡¯t it? The name Wilson suddenly popped into my mind, but since the voice I heard was female, I gave up on it. Hmm. It seems like a good name, though. As I swallowed my jelly, feeling regretful. Han Seori looked at me and spoke in a slightly cautious voice. ¡°Um, by any chance.¡± Since this was the first time she seemed so careful, the jelly tensed up reflexively. Eventually, the words that came out of her mouth¡­ surprised me. ¡°Would it be possible to put my hand inside your body? Of course, you shouldn¡¯t melt it. So¡­ like we did before.¡± Does this person have no fear? Come to think of it, unlike Kim Cheonsu, who ran away in shock, she lifted me up at our first encounter. At the time, I was also dumbfounded so I didn¡¯t notice, but¡­ Wasn¡¯t her action quite dangerous? If I had been an ordinary anomaly instead of me¡­ Han Seori might not be here right now. Did she know I had no intention of melting her? ¡­I feel like she must have had some kind of certainty since she¡¯s very intelligent. Maybe she saw something that an ordinary person like me couldn¡¯t understand. And¡­ she had previously pulled the dungeon¡¯s core out of my body¡­ so it might not be that strange. When I convinced myself and nodded, Han Seori lightlyughed, thanked me, and applied more force to her ovepped hand. Han Seori¡¯s hand, which had been resting on my surface, slowly began to sink like a person falling into a swamp. Along with the *gurgling* sound, I felt the taste and sensation of her fingers being sucked in. Soon, shepletely put her hand inside me, wiggled her fingers, and spoke. ¡°I didn¡¯t know before¡­ but this feels really strange.¡± Actually, I was a bit worried since Han Seori¡¯s hand was bigger than mine. I was concerned that it might not turn out the way she wanted. But my body stretched to fit the size of Han Seori¡¯s hand. As a result, Han Seori¡¯s hand looked like it was wearing a blue, transparent glove. After wiggling her fingers for a while, Han Seori, as if determined to seed this time, said to the sphere. ¡°Answer me if you can hear me!¡± Then the sphere, which had not reacted until now, muttered in a sighing voice. ...You really are an insatiable inferior species. It seemed the sphere didn¡¯t understand what Han Seori was saying, but it felt exasperation¡­ no, admiration for her will. ¡­Though nothing changed even so. ¡°I can¡¯t understand what it¡¯s saying¡­ I guess this doesn¡¯t work either.¡± Although there were no immediate results, I thought Han Seori was amazing. Didn¡¯t she persistently cling on and elicit some kind of reaction despite no response? Was this level of tenacity and obsession what it took to be a doctor at such a young age? As Han Seori muttered to herself, she finally gave up trying tomunicate with the sphere, removed her hand buried in my jelly, and stood up. Then, my body, which had been enveloping Han Seori¡¯s hand, rose with her. I ended up dangling and sticking tightly to Han Seori¡¯s body. In other words¡­ it was like a g attached to a pole called Han Seori. Clinging tightly to the pole with no wind. Seeing this, Han Seori giggled and said to me. ¡°You can let go now. Hehe¡­.¡± ¡­She raised her body without a word, causing this to happen. I felt like slightly biting Han Seori¡¯s hand and fell to the floor. With a *st* sound, the sphere¡¯s voice was heard. It seems this boring thing has finally ended. Maybe because of the sphere¡¯s words. As if saying that was just a warm-up, Han Seori listed this and that, saying let¡¯s try another experiment. ¡­Seriously. Don¡¯t say that. Han Seori¡¯s curiosity was¡­ immense. For the next few days, I spent my time repairing the facility and conducting experiments with Han Seori. Seeing the facility, which had been full of holes, gradually returning to its original state somehow made the jelly feel better as well. In reality, it was a situation you¡¯d only see in an anime movie where the one who destroyed the facility fixes it. As we entered the control room with the slimes and the sphere, I saw Kim Cheonsu dressed more formally than usual. As I approached him with a *squish squish*, wondering if he was going out somewhere, Han Seori¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°Since the intr is not connected, there¡¯s no choice. Have a safe trip.¡± ¡°Haha¡­ It can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Unlike Han Seori, who sighed, Kim Cheonsu seemed somewhat happy. He seemed to be running an errand of some sort¡­ but why does he look so pleased? Does he have a fetish for being ordered around or running errands for someone? That¡¯s a bit odd. Without knowing what I was thinking, Kim Cheonsu said he would return in the evening and left the control room. Then Han Seori, who spotted me, approached. She strode over, picked me up, and held me in one arm, grinning. ¡°It¡¯s a good morning.¡± ¡­Her delighted voice was like someone greeting their little sister. No, do people usually greet their little sister this affectionately? Maybe because I¡¯ve never had a sibling¡­ it felt a bit awkward, but not unpleasant. Perhaps what I had read on the inte before was wrong. ¡­But it felt a bit like being treated as a child. However, feeling Han Seori¡¯s body temperature on my jelly¡­ *ahem*, I thought it was advantageous to just stay still. At that moment. Han Seori suddenly looked down andughed *hehe*, bending over. When she straightened up, her other arm held a small doll. In other words, Daesik was there. Was he jealous that I was being held? I feel like he¡¯s gotten more needy these days, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just my imagination. ¡­I don¡¯t know. You, slimes, are also independent, so¡­ figure out how to live on your own. In the meantime, Han Seori, who had sat in a chair with a satisfied face, looked at me and said. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard all this time. Let¡¯s rx and rest for a while.¡± It was a wee thing to hear, but also terrible in a way. When we first moved here, I was too busy cleaning and preparing things to think about it, but¡­ There was¡­ really nothing here that could be considered entertainment. If we didn¡¯t conduct experiments, there was nothing suitable to pass the time. ¡­It was a bit boring to just rest and eat. I wouldn¡¯t be bored if I were a being who didn¡¯t know entertainment. But as a former human, this boredom was too fatal for me. The boredom I had forgotten due to the anxiety of not knowing when something might happen came rushing in. Did she sense my feelings? Han Seori muttered in a voice as ifforting a child. ¡°Are you bored because there¡¯s nothing to y with? I told Cheonsu to bring some toys and food when he returns this time, so you¡¯ll be able to y again soon.¡± ¡­No, when did I throw a tantrum about not having toys? Why does she think that? I¡¯d rather¡­ ask her to connect a TV. Sosik just sleeps on the sphere because there¡¯s no TV. I tried hard to hold back the urge to scribble on paper with a pen. No, I should write it down, shouldn¡¯t I? This is a very important matter for me. As I focused my vision on finding paper, I soon realized it was toote. I should have done it before Kim Cheonsu left. ¡­If I scribble on paper with a pen now, I¡¯ll look like a foolish child lying on the floor in front of a toy store. Let¡¯s hold on¡­ just a bit. But while spending time anticipating the snacks that Kim Cheonsu would bring¡­ no, the things that could serve as a distraction. Han Seori checked the time and muttered in an anxious voice. ¡°¡­Why isn¡¯t heing back?¡± ¡­I had a bad feeling about this. Even if I¡¯m bored¡­ pleasee back normally. That¡¯s my request. Please. Chapter 91: Waiting, Yet Again Chapter 91: Waiting, Yet Again In ordance with my current lifestyle, I should be in my personal room at this time. The slime creatures, Han Seori, and I were still in the management room. Of course, the strangely floating sphere was also with us. The reason we remained in the management room wasn¡¯t all that grand. It was simply because Kim Cheonsu hadn¡¯t returned even though it was time for him to be back. ¡­Is it a big deal? Honestly, Kim Cheonsu isn¡¯t a little kid¡­ I thought it was a bit of an overreaction to be worried when not even a day had passed. But Han Seori¡¯s reaction was a bit strange.She seemed to have an ominous feeling about Kim Cheonsu not returning on time. Hmm. Why is she acting like that? After pondering for a moment, one possibility came to mind. The possibility that Han Seori also has special feelings for Kim Cheonsu. In other words¡­ love between a man and a woman, not just a businesslike rtionship. If that¡¯s the case, it would be understandable. If that¡¯s true, it means the two of them are in the fresh, youthful stages of a romantic rtionship¡­ I¡¯ve heard that at that stage, even the slightest mishap involving your partner can make your heart sink. Like bing anxious if they don¡¯t answer their phone for even five minutes. ¡­It seems a bit different, but wouldn¡¯t it be somewhat simr? But¡­ From what I¡¯ve observed so far, while Kim Cheonsu seems to have a huge crush on Han Seori¡­ Han Seori¡¯s feelings were a bit ambiguous. It didn¡¯t seem like she particrly disliked Kim Cheonsu, but she also didn¡¯t seem particrly drawn to him. My eyes, which have witnessed office romances blossom, fall apart, and end in resignations, are certain of this. They say even a tree will fall after a hundred strikes, but is Han Seori an ordinary person? If she was, she wouldn¡¯t have the title of Doctor at her age¡ª Come to think of it. ¡­I wonder how old Han Seori really is? Suddenly, I became curious. Actually, I had vaguely thought she was young just by looking at her face¡­ With this in mind, I focused my gaze on Han Seori¡¯s face. Smooth skin. Beautiful eyes that seem cold but exude warmth. Gorgeous appearance. I could understand why Kim Cheonsu would be captivated, but I didn¡¯t particrly think she looked old. ¡­She¡¯s probably the age she looks, right? Could it be¡­ she¡¯s actually much older but feels awkward about Kim Cheonsu¡¯s affection because she¡¯s a super youthful-looking person? Nah, that¡¯s unlikely. Just look at her. As I was absentmindedly imagining, I felt Han Seori¡¯s gaze on me. After looking at me for a moment, she wordlessly spread her arms out to both sides. I wondered what she was doing, but she seemed to be asking for a hug. See, this is what I¡¯m talking about. This kind of person can¡¯t possibly be much older but just looks youthful. Although she may appear cold and intellectual at a nce, she also has this vulnerable side. If she were older, she would have a more¡­ weathered feeling from the years. Her vulnerable side was exposed, and she seemed to feel anxious and uneasy about Kim Cheonsu. Do you know how hugging a big stuffed animal or pillow can have a calming effect? She probably thought hugging me for a bit would have that effect. ¡­I didn¡¯t particrly like being treated like a big stuffed animal or pillow, but considering our time together so far, I decided to oblige. As I carefully approached, she pulled me into an embrace and leaned back in her chair. Before long, she began stroking my jelly and murmured. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. He¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡­Wait, did she think I was worried about Kim Cheonsu? I would have dropped my jaw if I had one at this absurd misunderstanding, but I remained quietly nestled in her arms. The warmth of a human¡¯s embrace felt nice, just like when I had nestled in her arms a moment ago. In the meantime, Daesik, who had also gone down to the floor with me, toddled over and raised his arms. Enjoying the luxury of being held in Han Seori¡¯s arms, I didn¡¯t want this to be interrupted, so I stretched out my tentacles. ¡­No, I didn¡¯t use my tentacles to chase Daesik away. I used them to pick him up and hold him in my arms. Satisfied with this, he snuggled his stuffed body against my jelly. ¡°Oh my, heehee¡­¡± I think Han Seori is satisfied as well. As I nkly stole Han Seori¡¯s body heat, Jungsik, who had been floating around, approached me. Then, He vigorously bumped his body against my knowledge pouch and sprayed jelly from his back. Startled by the sudden assault, I blinked my jelly. What is he doing this time? Hit by the jelly sprayed by Jungsik, Han Seori¡¯s body trembled, but upon realizing it was just sticky, she took a handkerchief out of her pocket. ¡°Why is he acting like this¡­?¡± Wiping her face with the handkerchief, Han Seori looked at me with a hint of confusion in her voice. Her expression seemed to say, ¡°You know, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡­I don¡¯t know either. Surprisingly, even though they separated from me, they can¡¯tmunicate with me. Reflecting on what happened inside the whale¡¯s stomach¡­ somehow, I was able to give themmands. But two-waymunication doesn¡¯t work. It¡¯s like a general giving orders to soldiers, but not taking orders from them. In that sense, the sphere is a special case. So it¡¯s kind of precious. Anyway. Since I didn¡¯t know why he was acting that way either, I shrugged my jelly. *Grumble.* I felt a vibration on my back. Focusing on the source of the vibration, I saw Han Seori¡¯s stomach. Ah. In other words¡­ um, it seems Han Seori¡¯s ¡°belly clock¡± went off. Did she feel me looking? Han Seori made an ¡°oh my¡± sound with a slightly flushed face. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, we haven¡¯t eaten yet! Maybe he¡¯s acting that way because he¡¯s hungry? Yeah¡­ it¡¯s past mealtime¡­¡± You don¡¯t have to be so embarrassed. Giggling to myself, I remembered that we had just been waiting because Kim Cheonsu said he would bring back something tasty. I felt like I had energy stored up even if I didn¡¯t eat regrly. That feeling became more distinct after eating the canned food. I think it was the same before, but after that, I could feel that energy rtively clearly. Anyway. What Han Seori is rambling about may not be entirely wrong. Unlike me, the other slimes probably need to consume nutrients regrly, even if not punctually. ¡­No, no matter how you look at it, picking a fight and spraying jelly from your back isn¡¯t the right way to ask for a meal, is it? Who on earth taught him to do that? I really want to see his parents¡¯ faces. ¡­Wouldn¡¯t that be me? Honestly, it¡¯s a bit weird to say I gave birth to them. I simply released something that was boiling up inside me to the outside. So it¡¯s also strange to say I discarded them rather than gave birth¡­ ¡­I don¡¯t know. Thinking like this, Sosik seems angelic. Because he just sleeps without causing any problems. Without sighing since I don¡¯t have lungs, I bubbled my jelly and pointed to the kitchen. ¡­It¡¯s a bit big to be called a kitchen, but for now, it¡¯s the kitchen. With an awkward smile, Han Seori, Daesik still nestled in my arms, Jungsik happily spraying jelly after finally getting what he wanted, and even the floating sphere with Sosik sleeping on top¡­ The somewhat boisterous procession headed to the kitchen. Then I had this thought. ¡­Why isn¡¯t the sphere, which calls Han Seori an ¡°inferior species,¡± saying anything after seeing Jungsik¡¯s behaviour? Does it tolerate it because it knows I have a close rtionship with that existence? It¡¯s a fact that Han Seori is smarter than Jungsik. Perhaps the sphere¡¯s criteria forbelling something an ¡°inferior species¡± may not be intelligence. While pondering this, we arrived at the kitchen. I had to stop Han Seori, who was rolling up her sleeves to cook. I couldn¡¯t forget the scene I witnessedst time when we went camping. Han Seori looks at me with a face that seems somehow disappointed. ¡°This is a chance to practice when Cheonsu isn¡¯t here.¡± Well. This may sound rude, but¡­ it might be better not to do it at all. Just as I can¡¯t speak, Han Seori can¡¯t cook. Well¡­ I may learn how to speak in the future, but I don¡¯t see any prospects in Han Seori. Anyway. Using the ingredients from the storage room, we cobbled together a rough meal and returned to the management room. Even during that time, Kim Cheonsu did not return. ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± With a serious expression, Han Seori began manipting the panel to check something. I also became a bit serious. I prayed that nothing had happened, but why does it feel like things are gettingplicated? cing my hand on the sphere, I asked it. I asked if it could send repair drones outside the facility. Not possible. This guy just says it¡¯s not possible without giving a reason. Arge amount of resources have been allocated to this facility, so it is not possible. Yeah, thanks for the considerate answer. What a strangely useful yet ambiguous fellow. Is this the kind of thing that leads to an AI rebellionter on? ¡­Could it be that Sosik is keeping a close eye on him in case he develops strange intentions? Haha. There¡¯s no way. It was the funniest joke I had thought of since bing jelly. Sighing as there was nothing I could do at the moment. ¡°¡­What on earth is he doing here?¡± Han Seori muttered with her eyes tightly furrowed. On the screen she was looking at, a red dot was blinking. Huh. Why is it gradually fading? ¡°Where the hell is this ce?¡± Wearing arge backpack, Kim Cheonsu stood in a snowy field, covered in snow like a snowman. Behind him, the footprints he had left were quickly erased by the falling snow. ¡°¡­This is crazy.¡± Looking around at his unfamiliar surroundings, Kim Cheonsu thought. ¡®¡­At least I have a lot of food.¡¯ Why is the weather suddenly like this? Feeling at a loss, he let out a deep sigh, and his breath rose into the air like fog. In his eyes, an unprecedented blizzard was pouring down, the likes of which he had never experienced before. For now, He needed to find a ce to take shelter from the snow. Otherwise, it seemed he would be buried in it. Chapter 92: Full Armor Chapter 92: Full Armor Where is this ce again? Unlike the pure white space earlier, Kim Cheonsu found himself standing in a pitch-ck space, feeling dazed. He was sure he had been in a ce that was white in all directions, so why was he in a ce like this? It was a situation that should have made him feel perplexed and frightened, but Kim Cheonsu was strangely calm. As he gazed nkly at his surroundings, something caught his eye. A strange object was beginning to appear. No, rather than strange¡­ it was an object that looked somehow familiar. No, it wasn¡¯t an object but seemed to be a living creature. As if sensing his gaze, the creature he had been looking at quickly approached him.Before Kim Cheonsu could even gasp, the creature he had been observing rapidly drew near. With startling speed. ¡®Oh.¡¯ The approaching creature had a very¡­ familiar appearance to him. It had a slightly sticky, translucent blue body. In other words¡­ It was the slime girl. While Kim Cheonsu blinked in surprise at the sudden appearance, The slime girl who hade up to him *smack!* punched him in the stomach. Kim Cheonsu felt his body being pushed back slightly as he took the slime girl¡¯s punch. As he did so, something felt strange. No matter how much of a water punch the slime girl¡¯s fist was, it was definitely strange that he couldn¡¯t feel anything at all. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Kim Cheonsu finally realized this was a dream. A dream he had been having frequently since ¡®that incident¡¯¡­ a dream that even felt familiar. Rubbing his stomach where the slime girl had struck, Kim Cheonsu looked at the slime girl who seemed to be furious for some reason. Why did she look so angry? No, even so, who hits someone out of nowhere like that? ¡­Though it didn¡¯t hurt. As he grumbled to himself, Kim Cheonsu felt something was off. A rtively clear consciousness upon realizing it was a dream. Usually, he would wake up around this point. ¡­For some reason, he didn¡¯t wake up. It felt like he was having a lucid dream. Feeling a sense offort, Kim Cheonsu scratched his head. Hmm. I guess it¡¯s fine as long as it feels good. With that thought, he felt his mind bing hazy. The darkness around him seemed like it would be great for taking a nap. As he felt his consciousness sinking into the darkness, he let go of his senses, which were already blurry¡­ *p!* *Whoosh!* Kim Cheonsu felt his head spinning and quickly came to his senses. Blinking slowly, the slime girl had an absurd expression on her face. She began pping his face back and forth. *Smack, smack, smack, smack.* Alternating between the sides. Although it didn¡¯t hurt, Kim Cheonsu felt his mind bing clearer from the constantly shifting vision. ¡®St-stop. I get it! I don¡¯t know what it is, but I understand!¡¯ Kim Cheonsu made a deration of surrender, but his cry didn¡¯t echo out as a voice. The slime girl pped Kim Cheonsu¡¯s cheeks, punched his stomach, shook his cor *jolt, jolt*, and only then did she seem satisfied and stop moving. As Kim Cheonsu fell to the ground feeling dizzy, the slime girl turned her body with her arms crossed. Looking at the slime girl¡¯s soft body, Kim Cheonsu got up. ¡­Whatever kind of absurd dream this is, it¡¯s my dream, so this much should be fine, right? He felt a little indignant about being hit out of nowhere. Carefully moving, he raised his fist above his head. He gave the slime girl¡¯s head a *smack!* with his fist. Then the slime girl looked at Kim Cheonsu with her head caved in. Startled by that bizarre sight, Kim Cheonsu¡­ *Crack!* ¡°Ah.¡± He woke up from his sleep with his fist raised in the air. Awake, he shivered, feeling as if his skin would tear from the cold. Ah. Leaning his body against arge bag, he sighed upon discovering that the fire he had lit had gone out. White fog from his mouth spread out like mist. Eventually, he took out a lighter from his bag and relit the dead fire, pondering the dream he just had. ¡®¡­Could it be.¡¯ Was I about to die just now? Thinking that if he had fallen asleep there, he might have really parted with this world, Kim Cheonsu felt chills running down his spine, separate from the cold. ¡®¡­Then.¡¯ Did she save me? The dream with the slime girl that he had started asionally having since ¡®that day.¡¯ At first, he thought it was just something blue, but the shape of the slime girl became a little clearer day by day. Kim Cheonsu, who had been wondering why he was having such a dream¡­ ¡­was sincerely grateful for that dream this time. Even though he still had no idea what was going on. As Kim Cheonsu was feeling thankful to the slime girl, he thought something else was strange. ¡®It wasn¡¯t like this when I left the research center.¡¯ Why did the weather suddenly change like this? No matter how much he thought about it, it didn¡¯t seem like an ordinary situation¡­ Especially since the location of the research center, no matter how cold it was, wasn¡¯t outside the Korean Penins. ¡®¡­Is there something going on?¡¯ His senses were screaming at him. That the cause of this incident might be an unknown anomaly. ¡®Come to think of it.¡¯ He recalled a conversation he had while delivering information Han Seori hadpiled to a nearby branch. ¡®They said they were having a hard time because anomalies were suddenly popping up like mushrooms after rain.¡¯ Reflecting on that¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be strange if a new anomaly had appeared near the research center where he and Han Seori were staying. No, rather, there was a high possibility of that. ¡®¡­This is driving me crazy.¡¯ Kim Cheonsu, who had been relieved after dealing with the steel snake, which was the most threatening thing around, regretted his thoughts. But then Kim Cheonsu shook his head. ¡®Regretting won¡¯t change anything.¡¯ Comforting himself, he checked what he had left. Fortunately, there was a lot of food. ¡­The chunks of meat were frozen solid, so it would be a bit¡­ difficult to eat them, but still, it¡¯s better than nothing, right? The toys he had brought for the slime girl and the girl¡¯s slimes¡­ it seemed best to throw them away. He felt a little sorry, but in order to reduce any unnecessary weight, even a little, it couldn¡¯t be helped. Kim Cheonsu organized his luggage while warming himself by the zing fire. After finishing organizing, he fell into contemtion again. ¡®¡­What do I do now?¡¯ He had memorized the way back to the research center, but in the current situation, it was useless knowledge. What good would it be when he didn¡¯t even know where this ce was¡­? Sighing, he warmed a frozen chocte bar and ate it to replenish his sugar levels. Then, to his ears¡­ Hey! A familiar voice. An unforgettable voice reached him. It was Han Seori¡¯s voice as if looking for someone. ¡®¡­Did shee to rescue me?¡¯ Feeling moved to the point where the tip of his nose stung, he¡­ ¡­hardened his expression as he recalled that the current situation might be caused by an anomaly. If anyone''s there, please answer! The one making Han Seori¡¯s voice¡­ was it really Han Seori? Or¡­ could it be an unknown anomaly? As he pondered, the voice that had beening from quite close was gradually moving away. He had to make a choice. To find a way out of here without any clues. ¡­Or to chase after that voice, hoping it was the real Han Seori. Or¡­ staying here and enduring until rescuees could also be an option. Kim Cheonsu looked at the transmitter he had put in his pocket. It was something Han Seori had prepared for him just in case. ¡­But maybe due to the cold, it didn¡¯t seem to be working. Without this signal, would they be able to find me? Perhaps the voice he was hearing now was Han Seori, who hade to find him before the transmitter signal was cut off. Pondering with a throbbing head, Kim Cheonsu stood up with his bag. It seemed he had decided to follow the voice. Behind him as he slowly left the cave¡­ ¡­the toys that hadn¡¯t met their owner faced the cold wind, creating an eerie atmosphere. ¡°Are you ufortable?¡± I shook my head at Han Seori¡¯s question. Then Han Seori put arge hood over my head with an apologetic expression. Looking at the mirror beside me, I saw the silhouette of a girl bundled up in clothes. Therge hood hid my face. ¡­That¡¯s right. I was currently dressed up to go outside. Since there were no clothes that fit me right away, I wore clothes that were cut and pieced together from Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu¡¯s clothes. Instion wasn¡¯t really important anyway. This was¡­ to prepare for any situations that might ur while I was active outside. In other words. In case I suddenly encountered humans. That kind of situation. Yeah. A bad feeling never misses the mark, and I decided to go outside to look for Kim Cheonsu, who wasn¡¯ting back. From the moment the spherical guy said he couldn¡¯t send out drones, there wasn¡¯t much of a choice. ¡­On top of that, Kim Cheonsu¡¯s signal had suddenly disappeared. It was clear that something bad had happened to him. Especially since there was a snowstorm outside that I had never seen before. Seeing that, it was understandable that Kim Cheonsu could have lost his way. But why was there such a snowstorm? Am I really in Korea right now? As if to answer my questions, Han Seori spoke in a worried voice. ¡°I think a new anomaly may have appeared nearby.¡± ¡­So, anomalies just pop up out of nowhere like this? Thinking that, the people who had been hiding their existence until now suddenly seemed amazing, albeit in a new light. As I nodded my head inwardly, Han Seori attached a familiar device to the nape of my neck, saying, ¡°So be careful. I¡¯ll help you as much as I can.¡± I nodded silently. No, I can¡¯t speak anyway. Before leaving the facility, I looked at Han Seori. Behind her, spheres and slimes, except for me, were huddled together. Because of these ridiculous clothes I was wearing, the other slimes couldn¡¯t go outside. ¡­Even if they could go out with me, it was uncertain whether they would be of help, but it was still disappointing. If there was any constion, it was that thanks to the sphere, I could receive Han Seori¡¯s help even in this absurd situation. Ah, geez. Should I give the sphere a kiss or something? ¡­He wouldn¡¯t like it, would he? Receiving Han Seori¡¯s send-off, I stepped out of the facility and thought as I faced the blowing snowstorm. The clothes were blocking my vision, making it very ufortable. I can¡¯t take them off, and it¡¯s really¡­ inconvenient. Anyways. Let¡¯s go find Kim Cheonsu. Following Han Seori¡¯s guidance, I took steps toward the ce where Kim Cheonsu¡¯s signal wasst cut off. Chapter 93: On the snowy field Chapter 93: On the snowy field Something felt awkward. I mean¡­ uhm, walking while wearing clothes. Thinking about it, that was a bit¡­ strange. Even though I¡¯ve lived as a human for much longer¡­ I already feel ufortable acting like one. I guess there¡¯s a reason why humans are said to be adaptable creatures. But, honestly¡­ I can¡¯t help but feel ufortable. Wearing clothes was fine when I was a human. Since I didn¡¯t have a hobby of walking around stark naked. However, there were still various reasons why I didn¡¯t wear clothes until now.First, right after I became like this, controlling the viscosity of my jelly didn¡¯t even cross my mind. Even if I could have done it back then, it was better not to wear clothes since they would get sticky and wet. ¡­It might also be because those who captured me didn¡¯t give me clothes, and no one questioned it. Anyway. Actually, I think the reason I¡¯m about to say now is bigger than the one I just mentioned. When you dress up like this without a single gap¡­ Your field of vision narrows. The 360-degree view that used to fit entirely in my eyes narrowed as if I was shoved into a box with a hole. This is¡­ extremely stuffy. It doesn¡¯t feel like hiding my strength, but sealing it makes it quite unbearable. ¡­I wonder how long it¡¯s been since I saw the world through a slime¡¯s perspective to feel this difort. I don¡¯t know. But since everything is white wherever I look, I feel like I might adapt quickly. Will I have to adapt to a slime¡¯s perspective again after this ends? ¡­I feel like I¡¯m filled with rage towards Kim Cheonsu. Hey, can''t you hear me? Hmm... what''s wrong with this? Is it broken because it''s too cold? If you can hear me, stop for a moment. Han Seori¡¯s tiny voice was heard. While I was walking and thinking about other things, it seemed Han Seori had contacted me. Hearing her serious voice, I stopped my body as if frozen solid. Then, along with Han Seori¡¯s sigh of relief, her small voice rang out. Fortunately, it doesn''t seem to be broken. Were you thinking about something else...? Ah, you can''t answer anyway. Not being able to speak wasn¡¯t all bad. Like mumbling about how it¡¯s morefortable to walk around naked¡­ Or having to desperatelye up with an excuse. ¡­If there was a notebook, she might have told me to write it down. But there¡¯s none at the moment. Pretending to listen to her for a bit, she spoke with a somewhat ambiguousugh. To get to the destination, from there... turn right... haa... it''s a bit difficult to exin since everywhere is covered in snow. It seemed I had strayed from the route while thinking about other things. I feel like I¡¯ve be a strange person who leaves the navigation on without following its guidance. Come to think of it. Can¡¯t you tell me the direction with an arrow like before? There must be a separate reason you can¡¯t do that, right? Han Seori is such a smart person. ¡­She didn¡¯t really forget, did she? While I was feeling a bit doubtful, Han Seori spoke with augh as if a good idea hade to her. Ah, can you try stretching your right arm forward? Yeah, like that. As I stretched my arm as she said, the loose clothing fluttered, and cold wind came in through the gaps, tickling my jelly. Waiting with a creepy feeling, the next instruction soon followed. Now, can you slowly spread your arm? Yes, good job. Slowly... Let''s see... Ah! Stop! This time, I stiffened my arm like a child who shouted ¡°freeze!¡± and Han Seori let out a satisfiedugh. That''s the exact direction. Keep going that way until I tell you to stop. ¡­Although I¡¯ve gotten used to being praised like this, I couldn¡¯t stop my jelly from jiggling without realizing it. Haa. How nice would it be if the manager who ordered me around me was like Han Seori? ¡­But then I thought about Han Seori ordering around Kim Cheonsu, and I realized that if I wasn¡¯t an anomaly, it might have been quite hard. But still, I thought it was better than the manager. Because¡­ Han Seori is¡­ quite attractive, you see It¡¯s not lookism. This is just inevitable. People naturally feel favorable towards pretty and beautiful things. Maybe the reason Kim Cheonsu and Han Seori treat me gently is that my appearance is cute. Like, if I looked like a monster from a novel or game, wouldn¡¯t the situation be a bit different from now? ¡­I don¡¯t know. Since I can¡¯t open Han Seori¡¯s head to check, my thoughts could be wrong. Anyway. I turned in the direction with my jelly stretched out. To move in the direction Han Seori pointed. In the midst of that. Something ising... Along with Han Seori¡¯s very small voice, I heard footsteps approaching me. *Crunch, crunch.* Footsteps trampling the white snow and drawing near. Han Seori said there was a possibility of encountering humans, so I thought it was a needless worry. But it seemed like it wasn¡¯t an unnecessary fuss. I moved my feet, creaking as if I hadn¡¯t seen them to avoid them. But what if that stimted them even more? ¡°Huh? What¡¯s someone doing out here?¡± ¡°Judging by the height¡­ seems like a kid.¡± No, I¡¯m not a kid, you know? ¡­That¡¯s not the important thing. I took big strides to avoid them. Holding onto the ragged clothes with my jelly so they wouldn¡¯t fall off. ¡°Huh? Wait! Where are you going!? It¡¯s dangerous over there!¡± ¡°Kid! We¡¯re not bad people! We¡¯ll help you, so can you stop!?¡± Have you ever seen bad people say they¡¯re bad? And good people don¡¯t say they¡¯re good themselves, either. ¡­Ah, they didn¡¯t say they were good people. Anyway. Whether those people were good or bad wasn¡¯t important to me. I ran at full speed because I didn¡¯t want to be a blue-skinned alien appearing in the snowy field. But. ¡°K-Kid!¡± ¡°Ah, ah, why is he so fast?¡± As if their self-introduction that they weren¡¯t bad people wasn¡¯t a lie, they began to persistently chase after me. Honestly, if I saw a small silhouette wandering around in a snowstorm like this, I would have been worried too, so I could understand their feelings. I understood their intentions¡­ but please, just go away. While feeling troubled and running. Can you turn your face back for a moment after counting to three? Is there some kind of trick? Like a tranquilizer needle flying out from a device filled around my face? ¡­Uh, then wouldn¡¯t those people die? Feeling shivers through my jelly at the thought, I counted to three with a ¡°no way¡± feeling. Three. Two. One. Feeling like I should throw a spinning top, I looked back. ¡°Big brothers! Let go before I report you to the police!¡± ¡°Wh-What!?¡± ¡°Ah, no, we were just trying to help¡­¡± An oddly irritated voice, not Han Seori¡¯s, rang out. Hearing that voice, the men flinched as if shot and stopped in their tracks. While they hesitated to make excuses¡­ I ran even faster and hid my body in the snowstorm. The men who had been chasing me from behind seemed to have given up, as I no longer felt their presence. Only then did I bubble up a sigh of relief and took a moment to examine the surroundings while hiding behind arge tree that came into view. Thank goodness it worked out. Otherwise, I would have had to use another method. ¡­What other method would that have been? I tightly shut my jelly, not wanting to think about it. Ah, I can¡¯t speak anyway. More than that, the voice from earlier bothered me. ¡­It felt as if I had called those people ¡°Big brothers!¡± Honestly, if Han Seori hadn¡¯t been watching, I might have dry-heaved. Ugh. Gross. But my effort wasn¡¯t in vain, as Han Seori delivered good news to me. But you came in the right direction. Like this... turn around and go straight. It was fortunate news amidst misfortune, so I trudged along the snow. *Crunch, crunch* Not long ago, my weight was so light that I couldn¡¯t even leave proper footprints, but now that I¡¯m wearing shoes, footprints are left behind. ¡­Although they soon disappeared in the blowing snowstorm. I shook my body, and the snow that piled up on my clothes fell off with a thud. Is this really Korea? Judging by the sturdy young men I met earlier, it can¡¯t be anywhere but Korea. I was feeling a bit dizzy from the spicy snowstorm I couldn¡¯t even taste in the military. A ce that was clearly far from white caught my eye in the distance. It was presumed to be a cave with a pitch-ck mouth open. Seeing that, Han Seori spoke in a tense voice. That''s where Cheonsu''s signal wasst detected. ¡­Hmm. I sincerely hope he¡¯s just there. With that earnest wish in my heart, I headed towards the ce presumed to be a cave. They say the universe helps you if you sincerely wish for it, don¡¯t they? Please¡­ please. As I entered the cave, which was somewhat warmer than outside. A strange sight greeted me. It seemed Kim Cheonsu had been here. There was a dying campfire presumed to have been lit by him. ¡­And new-looking toys were scattered all over the ce. It felt very bizarre. It was as if Kim Cheonsu had gone mad from the cold and yed with toys¡­ then ran out. ¡­It feels like too much, but that¡¯s the gist of it. This is... Separate from that, like Han Seori¡¯s uneasy voice. The situation didn¡¯t look very good. It would have been nice if Kim Cheonsu had stayed here obediently¡­ but it seemed he had chosen to move. I had no interest in the toys, so I immediately turned around. Han Seori would have wanted that, too. Then a toy got caught on my foot. Lowering my gaze, I saw a 4x4x4 cube, though I couldn¡¯t fathom whose preference it was. ¡­Staring nkly at it, I thought it would be a waste since Kim Cheonsu had gone through the trouble of bringing it, so I put it in my pocket. You still... like cubes, I see. No, that¡¯s not really the case. Feeling embarrassed for some reason, I went outside. A strange trace caught my eye. Although it faded as it was covered by snow, there was a mark as if something had been dragged on the ground. And. ¡­For some reason, towards that direction. My knowledge pouch perked up. Chapter 94: I found that bastard Chapter 94: I found that bastard After escaping the cave, Kim Cheonsu felt that his body was too heavy for some reason. He paused for a moment to figure out the cause and thought it was because the backpack he was carrying was too heavy. Then. ¡¯If I put this down and go, wouldn¡¯t that be okay?; As Kim Cheonsu nkly thought that and tried to take off his backpack, he blinked his eyes. What was I just thinking? Leaving this here¡­ would be no different than resigning myself to death. Wandering around in an unknown ce without even the minimum preparation. At that moment, his thoughts were about to continue.It''s here. Over here. He heard Han Seori¡¯s voice, which seemed to have a sense of joy from somewhere. Right. I was following Doctor Han¡¯s voice. This is not the time for this. I have to hurry and follow that voice. Hopefully, the doctor will be there. *Swoosh¡­* *Swoosh¡­* Kim Cheonsu, who had be dazed again, dragged his trailing backpack and took a step toward the voice. Behind him, slowly walking, traces were left as if someone was being dragged. The blowing snowstorm tried to erase those traces, but due to the backpack being so heavy, it seemed like it would take quite some time for the traces to be erased. Kim Cheonsu advances, ignoring the fiercely blowing snowstorm that erases the traces. Snow piled up on his body, but it could not divert his attention. *Plop¡­* *Thud* Eventually, the pile of snow copsed, and his reddened ears and nose slowly turned blue. Nevertheless. Like someone who could not feel the cold, Kim Cheonsu dragged his trailing backpack, going *swoosh¡­* *swoosh¡­* as he advanced towards the voice. We''re almost there now. He blindly moved forward. Suddenly. Such a thought abruptly came to him. ¡®Would Doctor Han really be somewhere like this¡­ in such weather?¡¯ A deep sense of difort was palpable. At first, he thought she hade to help him, but upon reflecting on it, it was strange. Him showing interest in her is a personal matter. No matter how much they¡¯ve be like partners, thinking about their official rtionship, there¡¯s no reason for Han Seori to face a threat to save him. She seemed to have a strange soft spot for 7496-KR, but¡­ fundamentally, she wasn¡¯t a very warm person. Oh. The voice I¡¯m hearing now. Is it really Doctor Han¡¯s voice? Noticing the subtle sense of difort, life returned to Kim Cheonsu¡¯s dazed eyes. He abruptly shrank his body at the sudden feeling of the cold tearing at his skin. ¡°Kuk!¡± What found him next was pain. A feeling as if his ears and nose were freezing. Because he had been dragging his backpack, his arms felt stiff. Havinge to his senses, he hurriedly pulled his backpack and rummaged through it for something to warm his body. The fiercely blowing wind mercilessly erased his options. As he felt his body gradually stiffening, he saw the hot packs he had stuffed in just in case. It would be like peeing on frozen feet, but it would be much better than nothing. He took out the hot packs, tore off the packaging, and rubbed them haphazardly. Hoping the reaction would quickly ur and warm his body. Even while shaking the hot packs, Kim Cheonsu did not forget to look around. After all, he thought going back to the cave-like before would be more effective than these hot packs. However¡­ all he saw was a world of pure white. So the only thing he could choose was¡­ ¡®I should go back to that cave from before after all.¡¯ If he followed the faintly remaining traces, he could somehow get there. He didn¡¯t know if doing that would allow him to escape this situation. ¡®¡­But I¡¯m not someone who will do nothing.¡¯ If he waited there, wouldn¡¯t Doctor Han somehow help him? In the first ce, going outside while sensing something suspicious¡­ Just a little more and you''ll be there... Why aren''t youing? Then, the whispers began again. Kim Cheonsu, who had now realized the voice was strange, shouted angrily. ¡°Wh-Whatever you are, go away!¡± If it wasn¡¯t Han Seori moving farther away and teasing him, then that voice had clearly gone beyond suspicious to strange. He tried to resist the voice by iling his arms haphazardly. How long had it been since Kim Cheonsu screamed and iled his arms, trying to go back the way he came? In the pure white space, it was difficult to even gauge time, so it was unknown how long he had iled his arms and screamed. But in the end. He walks with dazed eyes again. The backpack dragged behind him. From the hot pack that had somehow torn, ck and red, mottled iron powder *plopped* down. Around him as he walked vacantly. Come quickly. You''ve really... almost arrived. A strange voice that was hard to tell whose it was echoed. At this point, wouldn¡¯t it be okay to take my clothes off? It seems like that would also help with looking around. ¡­But remembering the people I met a little while ago, I couldn¡¯t take my clothes off in the end. Saying this makes me sound like I have some exhibitionist kink, but I don¡¯t have those kinds of sexual preferences and tastes. It¡¯s simply a matter of efficiency. Having my vision obscured is stuffy, and it¡¯s true that it¡¯s hard to thoroughly look around? If I had taken off this suffocating hood, I might have already found Kim Cheonsu. Anyway. Walking on the snow with somewhat tottering steps felt quite strange. The piled-up snow seems to be quite a bit, but walking on it ever so lightly makes me feel like I¡¯ve be some incredible being? It feels like I¡¯ve be a master from a martial arts novel. ¡­In reality, it¡¯s probably just because of my bizarre weight. Where do the things I eat even get stored? It¡¯s a question I¡¯ve been curious about for a long time but haven¡¯t gotten an answer to, so I focused on my wobbling jelly and moved again. In front of me, I could still see traces of something being dragged on the ground. Maybe because my steps were fast, the more I chased, the more distinct the traces seemed to be. And. ¡­My knowledge pouch kept twitching outward, pointing towards that area. At this point, I can¡¯t help but be sure. Kim Cheonsu wasn¡¯t simply stranded but had gotten caught up in an anomaly that suddenly appeared. This is troublesome... Han Seori¡¯s uneasy voice proved it. Those guys who were chasing me a little while ago should be grateful to me¡­ no, to Han Seori. Otherwise, they would have ended up like Kim Cheonsu. ¡­Well, it¡¯s not like Kim Cheonsu faced any immediate danger. I don¡¯t want anything bad to happen to him, either. I guess you could say I¡¯ve grown fond of him in my own way. And. ¡­Daesik seems to have gotten really close with Kim Cheonsutely. If something were to happen to Kim Cheonsu, Daesik would be sad, too. So. I hope he¡¯s safe. With that wish, as I moved forward. In the snowy field, where only traces of something being dragged remained, a trace that was clearly different from before appeared. Huh? As I lightly approached that spot with Han Seori¡¯s voice, the dragging traces were nowhere to be seen, and traces that seemed like a bag had been swung around were left. Kim Cheonsu probably wasn¡¯t dragged¡­ but came all the way here dragging something. Or maybe he came to his senses here while being dragged. Following that, I saw something ck dropped on the snowy field. Without much thought, I reached out my hand and put it in my body, and tasted the vor of sucking on metal pieces. What is this? Looking at the spots of red powder, it seems... a hot pack burst or something. ¡­Wow. Is Han Seori looking at the same thing as me right now? Anyway. Seeing these traces, I feel hopeful that Kim Cheonsu is still alive. I diligently walked, following the ck traces and the dragging traces that began to appear again. Along with the thought of how long it had been since I moved this diligently. The good thing is that the slime¡¯s body doesn¡¯t feel tired easily. I wonder if it¡¯s because of the weight umted somewhere or if it¡¯s a characteristic of this body, but it¡¯s a big help. ¡­If that energy runs out, will I be a frozen slime, too? A terrifying question remained, but I tried hard to ignore it since it wasn¡¯t something that would happen right away. After walking for who knows how long. At the end of the dragging marks. I saw a cave that was muchrger than the one I saw earlier. It looked like a monster opening its maw. But the dragging traces continued towards it. And the knowledge pouch was pointing towards it. So there was no choice but to go. ...Be careful. We don''t know what''s inside. I coolly nodded at Han Seori¡¯s concern and hurriedly entered the cave. The inside was unexpectedly clean¡­ No, the inside looked narrower than the outside size. Because. As soon as I entered, I saw Kim Cheonsu tottering and walking ahead. I couldn¡¯t tell if he had just entered or if the cave was short. But at the thought of finding him, my jelly wobbles. As I happily approached. I saw something strange. ...What is that? In front of Kim Cheonsu, who was tottering as if possessed by something. There was a bizarre-looking monster. And from that monster¡¯s mouth. ¡°Just a little more walking and we¡¯ll finally meet.¡± I heard a strange voice. This is... me? Is this? The thought crossed my mind, but there was no time to dwell on it. Because. Kim Cheonsu was pushing his head towards that monstrous maw lined with razor-sharp fangs. Chapter 95: Come to your senses! Chapter 95: Come to your senses! Why the hell is he doing that? The sight made those words leave my mouth involuntarily. A grotesque monster was opening its mouth wide, but Kim Cheonsu, seemingly unaware, was approaching with a dazed face. If left alone, Kim Cheonsu¡¯s face would end up shattered like a chewed lollipop. I took off the clothes I was wearing, threw them aside, and ran towards Kim Cheonsu. Havinge this far, I didn¡¯t have to worry about meeting other people, and now that a confrontation was certain, it wasn¡¯t a situation to be picky. ¡­Although it felt strange, like transforming in a cartoon, I didn¡¯t have time to indulge in such weird sentiments. With *squish squish* sounds, I ran towards Kim Cheonsu while taking off my clothes, and whatever didn¡¯te off easily, I just absorbed into my body. I felt a chill as if my jelly would freeze.Even though I ran to Kim Cheonsu going that far¡­ Somehow, I had a feeling I wouldn¡¯t make it in time. It seemed Kim Cheonsu would reach that monster faster than I could cover the remaining distance. If only I could make a sound at a time like this¡­ Even just yelling¡­ Cheonsu! Come to your senses! You''ll die like that! Did my wish reach him? From the device around my neck, Han Seori¡¯s loud voice rang out. Her clear, high-pitched voice spread haphazardly in the cave as if shouting in a public bath. My jelly trembled from the reverberating voice, so you could imagine how loud it must have been. And did it have an effect? Kim Cheonsu¡¯s dazed steps faltered. Then, as if responding to that, from the monster¡¯s throat¡­ ¡°That voice is fake. Come this way.¡± A voice like Han Seori¡¯s flowed out. It may be a bit rude to say this to Han Seori, but¡­ it really sounded the same. Soon after, Kim Cheonsu¡¯s halted steps moved again. No matter how much Han Seori shouted, Kim Cheonsu¡¯s steps would no longer stop. Just when I thought his head would surely snap off¡­ I noticed a cube floating around in my body. A toy presumed to have been dropped by Kim Cheonsu. With my gaze on it, I took the cube out of my body. Feeling like I¡¯d be the blue robot from a cartoon, I vigorously threw the cube I took out. The target was Kim Cheonsu¡¯s head. The distance was closer than I thought, so it didn¡¯t seem like it would be hard to hit. ¡­I wondered how effective it would be even if I threw it with my strength, but it wasn¡¯t a time to be picky. I put all my power into the jelly and threw the cube! The cube that left my hand like that¡­ The cube¡­ ¡­flew towards Kim Cheonsu¡¯s face with a thrust different from what I expected, making a strange sound. The quickly flying cube hit Kim Cheonsu¡¯s head with a *thud!* It shattered into pieces and scattered in all directions. At the sight that could be called gruesome, even I, the one who threw the cube, flinched with my jelly and stopped. And Kim Cheonsu also stopped. ¡­Although it flew more strongly than I thought, what matters is that I achieved my goal, right? However, Kim Cheonsu didn¡¯t just stop moving¡­ ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± As if he¡¯d fainted, he copsed backward. I ran to him in a fluster and sat on the ground, catching his body. His headnded safely near my lower abdomen. Feeling the chill and hardnessing from my bottom area, I broke out in a cold sweat behind the jelly. If¡­ the usual man had fallen straight down¡­ I thought his head might have shattered, making the cube¡¯s sacrifice meaningless. ¡­The back of his head touching my body seems a bit protruding, but since his life was saved, isn¡¯t that what matters? As I wobbled my jelly in relief, I finally noticed the monster¡¯s presence and focused my gaze. I thought it woulde rushing in a rage¡­ but strangely, the unidentified monster just stopped and opened its mouth wide. As if it couldn¡¯te any closer from there. ¡­Or maybe it was so focused on what would enter its mouth soon that it didn¡¯t notice it couldn¡¯t approach. Seeing that, the former possibility seemed more likely, so I tapped Kim Cheonsu¡¯s shoulders and face with *squish squish* sounds as he copsed on my body. But I had to exert delicate force control. Thinking of how the cube flew¡­ I couldn¡¯t help it. This force control seemed to happen automatically before I threw the cube without me knowing, but now that I was aware of it¡­ it didn¡¯t go as I wanted. So I was a bit scared that his head might suddenly twist off while I was hitting his body. Meanwhile, the monster kept its mouth open, letting out Han Seori¡¯s voice. ¡°Come here¡­e here¡­ hurry¡­¡± He doesn''t seem able to approach... I wonder if there''s a reason... Since it was the same on our side with Han Seori, the two voices mixed chaotically. Eventually¡­ ¡°Heuk!?¡± Kim Cheonsu, who was being hit by my soft jelly punches, exhaled roughly and opened his eyes. *Squish, squish.* My hand stopped a bit more slowly, so Kim Cheonsu took my jelly punches with open eyes. Having been hit, he¡­ made a somewhat dazed face and then grabbed his head. ¡°Another dream¡­ This is driving me crazy¡­.¡± ¡­Huh? Did he dream of me appearing or something? ¡­How creepy! To wake him up to reality, I grabbed his wrist that was holding his head and pushed it away. ¡°Huh, whoa!?¡± Kim Cheonsu¡¯s wristes down easily, like snapping a child¡¯s wrist. Easily pushing away the hand of a guy bigger than me¡­ it felt good somehow. Should I say it feels like I¡¯ve gained tremendous strength in my hands? Anyway¡­ After pushing his hand away, I moved his head to make him face the monster. ¡°Heuk!?¡± As if finallying to his senses, Kim Cheonsu jolted and abruptly sat up. He moved in a fluster like lightning¡­ ¡­and timidly hid his body behind me. He seemed to have fallen into a slight state of panic, so I let it slide. Honestly, if I were human right now, not slime, I would have fainted, too, seeing that hideous sight. In the meantime¡­ Cheonsu, you''re awake. ¡°¡­Oh, Dr. Han?¡± Upon hearing Han Seori¡¯s voice, he coughed, *ahem, ahem*, and stood up from his spot. ¡­It felt a bit toote, but that¡¯s a man¡¯s pride for you. Smiling inwardly, I pretended not to know. Han Seori probably saw everything anyway. That¡¯s not something I can do anything about. Should I have covered the camera¡­? Were you drawn here by my voice, Cheonsu? You looked sort of entranced... What was your state of mind like? Hmm. ¡­Perhaps to Han Seori, the anomaly that appeared before her eyes now might be more important than that. In response to that voice, Kim Cheonsu answered with a somewhat bitter yet relieved expression. ¡°That¡¯s right. At first, I thought you hade to rescue me, so I went outside¡­ But when I came to my senses, I was on a snowy field. And when I lost consciousness again at the voice¡­ I was in this state.¡± Is it putting him in some kind of trance? That aside, it seems to be able to lure from quite a distance. Although it¡¯s currently clinging to Kim Cheonsu¡­ if it gives up and targets other prey¡­ It doesn¡¯t seem like it would lead to good results. ...We''ll have to deal with it right away, or there will be an ident. Han Seori also quickly noticed that and spoke in a regretful voice. Somehow, that voice seemed to pity me¡­ And I had a feeling it wasn¡¯t a misunderstanding. After all, how could Kim Cheonsu, who is practically bare-handed right now, deal with that hideous monster? Honestly, looking at those jagged teeth filling that monster makes me shrink back a bit, but thanks to the bizarre strength I experienced a moment ago, I feel like I can handle it. ¡­Ahh. I didn¡¯t want to show off my skills here. They¡¯ll probably tell me to handle everything. Come to think of it, it seems to have been like that for a while now. What the¡­ *Sigh* In the end, it¡¯s going to turn out like that. As I was epting my fate, Han Seori¡¯s questions continued. How is it now? Is your mind clear? ¡°Yes, yes. I think I¡¯m okay.¡± That''s a relief. This is all possible because that monster is just opening its mouth wide. Oh. Come to think of it, I only hear one of Han Seori¡¯s voices? Feeling strange, I focused my gaze and saw the monster with its mouth closed, staring at me and Kim Cheonsu. Vertically split, pitch-ck pupils. It gave off a strong monster vibe. It was as if wanting to show that it appeared in a pure white space, like outside. Its body was covered in white fur. I was relieved¡­ that the fur wasn¡¯t dyed red. Anyway¡­ Since it showed signs of taking other actions, I slowly stepped forward and shielded Kim Cheonsu¡¯s body. ¡­With my gaze that could see the back as well, the mass was woefully insufficient, but the meaning seemed to be conveyed as Kim Cheonsu made a face that seemed somewhat moved to tears. It felt a bit¡­ excessive, but it didn¡¯t feel too bad. And so¡­ A contest with the unidentified furry monster began. Not with snowballs to throw, but with eyes to stare. In the first ce, there was no snow piled up in here, so it was only natural. As it stared at me¡­ I also stared at it. Its body seemed to extend deep into the cave, forming a shape that continued into the darkness. Perhaps there was no barrier, but that ce was its limit. Now, what should I do? Should I charge at it and coolly subdue it¡­ to get rid of it? While I was running simtions in my head about how to cook it after rushing at it, since Han Seori had yet to give further instructions¡­ *Rumble rumble!* Suddenly, the cave began to shake. Chapter 96: The Cave Rumbled Chapter 96: The Cave Rumbled The swaying cave made people uneasy for reasons unknown. That unease remained even after I turned into a slime, so the sudden shaking startled me. And that went for Kim Cheonsu, as well. As we stood there, unable to do anything, Han Seori¡¯s voice rang out from my neck. What are you two doing?! Let''s get out of here first! ¡°Y-yes, yes!¡± I, too, finally came to my senses and ran out of the cave with a *squish, squish*, and I could see Kim Cheonsu diligently following me. Seeing him running while furrowing his brow and rubbing the back of his head made my jelly twinge with guilt.¡­I should treat him kindly for the time being. With that resolution, I was running toward the exit. Then, the creature that had been watching us motionlessly as if unable to move any further, Began stretching its body. It looked as if a white tongue was slipping out of its throat. The extended creature approached Kim Cheonsu with its mouth wide open, *slurp* Watch out! I wanted to shout, but I had no throat to warn him with. I used to find itfortable to gloss over things because of this. But in a situation like this¡­ it was terribly inconvenient. ¡­To begin with, thinking that he could follow me just fine after wandering around the snowy ins and getting hit on the back of the head to the point of losing consciousness¡­ may have been nonsense. As I observed the situation while running, I had to make a choice. Either trust that Kim Cheonsu will dodge on his own and escape first. Or, Be bait, So he can get out. With little time to choose, my decision was very quick. While running, I could still see behind me, so I swiftly unfastened the device on my neck. Huh?! Hearing Han Seori¡¯s voice, I turned my body and approached Kim Cheonsu. He looks at me with a puzzled face as he runs while clutching the back of his head. ¡­It seems he hasn¡¯t noticed the creature opening its mouth anding at him from behind. Even if the back of his head tickles, he probably can¡¯t feel it because of the bump from getting hit by the cube. Then, since I was the one who threw the cube, I should take responsibility for it. So, It¡¯s not that I¡¯m rushing in because I have an exemry spirit of self-sacrifice. I handed the mechanical device to the confused Kim Cheonsu just in case, and smacked his waist several times, telling him to get out of here quickly. ¡°Huh? Uh!?¡± Wha-wait, what the heck is going on... Kim Cheonsu, who was feeling confused, quickly came to his senses, but something with its mouth wide open approached faster. The closer it got to the entrance, the more violently the cave shook, as if it would copse at any moment. To the point that it seemed difficult to maintain bnce. And then, over Kim Cheonsu, who was barely managing to keep his bnce, A deep shadow fell. *Slurp* The gaping maw was densely packed with teeth, too many to count. If touched by that, one would instantly turn into minced meat¡­ even I could tell that much. Since I¡¯m short, it¡¯s only natural that Kim Cheonsu would be targeted first. So, I pushed Kim Cheonsu with all my might. ¡°Waaah!?¡± Kim Cheonsu iled his arms and legs as he flew through the air. Oh no! The shadow that had fallen over Kim Cheonsu naturally fell over me. Kim Cheonsu, realizing the situation, let out a scream. *Crunch! Squelch!* ¡°Eek!¡± Ah... ah... With a scream and a hollow voice, the monster¡¯s jagged teeth swallowed the slime girl¡¯s upper body. The slime girl¡¯s remains stuck to the sharp teeth, giving the impression of a beast that had finished eating. The wriggling blue pieces added to its grotesqueness. A blue liquid was sttered everywhere like spilled blood. Memories of his time with the slime girl shed through Kim Cheonsu¡¯s mind like a panorama. ¡­She wasn¡¯t the most amiable one, but sometimes she would approach him like a friend. Even in his dreams. Even now. The sight of her busily moving to save him. Disappeared, torn to shreds by hideous teeth. He felt a tingling in his eyes as he gasped for breath. It felt as if it was his fault that the slime girl had ended up like that. No, it was his fault. If only he had held out in that cave. ¡­If he had stayed inside, firmly believing that rescue woulde. This wouldn¡¯t have happened. Kim Cheonsu bit his lip, feeling an emotion he had never felt before. You bastard... A sharp voice rang in Kim Cheonsu¡¯s ears, filled with palpable anger. Realizing he wasn¡¯t the only one grieving, Kim Cheonsu struggled to get up with his disoriented body. Although the cave was still shaking, it seemed a little easier to move than before, perhaps because the monster had stopped for a moment. With the mechanical device the slime girl had handed him tightly clenched in his hand, he ran quickly toward the exit. ncing back to see if it was following, Kim Cheonsu caught sight of the lower half of the slime girl lying on the ground. Although it was just a mucus-like lump, Kim Cheonsu felt nausea rising in his throat as he moved. He ran and ran, struggling to the end, thinking it would be proper respect for 7496-KR¡¯s choice to save him. But. ¡­Something was strange. ...? The monster, which seemed like it would open its hideous mouth and swallow him at any moment, was groaning and shaking its head as if trying to chase away an itch. As the cave¡¯s tremors ceased, Kim Cheonsuposed himself and got to his feet. The monster continued to swing its head back and forth as if trying to shake something off. ¡°¡­What the heck is this?¡± Could it be... Kim Cheonsu¡¯s voice and Han Seori¡¯s tone carried a glimmer of hope. There was only one reason for the monster to suddenly disy abnormal behavior when it had been fine. That 7496-KR¡­ the slime girl, was alive. Realizing this, Kim Cheonsu surveyed his surroundings while calming his pounding heart. He also didn¡¯t forget to slowly back away from the monster in case of any unforeseen situations. As he calmly assessed the situation, peculiar points caught his eye. One was the mucus-like substance stuck to the monster¡¯s teeth. The mucus that had been squirming as if drained of strength seemed to have hardened, gripping the teeth. It appeared to be the reason the monster couldn¡¯t open its mouth and approach Kim Cheonsu. And¡­ one more thing. The lower half of the slime girl that had been lying on the ground had vanished without a trace. Then, *Rumble rumble rumble!* As the cave began to shake again, Kim Cheonsu frantically moved and leaned his body against the entrance. The monster continues to squirm its body toward the entrance as if in agony. It reminded him of a caterpir, so Kim Cheonsu, who had guessed the slime girl was alive, unknowingly let out a hollowugh. ...Are youughing right now? ¡°¡­I apologize.¡± ...No. I was a bit sharp too. For ordinary people like us to face such a thing without any preparation... it''s an impossible feat, isn''t it. Kim Cheonsu also knew that painfully well, so he nodded. But he still felt as if some heavy burden had settled in his heart. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Meanwhile, ¡°¡­!!!!!!!¡± The monster screamed in a voice that could belong to anyone. Kim Cheonsu frowned and covered his ears. Ugh... It seemed Han Seori was the same, as a pained voice was heard. And in the eyes of the two, and on the screen, A bizarre scene was shown. The monster, with its face, turned upward. There was a small hole in the monster¡¯s body, and viscous blood was seeping out of it. And, ¡­One of the monster¡¯s eyes could be seen melting from the inside. It was a sight as grotesque as the monster¡¯s face, but Kim Cheonsu and Han Seori couldn¡¯t take their eyes off it. ¡°¡­!!!!!!!¡± Soon, With the monster¡¯s dying scream, A blue silhouette popped out of the monster¡¯s melted eye. The one poking its face and arms out as if it had popped out of a manhole, It was, of course, 7496-KR, the slime girl. The girl seemed a bit startled as if she hadn¡¯t expected toe out from there. When the monster shook its body violently in pain, the slime girl¡¯s body that had popped out of the hole also swayed this way and that. Seeing that surreal scene, Kim Cheonsu unknowingly spoke. ¡°¡­It feels like I¡¯m watching a cartoon.¡± Because it was so unrealistic. ...I agree with that. With the two people¡¯s dazed muttering, the fight between the two anomalies began in earnest. Chapter 97: Can you eat it? Chapter 97: Can you eat it? Kim Cheonsu stood at the cave entrance, his body hidden, nkly watching the fight of anomalies. Part of his dazed state was due to his worries about 7496-KR until a moment ago. ¡­But the bigger part seemed to be the fact that the anomalies were fighting each other. It was bound to be so. While working where he worked¡­ it was a scene he could rarely see. If he was lucky, he would observe the ¡®risk test,¡¯ but it was a bit nd, one could say. They did not conduct separate tests for anomalies likely to cause problems or be uncontroble like the one currently facing off against the slime girl. It would not be an exaggeration to say that this was the first time he had seen a proper fight between anomalies. *Boom! Rumble!*It was like a scene straight out of the cartoons he watched as a child. Every time the unidentified anomaly moved its massive body, the cave shook, and the ground caved in. Kim Cheonsu felt his heart pounding at the intensity, but. On the other hand, he felt a sense of relief. At first, he, too, was trembling with anxiety. He was worried that the slime girl who had returned would be hurt again. ¡­Of course, there was also the fact that if that happened, he would be in a situation where he could not move properly due to his injuries and would die. Anyway. Whenever the unidentified anomaly swung its body, the image of only the slime girl¡¯s lower body remaining came to mind. So Kim Cheonsu watched the fight with worried eyes. However. How''s your body doing? Do you think you can walk? ¡°Yeah¡­ Resting like this makes it a bit better.¡± That''s a relief. The two people talked as if he could definitely return. Collisions between anomalies, being a rare sight, made it very difficult to judge the oue. But to them¡­ The fight between the slime girl and the unidentified anomaly already seemed to have a decided victor. The anomaly with mucus on its mouth had its most powerful weapon, its teeth, sealed, and it seemed to have lost one eye, limiting its vision. No matter how iprehensible the power wielded by an anomaly may be. If it had a physical form, it would inevitably struggle in such a situation. Rather than fighting, the teeth-sealed anomaly seemed to be iling in an attempt to drive out the slime girl prancing around the arena. Through the tiny gap between its teeth, it let out an unintelligible roar and recklessly mmed its body against the cave floor and walls to shake off the slime girl. Each time, the slime girl would hide in the hole she had made as if saying, ¡°No way.¡± She would then peek her body out again as if assessing the situation, and when the unidentified anomaly, the monster, turned its body forcefully to shake her off, she¡¯d hide in the hole and prance out again. She would hide in the hole when the monster took a breath and pop out again, prancing around. ¡­The reason she kept popping out was unclear. Whenever the slime girl emerged from the hole, the monster¡¯s body became drenched with wounds and blood oozing from them. Watching that, Kim Cheonsu suddenly felt something strange. ¡®What on earth is she doing inside?¡¯ To endure the pain to that extent¡­ and struggle like that. Come to think of it, it was too much to say. It was just trying to drive her out. *Gulp.* Thinking about it, Kim Cheonsu recalled 7496-KR, whom he had always seen. Seemingly harmless¡­ a somewhat cute but annoying brat who likes to y. But now, she felt like the dangerous anomaly he had heard rumors about. While thinking that anomalies are anomalies after all. Recalling how she did not hold back for his sake, he felt a stinging sensation in the corner of his heart. He recalled the training he received at his workce. Don¡¯t try to know too much about anomalies, and never give them affection. Those iprehensible beings may be useful, but¡­ they are too dangerous to coexist with. ¡­Is that really so? If it were the him of the past, he wouldn¡¯t have even thought this way. Even if he had helped Han Seori out of personal feelings, he wouldn¡¯t have tried to learn more about anomaly-rted matters. But now, his mind was veryplicated. The image of the doll that had helped him also floated around in his mind. The main body would be a blue slime girl, but¡­ The appearance of the first derived entity was somewhat cute. *Sigh.* ¡­It might have been a momentary sentiment due to his poor physical condition. Then he let out a deep sigh. ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯ Even if he, being close to a low-level employee, thought about it, nothing would really change. If it were Doctor Han, it might be different. ¡­If she had the same thoughts as him. What should I do? While he was pondering. *Boom!* ...It seems to be over. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± The anomaly that had been desperately struggling to escape from the slime girl nowy its huge white body on the cave floor. It never moved again. Kim Cheonsu, who was holding his nose at the smell of blood wafting over, suddenly. ¡°Oh.¡± ...What is it? You''re not trying to say it suddenly came back to life, are you? ¡°Ah, no. That¡¯s not it¡­.¡± He looked out of the cave and muttered nkly. ¡°The snowstorm has stopped.¡± ...You''re right? The snow clouds that had darkened the surroundings receded, revealing a dark but blue sky. ¡°It seems¡­ that anomaly was the cause of the snowstorm.¡± It certainly seems so. It''s too perfect to be a coincidence. Kim Cheonsu, who was talking with Han Seori, spotted his miserably rolling bag and hurriedly reached out his hand. Fortunately, the items inside were all safe, except for the toy he had thrown away. ¡­Except that the bag was soaked with snow. The remaining items were frozen solid, but it wasn¡¯t bad if he thought of it as being refrigerated. With a sigh of relief, Kim Cheonsu picked up his bag and dragged it back to the cave entrance. Then. An ominous voice reached his ears. So, Cheonsu. ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Hearing Han Seori¡¯s voice, Kim Cheonsu hastily mulled it over. ¡­When Doctor Han calls me by my name. One is when the doctor is in a very good mood. Recently, we had gotten closer, so she would call me by my name from time to time¡­ But it was rare. Originally. Do you perhaps... have a little bit of energy left? ¡­When she had a difficult or troublesome favor to ask. Kim Cheonsu, who inwardly sighed, replied with a cough. ¡°¡­Why do you ask?¡± He wanted to say that he felt like it would be difficult because his body ached. But thinking it was a chance to score points, Kim Cheonsu felt as if the pain that hade was fading away. Rather, it was Han Seori¡¯s voice that became reluctant at his answer. Uh... You don''t look like you''re in a very good condition... Are you sure you''re okay? ¡°Of course. Thanks to 7496-KR, I got a good rest.¡± You don''t have to push yourself. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fine.¡± ...Hmm. It didn¡¯t take long for Kim Cheonsu, who was twitching the corners of his mouth, to regret it. Is this what it would feel like to ride a raging horse? I¡¯ve never actually ridden a horse, but somehow, it seemed like it would feel this way. That¡¯s how fierce and powerful the unidentified creature¡¯s struggle was. Well. Even so, it couldn¡¯t reach me. ¡­Honestly, when I pushed Kim Cheonsu, I felt the sensation of my slime shrinking. Those jagged protruding teeth took a big bite out of my slime. Its mouth was so big that not only my face but my entire upper body was bitten off. I quickly moved my important parts downward and made my severed body sticky. It was easy after I sealed its mouth. While it was distracted by Kim Cheonsu again, I suppressed the regeneration of my severed lower body as it was. The feeling of my body being cut off wasn¡¯t very pleasant, so I didn¡¯t really want to do it if I could avoid it¡­ But anyway. Like that, my shrunken self infiltrated the creature¡¯s holes. And gnawed at it from the inside. The overly excited creature didn¡¯t even realize I had entered its body and just kept puffing out air. As a result. It paid the price for devouring my upper body. I had no choice but to savor its flesh, but it was tasteless. Come to think of it. In the middle, whenever the creature made a sound, I could faintly hear a strange noise¡­ I was too focused on attacking it to listen well. ¡­Well, maybe it was begging for mercy while imitating Han Seori¡¯s voice again? If I had heard that voice, I might have flinched for a moment. Thinking about it, it might have been fortunate that I was too busy to hear it. While savoring that victory, I saw Kim Cheonsu, who had gone outside the cave, staggering back in. I went through all that trouble to save that guy, so I was d he was alive. With this, maybe the debt of giving him a lump on the back of his head can be considered settled? As I watched the guy while boiling my slime, he weakly smiled at me and waved his hand. I also waved my hand, feeling a bit awkward. I thought we would be going back now. It''s definitely dead, right? ¡°Yes. It appears so.¡± Good. I don''t know if it will be meaningful, but... Let''s gather some data for now. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡­It seemed like we¡¯d have to wait a bit longer to go back. Since my work seemed to be done for now. The pupils are very unusual. ¡°Ugh¡­ You can say that again.¡± I watched Kim Cheonsu and Han Seori work, or more precisely, Kim Cheonsu trying to escape, and stuffed the snacks from the bag into my stomach with a plop. Mmm. The sweet taste I hadn¡¯t had in a while. It was¡­ fantastic. Eating it secretly by myself while the guys at the facility waited made it taste even better. As I was melting the chocte in my slime. Kim Cheonsu, who had been rummaging through the monster¡¯s corpse for a while, approached me with his body soaked in blood and held out a mechanical device. I tilted my head, wondering why he was doing that. Then, Han Seori¡¯s voice was heard. I''m sorry, but... could you eat all of that? I don''t think we''ll be able to collect it. Huh? I nkly boiled my slime. Somehow, it felt like Kim Cheonsu was smiling. No, I think he¡¯s definitely holding backughter. This ungrateful bastard. ¡­As I felt the taste of chocte circting inside my slime. I had to devour the monster. Chapter 98: This is all… Chapter 98: This is all¡­ *Tap¡­ tap.* The sound of a campfire cracklinges from a short distance away. As I shove the tasteless hunk of meat into my stomach, I focus my vision on where the sound ising from. I see Kim Cheonsu, who lit the campfire. He went outside the cave with a sneaky look on his face, and it seems he did it to start a fire. ¡­Even though the snowstorm has stopped, starting a fire like that doesn¡¯t seem like an easy task. How the heck did he even light it? Thinking he did a good job starting the fire, I moved my jelly to do my own thing. Even though I found it amazing that he started a fire, I naturally thought he had to do it.Kim Cheonsu, who had been wandering in the snow, waspletely soaked. On top of that, he was drenched in sweat from iling around to avoid the monster. ¡­He sweated buckets following Han Seori¡¯s orders. So, in a situation where we have to return together, it¡¯s only natural for him to start a fire to maintain his body temperature. That is if he doesn¡¯t want to die. I couldn¡¯t care less either way. Anyway, even though it was a bit amazing, it was something that had to be done, so I shoved the terrible hunk of meat into my body again. Seriously. All I can think is that it¡¯s unnecessarilyrge. Shouldn¡¯t an anomaly be a bit¡­ smaller? Or scatter and disappear or something? Just staying like this doesn¡¯t feel very cool. Rather than thinking it¡¯s something special, it feels more like it¡¯s just part of this blue¡¯s ecosystem, you know? Of course, it would be terrifying if something like this were to wander around in the wild with no issue. ¡­Anyway. Whether this thing is special or not. The fact that it tastes terrible doesn¡¯t change, so I¡¯m just sad. For some reason, it reminded me of something I saw on the inte once called ¡°surstr?mming1,¡± and my mood grew somber. The only thing that keeps me going is that once this is over, I can go back. ¡­And I¡¯m excited that eating this anomaly might give me some kind of ability. Having a new slime pop out might be a bit of a headache. But getting a new ability is fun. The problem is that I don¡¯t even know what kind of ability I¡¯ll get. I only found out today that I can throw a cube with enough strength for it to shatter on collision with the back of Kim Cheonsu¡¯s head. When did I even get that strength¡­ Maybe I just set my own limits. I¡¯m even more inclined to think that way since I¡¯ve had a simr experience before. At first, I saw the world as a human, but now I have a field of vision that is so wide that it can¡¯t be considered human vision anymore. It¡¯s not that I ate something, but rather just changed my thinking. It feels like I¡¯m unintentionally hiding my strength, so it¡¯s suffocating but also exciting. What other abilities could be hiding within me? It was a feeling like finding a 50,000 won bill in your pocket while organizing your winter clothes. As I try to fill my head with other thoughts to forget the taste of the meat. A fragrant scent wafts from somewhere, tickling my jelly. My expanded vision found where the scent wasing from. Actually, there was no need to even find it. The only person in this space who would be doing something to give off that scent was Kim Cheonsu. I focus my vision to see what he¡¯s up to this time. I see Kim Cheonsu drying his clothes and cooking something that looks like meat. The fragrant scent ising from there. It seems he¡¯s grilling meat, presumably seasoned with something. So that¡¯s why there¡¯s this nice smell. ¡­While someone is painstakingly eating this tasteless hunk of meat raw. If there were some seasoning like they use for steak tartare, I could eat it deliciously. ¡­Is there none? None? I can¡¯t even dream of it because this monster is so huge. It¡¯s more long than huge, I should say. As I was feeling my jelly droop for no reason. I wondered if it might taste a bit better if I grill it. I tore off arge chunk of the meat I had melted in my stomach and approached where Kim Cheonsu was. ¡°Wha!?¡± Kim Cheonsu is suddenly startled. I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s so surprised after watching me tear it apart and eat it all this time. If I had nostrils, I would have snorted at him before approaching the campfire, but I didn¡¯t, so I just approached. And then. I put the chunk of meat next to the campfire. Hoping it would grill well. As I squatted down and stared at the meat being warmed by the fire, Kim Cheonsu spoke in a small voice beside me. ¡°¡­This won¡¯t be nearly enough to cook that.¡± Why are you ruining my dream? My humble dream of wanting to eat this chunk of meat deliciously. Feeling strangely irritated, I was tempted to eat the meat he was carefully grilling, but seeing his somewhat flushed cheeks, I just shook my jelly. Even though I¡¯m no longer human, I¡¯m a warm slime with a human heart. By the way. When I turned my face to look at him, he covered his body with a somewhat sheepish expression for some reason. I wondered why, and from a distance, I couldn¡¯t tell but this guy. He was only wearing underwear. ¡­I heard it¡¯s dangerous to keep wearing wet clothes, so it must have been unavoidable. But why is he making a fuss covering his body? Does he think I¡¯m interested in his body¡­? Hmm. ¡­He¡¯s out of his mind. Even though I have the form of this little girl, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ve be a little girl. In the first ce, if I really wanted to see, I would have secretly looked while pretending not to. Ugh. Gross. Feeling strangely annoyed, I kept my head fixed on him and pretended to stare intently. I didn¡¯t actually need to since my field of vision is wide, but doing this shows that I¡¯m looking at him. The reason for doing this? Not really any. It¡¯s not like seeing a man¡¯s body would make me feel good anyway. It¡¯s just. To get on his nerves. I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s acting like this, but since he looks so embarrassed, his body will probably get a bit hotter too, so isn¡¯t it a win-win for both of us? I make Kim Cheonsu ufortable, and Kim Cheonsu gets a bit warmer because of it. Nice. After keeping my head fixed on him for a while. ...What are you two doing? Han Seori¡¯s puzzled voice was heard. Then Kim Cheonsu twisted his body like someone who was shocked and had difficulty saying things. ¡°Ah, it seems¡­ the meat doesn¡¯t taste good. So maybe that¡¯s why she¡¯s grilling it?¡± Hmm... Seeing him making excuses, I feel a sense of satisfaction. Having achieved my goal, I stopped grilling the meat and shoved the meat I had put next to the fire into my stomach right there. The side touching the fire was somewhat cooked¡­ but that didn¡¯t make the meat taste any better. It was just vorless cooked meat. An even more terrible taste came from the undercooked part, so I concluded it was best to just eat it raw. I jiggled my jelly and picked up the seasoning that Kim Cheonsu presumably sprinkled on the meat, then trudged back towards the chunk of meat. I heard Kim Cheonsu babbling something behind me, but there was nothing memorable, so I just ignored it. And so, standing in front of the meat again. Alternating between looking at the meat and seasoning, I came up with a brilliant idea. That is¡­ to hold the seasoning in my jelly while only melting the chunk of meat, a very clever method. For a human, it would be like cing the seasoning on your tongue and roughly chewing the meat with your teeth before swallowing. This way, I can devour this huge chunk of meat with an absurdly small amount of seasoning, right? Mm-hmm. It was a brilliant idea. And so, after putting the seasoning in my stomach. I jiggled my jelly and coughed out, *cough, cough*, at the taste of therge amount of seasoning that entered. ¡­No, what the heck did he sprinkle on that meat? My perfect n failed due to Kim Cheonsu¡¯s sabotage. That jerk. I¡¯ll get my revenge someday. ¡°It¡¯s a bit cramped, but bear with it.¡± I nodded my head limply, letting my jelly droop. If someone asked me why I have no energy after eating that chunk of meat, I¡¯d probably snap back and tell them to try it themselves. If it were delicious, I wouldn¡¯t mind. But when you painstakingly eat tasteless food, your body can¡¯t help but feel limp. Nutritionally, I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s unavoidable that your mood goes down. What¡¯s even scarier is that even after eating like this, I still have the capacity to swallow more. To be exact, I don¡¯t feel any limit. What kind of structure is my body made of¡­ I think I seem more like an anomaly than the creature I defeated and swallowed. Meanwhile. *Zip!* The sound of a zipper closing was heard. In other words. ¡­It was the sound of Kim Cheonsu zipping up his backpack. That¡¯s right. I was now inside Kim Cheonsu¡¯s backpack. Besides me, frozen foods are making my body cold. ¡­Just in case we might run into someone, we had no choice but to go like this. If I had known it would turn out this way, I would have neatly taken off my clothes instead of eating or tearing them. Then Kim Cheonsu¡¯s face would have disappeared¡­ too bad. Sighing with my jelly and letting my body droop, I felt my body swaying ording to Kim Cheonsu¡¯s movements. Guided by Han Seori, the sound of conversation kepting from outside. ¡­Shoving me in a bag and doing this is too much. Somehow. I miss my slimes. How much time passed like that. I was able to safely return to the facility with Kim Cheonsu. I wonder if my precious ones have been well. 1 Surstr?mming is lightly salted, fermented Baltic Sea herring. During the production of surstr?mming, just enough salt is used to prevent the raw herring from rotting while allowing it to ferment. A fermentation process of at least six months gives the fish its characteristic strong smell and somewhat acidic taste. Chapter 99: Can you hear me? Chapter 99: Can you hear me? *Zzzip* Along with the sound of the zipper opening, fairly fresh air and faint light entered. And¡­ Kim Cheonsu¡¯s voice as well. ¡°Okay, now that we¡¯ve arrived, you cane out.¡± Hearing his words, I poked my head out of the bag. ¡­But I didn¡¯te all the way out. If I stay like this, he¡¯ll manage to get to the control room, won¡¯t he? As if reading my mind, Kim Cheonsu sighed with a face that seemed to say he had a headache, then slung the bag containing me over his shoulder and started walking again. My body swayed up and down.That¡¯s right. After all that hardship earlier, he can at least do this much for me, can¡¯t he? I¡¯m super~ light anyway. He probably can¡¯t even feel my weight¡­ so it shouldn¡¯t be too strenuous for him. As I was rocking with a feeling of longing, I saw the familiar door. With a *swoosh*, the tightly closed door opened. Realizing it led to the control room, I surreptitiously slipped out of the bag and stood on two feet. It was cozy inside, but I felt it would be somewhat awkward to show this appearance to the other slimes. I especially didn¡¯t want Sosik, sprawled out on the sphere, to see me like this. ¡°Ahh, you startled me! When did you get down?¡± Looks like I unintentionally gave Kim Cheonsu a fright. Feeling satisfied by that, I went inside. I heard the rustle of clothes, then felt the sensation of someone embracing me. ¡­Inside the control room, there was only one person who would hug me. Of course, that someone was Han Seori. ¡°You made it back safely!¡± Feeling the soft pressure touching my jelly, I awkwardly wobbled as I looked at her. Then I heard a voice from behind. ¡°Um, I¡¯ve also returned.¡± ¡°Ah, you worked hard too, Mr. Cheonsu.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± For some reason, Kim Cheonsu¡¯s shoulders seemed to slump¡­ I don¡¯t think it was my imagination. He seems to be trying not to show it, but could he be feeling neglected that she greeted me first and not him? Heh. I feel a strange sense of superiority. ¡­Although Han Seori probably has no intention of seeing me as a man, it still feels good. Snickering inwardly, I stretched my jelly to pat his shoulder, relishing my feeling of triumph. Kim Cheonsu looked at me with an odd gaze and sighed, muttering, ¡°¡­I¡¯ll go organize the things I brought first.¡± ¡°Oh, should I help you a bit?¡± ¡°Th-that would be great.¡± ¡­That simple Kim Cheonsu brightened up again in no time, and he carefully set me down before disappearing into the kitchen with Han Seori. So now, in the control room¡­ It¡¯s just us precious ones left, I guess? The moment I thought that, I saw Daesik (Alice) running towards me from the chair where Han Seori had been sitting. As I was thinking a doll could run like that too, Daesik *st!* stuck to my leg and rubbed its body against me. I¡¯m not sure if it watched the screen with Han Seori or if it¡¯s just because I was away for a while¡­ but I felt a bit strange. Remembering how I made a lump on the back of Kim Cheonsu¡¯s head, I carefully picked up Daesik and ced him on my shoulder. Then Daesik bumped its doll face against my cheek. It seemed like he was happy, but I also felt something odd. Daesik is currently inside the doll Alice, isn¡¯t it? So, he didn¡¯t really have any expressions to speak of. He was also strangely stiff. ¡­If Daesik had a body closer to a human¡¯s, would his joy be felt more clearly? As I felt that strange feeling while Daesik tapped his face against me, Jungsik sshed jelly as he crashed into my stomach. With the sensation of my lower abdomen jiggling, a sticky jelly fountain sttered on my face. This one sprays jelly whether he¡¯s happy or angry, I see. ¡­But he is happy, right? Could he be angry that I went somewhere without him¡­? This makes me feel ufortable again. Even though we¡¯re all slimes, we don¡¯t know what each other is thinking, do we? ¡­They may know what I¡¯m thinking, but at least I can¡¯t clearly gauge what they¡¯re thinking or feeling. Compared to that, Sosik is rtively easy to read. Since he was a miniature version of me, he had facial features. These days, the problem is that he spends most of his time sleeping. Anyway. With those two slimes clinging to my body, I approached the sphere. Then I saw Sosik still sprawled out, stuck to the sphere. That kid stays the same no matter what I go through¡­ As I was thinking that, He opened his jelly eyes hazily and waved his hand at me limply. It¡¯s ridiculous, but I think that he should at least get up and wee me. ¡­Is this how the head of a household feels whening homete from work? I¡¯ve never been married, so I¡¯m not sure, but I feel it¡¯s probably something like this. Finally cing my hand on the sphere, it muttered in an indifferent voice, That was quite an impressive battle. ¡­Really nd. But havingmunicated with everyone in some way, I truly felt I had returned. If I think of the odd feeling I had when opening the door to my empty studio apartment¡­ Turning into a slime might not be such a bad thing after all. Feeling like my nonexistent heart was thumping, I savored that feeling for a while. The day after we eliminated that unidentified monster and returned, We had a little party with the things Kim Cheonsu had carefully packed in his bag. It was tomemorate Kim Cheonsu¡¯s safe return. And presumably to celebrate me, defeating the monster. Well, the reason wasn¡¯t clear¡­ but thinking that we¡¯d be eating something delicious after so long, I was in a great mood. Especially since the most recent thing I ate was the monster¡¯s tasteless lump of meat. I was confident that anything I ate now would taste heavenly. And then, I saw it. Really well-grilled steaks arranged immactely. More meat? I didn¡¯t think that. It would be rude topare those irredeemable lumps of meat, unsalvageable even with seasoning, to these steaks. Chef Kim Cheonsu demonstrated his truly excellent skills and sent up not only steaks but various other dishes to the control room. Next to me was Han Seori, who was also looking at them with a somewhat vexed face. What¡¯s she so vexed about? When you have someone who can whip up several servings like this¡­ shouldn¡¯t you just be happy? Well¡­ There¡¯s no way for me to know what Doctor Han is thinking, so I sniffed with my jelly, taking in the aroma of the food. The memory of eating lumps of meat was now reced by lovely steaks. As I was looking at the dishes with a feeling of jelly oozing, Something I wanted to eat came to mind. From the time before I was a slime¡­ a pudding I had eaten once in Japan. A jiggling yellow surface with a topping of melted brown sugar. I remember it being quite tasty despite not being very expensive. ¡­I want to eat it. Is it possible? I can¡¯t suddenly ask the two of them to go to Japan, and I certainly can¡¯t tell them to go there just to eat a pudding. Never mind going abroad, how can I say let¡¯s go to a foreign country to eat a pudding? It¡¯s a bit¡­ embarrassing. But even as I thought that, The pudding kept floating around in my head. I¡¯ve heard that if you¡¯re told not to think of an elephant, an elephantes to mind. ¡­I got to fully experience that. I had the thought that it¡¯s silly to be obsessing over pudding with all this delicious food in front of me, but what can I do when it suddenly came to mind? As my jelly jiggled with an unspeakable concern, Kim Cheonsu came up to the control room with a tray, saying, ¡°This is thest one.¡± And on the tray, he was holding¡­ Huh? There was something that made me let out a startled sound. It was¡­ Pudding. I was craving it, but what is this? As I was flustered, Han Seori, seemingly sharing my confusion, tilted her head and spoke. ¡°Huh¡­ Why the sudden pudding?¡± ¡°What? Oh¡­ I don¡¯t know. I just felt like I had to make it for some reason.¡± ¡°Do you like pudding?¡± ¡°Not particrly¡­¡± What is this? If Kim Cheonsu himself doesn¡¯t like pudding, is there any reason for him to suddenly make it? As I felt that something was off, the slimes who had been ¡°waiting¡± slowly headed for the tes upon Kim Cheonsu¡¯s arrival. Finally, with Kim Cheonsu and Han Seori¡¯sughter, The little party began. It was closer to just eating the delicious food Chef Kim Cheonsu had bestowed upon us rather than a party. I also made teeth in my mouth and put in the steak, chewing *chomp chomp*. The sensation of juices seeping out and spreading through my jelly and the soft texture as I chewed was really nice. Ultimately, meat should be eaten cooked, not raw, right? All the foods Kim Cheonsu made suited my tastes, so I was very satisfied. ¡­And. The pudding in question also wasn¡¯t the vor I expected, but it was enough to satisfy me. It felt a bit odd like I was eating something simr to myself¡­ Hmm. More than that. As I watched the pudding melt and float around inside my body¡­ the thought I had put aside a little while ago came creeping back. Pudding. It¡¯s just a coincidence, right? I mean, what could it be? ¡­I felt a bit disturbed by the thought that Kim Cheonsu and I had telepathy, but other than that, it seemed there was nothing to it. Chapter 100: Anyway, they sold, right? Chapter 100: Anyway, they sold, right? A convenience store located somewhere in Seoul. At a nce, it seemed like an ordinary convenience store, but there was one unusual thing. The entire refrigerated food disy¡­ was filled with custard pudding. No matter how well pudding sells at this store, one would first think there must have been some mistake. As if to prove that, a stern-looking man pointed to the puddings and spoke softly. ¡°Boss, what are you going to do with all this?¡± ¡°Here we go again¡­¡± ¡°I told you not to touch the orders¡­ No, why did you order so many puddings in the first ce? Who¡¯s going to buy all this?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡±The rough-looking man, the one called the boss, scratched his head sheepishly and sighed as if embarrassed. ¡®If I say this, he¡¯ll probably look at me like I¡¯m an idiot.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t even understand why he had ordered so many puddings. The reason he ordered such arge quantity of custard pudding was¡­ simple. ¡­He just felt like he had to. Ah, if we¡¯re being precise, it wasn¡¯t just ¡®because.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t sure if there was any connection, but he had that thought after dreaming of something blue, as usual. ¡®Does it have something to do with the dream¡­?¡¯ Thinking that way, it seemed a bit absurd. He wasn¡¯t buying a lottery ticket after having a dream but ordering a ton of pudding. Even if it was the work of something, he couldn¡¯t know the purpose¡­. He thought it might be some kind of cute prank. ¡­In the first ce, it was probably just an inexplicable urge that came over him like a curse. ¡°Boss?¡± ¡°Uh, well¡­ Anyway, if it seems like we can¡¯t sell them all¡­ what should we do?¡± The employee who had been looking at him with puzzled eyes sighed deeply and replied. ¡°What else can you do? You¡¯ll have to take responsibility and buy them all.¡± ¡°Oh dear¡­ What money do I have¡­?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have any saved up? Like a savings ount?¡± ¡°Hmph¡­ You¡¯re telling me to use my savings to cover this hole? Are you crazy¡­?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the crazy one the boss who ced such an absurd order?¡± The man had nothing to say, so he could only let out a big sigh without retorting. ¡°¡­If we really can¡¯t sell ¡®em, guess we¡¯ll have to give some to the nearby orphanage or somethin¡¯.¡± ¡°You know you¡¯ll have to pay for them, right?¡± ¡°I know! I know!¡± Ugh, this cold-blooded bastard! But since it was he who would be at a loss without him, the man simply took out a pudding from the refrigerated disy and tore open the packaging. Ah, this is delicious. Surely someone will buy these, right? The man, sensing the gaze on him as he ate the pudding, muttered softly. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for itter, so don¡¯t look at me like that. Someone might think you¡¯re the boss.¡± *ahem* The employee also averted his gaze, feeling like he had been too obvious. *jingle* As the bell hung at the entrance rang, a customer entered. ¡°Wee.¡± ¡°Wee!¡± The woman wearing a hood pulled low seemed startled by the enthusiastic wee, shrinking back and giving a slight bow as if in greeting. ¡­She also seemed surprised to see the man standing nkly in front of the counter, eating pudding. Anyway. The woman¡¯s gaze fell upon the pudding in the man¡¯s hand, then turned her gaze to the refrigerated section. Then, with what seemed like excited footsteps, she approached it. And picked up the puddings with both hands. The woman, cradling five puddings in her arms, approached the counter to pay for the puddings, then left the convenience store with a satisfied smile, unlike when she entered. ¡°¡­The pudding is selling better than expected, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°None of the regrs¡­ have been here¡­¡± Even the employee who had been reprimanding the boss muttered nkly, looking a bit surprised. However. That procession did not end there. ¡°Oh, you have pudding here?¡± ¡°We do!¡± ¡°Yay!¡± It wasn¡¯t a constant stream, but people looking for pudding started to visit steadily. Among them, there were quite a few who came all the way here because they couldn¡¯t find it where they lived. At that point, the employee who had been nagging the boss asked a customer who came to buy pudding as if experiencing cognitive dissonance. ¡°Um¡­ is this pudding famous? There are unusually many people looking for it today.¡± The woman, who had been making a satisfied face while paying for the pudding, blinked as if pondering for a moment, then shook her head. ¡°Not particrly¡­ I just¡­ felt like I should buy it¡­¡± ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± As if she herself found what she said strange, the woman hurriedly left the convenience store after taking the pudding. The boss, who had been secretly watching, chuckled menacingly and said to the employee manning the counter. ¡°See, I told you it would sell.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but that¡¯s how it turned out.¡± ¡°Really, you won¡¯t give me any credit.¡± Nevertheless, the boss seemed quite pleased to have something to tease about for a while. However. ¡­The mumbling of the customer who had just left was somewhat concerning. She came to buy it because she felt like she had to. It made him feel strange, as he had feltpelled to ce arge order for a simr reason. ¡®Is this what they call fate?¡¯ Could it be that I just let my fated partner slip away? ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking right now, Boss, but it¡¯s probably not that.¡± ¡°I know that too!¡± The boss looked at the refrigerated food disy, which had noticeably emptied. The pudding, which he had wondered how to deal with, had already sold quite a bit. Yeah, what did it matter what it was. As long as it sells. As long as it sells. The bossughed heartily and patted the shoulder of the puzzled employee. The employee wanted to say something but closed his mouth upon seeing the pudding being sold. Somehow, looking at the pudding made him want to eat it too¡­? The employee sighed inwardly and greeted the next customer. The peaceful happening that urred at a convenience store somewhere in Seoul seemed to have ended like that. These days, I¡¯ve been feeling a bit strange. ¡­It¡¯s not because I ate all that meat. That memory had already been erased by the food cooked by Chef Kim Cheonsu. What¡¯s making me feel odd is that pudding keeps appearing in my dreams. No, I did eat that memorable pudding made by Kim Cheonsu, and I thought I wanted to eat it that day, but isn¡¯t this a bit weird? I¡¯m worried that the jellies might turn into pudding at this rate. Of course, since pudding keeps appearing in my dreams. My body won¡¯t actually turn into pudding, but¡­ No matter how much I pondered the cause¡­ I couldn¡¯t think of anything that stood out. If I had to say, I started having those dreams after thinking I wanted to eat pudding, so I could say it happened because I was thinking about pudding. Then shouldn¡¯t things like steak and chicken appear, not pudding? I want to eat chicken and steak more than pudding. While I was lying on the bed, nkly passing time like that. The door opened, and Chef Kim Cheonsu entered, carrying a fragrant aroma. When I turned my head to express that I was looking at him, Kim Cheonsu put arge bowl on the floor and said. ¡°¡­I made it on the way here.¡± After muttering that, he¡­ I mean, the chef disappeared as abruptly as he hade. What the chef left behind was¡­ Behold! Pudding. Arge quantity of pudding, enough to fill the big bowl. Moreover, it looked much more refined than the pudding I ate that day. That time, he had made it in a real hurry, but this time, it was clear he had put in a lot of effort. ¡­Although it was served in an unsightly bowl thanks to our precious piglets. Wait a minute. Why did he only bring the bowl? The spoon? Does he want me to eat with my hands? I was starting to feel a bit of anger towards Kim Cheonsu. The door opened. Focusing my gaze in puzzlement, I saw Kim Cheonsu approaching with a spoon in his hand. ¡°Hmm¡­ I forgot this.¡± I wanted to believe in him! I wanted to think that way, but this was a bit¡­ strange. Was he the type to take care of others so attentively? No, he¡¯s good at cooking, but isn¡¯t he bad at taking care of such details? But¡­ he came back just to give me a spoon? ¡°Enjoy your meal.¡± I took the spoon he handed me and nkly watched him leave. ¡­I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. Well, good things are good. It felt a bit off to just brush it off like that. Still. As the saying goes, a good meal is the best medicine. For now, I decided to enjoy the pudding he left. The slimes that had gathered around extended their jelly toward the pudding, so I blocked them with the spoon. I stopped the slimes and scooped the pudding into their bodies. As I was feeding them the pudding¡­ I felt a strange sensation. When I swallowed something called an ¡°anomaly,¡±¡­ it seemed toe out in the form of the slime. This time, there was no sign of that happening. Come to think of it, Jungsik¡­ was something I spat out to suppress something uncontroble in me, didn¡¯t he? Does that mean I have to feel something like that and spit it out this time, too? I don¡¯t know. ¡­It would be nice to have something like a status window. Actually, maybe a status window would pop up if I spoke? So, being unable to speak is the default setting. It was a thought that only made me realize I had read too many novels, so I ate the pudding and watched the slimes jiggle around. Well, it¡¯d be good for me if no more mouths appear here. Thus, after finishing all the pudding in therge bowl with the jellies, I patted my protruding belly and left the room with the sphere. Come to think of it. Does it¡­ not need to eat? Does it eat something like electricity? While having such silly thoughts, I entered the management office. Han Seori was seen pressing her temples with a face that looked like she had a headache to deal with. Sensing danger, I slowly backed away. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here.¡± But Han Seori was faster at noticing my presence. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!