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 becoming slightly complicated.

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 chocolate, 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 plastic 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 glance, 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 flaws 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 incomprehensible, 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 a comfortable 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 place by now.”

It seems like the time for a proper test is approaching.

To prevent her from wandering off to dangerous places, Han Seori has to find parts that are worth receiving ‘special management’.

<!-- slime -->

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 yet comforting.

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 relax, 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 the comfort of my previous life start to creep back in.

As we proceed, a sign reading ‘Restricted Area’ comes 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 glance 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 occur.

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 to come 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.