Chapter 15: Sneak, sneak

Chapter 15: Sneak, sneak

The area is labelled 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 preoccupied 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 place.

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 desolate?

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 the last time I found myself in a place 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 glanced my way a moment ago.

Her appearance was notably pretty and intellectual, not commonly encountered.

Perhaps she’s used to encountering beings like me, given her lack of hesitation toward me.

Wait a minute.

Does this mean beings like me are common 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 outlandish 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 places as obscure as the sewers.

I don’t know.

It’s challenging enough to come 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.

<!-- slime -->

“Ah, Dr. Han. I was wondering where you went, and here you are.”

“...Director.”

Han Seori, maintaining a composed 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 discomfort 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.”

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 before composing her expression. Luckily, the Director seems unaware of it as they are also frowning at the heat blowing out.

Whether the ‘procedure’ is completed, 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 and large slab of meat hangs on hooks, continuously falling somewhere. The meat, appearing to have been slaughtered 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 regular check-up.”

“Who said something like that?”

A hint of dissatisfaction is in her voice.

She gazes at the slabs 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 slabs of meat attached to hooks ended up in the factory?

A belated sense of unease creeps into her mind, but it’s already too late 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 slabs of meat are sliced and popped out.

The slabs 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 she come out if called for later?

...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 alarm begins to echo throughout the large space.

Han Seori stiffens her face.

The middle-aged man, referred to as the Director, smirks and clenches his jaw.