Chapter 19: Different Ending

Chapter 19: Different Ending

Oh no... Ah, that’s not good!

*Swish!*

With a strange squeaking sound, my body slams 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 belated 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 too late.

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 my composure.

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 place, 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 will last, I’m being too careless.

[@$5싶$]

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 become understandable.

Rather than worrying about what is unknown, it seems better to first figure out how to escape this place.

While I contemplate, 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 maintaining composure in such a situation, probably because I don’t feel much pain.

I think I can maintain composure not because I’ve become non-human but because without the pain that humans would feel, it just feels plain 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 plan 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.

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 voice comes 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, and laughter 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 of landing, 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 like last time, embracing me.

*Clank.*

Ah.

With a sound, I find myself trapped in a box similar 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 glare 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 particularly 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 manipulates 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 been completed.

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 pillar from which large pieces of meaty blobs are coming out again.

...What was the last voice I heard?

I forcefully push that memory far back due to uneasiness. I really don’t want to know.