Chapter 29: Nice to meet you

Chapter 29: Nice to meet you

*Whoo-oong... clank.*

The sound of some kind of machinery moving was heard, and the tightly closed giant door opened.

Beyond the door, a fairly large 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 place presumed to be a parking lot after passing through a long corridor.

When the vehicle stopped, the cargo compartment and vehicle doors opened, and tense-looking people got out one by one.

Then someone spoke in a lively-sounding voice.

“This is the last 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 pleased laugh 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 accidents 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 into laughter.

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 radio communication looked at the anomaly being unloaded from the cargo compartment, 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 it completely left the cargo compartment, the ominous appearance attached to the end was revealed.

A wooden pillar with a distorted human face carved on it.

A ‘guardian totem’-shaped anomaly emerged from the cargo compartment.

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 plan 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 isolated in a somewhat remote place, 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 isolate something that wasn’t even helpful.

...Of course, there was the problem of finding a way to dispose of it.

That was something unrelated 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?

<!-- slime -->

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 glanced 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 flag is troublesome.

The huge guardian totem with a terrifying face was coming 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 internet.

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 glass 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 glass 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 blank.

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.