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 translation work.

Current StatusEliminatedDate of Elimination2███.██.██

Confirmed to have been completely 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 ████.

Please refer to the previously written experimental records for related data.

It didn’t cause any particular 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 incomparable 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 succeeded 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 ██ laboratory set up at the ██ factory by people in the process of reaching Stage 3, so there was a plan to move it to ██.

A strange commonality 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 glad 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 ██ lab?

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 before coming 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.

Accordingly, it seemed necessary to erase the memories of those who consumed ████ and witnessed ‘something,’ so it was carried out but ultimately failed.

Before conducting extensive memory erasure, when checked with an agent from the ██ branch, the memory of the ‘something’ presumed to be a dream did not disappear.When additional erasure was carried out, the agent’s condition noticeably worsened, so further experiments were postponed.However, since most had vague memories except for agent Kim ██ who left the conversation record, it was decided to observe a little more for now.

Additionally, when ███-KR-2 was eliminated, the pieces of meat inside the ██ lab turned into ordinary pieces of meat with unknown composition.

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]

[Speculation on the Identity of What Was Seen After Consuming ████]

[Report on ████-KR]

As if to say it was happy, Sosik stretched its tentacles and covered its body with the blanket I was using.

But no way.

I stretched out my jelly and removed the blanket, 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, having come 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 similar 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 to come here?”

“No, D-Doctor, it really wasn’t like that!”

“....”

Kim Cheonsu, who looked more energetic than last 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.