Chapter 72: Pioneer

Chapter 72: Pioneer

Hey, save my jelly.

Thrown into a sudden cold, I clutched my jelly tightly and headed in the direction Han Seori had told me.

To be honest, I thought I was a being unaffected by temperature.

And that was somewhat true.

Among the experiments I had undergone, there were several that exposed my body to hot and cold things. Even when I swallowed hot and cold food, I could feel the temperature, but I didn’t tremble or get startled from the heat or cold.

But... perhaps that was useless in extreme situations.

In my view, the forests were so dense that it was surprising that such a place existed in Korea, and fields of pure white snow covered the ground.

Behind me, I could see my slushy footprints.

...which soon became buried by the drifting snow and disappeared.

There was a simple reason why only my footprints remained.

All my jelly friends, whose activity had slowed down due to the cold, were nestled in my arms.

Honestly, Sosik seemed no different from usual... I don’t think it was my imagination.

Anyway.

Being able to move... means being able to adapt even in these extreme situations.

With that hopeful thought.

I carried Sosik on my back.

In one arm, I held Daesik.

In the other arm, I held the baby whale I named Jungsik and trudged through the snow.

If more appear, should I name them Sososik or Daedaesik? I had such thoughts that seemed to warm my body.

Then, I briefly mulled over why I was here in the first place.

No matter how much I thought about it.

That last test I took.

I think that was the problem.

It felt like Han Seori had started to go out of control since I took that test.

If Han Seori had a child, she... would surely be called a helicopter parent.

No, that’s not the problem.

What the hell did I solve that made her react like that?

...For me, there was no way to know where her change originated from.

But I could tell that something was being hastily pushed forward after that.

The room I stayed in changed every other day, and during that time, I couldn’t see anyone else.

The only faces I saw during that time were Han Seori, Kim Cheonsu, and... the Department Head.

Then, as if moving again, I was transferred to a sturdy, small glass container.

Every time we moved like that, we rode in a pitch-black car, but this time, we moved in a very ordinary car.

It had tinted windows that seemed like they couldn’t be seen through from the outside, so thanks to that, I got to see plenty of the outside while moving.

But there was no particularly special scenery.

I just thought we were going somewhere again.

But something was different from usual.

When darkness fell, we would change cars, and we could only rest after daybreak.

Actually, strictly speaking, I didn’t really need rest, so it was more like Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu were resting their bodies.

Inside the glass container, I would vacantly watch the outside. Then, we would depart again.

I had no idea where I was going.

I’m sure I occasionally saw familiar roads, but... figuring out where I was seemed impossible.

Just as I was starting to feel dazed.

The surroundings turned pure white.

And with talk of having to find someplace, I was left on top of the snow field.

I wondered if it was okay to leave me like this.

...But a scene unfolded before my eyes seemed unconcerned about that.

In a landscape that somehow made it seem like I would become frozen jelly if I didn’t find it, I decided to follow the guidance of the chocker that had been put around my neck at some point.

Looking at Han Seori’s face as she put me down outside... she didn’t seem to be trying to deceive me.

Honestly, having been caught once by those persistent guys chasing me, I had no desire to argue further.

...It was also just annoying.

I’m regularly provided with meals and things to play with, so is there any reason to escape?

If they had done something weird, it would be another story.

...It was clear that Han Seori, who had been watching, had done something.

But lest that anger-uncontrollable whale go wild, I meekly stroked his head.

It wasn’t particularly scary, but I felt a bit strange whenever that guy got angry.

But stroking his head made him happily spew jelly from his back (despite Daesik riding him), which was a bit cute.

...However, I had to pick up Daesik, who had fallen to the ground after being hit by that jelly and brush him off.

Looking at those guys.

I get a strange feeling.

They seemed to act on their own while craving affection from me.

It felt like I had gained a responsibility I never asked for, devoid of pleasure.

By the way.

How long is Sosik going to keep doing this?

Grumbling inwardly, I was about to go inside.

Suddenly, the laser that had been creating arrows began to form the shape of letters.

The sentence created by the laser reads as follows.

[This is a place humans cannot enter. I hope you find and eliminate the cause.]

It was a sentence composed of very simple and clear words.

Compared to the test, this was simpler, so there shouldn’t be any problem reading it.

...Wait, is it really no problem?

I don’t know.

The milk has already been spilled, so let’s not worry about it.

I understood the words anyway, so what the heck.

...Staring at the letters with my jelly wobbling from stupidity.

I couldn’t pretend to be stupid now that I had come this far.

Hmm.

A place humans cannot enter.

Reading that sentence, I looked around... and felt doubtful.

It said humans cannot enter, but this clearly looked like a building made by people.

But it seemed to have been neglected, with dust piled up everywhere, and a scream-like creaking sound came from the hinges.

A place made by humans, but one that humans can no longer enter, abandoned by humans?

Why did I even come here?

That wasn’t mentioned, but the same curiosity that made me like this moved my body.

Conquer a place humans cannot go...?

I can’t resist this.

Thus, I entered with my slimes, and the passage connecting to the outside closed.

And as I expected.

Inside, a structure similar to where I had been staying was visible.

Which meant this place was definitely made by humans.

But why... did it become a place humans cannot enter?

...There aren’t monsters or anything like that, right?

My question was answered in a somewhat strange way.

Because.

The bodies of the jelly guys who came in with me... were swelling up.

Like balloons with something boiling inside.

And what’s maddening is.

My body was also unable to maintain its proper form.

My body was bubbling and boiling.

So I immediately understood why humans can’t come in here.

If this were a human body, wouldn’t all the bones in the body be pulverized by now?

As I was pondering what to do with my undulating body.

From somewhere.

A strange sound was heard.

It sounded like some machine was moving.