Seori, are you… abandoning me by any chance? No, did I do something wrong?
Maybe I’ve made a wrong decision.
I see a dark passageway ahead of me. Compared to the sewers, there’s no stagnant water and it doesn’t feel suffocating, so one could say it’s a better environment.
However, looking at the corpses of the monstrous creatures I saw outside earlier scattered around, it seems that it’s dangerous here if anything, not safe.
Their being scattered here means the crocodile-like creatures that prowled in the sewers must be numerous here too.
…Why did you put me in a place like this?
Is this how someone receiving an empty plate feels?
Isn’t the bag hanging on my back also empty?
Lady Seori, why…
…No, it probably isn’t anything like that.
Reflecting on how she’s cared for me until now… It’s not that I’ve been abandoned. She might believe I can survive and exit from here.
Thinking that, I reminisced about what Seori told me before I entered this place.
She said I’d be able to get out once the time comes, right?
…Unable to ask her when that would be, I silently looked at her, and with a bitter smile, she pushed me in here.
Even so, I wasn’t alone.
Daesik is with me, and…
…wriggling toward that mysterious lump of meat… yeah, this guy needs a name too.
As he seems to have an insatiable appetite, how about the name “Sosik,” which means “eat less”?
Despite his name, Sosik approaches the mysterious lump of meat and pushes pieces into his body.
I too felt somewhat uneasy about it but…
…Thought it best to eat it anyway. Judging from my past experiences, it somehow becomes energy for me after I eat it.
Daesik, subtly shaking the jelly, approached Sosik.
I also took some of the meat and ate it while feeding Daesik.
I was worried that it might taste strange, but surprisingly…
It tasted fine.
Hmm, it was like… eating sashimi on the verge of going bad, I suppose?
Ah, since sashimi refers to seasoned meat, it might be closer to “yukhoe,” though it’s on the brink of losing its flavor.
Of course, the slightly bitter taste, which I assume to be gunpowder, makes the term “yukhoe” appropriate…
Then suddenly.
While the slime was busily consuming the meat, the lumps of meat started slowly sinking into the ground.
Startled by the scene that felt both familiar and game-like, I grabbed Daesik and Sosik and retreated.
As if saying they were returning to where they originally came from, the meat completely melted away without a trace.
Everything nearby disappeared.
This made it clear to me that I had entered an unusual place.
…Wait.
Now that I think about it, the crocodile in the sewers also dissolved like this before reappearing.
Feeling a chill, I embraced the two jelly chunks as I anxiously scanned my surroundings.
Could something suddenly sprout from the ground?
I sharpened my senses and kept a close eye on my surroundings, but contrary to my brilliant deduction, no monsters suddenly appeared.
Perhaps disturbed by something in my arms, Sosik started wiggling, snapping me back to reality as I stared at the jelly.
So… should I go inside?
Although I could have turned back, I intentionally turned around.
I can see the passageway I entered through.
It’s closed now, but Seori likely wants me to go in and come out again… so I guess I have no choice but to go in.
She extended her arms wide and said she’ll give me something when I return, so I assume she wants me back.
Thus, I mentally prepared myself and took a step inside with Daesik and Sosik.
The passageway seemed to be getting smaller as I ventured in.
No, it’s not just a feeling; it’s clearly shrinking.
The ceiling is gradually getting closer after all.
Then, when the ceiling stopped shrinking further…
A staircase, seemingly carved out of stone, appeared in front of me.
The appearance of the staircase in what feels like a natural cave is slightly awkward.
It’s unlikely the monsters carved these steps, so it probably means someone came here and sculpted this staircase?
…Still, it’s quite strange.
Though the scene defies logic, the sensation under my feet confirms this is a staircase.
Meanwhile, Sosik is already bouncing down the stairs.
Geez… what if the jelly bursts by bouncing like that?
Appearing out of nowhere, the guy sure lacks fear.
Despite feeling odd following behind this guy…
I descended down the strange staircase as well.
The darkness wasn’t much of an issue.
As soon as the stairs appeared, torches started burning along the walls, just like a dungeon in a game.
How did our dear blue star manage to conceal such things?
It’s surprising that I lived completely unaware of such things during my time as a human.
Even though I wandered around looking for stuff like this back then…
…Should I be thankful that my wish was finally fulfilled?
Only the sounds of the jelly shaking and Sosik’s bouncing could be heard in the space.
As my steps halted along with the cessation of Sosik’s bouncing sounds, I eventually reached the bottom of the stairs.
The ceiling may still not be visible, but the sight before my eyes made the jelly tremble.
What I jokingly called a dungeon earlier…
It seems I’ve really entered a dungeon.
“Um… the noise is starting to creep in…”
Seori mumbled as she looked at the monitor.
The screen showed the sticky blob bouncing down the stairs and a jelly mass occasionally obstructing the view.
When 7496 – KR, the Jelly Girl, consumed the corpse of the anomaly expelled from the singularity not long ago, Seori was shocked and yelled not to eat it. Now, she looked at the screen with concern.
It seemed like the staircase had ended, and the singularity was about to unfold.
922 – KR.
Commonly known as Creta’s Labyrinth.
If one were to ask why the anomaly in Korea is called “Creta’s Labyrinth,” the name reflects the peculiar characteristics of the anomaly.
From the moment her foot enters, the curse begins—a maze stretches ahead.
Even if it was only a simple maze, it would be fine, but the place is fraught with various traps that make it difficult for humans to approach.
Testing Jelly Girl was part of understanding the reasons.
Anyway.
The labyrinth would pose no problem if it merely existed, but it regularly spewed monsters.
Thus far, only the cycle has been identified, but why these creatures burst out from the outside remains unknown.
Still, it’s named “Creta’s Labyrinth.”
…Simply because the people who explored deepest into it reported hearing the cries of a bull.
The popularity of Greek and Roman mythology in comic form in Korea might have influenced its naming.
Otherwise, would it have been named something like the “Barn Maze”?
Thinking about it, Seori felt “Creta’s Labyrinth” sounded better than “Barn Maze.”
In fact, the reconnaissance team disappeared after their last report, so no one knows what’s inside.
Is there really a monster like the Minotaur inside?
Or is it just some entity that makes a similar sound? Considering it’s an anomaly, it could even be just a recording device making bull sounds.
In this context, her decision to send Jelly Girl was simple.
95% of the reason was to understand the internal structure using the girl’s superior survival abilities.
…And perhaps 5% was hoping she’d discover a clue that could close 922 – KR.
Frankly, Seori wasn’t overly greedy about the latter.
She merely hoped this jelly girl, who seemed advantageous for exploration compared to a human, would explore more areas and return.
The path the Jelly Girl traveled was recorded by a device hung around her neck, transmitting it back to Seori.
Thus, it wouldn’t be difficult for Jelly Girl to find her way out.
‘When would be a good time…’
When the time comes, the “collar” on her neck will guide her back with arrows marked on the ground.
In previous tests, she managed to follow the ground markings easily, so returning won’t be a problem.
Seori glanced at the screen again.
The Jelly Girl momentarily hesitated but entered the labyrinth with the blob she seemed to have given birth to.
The sight of the blob bouncing ahead strangely eased the tension.
It was almost like watching a puppy run ahead.
Although Seori couldn’t see how Jelly Girl looked, the sight of the blob happily bouncing ahead…
…Perhaps she’s enjoying herself.
Thinking about this, Seori, feeling a bit hungry, ordered her meal.
As she stepped out briefly, she noticed the dead bodies of the creatures that hadn’t been disposed of yet.
“…Did she eat those?”
Recalling how Jelly Girl consumed those, Seori wondered briefly…
…Was it delicious?
Her mind quickly shook off the thought with a sigh.
No matter how you look at it, that’s just… weird.
