As the surroundings began to be stained by darkness, I decided to climb up a tree first.
The knowledge pouch will likely guide me, so there shouldn’t be much of an issue with direction. But my reason for climbing the tree wasn’t for figuring out the direction.
The reason is… simple.
The swamp, during the sunset, had been covered in an odd hue of beauty. But once the sun disappeared over the horizon, an intense darkness enveloped the place.
Though the nightfall was something I was familiar with, so it didn’t evoke much of a reaction from me.
…Until my vision adjusted to the darkness.
What had been a beautiful swamp now transformed into a strange place exuding an eerie atmosphere.
Just because the sun set doesn’t mean the vibe had to change this drastically, right?
The feeling that something might suddenly leap out from between the tree roots protruding from the water was palpable.
After all, this wasn’t a messed-up wetland due to some land reclamation project; this was a swamp created by the Singularity. The implication was simple: with the day gone, something entirely different from the daytime could—and likely would—happen.
That’s why I climbed the tree.
Just to check if there was anything suspicious around me.
It wasn’t exactly fear—no matter how strong I might be, even I could fall victim to a surprise attack.
Remember how I accidentally fell into the water earlier?
Sure, if something had shown up back then, I probably would’ve dealt with it somehow!
But doesn’t it feel better to avoid trouble altogether if you can?
To put it succinctly: precaution is key.
No matter how much preparation and vigilance you have, you can never have too much.
Anyway,
As I was contemplating this, I latched onto the nearest big tree. I could feel my elastic body mold gently into the shape of the tree as I pressed against it.
The sensation of the bark’s texture imprinting on me was strange—it felt like getting a tattoo.
Though… I’ve never gotten a tattoo, so it’s probably not that similar?
Still, somehow, it had a refreshing feel to it, like scratching my whole body with effervescent massage hands.
It might be because I’m so closely pressed to the tree, but this is the safest way for my jelly form to climb right now.
Hugging the giant trunk, I ascended to the highest point and took in the surroundings.
Surprisingly, climbing higher revealed that, thanks to the moon, it was easier to distinguish my surrounding than I expected.
The swamp looked spooky from below, but from up here, it was quite a magnificent sight.
The blending of moonlight and the color of the leaves made it feel like an undulating sea of green. Staring dumbly at it made me forget about the strange trap (?) I narrowly avoided earlier.
Though it was a pretty view, it didn’t yield any clues.
Just a swamp filled with trees.
Thinking I had climbed too high to identify anything below effectively, I decided to rest on a tree branch after soaking in the scene for a while.
As I sat on the sturdy branch, feeling my body mold into its form, I caught sight of something that felt off. Luckily, it was in the direction pointed out by my knowledge pouch, so I decided to head there.
Since the knowledge pouch was indicating this way, it seemed like it might hold some clue.
Having climbed down from the tree, my steps splashed in the water as I headed toward the mysterious something waiting for me.
What I saw was… far from what I had expected.
A dark mass jutted out in front of me.
As I approached to inspect it, I realized…
…that this was not a clue about the Singularity.
It was a dead body.
Dressed in a police SWAT-style uniform, the corpse was covered in mud, which made it resemble a rock or large object from afar.
Hwang Bo-yul had mentioned it to me before.
There were people who entered this place and never came out. But hearing about it is different from seeing it with your own eyes.
It’s much like how when you hear about a war happening somewhere, and people dying, you may feel some pity, but it lacks a sense of reality.
If I hadn’t been in this jelly form, I might’ve heaved with nausea at the sight.
Still…
I had to do something.
As I calmed the bubbling within me, I transported the nameless individual’s body to higher ground.
Since there was nowhere else, the roots of the trees ended up forming a slightly strange… scene.
Laying the dead person out, it was more apparent how they looked.
Caked with mud.
Their face was swollen beyond recognition from the effects of decomposition, and the foul smell rising from the body indicated that they had been like this for quite some time.
Perhaps because I had faced something similar in the sewers with crocodiles, it wasn’t as shocking as I would’ve thought.
I carefully inspected the body for any clues but found nothing particularly useful.
All the equipment they carried had been damaged, and there wasn’t even a notebook or anything in their pocket.
So,
They had just… died without leaving a trace.
It felt strange.
What happens to people from the organization Han Seori and Kim Cheon-soo belong to when they d*e like this?
The recollection struck me. I had seen something similar with the incident involving the Jangseung. Honestly, at the time, the gravity of the situation hadn’t hit me as strongly. I was too focused on saving Han Seori and getting myself out alive.
Maybe it’s because the people harmed by the Jangseung turned into just a puddle of bl**d.
However, facing this in such a calm state, the feeling inside the jelly became complicated.
I had just casually ventured here for a TV set, but this had been life-or-d*ath work for them.
…If Kim Cheon-soo had met his end in that cave back then, would he have ended up like this?
Had I continued living my life as usual?
…I don’t know.
In fact, this is more terrifying than any monster suddenly attacking me from somewhere.
Then,
As I idly stirred the jelly within me, something faintly glinted in my vision. Reaching out absentmindedly, I grasped it and felt the cold touch of metal.
Slightly tugging at it, it popped loose into my hand.
It was…
An ID tag.
The kind soldiers wear around their necks.
The kind I once wore too.
On the differently shaped tag from what I had seen in the military was the name “[Kim Dae-hyun],” accompanied by bl**d type and other emergency information.
Looking at it, I felt a strange sense of obligation to bring it along, making the jelly inside me tremble.
It wasn’t a pleasant tremble, but it wasn’t entirely unpleasant either.
I wondered: Would it have any meaning?
Still, leaving it behind felt worse.
…What meaning could there possibly be for the dead?
Maybe this was a selfish action for my own peace of mind.
The dead cannot speak, after all.
And caring for the dead is, ultimately, about consoling the living.
With the jelly bubbling lightly, I tucked away the ID tag engraved with Kim Dae-hyun’s name. Now that I could selectively avoid dissolving items within me, this wasn’t hard.
It might just be to satisfy myself, but…
That’s what felt right.
After making this decision, I began noticing a lot of dark objects scattered around my line of sight. Bodies resembling the presumed Kim Dae-hyun lay sprawled out in front of me.
Approaching them carefully, it seemed they met the same fate as Kim Dae-hyun.
…I had to gather the bodies.
I couldn’t leave them like that.
I collected the corpses from around Kim Dae-hyun’s vicinity and set them on nearby tree roots. Thanks to the ease of using my tentacles, it wasn’t a difficult task.
Upon finishing this, gathering the ID tags and storing them inside me, I thought I understood why Han Seori, Kim Cheon-soo, and that “organization” had sent me here.
Does this mean that such occurrences happen all the time in places I haven’t explored?
…When I first arrived here, I was excited and happy about getting a TV soon.
But now…
I was… somewhat affected.
In any case,
After spending what felt like a short while tidying up the area, I found more ID tags than expected in my body.
It almost sounded like they were clinking together.
I gazed blankly at the ID tags and bodies on the roots, then with tiny, soft hands, prayed for their souls’ rest.
…Following the direction pointed by the knowledge pouch, I moved forward.
Plop… Plop.
Despite the lightness of my steps, they felt heavy as if they weighed a thousand pounds.
Though they felt heavy, in reality, my steps remained light—perhaps slightly heavier due to the preserved ID tags.
It’s because I chose not to dissolve them, making their weight noticeable.
Plop… Plop.
I kept walking aimlessly. I couldn’t grasp how to process this feeling.
How long have I been wandering this swamp?
Despite following the direction shown by the knowledge pouch, I haven’t come across anything special.
…Had I walked in a straight line, there should have been an exit sign similar to when I entered.
Realizing I had unknowingly passed whatever “something” I was looking for, meaning I was walking in circles, I slapped my face lightly with the jelly on my palm.
Still, the endless walking somehow made me feel slightly better. So, this time, more focused on the knowledge pouch, I changed my course.
Then,
I arrived at a point where the knowledge pouch directed a new location.
And the direction pointed…
…right into a black murky swamp pool. It was as if it was calling me to enter it.
After briefly contemplating, I slowly dived into the muddled water. What waited for me in there was…
The same kind of strange landmass where I had first stepped.
The same one which had trapped my ankles upon stepping on it.
…Surely, I must go in there.
Annoyance bubbled up, but…
There was no choice for me but to enter.
Therefore,
Carrying the weight of the ID tags,
I dived into the endless mud.
