I’m bored.
The long wait with Kim Cheon-soo dragged on for quite some time.
I had thought that with the ID tags collected and the bodies retrieved, we could return quickly, but that didn’t happen.
Well, I thought it would be okay to rest some more since we had finished the tough job, but…
Isn’t it a bit strange that while a new expedition left and returned to the swamp, we couldn’t even depart?
“Exactly when are we going to be able to go back…?”
Judging from Kim Cheon-soo’s deflated tone a few days after the shock, it seemed like this wasn’t part of his original intent.
What is this feeling?
The sight of Kim Cheon-soo sprawled out in the tent reminded me of my old corporate days.
Someone had held onto the wrong line and in the end, a desk was removed and placed in the hallway. But perhaps the situation now was even worse. Back then, the message was clear: “leave.” Now, I don’t understand why we are being kept here.
Hwang Bo-yul only showed up to deliver food for Kim Cheon-soo and me and otherwise kept a low profile.
…Well, there’s probably only one reason for that.
It’s definitely not Kim Cheon-soo. It’s clear he was left here because of me.
The reason we are still here… it’s likely because of that army of Jellies that appeared after munching on the toad’s inner丹.
Still, when I think about it, understanding why they’ve kept us here isn’t too difficult.
I might have thought I could handle it all on my own, but I didn’t anticipate the rapid surge in their numbers, did I?
Even I didn’t foresee it, so how could they have?
To be honest, if I weren’t a jelly, I might have freaked out.
…Thinking about it that way, Kim Cheon-soo lying there saying he wants to go home seems pretty impressive. Maybe that’s the kind of adaptability required to do this kind of job.
Then, a thought struck me, and it made me feel uneasy. And right at that moment,
A round Jelly and a tiny Jelly-girl riding atop it began bouncing around among the jelly group. It was almost like riding a horse— the Jelly-girl was bouncing enthusiastically on top of the round Jelly.
…And then, without warning, she landed right on Kim Cheon-soo’s stomach.
Splash!
“Ah!?”
Caught off guard, Kim Cheon-soo twitched in surprise. From where I was watching, his reaction appeared more confused than pained. His face clearly read, “Why is this happening?” Seeing it actually brightened my slightly gloomy mood.
I chuckled internally, and the Jelly-girl on Kim Cheon-soo’s stomach started bouncing around cheerfully.
It seemed like her happiness was being transmitted to me for some reason.
Although Kim Cheon-soo didn’t complain despite the odd stimulus— perhaps realizing it was better than nothing— there was an unsettling thought gnawing at me.
It’s not that Kim Cheon-soo’s life was in danger or that the Jelly-girl was dangerous…
But if someone else were to see this, wouldn’t they think Kim Cheon-soo is socially dead?
After all, the Jelly-girl was small and resembled a little girl, making her look even more perilous in a way.
Given that this is the Singularity, she won’t be taken away, but if anyone saw this, his reputation might plummet, right?
“What are you doing?”
“Wha—!?”
Right on cue, Hwang Bo-yul’s arrival caused her to freeze, her face stiffening as she looked at the Jelly-girl jumping on Kim Cheon-soo’s stomach. Kim Cheon-soo, spotting her expression, flailed his arms as he protested,
“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but it’s a misunderstanding! I didn’t do anything!”
“Even if the entity is friendly, behaving this way…”
Hwang Bo-yul’s sharp words trailed off as she glanced at me, delivering her message clearly by just that. That look alone was enough to pale Kim Cheon-soo’s complexion.
“It’s not what you think!?”
Desperately trying to clear his name, Kim Cheon-soo sprinted over to me and pleaded with a desperate expression.
“Right? I was just lying there, and she pounced on me!”
“Hmm…”
It seemed like Hwang Bo-yul was waiting for my answer—well, I could only nod since I can’t speak.
Despite the situation, I found it amusing. Was it because things were exactly as I had imagined?
Still, if Kim Cheon-soo gets fired because of this, it would be quite troublesome. So, I nodded in agreement to confirm what Kim Cheon-soo had stated.
Besides,
It felt like the sudden leap on Kim Cheon-soo was probably because of me. I should clarify the misunderstanding.
…If I just ignore it, then it might remain unclear.
Anyways, after I nodded, Hwang Bo-yul seemed to trust my indication and left it at that.
“Why me alone…?”
Listening to Kim Cheon-soo’s grumbling, I couldn’t help but feel sympathy. As I gave the guy an awkward pat on his shoulder, he shot me a sideways glance, as if to say “you’ve given me trouble and now you’re giving me relief.”
Ahem.
It’s all good; everything is fine now.
Without me, you’d probably have ended up withSingularityPhilia.
Avoiding his gaze, as if pretending not to notice, I turned away momentarily before Hwang Bo-yul cleared her throat and spoke.
“The authorization for our return has finally been granted.”
“Fi—nally!”
Now that I think about it, the reason there was nothing in Hwang Bo-yul’s hands despite the lack of rations—perhaps was because there was no longer a need for them.
…If she’d shown up with an empty box, it might’ve been more unsettling.
Anyway,
As Kim Cheon-soo cheered and I internally rejoiced at the thought of returning, Hwang Bo-yul glanced over at the Jelly group with a somewhat uneasy expression and asked,
“So, what’s our plan for transporting them? They are numerous, so moving them casually might draw too much attention. We won’t be able to stay discreet.”
“That’s true. There’s way… too many.”
Kim Cheon-soo let out a weary sigh, looking around at the countless Jellies surrounding us.
Honest truth, it was overwhelming, even to me.
After all, they are the remnants of the once sprawling Swamp. Naturally, they’re in overwhelming numbers.
If anything, the fact that their numbers haven’t grown further is somewhat a relief.
While pondering, Kim Cheon-soo sighed again and turned to me,
“Is there no other way?”
“….”
You’re asking me?
…Well, even I haven’t exactly figured out what these things are, so expecting a chef like Kim Cheon-soo to understand them is strange, too, right?
Hmm.
We can’t transport them like before in boxes, clearly.
But how many vehicles would we need to transport all these Jellies to where I came from?
Even I can’t estimate it.
Since they clearly want to move me discreetly again, we should probably come up with something.
After some consideration, two options came to mind.
One: Leave the Jellies here and go back. Although it might be difficult to explain, since I ate that chunk of meat and gained this ability, maybe I can remotely control them to stay put.
There’s a kind of connection I feel.
That’s why the Jelly-girl leapt on Kim Cheon-soo like that, right?
But that could be risky.
If control slips once I’ve gone far away and they can’t withstand hunger, they might start eating everything around them.
That would… inevitably lead to Swamp Season 2.
Just with a Jelly-girl boss this time.
And, maybe even a faraway me as the boss that must be defeated.
So… this option’s out.
That leaves only one solution.
If dividing the group won’t work…
Why not transport them all in one big group?
By which I mean:
Swallowing them all.
It sounds a bit unusual, but since I became a Jelly, I haven’t once experienced fullness.
I’ve felt the satisfaction of “this should be enough” or “this might be dangerous,” but never “I can’t eat anymore.”
It feels like stuffing things into a four-dimensional pocket.
Taste-wise, I’ve had no complaints.
Anyway,
So… if I eat them all, we can go back, right? That might be the best route. The sheer number is a bit unsettling, even for me, so it could be convenient to thin them out a little.
This method seems best.
And since I stay slim and light-weight regardless of how much I eat, transporting will be easier.
With my decision made, I sent a glance to Kim Cheon-soo and Hwang Bo-yul, making a circular motion with my arm.
Realizing the meaning behind my gesture, both of them stared at me with wide eyes.
Good.
They say, “Strike while the iron is hot.” Let’s do this now.
I’m eager to go back and claim the reward waiting for us. I’m also feeling a bit nostalgic for the ones waiting there.
I then sent my thoughts to the Jellies gathered around me.
“Join me right now. Come inside.”
The reaction was immediate.
…Jellies started to rush toward me.
“What, what is this!?”
“Did you do that?”
In response to the startled voices of the two, I simply nodded, beginning to absorb the Jellies into my body.
The sensation of the Jellies entering my body wasn’t especially pleasant, but I was happy to have found a practical solution.
…For a while.
There was a brief moment of relief.
Until the overwhelming number started to make me feel uneasy.
Thus, I began.
