[!#$%^_]
…What in the world is this?
No matter how much I pondered while rolling the Jelly, I couldn’t figure out what the ‘voice’ resonating through my body was trying to say.
Yet, as I got closer, it grew so loud that I began to understand why there wasn’t anyone outside.
Listening to this for too long would undoubtedly leave a normal person with immense stress.
Could that be the reason why it’s in the Restricted Zone?
Shaking from the vibrations of the voice, I managed to compose myself, moving away from the can and inspecting its interior.
A room similar to where I’d briefly stayed appeared before my eyes.
However, I didn’t feel that same obsessive pull here. It was more of a confusion, likely because finding any intact place was a challenge in this area.
Amidst this chaos, electricity still seemed to be running, as the few remaining bulbs emitted a faint light.
Their flickering glow, screaming, “I’ll go out any moment now,” left an unsettling feeling.
Perhaps those bulbs, like me or the can, were some kind of special artifact.
As I cautiously examined the surroundings, an exit-like path caught my attention.
Would it be possible to leave this place?
With great effort, I approached it, but the badly crumpled door refused to budge, teasing me instead.
Why does the bulb work diligently while this thing refuses to move?
Well, the answer is simple. It’s crumpled to the point of being severely damaged.
If the bulb were broken too, it would’ve remained quiet.
Still, the crumpled door allowed me to peek beyond.
If I had a normal body, stepping close to this sharp-edged door would be painful. However, my current form allows me to overcome such minor issues.
Though, if I move recklessly, I might lose a limb like before. Caution is key. Caution.
…Even with caution, it wasn’t easy with my reduced size, but I managed to cling to the edge of the doorframe and take a look outside.
I’d expected a sight similar to the one where I’d escaped from while eating a hamburger, but what I saw was completely alien—a space entirely different from the inside of the can.
Though I could see somewhat what I imagined until the wall, beyond it was unmistakably another place entirely.
Finding out what’s behind those walls… It seems nearly impossible.
While my body, which melts anything delicious, could potentially handle this, I’d first have to manage to swallow it, right?
If it’s even possible to melt it, that is. There’s no clue how big I’d need to grow to swallow those walls.
The fact is, the only way out for me to reach the outside world…
[@$&)@!]
…seems to be through the meat that the loud can is excreting.
…Looking closer, it appears that the roof here is broken.
I watched as a chunk of meat stretched through the large hole above, seemingly growing endlessly. The can chattered incessantly from below.
As I stared at the chunk of meat growing as if bean sprouts were shooting up,
A snicker escaped me.
Ordinarily, it would’ve been wind, but now all I heard from inside was a bubbling sound.
Anyway.
The reason for my laughter was simple.
As I watched this endless chunk of meat extending upwards, I was reminded of a fairy tale I read when I was young.
The protagonist of that tale, I’m pretty certain… climbed the beanstalk that kept growing like this, reached the sky, entered a giant’s castle, stole treasures, and became rich.
The details were somewhat hazy, but I’m sure it was something quite similar—
Hold on.
…Could I do the same and climb this like the protagonist in the fairy tale?
In fact, my situation is better.
Not only am I far more flexible than a human, but unlike the protagonist who had to climb each stem one by one,
I’m practically aboard a super-high-speed elevator.
Because this meat is rapidly growing out of the can, endlessly.
Meaning all I need to do is grab onto it and let it take me up.
Otherwise, I’d have to climb it like the protagonist in the fairy tale.
…Why bother detouring when there’s an easier path?
[!((!)!]
And I wanted to get away from that noisy thing as soon as possible.
Hmm… does it making such sounds mean it’s a living thing?
…No idea. Should I even care?
My nose is already larger than I can handle, so whether the can talks or not really doesn’t matter.
Of course, it could react unpredictably, so I’ll just grumble internally.
Ah, anyway, I can’t talk anyway.
Since I didn’t spit out mucus, it’s a gain, I guess.
I took one more look around, reaffirmed there was no other way, and slowly approached the can, leading my tiny body toward it.
[!$$]
Its persistent, incomprehensible howling was irksome.
Still, I decided to endure it generously because it would help me escape.
Though the sight of a slab of meat emerging from the small can didn’t seem very promising,
Watching my transparent self, somehow, made me feel hopeful.
…It might also be because I’ve already consumed so many retort pouches out there.
What can this thing that used to eat me possibly do now?
Could be the same thought.
Anyway.
I approached the Jelly cautiously and stuck to the meat extending upwards.
When my sticky hands latched onto the meat,
My body started rising at an uncontrollable speed, much faster than I’d anticipated.
Does riding a gyro drop without any safety measures feel like this?
No, it can’t be compared. At least that goes up slowly.
My body is rocketing upwards at an alarming rate.
Surprised, I instinctively hugged the meat tightly. Despite the odd sensation of hugging this massive piece of meat, I had to focus because I’d surely fall if I let go.
I might not get the same luck as last time.
I might end up as a scattered jelly piece on the ground.
Realizing this, I began to worry if I’d been too reckless. There must have been a reason the protagonist in the fairy tale climbed it carefully, step by step.
Wasn’t the fairy tale meant to teach us a lesson? Wasn’t that lesson important?
While I was lost in such thoughts, the speed at which I was rising seemed to accelerate.
…Can I really make it out of this hole in this state? I’ll likely only manage if I accidentally hitch a ride through it.
I soon regretted grabbing onto the meat.
But it’s too late now.
Like riding a tiger’s back, I must see this through, whatever the result.
Still, I couldn’t help but wonder how it would’ve felt to climb step by step.
“Hmm…”
Han Seori, who had been inspecting the machines in the Restricted Zone, suddenly felt hungry.
It made sense, since she had been in there for quite a while, and the meat chunks nearby kept flashing before her eyes.
Curious Han Seori hadn’t been involved in determining the edibility of those meat chunks, but she had indeed tried them once outside from retort pouches.
Recalling the taste naturally intensified her hunger.
Though she had only tried it once because it felt odd, the taste had remained etched in her memory.
…After all, everything she did was to survive.
“Maybe I should grab something to eat.”
With the thought that Kim Cheon-soo might still be around to order food via shuttle, she took a few steps.
Just as she was about to exit the Restricted Zone,
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
“…What?”
A loud alarm started blaring throughout the Restricted Zone once again.
It had been only a short while since the last incident.
Ordinarily, she should be feeling both frustration and helplessness, but instead, Han Seori was smiling.
Her expression was bizarre, like a programmer who has lost their mind to persistent bugs. Yet, a sliver of hope flickered in her mind.
The fact that continuous anomalies were occurring in the usually quiet Singularity suggested there was a cause.
And the possibility that this cause was the Jelly Girl she thought she’d eliminated was high.
Without delay, Han Seori moved toward the panel.
Whether the Jelly Girl was indeed alive or not was secondary now; her immediate focus was addressing the new issue.
After all, the problem of more meat chunks being released was far more significant than the factory’s meat production.
As Han Seori approached the panel,
She observed several red meat chunks dripping with blue jelly.
Their sheer number was significant.
Seeing the jelly instantly reminded her of the Jelly Girl.
“…Eh, what’s going on?”
She was thoroughly baffled.
But she’s a professional.
Though her mind was spinning, her body instinctively moved toward the panel to address the situation.
Though her speed was slower than usual due to her shocked state.
She gradually ran through the problem-solving processes.
Beep, Beep, Beep.
The unpleasant noise filled her space.
Her hands didn’t stop, but her eyes anxiously scanned for any trace of the Jelly Girl that might be lurking somewhere.
