Park Jin-soo panicked, his face contorted in a way uncharacteristic of him. It was only natural, given that something perfectly fine just moments ago had vanished. As he fumbled and approached the spot where the jar had been, Lee Sang-yong, who had fallen over by the locals (?), was desperately flailing against relentless violence.
One of the locals who had descended upon Lee Sang-yong straddled him, wildly punching his face, while another kicked his head forcefully with a foot.
The relentless attacks continued without pause.
His strength was spent from struggling up and throwing punches at Yoo Jin, leaving him no energy to fend off further attacks.
The locals’ punches and kicks, which appeared soft and pliable like lime, were far from mushy. They carried a surprising weight, and Lee Sang-yong was overwhelmed by the fear that he might die from being beaten to a pulp.
The pain spread with every punch and kick. When his face was kicked, a buzzing sound filled his ears, like a symphony of impending death. Wracked by this terrible ringing, he screamed out in frustration.
“Ah, what are you doing?! Some… help—gahk!”
His open mouth was punished by an adorable foot from one of the locals, as if questioning, “Didn’t you know this would happen?”
While Lee Sang-yong received retribution for whatever he had done, Park Jin-soo, searching for the missing jar, approached the center breathlessly. What met his eyes was an astonishing sight.
“What… is this?”
Though the sounds of Lee Sang-yong’s suffering reached his ears, it barely registered. In his line of sight was a small doll cradling the jar, tiptoeing away.
The doll didn’t seem to be in particularly good condition. Its body was frayed, and the arms clutching the jar looked as if they would snap off if it were any heavier.
The blue jelly visible through the doll’s torn parts suggested it was likely a derived entity from the report he’d seen – 7496 – KR… or Lime.
Why is it here? Weren’t all the individuals accounted for? Un… unless… is it treated as a single entity?
True to his former status as a brilliant doctor, Park Jin-soo immediately understood what had happened, but there was no time to feel joy or satisfaction over being correct.
If he didn’t quickly seize the jar, the tool he had prepared would lose its effectiveness.
It seemed the singularity which had returned from what appeared to be a cliff already possessed the full truth. If that happened…
He imagined the horrors that could unfold, shaking his head to dispel the unsettling images that threatened his mind. This was not a future he wished to envision.
Here, he had a mission to study 7496 – KR further.
He couldn’t die here. He repeated the mantra to himself as he lunged towards the fleeing doll, Daesik, clinging to the jar. Though his body, despite his sharp intellect, was old and feeble, death wasn’t an option, and his body fought desperately to comply.
Thud, bang!
Listening to the sounds of someone being severely beaten while moving his feet, Park Jin-soo noticed that Daesik, the doll, was not in the best shape either, making the chase less difficult than it could have been.
Daesik, whose small limbs were on the verge of tearing apart, struggled fiercely, seemingly determined to escape despite the limitations of his tiny doll frame.
“Breath… breath, where…”
But Daesik was overtaken by Park Jin-soo. He grabbed the doll tightly, nearly suffocating as he gasped for breath. Daesik squirmed in his grasp, but the doll’s frail body offered no real resistance.
Once Park Jin-soo had caught his breath, he resolved to execute the plan before any new complications arose.
“Come to think of it…”
Still panting, his thoughts veered towards Lee Sang-yong being beaten by the locals. Turning his head, Park Jin-soo was relieved to see that Sang-yong still lived, despite being heavily swollen in various places. At least, he was still breathing.
He didn’t necessarily feel pity for Sang-yong, but his death wasn’t an option, and he sighed with relief.
After confirming that Lime and Yoo Jin were still motionless, Park Jin-soo seized the jar cradled in Daesik’s arms. In the process, the doll’s hand clinging to the jar was torn off, still gripping it as a cursed doll might, while Daesik’s torso fell to the ground below.
“Such remarkable attachment… How is it connected like that?”
No, observation could wait.
After all, once he achieved his goal and left, there would be plenty of time to analyze later.
Park Jin-soo removed the stopper blocking the narrow opening of the jar and gently rubbed it three times. The jar shuddered in response, releasing a white mist that clouded the area.
The fog, obscuring even immediate surroundings, floated upwards, forming shapes resembling the locals who had been beating up Lee Sang-yong.
Looking down at Park Jin-soo and Daesik with a solemn face, the foggy form slowly spoke.
“Congratulations on completing the challenge. As a reward, I will grant you one wish.”
…Though pretending to offer unlimited possibilities, its granting range was likely limited.
Park Jin-soo silently mused over the unknown entity before carefully articulating his voice.
“Would you accept an offering?”
“…Is that so?”
Something regarded Park Jin-soo with apparent disapproval. The chilling gaze caused him to sweat nervously, wondering if he had done something wrong.
“Alright. What do you desire?”
Hearing the expected response, Park Jin-soo smiled inwardly.
He already had the offering chosen.
Yoo Jin. Or Lee Sang-yong. If necessary, both.
As his thoughts were interrupted by Daesik’s groaning attempt to rise, Park Jin-soo paused again.
Could this doll serve as an offering instead? Given its classification as one entity, including 7496 – KR, seemed plausible.
After a brief distraction, Park Jin-soo snapped back to reality, preparing to articulate the wish he had in mind.
Tears welled up at the thought that his previous efforts might finally be rewarded.
“My wish… Eh!?”
But his wish never left his lips.
During his mental digression, Lime had broken free of his restraints much faster than Park Jin-soo had anticipated.
With no regard for Lee Sang-yong, who was already battered into a human punching bag, Lime extended jelly-like tentacles directly towards Park Jin-soo, sealing his mouth in the process.
Lime, although feeling slightly guilty, justified their action given how much they had overheard.
As Lime approached, Park Jin-soo couldn’t hide his trembling pupils. He had never imagined the situation would escalate so quickly during his brief distraction.
He had neither revealed his entire plan nor allowed himself unnecessary thoughts to prevent just this outcome, but the jelly tentacles gripping him tightly showed no signs of offering a second chance.
Noticing the jar behind Park Jin-soo, Lime let out a quiet burble of jelly.
After all, the cherished hand of Alice’s doll, Daesik, was still stuck to the jar.
Lime glared at Park Jin-soo before removing and gently placing the jar on the ground. Then, to ensure Park Jin-soo couldn’t move, firmly bound him with more tentacles. Despite his obvious frustration, bound and gagged, there was nothing he could do.
Once satisfied, Lime shifted their attention to the vague shape forming nearby.
The mysterious figure resembled the locals previously pummeling Lee Sang-yong, filling Lime with an odd sense of familiarity.
…Anyway.
Let’s see… So, does wishing allow me to leave here?
There was a reward for all this nonsense… right?
Smiling to themselves, Lime pondered what wish to make.
…But how exactly do I make a wish? I can’t speak, can I?
Lime had hit a fundamental issue.
Feeling down, Lime concluded they’d have to wait for Yoo Jin to regain consciousness.
Though there was trustworthiness to question, she seemed far more reliable than the human they’d captured or the trash lying on the ground over there.
…After all, she endured Lee Sang-yong’s violence on my behalf, didn’t she?
Lime quietly burbled the jelly. However… something felt off.
While waiting for Yoo Jin, everything had been fine… until the sounds that had been present earlier suddenly ceased.
Could that thing… have died?
Feeling an uneasy dread, Lime noticed the locals staring blankly at the misty ‘something.’
And as the violence ceased, Lee Sang-yong, barely upright and spitting blood, snarled in anger.
“I, I’ll kill all you brats—”
“Is that your wish? Understood.”
“Wha-?”
“Once again, congratulations on reaching the end.”
As Lee Sang-yong blinked his swollen eyes in confusion, the misty form, having offered a small congratulatory remark, dispersed into its initial shape before retreating back into the jar.
Moments later.
A brilliant white light erupted from the jar, blanketing the entire area in brightness. The first thing consumed by the white light was Daesik—or rather, Alice’s hand attached to the jar.
