Thump-thump underwater ruins exploration!
If only it had been that way.
Reality was a precarious ice walk, never knowing when a Singularity would attack. Of course, there were two Singularities on this side… While numerically advantageous, the burden of carrying Kim Cheon-soo made it inevitably a one-on-one situation.
Thus, Lime too wanted to leave him on the shore, but as he rightly said, there was no immediate way out, so there was nothing to be done. Even trying to swim upwards just to be sure yielded the same result.
Excluding this realistic issue (?), exploring the patchwork fortress was… surprisingly not bad. It was so, excluding the realistic problems.
The sight of patchwork constructions, brought together from all sorts of origins, was a spectacle like no other. If it could be brought out, it might deserve to be sent to a museum, one might think.
…Only when the uncomfortable truth dawned on Kim Cheon-soo did he feel a chill run down his spine.
‘This place seems to be quite deep.’
The fact that it maintained such an intact form was undoubtedly… due to the influence of the Singularity.
Such an otherworldly spectacle only served to awaken a sense of reality in him. Though it felt odd, it was indeed accurate.
Yet the scenes ahead continued to shake his very soul. By the time he grew accustomed to the patchwork buildings, it was due to the appearance of their presumed inhabitants.
At first when the silhouette emerged, Kim Cheon-soo made a fuss, but upon realizing the silhouette belonged to fish, he felt foolish.
There is no grave without an excuse, and indeed, even Kim Cheon-soo had his reasons. The sudden appearance of something triggering an instinctual startle reflex—complete with involuntary body movements and screams—is a precious human instinct. The very instinct that elevated humanity to its current station.
How unsettling must it be then, to be unable to control one’s own body? The instinctual level screams for escape.
Hurry, escape from here! Shout to warn everyone of this threat!
Hmm. So, Lime.
Would you stop poking me already? I didn’t want to do this either.
Poking won’t do anything! Hey! You’re making me foam continuously!
In fact, the moment of relaxation that Kim Cheon-soo had felt was mirrored by a slight loosening in Lime’s disposition as well.
While physically unexhausted as a Singularity, Lime wasn’t made of unyielding steel mentally. Sure, Lime’s mental threshold was quite high; seeing grotesque sights might invoke discomfort but never a mental breakdown.
However, perhaps as a rebound effect, Lime was susceptible to boredom and craved stimulation. It seemed to be inherent in Lime’s nature, though no one could pinpoint exactly why.
Hence, just as Kim Cheon-soo marveled at the patchwork buildings and schools of fish, Lime’s eyes sparkled as well. Even Sosik, who usually moved with a wobbling gait, widened his eyes in fascination, inevitably loosening the tension in Lime’s body.
The absence of any signs of danger gradually dulled their vigilance.
Nevertheless!
Lime too had her excuses!
The schools of fish gliding effortlessly between the patchwork buildings… it was truly a magnificent sight. A scale that made anything seen in an aquarium seem like child’s play.
Neither Lime, in her former human life, nor as a Singularity now, had ever witnessed such a spectacle.
‘I wonder what flavor this might have… it looks bizarrely fascinating.’
Though she entertained thoughts somewhat distant from romance, it was as such.
There was a gaze observing Lime and her companions as they peacefully wandered through the sea.
These entities, with pale, translucent eyes akin to frozen fish, warily guarded their territory against the newcomers. Ironically, despite being the invaders, the solemnity emanating from the entities likely wasn’t an illusion.
Their hands bristled with grotesque scales, and they wore gear made from patchwork materials, almost reminiscent of snails, but their movements were far too agile to compare with such sluggish creatures. Clutching rusted weapons that could induce tetanus with a mere scratch, they stealthily pursued Lime and her group.
Their motions resembled those of hunters stalking their prey—swift and deliberate.
Their scent, mingled with the odor of the patchwork contraptions, went unnoticed by anyone. The schools of fish, sensing their movements, dispersed in panic, but to Lime and her companions, this too seemed like a mesmerizing display. Thus, they observed it without suspicion.
Bubbles emerged soundlessly, as the group finally came within range to intercept Lime and her comrades.
They were unmoved by the bizarre scene before them.
The sight of humans trapped within a viscous blue substance failed to elicit even a blink from them. …Perhaps because they lacked eyelids to blink. Regardless, they didn’t marvel at Lime and her group.
It was as if such wonders weren’t worth even their consideration.
Perhaps they were simply incapable of thoughts altogether.
And thus, as if awaiting an opportunity with their insensate gaze, they aligned their long, variously shaped weapons and lunged at Lime, resembling fish snatching bait from a hook.
Cha-aaak!
The water split with a sound as a barrage of attacks descended, aimed to turn Lime, or more precisely Kim Cheon-soo, into living pincushions.
Unfortunately for them but fortunately for Lime—and Kim Cheon-soo—Lime, assumed to be unaware, appeared to know of their movements.
Not by sensing beforehand, but rather by recognizing the instant their attack commenced. The gap occurred because they hadn’t expected Lime to be able to perceive the rear.
Extending tentacles toward the weapons, Lime grabbed onto the rusted steel, a sensation akin to licking a ten-cent coin, wrinkling her face in distaste while grumbling.
‘…Sosik.’
You’re just standing there while they’re about to attack us! You said you’d have my back, didn’t you? Can’t you hear me?
I, Lime, am disappointed in you.
As Lime, disappointed by Sosik, extended her tentacles, Kim Cheon-soo, trapped within her, felt a powerful pressure.
‘Guh, gah!’
It felt like dying under intense compression—not quite fatal yet, but akin to wearing a full-body latex suit. Although the material touching his skin should have been soft, the pressure was overwhelming.
This was due to the slight shrinking of Lime’s body as she unleashed her tentacles.
Thus, unaware of latex sensations, Kim Cheon-soo experienced them through this ordeal, while Lime narrowly fended off the attack and felt betrayed by her companion at the same time.
And then, the wobbling Sosik sprang into action.
Once active, Sosik moved like an assassin. Smaller than Lime, Sosik darted around with remarkable agility, extracting a knife-like Jelly from his arm and began slicing the monsters whose weapons Lime had restrained.
Every time Sosik swung his arm, a murky liquid spread through the water like ink, accompanied by an unpleasant smell.
Caught off guard by the unexpected counterattack and assault, the monsters stiffened in confusion. Despite their rigid state, their bodies were swiftly cut down by Sosik.
Most of the creatures that had charged to make Lime and Kim Cheon-soo living pincushions were now dismembered, some scattered on the sea floor, others floating to the surface to become fish fodder. The transition from hunter to prey took but an instant.
‘…’
‘…’
Witnessing this, Lime and Kim Cheon-soo felt an odd queasiness. The creatures, which had just moments ago created an enchanting scene, now had their flesh torn apart by unknown monsters, evoking a sensation akin to the effect of a red pill.
Thus.
The illusion was shattered.
The plight of the fish was indeed sorrowful. Adhering simply to the natural order, yet here they were getting needlessly excited and disappointed.
Of course, these fish were too busy feasting on the bountiful meal that suddenly appeared to notice any such melancholy.
The gaze of the two fell upon Sosik, who had done his job, now softly padded up and clung to Lime’s shoulder as if declaring his duty fulfilled.
Seeing this, Lime felt a vague awkwardness.
Indeed, Sosik, I trusted you. However, couldn’t this have been done a bit more… well, cleanly? Where did this guy learn to fight like this…? Probably from TV?
…Is it time for some channel management?
Lime, quickly switching to a grave expression while pondering, recalled her tentacles as Kim Cheon-soo, feeling the latex-like compression, let out a bubbly gasp for relief.
‘Keuhk!’
Released from the pressure, Kim Cheon-soo expelled a flurry of bubbles.
With the understanding that this time would be overlooked, Lime averted her eyes from the bothersome bubbles and carefully examined the scattered remnants of the monsters around them.
The patchwork-clad monsters seemed like something between humans and fish.
A perfect midpoint between the two, without leaning more to one side.
Meanwhile, the fish that were floating around munching on the dismembered parts began gathering around the scattered remnants on the seabed.
Once again, the red pill was administered, and Lime lost her innocence entirely.
The current scene before her, unfiltered by the editing magic typically seen in nature documentaries, only compounded the effect.
‘…These ones don’t transform after eating, do they?’
As Lime peered at the fish with a new icy gaze, she noticed an odd object among the remnants the fish had devoured and reached out for it.
What is this?
Reinvigorated with excitement, Lime bent over sharply.
‘Gahhh!’
Hardly catching his breath, Kim Cheon-soo emitted frantic bubbles as his back groaned under the strain.
At that moment, all Kim Cheon-soo wanted was to go home.
