“…What is this… Hah.”
Han Seori truly felt as though her head might explode.
Planning a town – no, a village – was something she had never been interested in, and it was already giving her a massive headache. When she reluctantly sent Kim Cheon-soo, Lime, and Sosik with tears in her eyes at the request to dispatch them, she never imagined this outcome.
“Did all three go missing?”
“…Yes. Furthermore, there are signs indicating that a Singularity from Japan may be involved.”
“I heard… it was said that this was to prepare for unforeseen situations…”
When Hwang Bo-yul trailed off, Han Seori sighed and nodded her head.
“It seems that what we feared has come true… or rather, the Singularity got them, didn’t it?”
“…That seems to be the case.”
It was truly absurd.
In reality, situations that could be prepared for often couldn’t be stopped. The fortress hastily built to prepare for the neighboring country’s invasion being swiftly demolished within weeks was proof of that. But still, this situation felt excessive.
Even without this latest development, she already felt uneasy about sending them. Now she had a headache from worrying about the situation.
The possibility that Lime, who ventured out to prepare for the Singularity, ended up being captured, was truly horrifying and unacceptable.
Her headache worsened. The village itself had been formed because of Lime’s existence, and if Lime were to disappear now… well, she couldn’t even imagine what might happen.
Thanks to Lime, they’d dealt with numerous Singularities before.
…Already feeling the beginnings of a pounding headache, Han Seori resolved to assume Lime was still alive and work from there.
Why hadn’t Lime returned after dealing with the Singularity over there?
After considering various angles, it seemed unlikely that Lime had simply fled.
To be honest, at this point, she doubted whether they could stop Lime if the person decided to escape. If the relationship hadn’t been gradually built before this situation began, this would have seemed plausible.
After all, they had originally brought in Lime who was fleeing from somewhere else.
Had Lime tried to escape, or did a third party target Lime and cause all this? Surely, Kim Cheon-soo would have sent some kind of message.
And whether it was Lime fleeing or a third party targeting Lime, both scenarios were highly improbable. Either Lime had killed Kim Cheon-soo, which was bizarre, or a third party had dealt with Kim Cheon-soo first, which made no sense with Lime present.
Though some might question whether she was trusting Lime too much, from her perspective, Lime wouldn’t harm or abandon Kim Cheon-soo.
Thus, the only plausible theory was that something went wrong either while dealing with or after neutralizing the Singularity.
Since it was a Singularity underwater, there was a fair chance they were drifting somewhere, possibly out of reach of any communication signals.
“…I only sent them for a break.”
The vacation ended up being much longer than intended. Too bad, really. This couldn’t have happened at a busier time.
Perhaps Lime is enjoying some desert island survival right now?
That would actually be—
No, no! How can I resolve this?
Since Sosik was sent by the laboratory nearby, it seemed they couldn’t be found either, making the situation even more problematic. With no resources to deploy a search team, the only option was to hope for communication to come soon.
There was no other way but to sit and wait, which only made the situation more frustrating. Who would’ve imagined that they’d be in a situation where help was unavailable due to lack of manpower?
Though it was impossible to know whether the problem was due to insufficient personnel at the other lab, there wasn’t much else she could do with the given information.
Her lab could barely count its own staff on one hand, making the situation even harder.
But if there was no one available over there…
“Maybe we should send someone ourselves.”
Even sending one person would be better than doing nothing.
The only viable candidate seemed to be Hwang Bo-yul.
It wasn’t ideal to send Yang Ha-na, as it might only complicate matters. Yoo Jin was also not yet trustworthy enough to be sent out.
Thus, while coordinating the timing of dispatching Hwang Bo-yul…
[This is Kim Cheon-soo…]
A communication came in from Kim Cheon-soo.
Han Seori’s eyes widened when she checked the location of the transmission.
“Wait, what?”
She had assumed they were stranded on a desert island, but why… were they abroad now?
What’s going on?
Is he boasting about his vacation?
Despite knowing it wasn’t the case, Han Seori felt a strange sensation.
At least there was something to be relieved about.
There was no longer a need to send Hwang Bo-yul. And if Kim Cheon-soo was safe, it was highly likely Lime and Sosik were as well.
With a sigh of relief, Han Seori moved her fingers, ready to communicate.
Hm.
There was movement.
At the end of my Jelly, I felt the sensation of something taking a bite out of it. I quickly shaped the Jelly’s end into a hook and pulled hard.
After a brief tug-of-war, a rather large fish emerged from the water, staring at me with big, round eyes and flapping around.
Oh. This is quite a catch. It’s so large that it’s frustrating no one else can see it.
A massive fish worthy enough to make fishing enthusiasts lose their minds. If they were here, they would be going wild, shouting about making a fish trophy.
But now it was merely my meal.
Still, such a big fish is nothing out of the ordinary for me. The Singularity was far more interesting, wasn’t it?
I immediately pulled the fish into me. There was no need to scale it because my consumption doesn’t involve chewing.
After devouring the flailing fish, I re-used the Jelly, leaving behind only the innards for fishing again. One fish won’t fill me up.
Of course, it might be easier to just dive in and grab them directly. But that would be less fun, wouldn’t it?
Aside from checking if anyone’s looking for me, fishing is the only form of entertainment I have here.
It might be more exciting out there in the sea, but I’m not exactly here as a tourist, so that’s not an option.
…It feels a bit unfair to be stuck in a cave while abroad. It’s kind of like coming to a foreign country on vacation, only to get stuck in the hotel room due to unexpected work.
Besides, I’m practically an illegal immigrant now, so… How should I even describe this situation?
Regardless, with nothing else to do, I’m fishing to pass the time. Sleeping all day gets boring quickly, especially on a cold stone floor. Who would pay to use stone as a bed anyway?
Warm, flat stones might not be all bad, though…
Just as that thought crossed my mind, another fish bit onto my Jelly. These fools clearly don’t know how many of your comrades have been dragged up this way.
Ignorance, it seems, is not bliss… Ignorance, it must be served!
I grinned and pulled the Jelly towards me. Expecting another large fish, I yanked it with excitement — only to see…
Somehow, something strange had bitten my Jelly.
Is this… a fish?
It looked far too solid and mechanical to be one.
I immediately realized it wasn’t a regular fish and extended my Jelly to shatter it, leaving not a trace. I crushed it thoroughly and absorbed it into my body to slowly dissolve it. It had been a while since I’d tasted something like a coin, and the sensation added a bit of tension back into my Jelly.
Though, the possibility that it could’ve been sent by Han Seori and her crew couldn’t be entirely ruled out, yet for some reason, it had a distinct Japanese flair.
It seemed unlikely that it was from them. I still harbored resentment, so the idea of accepting help from that side… it felt a bit off.
True, it was an impulsive decision. I was aware that accepting their assistance would’ve likely allowed me to return faster, but something told me it wasn’t the right move.
I trust my instincts, so I don’t regret the decision. However, thinking about my life in this cave, there’s a faint sense of regret. Will things improve once I get back? Surely a soft bed and good food are waiting?
Not complaining about the lack of side dishes, but raw fish without any seasoning or fermentation is exhausting.
While it starts out feeling unique, after a while, it just becomes wearying. There are only so many times you can enjoy something without getting tired of it, right? Perhaps Kim Cheon-soo’s pudding is one of those exceptions.
Cheon-soo, I finally understand how great your pudding is. Please, find me soon and send me back home.
…He’s still alive, right? Since he was carried off on a stretcher.
I don’t know if Sosik has properly connected with the others. He can be quite… no, he’s just a lot of trouble, so he might just be floating around somewhere… which makes me a bit worried.
Though, logically, he has a higher chance of making it home before me, so my concern might be unnecessary.
Sigh.
How exactly did we end up like this?
You, bald octopus, are a terrible Singularity. If you were going to collapse, why send us here? And what’s with leaving things in such a mess?
Your baldness really left an unpleasant impression.
In any case…
That day was uneventful, so I did a bit more fishing and slept.
The strange events began when I ventured out to look for anyone searching for me.
