“….”
“Uh, um….”
Han Seori looked at Yoo Gang-jik, who was nervously stroking his chin beside her, with a tense expression on her face.
It wasn’t because she had any particular interest in him that she was looking, but rather due to the unexpected behavior of the Jelly Girl that had been sent in to measure the danger.
Currently, the information about 7496 – KR, which indiscriminately melts anything it comes into contact with, was somewhat biased.
After all, the characteristic effects typically seen in Singularities—those that strangely influence the mind, body, or environment of people—were not observed, so in a sense, this was to be expected.
Through Han Seori’s experiments, some things had been uncovered, but since a thorough investigation hadn’t been carried out yet, the information available was somewhat limited.
Furthermore, though it had fled from the sewers, it hadn’t exhibited any hostile actions since then, which led to the delay in determining its objective danger levels.
From the inside, it seemed easy to melt a person, but considering its secretion of seemingly harmless slime, it initially appeared not to be hostile toward humans.
Therefore, to find out if this applied solely to humans…
Yoo Gang-jik decided to subject the Jelly Girl to a procedure for testing Singularities that employed physical force.
This would simultaneously confirm if 7496 – KR’s hostility extended beyond humans and assess its strength, which was hypothesized to be physical in nature.
Though the method was somewhat violent and dangerous, since certain control measures were in place, it wasn’t too concerning.
Of course, this method wouldn’t be usable on uncontrollable Singularities, but Yoo Gang-jik believed that 7496 – KR wasn’t at that level.
If that squishy and adorable thing even survived without getting torn to shreds, it would be lucky.
Thus, the scene unfolding before him now seemed somewhat… strange.
When the horned wolf first lunged at her with its mouth wide open, he had felt sweat trickle down his hand.
It looked as if the tiny Jelly Girl was about to get ripped to pieces.
Should he press the switch in his hand and stop the horned wolf?
But just at that moment, the Jelly Girl nonchalantly evaded its gaping maw, seemingly saying, “This is so boring.”
“…”
The horned wolf, having missed its prey, was confused and snorted in irritation. At that moment, Jelly Girl’s punch exploded on the horned wolf’s tightly-closed jaw.
Chffp!
A soft popping sound was heard as Jelly Girl’s squishy fist “patted” the horned wolf’s mouth.
It sounded as if the air was being let out somewhere.
Perhaps the horned wolf was mocking her.
Its slight resistance was met by the horned wolf opening its mouth wide instantly to bite down on Jelly’s fist.
Chffp!
With another sound, Jelly Girl’s fist vanished in an instant.
Jelly Girl looked a little troubled as she twisted her body, but with a bloop bloop, her hand grew back. However, it seemed hard to land an effective blow, given how squishy her body was.
It was strange that such a squishy body could maintain a human form, but since this was a Singularity, it was unlikely there would be any scientific basis for it.
After observing the two entities exchanging attacks, Yoo Gang-jik stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“…It doesn’t seem to be entirely friendly, at least.”
The immediate counterattack indicated that, regardless of its power, it responded to threats directed at itself.
While watching Jelly Girl narrowly evade teeth and claws or her chunky body being sliced into pieces, he mused.
“Ah…!”
“Huh…”
“Mm, shouldn’t we stop this?”
As he sighed inwardly at Han Seori’s overreaction beside him, Yoo Gang-jik couldn’t help but feel 7496 – KR might have some sort of mental manipulation or hypnotic effect.
Otherwise, why would she be freaking out this much?
And the fact that his own lips had been quivering too was something Yoo Gang-jik had already erased from his mind.
Just then.
Flook!
A sound of splitting jelly was heard, as the Jelly Girl was pierced by the horned wolf’s horn.
With a loud growl out of rage, the horned wolf charged toward a wall with Jelly Girl impaled on its horn.
Chffp!
A sticky sound accompanied Jelly Girl’s collision with the wall. Despite the impact, Jelly Girl somehow managed to keep her form and swung her cotton-like fists, though they appeared ineffective.
At this point, the horned wolf regained its composure and continued to menace her with its horn.
If it had ended there,
Yoo Gang-jik would have pressed the switch to restrain the horned wolf.
Han Seori would have let out a sigh of relief, wiping her chest.
But then.
As the horned wolf’s horn swirled through Jelly Girl’s insides, something unexpected happened.
7496 – KR, who had been squishing and punching the horned wolf, suddenly began to tremble her body.
Perk!
When she slammed her fist again, a dull sound echoed this time around, quite different from before.
The heavy, resonating sound caused the horned wolf, which had been so arrogant just moments ago, to falter helplessly.
“Uh…?”
The sudden turn of events left the horned wolf, which had just taken a hit, and even Han Seori, who had been restless beside Yoo Gang-jik, completely frozen.
As the horned wolf stumbled and finally collapsed, Jelly Girl, looking on, began with a bloop bloop sound.
With that sound, she began pulling the barely-breathing horned wolf into her body.
Watching the horned wolf quickly dissolve with the bloop bloop sound, Yoo Gang-jik muttered softly.
“…Seems more dangerous than expected. What about that thud just now?”
“It might be that she’s learned how to harden her body…?”
Appearing somewhat troubled, Yoo Gang-jik scratched his head vigorously, then pressed a button before speaking.
“Did you record the entire video from earlier? I’d appreciate it if you sent it to me.”
After saying that, he glanced at Han Seori, who watched anxiously beside him, and murmured.
“And to Dr. Han Seori as well.”
At his murmurs, a slightly trembling voice came through the speaker.
– Understood.
After a moment, Yoo Gang-jik removed his hand from the button and shook his head as he looked at Han Seori.
“Judging by this, it seems to be more dangerous than Dr. Han anticipated, correct?”
“Well, but our Little doesn’t hurt humans, right… uh.”
Han Seori muttered unconsciously, then closed her mouth tightly, realizing she sounded like someone under the sway of a Singularity.
“…Even so, considering how you arrived at this realization on your own, it doesn’t seem to be a result of 7496 – KR’s influence?”
“It’s not that…”
“Yes, well. That’s probably it.”
Yoo Gang-jik turned his gaze back toward Jelly Girl. There was no longer any sign of the previously sizable horned wolf.
A tiny piece of jelly that had been dangling on Jelly Girl’s head suddenly sprouted into a taller shape.
At this point, it felt like continuing similar tests might not be a good idea anymore.
“…We’ll end the test here. Based on the results, it seems we cannot assign a ‘Safe’ classification.”
“…Agreed.”
“Good. Let’s leave the remaining tests for another day.”
The sudden danger testing session abruptly came to an end, thanks to the unexpected situation.
Damn dog dared to mess with my precious, precious spot.
Though it annoyed me that the person in charge outside hadn’t done anything until now, my precious and delicate place had been violated by the horn of this feces-filled mongrel.
Did survival instincts kick in or something? When I suddenly felt something harden in my hand, I swung my fist with a loud wham, emitting a distinct crushing sound, unlike anything from before.
Soon after, the mongrel who had been swirling its horn inside me staggered and collapsed with a thud.
It just fell over and crumpled, simple as that.
Though I should’ve been startled, my heart was bubbling with rage, so I didn’t hesitate.
A short time later, the one who had been hit hard lay there wheezing, breathing shallowly.
When chasing me, he seemed so gleeful, but now he looks pitiful.
…The silence means…
It’s permission to eat this, right?
You bad dog.
There’s no way you could’ve anticipated this outcome.
I shoved him into my body right away, devouring him just as quickly as when I digest chunks of meat.
After so long, tasting fresh meat again felt…
Somewhat unusual.
Maybe because it’s a creature not found on the blue planet I knew, I couldn’t pinpoint the exact flavor.
Let alone ever having eaten a dog or wolf raw.
I had encountered something similar in the sewer once, but truthfully, I don’t remember the taste back then.
Nor do I really want to recall it.
At least I didn’t feel the stench peculiar to a sewer, so maybe it tasted better.
Such were my vague musings.
Devouring the horned mongrel this way, my body began to bloop bloop.
Something sprouted from the top of my head.
It looks like some kind of long hair sprouting, similar to…
What people typically call… a “fool’s tuft,” right?
Since I possess a luminous intelligence, it should probably be called a “Knowledge Sack” instead of a Fool’s tuft.
…But.
Why did it grow?
Not only did I feel a dull sensation in my fist earlier, but something… something seems to be happening, and I don’t know what it is.
Considering Daesik suddenly appeared out of nowhere, what can I possibly understand?
Still…
Hasn’t it ended yet?
While feeling around the Knowledge Sack that had sprouted, the tightly-shut door opened, and the person in an astronaut suit from before came in.
Earlier, they effortlessly lifted me up, but now they’re trying to grab me from a distance with some kind of enormous net.
I indulged it for a bit out of bewilderment.
…Was my danger level or whatever it was elevated just for eating one horned wolf?
Submitting quietly to the net, I was carried out and saw the glass container holding Daesik and Alice.
Sliding into the glass container smoothly, the lid closed.
When I emerged, Han Seori’s and the supervisor’s faces looked somewhat peculiar, indicating something was definitely wrong.
Could it be… was that horned-wolf one-of-a-kind in its world?
…Had they not warned me simply because it wasn’t meant to be eaten?
My first day at this mysterious facility ended somewhat uncomfortably.
