It seemed to Han Seori that something was changing, so she thought the wait would be over soon.
However, the unknown change took longer than she had anticipated.
Cruuud, Cruuud.
A strange, unpleasant sound, reminiscent of an upset stomach gurgling, continuously echoed around.
Though she could sense that something was changing inside, she knew she couldn’t tamper with it carelessly.
Because if anything went wrong inside, it might lead to irreversible consequences.
She desperately wanted to check the interior, but Seori forced herself to wait patiently.
Regardless, since the transformation began when Lime entered, it seemed likely Lime was at the center of it.
Though concerns occasionally crept in, Seori decided to trust and wait for Lime.
If she had chosen to believe, then sticking with it until the end was only natural, wasn’t it?
Since she couldn’t exactly relax and sleep comfortably at the research lab amidst all the turmoil, Seori told the others she’d call them when the transformation ended, dismissed them with that excuse, and settled near the tree.
Fortunately, thanks to Electric Scent (Gihyang), there was no need to pitch a tent.
Having her meal prepared by Kim Cheon-soo, Seori idly watched the Jellies while patiently waiting for Lime.
Currently, instead of Lime, who had ventured inside the tree, she held Little (Sosik) in her arms.
Surprisingly, Sosik didn’t resist Seori’s touch and even looked content, munching on Jelly.
Sosik seemed to genuinely enjoy being embraced by Seori.
Thus, Seori couldn’t help but feel pleased as she waited for Lime, until she eventually dozed off.
The coolness of Sosik against her chest had made resisting sleep almost impossible.
Surely, her fatigue also played a part.
What woke her was the chirping of an unidentified bird and the gentle warmth of the sun on her face.
“Hmp.”
“…When did I fall asleep?”
Too sound a sleep it was, leaving Seori somewhat flustered.
Truthfully, though spared from sleeping in a tent, the farthest thing from her was a comfy bed — though this slumber was oddly refreshing.
As Seori blinked her eyes, she realized other Jellies were gathered snugly around her, not just Sosik in her arms.
Their soft, cool comfort made her guess it was thanks to them she’d slept so well.
“I don’t recall asking for such treatment, but…”
Could Sosik have been jealous?
Seori remembered how the Jellies had grown rather friendly with humans.
It wasn’t just about getting snacks; they even touched fingertips with their human counterparts in friendly gestures.
Just as humans were getting used to Jellies or the realm of Singularity.
Perhaps, the Jellies were becoming accustomed to humans as well.
“Thanks to you all, I had a good rest, kids.”
Then perhaps her job was to help foster even more goodwill.
Seori thanked the Jellies who were now slowly waking up and stood up.
At that moment, the strange gurgling sounds from before had ceased, signaling the completion of the transformation.
“…Is it over?”
Pulling Sosik and Daesik, who had somehow latched onto her ankle, closer to her chest, Seori approached the tree.
When its transformed appearance finally came into view, Seori unconsciously let out a puzzled hum.
The tree neither poured out monsters as it had before…
Nor disappeared suddenly in one night.
“This is…”
The tree had become enormous—too massive to take in fully at once.
Across its vast surface were huge holes—holes that did not look like gnarly bite marks from some bug but instead resembled purpose-built windows, albeit somewhat crude.
Though there was no glass, they undoubtedly looked like windows.
Arched-top rectangular windows.
Beyond them, despite their height, glimpses of something resembling ceilings could be seen through the windows.
“…”
Seori’s mind was now filled with countless question marks.
What on earth just happened?
Baffled by the changes, Seori noticed what looked like a door-shaped opening at the base of the mammoth tree.
“…Hmm, hmm.”
Is this the entrance?
…If I go inside, will I find Lime?
Seori cautiously approached the opening, her throat dry, while maintaining constant vigilance over her surroundings and keeping the lab apprised.
Even though the most logical move would’ve been to wait before entering…
Frankly, it didn’t seem dangerous.
With Daesik and Sosik held securely in her arms, and the small Jellies trailing behind like chicks following their mother hen…
This was one of the safest spots in the world—certainly in this country of Korea.
The only problem was…
The entrance seemed sized specifically for Lime’s stature, making it somewhat small.
Still, seeing it somehow reassured Seori.
It had a sense of being a trace left behind by Lime.
“…But why isn’t Lime coming out?”
I’ll find out when I go inside.
Leaning forward, Seori pushed Sosik and Daesik through the doorway, and carefully squeezed through herself.
Once on the other side, she was greeted by a refreshing scent of phytoncides, and the interior appeared like a cozy inn out of a fantasy world.
A staircase spiraling upwards greeted her, alongside what seemed like a counter, doors to the basement, and pathways leading somewhere unknown.
“…What is all this?”
Seori scanned her surroundings bewilderedly.
Daesik looked around with the excitement of a child at an amusement park, while Sosik, true to form, wandered lazily until he found a cozy spot to curl up in.
One by one, the Jellies who had followed began darting around like children who had received a new toy, eyes wide with curiosity.
“Hmm, should I stop them?”
Seori pondered for a moment, then shook her head.
Truth be told…
Her primary reason for hesitation was her lack of confidence in being able to stop the Jellies already buzzing about.
Could you stop dozens of five-year-olds all running around at once?
Seori certainly couldn’t.
Though, had she controlled them from the start, it might’ve been a different story.
Still, their antics were unbearably cute and charming, causing Seori to unknowingly smile and step further inside.
It felt like entering a play area designed for young children.
Given that the entrance was small, it stood to reason that the things inside were sized proportionally to Lime.
Perhaps that was why the Jellies were so thrilled, enjoying every inch of the space.
After spending all their time in the vast laboratory, it made sense they’d feel delighted in a space tailored to their body size.
“…Surely Lime must’ve done this?”
Still, where exactly was Lime?
As Seori wondered this, she sat down in a chair that seemed made solely from the remaining stump of the tree.
Around the counter-like structure, the Jellies began to gather.
Peering closely, Seori saw something.
A golden silhouette was slowly emerging through a crack.
“…Is that Lime?”
A reasonable guess considering Lime was the only one who entered the tree, thus it had to be her revealing herself, right?
However, something wasn’t quite right.
The slowly oozing silhouette wasn’t the greenish color typical of Lime but rather golden, resembling honey or maple syrup.
And most telling…
It was larger than Lime.
Notably larger in certain areas…
If there were tree honey spirits, perhaps they’d look something like this?
The golden figure slowly poked its upper half out of the crack and began scrutinizing the surroundings.
Seori observed the figure motionlessly.
The Jellies, however, took action first.
At first, they simply stared, but then they suddenly lunged.
Then they began to munch greedily on the golden figure, who allowed them without resistance, treating them almost like a mother embracing her children.
Indeed, the golden figure seemed to be offering its bodily fluids—likely tree sap or honey—to the Jellies, much like a mother feeding her young.
The satisfied Jellies eventually disengaged, patting their stomachs as if signaling they were full.
“…?”
The Jellies who had latched onto the golden silhouette didn’t resist or push them away.
Instead, it appeared the golden figure treated the Jellies like its progeny, sharing its essence or bodily fluids.
Each Jelly that partook seemed to beam with delight, akin to leaving a 5-star review if they could.
Stunned by the surreal scene, Seori realized the unknown silhouette had approached her unnoticed.
“Eeek?!”
Startled, Seori stumbled backward, only to find the golden figure, elastic and gooey like cheese, extending an arm to catch her.
Its touch was oddly sticky, yet similar to that of the Jellies.
It then grinned sweetly and attempted to coax her lips with some of its own substance.
“Uuhhh?!”
An overwhelming sweetness.
Just as she wondered if the figure intended to suffocate her, she realized she could still breathe through her nose.
‘…Am I supposed to eat this?’
Tentatively testing it with her tongue, it tasted familiar.
The sweet flavor reminiscent of tree bark she had tasted before.
Overcome by the intense sweetness, Seori instinctively leaned in to partake further —
“Eek!”
Only to suddenly become aware of Lime descending the stairs with a disapproving expression, causing her to snap back to reality.
Realizing her predicament, Seori quickly pushed the figure away, and it complied without resistance, returning to its “normal” form.
Seori awkwardly looked toward Lime, who approached her hesitantly.
Lime looked somewhat abashed, avoiding Seori’s gaze.
Clearly aware of her mistake.
But Seori herself felt a bit flustered, having been caught behaving childishly.
An indescribably awkward silence hung in the air.
“Is this the entrance…? Haven’t you managed to contact the professor yet?”
The familiar voice broke the tension.
Seori and Lime exchanged a glance.
Let’s agree to act like nothing happened here.
With that silent accord, the two turned to acknowledge their company.
