Chapter 87: Authority |
*Crackle! Crackle!*
Feeling the jelly touch something inside the sphere, I shoved all my jelly towards that spot.
Soon, dangerous-looking sparks began to fly in all directions, and its body started shaking violently, indicating that it was effective.
Along with that, I was able to escape from the lasers that were targeting me.
So.
In the battle of whether the lasers would melt me into a puddle of jelly or I would break it, I was victorious for now.
However, the lasers were still spewing out, so it didn’t seem like a complete victory yet.
Still, I thought that if I could neutralize the core, which was presumed to be the leader, somehow things would work out.
I pushed the jelly tentacles into its precious parts and groped and stirred it recklessly.
The moment sparks flew again.
$)!$!
Some kind of voice emanated from the sphere.
It was a voice I couldn’t understand.
As if sensing my concern.
Authority @re$% in progress...
The incomprehensible voice gradually started changing into something I could understand.
What was strange was that it wasn’t Korean and was basically installed in my head.
I didn’t know what it was, but it definitely wasn’t Korean.
Nevertheless, I slowly became able to understand what it was saying.
It was a very bizarre sensation.
But when have the actions of anomalies ever been ordinary?
I just accepted it as it was.
It’s not like it would be something I could understand anyway.
Instead, I diligently did what I could do.
Pushing the jelly tentacles into its precious parts and stirring the insides.
I didn’t know what effect my actions were having, but it seemed certain that it was causing some change in it.
The lasers that had been spreading everywhere had all disappeared by now.
*Squish, squish, crackle!*
Upper@ authority change@ in progress @$
The body floating in the air descended to the floor like a sinking ship, and now I could understand more of what it was saying.
Somehow, I even felt a sense of pride.
Although I still couldn’t understand exactly what it was saying, I had a feeling it was very good news for me.
Is this why they say to hit a machine to fix it?
It seemed that even anomalies couldn’t escape that universal truth.
The object that had been emitting a red light flickered through orange and yellow.
Along with a green light.
Reset complete.
It spoke in a clear voice.
Then.
Please retract your body, Administrator. Any more da- *bzzt*, any more damage and it will be irrepa- *bzzt*, irreparable.
Is it talking to me?
I felt a bit strange at the unfamiliar title and polite request.
I was deliberating whether to pull this out or not… when suddenly, a somewhat urgent voice was heard.
Administrator? Administrator? Administrator? Administrator?
Although the tone was flat without inflection, the rapidly repeating title gave me an eerie feeling.
After a moment of contemplation, I retracted the tentacles.
Even as I retracted my tentacles, I thought it might be a bit of a naive idea.
What if it was just pretending?
So I retracted the tentacles but tensed my body to be able to extend them again at any moment.
To be able to stab the tentacles back into its body at any time.
And there was one reason I didn’t completely destroy it.
If I had somehow become its administrator or something similar.
…I wondered if it could repair the facility, just like it had repaired this steel serpent.
Wasn’t the facility in a terrible state when I glanced at it?
Although Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu seemed to have succeeded in restoring it somehow, only the electricity was restored, while the gaping holes and shattered interior remained the same.
Could Kim Cheonsu repair all of that alone?
Well… I don’t think so.
Considering that no one else had come even after quite some time had passed… there seemed to be a reason why only the two of them had brought me here.
So I couldn’t expect anyone else to come either.
I quite liked living here.
So, I had essentially bet my chips on a gamble that could be a bit dangerous.
…Actually, since I could overturn the table right away, it might not be as dangerous as I thought.
It seemed like the thought of a gambling addict, but I tried to ignore it.
Anyway.
The sphere, free from the tentacles, wobbled and floated into the air, dripping the mucus that covered its body.
I also lowered my posture to gain propulsion in sync with it.
Then, I heard the voice again.
That was close. Administrator.
Its attitude was polite, just like before.
…Although it was a bit eerie when it repeated the same thing, now that I heard it like this, it was quite a pleasant voice.
After staring at it for a moment, I gestured, and the sphere that had been floating obediently descended and approached me.
Hmm.
Did the gamble succeed?
I’m not sure yet, but it definitely seemed cooperative with me.
By the way, there was one problem.
Administrator?
It kept talking to me.
But I couldn’t answer it.
Because I couldn’t speak.
…What should I do?
There’s no paper either.
Inside the relatively intact control room.
Han Seori, Kim Cheonsu, and the slimes huddled in front of the panel were just staring at the huge scrap metal reflected on the large screen.
Kim Cheonsu, who had returned with nothing more to help with, and Han Seori, who had been watching the situation from the beginning, both looked at the screen with very anxious eyes.
Although quite some time had passed since 7496-KR entered it, the huge steel mass remained unmoving.
The fact that it wasn’t moving meant that the worst had been avoided for now, but the two were anxious that there was no response even as time passed.
The scrap metal didn’t move, but neither did 7496-KR come out.
It was frustrating not knowing whether it had destroyed the scrap metal or was struggling inside.
“…Should we go in with something?”
“With the equipment here right now… would it be possible?”
“It would be difficult… probably. Even just climbing up there….”
Han Seori didn’t scold Kim Cheonsu further as she also understood his feelings.
She just anxiously chewed on her soft lips.
“Huh?”
At that moment.
A fairly large sphere was seen appearing from the crack between the split steel, bobbing up and down.
Seeing the strange machine pop out instead of 7496-KR, Han Seori held her breath, and Kim Cheonsu’s face turned as blue as jelly.
“Th-that!”
Then Han Seori noticed something and pointed at the screen while covering her mouth.
At the tip of her finger was 7496-KR attached to the bobbing machine.
Seeing its healthy appearance, Han Seori seemed to relax and slumped to the floor.
Soon, as it approached the ground, 7496-KR landed on the floor and looked around.
Then, it started heading somewhere with the sphere.
Kim Cheonsu, who had been blankly watching, muttered in a dumbfounded voice.
“What on earth happened?”
“…Who knows. Since it seems to be coming this way… I guess it was resolved well?”
“…There are things even you don’t know, Doctor.”
Then Han Seori, her face slightly flushed, snapped.
“O-of course there are. There are probably still anomalies appearing that I don’t know about, so how could I know everything?”
“Ahaha… I’m kidding. Don’t get so angry.”
Seeing Kim Cheonsu chuckle at Han Seori’s unexpected side, Han Seori glared at him with a displeased face, then suddenly sighed.
“Why are you like that? Doesn’t it seem to have been resolved well?”
Kim Cheonsu cautiously spoke, wondering if he had crossed the line.
Han Seori smiled at his quick change in attitude and muttered.
“It does look that way… but the problem is that the research center is in a state beyond words right now. Even if we take care of the situation, I’m doubtful whether we can continue using this place.”
“Ah….”
Kim Cheonsu, who had been walking around to repair it himself, immediately understood Han Seori’s words.
The current state of the research center was similar to a tent that had been torn to shreds.
The power had been barely restored, but there were more red lights than green lights on the research center’s status.
If it had been an ordinary research center… all the isolated anomalies would have escaped, and unthinkable things would have happened.
‘…Should I say we’re lucky it’s only us?’
Kim Cheonsu and Han Seori sighed, filled with an emotion that was either joy or sorrow.
Soon.
The door to the control room opened, and 7496-KR and the large sphere floated in.
Han Seori regained her original appearance and stared at the sphere.
It has the appearance of something that could be commonly seen in science fiction media.
Was there something like that inside that huge steel serpent?
…For something that had shown destructive behavior, it looked surprisingly… cute.
As the two looked on with tension, 7496-KR approached them with the sphere.
The two, who had been tense, felt their tension ease as 7496-KR seemed to be controlling the sphere.
Although they had no idea how it had done it, anyway, it seemed that 7496-KR had resolved the situation.
She had never given birth to a child, but was this feeling when a grown child successfully returns after achieving something?
As the two were feeling a sense of pride from somewhere, they saw 7496-KR tapping the sphere.
Why was it doing that?
While the two were having that question.
The sphere blinked brightly and made a sound.
Beep boop beep beep boop beep.
“Huh?”
“What?”
A mechanical sound that felt consistent reached the ears of the two.
It sounded somewhat like a human voice, but they couldn’t understand it, so they only felt puzzled.
When Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu seemed to not understand, it was 7496-KR that felt flustered instead.
An unknown silence lingered in the control room for a moment.
