Chapter 96: The Cave Rumbled |
The swaying cave made people uneasy for reasons unknown.
That unease remained even after I turned into a slime, so the sudden shaking startled me.
And that went for Kim Cheonsu, as well.
As we stood there, unable to do anything,
Han Seori’s voice rang out from my neck.
What are you two doing?! Let's get out of here first!
“Y-yes, yes!”
I, too, finally came to my senses and ran out of the cave with a *squish, squish*, and I could see Kim Cheonsu diligently following me.
Seeing him running while furrowing his brow and rubbing the back of his head made my jelly twinge with guilt.
With that resolution, I was running toward the exit.
Then, the creature that had been watching us motionlessly as if unable to move any further,
Began stretching its body.
It looked as if a white tongue was slipping out of its throat.
The extended creature approached Kim Cheonsu with its mouth wide open, *slurp*
Watch out!
I wanted to shout, but I had no throat to warn him with.
I used to find it comfortable to gloss over things because of this.
But in a situation like this… it was terribly inconvenient.
…To begin with, thinking that he could follow me just fine after wandering around the snowy plains and getting hit on the back of the head to the point of losing consciousness… may have been nonsense.
As I observed the situation while running, I had to make a choice.
Either trust that Kim Cheonsu will dodge on his own and escape first.
Or,
Become bait,
So he can get out.
With little time to choose, my decision was very quick.
While running, I could still see behind me, so I swiftly unfastened the device on my neck.
Huh?!
Hearing Han Seori’s voice, I turned my body and approached Kim Cheonsu.
He looks at me with a puzzled face as he runs while clutching the back of his head.
…It seems he hasn’t noticed the creature opening its mouth and coming at him from behind.
Even if the back of his head tickles, he probably can’t feel it because of the bump from getting hit by the cube.
Then, since I was the one who threw the cube, I should take responsibility for it.
So,
It’s not that I’m rushing in because I have an exemplary spirit of self-sacrifice.
I handed the mechanical device to the confused Kim Cheonsu just in case, and smacked his waist several times, telling him to get out of here quickly.
“Huh? Uh!?”
Wha-wait, what the heck is going on...
Kim Cheonsu, who was feeling confused, quickly came to his senses, but something with its mouth wide open approached faster.
The closer it got to the entrance, the more violently the cave shook, as if it would collapse at any moment.
To the point that it seemed difficult to maintain balance.
And then, over Kim Cheonsu, who was barely managing to keep his balance,
A deep shadow fell.
*Slurp*
The gaping maw was densely packed with teeth, too many to count.
If touched by that, one would instantly turn into minced meat… even I could tell that much.
Since I’m short, it’s only natural that Kim Cheonsu would be targeted first.
So,
I pushed Kim Cheonsu with all my might.
“Waaah!?”
Kim Cheonsu flailed his arms and legs as he flew through the air.
Oh no!
The shadow that had fallen over Kim Cheonsu naturally fell over me.
Kim Cheonsu, realizing the situation, let out a scream.
*Crunch! Squelch!*
“Eek!”
Ah... ah...
With a scream and a hollow voice, the monster’s jagged teeth swallowed the slime girl’s upper body.
The slime girl’s remains stuck to the sharp teeth, giving the impression of a beast that had finished eating.
The wriggling blue pieces added to its grotesqueness.
A blue liquid was splattered everywhere like spilled blood.
Memories of his time with the slime girl flashed through Kim Cheonsu’s mind like a panorama.
…She wasn’t the most amiable one, but sometimes she would approach him like a friend.
Even in his dreams.
Even now.
The sight of her busily moving to save him.
Disappeared, torn to shreds by hideous teeth.
He felt a tingling in his eyes as he gasped for breath.
It felt as if it was his fault that the slime girl had ended up like that.
No, it was his fault.
If only he had held out in that cave.
…If he had stayed inside, firmly believing that rescue would come.
This wouldn’t have happened.
Kim Cheonsu bit his lip, feeling an emotion he had never felt before.
You bastard...
A sharp voice rang in Kim Cheonsu’s ears, filled with palpable anger.
Realizing he wasn’t the only one grieving, Kim Cheonsu struggled to get up with his disoriented body.
Although the cave was still shaking, it seemed a little easier to move than before, perhaps because the monster had stopped for a moment.
With the mechanical device the slime girl had handed him tightly clenched in his hand, he ran quickly toward the exit.
Glancing back to see if it was following, Kim Cheonsu caught sight of the lower half of the slime girl lying on the ground.
Although it was just a mucus-like lump,
Kim Cheonsu felt nausea rising in his throat as he moved.
He ran and ran, struggling to the end, thinking it would be proper respect for 7496-KR’s choice to save him.
But.
…Something was strange.
...?
The monster, which seemed like it would open its hideous mouth and swallow him at any moment, was groaning and shaking its head as if trying to chase away an itch.
As the cave’s tremors ceased, Kim Cheonsu composed himself and got to his feet.
The monster continued to swing its head back and forth as if trying to shake something off.
“…What the heck is this?”
Could it be...
Kim Cheonsu’s voice and Han Seori’s tone carried a glimmer of hope.
There was only one reason for the monster to suddenly display abnormal behavior when it had been fine.
That 7496-KR… the slime girl, was alive.
Realizing this, Kim Cheonsu surveyed his surroundings while calming his pounding heart.
He also didn’t forget to slowly back away from the monster in case of any unforeseen situations.
As he calmly assessed the situation, peculiar points caught his eye.
One was the mucus-like substance stuck to the monster’s teeth.
The mucus that had been squirming as if drained of strength seemed to have hardened, gripping the teeth.
It appeared to be the reason the monster couldn’t open its mouth and approach Kim Cheonsu.
And… one more thing.
The lower half of the slime girl that had been lying on the ground had vanished without a trace.
Then,
*Rumble rumble rumble!*
As the cave began to shake again, Kim Cheonsu frantically moved and leaned his body against the entrance.
The monster continues to squirm its body toward the entrance as if in agony.
It reminded him of a caterpillar, so Kim Cheonsu, who had guessed the slime girl was alive, unknowingly let out a hollow laugh.
...Are you laughing right now?
“…I apologize.”
...No. I was a bit sharp too. For ordinary people like us to face such a thing without any preparation... it's an impossible feat, isn't it.
Kim Cheonsu also knew that painfully well, so he nodded.
But he still felt as if some heavy burden had settled in his heart.
“……”
Meanwhile,
“…!!!!!!!”
The monster screamed in a voice that could belong to anyone.
Kim Cheonsu frowned and covered his ears.
Ugh...
It seemed Han Seori was the same, as a pained voice was heard.
And in the eyes of the two, and on the screen,
A bizarre scene was shown.
The monster, with its face, turned upward.
There was a small hole in the monster’s body, and viscous blood was seeping out of it.
And,
…One of the monster’s eyes could be seen melting from the inside.
It was a sight as grotesque as the monster’s face, but Kim Cheonsu and Han Seori couldn’t take their eyes off it.
“…!!!!!!!”
Soon,
With the monster’s dying scream,
A blue silhouette popped out of the monster’s melted eye.
The one poking its face and arms out as if it had popped out of a manhole,
It was, of course,
7496-KR, the slime girl.
The girl seemed a bit startled as if she hadn’t expected to come out from there.
When the monster shook its body violently in pain, the slime girl’s body that had popped out of the hole also swayed this way and that.
Seeing that surreal scene, Kim Cheonsu unknowingly spoke.
“…It feels like I’m watching a cartoon.”
Because it was so unrealistic.
...I agree with that.
With the two people’s dazed muttering, the fight between the two anomalies began in earnest.
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