Suddenly, I Became a Slime

Somehow sensing the solemnity of the moment, I put the stainless steel bowl back on my head.

"There's no need to put it back on..."

Han Seori spoke with a voice tinged with curiosity, but I simply nodded, feeling like doing so anyway. Han Seori blinked, then chuckled softly and moved on as if it was no big deal.

Thinking about using my abilities with a stainless steel bowl on my head made me feel like a character in a movie. Of course, I wasn't bald but had a full head of hair.

Anyways.

Once I was ready, I stood confidently and nodded. Kim Cheonsu, also prepared, swallowed nervously and nodded in return. With Han Seori nodding as well the trifecta of nods was complete and she began manipulating the control panel, starting a small experiment.

It wasn't much more than preparing to record everything, but the thought of it being an experiment made the jelly tense. The floating sphere silently observed.

While manipulating the panel, Han Seori spoke.

"Starting the test experiment for the new ability of 7496-KR, as shown on the screen." Her voice added to my jelly's tension.

Han Seori, who had once lifted me without hesitation and cut off my arm, now felt friendly. Meanwhile Kim Cheonsu, who had become the chef, still seemed like an ordinary person.

For me, "experiment" had become a term indelibly associated with such imagery. Not that it mattered much, but I pressed the stainless steel bowl firmly onto my head and braced myself.

The caramel-like sweetness near my head made it impossible to feel truly tense.

Hmm. Still tasty.

Han Seori, tapping the stainless steel bowl while operating the panel, spoke. "Are you ready? 749... Oh, I forgot we were supposed to give you a proper name."

"Indeed. I've also been unsure what to call that thing inside the doll."

Since it wasn’t a serious experiment, the two seemed casually distracted. Were they thinking about my name?

Having 7496-KR as a name felt too stark, almost like a prisoner number. As someone who had once been human, it was hard not to feel that way.

I had an inkling of what the two might think of me but wasn’t entirely sure. After all, I hadn't interacted much with others working here.

Most fictional works portrayed researchers keeping their distance from unique entities. Now that I think about it, Han Seori had initially been distant too, though her attitude melted away like snow in spring. I couldn’t pinpoint exactly when that happened.

Should I view this positively? It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for me. Being addressed by a prisoner number and subjected to harsh experiments would have been worse.

Still, the portrayal of researchers in fiction lingered in my mind. Those researchers often met grim fates or were "dealt with" by higher-ups.

Asked why I only thought about this now, I’d respond that I’d been busy surviving.

Anyway, I supposed it’d be okay as long as they acted this way.

"For now, let’s focus on the experiment. We can think about it later."

"Understood."

At least they were aware this was an experiment. Han Seori organized the situation and turned to me.

"Can you pass the thought to Cheonsu to hit his head?"

"...."

Did they understand what they were asking? I looked at Kim Cheonsu and concentrated on the thought of him hitting his head. Scratching his head, he mumbled.

"This feels... odd."

"What do you feel? Do you feel like hitting your head?"

"More like an itch..."

As he spoke, he scratched his head vigorously. Startled, I took a step back. Kim Cheonsu yelled.

"Hey! I washed thoroughly! Who do you think made that pudding you ate?"

"Why are you upset? Is this related to the itching?"

"No... I don’t think so."

"Hmm, I see."

Han Seori’s expression turned serious as she manipulated the panel. Words quickly filled the once-blank screen.

‘The intent of 7496-KR doesn’t always perfectly convey itself. Alternatively, actions that harm one’s own body may be suppressed.’

Did she deduce all that from asking Cheonsu to hit his head? Initially, I thought she was teasing him, but her serious demeanor suggested otherwise. It became clear why she was called a doctor. Kim Cheonsu seemed just as surprised by her seriousness.

Han Seori proceeded to give instructions that wouldn’t cause major harm to test whether I could inflict damage on Kim Cheonsu.

"Make sure to consciously think of Cheonsu when attempting it."

Assuming there was a purpose behind her words, I complied, though focusing on a man felt unpleasant. I instructed him to:

Bite his finger and stab between his fingers with a pen.

Biting his finger translated to an itch, while the pen-stabbing caused a compulsion he carried out himself.

While experimenting, Han Seori said with a slightly tense expression:

"Then... next, try to convey the thought of strangling me to Cheonsu."

"What!? Doctor, what are you saying!?"

"I’m curious if harm can only be avoided for oneself."

"But that’s not reasonable!"

"There’s no one else here to test it with. Calm down."

After calming Kim Cheonsu, Han Seori crouched and looked at me. Though my vision didn’t technically come from my face, I clearly felt her gaze on me.

She spoke slowly.

"Can you do it?"

Correction: Han Seori wasn’t an ordinary person.

Her voice carried an odd conviction. Did she truly believe I’d convey such a thought, or did she have a backup plan? What if Kim Cheonsu actually harmed her? The thought alone made me recall the taste of the sewer-soaked rat I’d once eaten.

To avoid accidentally imagining Kim Cheonsu strangling her, I focused on other thoughts, primarily on my jelly companions, who were closest to me and spent the most time with me.

As Han Seori silently watched, I shook my stainless steel bowl-covered head.

Smiling broadly, Han Seori removed the bowl and gently patted my knowledge pocket and head.

"Sorry for asking you to do something strange. I just wanted to check."

What did she want to confirm? It seemed both clear and a reminder that I wasn’t human.

Though I’d quickly adapted to my current body, today felt unusually bittersweet.

"Let’s stop the experiment here for today. How about watching an old movie together? I managed to connect a simple communication network to make it possible."

Han Seori’s cheerful suggestion didn’t lift my mood. Kim Cheonsu seemed to understand but wore a sulky expression.

...What a petty man.

I…can’t be called a man anymore, so I’m an exception.

Fearing that my gloomy thoughts might lead to something bad, I placed the stainless steel bowl back on my head and nodded carefully. Han Seori chuckled faintly, patting the bowl once more.

Experiments Indeed.

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