Suddenly, I Became a Slime

...Is this right?

But there was no other choice.

Rather than endlessly descending the staircase without any promise, it seemed more logical to investigate the sudden change that had appeared.

But...

...Was the staircase always extending downward? Was the landing I entered the last floor?

Now I couldn’t help but wonder if the stairs had continued further. No matter how much I reflected, I couldn’t remember clearly.

Perhaps it was because, enveloped in gloom, I had been so distracted by the shimmering door glowing green beneath that light that I failed to notice my surroundings properly.

Even though my vision had expanded, it was inevitable that my gaze would focus on where I wanted to look. Even if I had eyes on the back of my head, my sight would still be limited if I tilted my head.

...And the feeling that had overwhelmed me was probably due to the dark passageway, the endless stairs, and... the jelly freezing to death.

Was that just an excuse?

Oh, who cares, it was because of that jelly.

As I moved forward, green light flickered in the distance again. I couldn’t tell how far I had walked, but since it was much less than the time spent descending the stairs, I felt satisfied and quickened my steps.

Squish, squish, squish.

The familiar sound accompanied me as I stood under the green glow, and a new door came into view. It looked quite similar to the one I had opened before.

It gave the impression of being part of a set. But thinking about it, weren’t doors within buildings usually identical unless for a special room like a director’s office or something else important?

Perhaps in a laboratory, it might be different.

However, there was one distinct difference compared to the previous door.

The flashing green light above was identical. A rectangular shape with rounded edges.

The light outside had a pictogram of a person running, but the light above me now displayed the word [EXIT].

...Perhaps the running figure was simply a way to make "EXIT" easier to recognize. So maybe it wasn’t a real change after all.

But was there really a need for it to change?

The subtle alteration stuck in my mind. I could’ve opened the door without thinking, but something about it felt like a thorn in my throat.

Of course, I no longer had a throat for thorns to get stuck in, so the sensation was dull, but it wasn’t pleasant.

Not that it mattered much. It wasn’t worth dwelling on. It was like feeling a thorn but knowing it wouldn’t kill you. Unless, of course, you had the worst luck imaginable, like winning a reverse lottery.

In any case...

I figured going back up would only lead me back here eventually, so I decided to open the door and step inside.

If it wasn’t safe, the necklace should’ve reacted by now.

Thinking this, I tapped the necklace lightly with my jelly fingers.

Crack!

The necklace emitted a sharp screech, as if blaming me, then cracked and shattered, pieces falling to the floor like broken jelly.

I stared blankly at the remains, then scratched my head while glancing around.

‘Couldn’t they have made it more durable?’

This wasn’t my fault, right? They can’t charge me for this... right? I didn’t break it on purpose! Besides, how much does something like this even cost? I don’t have any money.

Oh well, Hwangbo Yul or Han Seori will handle it.

I’m just here to do my job.

Before opening the door, I checked my knowledge pouch one last time. It was wiggling faintly, pointing directly beyond the door.

Something’s definitely there.

...What an inconvenience.

At first, I thought this pouch was amazing. It points to anomalies! How convenient! But the more I used it, the more I realized its limitations.

Sure, it detects locations, but just a general "direction" isn’t enough. It’d be great if it at least hinted at what I was about to encounter.

Then a question popped into my mind.

How does the knowledge pouch even detect anomalies?

I had wondered this before. Detecting something means identifying certain traits. So, shouldn’t the things it detects share some commonality?

But what could that be?

"Anomaly" is just a term humans assigned. How does this pouch identify them?

...I have no idea.

Shaking my head, I felt my jelly bubbling slightly.

If I understood that, I wouldn’t be out here doing this. I’d be sitting beside Han Seori, wearing glasses, having intellectual discussions.

But alas, I’m not an intellectual. So here I am, physically pushing through.

Still, if the pouch could communicate with me, wouldn’t that solve everything?

Lost in thought, I wiggled the knowledge pouch. It moved as I directed, then pointed at the door again.

It was undoubtedly part of me, so it wasn’t going to start talking. If it did, that would mean my mind was splitting into multiple personalities—a horrifying thought.

So let’s not push it. Just stay quiet, pouch...

With that, I grabbed the handle.

The handle felt oddly cool, but not physically. It was an abstract kind of chill—something hard to put into words. Cold, but not cold, yet evoking the sensation of coldness.

...Have I ever truly understood anything? Most things, I’ve just endured and dealt with physically.

Click.

The door opened with a sound.

A cold wind blew through the open door. This time, it was genuinely cold air, unlike the abstract chill of the handle.

As the wind dispersed, a peculiar landscape came into view.

My first impression was... blue.

Everything was blue.

It wasn’t frozen, but as if pale blue paint had been splashed across the world.

And among the blue-tinted scenery were familiar sights. The concrete jungle I had seen and missed. Towering buildings dyed pale blue stood there.

For a moment, I wondered if I had stepped outside, but I quickly ducked back into the doorway. I waited, expecting people to appear, but none did.

Only after confirming the absence of anyone did I cautiously observe the concrete jungle.

Looking closer, it made sense why no one was there.

The concrete jungle—the buildings—was surrounded by trunk-like structures that looked like trees. It was as if the buildings were being strangled by these trunks, their pale blue appearance giving the impression of suffocation.

...Of course, buildings don’t have necks to strangle. But that’s how it seemed.

The sight was truly bizarre.

It felt like a scene straight out of an apocalyptic movie. If the world were to end, would it look like this?

What could turn the world blue and destroy it? Nuclear war? A glacial age caused by global warming?

Oh.

Is this a new ice age? But is this even Earth?

Seeing familiar architecture, I automatically assumed it was Earth, but it might not be.

Interesting.

Standing at the threshold, I peered out without stepping through. I stayed put... because I wanted to.

It felt... unsettling.

I wanted to explore the ruins of this apocalyptic landscape, but something within my jelly whispered not to.

This must be what humans call intuition.

As a human, it had been meaningless goosebumps, but as a jelly, it had become quite sharp.

Soft body, sharp instincts.

So I stayed put, observing, while expelling a small amount of jelly from my body. Though some had been lost earlier, I still had plenty left.

Soon, small jellies wriggled out of me.

...Expelling small amounts felt strangely odd.

Anyway.

I tasked the jellies with exploring the apocalyptic ruins on my behalf, instructing them to bring back anything significant.

Now then.

Let’s see what they find.

By the way, why have the strange noises from beyond the door gone silent?

So many questions.