The Jelly Alien Will Save You! Chapter 20

Inside the vast factory.

 

A conveyor belt stretched as far as the eye could see, carrying rows of unfinished animatronics fixed to frames. 

 

And every time they passed a section, people clung to them, wholly absorbed in the task of completing the unfinished animatronics.

 

At the very end of the production line. 

 

Gong Juwon, a special response team member who was dispatched to check on the unusual situation in Yongsan and got swept up in the anomaly, turned his gaze while inspecting for defects.

 

[‘Defect Inspection Worker’ Manual]

 

-All workers must follow the manual.

-The pollution level rises every time the defect rate increases.

-When the Chief Manager is watching, unauthorized movements are strictly prohibited.

-Failure to follow the manual will result in being deemed defective and subject to elimination.

 

The task assigned to him was to inspect for defects.

 

Compared to the ‘Assembly Process Worker,’ who had to assemble countless parts, it was a much easier job.

 

Once he grew accustomed to the task, he found the mental space to survey his surroundings, but no matter how he looked at it, escape seemed unlikely.

 

‘If it wasn’t for that Middle Manager, I might have found a way out……’

 

Juwon glared sharply at the pink jelly.

 

Among the giant animatronics, the pink jelly, looking incredibly small and cute, was holding a whip and urging the human workers on.

 

Smack!

 

“Hey, don’t slack off and move quickly!”

 

“…Yes.”

 

While the special response team members were paying attention to the pink jelly.

 

Dodam rolled her eyes left and right while holding the whip.

 

‘Why am I a Middle Manager?’

 

But it was important not to show any signs of unease. Because they shouldn’t notice anything strange about me.

 

When another animatronic whipped the workers, Dodam hesitantly followed suit.

 

Slap!

 

[‘Middle Manager’ Manual]

 

-All workers must follow the manual.

-Middle managers must manage the work attitude of the workers.

-When the Chief Manager is watching, you must face and welcome the Chief Manager.

-Failure to follow the manual will result in being deemed defective and subject to elimination.

 

In this bizarre factory, the field workers were usually humans.

 

The Middle Managers were entirely animatronics. 

 

Since it was an animatronics factory, it made sense for the Middle Managers to be animatronics, but…

 

‘Why am I a Middle Manager?’ 

 

Thinking deeply, there seemed to be only one reason why I became a middle manager.

 

‘Because I’m not human.’

 

As I passed in front of a worker, a crosshair appeared in my vision and locked onto the worker.

 

Smack!

 

It probably felt like being hit by a flyswatter, but the worker startled and quickly moved his hands.

 

Hmm, so I have to press them like this for them to work hard.

 

If you think I’m starting to enjoy whipping, you’re mistaken.

 

I’m just doing it because I have to!

 

While circling the production line, I sneakily glanced over to see if my brother was okay.

 

Fortunately, yellow eyes were looking at me from the ventilation shaft.

 

Since my brother wasn’t assigned any tasks, I hid him in the factory’s ventilation shaft when no one was looking, fearing he might be caught and eliminated.

 

I even put him in the spaceship, so unless the Calamity suddenly appears, nothing should happen.

 

Right, as long as the Calamity doesn’t appear……

 

Just then.

 

Thump.

 

The sound of something very large approaching the front of the factory was heard.

 

“…?”

 

I have a bad feeling about this. I turned my head, creaking like an un-oiled robot.

 

And when I faced it, I had to try my absolute hardest not to scream. 

 

‘Wh-what is that…!’ 

 

Two eyes, filling the factory’s massive windows, rolled their pupils as they scanned the interior.

 

It was a humanoid animatronic with the head of a bear. 

 

It was so large it seemed to be one and a half times the size of the factory itself. 

 

‘It’s the boss…’

 

It was so tiny and precious in the original game! Why did it get so big!

 

The overwhelming sight made it feel like the world was spinning. Goosebumps erupted from head to toe.

 

I had been wondering why the Chief Manager was nowhere to be seen, but at that size, it made sense that he couldn’t actually fit inside the factory. 

 

“Hello! Hello!”

 

“Hello!”

 

“Nice to meet you!”

 

The animatronics waved both hands while greeting the Chief Manager.

 

I followed suit and waved both hands while looking at the Chief Manager.

 

“H-Hello! Hello!”

 

‘Scaaaaary!’ 

 

I felt dizzy, like threads tangling in my head. But according to the middle manager’s manual, the moment I avoided its gaze, I could be eliminated.

 

It was then.

 

“I-It’s a Calamity……”

 

At a worker’s muttering, the Chief Manager’s large eyes snapped around.

 

Then, the worker sank to the floor in fear.

 

The atmosphere instantly became chaotic.

 

— Field workers who do not focus on their duties are subject to elimination.

 

As the Chief Manager’s eyes dyed red, a target mark was engraved on the worker.

 

At that, someone shouted.

 

“Everyone, focus on the manual!”

 

“…!”

 

Those who finally came to their senses hurriedly resumed inspecting for defects.

 

However, the head of the man who had slumped down swelled up like a balloon.

 

“U-Ugh!”

 

His face was turning into the balloon itself. Everyone swallowed a surprised groan.

 

A yellow balloon took the place where his head had been.

 

The balloon, which kept swelling, eventually popped with a loud Bang!

 

Fragments of the balloon fluttered down to the ground.

 

Thud— 

 

The headless body slumped powerlessly to the ground.

 

Gulp.

 

I wasn’t the only one who swallowed hard without a sound. All the workers except the animatronics stifled groans. Everyone was equally tense and shocked, but no one tried to run away from the scene.

 

It was, indeed, the survival instinct of humans who had endured the contaminated zone.

 

Clank clank.

 

At that moment, as the Cuhief Manager manipulated the joystick hanging around its neck, a crane materialized in the air.

 

The crane descended from above, grabbed the headless body, and dropped it into something resembling a furnace.

 

‘He was eliminated…’

 

It was as if this factory was the Chief Manager’s own personal claw machine. 

 

* * *

 

Was I too arrogant? I took the contaminated zone too lightly.

 

‘Maybe I should have just asked Cha Haeeon to come with me…’

 

I didn’t bring him along because dealing with the conflict we had when going to Yongsan Station to save my brother was annoying, and now it ended up like this.

 

Though, honestly, even if Cha Haeeon were here, I don’t know if he could handle something that big.

 

I shook my head vigorously.

 

Since things have turned out like this, I have to escape on my own! 

 

Swallowing my tears while chewing on the saying that even if a tiger bites you, you’ll survive as long as you keep your wits, I calmly recalled the game’s strategy.

 

‘Frey,’ the teddy bear animatronic boss of the ‘Animatronics Factory.’ 

 

Created to bring people joy but eventually abandoned, Frey created the factory as a theme park, yearning for human love. He lured people into the factory for that very reason… 

 

Thanks to this backstory, the strategy for Frey wasn’t difficult.

 

Although it accidentally became reality, the essence of this game was originally a healing game.

 

If music plays, they dance, and if they greet each other when they meet, the animatronics are incredibly docile.

 

Playing with those animatronics and giving Frey, the boss, a big hug is all it takes to complete the clear. 

 

I fell into deep thought as I repeated the strategy.

 

‘…Should I hug it?’

 

That thing?

 

I feel like I’d turn into a flat jelly trying to give it a hug.  

 

But I don’t want to live forever as a middle manager whipping people like this!