The Jelly Alien Will Save You! Chapter 24

That would be me.

 

The moment these people find out about my purification ability, I’ll likely end up captured in a military facility and experimented on.

 

‘So, let’s not do anything rash and get caught!’ 

 

As I was making this resolution internally, Cha Haeeon nodded and spoke. 

 

“So your position is that you have to make a move before someone else secures it first?” 

 

“Yes, that is correct. The higher-ups have judged that there is a high possibility that the VM will be classified not just as a simple anomaly, but as a strategic resource.”

 

Even strategic resource status?

 

I hugged my brother and scooted over with my butt until I was pressed tightly against Cha Haeeon’s side.

 

However, my brother, seemingly displeased with Cha Haeeon being so close, pushed Cha Haeeon’s body away firmly with his tentacles.

 

After pulling my brother’s leg to stop him, I asked Juwon.

 

“Do you know how to get the contents of the vending machine?”

 

Gong Juwon, flustered by my question, looked at Cha Haeeon. Cha Haeeon nodded as if to tell him to answer.

 

“When eliminating monsters around the Yongsan VM, coins that haven’t been identified until now are appearing. According to witnesses, if you insert those coins, you can obtain items from the vending machine.”

 

They said the vending machine was a hot topic outside, and it seemed even the method for using the coins was common knowledge. 

 

I tilted my head to the side while kneading my brother’s soft legs.  

 

Let’s think about this carefully.

 

I need human skin. It costs a whopping 1 million coins!

 

But the Earthlings want to use coins to purchase items from my vending machine.

 

‘Oh….’

 

Isn’t this actually a pretty good situation? 

 

That is, as long as they don’t forcefully confiscate the vending machine.

 

‘Hmm, is that the sound of a fortune being made that I hear?’ 

 

* * *

 

Early morning.

 

Captain Gong Juwon, who was the first to wake up, washed his face with cold water and came out to the yard, still dripping wet.

 

It was beyond mysterious that such a place existed within the contaminated zone. 

 

To think he would even encounter Cha Haeeon here, and in such a manner.

 

Up close, the man’s face still held a trace of youth that suited the word ‘pretty.’ 

 

Youth. No, he was young.

 

Looking at his face alone, it was hard to believe he was the one who had accomplished the legendary feats spoken of in whispers. 

 

But as if to prove his heroic exploits were no lie, he had survived alone even in failed operations.

 

‘Though it’s too early to judge that it’s completely safe.’ 

 

He had to assume the worst.

 

He had even warned his team members, ‘Don’t let your guard down completely.’

 

Because this was a contaminated zone where he couldn’t even be sure if this person was truly Lieutenant Colonel Cha Haeeon.

 

To have survived here until now without being contaminated? 

 

That couldn’t be.

 

No matter how superhuman Lieutenant Colonel Cha Haeeon’s talent was, the possibility that he was completely contaminated couldn’t be ruled out. He had to report this to his superiors as well.

 

‘And that pink jelly….’

 

Thinking of the pink jelly made his head spin for a moment.

 

Last night, when he had hinted at asking Cha Haeeon about his relationship with the pink jelly, he had said this:

 

“I’m raising it.”

 

Was the contaminated Cha Haeeon raising a ‘Calamity’-class mutant? Had he gone mad from loneliness and contamination?

 

Or perhaps it was the opposite—the pink jelly was the one raising a mentally corrupted Cha Haeeon. 

 

Whatever the truth was, he had to be vigilant.

 

Screeech— 

 

Just then, at the familiar sound of metal interlocking, Gong Juwon lifted his head.

 

‘An animatronic?!’

 

A teddy bear animatronic wielding an axe was entering the yard.  

 

It was the moment Gong Juwon reflexively reached for his gun.

 

“Stop trying to touch other people’s property.” 

 

Turning around in surprise, he saw the pink jelly with squinted eyes, looking at him with an octopus perched on its head.

 

The pink jelly approached with a pyok-pyok-pyok sound. 

 

“The vending machine cannot be taken unless you’re the owner. It’s stated that way in the settings.” 

 

“Yes?”

 

“It means you can only purchase items from the vending machine.”

 

The animatronic standing next to the pink jelly made a thud sound as it stood its axe upright on the floor.

 

“Do you know about the VM—no, the vending machine?” 

 

“Well, a little.”

 

The pink jelly gave a smug shrug and turned her head away sharply. 

 

“You have Cosmic Coins, right? Items in the vending machine can only be purchased with those coins. So don’t even think about trying to collect the machine itself.” 

 

“But the orders from the higher-ups….”

 

At that moment, the black flapjack octopus atop the pink jelly’s head opened its eyes. Dozens of bright yellow eyes across its body and legs opened all at once. 

 

He was breathless from the sudden, overwhelming fear. He staggered as he felt the contamination filling his body in an instant.

 

“Ugh!”

 

“Oppa, stop.” 

 

The pink jelly stroked the flapjack octopus’s head soothingly. 

 

“It should be operating right now, so you’re free to go see.” 

 

* * *

 

I urged Captain Gong Juwon, who was standing there like an idiot, once more.

 

“Hurry!”

 

At that, Captain Gong Juwon scrambled to gather his team members—who had woken up one by one and were watching the scene—and rushed out of the house. 

 

“Lieutenant Colonel Cha! Excuse us for the intrusion!”

 

“We will visit again! Lieutenant Colonel Cha!”

 

“Stay safe, sir!” 

 

Cha Haeeon, who woke up late and yawned, saw them off.

 

Once they packed their gear and left, I opened my survival handbook.

 

[Vending Machine Operations Status] 

Cosmic Coin Balance: 430cc 

Purchases available today: 10/10

 

[Orderable Items: (0/1)] 

-Purified Water (1cc each): Purified water. Can purify a certain amount of contamination. 

-Galactic Canned Food (1cc each): Emergency rations easily found in the galaxy. Provides long-lasting satiety. 

-Juice Can (1cc each): A magic can that turns whatever you put in it into juice. Keeps freshness intact when stored in the can.

 

A new menu item was unlocked now that the accumulated coins exceeded 400! 

 

‘Juice Can!’

 

It was an item that let me make and sell juice.

 

It was a shame it wasn’t something I could eat directly, but I was relieved it wasn’t like the alien canned food.

 

I’ll make some incredibly delicious juice and sell it.

 

Order! Order! Order! Order!

 

I ordered all the quantities I could sell today.

 

10 cans piled up one after another in front of me.

 

Hehehe. I’m going to sell every single one of them. 

 

While I was imagining sucking the Cosmic Coins right out of the humans using juice, ‘Frey’ the teddy bear animatronic held out two monsters he had farmed from outside. 

 

“Creeeak!”

 

“Kikikieeek!” 

 

The monsters, which looked like furry sea urchins, chirped noisily.

 

Before Cha Hae-eon could grumble about the noise again, I ran over—pyok-pyok-pyok—and purified them.

 

[Reward]