The Jelly Alien Will Save You! Chapter 50

Is my purification power finally shining? Or is it my alien technology?

 

Anyway.

 

“Cha Haeeon… are you finally trusting me?”

 

“Yeah. In here, you’re the most reliable one.”

 

Cha Haeeon replied seriously.

 

My eyes grew wide.

 

I suddenly got all fired up. A dungeon only I can clear? I can’t pass that up!

 

“Let’s go, let’s go! I’ll clear it for you!”

 

“Are you really going?”

 

“Yes!”

 

“I’m really fine, though…”

 

Bora Unnie looked worried, but Cha Haeeon, acting like it was no big deal today, said he “needed supplies” and went into the room.

 

What he brought out soon was the rope.

 

The very rope I used to drag the spaceship around.

 

Cha Haeeon wound it around me and tied me up.

 

“…?”

 

“It’s a necessary supply.”

 

“Do I really need this?” 

 

I pouted, wearing the chest strap like a baby harness.

 

This really makes me look like a puppy.

 

But Cha Haeeon paid no attention and, after tying the knot securely, spoke. 

 

“Yeah. Because you might get lost.”

 

“Ah, like ‘the Labyrinth of the Minotaur’?”

 

Theseus brought a ball of thread into the labyrinth so he wouldn’t lose his way.

 

Cha Haeeon looked elsewhere for a moment and shrugged.

 

“…Well, it might be similar.”

 

“I see.”

 

So the dungeon we’re going to is like a labyrinth.

 

“Alright. Finding my way is my specialty.”

 

Because I have a map!

 

As I brimmed with confidence, Cha Haeeon seemed to be holding back a laugh for some reason. 

 

What? What’s with him?

 

I narrowed my eyes.

 

At that, Cha Haeeon returned to his usual blunt expression.

 

“Haeeon, but are you really not going to explain what kind of dungeon it is in detail?”

 

“It’s better not to know.”

 

“But Dam might be in danger.”

 

Brother jumped up and down on my head, agreeing with Bora Unnie’s words.

 

“Forget it, I’m fine. He said I’m the only one who can clear it. I’ll figure it out.”

 

With my nose pointing high in the air, I spoke like that to reassure Unnie and Brother. 

 

Up until this point, I was confident that nothing could surprise me.

 

Until I faced “it.”

 

* * *

 

“Beep—”

 

As I got off the bus, I received another candy from the Calamity.

 

After putting the candy into the spaceship, I folded the spaceship small enough to fit inside a pocket. 

 

Unnie, who was riding the bus provided by the Calamity for the first time, had a somewhat dazed face. 

 

“How fascinating.”

 

“You’ll get used to it soon, Unnie.”

 

Having ridden the Calamity bus three times already, I tapped Unnie’s hand like a seasoned veteran.

 

When I raised my gaze, a forest of buildings appeared where tall guild headquarters were clustered together.

 

“There are variants all over the place here, so be careful.” 

 

Cha Haeeon took the lead as he spoke. We followed cautiously behind him.

 

The Quasar building was not far away.

 

“Quasar…”

 

Unnie muttered softly.

 

A massive building right next to a small park that looked as if it had been forced between the skyscrapers.

 

Unnie turned her head toward the fountain.

 

“I used to come out here for a bit to clear my head…”

 

The fountain was filled with leaves and dirt instead of water.

 

In this forest of buildings that was no longer touched by human hands, various trees and flora had sprouted.

 

It was then that I noticed the shadow I cast on the ground was moving a step slower than my actual movements.

 

“…?”

 

“Careful.”

 

I was suddenly dangling from Cha Haeeon’s hand.

 

He hadn’t picked me up by the ears like before, but by the harness on my back.

 

“…!”

 

Arrrgh! Treated like luggage, I bared my teeth and struggled.

 

Cha Haeeon skillfully dodged my flailing and said,

 

“This is convenient, isn’t it? Keep wearing it around.” 

 

“No!”

 

Put me down! Put me down!

 

As I continued to struggle, Bora Unnie caught me and held me in her arms.

 

“Haeeon, you shouldn’t hold Dam like that. You have to cradle her like this.”

 

Though she spoke as if she were teaching someone how to hold a puppy, thanks to her, I was able to safely return to the ground.

 

I adjusted my harness. I didn’t like it, but for now, this harness was serving as “Ariadne’s Thread.”

 

I gripped the harness tight and raised my hand toward the two of them.

 

“You two wait here. I’ll go clear it and come back.” 

 

“Haeeon, our Dam is really going to be okay, right?”

 

“Yes. In this place, she’s the best option.”

 

At those words, the corners of my mouth curled up.

 

“Then is there anything I should know?”

 

“You’ll find out naturally once you go in.”

 

Alright. After nodding, I bravely headed toward the Quasar headquarters.

 

Passing through the automatic doors into the marble lobby, I looked around.

 

I think I’ve only been here twice before……. 

 

Back when many people were coming and going.

 

I stood still by the desk, lost in thought. It was to wait for the anomaly.

 

However.

 

‘What? Nothing’s happening?’

 

Just as I was thinking that.

 

A sound like Boing! Boing! echoed from the stairs.

 

“…?!”

 

I turned my head and saw things that looked like round, fist-sized slimes.

 

Not just one, but many. A whole army of them, enough to be called a legion.

 

“Gasp!”

 

Brother jumped up and down on top of my head, telling me to run away. 

 

As the slime army swarmed toward me, I backed away.

 

No, you said I’d find out naturally! What exactly am I supposed to find out! 

 

Just then, the slime army lunged at me.

 

“Aaaaargh!”

 

Cha Haeeon, you punk! You were trying to assassinate me…!

 

In that moment as I struggled to escape the slimes’ grasp.

 

The slimes suddenly changed shape.

 

“…?”

 

Their forms shifted and shimmered, and a familiar color began to appear.

 

‘Why do I see pink?’

 

I blinked in confusion.

 

Their size was about the same as mine. And they were a pale strawberry milk color.

 

Just like me.

 

Of course they were.

 

Because they were my image.

 

The slimes had all transformed into my likeness.

 

Long ears. Round, sparkling black eyes. Round, jelly-like bodies.

 

Pink aliens swarmed around me in a crowd.

 

“…Ah.”

 

I get it.

 

I narrowed my eyes.

 

I know what this is. It appeared in <Squishy Squishy! Planetmon!> too.

 

These are doppelgängers!

 

The creatures sparkled their eyes at me.

 

“Yap!”

 

“Yap-yap!”

 

“Yap-yap-yap!”

 

Small fists flew at me in succession.

 

Tap.

 

Tap-tap.

 

“…?”

 

I just stood still. 

 

There was no other reason. It just felt like jelly bouncing off me.

 

I didn’t dodge because it didn’t hurt or even itch.

 

On the contrary, when I reached out—

 

Poke—

 

One doppelgänger rolled backward. Then it hit the floor and bounced with a Boing.

 

“Haha! Weaklings, the lot of you!” 

 

The moment I pointed my finger and mocked them.

 

Yap-yap-yap-yap!

 

Suddenly, the whole lot of them lunged at me.

 

Yap-yap-yap-yap!

 

Yap-yap-yap!

 

Punching.

 

Body slamming.

 

Headbutting.

 

…Every single bit of it was like being hit by cotton balls.

 

I stood still in the middle of that scene for a moment. A wave of disillusionment washed over me.

 

Squishy aliens were pushing each other, pushing me, falling over, getting back up, and fighting with “yap yap” sounds.

 

Suddenly, a surge of anger welled up within me.

 

“So.”

 

I grabbed the two ears of a doppelgänger next to me and shouted.

 

“So, because of this!”

 

Yap-yap-yap!

 

“Because of this, you said I was the only one who could clear it?!”