The Jelly Alien Will Save You! Chapter 60

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The Central Bank was unusually intact even in the middle of the ruins. 

 

If it hadn’t been for the massive tree piercing through the center of the building, one might have mistaken it for an ordinary bank in the outside world.

 

We stepped inside the heavy granite building.

 

The moment we crossed the threshold, it felt as though something like squishy jelly wrapped around me snugly.

 

I squeezed my eyes shut, engulfed in light. 

 

A moment later, as my eyes adjusted to the brightness, a wide lobby came into view.

 

In the antique interior adorned with a large chandelier, an employee dressed in a sharp suit approached us.

 

“T‎̜᷀h‎̱̿i‎̘̓᷆͢͠s‎̺̭̀͢ i‎͎͍̐̚s‎̮̟ Y‎̜᷀o‎̱̿n‎̘̓᷆͢͠g‎̺̭̀͢s‎͎͍̐̚a‎̮̟n‎̜᷀ C‎̱̿e‎̘̓᷆͢͠n‎̺̭̀͢t‎͎͍̐̚r‎̮̟a‎̜᷀l‎̱̿ B‎̘̓᷆͢͠a‎̺̭̀͢n‎͎͍̐̚k‎̮̟. How may we help you today, valued customer?”

 

The employee greeting us politely had a head made of a black, rectangular number indicator. 

 

Can he even see anything? I stared blankly at his face, fascinated, before speaking.

 

“We want to use the Seed Bank.”

 

“Did you say the Seed Bank?” 

 

As he asked back in a surprised tone, the numbers on the man’s head began to whirl frantically.

 

[;;;;]

 

“I am terribly sorry, but the Seed Bank is a service available only to our VIP customers…”

 

“What?”

 

“Would you like to check if you hold VIP status?”

 

“How do I check?”

 

At that, he extended a gloved hand toward me.

 

Uh, what am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to hold it?

 

I hesitated before placing my hand on top of his. The moment I felt a bit of strength drain from my hand—

 

Whirrrrrrrr—!

 

The numbers on the employee’s head spun without rest.

 

“…!”

 

Wh-why is he acting like that?

 

My eyes went round as I turned to look at Cha Haeeon.

 

Cha Haeeon also shook his head, as if this was something he hadn’t expected.

 

Whirrrrrrrr!

 

Just as I began to feel dizzy, wondering if he might suffer an overload—

 

[VVIP]

 

“You were a special customer! I shall escort you to the VIP counter! Please follow this way.”

 

Whoa—

 

Following him, we passed the general counters and crossed through several secret doors.

 

The final door the employee opened for us was incredibly thick.

 

It was a structure of overlapping layers of stone and metal, and it didn’t even make a sound as it closed.

 

However, I could clearly feel the sensation that the space behind my back had been completely sealed off.

 

“This is a passage exclusively for VIP customers.” 

 

By the time I could no longer gauge how many times we had turned directions along the hallway—

 

The employee finally came to a halt.

 

In front of us was a bank vault door.

 

It was not the round door from my imagination, but a massive, rectangular door. 

 

The employee took a step back.

 

“Welcome to the Seed Bank.”

 

As those words ended, the door began to split open very slowly.

 

Cold air flowed out through the gap.

 

It was a chill.

 

Air that was completely still, devoid of smell or moisture.

 

Inside, shelves stretched out row after row, and on each shelf, small capsules were organized.

 

Inside the glass-like transparent capsules, seeds infused with light lay sleeping one by one.

 

The seeds weren’t just for plants.

 

Some looked like metal, some were crystals, and some were of a form that couldn’t even be defined.

 

‘It’s like the original game was brought to life…!’

 

My heart pounded at the sight, which was similar to the Seed Bank I had seen in the original work. 

 

Just then, a strange voice echoed from deep within.

 

“This place is a repository for the future.” 

 

A bank clerk stood at a desk in front of a tree trunk where numerous keys were hanging.

 

Though she had snow-white hair, she looked like an ordinary person otherwise.

 

‘Is that tree the same big tree I saw from outside?’

 

What the clerk was leaning against looked like that massive tree that had grown through the center of the bank, but overall, the place looked less like a bank counter and more like an information desk at an old hotel.

 

The clerk bowed deeply to us.

 

“Welcome, special VVIP customer.”

 

“Hello…”

 

Caught off guard, I returned the greeting as well. 

 

At that, she let out a gentle smile as if finding it cute, and spoke. 

 

“Have you also come to claim your ‘Legacy’?”

 

Legacy? Why a legacy all of a sudden?

 

“No, I… Galactic Two-Two Pepper seeds…”

 

I was about to say that, but I shut my mouth the moment I saw the shimmering solid gold key the clerk pulled out from inside a drawer.

 

In an instant, my eyes sparkled with a golden light.

 

Meanwhile, as I fell silent, Cha Haeeon opened his mouth to speak on my behalf.

 

“She came to get Galactic Two-Two Pepp— Mmph, mmph.”

 

I quickly scrambled up Cha Haeeon’s body and covered his mouth.

 

“…!”

 

Read the room! She said Legacy! The key is gold! Don’t you see it?!

 

When I spoke with my eyes, Cha Haeeon scowled. He had a look that asked where on earth was the legacy for me to receive here.

 

But if someone gives you something, it’s only natural to take it!

 

“Yes, I came to receive the legacy!”

 

I don’t know who’s giving what, but give it to me first. I spoke confidently, puffing out my chest.

 

It was right then. 

 

The woman’s face twisted bizarrely to the side. Like a clock hand, it slowly, slowly began to bend further and further sideways.

 

“…!”

 

What?! Terrified, I backed away, and she, with her mouth torn wide, spoke.

 

“The VVIP customer has stated they will receive the legacy.”

 

Giggling, she asked, “Did you hear? Did you hear?” and a humming sound emanated from the tree. As if it were saying it heard.

 

Frightened, I grabbed the hem of Cha Haeeon’s pants.

 

“Cha Haeeon, what do I do? I think I did something wrong.”

 

When I whispered softly, Cha Haeeon replied, lowering his voice deep as well. 

 

“It seems you’ve done something very wrong.”

 

“You won’t leave me, right?”

 

“….”

 

Cha Haeeon turned his gaze to the side and remained silent.

 

Why aren’t you answering, you jerk!

 

So that Cha Haeeon couldn’t run away alone, I gripped the hem of his pants even tighter. 

 

At that moment, the woman’s laughter stopped abruptly.

 

Her mouth, which had been split long, closed slowly as if nothing had happened.

 

Her neck, which had been twisted bizarrely, also slowly returned to its original position.

 

As though nothing had happened at all. 

 

“We shall proceed with the protocol.”

 

The employee bowed her head. 

 

This time, the bow was so excessively polite that it felt ominous instead.

 

As she raised her hand, the tree behind her let out a low rumble.

 

Thump—

 

Thump—

 

The floor vibrated minutely.

 

I felt something beneath the soles of my feet shifting positions.

 

Feeling a sense of foreboding, I threw my hand up and said,

 

“The legacy… can I not receive it?”

 

“Inheriting the legacy is no longer an option.”

 

The clerk’s voice was still soft.

 

“Since you have already stated you would receive it, only the delivery protocol remains.”

 

“…Protocol?”

 

I asked back, but she did not answer.

 

Instead, she shifted her gaze toward the tree.

 

The grain of the tree slowly split open.

 

Through the crack, a dark and deep pass—