Chapter 117
The true ending of The Cell X is the ’true freedom’ of the Creatures.
There is one prerequisite for this: the Creatures must kill all the prison guards.
All twelve Creatures had to participate in the slaughter of the guards.
This was because they needed to reclaim and absorb the Neo flowing through the guards’ bodies.
However, it was no easy feat for the Creatures, weakened by long periods of incarceration, to kill guards who possessed enhanced bodies.
Since some individuals among the Creatures lacked the capacity for killing, it was difficult to execute this through sheer force alone.
In the game, I used a method of disposing of the guards using Neo.
I would force them to overdose on Neo extracted from the Creatures, turning them into ’dregs.!’
Once they became dregs, it was easier for the Creatures to absorb the Neo.
’It was effective against the regular guards.’
The Security Chief, however, seemed to have a strong adaptability to Neo; he didn’t turn into dregs even after an overdose.
Therefore, I had dealt with him in a different way.
Regardless, I needed to verify if the method I attempted in the game would work in reality.
As it happened, I found myself in a situation where I could collect Neo while being followed by only one guard.
It was a perfect situation for testing.
I stopped in front of solitary cell number 2.
I swallowed a smile that threatened to bloom unconsciously.
It was because number 2 and number 3 were stuck together.
Born from the same root, their solitary cells were connected.
They had to stay together to survive.
Numbers 2 and 3, consisting of fluffy white balls of fur like cotton candy, looked at me with large, black eyes.
Two antennas attached to their heads like ribbons tilted back and forth.
Then, static electricity crackled over their fur.
Numbers 2 and 3 tucked their antennas into their fur and began to jump wildly.
They bounced off the walls, the floor, and in every direction like rubber balls.
As electricity sparked everywhere, the guard behind me looked on with disgust.
"What the hell is wrong with those bastards again?"
’They’re cute, though.’
I countered the guard internally as I took out insulating gloves from my medical bag and put them on.
Then, I gently slid my hand through the bars.
Numbers 2 and 3, who had been bouncing frantically, came to a dead stop. They popped their antennas back out and hopped toward me.
I stroked numbers 2 and 3 with both hands. At that, they both melted and became docile.
[Affection has reached 100!]
I looked back at the guard and spoke.
"Please open the door."
The guard opened the cell door with a look of apprehension.
He seemed ready to strike them with his baton the moment the Creatures showed even the slightest resistance.
However, numbers 2 and 3 were as gentle as could be.
A clanking sound echoed behind me as the iron bars closed.
I didn’t pay it much mind and crouched down in front of numbers 2 and 3.
They were small individuals with relatively simple structures.
I only needed to check the antennas on their heads and the core in their center.
As I checked for any injuries sustained during yesterday’s jailbreak, I noticed an antenna was slightly dented.
I gently straightened it with my hand and wrote ’Normal’ on the patient record chart.
"I’ll come again."
As I stood up, numbers 2 and 3 clung to my pants, hindering my movement.
Unable to resist their twitching antennas, I let out a small laugh and stroked them both once more.
I wanted to play with them, but there were still many patients left for my rounds.
After having difficulty detaching numbers 2 and 3, I headed toward room 12.
Rather than visiting in numerical order, it was more efficient to go in an order tailored to the individuals’ characteristics. so I planned to treat number 12 first.
Having seen the sight of number 12 bound in chains, my steps naturally quickened toward the solitary cell.
Number 12’s cell was exceptionally dark.
It was already dim, but a translucent curtain had been drawn over the small window.
As soon as I entered the cell, something sticky clung to the soles of my feet.
It was the remnant of a spiderweb.
My body was suddenly yanked upward and slammed against something.
Caught in a radial web stretched across the solitary cell, I struggled to let my eyes adjust to the darkness.
Scritch, scratch.
I heard the sound of sharp, jointed legs approaching.
Soon, a woman with long, waving hair appeared before me.
Number 12 had the lower body of a spider and the upper body of a human female; her eyes consisted only of black pupils, without any whites.
With clear eyes, she looked at me, smiled, and reached out a human arm.
A hand made of soft skin, not a spider’s hard exoskeleton, caressed my cheek.
I shuddered involuntarily at her chilly body temperature.
And then, she suddenly... quite suddenly...
Kissed my cheek...
[Affection has reached 100!]
"Pa-patient!"
Startled, I struggled within the web, and number 12 laughed with her mouth open.
Her voice consisted of a song.
My face flushed hot as I listened to the clear melody.
There had been an event like this in the game.
It was an event where she would greet you with a kiss on the cheek once the affection level reached a certain point.
But that was a game, and this was reality.
I tried to assert my dignity as a medical officer.
"I need to examine you, so you mustn’t do this. Please let me down."
Even if she didn’t understand the language, she should have known what I wanted, but number 12 pretended not to and just kept singing.
While doing so, she stroked me and even kissed the top of my head.
After being kissed several times while completely immobilized, I let out a whine.
"Patient number 12."
Only then did number 12 pull me out of the web and set me down on the floor.
I quickly performed the examination before she could play around again.
I turned on my flashlight and meticulously checked each joint of her legs and her exoskeleton.
I had worried she might have been seriously injured while being forcibly dragged up in chains yesterday, but seeing her play like this, she seemed to have mostly recovered.
There were no visible injuries, either.
After barely coaxing and soothing her as she kept wrapping me in webs and singing, I left room 12.
"You’ve got a strong stomach."
The guard, standing some distance away, looked at me with eyes full of disgust.
I replied with a business smile.
"It’s my job."
Then, for some reason, a notification suddenly popped up.
[Affection +31]
...Why is the affection increasing?
I gave up on trying to understand.
The next place to examine was solitary cell number 6.
Standing before cell number 6, I looked at Orca beyond the bars.
Orca was sitting quietly in a chair.
He had been staring blankly up at the palm-sized window, but sensing a presence, he turned his head.
A hint of gladness flickered in his eyes, but he didn’t make his acquaintance known prematurely.
This was because the guard was right nearby to open the cell door.
Orca waited for me silently, maintaining an expressionless face.
The guard opened the door and stepped back again.
It was obvious he didn’t want to be anywhere near the Creatures.
Entering the cell, I stood before the iron bars and looked at Orca.
Orca gave a playful wink with the eye that wasn’t covered by an eyepatch.
Then, he rose from the chair.
He approached me, limping.
Having been exposed to the violence of the guards for a long time and forced to have his Neo extracted, one of Orca’s legs could no longer perform its original function.
One of his eyes had also been removed for research purposes.
Orca... always described himself as broken.
A slight tingling lingered in my left wrist.
Because of last night’s dream, I seemed to be unnecessarily conscious of my wrist.
I clenched and unclenched my hand as I looked at Orca.
"Mr. Roasted Chestnut."
Conscious of the guard, he spoke in a lowered voice.
"Were you alright last night? It pained my heart to part with you in such a manner. I was so worried about you, Mr. Roasted Chestnut."
I hadn’t yet managed to bring the affection level with Orca to 100.
If it was the same as the game, the moment his affection for me reached 100 was predetermined.
It happened when reaching the true ending.
Unless it was then, it would rise to 99, but it would never hit 100.
Back when I played The Cell X as a game, I resented Orca.
The fact that he only gave me complete affection once I finally saw the true ending.
Still, it was fine this time because I was going to create a new true ending.
After catching my breath for a moment, I smiled at Orca.
"I’m fine. Are you injured anywhere, Mr. Orca?"
Though he said he returned to Sector X on his own, the guards might have subjected him to violence again during the process.
Since I wasn’t a real medical officer, I didn’t have great skills, but I could perform simple treatments.
’I did study the treatment methods for each Creature in the game!’
At my words, Orca grinned and held out his arm.
"Please treat this spot!"
His forearm was so full of scars from self-inflicted wounds that it was hard to tell where the injury was.
Orca pointed to a wound with his finger.
Looking where his hand pointed, there was a small scratch
It was a wound barely deeper than a hairline crack.
Without a word, I rummaged through my medical bag and pulled out a bandage.
It was a penalty bandage I usually only brought out when human prisoners were being too annoying.
[Chick Bandage: A children’s bandage with a cute chick drawn on it. Usable by both humans and Creatures.]
As I slapped the bright yellow bandage over the wound, Orca’s eyes widened.
A notification of value change appeared.
[Suspicion -10]
[Affection +6]
To think a single chick bandage would reduce suspicion by 10.
I should have put about ten of them on him.
Orca spoke, suppressing a laugh.
"Mr. Roasted Chestnut... do you know how old I am? I don’t believe I told you in the dream."
"Roughly three digits, I assume."
"How did you know?"
I guessed, and I was right.
Since he was a Creature, I knew he’d be old, but I was honestly surprised that it was actually true.
’He was a total grandfather?’
No wonder he used an elderly way of speaking.
Perhaps because my surprise was evident, Orca spoke teasingly with a smirk.
"It may seem ancient to you, Mr. Roasted Chestnut, but in my race, I am still a youth! In my prime. Let’s see, in human years, I would be around the mid-to-late thirties."
Listening to Orca’s kind explanation made me curious about Dominic’s age.
However, I quickly abandoned the curiosity, thinking he was a being for whom age was meaningless.
Orca muttered, looking down at the bandage on his forearm.
"This didn’t happen in the dream... Reality is certainly different."
I had never put a chick bandage on him in the game, either.
I placed the stethoscope against him and lowered my voice.
"Mr. Orca. Since there’s only one guard today, I’m planning to test a plan. Are you okay with that?"
At that. Orca leaned his head closer to me and answered.
"Of course, Mr. Roasted Chestnut. But I am still worried. What if you are in danger?"
A faint scent of the sea wafted.
The sea breeze was flowing into this place through the small window.
I gave him a small smile and said something else.
"Later... would you like to go to the sea with me? Please teach me how to swim."
Orca’s eyes widened. Soon, he laughed as if collapsing.
"I am not such a good teacher."
"I’m not exactly a model student myself."
"Haha... if Mr. Roasted Chestnut wishes it, I would like to teach you."
[Suspicion -20]
[Affection +61]
I checked Orca’s stats at the notification.
[Creature No. 6 (Orca)]
- Suspicion: 0
- Affection: 99
As expected, the final 1 remained unfilled.
"If Mr. Roasted Chestnut gives me freedom, it will likely be difficult to swim together."
I grit my teeth. But Orca eventually said the words I didn’t want to hear.
His hopeful voice cried out as if dreaming.
"You know what freedom I desire, don’t you, Mr. Roasted Chestnut!"
The Cell X’s Creature No. 6, Orca.
The true freedom he desired was death.