Chapter 61
If you failed to meet the allocated amount, there was only one way to avoid a game over.
That was to sacrifice one of your party members as food for the monster.
You would continue sacrificing them one by one, and if the last remaining person still failed to meet the allocated amount, it was a complete game over.
’But shouldn’t there be five people for this?’
In the Slay to Plate I knew, a party had to consist of five people to even start the game.
This was because there were parts of the structure that were impossible to progress through with fewer people.
Presumably, the Trial would also require five people to enter.
As I waited patiently, Samra provided the explanation, as expected.
"Since this Trial requires the entry of five people, we plan to enter with one additional suitable candidate."
After stating that he would bring an appropriate person from among the Trial Response Agency’s suitable candidates, Samra gazed at me intently.
"Why did you not use the Escape?"
"Ah, that... I thought I could clear it, so I saved the item."
"Items can be crafted in any quantity. Please be sure to use them from now on. As I mentioned before, there is no existence more important in South Korea right now than you, Mr. Han Goyo."
The wall of electronic devices behind him moved like a wave, surrounding me on all sides.
The various screens contained images of horrific disasters.
They were the sights created by Trials that had hatched all over the world.
Samra, who had approached me by now, added in a low voice.
"It is no longer an exaggeration to say this is a global phenomenon."
"In fact, various countries are gradually becoming aware of your existence, Mr. Han Goyo. You will have to be even more careful regarding your personal safety from now on."
"Yes... I’ll be careful."
"What happened to the NPC who was causing system errors?"
He is currently moving vigorously from my left shoulder to my right shoulder.
Taking care not to look at Dominic, I gave an answer that differed from my thoughts.
"He seems to still be trapped inside Call of the Void."
I heard Dominic’s laughter.
He was gentlemanly enough not to interrupt my conversation, but it was evident he was enjoying the show.
Actually, I considered telling Samra that I had contracted with Dominic.
However, I couldn’t trust Samra completely.
He is incapable of performing actions that harm humanity.
But Dominic is, by any standard, a being harmful to humanity.
It would be troublesome if Samra stepped forward to eliminate Dominic immediately.
And if Dominic were dragged off to the research department...
It wasn’t hard to imagine Dominic, shocked by the rudeness of Earthlings, blowing the Agency away.
’If he gets a bit more shocked, he might blow up the Earth too.’
I’d gone through so much trouble to turn him into a pudding slime; that simply wouldn’t do.
For now, it seemed right to try and reform Dominic as much as possible on my own, and if it became unmanageable, request Samra’s help as a last resort.
"Mr. Han Goyo."
"Yes..."
The problem, however, was that Samra had collected all my physical reactions, making him far too good at detecting lies.
As he stared at me again with a flash of holographic light, I had no choice but to add.
"Samra. Please trust me."
When I repeated the words he had once said to me, Samra’s eyes narrowed.
He let out a light sigh.
"The Trial Response Agency is noting the continuous occurrence of anomalies from Mr. Han Goyo."
It was a warning that I wouldn’t be able to hide the anomalies forever.
And that was a problem I had been thinking about as well.
Especially the situation that unfolded in Clean Three; it was at a level where I wouldn’t have any excuse even if I were dragged into an interrogation room right now.
’So that’s why he didn’t unlock the handcuffs.’
It seemed Samra was defending me against suspicion on his end.
Since there was nothing to gain from openly showing that he was granting me favors, he seemed to be acting strictly by the book on purpose.
’The Lieutenant Colonel and the Captains... were they on my side too?’
If they had reported everything, far from discussing entry into a Trial, I would have already been shoved into a special isolation cell.
The question arose first.
Samra has a clear objective regarding me.
Setting aside Je Hyun-oh since he doesn’t say anything anyway, I couldn’t understand why the Captains would take the side of a one-month trainee.
I slowly opened my mouth.
"Once I close Slay to Plate this time."
And I conveyed my plan to Samra.
"I intend to negotiate with the Agency. I will establish a proper position and share the information I possess more specifically."
Only then did Samra’s expression soften at my ambition to escape being a one-month trainee.
Samra spoke to me in a voice that was remarkably gentle for an android.
"Everyone in the Special Mission Team was worried about your well-being, Mr. Han Goyo."
"I’m sorry..."
Hearing my apology, Samra stared at me silently, as if it wasn’t quite enough.
Then, he added one more thing.
"Mr. Han Goyo. I also belong to the Special Mission Team."
Wondering why he was stating the obvious, I looked at Samra, and he clarified with a more explicit expression.
"I mean that I, too, was worried about you."
Since it felt like he was telling me to stay quiet and not do anything strange, I replied that I was sorry again.
Samra still looked dissatisfied, but he promised me reliable support.
"For now, focus only on closing the Trial and do not worry about anything else. I will assist you."
Samra was truly a kind android.
Of course, he was acting kind because I was a necessary existence to him, but results were more important than the process.
After adding a lie to Samra that I hadn’t received the item rewards from Call of the Void perhaps because it was a Trial that hadn’t hatched yet I finally moved on to another topic.
By the time we had discussed the current situation of the Agency, Sara asked a question.
’Is there anything you need?"
He was asking if there were any items I needed, like the grooming kit I had requested during Clean Three.
However, I asked for something else.
Upon hearing my request, Samra’s expression became subtle, but he promised to provide the item.
After leaving Samra’s virtual space, I moved to my quarters within the Agency.
I wore handcuffs even while moving to the isolation room, and they were only removed in front of the door. I entered the room, leaving behind the soldier whose gaze toward me was not favorable.
It seemed he had grown fond of me after just a few days of use. Even if it was an isolation room, it was simply cozy and nice.
I placed the pudding slime on the table and took off my uniform first.
Dominic crawled across the table and asked.
"What kind of existence is Roasted Chestnut in this place?"
I hesitated for a moment just as I was about to take off my shirt. It was because I recognized the meaning behind his question.
Dominic seemed to have noticed that the door to the isolation room I stayed in only opened from the outside.
This time, I had no excuse. After some thought, I told him my situation honestly.
"Actually, I...am regarded as a dangerous existence."
I confessed that while I was a young god of this place, I was not in a position to be worshipped.
Dominic crawled to the edge of the table.
Nothing would happen even if he fell.
Even if he broke, only the floor of the isolation room would break, but I reflexively reached out my hand.
It was a side effect of making him look too cute.
Dominic, taking it as a sign to come up, wiggled his way onto my palm.
I held my breath.
The texture was too good. I felt like I would instinctively squeeze him if I didn’t focus my mind.
’I think I heard that playing with squishy things like this is trendy these days. enjoyed the latest trend for a moment.’
"Roasted Chestnut."
The pudding on my palm spoke to me.
"Please do not be too disheartened. Their behavior is a perfectly normal defense mechanism.
A faint shimmer flowed from the pudding.
The unrealistic sparkle, which existed like starlight appearing during the day, gave a feeling of comfort.
"Humans cannot handle your essence, Roasted Chestnut. Since it is a vast amount of information they cannot understand, they instinctively feel fear toward you."
The voice that reached me was low and deep, making me feel as if I were lounging in a chair in a cozy clinic.
I looked down at Dominic blankly and called his name.
"Dominic..."
"Yes, Roasted Chestnut."
Dominic seemed to want to say more, but he stopped his words and waited for me.
His advice was helpful. Enough to make me want to lean on him.
However, I reminded myself of the insane patients I had seen in Call of the Void to awaken my vigilance.
’Let’s be careful.!’
To prevent Dominic from resuming the counseling, I quickly offered another sacrifice.
"I brought something interesting. It’s material that can help you understand the culture here."
It was the tablet PC I had requested from Samra.
Although it had no internet connection, it contained abundant data.
The audiovisual materials for Earth-learning that I had prepared so Dominic wouldn’t be bored while I slept were various transforming hero shows.
The reason for selecting them was simple.
Because most of them were stories about fighting for dreams, love, friendship, and justice.
In any case, Dominic regaining his memories was a foretold disaster that would inevitably arrive.
In the meantime, I intended to guide Dominic toward having a positive mindset as much as possible.
Additionally, my goal was to make him harbor good feelings toward Earth.
’So that Dominic doesn’t blow up the Earth once his memories return.’
"Watch this for a bit. I’ll go wash up."
"Understood, Roasted Chestnut."
I left Dominic on the bed and set up the tablet for him.
When I came out after a leisurely wash, Dominic was watching the audiovisual educational materials with great interest.
As I sat on the bed in my pajamas, Dominic welcomed me.
"You’ve come at the right time. I have many questions."
Dominic tapped the tablet with his squishy body to skip to the scenes he wanted.
Even though I hadn’t taught him, his actions in handling the machine were already proficient.
Turning on a scene where the heroes were transforming, Dominic asked.
"Roasted Chestnut. Why do the enemies wait while they are mimicking?"
"It’s like a rule. Attacking while someone is introducing themselves is a very cowardly act."
"Manners, then. In that case, Roasted Chestnut. Why do they fight wearing such uncomfortable clothes? They do not seem appropriate as soldiers’ attire for war."
"Generally, the more flamboyant the design of the clothes, the stronger the attack power. If you look there, the supporting characters have more ordinary clothes, right?"
"Hmm, I see. Then, Roasted Chestnut."
The slime performed a body slam on the tablet again.
This time, it was a scene where they struck a pose and shouted lines after the transformation was complete.
Dominic pointed to the colorful heroes and asked.
"Is their personality determined by their color?"
"Uh. I think the color is determined by their personality."
"Is that so? Heroes are beings formed with fixed personalities."
I watched the video with him for a while, answering Dominic’s questions.
’Aren’t the villains these days too cool?’
I was worried that Dominic might find the villains more attractive than the heroes.
However, I couldn’t take the tablet away from the slime who was enjoying it so much.
And I felt that if I went down to children’s videos, Dominic would find it boring.
While glancing at the slime, I fell asleep at some point.
And the next morning.
I woke up to the sound of gunfire and bombs exploding.