The Monster's Room - Chapter 3
Marie’s low clearance level or the Foundation’s policy had left her with only minimal instructions and no clear information.
“Ugh.”
She placed the tablet on the table next to the door and poured the prepared bottled water into a small cup, then took it to the bathtub.
Up close, the bathtub was luxurious. It had a very classic design, the kind that would make you hesitate to buy it due to its cost.
Inside, clear water sloshed around, which, according to the information, was likely the ‘Transparent Jelly Eraser.’
Marie tilted her head in confusion.
It looked like ordinary water. Could this really be the monster? She poured the 10mL of prepared water into the bathtub, unable to shake her doubts.
Splish.
Interestingly, the spilled water did not spread but gathered into a blob like an air bubble inside the jelly. It maintained its shape for a while before seemingly melting away. Now, Marie understood the meaning of ‘eraser’.
Confirming that all the water had disappeared, she carefully stepped back. If she could just open the door, the mission for today would be complete.
Gulp.
It should have been that simple.
Whoosh!
Marie lost consciousness as the jelly inside the bathtub lunged at her.
* * *
“Ugh…”
When Marie came to, she was lying inside the bathtub. As soon as she regained her senses, she tried to twist her body to assess the situation, but she couldn’t move.
“Ah.”
The cause was simple. The Transparent Jelly Eraser was trapping her body.
“What is this…?”
Her protective suit, once heavy and uncomfortable but sturdy, had vanished. Or rather, it seemed to have been erased. Marie watched in horror as her suit slowly melted away, as if it was being erased.
What would be erased next after the protective suit and the suit she was wearing?
“Let me go!”
Her mind, overwhelmed by fear, forgot the precaution about ‘not provoking with loud noises.’
“Let me go!”
Marie shouted for help and struggled, but she couldn’t get any further out of the bathtub.
“Help me! Please, help!”
The monster silenced Marie’s cries. In her wide, terrified eyes, she saw transparent jelly-like tendrils rising up.
“Mmph! Mmph! Mmph!”
The jelly, elongated like a snake, tightened around Marie’s body. The speed at which her clothes were being erased increased, revealing her b*****s and casting flickering shadows on her lower abdomen.
Suddenly, she realized something.
‘It doesn’t hurt.’
Her body was intact. She had expected the erasure to be like dissolving with a corrosive substance, but thankfully, that wasn’t the case.
With this realization, Marie ceased her struggling.
Was that the right move?
“Pff.”
The jelly that had been covering her mouth withdrew.
“Whew. Whew.”
Her heart pounded heavily.
Marie was relieved that only her clothes were being erased and started to think. Ideally, the Foundation would rescue her, but if that wasn’t an option, she needed to find a way out herself.
‘Think.’
She had to use all the information she had.
The Transparent Jelly Eraser was transparent and jelly-like, and it erased things. The next caution: evacuate if it starts moving? That was already too late, and ‘don’t provoke with loud noises’ was also a lost cause since she had already screamed.
The last instruction: Provide at least 10mL of ‘moisture’ daily.
This meant the minimum amount was 10mL, but it could want more. And ‘moisture’ wasn’t specifically defined as water, so anything that was moist could work. This was her last hope.
The human body is a mass of moisture.
She could potentially use sweat, urine, or tears. Unfortunately, the temperature here was just right, so no sweat was produced, and she had used the bathroom right before the mission. Tears seemed to be the most feasible option, but her eyes were too dry, as if she had cried them all out in her life.
“Whew.”
Marie took a deep breath and extended her tongue toward the jelly that slid near her cheek.
Lick. The Transparent Jelly Eraser had no taste. It was just slightly cool and soft. Marie brought her tongue to the jelly once more.
They say that persistence pays off.
The jelly transformed into small tendrils and brushed against the corner of her mouth.
‘It worked!’
Saliva was indeed considered moisture. Although she wanted to drool as much as possible, her mouth was dry from nervousness, so Marie had to gently nibble and suck on the jelly that hovered near her lips. She wasn’t really trying to eat it; it was more of a trick to increase the contact between her saliva and the jelly.
There was, of course, a risk involved.
The tendrils might slip down her throat or attempt to consume her blood. Therefore, Marie had to keep her senses sharp and closely monitor the jelly eraser’s reactions.
Gulp.
The reaction was immediate.
At first, the jelly swelled into a large mass and stuck to Marie’s face, but then, as if realizing this wasn’t the right approach, it retreated. Instead, it extended a small tendril and wiggled its way between Marie’s lips.
Marie welcomed this, allowing it into her mouth and moving her tongue around it.
Slurp. Slurp. The squishy sounds of the jelly making contact echoed in the empty room. As Marie sucked on the tendril with such intensity that her tongue was sore, her initially furrowed brow gradually relaxed.
Surprisingly, the tendril’s movements improved.
Initially, it clumsily mimicked Marie’s tongue movements, but soon it began to tease her, taking the lead. Marie’s vision blurred as the tendril scraped the roof of her mouth and tightly wrapped around her tongue, sending waves of pleasure through her.
