Chapter 178: My Justice.

“I’m thinking of myself as a person, and you think of me as a person too. You stopped attacking me when we fought because you thought I was a person, not a monster, right?”

“Yes.”

“Even you, who hated monsters the most in the world, admitted that I am a person. So, if I’m not a person, what am I?”

Gisu still looked at my wriggling tentacles.

“Biologically speaking, I’m not a human or anything like that. But is that so important?”

I stretched out my arm and showed it to Gisu.

“Look at this smooth and shiny skin that even actresses would envy while crying.”

I fiddled with my face, changing it this way and that.

“I can change my face to be more attractive anytime without needing plastic surgery. And what about my health? It’s a perfect body where I don’t have to worry about minor diseases like fatty liver, arteriosclerosis, or dementia for the rest of my life.”

I explained the advantages of being a stylish Slime that sparkles more than an idol, but Gisu’s expression didn’t change.

I pointed at myself with my thumb and said to Gisu,

“I don’t hate my appearance.”

The disgust I had for my Slime form was washed away quite a long time ago.

‘In this state, I’ll become a lab animal.’ ‘Gisu will find out and kill me.’ That was the first curse that strongly gripped me with fear.

No matter how much attention I get from people, if I show them this Slime form, they’ll all leave. That was the second curse that tormented me.

From around the time I overcame these two curses, it gradually faded.

As I shook off the curses one by one, I stopped hating my appearance little by little.

If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have taken off the mask even if Mom wanted me to.

The reason I was in despair and suffering over the fact that I became a Slime.

That was a matter of the inside, not the outside.

Blocking my memories.

Distorting my cognition.

Messing with my emotions.

It was because of those damn curses that ruined and destroyed the precious elements that make up me.

But now, after overcoming all the curses and regaining my complete self.

The appearance isn’t that important anymore.

“If it’s just about the appearance, I can change it by leveling up and getting skills. What matters is if the inside is human.”

If appearance were the most important, I would have received the [Transformation] skill when fighting the first curse.

“Let me say it again.

I am a person.

I’ve always been a person, I am a person now, and I will be a person in the future.”

I extended a tentacle and poked Gisu’s forehead.

“So, you thick-headed one.

You don’t need to feel guilty just because I ended up with this body.”

I thought guilt was the reason, but Gisu’s expression still didn’t clear up.

I pondered why else.

“Ah…. Are you bothered by what I said when I was consumed by anger?”

If I hadn’t become your dear one, this wouldn’t have happened.

You should have left me on the day I awakened.

You should have let our ties be severed by the hero worshippers.

I said something like that.

“I’m sorry. I was too harsh. I won’t say things like that again.

Our meeting, helping you, and keeping our ties going.

I don’t regret any of it.”

“Is that so.”

“Yes.”

Only then did Gisu’s expression relax.

“Sigh…. With such a fragile mind, how will you survive in this harsh world? A fool who only knows dungeons is perfect to be tricked.”

“Shut up.”

“Oh, and by the way. There is a problem with this body.”

Gisu’s expression hardened again, and tension entered his shoulders.

“The question of whether I can have children who are biologically human.”

After a Slime uses the transformation skill to become human, are the children born biologically human?

It’s quite a profound question.

Personally, I don’t consider it that serious.

If I want children, there’s Gongdori, Gongsooni, Mother, Root, Road, Deps, Venus.

And I have plenty of kids I’m taking care of.

There is the issue of the lineage ending, but I have a younger sibling, and I’m a filial son of fire attribute, so I don’t worry about it.

“So, you quickly go and date, get married, and have kids. Let me take care of the nieces or nephews.”

I don’t care about it.

But you, Gisu, should care.

Care and quickly become happy.

Whether marriage makes you happy is secondary, but watching your own child grow up must be quite happy, right?

I’ve put in various efforts to make the environment good for raising kids, so don’t worry and make lots of nieces and nephews for me.

***

Even after the Halloween event ended, the <Scarecrow Slime> was still guarding that spot.

Normally, it just swayed.

In the corner of the school, with a sign around its neck that said [Welcome to Worry Counseling], it swayed regardless of the wind.

Over the past month, this <Scarecrow Slime> had become quite a familiar presence to the students.

Students occasionally went there to pour out their stories.

Mostly, nothing happened.

That was enough.

“I feel better after saying it. Thanks for listening!”

There are worries in the world that are solved just by being listened to.

Once you say it out loud, you can organize it yourself and reach a conclusion.

There were also worries that couldn’t be solved just by talking.

For those worries, after counseling, something amazing sometimes happened.

“Eh! That! That’s mine!”

It would bring the item that the cat was looking for.

“Whoa! Wh, why this!”

“Eh? You watch that comic too?”

“Maybe you too?”

Due to the contents of the bag spilling out, you might discover a friend with the same hobby.

“!”

If you tried to sleep during class, you might suddenly feel like someone is watching and wake up startled.

But there were students in the world who had worries that couldn’t be solved so simply.

“I, I really don’t know what to do. Save me.”

A small student clung to the <Scarecrow Slime> and said desperately.

“So you were here.”

With the appearance of a tall and handsome male student, the student clinging to the <Scarecrow Slime> was startled.

“J, Ji-hwan.”

“Hyun-su. Why are you avoiding me? We’re friends, right.”

“No…. We’re not friends….”

Hyun-su answered with a trembling voice.

Then, Ji-hwan approached him with a smile.

“Not friends? Do you really think that?”

And whispered in his ear.

“If we’re really not friends, your school life from tomorrow will be very lonely and tough. Are we really not friends?”

“Fr, friends….”

“Right?”

“Uh, yes.”

Ji-hwan patted Hyun-su’s back.

“See? We’re friends, after all. So, I have something to say to my friend… You know it even if I don’t say it out loud, right?”

“No more, really!”

“Why? Friends should help each other. That’s friendship, isn’t it?”

Ji-hwan continued with a sinister smile.

“I help you so you’re not alone and suffering. You help make my life a bit more abundant. If you don’t help me, then I have no reason to help you. Is that okay?”

Hyun-su’s body trembled like an aspen tree.

Tears dropped one by one.

“Why are you crying? Are you worried I won’t be your friend? As long as you keep helping me, we’ll stay friends.”

“B, but last time you borrowed it and didn’t return it.”

“What strange talk. I have no need to borrow anything from you, so what would I borrow?”

Ji-hwan never said it directly.

As if to escape in case it was recorded.

But the tentacle extended by the <Scarecrow Slime> couldn’t be avoided.

The <Scarecrow Slime> that grabbed Ji-hwan wriggled and changed into a different form.

Into the appearance of a character wearing a penguin-shaped mascot suit.

“It’s been a while since you were with a friend, and you describe friendship in such a pleasing way? Congratulations. Thanks to you, you’ve become a party to an incident where I intervene directly.”

“Y, Yeonseul? Why are you here?”

Ji-hwan was visibly flustered.

“Why am I here? To catch a school violence perpetrator in the act. And you? Are you my friend?”

“I have never committed school violence! I was just talking with a friend!”

“Wow, look at how smoothly you speak. Did you practice?”

The Alchemy Slime picked up the crying Hyun-su and dragged the struggling guy towards the school.

“Let go of this! This is child violence! You know that?”

“Child violence, huh. Even if that’s the case, do you really think there’s a prosecutor in this country who can charge me with that?”

At those words, Ji-hwan had no choice but to shut his mouth.

“You…!”

Ji-hwan tried to say some threat.

But he soon realized that nothing he could say would work on the opponent, so no words passed through his throat.

The prestige of his father who runs a mid-sized company and his parents who operate a famous gallery? The opponent was the head of a world-class company.

His parents’ connections? The opponent was someone with power that those connections would beg to form ties with.

The Alchemy Slime opened the principal’s office door and entered.

The principal, who was working inside, was first surprised that the door opened without a knock.

And was surprised again that the rude intruder was the Alchemy Slime.

Upon seeing the embraced student and the captured student, he realized.

That an incident that should never have happened had occurred.

“Hello. I’m the Alchemy Slime. You know why I’m here without me saying it, right? There must have been an announcement when the <Scarecrow Slime> was installed.”

The <Scarecrow Slime> installed at the school is a counseling window for children who have no one else to confide in.

Friends, parents, school teachers, even the police.

It’s the last resort for students who can’t consult anyone and are driven to talk to the scarecrow at school.

It’s also a safety device that stops children from making extreme choices.

“If school violence is reported through that, it definitely won’t end quietly, as I clearly warned.”

But that fact wasn’t disclosed on purpose.

Problems in the school should be resolved by the school itself.

That <Scarecrow Slime> was installed just to instill a sense of urgency in the school side.

Normally, it’s ideal for it to just listen to students’ minor worries.

“That….”

“Please consider the value of my every second and minute before speaking.”

Is what you’re about to say worth spending my precious time on?

At the Alchemy Slime’s words, the principal’s excuse shrank back.

“I’ll summon the related people right away.”

“Please do.”

The homeroom teachers of the two students arrived first.

The teacher, who was wondering what was going on, was surprised to see the Alchemy Slime.

And then widened his eyes upon seeing the two students.

“Teacher Lee Hyunsol. I clearly told you that such things must never happen.”

The principal spoke with a troubled expression.

“No…. That…. Well…. I….”

The teacher tried to make an excuse but gave up and glared at Hyun-su, the culprit of this incident.

“Who are you directing that resentful gaze at right now?”

Then, startled by the Alchemy Slime’s words, he quickly lowered his eyes.

In the frustrating atmosphere, time passed, and Ji-hwan’s mother arrived first.

She seemed momentarily flustered upon seeing the Alchemy Slime, but then raised her voice upon seeing her captured son.

“Why are you holding the child? Let go right now!”

The Alchemy Slime obediently released the student.

“Are you okay?”

After checking her son’s condition, Ji-hwan’s mother glared sharply at the Alchemy Slime.

“What on earth are you doing!”

“I discovered a school violence scene, protected the victim student, and captured the perpetrator student.”

“My Ji-hwan is the school violence perpetrator? My kind Ji-hwan is bullying whom!”

The Alchemy Slime wrapped around the shrinking student with a sharp voice and turned his gaze to the homeroom teacher.

“Ji-hwan student’s mother….”

Seeing the homeroom teacher’s atmosphere, Ji-hwan’s mother immediately snapped.

“Do you have evidence? Are you oppressing my Ji-hwan like this with evidence?”

To that, the Alchemy Slime responded.

“Evidence isn’t necessary. One witness like me is enough.”

The Alchemy Slime said while stroking Hyun-su.

“You’ve enjoyed the power structure of this country so far, right? You know what happens when you wield it. Now, it’s just turning the blade towards you. This time, experience being on the receiving end.”

And the Alchemy Slime’s words came true.

***

The attack made against me last time.

In return for handling the apology and the malicious debtor, the rights Hans received.

Korea’s safety and future.

If I nitpick, there are many things, but let’s bring out the big ones.

For current offenders within the area of <Utility Pole Slime> and <Scarecrow Slime>, I can exercise arrest rights. I can even detain without a warrant under my judgment.

I can influence not only prosecution but even the verdict.

Considering the weight of my influence and words, my testimony is absolute.

Even if that brilliant student isn’t a school violence perpetrator, if I say he is, then he becomes one.

Of course, I have no intention of framing an innocent person.

This incident wasn’t judged based only on the fragmentary event that happened in front of the <Scarecrow Slime>.

The area of <Scarecrow Slime> includes the entire school.

I can grasp everything that happens within it.

The victim student isn’t just Hyun-su.

That perpetrator student took money from several students, even though he doesn’t lack money.

If they said they had no money, he forced them to do things they didn’t want to do.

All to satisfy his lust for power and control.

He also showed cunning by keeping the stolen money without using any of it.

If the problem gets big, he could return the money and say, “I intended to return it, but my friend misunderstood me.”

He had even prepared a way to escape in this manner.

Of course, such means didn’t work against me at all, and proper punishment is scheduled to happen.

If proper punishment doesn’t happen? Then I’ll go find him again.

With this incident, the role of <Scarecrow Slime> has been exposed.

In other schools, there was some self-purification happening on their own.

A bit disappointing.

It’s too forceful, so I don’t like it in my heart, but since this will make the schools more vigilant, let’s consider it done.

And, kids.

<Scarecrow Slime> is not an Alchemy Slime summoner, you know.

Don’t falsely report school violence.

Even if you pretend to fight in front of the scarecrow, I won’t go.

Because it’s all not true.