Chapter 185: Christmas.

There are a few jobs that get busier when others are resting.

Celebrities, store employees, firefighters.

And police officers.

On days like Christmas or Christmas Eve, instead of resting, the workload increases.

I thought I’d have to disappoint the kids asking, ‘Why aren’t we going out for Christmas at our house?’ this year too.

‘Christmas Eve and getting off on time. How long has it been?’

The police officer got off work on time and headed to Slime Land.

It was something unimaginable until last year.

You had to stay on high alert, waiting for accidents from people out on the streets or drunkards at any moment.

But this time, there were hardly any personnel needing extra shifts.

The reason is thanks to Slime Land and the <Power Pole Slime>.

As more people entered Slime Land, the street congestion decreased significantly compared to last year. Moreover, the <Power Pole Slime> extended its tentacles to help people when accidents or incidents seemed about to occur.

Even on Christmas Eve, for minor issues, the <Power Pole Slime> would handle them somehow, so there was less need to deploy additional police forces on the streets.

Thanks to that, the police officer could get off work on time.

The police officer who entered Slime Land followed the guidance and went to the event area.

There were plenty of <Slimes> wearing Santa hats and running around.

Families who came with children to catch <Slimes> were visible.

People who seemed to have come straight from work at the company were also seen.

The police officer swung the borrowed dragonfly net and caught a nearby <Slime>.

When the <Slime> was taken out of the net, it popped like a balloon.

In its place, a prize ticket was left.

By collecting these prize tickets, you can exchange them for prizes.

It was a type of event commonly seen in online games.

‘This event is simple. Did they not have enough time to prepare since Halloween just ended?’

Although I thought the content was lacking, I had no complaints.

Since it’s been a while to spend time with family, a too-long event would be troublesome.

The police officer checked the prize list.

“There are so many….”

The prizes include <Slimes>, but there are also many ordinary toys.

People who don’t know what their child wants would feel overwhelmed the moment they see this list.

They’d probably think it would be better if they just recommended something.

The Alchemy Slime was subtly strict about these aspects.

As if lecturing to pay attention to your child as usual.

Fortunately, the police officer knew a bit about what his child liked.

It was thanks to making an effort to care as much as possible, since he couldn’t spend time with them normally and often broke promises.

‘Eh? Wasn’t this company completely ruined?’

There was a toy of a character that he thought would be impossible to get.

A while ago, the AlchemySlime Company attacked toy companies.

Companies that secretly added harmful substances or produced shoddy products relying only on character IP were all wiped out.

So, he thought it would be impossible to get the doll of the character his child liked the most.

But that doll was in the prize list.

‘Surely they didn’t put something with excessive carcinogens as a prize, right?’

Upon closer inspection, it looked different from the doll in his memory.

Moreover, the attached logo was different.

‘It’s got the AlchemySlime Company logo. Did they make it themselves?’

It seems they somehow secured the IP in a few days and hurriedly contracted a factory to make a new one.

‘No wonder they couldn’t prepare a grand Christmas event since they were working on something like this.’

As expected of the Alchemy Slime. They know what’s more important.

‘I’ll go with this one.’

The police officer who chose the prize began hunting <Slimes> in earnest.

As an ordinary person with better athletic ability and stamina, the prize tickets piled up quickly.

In the first place, the <Slimes> weren’t hard to catch.

They were set up so that even people without athletic ability could catch them.

I heard that deeper inside, there are <Slimes> that are harder to catch.

However, even those <Slimes> in there didn’t dramatically increase the number of prize tickets dropped.

It was probably just prepared for people who find this area too boring and want a challenge.

The police officer, thinking of quickly getting the toy and going back, didn’t bother going deeper.

The police officer safely obtained the prize and exited through the <Tunnel Slime> near his home.

Snow was falling outside.

Large snowflakes were pouring down heavily.

“Ah….”

To the police officer’s eyes, it looked like white disasters falling from the sky, not snowflakes.

White Christmas.

It felt romantic only when I was dating, but now it’s a situation that makes me sigh first.

Especially in a time when many people are out, if snow falls, the probability of accidents increases greatly.

‘Please, just don’t let any big accidents happen.’

If a major accident occurs, I might have to go to work.

‘Still, the kids will like it.’

It was a White Christmas scene straight out of a painting.

Snow was already starting to accumulate, and if it keeps falling like this, it seems it will pile up quite high.

It’s clear that from tomorrow morning, the kids will excitedly play snowball fights and make snowmen.

If you don’t think about the icy roads or the labor of shoveling snow, it’s quite a nice scenery.

The police officer pulled the hood of the <Raincoat Slime> over his head and stepped out into the snowy street.

“Hmm?”

The texture of the snow was surprisingly soft.

And that wasn’t all.

Even though many people must have passed by, there were almost no footprints in the snow. Watching for a moment, the trodden snow slowly rose back up.

The police officer touched the snow on the ground.

“Snow? Cotton? Slime?”

It had an unusually elastic feel for snow.

It clumps together when gathered, but no matter how much you press it, it doesn’t turn into ice.

Taking off his gloves and touching it, the temperature was quite peculiar.

It’s cold, but not the kind of cold that would freeze your hands.

Even if you put it down and step on it, it doesn’t form ice or create a slippery surface.

And that wasn’t all.

‘It’s strangely bright?’

I didn’t notice earlier because I wasn’t looking closely, but the snow falling from the sky was shining transparently.

So, it wasn’t blocking the view as much as expected.

It probably wouldn’t hinder drivers much either.

It was definitely not ordinary snow.

Someone must have been involved.

If it were just a heavy snowfall, I wouldn’t know who did it.

But snow that’s this bright and warm-feeling could only be made by one person.

The police officer took out his smartphone and looked up the weather information.

-The Alchemy Slime announced that the snow will stop at midnight today, and the snow piled on the roads will automatically go to one corner and make a snow mountain without needing to be cleared.

A data slide came up.

It was an image of Lime shaking a sign that said [Merry White Christmas.].

Now, even snow falls freely.

And beautiful snow that minimizes accident risks to the extreme and even eliminates the hassle of cleaning.

The police officer looked up at the sky and murmured absentmindedly.

“Ramen….”

***

I set up this Christmas event simply.

If I hold large-scale events too often, people get tired of them instead.

Plus, Christmas is on a Wednesday, right in the middle of the workweek.

It’s the end of the year, so everyone’s busy, and Christmas should be spent with lovers or family.

So, I made it like an online game where you hunt and collect prize tickets.

But that would be too boring, so I made it snow a bit.

Merry White Christmas.

For those who don’t want to spend it with family, have no lover, and no friends, I’ve prepared something deep in Slime Land.

That side is sad, so I don’t want to look at it.

I’m in a similar situation.

One friend went to America.

Another one lost contact.

Because I was sad, I wandered around swallowing dungeons one by one and found a dungeon with traces of civilization.

When something like this is discovered, guilds go crazy and fight to claim it.

Because the probability of finding artifacts is high.

There are people who argue that dungeons are fragments of destroyed worlds because of places like this.

Whether it’s actually fragments of a destroyed world or not, the thing I have to do doesn’t change.

I’ll eat well.

Nom.

Huh?

Instead of swallowing it whole, I spat it out.

“This is the <Mimic Doll>.”

Our cute Slime Ranger Pink Yeonwoo.

I helped that child and received <Mimic Doll No. 82> as a reward.

As a result of eating that, my [Control] skill evolved to [Control+] skill. Thanks to that, I learned that skills can evolve, and I actively collected A-class artifacts.

“Is this a single-digit number?”

It’s said that there were a total of 100 <Mimic Dolls> in the dungeon where they were first discovered, but not all were brought out.

Maybe the ones that weren’t brought out flowed here.

Or perhaps there are several identical dungeons.

Which one it is, is for scholars to figure out, not me.

“It’s a single-digit number.”

It says No. 7.

I know this is an S-class artifact with an automatic repair function.

Plus, No. 7 is considered a lucky number.

How much would this cost?

I’m a slime that knows how to use valuable items when needed.

I don’t just hoard valuable things.

And even if it’s valuable, it’s probably cheaper than my salary.

I connected my mind to <Mimic Doll No. 7>.

“Kki. I. Eh. Eh. Ek.”

<Mimic Doll No. 7> started doing a poppin dance as if possessed by a ghost.

Even though its neck is bent at a strange angle, it keeps dancing.

<Mimic Doll> can slightly reproduce the user’s abilities.

Turning the neck 197 degrees horizontally and 142 degrees vertically is one of the basic skills of a slime.

There’s no damage to the body, right?

I also started dancing beside it.

Why?

When you see someone dancing, don’t you want to dance together?

Anyway, I thought that doll went crazy because of a curse back then.

It clearly looked possessed by an evil spirit.

But it was my mind that was the problem, not the curse.

Well, the mind of a human handling over 100 penguin slimes at the same time can’t be normal.

“Kkiiiiiik….”

Ah. It’s dead.

When using tools, make sure to check if they’re connected to the proper voltage.

If not, you’ll end up like an eel connected in series with electricity.

There’s no choice.

I’ll eat well.

Nom.

I ate well.

[The level of Decompose+ skill has-]

I’ll skip the miscellaneous details.

[Control+ skill, Link+ skill, Evangelize+ skill are fusing.]

[Network★ skill has been created.]

Oh?

I obtained a new skill that rivals Spacetime★ skill.

I’ll check the detailed effects later.

This isn’t the only Christmas gift.

[Trait: Slime☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ has leveled up to 75.]

[You can select a new skill.]

I was able to safely obtain a new skill.

Actually, I was a bit, very slightly worried.

I wondered what I would do if I couldn’t get a skill.

It’s not essential, but I want the [Transform] skill.

I also need a skill that helps when finding Makina.

[You can select a skill.

1. Charm Lv. 1.

2. Coexistence Lv. 1.

3. Domination Lv. 1.]

[Special Divide] skill isn’t there.

Well, it’s not the level where I originally get it.

The choices have increased to three.

Anyway.

“Status window?”

[Trait: Slime☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ Lv. 75

Courage+ +Cut-]

“No, no!”

That’s not what I meant by showing the status window!

The skill list is weird!

Those three are the skills that the curses offered when I fought them!

Didn’t I overcome all the curses?

I activated Analyze+ skill.

[Charm Lv. 1

-The more you see it, the more you’re captivated; the more you touch it, the deeper you’re enchanted.]

[Coexistence Lv. 1

-Go together.]

[Domination Lv. 1

-Makes them submit.]

It has become gentle, but there are still many problems!

Is it just a tool, and you’re giving it to me thinking that I can handle it well?

Aren’t you overestimating me?

Well, if I use it, I do have the confidence to use it well.

[Charm] skill could be added to cosmetics or perfumes and released as an unprecedented hit product. Even if I make tableware, it would sell well.

[Domination] skill could be used to control animals and hold flashy events. If I can make the body and mind act separately, I could use it in horror experience attractions as well. I could also use it to punish enemies or criminals.

Finally, the [Coexistence] skill….

I don’t know. But if I think about its original, it might be something that can give a bit more freedom to the things inside me.

Do I really need to give freedom to the curses and blessings I’ve embraced?

I think there’s no need to release such dangerous things.

I’ve been using the curse well as is in the Halloween event.

It seems sufficient as it is now.

[Charm] skill is the most merchant-like and safe skill.

[Domination] skill is suitable for an S-rank Alchemist, the head of a world-class company, and the king of Gongsooni Island.

I chose the skill.

[Coexistence skill evolves into Coexistence+ skill.]

Perhaps because of the eaten Class A artifact, the [Coexistence] skill evolved immediately.

I chose [Coexistence], not [Charm] or [Domination].

Well, the reason is.

Because that’s my way of life.