At Least Three More

The other day, a research lab disappeared.

To be precise, the contents of the research lab vanished entirely.

It was none other than the lab where I had been working as an assistant.

I was called in for questioning too, but nothing seemed suspicious about me so I was released quickly. Though they did extract every bit of data and research details I knew.

The Slime being cultivated in the lab was the culprit, and the researcher who caused it had been attacked and killed by that same Slime. The Slime was also exterminated, and peace returned to the research facility. The disposal team is efficient.

On the first floor above ground, four researchers were gathered in the break room.

The topic was, of course, the hottest discussion right now: "Who gets to use the vacant research lab next?"

"I'd like to become a senior researcher with this opportunity."

"Oh, got an idea that could work for the Demon Soldier Project?"

"Of course—oops, but I won't say it here. Can't have my ideas stolen."

"Hahaha, fair enough."

"Ahh, I wanna slice up slaves and run all sorts of experiments."

We have mountains of research we want to try. Humanitarian concerns? Morality? None of that exists here.

Slaves are materials, monsters are resources, and assistants have minimal human rights but are basically glorified errand boys… Though I was an assistant myself until recently.

Incidentally, my idea is to transplant monster body parts into humans.

Monsters plus humans equals demons—has a nice ring to it. If the Synthetic Magical Beast Project's research had survived, it would've been perfect for connecting the muscle tissue… I never expected the documentation would be so thoroughly destroyed. A bit unfortunate.

"The Artificial Demon Project is definitely getting selected in next season's competition. Lucky them."

"If our professor hadn't had that accident, our Synthetic Magical Beast Project would've won. Then I would've gotten my own lab in due course… Hm?"

Whoop, whoop, whoop… An alarm began to sound.

"Hey hey, don't tell me another test subject escaped?"

"Perfect. The only test subjects left would be from the Artificial Demon Project, right? Serves them right."

"I don't know what their test subjects are like, but we'd better evacuate. What a pain."

The disposal team would handle it anyway. Thinking that, I stood up—and the disposal team burst into the room.

"Hey, what's going on? Pretty noisy out there."

"Researchers! Evacuate outside the facility immediately, it's dangerous here!"

"Huh? This is the ground floor."

"Exactly. If it's just an escaped test subject, we should have some leeway, right?"

"The target was spotted on the third floor above ground!!"

Third floor above ground. A chill ran down my spine at those words.

By some unknown means, the test subject had moved from the basement to the third floor undetected—meaning everyone in between, including us, could easily have been attacked by it.

"Move! I'll lead the way!"

"R-right!"

"I'm not staying in a place like this—I'm getting outside right now!"

"Hey! Wait!"

One of my fellow researchers said that and left the room, ignoring the disposal team's warning.

But.

"Mghrk, blurble!?"

"What!? It's here already!?"

Red liquid—no, a red Slime descended from the ceiling. It engulfed that researcher's head.

It happened in an instant. In a single motion, it chomped down as if biting.

"Special Gear D!"

"Can't! It'll hit the researcher!"

"Forget him, he's done for!"

The chemical spray fired. The Slime swung the researcher's body from the neck down like a shield, dodging the spray. The chemicals hit the researcher instead, and his flesh dissolved with a sizzling hiss, releasing a sour, acrid stench. A muffled scream rose from inside the Slime.

Immediately after, a wet crunching sound silenced the scream. The researcher's arms went limp. Then, dropping the headless corpse with a gaping hole in its back, the Slime vanished into the ceiling.

The colleague I'd just been chatting with… d-dead? He's dead. He's dead…

"Damn it! It's learning!? How is a mere Slime doing this!?"

"Ugh, h-hey, what do we do?"

"That way's dangerous. Let's escape this way!"

"That leads to the basement, doesn't it?"

"If the test subject is upstairs, the basement should actually be safer!"

Someone said that and fled toward the basement. I hesitated for a moment, but followed the others down.

Once everyone was through, we sealed the hatch. This should keep the Slime from following.

The basement was dark. All the lighting magic tools were off. We had to rely on Light spells.

"Hey, bit late to ask, but wouldn't it have been better to use the servants as shields and escape outside?"

"They're all dead already."

"What?"

There were supposed to be four servants. All dead?

"It hasn't even been five minutes since the alarm went off, has it? What's going on?"

"Two of the servants were killed before the alarm. One was killed while sounding the alarm, and the last one was killed while trying to report it to us and evacuate…"

So the four servants who'd been gathered in the break room had risked their lives to sound that alarm.

To think all that was happening above us while we were relaxing…

There were three researchers and four disposal team members here.

The disposal team was wearing hazmat suits…

"Hey! We get hazmat suits too, right?"

"Yeah, put these on."

"Good. Glad we don't have to take yours from you."

Saying that, the disposal team leader handed us hazmat suits. At least now we wouldn't have to worry about being dissolved by a Slime… or so I thought, but there were only two suits. Where's mine?

"Hey, give me a hazmat suit too!"

"Hey. That's your lab's Slime, isn't it? You should take responsibility for that, shouldn't you?"

"Huh!? If we're talking responsibility, the disposal team failed to deal with it—that's why we're in this mess!"

"… Fine. Here. I'll give you my suit."

The disposal team leader said that and took off his hazmat suit, handing it over.

How obedient. He must understand that our lives are worth more than his. How commendable.

… Ugh, it's a bit sweaty. Still, I put it on since my life depends on it.

"Hm? … Come to think of it, aren't disposal teams supposed to be five-man squads?"

"One got taken out. It was hiding inside a hazmat suit… Be careful. There's not just one of them—there are at least five. We killed two, but…"

… What? What is this?

So there are at least three more of those Slimes!?

"H-h-hey! The one I just put on is safe, right!?"

"Relax, we checked inside those two. We wouldn't have handed them over otherwise."

"Phew, thank goodness."

"That's not good at all! Weren't you listening!? There are at least three more of those Slimes out there!"

"… At least, yes."

We had no choice but to fall silent. Those vicious red Slimes were prowling beyond this hatch.