Chapter 113

Inside the cold, sturdy iron bars of Trinity Research Institute, a man was drowning in deep regret.

He silently berated himself, his mind caught in a whirlpool of self-reproach.

A typhoon of guilt for bringing his daughter to what he once believed was the pinnacle of trust and scientific excellence now raged within him.

All he wanted was to grant his daughter’s earnest wish to see the Gray Reaper… but it had come to this.

Thinking it was the safest time to view the Gray Reaper, he even made a reservation. And yet…

Now, both he and his daughter were trapped like frightened prey inside these iron bars with countless other people.

Amidst this gloomy situation, his daughter’s voice, trembling with fear, reached his ears.

“Dad…”

“It’s okay. Everything will be fine.”

The man tried his best to suppress his own fear, maintaining his usual tone as he consoled her.

Seeing his usually cheerful daughter’s face darkened by terror only deepened his regret.

There was no one trustworthy among those involved with the Objects!

“This is kidnapping! Illegal confinement!”

“You’re in big trouble! Do you know who I am?”

Furious voices filled the air as people struggled to comprehend their current predicament.

Around the man, protests and desperate pleas created an cacophony of dissent.

Holding his shaking daughter tightly, he thought deeply.

Protests and anger from the captives would surely change nothing in this situation.

Indeed, the institute employees wandering nearby paid no attention to their complaints whatsoever.

Would such threats even work on people capable of pulling off such a brazen kidnapping?

Seeing employees move about openly without concealing their identities gave him a bad feeling.

Even simple bandits kill witnesses—what about Trinity Research Institute employees?

It was reasonable to assume they were plotting murder next.

Even if they claimed to release them, trusting them would be impossible.

Memories of numerous scandals uncovered during the Central Research Institute collapse flooded his mind.

Murder tutors, corpse concealment, vagrants thrown as fodder for Objects—all sorts of horrific deeds replayed in his head.

Central Research Institute had been a terrifying example, and putting faith in Trinity turned out to be a grave mistake.

Suddenly, a thunderous voice erupted beside the man.

“You! I’ll remember your face! When I get out of here, you’re finished, punk!”

The sound carried such ferocity that the displacement of air could almost be felt.

Turning his head, the man saw a muscular, fiery old man standing there.

His face was twisted with uncontrollable rage, flushed bright red with fury.

With thunderous roars, the old man continued hurling threats while tearing off his shirt and throwing it at the researchers.

This roar acted as a catalyst, changing the previously indifferent attitude of the researchers.

Until now, the researchers maintained a cold demeanor, but suddenly their behavior shifted.

Their eyes gleamed unnaturally, strange smiles spreading across their faces.

A primal protective instinct surged within the man.

Stretching out his hand, he firmly grasped his daughter’s hand and pushed through the crowd.

Hiding among the masses to escape the unsettling gaze of the researchers, he clutched his daughter close.

The altered researchers slowly approached the old man.

They scrutinized him like butchers evaluating meat before turning back to confer with their colleagues.

“Isn’t it true we don’t need to keep all these people alive?”

“Huh? Yeah, yeah.”

At once, panic and confusion spread wildly among the crowd—not just because of their chilling words.

But because the researcher’s arm had transformed into something monstrous, far beyond human capabilities.

A grotesque limb with sharp claws gripped the old man forcefully.

Crunch.

The sound of bones grinding and snapping echoed.

The old man screamed in agony, begging for his life, but his neck was snapped violently.

Trinity employees no longer appeared as ordinary researchers.

Not even as humans.

Their expressions warped by malice and hunger.

Their bodies twisted grotesquely.

They were horrifying monsters.

Realizing the slim chances of survival now, the iron cage fell silent.

Fear, confusion, and despair permeated the silence.

As fear consumed the others, the man noticed something peculiar.

His daughter was staring intently at the floor.

“Dad, the Reaper has appeared!”

Without sparing a glance around, his daughter gazed fixedly at some point.

Though it seemed fortunate she hadn’t fallen into despair like the others, “Reaper”?

She extended her hand toward the ground.

There stood an incredibly small, blue Reaper.

***

Upon entering the isolation room, the woman immediately spotted the Gray Reaper.

Despite its infamous reputation as the most dangerous Object in Korea and possessing top-tier hazard levels, she couldn’t sense anything special.

No overwhelming aura characteristic of top-tier Objects.

No fierce presence or oppressive weight.

Is this really “the most dangerous Object in Korea”?

It seemed almost too inconsequential to be true.

The Gray Reaper appeared almost indifferent to its surroundings.

Its gaze was vacant, its expression emotionless, showing no concern for anything around it.

Still, caution was necessary regardless of appearances.

Gathering her resolve, the woman placed a vial containing concentrated evolution liquid on the table.

Then, taking a sip herself, she commanded,

“Drink it, Gray Reaper.”

At her words, a flicker of interest crossed the Gray Reaper’s hollow eyes.

Activating a screen, a large image of a barred cell appeared, showing the dead body of a man and terrified prisoners locked inside.

“I already know you care about humans. Drink this evolution liquid. If you refuse, I’ll start killing these humans one by one.”

According to research, the Gray Reaper possessed enough intelligence to understand situations or comprehend speech.

Given its apparent concern for humanity, drinking the evolution liquid seemed inevitable.

Since the evolution liquid could corrupt any Object, victory would be assured once consumed.

Repeatedly sipping the liquid herself, the woman mimicked the act of drinking for the Gray Reaper.

What would it do in this impossible situation?

However, the Gray Reaper’s reaction wasn’t what she expected.

Its expression remained indifferent as it stared at her.

Did it still not understand the situation?

The woman issued another command via her phone.

“Kill one hostage immediately!”

Even beasts could understand repeated commands.

Following orders, the researchers revealed their evolved forms.

On-screen, the researchers slowly approached the iron cage before being torn apart by mysterious water jets.

“What…?”

Turning back to the Gray Reaper, it regarded her with a meaningful look.

Was this an unreported ability?

The hostage situation had failed.

Yet, despite losing this advantage, she still felt confident in victory.

“Everyone, attack the Gray Reaper!”

Doors on both sides opened, revealing soldiers modified for expendability, their brains altered to suppress fear.

Weaker than official researchers but numerous and strong enough to serve as disposable tools.

Upon seeing the soldiers, the Gray Reaper glanced upward with slight surprise.

Strange; reacting to soldiers seemed off.

Loyal soldiers lunged at the Gray Reaper, swinging their monstrous claws wildly.

Twirl and clap.

The Gray Reaper performed incomprehensible actions.

Soldiers attacking the twirling Gray Reaper instead struck each other, collapsing.

Initially dismissing it as coincidence.

An ability observed during Hungry Ghost combat, where terrain destruction was the extent.

Research analysis deemed it a trivial ability incapable of directly affecting Objects.

The Gray Reaper leapt twice to the right, tapping the floor.

A soldier chasing after it got entangled in a sturdy wire, snapping its neck.

As soldiers fell victim to the Gray Reaper’s playful antics.

Impossible! Such abilities shouldn’t affect Objects!

The Gray Reaper clapped twice and pressed a wire with its finger.

Explosive arcs of electricity burst from the ceiling, frying the remaining soldiers.

In mere moments, over a dozen soldiers perished.

While soldiers continued charging, the woman retreated step by step.

Victory against the soldiers was impossible.

Such thoughts crossed her mind.

The Gray Reaper’s gaze seemed directed elsewhere despite appearing focused.

An instinctual unease crept over her, spreading throughout her body.

No matter how much she rationalized, the anxiety wouldn’t dissipate.

What does the Gray Reaper see through its gaze?

Panicking, the woman fled.

Time must be bought.

Escape to security.

There, time could be wasted.

Only the Director offered hope against this monster!

Clap, Clap.

Tap, Tap.

Witnessing soldiers fall to mere sounds of applause and footfalls, the woman ran desperately.

***

Researchers, having received some communication, began advancing slowly towards the caged individuals.

Having shed their human guise, they were now unmistakably monstrous.

Just as everyone thought doom was certain, an inexplicable string of characters appeared in mid-air.

“100 Needles Made of Water!”

Fine streams of water shot forth, reducing a researcher to tatters.

“1,000 Needles Made of Water!”

“10 Needles Made of Water!”

Ten Blue Reapers embroidered beautiful strings in the sky while attacking the researchers.

But the researchers were tenacious.

No matter how many injuries they sustained, they regenerated and rose again.

And there were far too many.

More researchers poured endlessly from surrounding buildings.

Ten Blue Reapers alone couldn’t possibly hold them off.

So the ten gathered to form a grand string in the sky.

“The Strongest Mom Golem in the World!”

“Golem!”

Massive amounts of water coalesced in the air, casting shadows on the ground.

A 5-meter tall gray mass resembling the Gray Reaper roared.

“ROOOAAARRR!”

With immense mass and speed, the Golem crushed the researchers into pancakes.

“Mom’s Strong!”

“Strong!”

After clearing the area, the Golem let out another mighty roar.