Chapter 221

Krurrr.

Was the Gray Reaper entering the rift in space the signal?

The moment the Gray Reaper disappeared from this open lot, a giant space made of flowing sand began to collapse.

First, the flowing sand that had been holding up the space like a sky started pouring down like a waterfall.

No matter where the girl looked, waterfalls of sand were everywhere.

That waterfall of sand was filling the surroundings like a sand-made fortress wall and was gradually approaching the girl.

There was no place to escape anywhere.

It was an extremely dangerous moment.

A torrent of sand much heavier and harder than water.

A death waterfall; one that would leave no survivors if hit.

It was an overwhelmingly terrifying sight for the girl to react to.

In the blink of an eye, the torrent of sand reached right before the girl’s nose, leaving her unable to think of running away—she could only stare blankly.

Piiii!

At that moment, the Black Reapers created a giant dome to protect the girl and the Dog Meat Man.

The instant the black dome enveloped the girl, the torrent of sand began shaking everything violently.

It felt like being on a roller coaster, flipping around chaotically, but surprisingly, there weren’t many issues.

The inside of the dome, which seemed solid, was surprisingly soft, and tiny hands were firmly holding onto the girl’s body.

The interior of the dome wasn’t as dark as expected.

The eyes of the Black Reapers sparkled like stars in the night sky.

The girl smiled faintly while gazing at the uniquely radiant odd-eyed starlight glowing white and yellow.

How much time had passed? The tremors shaking all directions finally stopped.

Then, cracks began forming in the pitch-black dome like a breaking eggshell, allowing sunlight to seep through the gaps.

As the girl moved slowly toward the sunlight, the pitch-black dome dispersed into small Black Reapers, creating a path for her to exit.

When the girl stepped outside the dome, she saw the familiar large stone marker at the entrance of the labyrinth.

But beyond the marker, the labyrinth she usually saw was nowhere to be found.

Instead, in its place stood a towering whirlpool of sand reaching up to the sky.

Moreover, the fake sky that always appeared was gone.

And above the city stretched a massive ring of light, radiating its presence.

Tock-tick.

An Odd-eyed Reaper tapped the girl’s cheek from her shoulder.

“?”

As the girl turned her head, the Odd-eyed Reaper waved goodbye with a hand.

‘I need to return to Mom!’

Though the girl couldn’t sense the will the Reaper was projecting, somehow she understood what the Odd-eyed Reaper wanted to say.

“Yeah, go quickly.”

Hearing the girl’s words, the Odd-eyed Reaper nodded brightly with a smile.

With that, the Odd-eyed Reaper jumped into the whirlpool along with the other Black Reapers.

Despite the short time they spent together, seeing the Black Reaper disappear made the girl feel slightly lonely.

While wishing for the safe return of the Odd-eyed Reaper, the girl looked up at the fierce swirling vortex.

***

The Isolation Room of Sehee Research Institute without the Gray Reaper.

Yerin sat on the bed in the Gray Reaper Isolation Room, feeding pudding to the Mini Reapers while watching TV.

A commercial for a cat-head massage machine was airing, and Yerin watched it with interest.

‘Would this work on the Reaper too?’

Lost in imagining how the machine might react when used secretly on the Reaper’s head, Yerin was suddenly interrupted as the TV ad cut off abruptly.

“!”

Although the ad ended, the following breaking news caught Yerin’s attention even more.

It was about significant changes occurring on the Island of Red Lightning.

[Although close-up filming hasn’t been possible due to potential dangers, we have confirmed that the clouds covering the Island of Red Lightning have disappeared.]

[There is a high probability that the ‘Red Lightning,’ which likely blocked access, has also vanished. The Japanese Object Association plans to confirm entry using drones before starting rescue operations.]

The news reported that the clouds covering the entire island had disappeared.

[Yonger a huge whirlwind has appeared in the center of the island, and a massive ring of light has formed above it.]

At the sight of the light ring, Yerin felt that the Gray Reaper must be there doing something.

Though she hadn’t submitted any reports because it was troublesome, the Gray Reaper’s outings definitely seemed related to things like the Mini Moon or the Light Ring.

“Is the Reaper over there?”

While speaking with a Black Reaper whose turn it was to eat pudding, Yerin didn’t hear the usual ‘Piii’ sound in response.

Finding this odd, Yerin paused feeding the pudding and looked down at the Black Reaper.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

What Yerin discovered next was unexpected.

The Black Reaper curled up as if in pain.

It looked like it was enduring an intense burning sensation throughout its body.

“Are you hurt somewhere? I’ve never heard of Objects getting sick, but is there a manual for situations like this?”

Yerin gently stroked the suffering Black Reaper while pondering solutions.

A Mini Reaper being mysteriously ill?

This was truly unprecedented.

Panicking, Yerin looked around the isolation room, only to find a more serious situation unfolding.

All the Black Reapers had collapsed as if in pain.

Furthermore, they seemed to be in so much agony that they couldn’t maintain their forms properly, melting and dissolving.

‘This is bad. What should I do?’

Even while panicking, Yerin sent a signal to the security room indicating unusual behavior by the Objects and checked if the other Mini Reapers were fine.

The Golden Reapers, who always smiled brightly, silently stared upwards after observing the suffering Black Reapers.

It was as if they were looking beyond the ceiling and into the universe.

Remaining motionless like dolls suddenly frozen mid-action, the Golden Reapers’ antennae alone swayed gently left and right.

***

The Golden Reaper was looking down at the suffering Black Reaper.

‘!’

Actually, the Golden Reaper wasn’t looking at the Black Reaper—it was looking beyond it.

Through the Black Reaper, it saw the painful struggle of its mother and the Black Reapers sharing her pain.

And then, all the Golden Reapers simultaneously looked up at the sky, projecting their willpower.

‘Mom needs help.’

Golden Reapers near the Black Reapers began waving their antennae left and right, emitting their willpower intensely.

‘We need help!’

The Golden Reapers who sensed this began looking up at the sky and projecting their willpower too.

Japan, USA, China, Korea.

Golden Reapers scattered across various countries stopped what they were doing and started looking up at the sky.

‘Mom needs help!’

This willpower began spreading to Mini Reapers of other colors.

The Red Reaper bowing to Agui spirits began looking up at the sky.

The Blue Reaper peeling an apple for its Attached Human began looking up at the sky.

The Sprout Reaper sleeping inside a flowerpot began looking up at the sky.

The Orange Reaper floating in a bathtub began looking up at the sky.

The Yellow Reaper performing a puppet show based on Ghost Cat stories began looking up at the sky.

The Agui Reaper cutting off its own fingers to make bento began looking up at the sky.

***

One halo hovering above my head.

While enduring the weight of that crown, I glanced at the Black Reaper beside me, who wore a small halo and gave me a gentle smile.

‘It’s okay now! Mom!’

Even though it was just one Black Reaper, it felt like all the Black Reapers were giving me courage.

Yes, even if the condition “” is true, I still need to climb these stairs, don’t I?

I placed my foot on the next step while looking at the Black Reaper.

Kung.

A feeling like something pressing down heavily on my body overwhelmed me.

It felt like my body would explode at any moment.

My body, held together like cracked pottery, felt like it was about to shatter into pieces.

‘Ah, is this the end?’

Just as that thought crossed my mind,

A bright willpower like the sun erupted from the opposite shoulder.

‘Mom!’

The Golden Reaper, wearing a halo upside-down on its head, grinned broadly while clenching its fists tightly, boosting my willpower.

The heart of the Golden Reaper carried the wishes of countless Golden Reapers.

The heart of the Black Reaper carried the wishes of countless Black Reapers.

Yes, I had millions of Golden Reapers and Black Reapers supporting me.

Smiling amidst the pain, I took another step forward.

Crack.

The ankle, already riddled with cracks, made a snapping sound.

At the moment I was about to fall, a new ankle formed.

An ankle made of the brightest and hottest flames.

‘Revolution!’

Appearing with a halo atop its head, the Red Reaper hugged a large red moon in its arms.

Taking another step, whenever my body was about to crumble, the Blue Reaper’s water streams reconnected me.

Taking another step, even if I tumbled down the stairs, the Sprout Reaper rewound time for me.

Whenever it became impossible to bear my weight, the Orange Reaper nestled in my arms lifted me up.

When I lacked the strength to move forward, the Yellow Reaper’s doll clothes pulled me ahead.

Even when I was about to fall backward, the Agui Reaper supported my back.

The Black Reaper, Golden Reaper, Blue Reaper, Sprout Reaper, Red Reaper, Orange Reaper, Yellow Reaper, Agui Reaper, and finally the Gray Reaper.

With the help of the children, I managed to step on all nine steps.

Upon arriving and looking down at the throne, everything began turning into dust and disappearing.

The throne, the steps, the halos, and the Mini Reapers—all fading away as if they were mere illusions.

This was the end of the adventure.