Chapter 284

At noon, the courtyard of Sehee Research Institute was bustling with researchers gathered to enjoy their lunchtime with Mini Reaper as usual under the warm sunlight.

The researchers were chatting while gazing at the suddenly appeared Golden Triceratops Statue in the middle of the courtyard.

“Why is the Golden Triceratops Statue here all of a sudden?”

One researcher asked curiously.

“Maybe the Director of Sehee Research Institute installed it?”

Another researcher nearby proposed what seemed to be the most plausible hypothesis.

Since most absurd happenings in the research institute were usually caused by Sehee, it was a reasonable guess.

Moreover, the only person who could obtain such a large amount of gold would probably be Sehee alone.

Just then, Sehee and Seoah slowly walked into the crowd of researchers.

Upon seeing the Golden Triceratops Statue, Seoah immediately frowned.

She then turned her head swiftly toward Sehee with an expression of disbelief.

In response, Sehee shook her head vigorously with a look full of injustice.

Even though no sound was heard, Sehee’s expression clearly said, “It wasn’t me!”

Unfortunately, due to Sehee’s frequent lying in the past, Seoah didn’t seem convinced at all.

Hehe.

I was watching this scene from the cozy shade created by the frill of the triceratops.

Next to me stood the Red Reaper and the White Hungry Ghost, forcibly held by the former.

The Red Reaper had assumed a pose akin to a landscape painter, aiming his hand camera at the Golden Triceratops Statue.

With a pipe-shaped fireball in his mouth and a fiery sculpting knife in his hand, it was unclear what exactly he was observing.

After staring at the triceratops for quite some time, the Red Reaper struck a dramatic pose.

With a bold movement, he thrust the fiery sculpting knife into the White Hungry Ghost.

“Hiiiiiing!”

It seemed like the Red Reaper was trying to shave the White Hungry Ghost’s neck to create a triceratops frill.

However, perhaps due to excessive force, the fiery sculpting knife pierced straight through the ghost’s neck.

“Ack!”

Realizing his mistake, the Red Reaper looked flustered as the White Hungry Ghost seized the opportunity to start running away.

As always, the chase between the fleeing White Hungry Ghost and the seemingly delighted Red Reaper began.

***

As the sun dipped towards the horizon during late afternoon.

The endless convoy of supply trucks finally stopped arriving, and the Association Dolls carrying supplies to the parking lot gradually disappeared, leaving only silence in the parking lot.

In one corner of this now silent parking lot stood James’ temporary isolation facility.

This makeshift facility consisted of an isolation room for confining objects and an observation room where remote experiments could be conducted.

Inside the observation room, James and his subordinate employees, dressed in lab coats, were looking into the isolation room.

Inside the isolation room, Association Dolls were securely fastened with steel frames.

These were various types of dolls purchased by the association according to different categories.

James carefully observed the Association Dolls through the transparent isolation wall.

At that moment, a man wearing a bulletproof vest and black uniform spoke up, unlike James.

“Boss, wouldn’t it be safer to use the internal facilities within the tower?”

James, who was using a mechanical arm to slowly dismantle an Association Doll, replied without taking his eyes off the control console.

“Of course, the internal facilities within the tower are much safer. Alex.”

“Then let’s move to the internal facilities right away! There aren’t enough security options available here.”

When James agreed with his statement, Alex immediately responded.

“It’s naturally better from a security facility perspective. But I won’t move it.”

However, James quietly refused.

“Because the Association Dolls keep trying to enter the tower. It’s best not to bring any dolls inside until the situation becomes clear.”

And James added that “From now on, we should think of James Tower more as a fortress than a laboratory.”

After spending a long time dismantling the doll, James got up, taking his eyes off the console.

“I roughly understand the structure of the doll, but I can’t figure out the most important energy source.”

Perhaps due to working on the remote console for too long, James rubbed his eyelids with his fingers as if his eyes were tired.

Alex seemed slightly surprised that James, America’s top object specialist, said “I don’t know,” but he didn’t say anything.

“We should call it a day today.”

James said while looking at the Golden Reaper sticking to the already dark window as the sun had set.

The Golden Reaper was holding a sticky picture of a Mecha Tyrannosaurus made of glue in his hand.

“It’s been six hours already, so you should hand over your shift and go home.”

While saying this, James’s lab coat already had five pictures of the Mecha Tyrannosaurus stuck to it.

***

As the night fell silently after the sun went down, Yerin followed the Golden Reaper back home.

Tubangtubang.

The confident footsteps of the Golden Reaper were as heavy as ever, and his water-made shield and helmet sparkled under the moonlight.

And the Golden Reaper occasionally turned around, met gazes, and smiled faintly.

It seemed like he was checking if Yerin was following well.

When they reached the communal entrance of the building, the Association Doll greeted Yerin, a resident of the building, warmly.

“Welcome back!”

Although the doll greeted politely, Yerin passed by quickly without even glancing, as if she disliked it.

And Yerin managed to walk through the corridor and enter her home.

“Arrived!”

As soon as Yerin opened the door, she happily shouted.

Then she took out a round golden jelly from the snack container by the entrance and handed it to the Golden Reaper.

“Thanks for escorting me!”

Upon receiving Yerin’s gratitude, the Golden Reaper smiled faintly and started nibbling on the jelly little by little.

Om.

The Golden Reaper chewed the jelly gently with his small mouth.

A happy smile spread across the face of the Golden Reaper, feeling Yerin’s emotions and the sweetness of the jelly.

After finishing the jelly, the Golden Reaper raised his hand high, waved goodbye, and then disappeared instantly through ghosting.

When Yerin bid farewell to the Golden Reaper and entered the room, a puzzled expression crossed her face.

“?”

There was something strange.

She remembered placing the White Hungry Ghost on top of the Knee of the Lead Doll before leaving the room.

But now, the Lead Doll seemed to be hugging the White Hungry Ghost tightly.

Since the Lead Doll was one of those jointed dolls that could maintain a position when moved, its posture could be fixed accordingly.

However, the Lead Doll’s arms were now rigidly embracing the White Hungry Ghost.

“Did the hungry ghost adjust its posture itself?”

It seemed to Yerin that the White Hungry Ghost crawled in by itself, moved the Lead Doll’s arms, and nestled into its embrace.

The face of the White Hungry Ghost nestled in the Lead Doll’s arms was filled with happiness.

Perhaps finding peace in the cold temperature of the Lead Doll, its small face looked more lively than before.

“The Lead Doll is pretty cold, yet it looks comfortable and happy.”

Yerin watched the scene for a moment and smiled faintly.

The White Hungry Ghost always looked aggrieved, so it seemed even happier now.

Yerin slowly approached and poked the cheeks of the White Hungry Ghost and stroked the soft head of the Lead Doll.

“!”

But as Yerin stroked the head of the Lead Doll, she suddenly gasped and widened her eyes.

“It’s warm?”

Yerin clenched and unclenched her fist as if feeling the warmth left on her hand and mumbled.

***

Late at night, in the security room of James Tower.

James was still there, unable to relax, and hadn’t gone home yet.

‘Two days until the Doll Fair.’

To James, these two days felt like the last remaining time.

‘I wish I could clearly determine whether the Association Dolls are problematic or not before then.’

James was analyzing CCTV footage displayed on the monitor.

It was a video compiled by linking together the abnormal behaviors of the Association Dolls.

[Chelk. Chelk. Chelk.]

A rhythmic metallic sound could be heard from the monitor.

It was the sound of the Association Doll turning the doorknob.

The same rhythm and the same volume of sound.

Whenever the Association Doll exhibited abnormal behavior trying to enter James Tower, it was always like this.

[Chelk. Chelk. Chelk.]

As always, after turning the doorknob three times in the same rhythm, the Association Doll would return to its original place as if nothing happened.

While James was watching the monitor in the security room, a loud noise reached his ears.

Pee-. Pee-.

It was an approach warning indicating someone was coming to the security room.

When he switched the screen, Alex, who had gone home, was slowly approaching the security room.

‘Did he forget something?’

And when Alex arrived at the security room, he turned the doorknob.

[Chelk. Chelk. Chelk.]

[Chelk. Chelk. Chelk.]

[Chelk. Chelk. Chelk.]

“…”

Then Alex looked up at the security camera and said,

“Boss, please open the door.”