Chapter 103

I had this weird feeling that I could make a blue mini Reaper, so I gave it a try…

And lo and behold, a real Blue Reaper appeared.

The Golden Reapers were also staring at the palm of my hand as if they’d never seen anything like it before.

They looked just like how an older sibling would gaze at a newborn baby brother.

Its appearance was exactly like mine—just like the Golden Reaper.

But even as it lay on my palm like someone sleeping, the Blue Reaper had noticeable differences compared to the Golden Reaper.

Was it the hat? That stood out the most, right?

A large witch’s hat made entirely of water!

Its body was much more transparent than the Golden Reaper’s, except for its bluish tint.

It was almost crystal clear, like pure water.

Inside its transparent torso, faintly glowing firewood pulsed like a heart.

The edges of the Blue Reaper’s hair were blurred, giving off a misty vibe like fog. It looked downright dreamy.

As it slowly blinked its eyes and woke up, the Blue Reaper looked around in all directions with wide eyes.

Surrounding it were the curious stares of the Golden Reapers.

Sensing those gazes, the Blue Reaper pulled its hat down low over its head and crouched awkwardly.

Could it be… shy?

Then, it started writing something in the air with one hand.

A string of incomprehensible characters formed—but somehow, I understood them instantly.

[Please sleep standing up.]

Words made of water materialized in midair, then dissolved into light that surged toward me.

Looks like we’ve got ourselves a little magician here!

Cautiously lifting its hat to peek at me, the Blue Reaper seemed nervous.

Realizing I wasn’t asleep, it fidgeted awkwardly before pulling its hat back down again.

When I poked it with my finger, it let out a “poof” and dissolved into mist, disappearing completely.

***

In the heart of Seoul Forest, nestled among ancient trees, stood a brick house that didn’t seem to belong in the modern world.

The weathered bricks covered in moss blended seamlessly with the natural environment, as if the house had grown there itself.

Inside this peculiar abode, however, things took a fantastical turn.

Tools and furniture reminiscent of fantasy novels filled the space.

A massive fireplace emitted warm heat while casting dancing shadows across the walls etched with mysterious symbols.

On a sturdy wooden table cluttered with scrolls and parchment sat an unidentified vial containing strange liquid.

The liquid glowed faintly, pulsating with energy unlike anything ordinary.

Herbal plants unique to Seoul Forest hung from the ceiling, their residue staining the mortar below.

Amidst this surreal setting, a girl lounged around and spoke.

“Sis, can we go play by Yangcheon Lake?”

“No.”

To her, Yangcheon Lake seemed like a picturesque spot that would put anyone in a good mood just by looking at it.

“But why not? Everyone else seems fine going there!”

“It’s absolutely dangerous. Let me explain briefly,” said the tall woman, pulling out some white grass from the cupboard.

“Magic books—or objects—are generally beyond human comprehension, but they share certain common traits.”

As she lit the white grass, milky flames shot upward.

The burning grass quickly turned to ash, leaving no trace when swept away.

“Like this grass, objects tend to minimize their impact on surroundings. Yangcheon Lake amplifies this effect.”

She listed countless examples: pyromantic objects that burn only humans while leaving everything else untouched, etc., though she warned against blindly trusting these patterns.

Looking earnestly at her younger sister, she added:

“There, people dying won’t feel sad, and odd occurrences won’t seem strange. But ‘now’ isn’t the time to go. We’ll visit eventually, so please wait patiently.”

“Really? Are we really going?”

Seeing her excited sibling, the woman silently apologized inside.

Because deep down, she knew this wouldn’t be the kind of lake trip the girl expected.

***

After dealing with the old woman, the cruise ship returned eerily quiet.

Everyone from Sehee Research Institute remained sound asleep, unable to wake up.

Each fallen person had a Golden Reaper attached, tending to them carefully.

The usually cheerful Golden Reapers now wore somber expressions.

Though the fog cleared and the sky turned bright again, the people stayed fast asleep.

Even after defeating the old woman, they wouldn’t wake up.

Maybe because she promised to lend the power of the blue moon.

Should we destroy the blue moon to break the spell?

But looking up, there was only the red moon and the regular one.

Suddenly, an overwhelming stench erupted from the lake.

Startled, the Golden Reapers all turned to look at me.

Huh? Why are they staring at me?

Thud-thud.

Quick-step.

Every step I took caused the Golden Reapers to scatter in all directions.

Are they seriously avoiding me now?

Come on, after making a few mistakes, you guys treat me like this? That’s harsh…

***

Inside a truck with windows painted so dark that sunlight barely penetrated, two men grumbled loudly.

“Isn’t this the kind of job we can subcontract? Why do we have to supervise directly all of a sudden?”

“Probably due to last time’s James factory failure. The ‘perfect’ director must be furious about messing that up.”

Thinking about the rarely angry director, the two men snickered.

“To be honest, last incident was kinda suspicious. The director knew practically everything about objects yet still failed.”

“I never liked him either. He always insisted his word was final regardless of data or experimental results.”

“Well, that guy acted more like a prophet than a research director. Despite his arrogance, his predictions often came true, which was infuriating. Maybe this time failing will teach him a lesson.”

The truck finally stopped near a vast, crystal-clear lake.

Yangcheon Lake.

“Finally here. Let’s wrap this up quick and go home.”

Equipped with gloves and boots, the men rolled out large drums from the truck and dumped them into the lake.

An unpleasant petroleum smell wafted from the drums.

Pinching their noses against the foul odor, the men struggled to carry the drums.

“What is this stuff anyway?”

“Beats me. Feels like only senior-level researchers know, and us blacklisted folks might never reach that rank.”

With each drum dumped into the lake, the surrounding temperature seemed to drop.

From the depths of the lake, thick fog began creeping closer.

The fog started as a thin veil on the water surface but gradually thickened into an opaque curtain.

As the fog grew denser, sounds faded, creating an otherworldly atmosphere.

“Is this… okay?”

Muttering aloud to shake off the eerie solitude, no reply came.

A faint wail echoed from afar.

So soft that one wouldn’t notice unless extremely tense.

“Everything alright? What’s going on?”

Shouting out of fear, the sound was muffled as if absorbed by the fog.

Footsteps approached through the impenetrable mist.

The crunch of pebbles underfoot.

Following the sound, the man found himself face-to-face with a blood-dripping skeleton.

“AHHHHHH!”

The fresh-bloodied skull rested in the grasp of some monstrous entity.

[Dare… dare you pull such tricks?]

The monster’s condition didn’t look great.

Half its body was melting away into black slime.

This slime was covered in grotesque eyeballs, with veins protruding and wriggling in every direction.

“How… why…”

The director said touching the object contaminated by black liquid in Yangcheon Lake would render it harmless and safe!

[Your skin will melt endlessly, condemning you to eternal agony.]

His skin melted like butter.

Trying to scream, no sound emerged from his liquified mouth.

Desperately crawling on the uneven gravel ground to escape, his melted limbs refused to move.

When the fog lifted, only a red lump remained by the lakeside.

This lump twitched endlessly, cursing the deceitful director with unrelenting hatred.

***

Feigning shock, I sat sadly on the railing as if the Golden Reapers running away hurt my feelings.

Putting on my most melancholy expression.

Seeing this, the previously fleeing Golden Reapers hesitantly gathered around.

Eventually, one of them hopped onto my thigh, shaking my body to apologize.

And then!

I gently nudged the Golden Reaper with my finger.

Startled, the Golden Reaper looked up at me.

Smiling knowingly, I chuckled softly.

Hehe.

Realizing it was betrayed, the Golden Reaper sank into despair, flailing its tiny limbs before being sucked underwater.

Splash.

Summoning the drowned Golden Reaper back, it lay limp on my palm.

Its expression mirrored the harsh reality of having no one to trust.

Sorry.

Was I too harsh?

I tenderly petted its head, expressing my emotions.

Continuing until its mood improved.

*

While pondering how to awaken those put to sleep by the old woman, I suddenly felt an odd sensation.

Sitting on the railing, gazing quietly at the lake water tinged slightly black, I noticed the reflection of the sky above.

And floating amidst it—a single blue moon.

There it is! The blue moon!

Grinning mischievously, I used “eyes” toward the blue moon.

[Destroy the mirror of the blue witch.]

Fortunately, destroying the blue moon had fairly clear conditions.

Will things go smoothly this time?