Chapter 112

The Gray Reaper Isolation Room without a Gray Reaper.

While hoping that the departed Reaper would return soon to Trinity, I was playing around with the Golden Reapers.

Dum-chi-dum-chi.

In sync with the rhythmic beats echoing inside the isolation room, the Golden Reaper showed off dazzling dance moves.

The energetic vibe radiating from that tiny body, barely the size of a palm, filled up the entire isolation room.

After dancing energetically, the Golden Reaper plopped down onto the floor.

Then I extended my finger and gently stroked its head.

The Golden Reaper giggled with a “heh-heh-heh” laugh.

Judging by how there wasn’t even a hint of exhaustion after such an intense dance, it was definitely object-like.

When I pointed at another seated Golden Reaper with my finger, it sprang up and began dancing enthusiastically.

“Hahaha, so cute.”

I laughed loudly while watching them.

The Golden Reapers following my hand gestures were as obediently cute as well-behaved puppies.

Unnie Sehee had also arrived in the isolation room and was playing with the Golden Reapers.

Sehee Unnie seems to take too many breaks; is our institute okay?

Wearing an apron, Unnie Sehee stretched out on the floor and tickled a Golden Reaper lying belly-up.

Though no sound came out, the Golden Reaper giggled silently like “kya-r-r-rk” while trying to push away Sehee Unnie’s fingers.

This looks fun!

Next time, I should try tickling one too.

Turning my head, I looked at the Golden Reaper sitting on my palm, which made a slightly nervous expression, probably fearing I might tickle it.

Wow, so cute!

I extended my finger and vigorously petted the Golden Reaper.

While tickling the Golden Reaper, Sehee Unnie was already looking at her phone with a somewhat serious expression.

“Just now, news broke that the jellyfish which turned Nanjing City into ruins has disappeared.”

“Are you talking about that jellyfish that survived a nuclear bomb?”

Even though China didn’t usually interest me, Sehee Unnie’s words were quite surprising.

How did an object we tried so hard to get rid of suddenly vanish?

It couldn’t possibly have died, right? Did it start moving?

“Now that it’s suddenly gone missing, China is in complete chaos. If this object, which has already been devouring humans, moves to another city, it will cause a massive disaster.”

“If it really shows up in another city, it’ll be a headache.”

“It’s rumored that it might come to Korea now.”

“Pfft, no way.”

No way would it cross the sea just to come here, right?

***

Inside the mysterious laboratory deep within Trinity Research Institute, a horrifying figure lay sprawled out.

The man who served as Director of Research Lab No. 3 was almost unrecognizable, his form obscured by incomprehensible tentacles.

These unsettling tentacles, clearly derived from some kind of object, spread all over his body, fusing unstably with his skin.

“Director, you’ve pushed yourself too far.”

A woman stood beside the director, dressed in a pristine white lab coat, her face etched with deep concern.

Her eyes, filled only with reverence and worry, quickly scanned the director’s condition.

After finishing her assessment, her expression grew even more serious, indicating that the director’s state was far from normal.

“There was no need for you to go this far.”

From the perspective of the woman who found the director collapsed near the recovery room door, it was a reasonable thing to say.

Had she not discovered him, those tentacles might have torn his body apart completely.

Under the director’s pale skin, a terrifying scene unfolded.

Uncanny, wriggling tentacle-like entities moved beneath his flesh, grotesquely distorting it.

Every time the tentacles squirmed, the director twisted his face in agony, letting out painful groans.

What worried the woman even more wasn’t the director’s skin.

Footprints of unknown origin near the director’s bed.

Tentacle patterns wriggling like living things.

That was the problem.

There were no records of phenomena like this occurring from either ‘evolution’ or ‘fusion.’

The brightly lit room, filled with harsh fluorescent light, cast deeper shadows, emphasizing the ominous wriggling patterns within them.

The director answered the woman’s words with a voice distorted by pain.

“No, this level of preparation was necessary. Although the evolution liquid may be fatal to all objects, once we decided to fight head-on, this much preparation was essential.”

“Still, swallowing ‘that jellyfish,’ which obliterated an entire region of China? Isn’t that considered an object far more dangerous than any Gray Reaper?”

The woman expressed her feelings emotionally, her face slightly flushed.

“Of course, the jellyfish is more dangerous. But since we planned to absorb it eventually, it was merely absorbed a bit earlier than expected.”

Despite his discomfort, the director continued speaking calmly, as if reassuring her.

“Anyway, stabilization will be done soon. There’s no need to worry so much.”

“But….”

The director cut off the woman’s words, shifting the uncomfortable topic.

His voice, full of pain, carried an authoritative tone forbidding further mention.

“When will the Gray Reaper arrive?”

“Probably sometime this morning.”

The woman in the lab gown adjusted her attitude and replied calmly.

Hearing this, the director closed his eyes as if resigned and issued an order.

“I can’t fight right now. Either buy time until I finish the fusion or deal with it yourselves. You’re more than capable anyway.”

“Yes, preparations are perfect. Once you recover, I’ll report the results immediately.”

The woman responded confidently without hesitation, her inner confidence shining through.

“Well then, I’ll step out.”

The woman in the lab coat bowed politely before stepping outside.

She left the room with a slightly tense expression but seemed to look forward to the opportunity to earn merit.

***

Looking out the window of the Trinity transport vehicle, we were nearing the Trinity Research Institute.

As if showcasing Trinity’s influence, the buildings grew taller, and the number of people visible on the streets increased.

But something felt off.

Deliverymen bustling about carrying goods.

Shop owners hurriedly setting up tents.

Office workers rushing along their busy paths.

The streets brimmed with the bustle of people preparing for a new day.

At first glance, it seemed like a lively, typical urban landscape filled with the unique chaos of cities, but it felt alien to me.

All of them were fake people—objects pretending to be human.

Unlike previous objects imitating humans, these emitted a terrible stench.

Their insides were filled with black liquid—a mockery of humanity.

The closer we got to the Trinity Research Institute, the stronger the stench grew, becoming as unbearable as the overwhelming odor of a garbage disposal site.

Due to the overwhelming presence of objects filled with black liquid, my senses extended farther than usual.

Far away, I faintly sensed the presence of real humans.

Though normally too distant to detect, I could feel them because there were so few actual people nearby.

Fear, despair.

These negative emotions emanated strongly from the distant humans, contrasting sharply with the emotionless presence of the surrounding objects.

Seeing the humans in apparent peril, I summoned the Blue Reapers from the Mini Reaper Garden.

“Go protect the humans.”

With an urgent flutter, the Blue Reapers dispersed like mist and flew toward the location of the humans.

Although they’re weaklings without physical immunity and I’m a little worried, they’re better suited for this task.

After sending off the Blue Reapers, the grand entrance gate came into view.

[Trinity Research Institute No. 3.]

I’ve arrived at the source of the black liquid—the Trinity Research Institute.

***

As soon as I arrived at the Trinity Research Institute, I was transferred to a desolate isolation room.

An empty, bleak isolation room except for a large table conspicuously placed in the center.

Shifting my gaze to the table revealed my favorite foods laid out in abundance.

Pudding, cookies, marshmallows, cakes, etc.

Ordinarily, this situation would have been delightful, but I couldn’t enjoy it now.

Because an unbearable stench was emanating from the food.

It wasn’t just adding black liquid to the food—it was disguising black liquid as food.

Actually, the more serious issue wasn’t the disguised food.

Malicious intent directed at me.

Through the magic mirror somewhere in the isolation room, intense malice could be felt.

Compared to the other black liquid monsters I’d encountered, this one reeked of concentrated malevolence.

Knock-knock.

I tapped on the magic mirror.

Then the door next to the magic mirror opened, revealing a woman in a lab coat.

She wore an extremely condescending expression.

“Being able to notice something’s wrong with the food, for an object, you’re pretty clever.”

For a blob monster, it was quite strong.

About 1.5 levels of Hungry Ghost subspecies?

Still, it shouldn’t have enough confidence to act like that, right?

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