Chapter 114

A secret construction project was underway at the center of the Mini Reaper Garden.

It turned out that the Golden Reapers were carrying out a mischievous plan right under the Gray Reaper’s nose.

As if setting up a trap, the Golden Reapers were digging deep pits with great care.

And for some reason, the Golden Reapers were having way too much fun—every time they glanced at each other while digging, they’d burst into giggles.

The location of this pit had been precisely calculated by the Blue Reaper.

Right beneath where the Gray Reaper would pop out when entering the Mini Reaper Garden!

The Golden Reapers working on this hole-trap seemed unusually cheerful compared to their usual selves.

They exchanged playful smiles and their eyes sparkled with the thrill of their covert operation.

Though their work resembled the innocent mischief of children, the result showcased precision akin to a seasoned craftsman.

Amidst the peaceful tranquility of the Mini Reaper Garden, an adorable yet sneaky conspiracy against the Gray Reaper was steadily progressing.

***

Ugh, stickysticky.

I shook off the black liquid covering my body using Ghosting, then glanced around.

The isolation room assigned to me by Trinity was in complete disarray.

Well, Trinity Research Institute probably brought me here intending to deal with me anyway, so it’s a fitting conclusion.

The foul-smelling Object was surprisingly easy to handle in an instant.

Clompclomp.

I slowly chased after the escaped woman while organizing my thoughts.

Truthfully, I was genuinely startled when the Objects in the isolation room attacked.

Not because the attacking Objects were particularly special or strong.

Rather, I was surprised because I could suddenly see the patterns of destruction for these Objects.

Normally, Objects only revealed their destruction conditions visually without showing how to execute them.

But this time, I started seeing the exact methods and trajectories to destroy the Objects.

[Clap twice in 3 seconds, do a backflip, and the building collapses.]

Instructions like these began appearing.

Originally, Objects were limited to causing destruction indirectly, like during the Songpa District Hungry Ghost incident.

But now, my abilities seemed too overpowered, turning everything into chaos.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been devouring too many Objects lately, making me this strong?

Though, I can’t be entirely sure…

Still, I should test whether I can see these methods on other Objects—it might just be that Trinity’s lackeys are too weak.

While chasing the woman, containment walls began descending.

Boomboom.

The bulkheads slammed into the floor with deafening roars and shockwaves, shaking the entire facility.

The sound was like massive steel jaws closing, signaling a drastic shift in the atmosphere of the research institute.

Emergency lights spun around, casting eerie red beams everywhere.

The dancing shadows from the red emergency lights transformed the already fractured spaces divided by containment walls into something sinister.

An earsplitting alarm joined the cacophony, echoing between the steel barriers.

What was once a brightly lit corridor was now cloaked in ominous red hues, fragmented and alien.

It was now obvious—”Trinity Research Institute Emergency Situation.”

Feels like one of those quarantine horror flicks where monsters escape from labs, huh?

How fascinating.

While pursuing the woman, I heard a familiar voice.

“Open! Open, damn it!”

Near the containment wall, a woman was frantically operating a console.

***

Suddenly, the entire research institute went into lockdown.

The Director is probably still resting, so this must be that guy’s doing.

Security Chief, that annoying guy, no doubt.

Tap, tadac.

The sound of fingers drumming on the console echoed through the tense air.

The increasingly frantic and forceful tapping perfectly mirrored the growing anxiety of the woman.

At first, she pleaded with the surveillance cameras to open the barrier, but now she’d given up.

That guy clearly has no intention of letting her through.

“Open! Open, damn it!”

There’s a monster with unknown powers chasing me from behind!

I don’t want to fight THAT thing.

Fighting is for security personnel, not researchers!

Each wasted second felt like slicing years off her life.

Cold sweat trickled down her spine as an inexplicable chill seeped into her very soul.

Fear clawed at her mind, driving her into confusion.

It felt like the monster was practically breathing down her neck.

Breathe… stay calm.

She closed her eyes and tried to steady her racing heart.

Soldiers won’t die instantly—I mean, there are over a hundred of them, so I’ve got at least 300 seconds, five minutes of leeway.

Think logically.

Worthy of her title as Deputy Director of Trinity, she forced herself to think rationally, methodically.

Her racing heart gradually calmed down.

Alright, now let’s calmly open the barrier!

With newfound composure, she opened her eyes.

“AAAAAAAAAAH!”

And screamed in terror.

On the console monitor, the head of the Gray Reaper had sprouted.

The sight of the Gray Reaper’s eerie grin nearly made her faint.

Her mind went blank, her breaths short and ragged, and her heart pounded wildly as if trying to break through her ribcage.

Discarding all pretense of calm, she turned around and fled in panic.

Haa haa.

But she was forced to stop, gasping for breath, realizing her mistake.

In her panicked flight, she’d run straight into a dead-end alley.

A fatal error.

Gripping her chest, which felt like it might explode, she swallowed her fear and slowly turned back.

The red emergency lights continued spinning, illuminating the corridor—but there was no sign of the Gray Reaper.

Did I lose him?

Just as that hopeful thought crossed her mind, the Gray Reaper emerged ghostlike under the red light.

The Gray Reaper stood shrouded in shadow, head bowed deeply.

“!!!”

With every rotation of the red light.

Step by step.

Without moving his feet, he drew closer like a phantom.

Panicking, the woman collapsed onto the floor, scrambling backward with her hands.

“No. No, please. Don’t come closer.”

But soon, the wall stopped her retreat, and the Gray Reaper continued to loom closer.

No escape!

Terrified, she squeezed her eyes shut.

Haa haa.

Her harsh breathing filled the oppressive silence.

Nothing happened for what felt like an eternity.

Was it all just hallucinations born from sheer terror?

When she hesitantly opened her eyes, all she saw were the small feet of the Gray Reaper.

“Aaah… no…”

Looking up, she saw the Gray Reaper preparing to punch her, wearing an expression that said “enough playing around.”

***

The decapitated corpse of the woman began bubbling.

Oh, Phase Two, perhaps?

For an Agui subspecies 1.5 times stronger, she certainly seemed too fearful and weak.

Since her destruction condition matched the Agui subspecies’ [Depletion of Regeneration], she shouldn’t die this easily, right?

“Haha… hahaha.”

A chaotic voice erupted from the bubbling corpse.

“Not scary… not scary at all…”

With a sickening plop, a giant blade slammed into the floor, revealing an Object shaped like a colossal blade that had been tearing apart the corpse.

It looked tougher and stronger than the Agui subspecies.

Plus, it seemed to have completely shaken off the fear induced by the “eye.”

How powerful will it turn out to be?

***

Inside the control room of the Trinity Research Facility.

High-tech equipment scattered about as security personnel monitored screens.

“The guidance operation is complete, sir.”

“Hmm, good. Excellent.”

Satisfied, the Security Chief smiled, having orchestrated the plan to lure the Deputy Director using containment walls.

“But, is this really alright? Using the Deputy Director as bait…?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. The Deputy Director is utterly unnecessary to the institute anyway. Just someone with unwavering loyalty and high compatibility for Evolution Liquid, that’s why they became Deputy Director.”

The Security Chief smirked as he continued.

“Anyway, let’s begin the Gray Reaper tests. Start with anti-Ghosting frequency experiments.”

“Yes sir! Understood!”

The Security Chief nodded solemnly.

“With the Director absent, we must fulfill our duties. Ideally, we eliminate the threat, but at the very least, let’s gather as much data as possible.”

***

Despite escaping the iron bars, the people were still effectively imprisoned.

Every time they tried to leave the vicinity of the cage, the blue Mini Reapers firmly blocked their path with stern expressions.

Yet, the overall mood wasn’t bad.

“Wow, butterflies!”

“Me too, me too!”

Thanks to the laughter of children ringing out from all directions.

There were quite a few children among the visitors who had come as families, and the Blue Reapers were entertaining them with various magical tricks.

[Shimmering butterflies are flying around!]

[Huge soap bubbles appear!]

Mysterious strings adorned the sky, triggering delighted squeals from the children.

Meanwhile, the enormous water golem that had previously eliminated enemies now lay sprawled on the ground, serving as a playground for the kids.

“Squishy squishy!”

Children jumped up and down gleefully on the massive water golem.

Behold—the Giant Gray Reaper Trampoline!

An atmosphere of joy spread despite the circumstances, making it hard to believe these were kidnapped individuals.