Chapter 130

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Among the collapsed buildings and sunken roads, an intense battle unfolded in the ruins.

It was a fight between the mini reapers, no bigger than the palm of a hand, and the massive objects capable of killing humans.

These mini reapers, resembling the gray reaper, were fiercely battling as they scampered across the broken streets.

The gray reaper who had arrived with the mini reapers was nowhere to be seen.

Their opponents could slice through reinforced concrete like cake—fearsome objects threatening our city.

Who would’ve thought so many of these dangerous objects were hiding in our supposedly safe city?

The catchphrase “a city almost free of object incidents” now seemed laughable as monstrous objects appeared from all directions.

The golden mini reapers fearlessly charged straight at these fearsome objects without hesitation.

They darted around the debris-filled ruins, cloaked in dirt and smoke, continuing their battle against the menacing objects.

Though the smoke-filled battlefield made it hard to discern the situation, it was clear the mini reapers were at a disadvantage.

Above the sky, blue reapers soared, tracing irregular flight paths.

They sprinkled fine water mist to extinguish fires and created protective barriers of water droplets to shield the people from danger.

Around us refugees stood large marshmallow-like blobs that served as soft cushions, blocking flying rocks with their squishy bodies.

Beyond the smoke, the sound of sharpening blades echoed continuously.

I saw firsthand how those swinging blades could slice a bus in half, sending shivers down my spine.

Thud.

Accompanied by a heavy impact, something golden descended from the sky.

A golden reaper, flailing its limbs mid-air, landed awkwardly on my outstretched hands.

Still disoriented, the tiny reaper looked up at me, stopped moving its arms and legs, and flashed an innocent smile.

Is this little one really fighting for us?

Before I knew it, I was gently stroking the head of the golden reaper perched on my palm.

With a cheerful grin, the golden reaper suddenly turned serious and dove back into the smoky battlefield.

Go for it, golden reaper!

***

Beyond the smoke where people couldn’t see…

Amidst the ash and dust, the golden reapers ran joyfully with radiant smiles.

On the other hand, the harmful objects swung their scythes wildly, creating chaos.

Yet strangely, it wasn’t the palm-sized golden reapers being overwhelmed but the giant objects engaging them.

From the perspective of the golden reapers, the battle seemed more like playful fun than fierce combat.

But for the human-harming objects, it was life or death.

Despite being struck by high-speed scythe swings that could cut through steel, the golden reapers continued smiling happily.

Some clung onto the objects’ blades like cicadas, their hair fluttering as if riding amusement park rides.

The single rule of this smoke-filled playground? Don’t leave and approach the people.

Any object violating this rule ended up riddled with countless sponge-like holes shaped like golden reapers, rolling helplessly across the battlefield floor.

***

I was definitely standing amidst the ruined city’s shattered roads earlier!

Now, inexplicably, ankle-deep crimson liquid stretched endlessly around me.

As though transported to another world, the red and heavy sky replaced the usual blue.

The thick, iron-scented blood reminded me I was trapped in a bizarre space filled with gore.

Though not hot, the bubbling blood evoked an irrational sense of revulsion.

The golden horn reaper that had been sleeping on my palm woke up, clinging nervously to my horns while scanning the surroundings.

Crimson drops occasionally fell like drizzle from the darkened skies.

From the vast expanse of boiling blood emerged grotesque lumps resembling children, forming distorted human shapes.

Limbs and facial features were mashed together like nightmarish puzzles, creating forms vaguely reminiscent of the gray reaper.

Truly, a warped version of the gray reaper!

These deformed blood lumps whispered incomprehensible words in small voices:

[Humans killed the gods. And yet, they needed them again.]

[The gods were cruel but protected humanity.]

Despite the faint whispers, every word rang clearly in my ears.

[Humans killed the gods. And yet, they needed them again.]

[The gods were cruel but protected humanity.]

It sounded like language, but utterly indecipherable.

Unfamiliar accents and pronunciations I’d never heard before.

Yet the gray reaper somehow understood, though it seemed annoyed rather than confused.

Not that he didn’t understand the content, but because understanding it felt bothersome.

The gray reaper spread its arms wide and clenched its small fists, causing the surrounding space to warp and buckle.

As he swung his arms, the crimson sky split open, revealing patches of blue.

The rising blood gushed upward into the void left by the torn sky.

But moments later, ominous redness refilled the ruptured space, and more twisted blood masses emerged.

***

The blood-formed masses kept repeating the same phrases endlessly.

Are they trying to convey something important by repeating this over and over?

Annoying…

Listening to incomprehensible gibberish repeatedly just makes me feel irritated…

Unable to bear it any longer, I tore apart the space itself.

The red sky ripped apart, and the strange murmuring blood masses shredded into pieces.

But instantly, the sky turned red again, and new murmuring blood masses rose once more.

Destroying objects with unclear destruction conditions is meaningless unless the criteria are met—even tearing apart the space doesn’t help.

I surveyed the area with my “eyes.”

The destruction condition for this space was <Energy depletion or destruction of the main body.>

One or the other.

Fortunately, both methods were within my capabilities.

Prioritizing finding the main body over energy depletion via consuming firewood seemed like the better option.

If only the main body were nearby…

Activating my abilities, my antennae glowed softly and pointed north through the crimson darkness.

Simultaneously, I sensed someone watching me.

As he observed me, I could observe him too.

In my vision, a shadowy figure stood solemnly before a towering steel tower, surrounded by an ancient forest.

His face blurred beyond recognition, leading a cluster of ornate lamps.

The flickering lights cast dancing shadows around the man.

Though his features remained indistinct, his gaze pierced through me intensely.

When our eyes met, a strange sense of kinship washed over me.

The man’s lips slowly parted, uttering foreign words.

Though mostly unintelligible, one phrase resonated clearly:

[You remain unchanged.]

As he finished speaking, the world began collapsing.

The blood-spewing skies and whispering masses fragmented into dust and vanished.

Alongside them crumbled the gas lamps.

Like ashes losing their source of power, the gas lamps turned to gray dust and scattered.

At the same time, the antenna pointing north lost its direction, wavering aimlessly.

Clearly, the antenna had been guiding me toward the steel tower, but now it was lost.

Despite feeling like I’d encountered a familiar man sharing cryptic messages, my sole reaction was:

Annoying…

Maybe Watson was created by that guy—I should ask Watson to summon him next time we meet.

As the blood-filled space collapsed, the desolate ruins reappeared before us.

Finally, we’ve neutralized the instigator of this incident.

Lamp Man?

We’ll think about meeting him directly later.

***

Even as objects appeared and the city crumbled, time continued to flow.

As the chilly night air settled, the hearts of the city’s displaced residents froze along with it.

“Sigh… What do we do now?”

Someone’s sigh summed up everyone’s sentiments perfectly.

Perhaps due to being an autonomous city recognized by the government—or simply due to insufficient manpower—there was no support whatsoever.

Huddled under dusty blankets, the cold night air persisted.

Suddenly, a massive flame erupted from the center of the ruins.

The enormous fire illuminated the surroundings warmly, like a giant campfire.

What is this?

Drawn by curiosity, we discovered the source—a colossal marshmallow object placed atop a tree by the gray reaper, now ablaze.

As the fairy-like blue reapers flew about, scattering glittering particles, uneasy hearts began to ease.

[[Don’t worry too much!]]

[[Something good will surely happen!]]

People gathered around the campfire, momentarily forgetting their suffering.

Sipping warm hot chocolate, they basked in the glow of the golden reapers and the campfire.

For a while, they forgot their anxieties and braved the cold.