Chapter 144

After finishing my tasks, I left the Deputy Director’s Office of Sehee Research Institute and headed toward the sleeping room.

As soon as I entered the sleeping room, a sturdy isolation chamber surrounded by reinforced glass stood at the center of the room.

It was Sprout’s personal isolation chamber.

My guess was right; since being moved to the sleeping room, Sprout had been growing fresher day by day.

While looking at Sprout with a fond smile, I noticed something strange.

“Hmm? What is it?”

When I opened the reinforced glass and took out the pot for closer inspection, I saw that a tiny blue fruit had started to grow on one of Sprout’s leaves.

The small blue fruit gleamed like a gem. As I observed it, I felt someone—or something—watching me.

Blink… Blink…

“!”

I jumped in surprise.

Sprout had opened its eyes and was staring straight at me.

Yawning widely as if tired, Sprout then gave me an adorable grin, giggling “Hehe,” before plucking its own fruit and handing it to me.

“Does this mean… eat it?”

When I took the fruit, Sprout mimed putting it into its mouth repeatedly, then closed its eyes and went back to sleep.

A fruit given by an Object…

Of course, I shouldn’t eat it—but it came from the Reaper series, so maybe it’s fine?

That thought crossed my mind, reminiscent of Yerin Oh, but I shook my head violently to clear it.

What should I do with this fruit?

***

As I stepped through the gate, the vast expanse of the airport came into view under the soft glow of modern lighting.

The sleek design and minimalist elegance of the terminal stretched out along wide, clean corridors connected to multiple gates.

The check-in area was neatly organized with kiosks providing easy access to airport information.

Though clearly designed for efficiency, the spacious area wasn’t very crowded with passengers.

Most people walking around looked like staff members.

Probably because this airport was newly built alongside the research facility.

This new and intriguing scenery didn’t exactly improve my mood though.

Why? The smell of burnt wood lingered in the air, reminding me of the charred remains of Seoul Forest.

The pleasant scent of burning filled the entire airport subtly.

Anyway, this was definitely NOT because of any failed pranks.

With my sour expression, the Golden Reaper, who usually perches above my head playing with antennae, now sat worriedly on my shoulder, gently stroking my cheek.

When I picked up the Golden Reaper and held it up, it grinned happily at me, stretching out its hands.

Seeing its cheerful face made me laugh despite myself. I lightly tapped its head and followed Yerin, who had already started heading out.

In front of the airport stood a large limousine marked with the James Research Institute logo, clearly prepared in advance.

Once inside, the luxurious interior matched its grand exterior.

“Wow, these chairs are comfy!”

Yerin hugged me tightly while holding my hand and said excitedly.

“Alright, let’s get going.”

As we admired the sparkling interior, the secretary’s voice rang out, and the car began moving smoothly forward.

Passing through the nearly empty airport parking lot, we noticed a crowd gathered near the exit.

People were shouting slogans written in English:

“Destroy the cursed barrier!”

“Accept your fate!”

“The end is coming!”

Pointing at them, Yerin asked curiously,

“What are those people doing?”

“They believe Objects are divine punishments. They’re apocalyptic believers.”

Yerin tilted her head.

These kinds of people existed, but they were rarely seen in Korea.

Maybe because outside major cities, ‘Messengers of God’ could easily encounter Objects?

Korea had unusually good civilian access to Objects.

Even in America, where Object management was strict, their existence felt refreshing.

Yerin sounded puzzled too.

“Are there really so many people with such strange beliefs?”

“No, not really. Compared to Korea where visible group actions are rare, they’re more common here, but still not many.”

Listening to the secretary, Yerin continued,

“So it’s not America that’s weird—it’s Korea that’s weird for not having them?”

“Yes. There were even rumors that Korean associations fed doomsday cultists to Hungry Ghosts, but even considering that, they’re still few.”

Mentioning feeding doomsday cultists to Hungry Ghosts casually!

Yerin seemed to hear this for the first time, but the association just brushed it off like it was normal.

Well, our association IS a bit unusual.

We could see the protesters raising their voices as our limo passed by.

The secretary considered them ‘doomsday cultists,’ but I had another suspicion.

They smelled strongly of delicious burning.

***

Because of frequent exchanges between research facilities, the arranged accommodations were quite satisfactory.

Especially the ball pit!

The Reaper also seemed pleased with the accommodations, relaxing its usual stoic expression while swimming happily in the ball pit.

Diving into the ball pit, the Golden Reapers swarmed around me, warming my heart instantly.

In the morning, the secretary guided us to the rooftop helipad of the hotel.

From the roof, the helicopter waiting for us looked different from the ones I usually saw.

At first glance, it appeared to be made of wood rather than steel.

“Is that wood attached to the helicopter? That’s interesting.”

“It’s wood that blocks spirits. It’s essential for where we’re going.”

The secretary calmly answered my question.

So this is the famous material used for spirit barriers.

Looking closely at the helicopter, I noticed the wooden gloves meticulously wrapped all over it.

Where exactly are we going?

“We’ll be visiting a must-see landscape in the Rocky Mountains. It’s shown to new researchers working here as well.”

As the helicopter ascended high into the sky, carrying me and the Reaper, we flew higher and higher.

Soon, the massive Spirit Barrier came into view.

The Reaper pressed against the window, fascinated, gazing down intently.

The helicopter didn’t stop at the barrier but kept moving forward.

Beyond the barrier, into the forbidden Deep Place.

There, we witnessed a bizarre scene.

Even from this height, the sight below was unmistakably alien.

An enormous crater yawned open in the ground, its edges jagged as if forcibly torn apart.

A swirling vortex of ominous blackness devoured light, radiating an overwhelming presence.

No matter how hard I stared, I couldn’t see the bottom, and no matter how far I looked, I couldn’t see the end.

Even in vast America, something felt off.

Could such a colossal crater really exist?

“You’ve noticed. This crater continuously distorts space. The closer you get to the center, the stronger the distortion becomes, making it impossible to reach.”

Though the mysterious tree capable of reversing time was fascinating, the sheer grandeur of this visible crater left a profound impression.

“Researchers newly stationed in the Rocky Mountains learn humility from this view. It shows how precarious Earth’s current peace truly is.”

“Definitely…”

I replied faintly, slightly shaken.

The scale of this Object was overwhelming, making humanity seem incredibly insignificant.

But seeing the bored-looking Reaper sitting beside me, a sudden sense of reassurance filled my heart.

The Reaper is invincible, so everything will be alright, right?

“Excluding the dangers of the Object, it’s actually quite a beautiful sight, which makes it rather popular.”

Staring at the swirling vortex, I felt drawn inward, accompanied by an inexplicable oily odor.

***

Amidst the bustling streets of a labyrinth-like city, a lone man infiltrated a secretive deep place.

For months, he had been undercover investigating the spread of ‘Object drugs’ across the United States.

Finally, he had uncovered the truth.

[The Burning Steel Pig Statue.]

An Object originally discovered in Korea existed deep within this underground location.

His heart raced wildly.

Now, all he had to do was escape and report.

He just needed to wait until the gathering of these doomsday cultists ended.

As the religious ceremony concluded, the man sighed in relief.

‘Now I can return safely.’

But his wish wouldn’t come true so easily.

Suddenly, a kind-looking middle-aged woman approached him, offering a glass of whiskey.

“How about a drink?”

Thrown off by the unexpected turn of events, the man hesitated, then accepted the glass.

The high-proof whiskey burned brightly.

As he raised the glass, an unexpectedly delicious aroma hit him.

It was definitely an Object!

Sure enough, the Object detection device strapped to his wrist lit up red.

Red indicated Mental Pollution Level 1: Perfect subliminal brainwashing beyond awareness.

Time seemed to slow infinitely as tension gripped him.

When did they find out?

“Did you really think you could deceive us?”

Reacting quickly, he threw the glass against the wall and turned to flee.

But he barely took a few steps before gunfire echoed, and he fell to the ground.

A searing pain coursed through his side.

“You should have been more careful, Agent.”

“Don’t worry, you won’t die. We need you alive to join us.”

In his fading vision, he saw the blazing whiskey glass approaching.