Chapter 157

Under the warm sunlight of midday, the tranquil backyard of Sehee Research Institute basked in peaceful serenity.

It looked as if someone had cut out a perfectly composed picture. There I was, lying on a fluffy mat, using Yerin’s lap as a pillow while gazing lazily at the sky.

Golden Reapers were paired up with Black Reapers, joyfully running around the yard. A Cute Puppy could also be seen dashing everywhere, carrying a Golden Reaper on its back.

So… relaxing.

No matter how great James Research Institute’s facilities might be, Sehee Research Institute always felt the most soothing to me.

There’s just no denying the difference between people, huh?

Compared to the suffocating atmosphere of James Research Institute, the slightly messy and free-spirited vibe of Sehee Research Institute was far more appealing.

A gentle breeze blew, rustling the leaves softly—a perfect background sound for this serene moment.

The faint scent of flowers carried by the refreshing wind was slowly spreading around.

Om…

While munching on snacks fed to me by Yerin, I gazed upward at the blue sky stretched like a canvas, where Cloud Fish swam gracefully through the air.

These Cloud Fish, shaped like fish made from clouds, elegantly flew across the sky in schools, resembling aquatic creatures gliding underwater.

Watching the endless expanse of the dazzlingly blue sky and the graceful wave-like movements of the Cloud Fish gave me the illusion of being submerged underwater, looking up at the surface.

Cloud Fish freely flying through the skies were always enviable.

Rarely, they do descend to the ground. If I ever got the chance, I’d really want to see one up close.

With so many of them grouped together, maybe sneaking one away wouldn’t be noticed?

Then I’d gain flight abilities, and as for the Cloud Fish…

Well, there must be some kind of benefit anyway.

Maybe even Cloud Fish face employment difficulties due to overpopulation.

Yerin glanced enviously at the Black Reaper, who had picked up a potato chip and awkwardly crawled toward me to shove it into my mouth.

Pask-pask.

As the chip crunched in my mouth, the Black Reaper revealed sharp teeth and let out a mischievous “hehe.”

While mindlessly enjoying snacks handed to me by both Yerin and the Black Reaper, Yerin suddenly started talking, as if remembering something.

“Ah, by the way, I also ran into James’ secretary-nee-san at the hospital. She seemed to be in a bit of a tough situation.”

What could have possibly caused her trouble?

As if predicting my curiosity, Yerin continued.

“There’s no entry record, so she’s being treated as an illegal immigrant. Looks like her return to the U.S. will be delayed.”

While recounting her conversation with the secretary, Yerin placed a delicious-looking slice of apple into my mouth.

“Oh, and Secretary-nee-san said since she’s currently under house arrest and can’t speak directly, she wanted me to pass along her gratitude: ‘Thank you for saving me.'”

Following that, Yerin grabbed my cheeks, locking eyes with me and added,

“Thank you for saving me too!”

Her gaze was filled with gratitude so intense it was hard to look away.

I closed my eyes, feeling a little uncomfortable.

***

Late afternoon at Sehee Research Institute.

In the quiet Deputy Director’s Office, I was diligently working on paperwork.

From the outside, it might have appeared peaceful, but from my perspective, it was anything but.

Kikdek-kikdek.

It was all because of Sprout sitting atop my monitor, giggling every time I made a mistake.

“Finally done!”

Upon finishing, Sprout also stood up and clapped their pudgy hands in celebration.

Always annoying until moments like these when they genuinely praise me…

Placing Sprout on my palm, I began mercilessly squeezing their chubby cheeks.

They felt like mochi, relieving all my work fatigue.

Sprout closed their eyes, offering their cheeks as if inviting me to keep going.

Annoying as ever.

Completely different from the cheerful and innocent Golden Reaper, Sprout seemed closer to the original Gray Reaper in nature, judging by their playful tendencies.

Still, they possessed a strange charm that made it impossible to dislike them.

Not only did they refrain from teasing me excessively, but having Sprout around somehow improved my work efficiency.

The problem was, since only I could see Sprout, people often gave me strange looks when we played together. Lately, I’ve been spending time with Sprout only in my private office.

Though it was nice having my own personal mini-reaper who paid attention solely to me, sometimes I wondered if what I saw was merely an illusion.

Regardless, I should document Sprout’s new information.

As I opened my notebook, Sprout sat nearby, watching curiously as I wrote.

[Indigo Sprout Reaper.]

[Different from other mini reapers, this one has two colors.]

[Gold and indigo—what could it mean?]

[Sometimes, I catch glimpses of an Indigo Tree and a Golden Tree behind Sprout—it feels connected somehow.]

[After eating the fruit, I began seeing the touchable Sprout Reaper.]

[Is it a hallucinogenic fruit?]

[Or does it allow me to perceive the ethereal Sprout Reaper?]

[If only our institute had a Spirit Camera—we could verify this. Unfortunately, we don’t.]

[Since eating the fruit Sprout offered, I’ve noticed reduced fatigue and improved sleep quality. Further measurements are needed to confirm this effect.]

Closing the notebook, I placed Sprout back on my palm and chatted casually.

Whereas the Golden Reaper’s eyes resembled those of a child, Sprout’s felt more intellectual, making conversations feel more engaging—even though Sprout never speaks.

***

Near the Rocky Mountains, close to the remnants of a burnt Spirit Barrier, a usually serene village was bustling with activity.

This was due to the presence of employees affiliated with the Object Association, identifiable by their badges, walking around with serious expressions and peculiar equipment.

Even the young boys playing basketball in the open lot were drawn to their presence.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

“I’m not sure. Doesn’t seem dangerous—if it were, evacuation orders would’ve been issued already.”

Some employees wandered with strange devices, while others handed out flyers to the crowd.

Spotting the basketball-playing boys, one employee approached them with a flyer, smiling kindly.

“There’s a dangerous object roaming around right now. If you see it, please contact the number listed here immediately.”

Curious, the elementary school-aged boys accepted the flyer and asked,

“What’s happening exactly?”

“A dangerous object has appeared, and we’re chasing it. It’s extremely hazardous, so if you spot it, stay far away and notify us immediately.”

The boy, skeptical, narrowed his eyes.

“If it’s that dangerous, shouldn’t an evacuation order have been issued already?”

“Hmm… Well, it’s dangerous, but not life-threatening. Also, the target moves too fast for an evacuation order to be feasible.”

The employee responded awkwardly to the boy’s pointed question.

“In any case, please report it if you see it!”

With that, the employee waved goodbye and hurried off.

Left with the crumpled flyer, the boys exchanged glances.

“What’s so dangerous about it?”

One boy angrily crumpled the flyer and kicked it away.

On the flyer, a cheerful image of the “Golden Reaper” was plastered alongside warnings.

[Ultra-dangerous Mental Pollution Entity Alert!]

[Do not approach within 10 meters of the subject upon discovery.]

[Immediately contact the number below upon sighting.]

“That ‘Golden Reaper’ is cute, though…”

The crumpled flyer floated away, bearing the happy-go-lucky smile of the Golden Reaper.

***

Guided by the Trinity Research Institute No. 1 director, the deputy director witnessed something truly astonishing.

The resurrection of the dead.

When human corpses were submerged in Evolution Liquid, their cells began regenerating. This reaction only occurred with human remains; animal corpses showed no such response.

“Truly remarkable.”

The deputy director couldn’t help but marvel.

On the monitor before him played footage of a traffic accident victim reviving within the liquid.

“Yes, remarkable indeed. But…”

The next video showcased numerous complications.

<5 out of 10 subjects failed to resurrect and dissolved completely.>

[Increased aggression in resurrected individuals.]

[Severe drop in intelligence.]

[Irrational hatred towards humans.]

[And irreversible grotesque physical deformities.]

“Remarkable, yet fraught with issues. Administering this liquid directly to humans without refinement—has the Director of Research Institute No. 3 lost his mind?”

The first director then showed the deputy director an old notebook, stating,

“The method for creating the Evolution Liquid is problematic too. It involves incomprehensible procedures and mysterious ingredients.”

Upon examining the notebook, the deputy director was utterly astonished.

“Is this real?”

Pages upon pages contained bizarre instructions.

[Cook frog legs dried for three days and baby-head flowers under the full moon in a pot.]

The convoluted recipe left the deputy director dumbfounded.

What complicated matters further was that this nonsensical formula actually worked.

“Mass production with such a ridiculous method is impossible. The yield is atrocious. Especially concerning is the use of ‘humans’ as ingredients.”

“Hmm, then we need to establish a modernized process. This will take considerable time.”

Sighing at the witchcraft-like recipe, the deputy director felt overwhelmed.

“Fortunately, the Director of Research Institute No. 3 also documented methods for mass production.”

With a meaningful smile, the first director handed over another notebook.

Encouraged to read, the deputy director skimmed through it.

It was the third director’s diary, filled with disorganized entries, yet containing noteworthy stories.

Stories about how objects like the Blue Moon were necessary for large-scale Evolution Liquid production.

Stories about the Gray Reaper posing significant obstacles.

Closing the diary, the deputy director remarked,

“With the Blue Moon and Red Moon losing their power, we either wait for another moon or experiment with alternative objects.”

As the deputy director pondered powerful, domain-specific objects, the first director interrupted.

“There’s no need to wait. We already have a moon object near us.”

“Are you referring to the Snowfield Moon? The diary mentions it’s no longer usable.”

“No, I’m talking about the Purple Moon.”

Shaking his head, the first director unfurled a map.

“Right here. There’s a hidden moon unknown to the public. From here, we can conquer the moon without interference from the Gray Reaper or anyone else.”

The place indicated on the map was a secluded village deep within Odaesan.

***

As the sun dipped low in the late afternoon, the weather grew cooler.

The crimson twilight signaled it was time to return to the isolation room.

Yerin had disappeared somewhere to finish pending tasks.

Above, countless Cloud Fish painted the reddening sky.

I’ve never seen this many Cloud Fish before.

Just as I stood up, news about Songpa District reached my ears.

“Reports indicate harmless Cloud Fish are swarming the skies above Songpa District.”

Helicopter footage showed everything—from Giant Cloud Whales to massive schools of Cloud Fish.

After watching the news and looking up, the blood-red Cloud Fish continued swimming across the sky.