Chapter 159

It was a sea of fog so thick you could mistake it for clouds descending from the heavens.

Amidst this dense fog, the Black Agent and the Blonde Girl were making their way through.

However, it wasn’t as dangerous as the Black Agent had anticipated.

In fact, since entering Odaesan, it felt safer than Seoul.

No threatening Objects were in sight, and the occasional Objects spotted were merely the adorable Cloud Fish swimming through the fog.

Right now, Cloud Fish were rubbing against the Blonde Girl’s cheeks, cooing affectionately.

“Uncle, there are so many Cloud Fish.”

At this moment, a Cloud Fish was lying on the girl’s palm with its eyes closed as if sleeping.

The girl seemed delighted, her expression bright as she played with the Cloud Fish.

“This is strange. Cloud Fish aren’t usually Objects that linger on the ground like this.”

The Black Agent also noticed something odd.

Despite being in a mountain shrouded in fog where one couldn’t see a foot ahead, he didn’t feel much anxiety.

It was as if the Cloud Fish were guiding them along the path.

Truthfully, the fog here was so thick that terrain markers were barely visible, and the compass spun wildly without pointing in any fixed direction.

Given this situation, the Black Agent had long since given up on navigation, stuffing his map and compass back into his pocket.

Though there was a trail-like path, they couldn’t be sure if they were truly heading in the right direction.

Hours passed as they wandered through the foggy forest with the Cloud Fish, until a massive staircase made of sturdy stone blocks appeared before the Black Agent and the Blonde Girl.

As they ascended the staircase, which seemed to pierce through the clouds and reach the heavens, the fog began to glow brighter.

When the Black Agent saw the light, which was too bright to be moonlight, he turned his head worriedly to glance at the Blonde Girl.

But the girl simply smiled and shook her head.

“It’s not sunlight.”

As they climbed higher, the fog grew thinner, and with each step, the light coming from above became stronger.

Upon reaching the last step, the fog parted dramatically like a theater curtain, revealing a grand scene.

There, surrounded by swirling walls of fog, stood an ancient village.

A village hidden under layers of mystery, unknown even until the Yellow Detective revealed its existence.

Above the village sky hung a giant moon, casting a soft orange glow in place of the sun.

Over the village skies, various kinds of Cloud Fish swam gracefully.

Translucent Cloud Jellyfish with trailing tentacles, majestic Cloud Whales, and countless other unnamed fish-shaped Cloud Fish decorated the skies, creating a surreal landscape.

It was like a city of mermaids submerged in a white ocean.

“Wow! It’s amazing!”

The Blonde Girl exclaimed, her eyes wide with wonder and excitement.

Her crimson irises sparkled in the orange moonlight, radiating boundless curiosity.

“Indeed.”

The Black Agent replied, standing beside the Blonde Girl.

His voice was calm and measured, but a tone of awe could still be detected.

While guarding the excited girl protectively, the Black Agent couldn’t tear his gaze away from the tranquil village and the beautiful flow of Cloud Fish above.

***

Under the warm sunlight, the Courtyard of Sehee Research Institute basked in peaceful tranquility.

In the courtyard stood a newly constructed structure.

A Colosseum built entirely out of Marshmallow Bricks.

On one side of the arena, numerous Golden Reapers, Black Reapers, and Blue Reapers sat together in the audience seats.

At the center of the audience area burned an eternal Sugar Flamingo fire, roasting countless marshmallows skewered on sticks.

Hih-hih!

These were White Hungry Ghosts shrunk down to Mini Reaper size.

And at the center of the Colosseum, a battle of the ages was taking place.

The prize? 100 Gray Reaper Puddings!

On the opposite side of the audience seats, a mountainous pile of 100 large puddings awaited the winner.

“Kraaaang!”

A towering Gray Reaper Golem made entirely of water bellowed.

Kung-kung.

Opposite the heavy-footed Gray Reaper Golem stood a Giant Black Reaper formed from individual Black Reapers fusing together into a colossal mass.

[The World’s Strongest Mom Golem Punch!]

[Golem Punch!]

As blue strings illuminated the sky, the Golem swung its massive fist.

Pwoooong!

A sound akin to waves crashing against a breakwater echoed as the Giant Black Reaper staggered.

The shockwave, filled with moisture, swept across the area, causing the Golden Reapers to cheer while munching on White Hungry Ghosts.

I lay in the designated “Mom’s Seat,” enjoying the spectacle filled with joy.

The origin of this event was surprisingly simple.

While watching TV, a Golden Reaper accidentally came across a boxing match.

What started as a casual interest among the Golden Reapers quickly escalated into a full-scale tournament involving all the Reapers.

The match seemed to be nearing its end.

Initially, the Giant Black Reaper, immune to physical attacks, appeared to have the upper hand. But as the fight dragged on, its movements began to falter.

After receiving multiple punches from the steadily defending Golem, the Giant Black Reaper’s coordination started to break apart.

[The World’s Kindest Mom Golem Uppercut!]

[Golem Uppercut!]

Dodging the Giant Black Reaper’s sluggish straight punch and delivering a powerful uppercut!

That was the finishing blow.

Unable to maintain cohesion, the Giant Black Reaper disintegrated like a collapsing toy, scattering across the floor.

The referee, a Golden Reaper, raised a blue flag declaring victory for the Blue Reapers.

Cheers and excited hopping sounds erupted throughout the Colosseum from the Golden Reapers.

The victorious Blue Reapers, hats pulled low, hid in the pudding mountain to lift the trophy, while the defeated Black Reapers laughed and clapped, finding the whole ordeal entertaining.

It was a wholesome game enjoyed equally by winners and losers alike.

“No way! My lunch money!”

The only ones looking glum were some employees of the Sehee Research Institute who had placed bets on the match from afar.

Yerin, seemingly uninterested in betting or winning, busily snapped photos of the Mini Reapers.

She then thrust a photo towards me.

“Hey Reaper, what do you think of this? A rare smile!”

The photo Yerin showed featured a Blue Reaper grinning widely with round eyes.

It was indeed a rare shot.

***

A man clad in a hazmat suit was sprinting madly down the mountain path.

Although he should have exited the fog zone long ago, no matter how far he ran, the fog never ended.

Out of a team that moved in units of ten, only two comrades remained running alongside him.

“Haa… haa…”

Breathing through the filter-equipped hazmat suit was incredibly difficult.

It felt as though someone was covering his mouth, preventing him from breathing.

But removing the suit wasn’t an option.

Those who did were torn apart by unseen forces.

This mission, supposedly one of the safest among those involving Objects, proved otherwise.

Everything was fine until they arrived via helicopter and walked around. No hostile Objects were seen; only harmless Cloud Fish floated about.

But the moment they installed the Evolution Liquid, the peaceful atmosphere vanished.

The gentle fog transformed into dark storm clouds, thunder rumbling ominously.

Cute Cloud Fish morphed into piranha-like creatures with sharp teeth, and Cloud Whales were replaced by ferocious Cloud Sharks.

[Stop! Stop!]

Through his helmet communicator, he heard a comrade’s frantic voice.

Turning his head, he saw his companion struggling to rip off his helmet, gasping for air.

No one stopped to help him, only shouting warnings as they ran for survival.

Crunch.

Sometime later, the sound of a skull cracking reached his ears.

It must have been the helmet-less comrade.

But salvation seemed near as white light pierced through the fog.

[We’re saved!]

He sent a jubilant message over the radio, but there was no response.

Looking to his side, his comrade’s helmet was filled with blood, red Cloud Piranhas feasting on the flesh inside.

Chunks of minced meat oozed out from small tears in the hazmat suit.

The lifeless body collapsed.

But the man clenched his teeth and dashed out of the fog.

He lived!

Emerging triumphantly, he found himself in hell.

The landing pad in the open lot was shattered, littered with bloodied corpses.

Above them, blood-stained Cloud Sharks circled menacingly.

“Why did I ever think stepping out of the fog would make me safe?”

With those final thoughts, the man watched as a giant shark lunged toward him, jaws wide open.

***

For the Colosseum after-party, all sorts of snacks were delivered to the courtyard of Sehee Research Institute.

Plenty of pudding, jelly, cookies, macarons, and other sweet treats were laid out.

Omnomnom.

As numerous snacks were spread across the mats, Mini Reapers happily scattered in all directions to feast.

The joyful Mini Reaper party was observed fondly by people gathered around.

Blue Reapers, although appearing ready to flee, stayed put under their caps in a corner.

They seemed reluctant to leave due to being the ‘Colosseum Champions.’

The warm sunlight, delicious snacks, and happy Mini Reapers painted a serene afternoon at Sehee Research Institute.

However, this perfect afternoon was shattered by unexpected chaos.

A fierce gust of wind swept through the tranquil scenery, heralding an impending storm.

The brilliant sun was gradually obscured by ominous clouds, casting a sinister shadow over the surroundings.

The wind stirred by the circling Cloud Fish scattered the snacks everywhere.

Even the playful Mini Reapers grew serious, gazing upward at the sky.

They seemed to react to the faint smell of oil mixed in the wind.

It was the return of the foul odor they thought they’d left behind after destroying the Third Lab.

The Black Reapers reacted more intensely, baring their sharp teeth and gnashing them as if ready to devour something.

Then, a massive silhouette began to emerge from the swirling cloud above.

Slowly, like a balloon deflating, a colossal Cloud Whale descended silently, composed entirely of white clouds.

Its sheer size dwarfed the entire Sehee Research Institute, casting a deep shadow over everything.

Whoosh.

Made of clouds, it produced no collision sound, but the displacement of air and slight tremors conveyed its immense presence.

As if serving as a harbinger, the enormous Cloud Whale engulfed Sehee Research Institute.