Chapter 206

An old man was slowly walking down the corridor of the research institute, tapping his cane rhythmically.

Behind the old man trailed a group of men dressed in suits, each wearing the badge of the Object Association.

The Object Association’s president, Oh Muryong, had suddenly appeared at Sehee Research Institute.

Yerin looked at the association president who arrived with an entourage and whispered to Sehee in a small voice.

“Unnie Sehee, what do you think is going on?”

“Hmm… I’m not sure. Could it have something to do with all those Golden Reapers appearing in Mapo District?”

Even optimistic Sehee wore a slightly worried expression today.

With the appearance of snack pinwheels in Mapo District and Golden Reapers spreading mental pollution everywhere, there was certainly reason for concern.

When Sehee and her team greeted Oh Muryong, he ignored them completely, walking past without so much as a glance.

As Sehee looked confused by Oh Muryong’s rudeness, a secretary from the association approached her.

“Hello, Director Lee Sehee of the Research Institute.”

After exchanging polite greetings and handing over a business card, the man began talking—about matters related to Mapo District and the Golden Reapers.

Though these were expected topics, something felt off.

Normally, such incidents would result in an official notice requiring attendance at the association to explain oneself.

Or, if it were serious enough, a search and seizure might even be conducted.

But this secretary wasn’t here to assign blame—he seemed to be offering compliments instead.

It felt like he was just dragging out time with meaningless chatter.

Meanwhile, President Oh Muryong stood apart, pretending none of this was his concern, idly admiring the courtyard.

Why did he come here in person if all he planned to do was ignore everything?

If he’d come just to see the cute Mini Reapers, that would make sense—but their usually affectionate Mini Reapers were acting unusually aggressive today, suggesting otherwise.

What could their real purpose be?

After observing the courtyard for some time, Oh Muryong struck his cane against the marble floor with a loud sound and began to turn around.

“Director Lee Sehee, thank you for your cooperation despite the sudden visit.”

The secretary, who had been rambling about taxes and funding, quickly wrapped up his speech when Oh Muryong started moving, hurrying to follow behind him.

What exactly happened here?

Sehee turned her gaze toward the courtyard where Oh Muryong had been looking but only saw Mini Reapers happily wandering around.

***

Back in the car after leaving Sehee Research Institute, Oh Muryong sat quietly, leaning on his cane with closed eyes.

“Hmm…”

He let out a low hum.

Seeing this, the secretary cautiously asked, “Did you find what you were looking for?”

Oh Muryong slowly opened his eyes, pulled out a rocket pendant, and gazed at it while speaking.

“I don’t know… But let’s prepare anyway.”

“Yes, understood,” the secretary replied, bowing deeply.

Inside the pendant was a cheerful photo of a blonde girl smiling brightly.

***

Tink-tink.

I wandered through the Mini Reaper Garden, searching for something while pretending to play.

My target: The Yellow Reaper.

But finding it proved harder than expected.

I should’ve captured it right away when I first spotted it during its theatrical performance…

Now, with so many mini reapers dressed in doll outfits roaming around, locating it became nearly impossible.

There was no way I could check each one individually.

While aimlessly strolling through the garden, I stumbled upon a curious group of Golden Reapers.

A mix of button-eyed Golden Reapers and real ones were playing together.

Tink-tink.

The Golden Reapers, including those with button eyes, walked slowly across the marshmallow field, holding hands tightly.

They giggled as they stared into each other’s faces, clearly enjoying themselves.

Their pace gradually quickened until they burst into a sprint, raising their arms high in excitement.

Both the button-eyed Golden Reaper and the real ones moved identically, blending seamlessly.

From afar, it almost looked like the Golden Reaper itself was wearing a doll costume.

This confirmed my suspicion: ‘The Yellow Reaper must be inside that button-eyed Golden Reaper, lost in its role-playing!’

Approaching carefully, I grabbed the button-eyed Golden Reaper, which immediately greeted me with wide-open arms, exclaiming, “Mommy!”

Such genuine Golden Reaper behavior!

Smirking mischievously, I unzipped its back.

This was my prank to reveal its true form.

Since it likely possessed transformation abilities, I figured it might take several attempts to strip off the costume—but its powers couldn’t be infinite.

Eventually, its true identity would show.

Hehe.

As I laughed, I pulled the mini reaper out of the doll suit—but things didn’t go as planned.

Instead of resisting or continuing to hide under layers of costumes, the Yellow Reaper emerged without struggle, giving me an awkward smile.

Its demeanor radiated unfamiliarity with smiling.

“Mommy…”

Unlike other Mini Reapers, this one had dark circles under its sunken eyes and hunched posture.

Its lifeless black pupils stared at me without emitting any light.

An eerie aura surrounded this peculiar Mini Reaper.

Its unwavering gaze lingered on my face.

Hiding my failed prank, I projected determination toward the Yellow Reaper.

“Just wanted to see your face. You can put the costume back on now.”

In response, the Yellow Reaper placed its hands together in front of its mouth, giggled softly, then vanished in a puff of smoke, instantly reappearing fully clothed in a Gray Reaper costume.

Its yellow button eyes glared mischievously.

Its gray fabric skin seemed irritated.

Next, it created numerous tiny Reaper costumes, marching away like a mother duck leading a trail of ducklings.

Watching this reminded me of myself, making me chuckle.

Still, I couldn’t end things here—I needed another prank.

I stared meaningfully at the retreating Yellow Reaper.

***

Stepping into the courtyard to brainstorm new pranks, I noticed Black Reaper and the Golden Reapers staring blankly at the sky.

“What are you doing?”

When I approached the Mini Reapers, they kept their gazes fixed upward and responded.

“Waiting!”

“Cloud Fish!”

“New Adventure!”

Judging by their emotions and words, they were waiting for cloud fish to embark on a new adventure.

Perhaps inspired by the story of the First Sword and its attached human, these attachment-less Mini Reapers seemed eager to start their own journey.

Looking at the Mini Reapers preparing to scatter nationwide, memories from my previous life working at the lab surfaced.

“Is letting them do this really okay?”

Though it felt like aiding the spread of objects, nothing bad seemed likely to happen—they’d help people like the First Sword.

Rather, imagine them as guardian angels spreading throughout the country.

Soon, the Mini Reapers waved enthusiastically as they dispersed in all directions aboard cloud fish.

“Mommy!”

I waved back at their joyful smiles.

***

Riding a cloud fish beneath the blazing sun, the Black Reaper peered downward.

Its fellow Mini Reapers had already scattered in every direction.

Continuously transmitting its will to the cloud fish—”Go further!”—it eventually reached land far beyond the chocolate-like ocean.

Lonely yet distinct, this island emitted a powerful aura of Bad Objects detectable even from above.

And amidst it roamed countless humans brimming with emotion.

A perfect land for adventure.

Just as the Black Reaper anticipated its grand journey, a crimson flash illuminated the sky.

The red lightning obliterated anything attempting entry onto the island.

The cloud fish disintegrated upon contact, but the resilient Black Reaper remained unscathed.

“Beep!”

Without wings, the Black Reaper yelped in surprise as it plummeted from the sky.

“Crash!”

Colliding violently, the Black Reaper smashed into a flowerpot, embedding itself within.

Buried up to its chest in soil, it immediately fretted.

“Will the human dislike me for breaking their stuff?”

Sure enough, a cry of despair reached its ears.

“No!”

Though incomprehensible, the emotional weight was clear.

Something precious had shattered.

When the human lifted it from the dirt, the Black Reaper smiled innocently, hoping for forgiveness.

“What… What is this?”

Facing the bewildered woman, the Black Reaper sensed her significance.

“This is my Attached Human!”

But her reaction differed.

“Ahhh! It’s an object!”

Panicking, the woman tossed the Black Reaper outside.

“Beep!”

Heartbroken, the Black Reaper flew away, emitting pitiful cries.