Chapter 210

A blue reaper draped in a golden shroud was perched atop the security room console, staring intently at the security room employee.

The employees were completely oblivious to the mental pollution caused by the golden shroud, not realizing it was actually a blue reaper.

They just thought, ‘That’s a slightly odd golden reaper,’ and moved on.

Hidden within the shroud, the blue reaper wore an expression of pure joy.

To think they could gaze so closely at their attached human!

Infiltrating all the way to the security room had been incredibly difficult—something they’d never want to repeat—but now, watching their attached human filled them with a sense that all their efforts had been worth it.

They had to avoid researchers cheerfully chatting as they strolled through Sehee Research Institute’s corridors.

And they had to evade cameras—the tools humans used to observe from afar.

Truthfully, avoiding those two things wasn’t too hard.

Cameras were fixed in place, and humans always gave off emotions, making it easy to notice them and hide in shadows ahead of time.

But dodging Mom’s gaze was another story entirely.

Even though the blue reaper looked like any ordinary golden reaper, whenever Mom saw them, she would stare as if something were amiss, making stealth nearly impossible.

Especially, getting caught by Mom had to be avoided at all costs.

If she discovered the golden shroud-wearing intruder in the security room, there’d definitely be trouble!

Thinking about Mom made the blue reaper suddenly anxious, glancing around nervously.

“Mom might be able to ghost through walls and pop out anywhere!”

But no face of Mom appeared anywhere.

Phew, what a relief.

Relaxing with a sigh, the blue reaper resumed staring up at the security room employee.

So happy.

Just being able to direct their gaze toward their attached human from this close proximity filled the blue reaper with immense happiness.

For the blue reaper, “gaze” was the most precious thing.

Most blue reapers chose security room employees as their attached humans because of the gaze—they could feel themselves being watched constantly through cameras.

Yet, despite loving gazes, blue reapers were embarrassingly shy objects when it came to giving or receiving them.

Right now, disguised as a golden reaper, they could only unilaterally bestow their gaze, but someday…

Someday, they imagined a blissful future where they could look deeply into each other’s eyes as their true selves.

But as the blue reaper daydreamed about this joyful future, a sinister gray hue flickered in the corner of the security room.

From a blind spot beyond the blue reaper’s vision, a grayish face abruptly burst forth from the wall.

It was the face of a gray reaper, laughing with a “Hehe.”

***

Under the flickering green torchlight, which seemed to mimic a monster licking its tongue, the shadow of a mutilated swallow danced grotesquely.

A girl stood motionless, staring at the swallow sliced into four pieces before raising her black sword high in awe.

“Amazing!”

Who knew labyrinth items could be this incredible?

To think the black sword from the first floor of the labyrinth could perform so well!

Instead of buying snacks, she should’ve invested in proper weapons earlier.

If first-floor weapons were this powerful, how amazing must deeper-level items be?

Though the labyrinth was rumored to be filled with terrifying monsters and bizarre traps, with gear like this, it felt doable.

“Could this be the famous ‘Ego Sword’ that attacks on its own?”

While the black reaper couldn’t understand her words, they keenly sensed her excitement, joy, anticipation, and hope.

Feeling bold enough to make noise without drawing suspicion, the black reaper let out a soft sound.

Pii—

“Wow, such a cute sound! You’re responding, aren’t you?”

A small, clear chirp, like that of a baby bird.

Already fond of the “black sword” as her first labyrinth item, hearing its voice made her like it even more.

An ego sword—it sounded so special to the young girl, who had already forgotten that she’d heard a similar sound outside the labyrinth earlier.

Her eyes sparkled as she admired the finely etched blade, absentmindedly running her finger along its edge.

But as her fingertip approached, the sharp blade curved inward, creating a hollow space to avoid her touch.

Startled back to reality, the girl exclaimed:

“You protected me from hurting myself? Thank you!”

She then affectionately stroked the sword’s surface as if petting an animal.

Pii—

The black reaper responded with a cheerful sound.

After enjoying plenty of skinship with her black sword, the girl marched forward with determination toward the labyrinth’s depths.

***

Torches burning with an unsettling green flame.

As the green light swayed with the wind, ominous shadows danced in the labyrinth’s corners.

From a cramped, hidden chamber on the labyrinth’s first floor came heavy breathing and shouts.

“Damn it!”

A man clad in metal armor, covered in dust, panted heavily, cursing under his breath.

Though experienced in navigating the labyrinth’s first floor, everything went haywire once the torches turned green.

Room signs changed to unfamiliar strings of characters.

Unseen monsters began appearing.

Though they brought ample food for emergencies, their map was now useless, leaving them clueless about how long they’d wander.

Worse still were the new monsters.

Swallows armed with blades.

Despite their confidence, the armored man’s party struggled against these tiny yet deadly creatures.

They looked weak but were fast and powerful, and their movements often escaped the group’s attention.

“!”

As a swallow darted toward him at lightning speed, the heavily armored man threw his shield aside and rolled across the floor.

Clang!

The metal shield was instantly cleaved in half, clattering onto the labyrinth’s floor.

“Hold it together! Focus! We just need one good hit!”

Though he tried to rally his comrades with hopeful words, despair was evident on their faces.

One teammate had already died, their armor split clean open.

These swallows were fast, agile, and clever enough to dodge slashes mid-flight.

Survival seemed impossible.

Their leader, the armored man, knew this too, muttering curses under his breath.

“Damn it!”

At this dire moment, one wall rippled and spat out a young girl.

Her presence clashed with the labyrinth’s eerie atmosphere.

She seemed carefree, as if she hadn’t encountered a single monster.

“Be careful!”

The armored man shouted a warning, but it proved unnecessary.

“Pfft!”

With an uninspired battle cry, the girl swung her sword awkwardly.

But the result was astonishing.

The black sword moved as if alive, slicing the swift swallow to pieces in an instant.

Too stunned to react, the man watched the bird’s remains scatter across the floor.

“Are you all okay?”

Hearing the cheerful voice of the girl, whose sunny demeanor didn’t match the labyrinth city, finally snapped him out of it.

To subdue such a fast and powerful enemy from a distance was far beyond what anyone expected from a small child.

It must’ve been the power of her pitch-black sword.

The intricate, exotic patterns engraved on the blade seemed even more extraordinary after witnessing its prowess.

“Such an incredible item. I’ve never heard of anything like it.”

The man’s gaze remained fixed on the black sword.

***

Once the fight ended, the people the girl met in the labyrinth quickly tidied up.

Guiding her to a corner under the pretense that the scene wasn’t suitable for children, they swiftly cleaned everything away.

Then, pulling dried firewood from their backpacks, they started a campfire.

“Is it safe to light a fire inside the labyrinth?”

Curious, the girl asked.

The tired but kind-faced man pointed upward.

Looking up, she saw smoke from the campfire being sucked into the ceiling.

“Wow, that’s cool.”

“Because of that, we can light fires in the labyrinth without worry.”

While the girl watched the growing flames, the men finished setting up camp with blankets spread across the floor.

The smell of delicious soup and warm comfort greeted them.

Approaching with friendly smiles, the men offered the girl a seat by the fire and some food.

“Good people!”

The dog meat man had warned her that everyone in the labyrinth was bad, but these people seemed genuinely kind.

With her empty stomach growling, the girl happily began eating the soup.

Just as they were about to settle down for sleep, the apparent leader gently inquired:

“That black sword, where did you get it?”

“Oh, this? I found it in the labyrinth.”

“Hmm, I see.”

Upon hearing this, the man flashed an unsettling smile, unnoticed by the girl who was already nodding off.

***

When the old campfire’s flames began to die down, the men who appeared asleep rose quietly and began whispering among themselves.

“What a shame. She looks like she’s in elementary school…”

A man in lightweight leather armor glanced at the girl with pity in his voice, though his eyes gleamed with greed.

“No backup, right?”

The leader asked in a low tone.

“Definitely none. Her clothes and equipment are mass-produced. Though nothing an average kid could easily afford.”

The sleazy-looking man licked his lips as he continued.

“But there are fools in town who help kids dragged here against their will, so maybe something like that.”

Their actions were practiced and efficient, betraying experience in such endeavors.

Drawing sharp blades, one of the men slowly advanced toward the sleeping girl.

Watching this, the black reaper emitted a low, mournful wail.

Peeeeeee—

A sound like a harbinger of death.