After taking a look at the Mini Reaper Garden for the first time in ages, I noticed that a new terrain had emerged within the garden.
Beyond the Marshmallow Plains and through the Stick Cookie Forest lay an expansive area.
Behold, the Black Sugar Desert!
In this newfound region, numerous Mini Reapers had gathered to revel in new snacks and adventures.
As I strolled around the Black Sugar Desert with a waddle-waddle, I stumbled upon a curious Golden Reaper.
This Golden Reaper was nibbling on the black sugar as if it were sand.
Perhaps it tasted better than expected, as the Golden Reaper’s mouth was covered in sugar, wearing an expression of pure bliss while munching away.
When the Golden Reaper spotted me, they hurried over and thrust the black sugar toward me.
“Mom! This black sugar is insanely delicious!”
Despite my urge to try it, I refused because it looked like dirt. In response, the Golden Reaper plopped down dejectedly and resumed eating the “dirt.”
“It’s so tasty it’s worth dying for…”
Strangely, even though I knew it was sugar, it felt like watching a child eat dirt.
Seeing their face smeared with sugar made me want to yell, “Don’t eat things like dirt!”
And the number of dirt-eating kids could only grow.
If any Mini Reaper wandered the Black Sugar Desert, they’d inevitably spot another Mini Reaper devouring the sand.
“?”
Curiosity would get the best of them as they watched someone happily scarf down what looked like dirt.
Before long, curiosity would lead them to mimic the behavior.
Even I couldn’t help but wonder, “Why does it taste so good? Maybe I should try a bite?” But as a mom, I maintained my dignity and resisted.
Thankfully, not all Mini Reapers were indulging in dirt-eating. Those who weren’t were sampling new snacks scattered across the desert.
Gem-like transparent treats, cold as ice—Ice Candy Spiders.
Violet candy dolls crafted from purple sweets.
These snacks seemed inspired by the Labyrinth.
Most Mini Reapers swarmed around the Ice Spiders, tearing into them with satisfied grins, though the Red Reaper looked somewhat glum while eating theirs.
Curious about their sadness despite enjoying the snack, I approached the Red Reaper and asked,
“Why so down?”
The Red Reaper held up the ice treat they were eating and breathed fire onto it. Naturally, the ice melted instantly, leaving sticky residue all over their hands.
“It’s not cooked!”
With a disappointed face, the Red Reaper muttered something strange.
Had they been trying to cook the ice?
Not knowing how to console them, I gently patted their head.
After parting ways with the Red Reaper, I continued wandering the desert, feeling the sugary sand beneath my feet when I spotted someone looking unusually relaxed in a corner.
Normally, they’d be getting eaten daily, but perhaps due to the influx of new snacks, the Hungry Ghost was lounging comfortably.
Their calm, leisurely expression was oddly inviting.
For some reason, seeing a happy Hungry Ghost makes you want to bother them.
So I returned to the sulking Red Reaper and whispered the location of the easily-cooked Hungry Ghost.
Hehe.
Sehee Research Institute backyard.
Yerin reclined against the Grey Reaper, using their knee as a pillow while basking in the warm sunlight, her expression serene.
With the disappearance of the Black Reapers after more than a week, the Grey Reaper wore a look of relief.
Yerin snapped a photo of the Grey Reaper, who appeared peaceful with their eyes closed under the gentle sunlight and flickering shadows of leaves.
A perfect capture of the Grey Reaper’s moment of happiness amidst the dappled light and shade.
“Better save this one.”
As Yerin transferred the photo to her archive folder, she reviewed other saved pictures.
Something odd caught her attention.
It wasn’t noticeable when flipping through quickly, but closer inspection revealed changes.
Especially comparing the Grey Reaper’s first arrival photo to today’s—it was clear.
The Reaper has gotten a little chubbier!
Their cheeks seemed rounder and cuter.
While older photos showed little change, recent ones indicated a slight plumpness.
A subtle transformation most people might miss, but it shocked Yerin deeply.
How had she just noticed now?!
Every night, Yerin secretly photographed the sleeping Grey Reaper’s palm prints and measured their soft belly fat, so this revelation hit hard.
Thinking it unlikely to be from eating, Yerin began flipping through the album, convinced there must have been a trigger.
[The situation in Russia’s Siberia is worsening.]
[Russia announces it will abandon reclaiming Siberia entirely.]
While Yerin rummaged through the album, the mini TV played updates about ongoing issues in Russia.
A peaceful day at Sehee Research Institute.
As twilight descended upon the backyard of Sehee Research Institute,
Yerin, who had earlier thrown a tantrum demanding to weigh herself, had already gone home, leaving the yard quiet.
I stared intently at the Halo, bracing myself.
“It’ll hurt…”
But for the sake of my dreams and aspirations, it was a necessary pain.
I placed the Halo obtained from the Labyrinth atop my head.
The familiar yet unbearable agony surged through me once again.
It felt like my entire body was set aflame, cracks spreading like shattered glass.
No matter how tough the opponent, I never wanted to use the Halo unless absolutely necessary—it was that painful.
Gritting my teeth, I endured the pain while envisioning my desired fantasy in my mind.
Slowly, the fantasy began consuming reality, pulling it into its domain.
After what felt like an eternity but was merely ten seconds, the fantasy solidified, and I tossed the Halo aside.
“Done!”
Beaming like a Golden Reaper, I raised my arms triumphantly.
Bathed in the fading sunlight, the object I created cast a massive shadow.
As dusk submerged the horizon, my creation gradually revealed itself.
A colossal glowing object radiating a soft green luminescence in the darkness!
A life-sized, naturally depicted…
Glow-in-the-dark Tyrannosaurus!
I climbed onto the back of the Glow-in-the-Dark Dinosaur and started touring the perimeter of Sehee Research Institute.
Though headlines like “Grey Reaper Rides Glow-in-the-Dark Dinosaur!” might emerge, I paid them no mind.
After all, I had a fully autonomous, self-propelled Glow-in-the-Dark T-Rex at my disposal!
Hehe.
Indeed, enduring the pain was worth having a Glow-in-the-Dark Dinosaur.
*
The illegal research facility where the Golden Reaper was kidnapped.
As the woman pondered feeding the Golden Reaper and planning future actions, a loud noise reached her ears.
The relentless pounding on the door, almost breaking it down, forced the woman who had abducted the Golden Reaper to reluctantly let in her accomplices.
As these men carelessly touched items in the room, they barked harshly at her.
“Why do you take so long to open the door? We’re partners, you know. You should open faster.”
“Do you think this is the only research facility we manage? Next time, open quicker. Got it?”
With swaggering confidence, the two men entered and grinned unpleasantly upon spotting the Golden Reaper inside the transparent reinforced glass isolation chamber.
“What? You really caught a Golden Reaper?”
Thrilled, the man laughed while playfully punching the woman on the shoulder.
The Golden Reaper frowned slightly at the sight.
“Harmful humans?”
From the Golden Reaper’s perspective, these men harbored no murderous intent toward their attached human.
“The attached human dislikes this.”
Though tempted to step out of the glass chamber and comfort the attached human, the Golden Reaper refrained, respecting the attached human’s wishes to remain.
While the Golden Reaper weighed the lives of these men against the mood of the attached human, one of the men approached the isolation chamber and said something the woman wanted to hear.
“Just keep it isolated properly. We can set up another research facility with this. Golden Reapers are quite popular, you know.”
“Really?”
As the man left the room slowly, the attached human was visibly delighted.
However, the Golden Reaper couldn’t share in their joy upon sensing overwhelming harmful emotions emanating from the man.
Traces of endless hatred and hostility toward humanity clung to him.
“The attached human is in danger!”
At that moment, the Golden Reaper slipped out of the isolation chamber via ghosting and began trailing the men with a waddle-waddle.
“Hey, where did it go?”
Though the voice of the saddened attached human reached the Golden Reaper, they pressed on, stepping outside.
