Chapter 257

Late afternoon, the sun hasn’t set yet—Sehee Research Institute.

The courtyard of the research institute basked in the warm sunlight as researchers and mini reapers lounged around carelessly.

Researchers who had come to the courtyard for a quick break.

Mini reapers munching on snacks and emotions given by those researchers.

Peacefully as always, something strange was happening in the tranquil courtyard—a peculiar object was emerging from beneath the ground.

Anomalies occurring without discrimination, wherever humans were present.

It was the spontaneous generation of an object.

“?”

And there was a hungry ghost reaper closely observing that object.

Not a mini reaper.

Not even a subspecies of hungry ghost.

A harmful object? Unclear. Doesn’t seem like it either.

It was an object trying to pass itself off as a golden reaper, emitting faint mental pollution akin to the fake golden reaper created by the yellow moon.

But its weak mental pollution wasn’t enough to convincingly impersonate a golden reaper, and its appearance looked quite different from the real deal.

Waddling around like a ghost draped in cloth.

A pudding-like, squishy golden object.

Stretching out fluffy hands into the air, it craved attention from the researchers—but no one paid it any mind.

The hungry ghost reaper poked the object, which was about the size of a palmful of pudding, with a finger.

“Who are you?”

When the hungry ghost reaper probed it with intent, the golden object turned its head and replied through intent.

“I don’t know.”

Perhaps because it had just been born, it seemed completely unaware of what it was.

Moreover, its shape kept wavering unstably depending on the surrounding environment.

“?”

The hungry ghost reaper watched this sight curiously.

Unlike mini reapers, this object had no firewood in its heart.

And unlike objects in the mini reaper garden, it wasn’t under anyone’s control.

In most cases, these objects were harmful to humans to varying degrees—but this one didn’t emit even a hint of danger.

It was similar to the round-headed object that made the golden reaper’s sword of light.

That one had emitted a faintly harmful odor, which grew stronger over time.

“!”

As a researcher walked by with some snacks, the golden object stretched out its tiny hand to get their attention—but the researcher ignored it and walked away.

“Sad…”

The golden object slumped and melted like a black reaper, losing its form.

Was it because it remembered how its owner used to bring beautifully crafted desserts but then suddenly started rejecting them, screaming, “Ack! It’s Tantalus’ cooking!”?

Seeing the object yearn for human attention but never receiving any, the hungry ghost reaper felt an inexplicable urge to help.

Placing the melted golden object onto its palm, the hungry ghost reaper transmitted its intent.

“I’ll help you.”

First, its wobbly shape needed fixing.

At least, it should resemble a mini reaper.

The hungry ghost reaper fiddled with the object on its palm, helping it take on a shape similar to a mini reaper.

Using its refined swordsmanship and fiery flames to burn the object, the hungry ghost reaper helped reshape it.

Then, it took it to the magic mirror in the courtyard to show its new appearance.

“!”

Overjoyed at seeing its resemblance to a mini reaper, the golden object stared intently at the mirror.

It was nothing short of the birth of a golden hungry ghost reaper.

“It looks similar now!”

Watching the bashful smile of the golden hungry ghost reaper, the hungry ghost reaper smiled warmly.

Surprisingly, the newly reshaped golden hungry ghost reaper was quickly chosen by a certain researcher.

“If you need help, call out with intent. I’ll come to assist.”

Watching the golden hungry ghost reaper gradually move farther away from the courtyard, the hungry ghost reaper sent its intent.

The golden hungry ghost reaper happily waved at the hungry ghost reaper with a grateful expression.

It was a somewhat special day in the life of the hungry ghost reaper.

***

A man hid in a hotel room with the lights dimmed, smoking a cigarette while looking down at a street bustling with people.

Next to him leaned a purple reaper against the wall, smoking a shadow-made cigarette in an exaggerated and ostentatious manner, mimicking the man.

His posture was so exaggerated that it naturally made the man smirk slightly.

Reaching out his finger, the man ruffled the purple reaper’s head.

Trying to mimic the man’s half-smile upon seeing him smoke, the purple reaper stopped imitating when its head was rubbed and burst into giggles instead.

While carefully observing the streets, the man muttered to himself.

“Is this another wild goose chase?”

The person the man was searching for was someone who posted something on a social media platform.

He opened his phone and checked a particular SNS.

[The current government is connected to ‘the Organization’.]

[Whenever the temporary government of Southern Italy sees a ‘Selector’, they loudly attempt to kill them—not for maintaining order.]

[To prevent ‘Selectors’ from having legitimate jobs and drive them underground.]

[Ultimately, to recruit them into ‘the Organization’.]

It was an absurd story on SNS.

But one line caught the man’s attention.

[Have you ever seen a Selector enveloped in blue light before dying? That happens when a ‘Selector’ rejects ‘the Organization’.]

It almost sounded like a description of his younger sister’s death.

There was definitely something suspicious here.

Today, the man had discovered evidence that further reinforced his suspicion.

“Definitely fishy.”

There were unusually many members of ‘the Organization’ on the streets.

Since ‘the Organization’ operated anywhere without discrimination, their presence wasn’t odd—but the problem was the janitors roaming around.

There was definitely something going on.

Something important enough for the organization to send janitors.

“Staying here any longer would be dangerous. Better to retreat.”

If only the old man had relevant information.

After clearly memorizing the face of the association’s janitor ‘Penguin’, the man left the hotel room.

***

As the hour approached quitting time.

I had taken refuge in the deputy director’s office, evading the clinging golden reapers.

Realizing I wouldn’t throw anything at them, the golden reapers began shouting “Mommy is kind!” and stuck to me.

Even during this so-called ‘Kind Mom Week,’ it got too annoying, so I ended up running away.

With so many clinging to me, making proper movements impossible, the Kind Mom Week was at risk of ending prematurely.

Turning my head, Seoah sat in front of a monitor with a sprout reaper, intensely observing something.

The screen displayed footage sent by the spirit camera installed in the sleeping room.

Back when I was a researcher, the spirit camera might’ve seemed amazing, but now that I can see spirits directly, it doesn’t feel as impressive.

On the screen, the once-finger-sized mini sprout reaper had grown significantly, reaching nearly the height of a regular sprout reaper.

“What are they doing?”

The sprout reapers, whom I usually saw cuddled or playing, were doing something unusual.

The large sprout reaper held the mini sprout reaper under its arm and repeatedly pointed at someone with its finger.

The mini sprout reaper shook its head in refusal every time.

Tired of the repeated rejections, the large sprout reaper hugged the mini sprout reaper and lay down on a flowerpot.

It began squeezing the mini sprout reaper’s cheeks, puffing them up like glutinous rice cakes.

Seeing this, Seoah instinctively grabbed the sprout reaper perched on her shoulder and pulled its chubby cheek.

Suddenly overcome by the urge to try it myself, I approached Seoah and poked the sprout reaper’s cheek, which looked ready to burst.

If the sprout reaper were as big as the hungry ghost reaper, I’d want to bite those cheeks once.

Just then, something changed on the screen.

“Cock-cock.”

The mini sprout reaper began poking the large sprout reaper’s side with its finger.

As the large sprout reaper stood up, the mini sprout reaper pointed at a specific researcher with its small finger.

The large sprout reaper then emitted a soft bluish glow, gently swaying its leaves to catch the researcher’s attention.

Once the researcher looked at it, it plucked a fruit and offered it to the researcher.

As the researcher absentmindedly accepted the fruit, the mini sprout reaper climbed onto their shoulder.

“That’s how it works, huh?”

It was the night when Seoah and I understood the principle behind how sprout reapers spread.

***

The man walked slowly through a familiar back alley, carrying the purple reaper on his shoulder.

The path led to a quiet shop run by ‘the Old Man.’

Midway through his steady walk, the purple reaper suddenly jumped up in surprise on his shoulder.

Gripping his collar frantically with an urgent expression.

Sensing something was off, the man began sprinting quietly through the empty alley.

As he neared the old man’s shop, the smell of blood grew stronger.

“Blood.”

The ominous scent hardened the man’s expression as he drew his gun.

Upon arrival, the old man’s shop was in complete disarray.

The building looked as if it had been hit by a wrecking ball, with a gaping hole that made it seem ready to collapse.

Inside, the heavy stench of blood filled the air.

Walking cautiously through the torn opening, the man found the old man’s brutally murdered body.

The purple reaper immediately erupted in rage upon seeing the scene.

Its entire body turned pitch black with shadows that boiled like boiling water.

The old man’s corpse appeared crushed as if struck by a massive wrecking ball.

“The mark of ‘Wrecking Ball.’”

Evidence left by a selector wielding a building demolition wrecking ball.

Why would an organization member attack the old man?

While carefully scanning the area, the man noticed something unusual.

The old man’s right hand was bent unnaturally, with only the thumb folded inward, resembling the number 4.

The other hand extended only the index finger, representing the number 1.

41.

It resembled a cipher often used between the man and the old man.

Storage location 41.

He needed to check it.

The man closed the old man’s bulging eyes and stepped out of the ruined shop.

Emerging from the dust-covered building, he straightened his back and brushed off the dust from his black coat.

His azure eyes carried a sense of vigilance, his lips tightly shut.

From the darkness, the sound of metal rang out as a towering figure emerged into the lamplight.

“Gunman. You’re marked for disposal.”

The sharp-eyed ‘gunman’ gripping his gun.

The hulking ‘wrecking ball’ dragging its massive iron ball closer.

As their gazes met, the tension in the air grew palpable.