Chapter 269

The sound of cold raindrops hitting the concrete floor filled the dark alley.

Silver-haired girl, ‘Cheong,’ was running hard while looking at the backs of her companions ahead.

They had received a request from a client to transport an important cargo. They were diligently carrying it as part of their mission for the Free City Alliance, a lawless zone untouched by the three ruling families.

Ordinarily, they would have used a vehicle for such a delivery, but this time the route was too narrow and riddled with spider web-like passages to allow one.

Haa… Haa…

Running with a mask on was far more difficult than Cheong had anticipated.

Moreover, the rain made her feel like she was about to collapse.

In her slightly dazed state, she noticed something nostalgic in the distance.

The shape of the raindrops hitting the ground.

The blurred figures of her comrades carrying heavy bags in the downpour.

The icy, unpleasant feeling of the rain sticking to her body like glue.

I used to love the rain…

Back then, I enjoyed the scent of wet earth and the unique atmosphere that came with rainy days.

But the rain in this city couldn’t be liked at all.

Cold and oily-smelling raindrops. The composition of this city’s rain was mostly not water, and it felt unnaturally frigid—like some kind of coolant for the massive machine that was this city.

“My body feels so heavy…”

Of course, the rainwater was harmful to pure humans, so Cheong wore fully waterproof gear. But the high-performance clothing weighed heavily on her small frame.

Haa… Haa…

The girl’s breathing through her thick-filtered mask became increasingly coarse.

“We’re almost there after this block!”

A man’s voice snapped Cheong back to reality.

“Are you okay?”

The woman running beside her asked worriedly, referring to whether Cheong could handle opening the security wall as planned.

It was an old relic from when the cities weren’t yet united, still sturdy enough to remain standing in many places.

There was a way around it, but going through the wall was much quicker.

“I can do it.”

Despite struggling to breathe, Cheong replied with determination.

At that moment, the man shouted loudly, raising his shield.

“Stop!”

He formed a defensive wall with two large shields and gripped a heavy weapon in another hand, scanning the surroundings.

Faint red glowing eyes flickered ominously in the shadows of the dark alley.

“Damn! Scavengers!”

Hyenas of the lawless zone began encircling them, their movements resembling sharks drawn by the smell of blood.

***

Always warm and peaceful, the Isolation Room of Sehee Research Institute.

Lying diagonally on my bed, I was playing with a Golden Reaper.

With the Golden Reaper perched on my stomach, I wiggled my fingers like piano keys. In response, the Golden Reaper threw boxing punches in perfect form.

Swish-swish!

Dodging and jabbing, its movements were incredibly lifelike, making it look just like a professional boxer.

‘Golden Reapers sure are good at sports.’

As I played with the Golden Reaper, an interesting news report started airing on TV.

[According to the Korean Object Association, a significant amount of ‘Golden Horns’ has been smuggled into China.]

[These horns seem to have ended up in the infamous ‘Free City Alliance,’ a notorious lawless area within China.]

[This region remains beyond the control of Chinese authorities, serving as a hideout for criminals, complicating any investigation.]

[The Korean Object Association is working closely with the Chinese association to track the culprits, though no clear progress has been made.]

The Free City Alliance…

Though famous, it was a place I’d never visited. While China had handled the Object Crisis well compared to countries like the US or Japan, stories called it a “mysterious wonderland.”

While lost in thought, the Golden Reaper looked up at me pitifully, trying to lift my finger despite its apparent weakness.

‘Sure, let’s play a bit more.’

As I moved my fingers again, the boxing Golden Reaper eagerly resumed throwing punches.

***

The Mini Reaper Garden, Marshmallow Plains.

After playing with the Golden Reaper, I strolled through the Mini Reaper Garden.

Numerous four-legged Golden Reapers wandering around and Orange Reapers floating like clouds evoked the feeling of an African savanna.

Watching the leisurely Orange Reapers, I suddenly remembered it had been quite a while since I last pulled a prank on them.

Thinking back, it had been since the incident with the Red Reaper Doll outfit. Plus, Orange Reapers were always so gentle—they never retaliated even when teased.

My brilliant mind quickly devised a plan involving the Orange Reapers and the Golden Reaper’s Ice Palace.

Hehe.

The prank was simple: Convince the Orange Reapers to help destroy the Ice Palace, then secretly betray them and tattle to the Golden Reaper.

Grinning mischievously, I began gathering the Orange Reapers.

***

The situation was dire.

No one knew why so many Scavengers had gathered here.

Their numbers far exceeded what the group of three could handle.

‘What are they after?’

The cargo? A few medicines and ammo wouldn’t justify such an attack.

Cheong tried firing her small pistol, but aiming in the dark rain was nearly impossible. Even if she hit them, their steel-like object skin would render the shots useless.

“There are too many!”

The rifle-wielding woman cried out in despair, her precise shots barely denting the endless tide of enemies.

The monstrous man with four arms—two shields and two heavy weapons—was already injured, one arm hanging uselessly after being pierced.

His best efforts couldn’t pierce the darkness and rain for accurate shots.

Suddenly, bright flames streaked through the night.

A shrill whistle accompanied a homemade grenade flying toward the group.

“Damn! Watch out!”

The man’s desperate yell echoed as he tackled the others to safety.

The explosion shook the ground violently.

Gradually regaining consciousness amidst the dust, Cheong felt dizzy and nauseous but relatively unharmed.

Gurgle…

The man, clearly critically injured, coughed up blood profusely.

The woman lay motionless over Cheong, either unconscious or worse.

Thud-thud.

The Scavenger footsteps grew closer.

Clutching a spare shotgun from the man’s bag, Cheong braced herself.

‘Too heavy.’

Without superhuman strength, she wouldn’t be able to properly aim or control the recoil.

Her shoulder bone would likely shatter upon firing, and she’d drop the gun.

Still, she couldn’t give up.

“Hoo…”

Taking a deep breath, Cheong steadied the weapon.

Through the fading dust, she spotted a strange white fur ball resembling a cloud.

For some reason, seeing it calmed her nerves as she pulled the trigger.

BOOM!

The shotgun flew off into the air with a thunderous roar.

Surprisingly, her shoulder remained intact—a sign she hadn’t properly braced it, meaning the first shot likely missed.

Yet, an unbelievable miracle unfolded.

The scattered pellets struck the Scavengers’ vital points with uncanny precision.

It was like magic!

Even stranger, the dropped shotgun malfunctioned upon hitting the ground, firing again mid-air.

The second volley also found its mark, killing more Scavengers.

Cheong could only stare in shock as the flying shotgun continued mowing down enemies in absurd fashion.