Chapter 288

At late night, far from Sehee Research Institute, the fairground was beginning to burst into grand fireworks.

From afar, the small sounds of fireworks echoed as the lights adorned one corner of the sky, gently illuminating the research institute.

Most employees should have gone home by this time, but a crowd had gathered in the backyard of the institute, enjoying drinks and food while spending their time together.

It was almost like a company dinner party.

The reason for all this? None other than the mini reapers.

For some reason, today the mini reapers were preventing their attached humans from leaving the institute.

It was an ordinary day until quitting time approached, and then chaos erupted at Sehee Research Institute.

Some golden reapers clung tightly to trouser hems, others collapsed on the floor and were dragged along, refusing to let go.

Blue reapers hid in corners, pelting security team members who were resting in shifts with water droplets like they were having snowball fights.

Black reapers used immense strength to anchor their feet firmly to the ground, making movement impossible.

And whenever someone tried to descend the stairs, sprout reapers would insistently pull them back to their original spot.

In a normal research facility, one might shout, “Finally, the mini reapers are showing their true colors!”

But Sehee Research Institute wasn’t normal.

Initially, the researchers had intended to head home, but as these events unfolded, doubts crept into their minds.

“Could something be happening?”

“Are there dangerous objects lurking outside?”

Since mini reapers possessed unparalleled skills in detecting objects, such thoughts began to form.

And what sealed these worries was Director Lee Sehee of the Research Institute, who recently disappeared without clocking out.

“Today is a festival! A party!”

With those words, the celebration commenced.

Researchers enjoyed barbecues and beer in the spacious and well-decorated backyard while watching the fair’s fireworks. Mini reapers buzzed around their attached humans like tiny satellites.

Caught up in the festive mood, many researchers played with their attached reapers, their faces slightly flushed from drinking.

Nom nom.

A certain golden reaper nibbling on chocolate became curious about the golden liquid one researcher was drinking.

Though usually disinterested in alcohol due to its unpleasant smell, the golden reaper’s growing attachment to its human sparked interest in the beer.

“Do you want to try it?”

Ordinarily, researchers hesitated to give alcohol to golden reapers, perceiving them as childlike beings.

However, one brave researcher poured a little beer into a tiny golden reaper cup.

Others watched nervously, wondering if giving alcohol to a golden reaper was appropriate.

But this researcher justified it with, “Golden reapers aren’t technically human anyway!” and handed over the beer.

The golden reaper stared suspiciously at the foamy drink before tentatively licking the surface with its tongue.

After tasting it, the reaper tilted its head, frowned slightly, and downed it all in one gulp.

Bleh.

The golden reaper stuck out its tongue as if it tasted something awful.

Then, as if questioning why anyone would drink such a thing, it playfully slapped the researcher’s cheek.

After a brief moment of throwing punches, the reaper seemed to lose interest and leapt back onto the table.

But losing balance, it slipped with a ‘clonk’ and fell over.

Hehe.

The fallen golden reaper giggled awkwardly.

“Our golden reaper is drunk?”

The researcher poked the soft cheeks of the wobbly golden reaper.

The golden reaper responded by laughing and lightly nipping the researcher’s finger with a playful ‘ang.’

Already affectionate, the golden reaper grew even more playful after consuming alcohol, frequently giggling and biting.

Seeing this, other researchers started offering beer to their own attached reapers.

This peaceful daily life at Sehee Research Institute didn’t last long.

Suddenly, all mini reapers stood up and looked toward the sky.

Even the drunken golden reapers emitted golden flames from their bodies, instantly sobering up, and turned their heads towards the direction of their mom.

“Humans are in danger!”

“Mom is calling us!”

As if receiving signals, the mini reapers raised their antennae and scattered in all directions.

Only a few stayed behind to guard the institute while most disappeared somewhere.

“I kind of expected this.”

A researcher stared at the empty palm where a golden reaper had waved goodbye moments ago, muttering softly.

His voice echoed quietly across the now silent party grounds.

***

I stood atop the tallest building at the doll fair, waving my hands passionately like an orchestra conductor.

Instead of harmonizing instruments, my gestures tore through space and dolls alike.

“No matter how much I destroy, it never ends.”

Fortunately, the dolls’ combat abilities were pathetic.

Even the so-called ‘agui-grade’ security dolls seemed exaggerated in advertising, proving incredibly weak.

There was one serious issue though:

These association dolls kept resurrecting no matter how many times they were killed or destroyed.

Their destruction condition, visible through my ‘eyes,’ required the death of the “Doll Queen.” If she wasn’t present here, immediate resolution seemed impossible.

Thankfully, the location of the “Doll Queen” was clear.

I could track her using the glowing tendrils obtained from aguis and also observe the distortion of the Color Universe spreading across the sky.

Far away, in one corner of Seoul, the Color Universe continued to expand.

Apparently, some lunatic who created these dolls summoned the Color Universe, causing all this chaos.

But because humans were endangered by the dolls, I couldn’t leave the fairgrounds.

Moreover, people inside the fair were starting to behave strangely.

It seemed as if being injured by or staying near the dolls caused a kind of “infection,” turning them into doll-like creatures that lunged at me.

If they were mere objects, I would’ve just wiped them out, but they were still human.

Killing humans was too easy.

Frankly, I wanted to create a sinkhole and obliterate the entire fair, but doing so would kill too many sticks of firewood, so I restrained myself.

Using spatial cuts, I reduced dolls to dust and employed probability manipulation acquired from the Orange Moon to trip and tumble infected humans, buying time.

My ‘eyes’ could twist probabilities, inevitably leading to destruction or death, but the Orange Moon’s power didn’t necessarily involve destruction, making it suitable for this situation.

I should’ve called the mini reapers, but despite my attempts, the mini reaper garden wouldn’t open.

Clearly, the Color Universe was interfering.

As patience dwindled…

“Should I just abandon the fairgoers?”

“They must’ve come prepared to die.”

“I shouldn’t disrespect their spirit of sacrifice.”

Additionally, the fairground was filled with precarious structures, explosives, oil, gas—essentially providing perfect conditions for a sinkhole!

“Sorry, but I can’t ignore the visitors’ sacrifices.”

Clap clap.

Just as I clapped twice…

“Mom!”

“We’re here to help!”

Like golden stars raining from the night sky, the golden reapers descended.

They were terrifying hailstones of ghosting-overlap, punching holes shaped like golden reapers into the dolls.

Simultaneously, countless cloud fish surged from the skies, swallowing infected humans to isolate them.

One golden reaper per doll.

One cloud fish per stick of firewood.

Having swiftly cleaned up the chaotic fairground, the golden reapers smiled innocently at me.

Their smiles conveyed: “We’ll take care of the endangered humans; you deal with the external beings in the Color Universe.”

***

Located in the outskirts of Songpa District, James Tower immediately fortified itself upon the outbreak of the incident.

Its sturdy outer walls effectively blocked doll intrusions,

and machine guns installed on higher levels efficiently dismantled larger threatening dolls.

James scanned the surroundings through a telescope, asking worriedly:

“The dolls respawn even when killed with object bullets. How long will our ammunition last at this rate?”

“At this pace, approximately a month. But…”

“Yes, assuming the doll invasion continues at this rate is overly optimistic.”

Indeed, this doll crisis wasn’t confined to the vicinity of James Tower—it was a citywide catastrophe.

Seoul was experiencing a full-blown doll apocalypse.

While James checked supplies in the first-floor lobby, an unusual sound reached his ears.

Thud thud thud.

The sound of fists pounding on steel doors.

“Help! Please open the door!”

An urgent voice followed.

An employee monitoring the external CCTV informed James:

“He looks human, but what should we do?”

“We need to conduct a doll confirmation test.”

Hearing this, the employee, though momentarily flustered, quickly retrieved something and placed it near a small opening at the entrance.

“Stick your face near this hole!”

The employee shouted awkwardly in broken Korean.

A gaunt male face popped out of the hole.

Smack.

Instantly, a golden reaper stationed nearby swatted the man’s cheek.

“It’s a doll.”

This method of judgment proved far more accurate than any device developed in America.