Chapter 326

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The sound of the Pink Girl’s steps echoed through the pipes.

The Pink Girl and the Blue Reaper passed through the massive gate labeled “Alchemist Academy” and followed a path pressed into the pipes.

After passing through the gate, the landscape revealed an atmosphere different from the city they had seen before.

Unlike the city filled with stones, roads, street trees, and buildings, beyond the gate was a world crafted entirely from pipes—complete with grass, trees, pebbles, and wildflowers.

Climbing over a small hill along the path, an endless plain stretched out below them.

A vibrant field of flowers and grasses intertwined, crossed by a stone path in its center.

And beyond that, a towering building loomed.

“The city outside the gate was already impressive, but this place is even more amazing.”

The Pink Girl marveled at the intricate detail of the pipe-modeled plants and flowers.

“I’ve never seen so much grass before. It feels like so much care went into creating it all.”

The Blue Reaper nodded slightly in agreement with the Pink Girl’s words as they both gazed down at the plain.

In the plain, the grass swayed naturally, captured in a moment frozen like a photograph, as if a breeze were blowing through it.

Near the building they reached after crossing the plain stood countless statues of people.

Adorned with elaborate decorations, these statues depicted children all wearing the same outfits.

“There are so many kids here. They look around my age.”

Children walking together in small groups.

Children standing still, smiling and chatting.

A child tightly hugging a large book, rushing somewhere.

Each statue possessed distinct features, making them feel almost alive.

The Pink Girl looked at the joyful statues of children with a slightly wistful smile.

“Could I have lived in a place like this originally?”

“Surrounded by people, wearing the same clothes, laughing and talking happily… Could I have lived like that?”

The Blue Reaper gently patted the Pink Girl’s cheek, which seemed slightly sad.

“It’s okay.”

The Pink Girl placed the Blue Reaper on her palm and began stroking it softly.

“That would be really fun, wouldn’t it?”

“There must still be places where people gather up there in the higher levels. The tower is incredibly vast and tall, so there must be.”

“If so, maybe I could wear the same clothes and live in the same place too?”

Though she appeared a little lonely, the Pink Girl ended with a faint smile, as though dreaming of something pleasant.

After exploring the pipe-model academy for a while, the Blue Reaper noticed something unusual.

“There’s something strange over here.”

While everything else resembled precise models, this area was different.

It wasn’t a model—it showed signs that humans had once truly lived there.

“Is this an ‘Exhibition Room’?”

Upon hearing the Blue Reaper’s words, the Pink Girl approached and found a nameplate nearby.

As soon as they opened the door, a spacious room came into view.

Inside, instead of paintings, mirrors preserved memories or scenes as vividly as photographs.

In front of each mirror wall stood a single chair, suggesting someone might spend hours sitting and admiring the reflections.

“I can see so many people inside the mirrors.”

Compared to the pipe-made models, the humans within the mirrors brimmed with vitality, displaying various colors and expressions as they moved.

[What’s for lunch today?]

[I hate attending classes…]

[They say another floor of the tower has disappeared!]

[Professor, come over here!]

The scenes reflected in the mirrors felt like snapshots of daily life.

In a corner of the exhibition room, however, hung mirrors with a markedly different atmosphere.

These mirrors reflected images of middle-aged men who looked extremely tired, unlike the children.

[Evolution liquid is also a byproduct of alchemy. There must be a way.]

[A tower that lasts forever doesn’t exist just like eternal alchemy. We need to find a solution quickly.]

[People still don’t know that this tower isn’t a perpetual motion machine.]

Finally, the last mirror showed an elderly man.

[“I’ve failed. All I managed to create was a tower nearly as eternal as divine power.”]

[“Before the end of this world, I hope someone finds the answer.”]

The Pink Girl stared intently at the mirror as if entranced.

At that moment, the Blue Reaper rushed in urgently, scribbling:

“HIDE US QUICKLY!”

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

Heavy footsteps and an intense presence.

“A Strong Object!”

With an anxious expression, the Blue Reaper hid behind some cover, avoiding the windows.

“What the…?!”

The Pink Girl tried to speak but was silenced when the Blue Reaper covered her mouth with its whole body.

At that moment, a massive shadow fell across the window.

A towering figure with long limbs blocking out the sun—it resembled a spider.

***

Sehee Research Institute, Reaper Exclusive Underground Lounge.

After playing a game of hide-and-seek using evolution liquid in Seoul Forest, I grew bored and returned to Sehee’s lab with the Golden Reapers.

Of course, since evolution liquid is dangerous, we blocked off the pillars where it dripped using Spatial Cuts.

Then we headed straight to the underground lounge and submerged ourselves in warm water.

“Ah, this is nice.”

After working so hard searching for the Blue Reaper, soaking in the warm water made me feel drowsy.

The Golden Reapers followed me into the water one by one, their bodies relaxing completely as they floated leisurely.

Their round bellies poking above the waterline made them look rather cute.

As I pressed their bellies like piano keys, the TV installed in the lounge turned on, broadcasting the news.

[Yesterday evening, the sudden appearance of a massive planet has thrown the nation into chaos.]

[Yesterday morning, a giant celestial object resembling Earth appeared in the night sky worldwide.]

[This phenomenon, believed to be caused by an Object, continued throughout the night and is still being observed.]

[According to astronomers, the celestial body reflects Earth as if mirrored, including similar continental outlines and cloud patterns. However, the sea appears black instead of blue.]

[Social media exploded overnight with photos and videos, spreading rumors rapidly.]

[Meanwhile, the Object Association has convened an emergency meeting and will hold its first briefing at 10 AM.]

The news was filled with stories about the Black Planet I created while looking for the Blue Reaper.

Feeling a bit mischievous for pulling off such a grand prank on the world, I chuckled softly.

Hehe.

Just then, a familiar voice called out.

“Aha, there you are!”

It was Yerin in her swimsuit.

Upon spotting me, Yerin dove into the water and hugged my torso tightly.

“Reaper, you’re so warm.”

Yerin smiled and buried her face in my hair.

She started chatting, mentioning how we hadn’t met in a while.

“Oh! By the way, someone seems to be sneaking into my house lately, so I installed a security camera.”

“?”

That surprised me since I had stationed a White Hungry Ghost there. Was it slacking off?

Deciding to send the White Hungry Ghost to “Hungry Ghost Hell,” I listened to Yerin’s story.

“But strangely, nothing seems to be missing from the house.”

“Recently, Unnie Sehee…”

“The other day, I saw the Golden Reaper…”

Yerin kept touching my belly while chatting and eventually started nibbling on my antennae while watching TV.

That reminded me…

“Now that I think about it, how’s that Golden-Mecha-Tyranno Armor coming along?”

Thinking about finally giving T-Rex his golden armor made me grin.

Hehe.

***

Back in the Exhibition Room of the miniature “Alchemist Academy.”

The Pink Girl and the Blue Reaper hid silently in the shadows.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Heavy footsteps echoed through the miniature city as daylight faded.

“It looks strong.”

The Blue Reaper wrote anxiously in front of the Pink Girl.

“Sun-Eating Spider?”

Shaking her head, the Pink Girl whispered.

“No, it can’t be. Grandfather always said the Sun-Eating Spider stays at the top floor of the tower.”

“And besides, this thing seems too small to be the Sun-Eating Spider. In the picture books Grandfather read to me, it was enormous.”

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The footsteps began to fade.

“Just let me check real quick,” the Pink Girl muttered, peeking cautiously out the window.

“Many Objects react to eye contact!”

The Blue Reaper panicked and tugged at the Pink Girl’s earlobes, but it was too late.

Peering outside, the Pink Girl ducked back in.

“It’s definitely not a spider. Actually, it looks kind of weird.”

The Pink Girl added with a giggle, “Kinda cute, too.”

Curious now, the Blue Reaper slowly extended its head out the window.

Starting with the pointy witch hat tip, inch by inch…

Until one eye peeked out.

!!!

Through the window, the Blue Reaper spotted a grotesque Black Hungry Ghost with abnormally long limbs.

Strangely, it reminded the Blue Reaper of the black statues from the lower levels.

!!!!!

Suddenly, their eyes met.

ANGH!