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A subterranean commune with countless lights embedded in the ceiling, twinkling like stars in the night sky.
The mysterious space was being roughly swept by waves of golden light.
“Harmful Object!”
“Object!”
The intent filled with hostility from the Mini Reapers extended in all directions.
The gaze of the Mini Reapers was fiercer than ever before, and their faces were set with unwavering determination.
For the stench emanating from the Objects that had appeared this time was more intense than anything they’d encountered before.
I took a step back and observed the scene.
The Objects struck by the Mini Reapers shattered as if being sucked into a giant blender right before my eyes.
As I blankly watched the spectacle, complex thoughts began to chain together in my mind.
‘Time Ability and Sprout Reaper.’
‘The Indigo Moon and Indigo Tree that manipulated time.’
‘Space Ability and Purple Reaper.’
‘And the most powerful of all, the Purple Moon.’
I slowly mulled over the Moons and Reapers that controlled time and space.
The Purple Reaper could handle various abilities but was specialized in manipulating space.
On the other hand, the Indigo Sprout Reaper freely controlled time by accelerating or reversing it.
And the newly emerged Flowering Sprout Reaper could even stop time altogether.
‘It’s truly bizarre…’
‘Why is space superior to time?’
Was it simply because of rank that the Purple Moon, which handled space, was valued higher than the Indigo Moon that handled time?
Or was there another reason?
Time and space were fundamentally deeply interconnected.
So much so that they were referred to as ‘spacetime.’
Thus, the Indigo Tree could also use Spatial Cut ability.
Could the Purple Moon then manipulate time as well?
Such thoughts continued to multiply.
At that moment, my gaze drifted far away.
The man whose limbs had been severed was now fully restored and fleeing. His face brimmed with triumph, shouting unintelligible words loudly.
“…!”
Then it happened.
The surrounding air suddenly grew heavy, and time felt as if it froze like solid ice.
In that fleeting moment, I gained some insight.
It was a new level of spatial manipulation that went beyond what I had used until now—true dominion over spacetime.
Not just space, but time itself was seized, forcing movement within my own timeline!
Without hesitation, I manifested this newfound power.
Above my head, I created a distortion of space shaped like a black hole I’d seen on TV.
Trapped within the frozen spacetime, the man could no longer lift his feet.
“…!”
The suddenly immobilized man let out a panicked voice.
With silence imposed upon the trapped spacetime, the man could no longer utter a word.
His steps stopped, his mouth closed—all according to my will.
The black hole began to mercilessly suck him in.
Within the distortion of space, the man’s body was torn apart.
But that wasn’t the end.
The shredded body regenerated, and the process repeated endlessly.
Each regeneration seemed weaker than the last despite the impressive regenerative power equivalent to 100 polluted Hungry Ghosts.
Considering the destruction condition was <consumption of life>, it was clear how many “lives” this man had devoured.
Judging from the harmful stench he emitted, he must have consumed countless “humans.”
‘…’
I looked up at the man suffering terribly within the black hole.
By now, the Mini Reapers had finished dealing with the other Harmful Objects and gathered around me, watching this scene.
Though usually hesitant about excessively cruel killings, they made an exception for this man.
This way, the man slowly, very slowly, depleted his life force amidst endless agony.
Though his screams couldn’t be heard, the contorted expression of pain on his face revealed the depth of his suffering.
I faintly smiled as I observed the scene.
This was fitting punishment for someone who mishandled firewood recklessly.
Hehe.
In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the massive island where the James Explorer Ship was docked was now enveloped in an unnatural stillness.
Though traces of the researchers and their investigations remained vividly, not a soul was left on the island.
The staff of the James Research Institute fled after the appearance of the Indigo Tree, which had devastated James City, abandoning all equipment.
Even after the tree disappeared, the exploration team remained hidden aboard the James Explorer, monitoring the situation.
Gradually, the Mini Reapers who had vanished with the tree began to reappear one by one.
“Human, you’re safe now!”
“Human, it’s been a while!”
Though only minutes had passed, some of the lonely Mini Reapers clung to humans like long-lost family members.
Their return signaled the island’s safety.
The security team scouted ahead as researchers followed, landing on the island.
They immediately pulled out various measuring devices and got to work, checking data points around where the tree had appeared and confirming mental pollution levels related to the Pacific Fog Incident.
At the center of this bustling scene stood a woman in a suit with the Purple Reaper perched on her head.
She slowly read through a report, lost in thought.
Upon finishing, her gaze sharpened.
“The data doesn’t match our expectations.”
“We don’t see the mental pollution pattern we’ve been looking for, but further investigation is needed to confirm.”
After a brief pause, she continued decisively.
“Let’s conduct a thorough investigation until additional personnel arrive. Then we’ll move to the next destination.”
At that moment, a female researcher holding a small cabbage approached her.
Her voice carried tension.
“Team Leader, the cave entrance has changed. The Mini Reapers have withdrawn.”
The Team Leader’s eyebrows rose slightly.
After a moment of thought, she issued orders with authority.
“Understood. The security team will scout the interior of the cave. Move cautiously and report any unusual signs immediately.”
The Purple Reaper gazed down at its attached human with pride.
With the destruction of the object ruling this space, the Mini Reapers who had been spectating scattered and ran off somewhere.
I slowly descended the empty slope alone.
The soft sand unique to caves pressed against the soles of my bare feet, tickling between my toes.
Standing before the grand entrance of the city, I tilted my head upward to take in the magnificent view.
Countless tiny lights embedded in the dark cave ceiling shimmered like stars in a night sky, their bluish glow mingling with floating particles in the air to create a mystical atmosphere.
Lowering my gaze, I saw towering stone pillars lining the city’s main road, interspersed with buildings reminiscent of ancient temples.
The city resembled an old ruin, its rough-hewn stone walls and sculptures enhancing its ancient vibe.
Though it felt like a tourist attraction, no one was present.
In fact, the emptiness added charm to the place.
The silence accentuated the vibrations in the air and the dance of shadows cast by floating blue dust in the darkness.
‘A Mini Reaper Garden like this would be nice…’
The mysterious and dangerous ambiance suited my tastes so much that I found myself thinking such thoughts.
As I wandered through the appealing city toward the hill, a sudden explosive commotion reached my ears.
“?”
Following the sound, the sorrowful intentions of the Golden Reapers became clearer.
“Aaaah!”
“Human, stop hitting us!”
“Don’t hit!”
So they were drawn here by sensing these humans.
At what looked like a facility repurposed from an old research lab, a group of humans and Golden Reapers faced off—but it was a one-sided battle.
“Powerful Objects! Everyone, be careful!”
One man shouted in a language unfamiliar to me.
“After the instructors disappeared, the Objects came here?”
“Don’t be deceived by their cute appearances. Those are the most dangerous!”
In response, others chimed in.
The Golden Reapers were getting beaten one-sidedly.
Walking happily with hands spread wide, they’d get hit and tumble around.
Bouncing back, they’d stare up with teary eyes, looking dejected.
Repeatedly running toward the humans only to be pushed away, their expressions were pitiful even to me, who knew they were immune to physical harm.
Some Golden Reapers slumped down, staring up at the humans with woeful looks.
The genuine sadness and affection reflected in the round eyes of the Golden Reapers began to affect some of the humans.
“They don’t seem harmful.”
“I can test them first, it should be fine.”
With various thoughts in mind, more and more humans cautiously approached and embraced the sad-looking Golden Reapers.
The Golden Reapers responded with sun-like smiles toward those who hugged them.
The humans cradling the squishy Golden Reapers returned the smiles softly.
Thus, the one-sided fight gradually subsided.
“All of you focus! They’re Objects!”
Though the leader shouted one last time, his resolve was wavering.
Evidence of this was his inability to shake off the Golden Reapers climbing up his pant legs.
“Aaah… No…”
Ultimately, the man succumbed to the earnest gaze of the small hand clinging to his pants.
Hmph.
Had the mental pollution of the Golden Reapers increased this much?
It felt several times stronger than before…
But since the Golden Reapers are kind, even if their mental pollution is strong, it’s probably okay.
Passing by the Golden Reapers playing with the humans, I entered the building and began hearing faint intentions.
“Mom…”
“What should I do…”
Thinking something serious might have happened, I quickly teleported to a lone Golden Reaper.
Upon arrival, I saw the Golden Reaper looking up at me and sobbing uncontrollably.
“Whhhaa…”
It was filled with deep regret and sorrow.
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