Chapter 372

Soft Marshmallow Plains stretched out below, and the Mini Reaper Garden was in full bloom.

The sky hung above like a cozy canopy of a giant bed, gently enveloping the peaceful scenery beneath it.

But right in the middle of this serene landscape, something that didn’t belong hovered awkwardly—the Giant Black Sphere.

<The Unchanging Black Sphere.>

It contrasted sharply with the soft hues around it, almost forcibly drawing the gaze of anyone who looked.

As if calling out like a mother to her children…

And insisting that they were needed.

This strange beckoning wasn’t felt by just the Discolored Reaper.

Before long, Black Reapers with confused expressions began gathering around the Unchanging Black Sphere.

“Who?”

“Is it calling us?”

With each step closer, their wills wavered between hesitation and compulsion—as if puppets on strings being drawn toward the sphere.

“Mom?”

“It’s not Mom!”

Though doubt and caution laced their voices, their feet continued moving as if under a spell.

“Maahh!”

Suddenly, the Discolored Reaper blocked the path of the other Black Reapers. Despite lacking confidence in its voice, its expression was heroically resolute.

“Don’t go near it!” its face seemed to shout, causing the Black Reapers to freeze in shock.

“!!!”

As if waking from a dream, the Black Reapers snapped out of their trance and turned to the Discolored Reaper, crying “Pii!” in gratitude for breaking the enchantment.

“Maahh.”

The Discolored Reaper joined them in joyful tears, and together they began constructing a marshmallow fence—a forbidden zone designated by the Golden Reaper Conference Hall.

‘Dangerous Mom?’

‘Harmful Object!’

As the Black Reapers dispersed back into the garden, the Discolored Reaper felt an unfamiliar gaze from behind.

But when it turned around, nothing was there except the ever-present Unchanging Black Sphere floating ominously.

***

Tension filled the Situation Room within James Tower at the outskirts of Songpa District. Normally quiet, it now buzzed with activity like a warzone.

Employees scurried about carrying documents while phones rang incessantly, heightening the urgency. On one wall hung a massive world map visible to all entering the room.

A sprawling red area dominated the Pacific Ocean, nearly covering its entirety.

James and the Alchemist stood before the map, faces grim as they stared silently at the situation unfolding.

Even the few Golden Reapers accompanying the employees from James Research Institute appeared unusually serious, arms crossed like humans.

Finally, the Alchemist sighed and spoke, “I came here to report suspicious activity in the east, but things are much worse than expected.”

“You’re right. The situation is far more dire than we thought.”

James handed over a prepared report, saying, “We’re completely stuck unless Gray Reaper has a solution. After reviewing this, please give me any advice you can as an Alchemist.”

The Alchemist began flipping through the report, eyes darting across the pages.

Then came another alarming announcement: “Suspected erosion at the California Research Facility!”

“Most Western U.S. coastal research stations are experiencing data loss!”

As reports poured in, the red markings on the map expanded rapidly, swallowing up the western U.S. coastline.

The Alchemist alternated between the report in her hands and the expanding crimson blotch on the map, realizing the gravity of the situation.

<All existing mental pollution countermeasures are instantly broken.>

<Includes reality distortion impossible to externally observe.>

<Contaminated areas cannot even be assessed for conditions.&gt>

On the final page, a line in bold red caught her attention:

<People affected by the Pacific erosion consistently mention blue seas, wriggling clouds, and underwater cities.&gt>

Recalling an ancient tome bound in jade, she remembered a grimoire related to the sea worshipped by ancient alchemists known as the Jade Ones.

Struggling to recall specifics, she wracked her brain for details.

***

At that moment, the world trembled.

Just as a man was stepping between what seemed to be an old friend and his younger sister, the ground beneath him heaved violently.

The sky warped, space itself twisting as though fragile soap bubbles bursting, revealing the illusion’s fragility.

His vision blurred, catching fleeting glimpses of spiderwebs glowing faintly blue.

“!”

In that brief instant, clarity struck him.

“Why am I doing this?” he wondered aloud, realizing he didn’t know the woman claiming to be an old acquaintance from his mercenary days. It was all a lie.

Instinctively reaching for his gun, panic set in as he noticed his hand already consumed by web-like tendrils.

“No way you can aim like that,” the woman smirked.

Looking down, horror gripped him as his fingers had fused with the webs, unable to move.

‘!!!!!’

The quaint cabin vanished, replaced by an endless nest of spiderwebs crawling towards him like parasitic tentacles.

Where the woman once stood now loomed a monstrous humanoid mass of webs, countless tiny eyes writhing within its form, all fixed on him.

“!!!!!!”

Trapped and immobile, he spotted his younger sister and Cheong buried in webs where the bed once lay.

“Still alive… lucky,” he muttered, scanning for allies.

“Where are Purple Reaper and Crowned Reaper?”

Before finishing his thought, a burst of violet shadow flames slashed through the webs binding him.

‘Human!’

‘You’ve finally awakened!’

Purple Reaper descended beside him, visibly exhausted yet filled with relief—an expression rarely seen on their usually stoic face.

Beside them appeared Pale Reaper, equally drained.

Free from the web’s grip, the man surveyed the scene: unconscious siblings, weary reapers.

‘I can’t give up here.’

Despite the bleak outlook, he focused on the energy currents flowing around him, steeling his resolve.

***

Bounding across the horizon-spanning webbing, I clenched the air futilely.

A massive black sphere erupted, tearing everything apart and devouring it whole.

In response, the webs surged toward the void, forming a spherical barrier that sealed it away—like bees defending against hornets, or perhaps acting out of sheer familiarity.

Though partially destroyed, the webs remained overwhelmingly abundant.

As fresh strands crept toward me, I summoned my Halo, gritting my teeth against the pain.

‘Ability Nullification Halo.’

White flames melted and incinerated the webs, but eradicating every strand across the Pacific seemed impossible.

Other Halos proved similarly ineffective.

While Spatial Halo showed promise, the webs adeptly countered spatial abilities, evading significant damage.

It was as if these webs understood spatial manipulation better than I did.

Though my Halos inflicted noticeable harm, burning all the webs would likely take near-infinite time—a practical defeat given my limited stamina.

Even Death Perception failed against this External Being.

Through my eyes, instead of seeing anything meaningful, I only saw <■ ■ ■ ■ ■>.

Summoning Mini Reapers wouldn’t make much difference either.

‘There’s no answer.’

My current capabilities weren’t enough to handle this External Being’s scale.

If only I could grow as large as a Black Giant, I might create an overwhelming Area of Effect…

Do I need to resort to using the power of an artifact like the Unchanging Black Sphere?

Using it feels strangely unsettling, especially since collecting all moons intensified this unease tenfold.

‘What should I do?’

Below the webs, I sense Mini Reapers trapped… endangering them isn’t ideal…

Maybe summoning the Black Giant is better than letting the kids get hurt.

I want to ‘puhk’ and rip open my chest to reveal the Heart-shaped Death Perception Halo inside.

Frustrated by worry for the children, I stabbed toward where my heart should be—and to my shock, my hand sank in effortlessly.

‘?!’

Pulling back reflexively, I found a pulsating, golden halo fragment resembling a distorted heart clutched in my grasp.

Kiiiieeeeek!

Simultaneously, surrounding webs convulsed in agony, transforming into fluffy treats that danced through the air.

Thump. Thump.

In sync with the heavy rhythm of the halo, waves of unseen force radiated outward, converting nearby webs into various candies.