The ghost cat was floating on its back, surrounded by the Golden Reapers.
Nyaooon~
“Huh? When are we heading back to the lab? I bet once they drag that bloated director off to the Research Institute Isolation Room, it’ll be game over for us going back anytime soon.”
Too late, the kitty unleashed a barrage of nya-punches into the air!
“Well, at least the detective seems to be calling for backup, so this might wrap up faster than expected.”
As I lay there chatting with the cat, the detective and Junior No. 2 reappeared in the open lot after vanishing earlier.
The detective approached the so-called “client” object while Junior No. 2 came over to where I was lounging.
“Hey Reaper! You’re back! Did you miss me?”
Junior No. 2 slipped their arms under my armpits, lifting me up and cradling me close again.
Then they hugged me tightly from behind, pressing cheeks together over my shoulder.
This is bothersome…
I went limp, and in response, Junior hoisted me high into the air.
“Whoa, the Reaper’s as flexible as a cat!”
Junior No. 2 seemed delighted, exclaiming, “Look how much taller the Reaper’s gotten!”
While Junior enjoyed themselves, I found comfort in using them as an impromptu firewood rest—win-win!
Upon returning, the open lot had become noticeably less chaotic.
The client’s younger brother was asleep, and the Gray Reaper was slumped over, caught by Junior No. 2.
The Golden Reapers who’d previously made the most noise were now huddled together, curled up like balls, fast asleep.
Even in slumber, they remained scattered around the director’s body, maintaining vigilance.
Indeed, some Golden Reapers rubbed their eyes sleepily but kept watch over the director’s corpse.
Why do the Golden Reapers dislike the director so much?
Approaching the client who was guarding their sleeping younger brother, I handed over the golden heart.
“Ahh… as I suspected.”
Despite no explanation, the client appeared to understand something.
“I felt something was off. The camp settings, the memories—it all felt like there wasn’t a place for me. Even though these were scenes shared with my younger brother, I always felt as if only my footing was unstable.”
The client gently stroked the surface of the glass bottle containing the golden heart.
“The camp before noticing anything strange was truly a happy place—even if it was fake and illusory. We were poor, but my brother and I ate and slept together, and all the residents were kind. It felt like a dream. But then, at some point, I started feeling a sense of alienation.”
The client sighed deeply.
“If I hadn’t noticed, it might’ve been better… too peaceful, too happy, it felt unnatural. While wrestling with this strangeness, my younger brother came and asked me for help with something trivial, yet time-consuming. He probably knew the camp and himself were fake.”
The client returned the golden heart, saying,
“Afterward, I filed the request and met my real younger brother. Though I’m fake, please keep the heart, Detective. It feels right somehow. And I’ll pay the fee soon, so please wait a bit longer.”
With everything off their chest, the client turned back to their younger brother, looking relieved.
Inside the glass bottle, the golden heart continued to beat steadily.
After reclaiming the bottle, I turned away.
And that concludes this case.
Hmm, considering it involved an Object, this could almost count as a happy ending, right?
The telephone inside the research institute office blared loudly.
“This is Sehee Research Institute.”
Senior Jungloe picked up the phone with a weighty voice.
It sounded like something was happening regarding the temporary camp at Mount Gyeyang in Incheon. What could it be?
We don’t have much connection with Incheon, so this is odd.
Judging by the narrowing brows of the senior on the phone, it didn’t seem good.
The recent big event at our institute—
The missing Gray Reaper!
Ah, they’ve found the Reaper finally!
Like Pavlov’s dog hearing the bell, anticipation filled my heart.
I quietly got up and hovered near Senior Jungloe, who was on the call.
He gestured for me to go back to my seat, but I stubbornly ignored him and continued eavesdropping.
Once the call ended and he stood up, I rushed over.
“Senior! It’s about the Gray Reaper, right? They’ve been spotted at the Gyeyang Mountain camp!”
“Yeah, you’re coming too, so get ready.”
“Woohoo!”
I threw my hands up in celebration.
Finally, the Gray Reaper!
I dashed back to my seat and began preparing to head out.
A few hours after Junior No. 2 called for help, a crowd of people arrived at the temporary camp at Mount Gyeyang.
Of course, the police weren’t among them.
They still disregarded any matters related to the temporary camp at Mount Gyeyang.
The first arrivals were soldiers with a meticulously organized aura.
They must be troops sent by ‘Miss Cheong’—likely association soldiers.
In anticipation of the police ignoring our plea, I’d given Junior No. 2 her number just in case.
Sure enough, the police dismissed our request, so Junior No. 2 sought help from Miss Cheong.
After explaining the situation, Junior successfully received appropriate support.
The association soldiers brought out metallic devices.
Portable isolation tools for containing Objects.
They were here to retrieve the director’s corpse.
These soldiers appeared to specialize in Object retrieval.
Without a word, they silently executed their tasks, radiating professionalism.
They efficiently entered the open lot and began clearing the director’s remains.
Carefully scraping the ground, determined not to leave a single shred behind.
After collecting all parts of the director’s body, they left the lot as quickly and silently as they had arrived.
“Wow, those guys are pros, huh? Definitely different from amateurs like us.”
Junior No. 2 marveled.
“Hmm, based on my experience, those overly rigid soldiers tend to die quickly.”
“Nah, surely not.”
Though Junior No. 2 looked skeptical, my past experiences suggested otherwise.
The more rigid and structured they were, the easier it was for them to fall into Object traps.
The association frequently forms such highly trained expert teams, and there’s a reason for that.
Because they all eventually perish.
Most of the Golden Reapers lingering in the open lot disappeared alongside the director’s corpse.
Interestingly, the Golden Reapers who had been curled up like balls woke up the moment the soldiers touched the director’s body.
They stared intently, as if supervising the removal process.
Once the director’s body safely exited the lot, the watching Golden Reapers melted into thin air.
Next, an ambulance arrived.
The medical staff transported ‘Lee Taehoon,’ the sole survivor of the camp and the client’s younger brother, to a nearby hospital.
Of course, the client, unwilling to part from their sibling, followed along as a caregiver.
Subsequently, more association employees arrived to clean up the devastated camp.
Lastly, personnel from ‘Sehee Research Institute’ showed up to take the Gray Reaper away.
Through the car window, the temporary camp at Mount Gyeyang exuded an eerie atmosphere.
Desolate and silent scenery.
Clearly a village once inhabited, yet it carried the oppressive vibe of a prisoner-of-war camp.
Corpses littered every alleyway of the camp.
“Senior, this can’t possibly be the work of the Reaper, right?”
“No, I heard the Gray Reaper isn’t involved. Apparently, this massacre was committed by some cult organization from China, though overseas info is hard to come by, so we’re not entirely sure.”
Even if the Reaper did it, there’d likely be a reason, but it’s fortunate his reputation isn’t tarnished further.
In front of a large underground sewer wide enough for a truck, numerous vehicles were parked.
Following Senior’s instruction to walk the rest of the way, we descended into the unsettling sewer.
A crimson river flowed within.
The overwhelming stench of blood confirmed that the red liquid coursing through the sewer wasn’t merely polluted wastewater.
Surprisingly, despite the dark, bloody ambiance typical of horror films, the sewer wasn’t scary.
That’s because too many people were bustling about in it.
Numerous association employees carried blood-soaked chairs and tools outside or transported bags filled with corpses.
Walking through the long sewer, we reached a spacious open lot.
Among the various individuals present, one figure captured my attention immediately.
The Reaper!
The Gray Reaper was surrounded by Golden Reapers, lying asleep.
“Reaper!”
The Reaper lifted their head upon hearing my voice, rubbing their eyes sleepily.
So adorable when they’re sleepy and rubbing their eyes!
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