A woman in casual clothes that didn’t match the desert at all came into view.
She was wandering through the desert while holding a child in her arms.
The face of the child cradled in her arms was flushed red, and with weak, shallow breathing—it was clear they had heatstroke.
Not a single shadow in sight in this desert.
The sudden calamity that befell Gangeodong drove many residents into desperate situations.
She walked on the scorching sand as if it were burning, without even shoes.
Her soles stuck to the hot sand, yet she tirelessly wandered around just to find a tiny bit of shade or a cup of water.
Before her eyes appeared what looked like an illusion—a vast array of enormous tents.
The majestic structure of the tents, made of tall pillars and expansive canopies, created silhouettes that starkly contrasted with the wave-like sand dunes.
The soft fluttering of the cloth in the wind made the shadows of the tents sway quietly, as if dancing.
And beneath those tent shadows lay rows upon rows of fruits.
Juicy fruits lined up, each one brimming with moisture like watermelons.
The woman in casual clothes began hastily running toward the tents.
Praying it wasn’t some mirage or hallucination born from her suffering.
As she approached the tents, their shapes became clearer—this definitely wasn’t a mirage.
But an unsettling feeling started creeping in.
Under the tents, people sat motionlessly in chairs, not moving a muscle.
When the woman entered the tent, the temperature inside was refreshingly cool compared to the desert, soothing her overheated skin.
“A guest has arrived.”
As the woman stepped inside, an old man sitting closest greeted her.
It was a deeply wrinkled old man gripping a large staff with both hands.
His outfit was adorned with jewels everywhere, making it excessively flashy.
“Ah! Excuse me, my child has heatstroke. Can we eat some of these fruits?”
“Well, of course I should give them to you. But since this old man is bored, how about answering a simple quiz question? If you promise, I’ll give you as much fruit as you want.”
Though the old man smiled kindly, something about his expression felt off.
But the woman didn’t have the luxury to dwell on such oddities in her dire situation.
“Yes, yes! I promise!”
The woman hastily declared her agreement and began hurriedly feeding the child pieces of watermelon.
The child seemed to be improving thanks to the cool temperature inside the tent.
Once the child’s condition stabilized, the woman sighed in relief and took a bite of the watermelon herself.
Rich juice and a fresh taste.
It was a mysterious flavor that lingered strangely after eating.
Realizing the watermelon shouldn’t taste this way, the woman snapped back to her senses.
Only then did the suspicious old man and the tent start catching her attention.
Object!
[Oh dear, already noticed? This world is strange. The clueless ones are catching on too quickly.]
Clack. Clack. Clack.
Looking up at the old man, his wrinkled skin began turning into sand and falling off.
Now, no voice came from the old man; only the clacking sound of a skeleton gnashing its teeth could be heard.
Around the skeletal old man, other skeletons wielding knives formed a barricade.
[Alright then, let’s proceed with the promised quiz.]
The voice of the skeletal old man directly echoed in her mind, filled with ominous malice.
The swords held by the skeletons emitted a strong smell of blood.
Something interrupted this sinister atmosphere.
Tubang Tubang.
A small golden something.
Since it was an unfamiliar creature, it must be an Object.
The small Object stood with its hands on its hips, glaring at the skeletal old man.
Even though it looked weak, the old man’s reaction was strange.
[Grrr…]
The skeletal old man sighed and slowly retreated.
Then, out of nowhere, a golden face popped up grabbing the flapping cloth above the tent.
From amidst the fruits, under tables, behind pillars, and chair backs—golden faces popped up everywhere.
These cute little faces were somewhat adorable, but the skeletal old man’s reaction was completely opposite—he threw away his staff and fled.
And the result was unexpected.
The golden Objects bounced around and shattered the skeletons and the old man into pieces.
The skeletons struck by the golden Objects turned into sand and scattered.
After dealing with the old man, the Objects gathered around me as if seeking praise.
My whole body stiffened at the sudden approach of the Objects.
They might be saviors of life, but I still felt uneasy.
Adorable-looking Objects were a terrifying combination for modern humans.
The Objects looked downcast.
Their pretty golden forms shimmered beautifully, and they emitted a pleasant scent.
Staring closely, I somehow felt they wouldn’t harm me—an irrational feeling taking over my mind.
Carefully extending my hand, one Object wiggled onto my palm.
Eh, this thing…
Looking closer, it looks exactly like a Gray Reaper!
Startled, I threw the Golden Reaper away.
The Golden Reaper sprawled on the ground, looking utterly dejected.
“Uh… sorry?”
Its sorrowful expression made me apologize instinctively.
Extending my hand again, the Golden Reaper glanced at me before carefully climbing back onto my palm.
This time, it firmly gripped one of my fingers as if it wouldn’t fall.
“Sorry. I won’t throw you again!”
The moment the Golden Reaper clung to me, the other Golden Reapers scattered in all directions.
All that remained with me was one Golden Reaper.
But strangely, I felt reassured.
An uneasy atmosphere filled the cave due to a sudden fatal accident.
There, Trinity Researchers drew people’s attention.
“Everyone! Please pay attention!”
‘Could they have figured something out?’ With such anticipation, people began focusing on the voice of the Trinity Research Institute researcher.
There was also the expectation that researchers from Korea’s top institute wouldn’t make empty claims.
Once the researcher felt they had everyone’s attention, they raised their voice to begin speaking.
“We’ve managed to decode part of this Object’s structure. We will move to another location to explain further.”
The Trinity researchers led people deeper into the cave.
Upon reaching beyond the massive lake, where colossal statues and altars stood, the Trinity researcher began explaining.
“As you can see here, these characters are written. Thanks to our long-term research at Trinity, we’ve been able to decipher them. Quite fortunate for us, isn’t it?”
The researcher mixed praise for Trinity with explanations of the decoded text.
And the decoded message matched exactly what the Black Agent had predicted:
[If more than 100 people enter the cave, the statues will kill everyone inside.]
[If anyone tries to leave the cave, they will be killed.]
Hearing this story, people nodded, finding it quite plausible.
In such an oasis, it would be stranger if there weren’t any traps.
“So, our task is simple: We must stay inside the cave while preventing new people from entering.”
Questions and answers continued as people asked various questions.
With numerous researchers from the Kachisan Conference present, the questions were diverse.
[Why did Trinity hide this information?]
Starting with this question, inquiries ranged from the decoding method to everything else.
“Ah, since we’re junior researchers, please understand why we can’t freely share everything.”
Of course, the Trinity researcher rarely gave clear answers.
While people gathered around the walls inscribed with text, the blonde girl was peeking at the altar.
“Uncle, there are lots of bats carved on the altar! What does it mean?”
“I don’t know much about it. Perhaps you should ask a researcher from Trinity?”
The blonde girl cheerfully asked the researcher, but the response was simply “I don’t know.”
“It’s not that I’m disappointed by the lack of explanation, Uncle. It’s just that the researchers’ interpretations don’t mention the altar, but it seems far more important, doesn’t it?”
Indeed, as the blonde girl said.
The altar, whether in size, scale, or grandeur, appeared more significant than the statues or the walls with inscriptions.
Based on the Trinity researchers’ interpretation of the Object, people began driving away those trying to enter the cave.
“Get lost!”
Gathering weapons and tools, they handed them to the guards, threatening and chasing away those attempting to enter.
However, many people sought this landmark cave in the desert.
People exhausted by the heat and dying of thirst.
Though threatened with sharp objects, they couldn’t enter the cave but gradually gathered near its shaded areas.
The blonde girl asked worriedly,
“What if these people suddenly attack?”
“Probably they will. We need some kind of solution. Right now, the numbers aren’t in their favor, but the gap will close quickly.”
Meanwhile, the Trinity researchers watched the standoff with meaningful glances.
Tubang Tubang.
Walking across the desert.
[Place a red skull at the center of the desert, set it on fire, and dance around it.]
Still ridiculous conditions.
How am I supposed to figure out the method to kill it if I can’t even see the conditions?
The Tubang Tubang journey to find the red skull.
To locate the center of the desert, I decided to spread the Golden Reapers throughout the desert.
The central point of the evenly spread Golden Reapers should mark the center of the desert, right?
Although the Golden Reapers rarely acted according to my intentions, this time they were spreading across the desert as planned.
While searching for the red skull, I kept encountering stacks of firewood instead.
Instead of finding the red skull, I often met people with a Golden Reaper perched on their shoulders.
“Kyaa, Gray Reaper!”
Those people initially feared me but soon approached.
“Golden Reaper. You sent it, right? Thank you.”
A mixture of fear and gratitude.
Some even hugged me silently while collecting firewood, despite the annoyance.
For the sake of firewood, I guess I can endure it.
No idea when I’ll find the red skull at this rate.
While gathering firewood and searching for skulls, I spotted a very suspicious place far away.
A giant cave made of red rocks.
From afar, it vaguely resembled an open-mouthed skull. Could this be the red skull?
