Ahjussi was crouching nearby, gazing blankly at the scorching red desert as if lost in thought.
Before we knew it, the cave entrance was swarming with people.
“I should be able to go in too!”
“Please, let our children enter!”
The crowd had gathered at the cave entrance, pleading to be allowed inside.
I asked Ahjussi if he could take up to 99 people on a first-come-first-served basis, but he said it would be difficult.
If Ahjussi says it’s tough, then it must be impossible.
Sitting atop a flat rock, I rested my chin in my hand and watched the commotion.
“What’s this talk about a 100-person limit? That’s all just made up by you guys, isn’t it?”
“If interpreting Objects was so easy, why would there be so many research institutes?”
“Reinterpret it! Look at the size of the cave—it might comfortably fit a thousand people!”
Somehow, the angry mob had gathered at the cave entrance to protest.
It felt like they were about to force their way in any second.
Honestly, whether inside or outside the cave, all that really matters is water and shade—but why do they insist on entering so badly?
Amidst the chaos at the cave entrance, the legless corpse still lay abandoned.
When we suggested removing it, the adults insisted it should stay as an example, so it remained untouched.
Drenched in sweat, Ahjussi was busy carrying water jugs and distributing them to the people at the cave entrance.
If only half of this attention could be directed toward me…
“Hmm… We’re reaching our limit.”
One of the Trinity Researchers’ eerie voices whispered faintly from behind.
“Huh?”
What did they mean by “limit”? Turning around out of curiosity, the Trinity Researchers who had been loitering near the entrance were already gone.
As the angry crowd dispersed, Ahjussi finally took a breather, but his expression looked troubled.
“Ahjussi, is something wrong?”
“The shade outside the cave is almost full. If more people come, we’ll have problems.”
“Limit?”
“Yes, Young Miss. We’ve reached our limit.”
Only now did I understand what the Trinity Researchers had meant earlier.
While enjoying a pleasant chat with Ahjussi, the atmosphere inside the cave suddenly shifted.
“Monster! A monster has appeared!”
A hideously grotesque monster was crawling along the ceiling, its creepy gaze fixed on us.
Terrified, I clutched Ahjussi’s hand tightly.
Its whip-like arms…
Eyes abnormally large and bizarre…
Blue skin with black veins bulging out everywhere—a truly monstrous sight.
“What is this thing?”
“We weren’t told anything about monsters appearing!”
Panic-stricken cries filled the air.
The monsters on the ceiling dripped black saliva while scanning the crowd as though licking them with their gazes.
Are they searching for something?
Krkkrkkrkk…
A low growl rumbled from the monsters, sounding almost mocking.
“Young Miss, please stay quiet and follow my lead.”
Ahjussi’s calm, steady voice reassured me amidst the chaos.
He skillfully moved to the center of the cave.
“Two Trinity Researchers are missing.”
“They haven’t been seen for a while now. Could they have been taken deep inside the cave?”
“It’s possible, but we need to consider the possibilities. Two intelligent monsters and two missing researchers—it seems suspicious.”
Whispering quietly to Ahjussi…
Despite the terrifying situation, holding Ahjussi’s hand somehow made me feel safe.
Ssssssaak…
After observing the crowd closely, the monsters scurried down the ceiling like cockroaches and blocked the entrance.
At the same time, Ahjussi grabbed my arm painfully and started running deep into the cave.
“AAAAAAHHH!”
From the entrance came screams and the sound of blood and flesh splattering.
Glancing back briefly, the monsters were wildly swinging their whip-like arms, hacking people to pieces.
We ran until we reached a dead end by the altar beyond the lake.
In no time, the monsters caught up with us.
Facing the creatures slowly advancing from both sides, Ahjussi shouted,
“Why is Trinity doing this?”
“Huh? Obviously…”
Suddenly, one of the monsters began speaking human language!
It was indeed one of the Trinity Researchers!
But before it could finish, another monster struck it down with its whip-like appendage.
“Team Leader, don’t hurt me like that!”
“What if someone hears you talking?”
Though slightly awkward, the monsters clearly spoke intelligible language.
“But didn’t you just count off and kill everyone? Who cares if someone hears?”
“What if someone survives and comes in? Be careful, I told you!”
The monster addressed as Team Leader turned its head and said,
“I don’t care why you’re doing this. Kill them.”
With a flick of the Team Leader’s chin, the other monster’s whip lunged toward me at incredible speed.
Death seemed imminent, yet I couldn’t quite grasp the reality of it.
With a loud crunch, blood splattered everywhere.
Ahjussi wrapped his arms protectively around me.
“A-Ahjussi…”
And with the searing pain in my abdomen, I lost consciousness.
When the Black Agent and Blonde Girl collapsed together onto the floor, the Trinity Team Leader shouted,
“Hey idiot! I said to leave one alive!”
“Well, I didn’t expect someone to shield another person. Their hair colors don’t even match, so they’re clearly not family…”
Grumbling as he examined the bodies, the team member suddenly yelled out,
“Team Leader! The girl’s still alive!”
“Huh? That doesn’t make sense. Our power could pierce through ten people at once.”
“This woman carries a powerful Object from China. Rumor has it that it takes ten thousand lives to create one. It supposedly guarantees saving a life once. Looks like it works wonders.”
Watching the unconscious girl sleep peacefully, the team member muttered,
“Is she some high-ranking official’s daughter? Things just got complicated.”
Though his tone was troubled, the Team Leader still placed the girl on the altar.
“Still, there’s no turning back now. As long as we don’t get caught, that’s all that matters.”
The Trinity Researchers had already reverted to human form and began putting on clothes hidden in the corner.
Fully dressed, the Team Leader picked up the dagger from the altar and prepared to stab the girl’s heart.
Worried, the team member asked,
“Are you sure about the interpretation?”
“What do you mean?”
“To be honest, your decoding rate is barely over 50%, and I’m feeling uneasy. What if we just hide in the cave and wait for rescue?”
“Hmm, hiding might actually be safer. But once we attacked the daughter of some bigwig, waiting for rescue isn’t an option anymore.”
The team member sighed softly, “Ah, right. No way out now.”
Without hesitation, the Team Leader plunged the dagger into the girl’s heart.
Simultaneously, the Team Leader vanished without a trace.
“Team Leader? Team Leader?”
Frustrated, the team member messed up his hair.
“Damn, this got messy.”
Perhaps only one person can escape per sacrifice.
“Might as well clean up the cave so anyone else who comes in can serve as sacrifices.”
Muttering to himself, the team member walked toward the cave entrance.
Hmm, looks like it’s definitely the red skeleton.
Shining my handheld camera on the skull from various angles confirmed it was indeed the red skeleton.
The gaping mouth of the colossal skeleton casting shadows with its hands—feels like it will spring to life and wreak havoc once its destruction conditions are met.
Approaching the reddish skeletal rock, people were milling about nervously.
“A monster came out of the cave and slaughtered everyone.”
“What should we do? There’s no other place to get water here…”
Sneaking closer in Ghosting mode, I overheard their serious conversation.
Since the Golden Reaper hasn’t reached this area yet, none of these people bore its mark.
The Golden Reaper moves slower because it’s busy rescuing people—it can’t be helped.
There are too many people lingering near the rock.
If I awaken the red skeleton, too many people might get hurt.
In the midst of my pondering, a mischievous idea popped into my head.
Hehe…
An interesting plan just came to mind.
*
BOOM!
Sand exploded violently.
“The Gray Reaper!”
“The Reaper has arrived!”
The Gray Reaper suddenly emerged.
Not long after witnessing the massacre at the cave, we were ambushed by the Gray Reaper while resting in the shade nearby.
Terrified, we began fleeing.
The Gray Reaper burst forth from the sand, grabbing and dragging our feet.
If captured by an ultra-dangerous Object…
Death awaits us.
Panting heavily, glancing down revealed the Gray Reaper partially emerging from the sand, glaring menacingly.
“Aaaaah, save me!”
Another companion struggled desperately as the Gray Reaper grabbed their foot.
Why is the Gray Reaper here?
“Hahaha, rocks! Escape to the rocks!”
Laughing, a companion atop a rock called out to us.
“Idiot! Run!”
Behind him, the Gray Reaper’s head peeked above the rock, staring intently.
Then its arms broke through the red rock and grabbed his ankles.
“Aaaahhh!”
Climbing higher and higher on the rock to evade the slowly pursuing Gray Reaper, the companion eventually realized the rock had limits.
Our escape continued until we were far from the cave.
Breathing heavily and looking back, we saw the Gray Reaper’s heads bobbing like shark fins across the sandy surface.
