Chapter 89

A dim red lighting flickered in the eerie factory corridor.

There, iron pillars that resembled well-aligned ribs stood towering.

“Huff, huff.”

The scenery was undoubtedly unchanged since entering the factory, yet…

My breathing caught in my throat and my anxious heart made every structure in the factory seem menacing.

The faster I ran, the harder it became to breathe.

My stomach churned and my chest tightened unbearably.

The narrow space of the factory corridor felt like the walls were closing in with every step, trapping me tighter and tighter.

And then there was the foul smell of oil wafting from deep within the factory.

I had dismissed it as a common factory odor, but I shouldn’t have ignored it.

That oil smell was proof this factory had been contaminated by something abnormal.

I’d discarded the once-reliable “Great Object Suppression Shield” on the floor.

What I needed more than that shield fragment was speed and endurance to outrun whatever lurked here.

“I should’ve never taken that suspicious foreigner’s request.”

At the time, the client seemed charismatic, promising a hefty reward, but now I realize he was a strange figure in bizarre clothing.

The lonely sound of my footsteps hammered into me the realization that I was utterly alone.

All my comrades, those who once stood shoulder-to-shoulder, had fallen.

Their final faces remain etched in my mind—twisted in terror and agony.

Through the narrow factory corridor, I spotted the parking lot ahead.

Beyond the parking lot shimmered like a mirage, offering hope for escape.

Finally!

Escape was almost within reach.

If I could just get through the parking lot…

Once across, I’d be free. The Objects occupying the pudding factory hadn’t ventured beyond its grounds.

Hope surged in my chest, solidifying my resolve to escape.

I vowed never again to undertake such dangerous “Object Recovery” missions.

But my hopeful plan dissolved like soap bubbles before it could even begin.

“Hah, hahaha.”

A dry, hollow laugh escaped my parched lips, echoing eerily across the vast parking lot.

In the center of the parking lot stood IT.

One of the Objects occupying the pudding factory.

A 2-meter-tall steel bear doll.

And a monster unlike anything described in our intel.

The bear doll’s grotesque face contorted unnaturally, mimicking human laughter with mechanical grinds.

Had my escape only been a game to it?

Its demeanor suggested so.

Adrenaline-fueled strength abandoned me as despair took hold, rooting me to the asphalt.

Collapsing onto the ground, I stared up at the bear doll’s crimson eyes, gleaming cruelly.

As if disappointed its prey had stopped trying to flee.

With terrifying speed, the monstrous object lunged forward, casually throwing a steel fist toward my head.

Simultaneously, an endless darkness swallowed me whole.

***

A tall man with black hair, blue eyes, and over 190cm in height glanced down at his smartwatch.

“Troubling. At this point, all the ‘Object Recovery Experts’ who abandoned us must be dead.”

“You speak Korean fluently! Translation services clearly aren’t necessary, so why? WHY?”

An agitated Korean shouted.

The foreign man calmly replied.

“Well, I am a genius, after all. Learning unfamiliar languages takes merely a day.”

“But THAT’S NOT THE POINT! If you speak Korean so well, why hire ME as a translator?”

Frustrated, the translator pounded his chest.

The foreign man waved a finger side to side as he answered.

“It’s not tourism; it’s business etiquette, Translator sir. One must always employ a local interpreter fluent in the native tongue during business negotiations.”

The translator slumped to the floor in despair.

“I should’ve refused this job. I should’ve been suspicious when my employer wore such peculiar attire.”

“Don’t be too disheartened. And next time, avoid translation requests offering lump-sum payments upfront despite suspicious circumstances.”

The foreign man patted the translator’s shoulder with a serious expression.

As the translator said, the foreign man’s outfit was indeed unusual.

Stylish sunglasses perched atop his head.

A full-body swimsuit-like ensemble covering him from head to toe, paired with a smartwatch.

“And calling my ingenious multi-purpose suit ‘suspicious’ is quite unfair. It was specially designed for this dangerous trip to Korea! Both design and defense against Objects are impeccable.”

James grabbed the translator by the shoulders, hoisting him back to his feet.

“Now, don’t be so glum. As your employer, I intend to fulfill my responsibilities. You weren’t hired as bodyguard, so rest assured, you won’t die before I do.”

James grinned cheerfully at the translator.

Though technically reassuring, considering their high likelihood of death, it wasn’t particularly comforting.

***

The car’s rear seat, converted into a makeshift camper bed.

Not exactly plush, but reasonably comfortable as I rolled around.

Yerin had set it up for long-distance travel convenience specifically for me, and I appreciated it.

Numerous breads and snacks were prepared—a cozy space.

Of course, no pudding was present.

Because now, there’s only one kind of pudding I’ll eat!

Currently, I’m riding in Yerin’s car en route to a factory near the sea in Incheon.

I initially planned to go alone, but Yerin insisted on coming along.

“Reaper-san, I heard they’re using Objects at the Incheon factory to produce pudding. America has already reached the stage of manufacturing goods with Objects. When will we achieve that level?”

While waiting at a traffic light, Yerin swiftly researched information about the factory.

Surprising news for me, who intended to raid the factory and destroy all Objects inside.

Using Objects to make pudding?

Then destroying them might not be the answer!

I’d considered unleashing a horde of pudding-starved Golden Reapers, but maybe that’s not the way to go.

***

A blonde girl living nocturnally looked up at the sky and spoke.

“Uncle, a red moon has risen.”

Her expression betrayed dissatisfaction.

“It’s completely different from what I expected. No sun-warmed sands embracing gently. Just a moon existing and observing. Was this the intention of whoever destroyed the red moon?”

She turned her gaze from the sky to absentmindedly stroke the sleeping Black Agent’s hair.

He had fallen asleep early, preparing for tomorrow’s busy schedule.

Our differing schedules made me feel slightly melancholic.

Until the red moon rises again and we can walk under the sun together, moments like these will recur.

Though wanting to recreate the red moon, the guiding heart hasn’t provided any guidance yet.

It was a somewhat gloomy night.

***

The sky feels itchy.

A sensation humans could never understand.

An itchy sky?

Lying in the car looking up, I spotted the cause.

The red moon I destroyed floated in the sky.

Next to the original moon, smaller and cuter.

I instantly recognized it.

This moon is mine.

Seems like remnants of the red moon’s destruction lingered, creating something new.

Destroying countless Objects before, but this is the first time such secondary effects occurred.

“Reaper-san, we’re in trouble. There are two moons. Could this area turn into a desert?”

Yerin noticed the moons too and began panicking.

Curious, she quickly switched on the radio.

[An ominous red moon has appeared in the sky. This phenomenon isn’t localized like the Gangseo Desert Incident but appears global.]

[If this red moon signifies global desertification, it could be the predicted apocalypse via Objects becoming reality.]

[If it took a week to desertify an area the size of Gangseo, global desertification might take only 200,000 years.]

[Let’s just hope we don’t awaken in a desert next week.]

Every channel discussed the “red moon,” spreading panic about potential desertification.

Though unsettling for everyone else, as the owner of the red moon, this development felt irrelevant to me.

I patted Yerin’s shoulder to calm her unnecessary worries.

*

Due to our late departure, we arrived near the factory in the dead of night.

Nearby, people presumed to be staff bustled about.

Is it really safe to loiter here with a dangerous Object occupying the factory?

While Yerin engaged in pointless conversations with the staff, I observed the factory surroundings.

The unpleasant smell hit me.

The same foul stench I encountered in the desert.

For some reason, this smell makes me think I’ll overlook another Golden Reaper again.