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A cave located on the outskirts of Yangcheon-gu Lake.

A famous tourist spot that every tourist visiting Yangcheon-gu Lake must stop by.

A reporter entered the cave with a calm expression, just like any other tourist.

The reporter was dressed lightly and wore a cheerful smile as if on a vacation, but his hand gripping the camera was damp with tension.

Two of his senior colleagues had already gone missing while reporting on this lake, so it was unavoidable.

In truth, he didn’t want to cover this object at all.

Yangcheon-gu Lake was not an object for a reporter or news agency; it was a national disaster that needed a state-level investigation.

Not referring to the lake’s size.

But rather the very phenomenon that was driving the entire South Korea insane.

No matter how much the public clamored for the lake to be opened, it was abnormal to do so this quickly.

The whole country has gone mad!

The large media organization the reporter was part of felt the same way, as apart from the two missing seniors and himself, no one appeared to feel anything was off.

The two seniors who sensed something was amiss set out to investigate like war correspondents but never returned.

No, they were unable to return.

They had simply disappeared.

To wrap up the seniors’ investigation, he found himself here.

His reflections were shattered by a large exclamation.

“Wow, look at that!”

The gasps of tourists and the sound of camera shutters echoed all around.

As he turned his gaze toward the sound, an astonishing sight unveiled before him.

The cave walls glimmered as if mixed with crystals and blue gems.

The cave pulsed with light emanating from the shimmering water’s surface.

If he had come purely as a tourist, it would have surely been an unforgettable memory.

But the reporter shook himself back to focus and stepped deeper into the cave, where tourists were scarce.

His objectives were twofold.

First, to find out what happened to the missing seniors.

Second, to gather evidence regarding the [Human Sacrifice Suspicion at Yangcheon-gu Lake] that the seniors had aimed to investigate.

The deeper he went into the cave, the more a different scenery revealed itself.

Crystals in amethyst, sapphire, and emerald colors adorned the walls and ceilings, reflecting rhythmic light in a kaleidoscope of colors.

Pillars seemed to support the sky, delicate arches decorated the scenery—like a work of art birthed from nature.

This cave must have been created by the object, making it an artistic piece that enchants those born from the object.

And the object that captivates people…

As the reporter kept moving deeper into the cave with various thoughts, he spotted a suspicious group of humans.

The ceiling was large and round, revealing a gigantic full moon.

Rocks appeared like stairs leading up towards the full moon.

Below lay a puddle of water connected to Yangcheon-gu Lake.

And at the end of the stairs, people were throwing themselves into the puddle.

“!”

Found them.

Those who fell into the lake did not resurface.

They sank into the water without a trace.

I’ve found them.

[People being sacrificed under the influence of the object.]

Evidence that the seniors sought!

As he furiously took photos to preserve evidence, a familiar voice echoed.

“Hey, our youngest has done well to come this far!”

“Senior?”

But no matter where he looked around, there was no sign of his senior.

“Over here. Right here.”

Only the senior’s voice could be heard.

“Haha, where are you looking?”

The voices reverberating around the cave only added to the confusion.

Then, the reporter locked eyes with the senior.

Standing next to the painfully blue glowing moon, the senior was waving.

Behind him stood another missing senior, smiling and waiting.

“Senior? What’s going on?”

As he rubbed his eyes, which had sprung a few tears, he slowly followed the senior up the stairs.

[Kick, this time, what should I do?]

Suddenly, a strange voice rang out.

It was the voice of an evil-looking old woman.

“Huh?”

Suddenly, he came to his senses.

The seniors were nowhere to be found, and he found himself standing at the edge of the stairs, gazing down at the puddle.

[What are you doing? You’ve woken up!]

Something sharp pierced his heart.

In his fading vision, he could see grotesque and hideous monsters arguing with each other.

*

The cheerful sound of ‘Enter’ echoed from the keyboard.

James stretched his stiff shoulders from paperwork and stood up.

Feeling tired.

The aftermath of the Pudding Factory incident was finally wrapping up.

It seemed like it was time to head back to America.

There was too much to do in America to stay long in Korea.

James left the study and comfortably sat on the sofa, turning on the TV.

[Experience the fantastic lake and dreamy cave up close!]

As soon as he turned on the TV, an advertisement for a houseboat hotel near a famous tourist spot appeared on the screen.

To James, it looked like quite an attractive tourist destination.

“Hmm, it wouldn’t be bad to stop by before heading back to America.”

As he looked at the lake view that brought a refreshing feeling just by watching, James unintentionally muttered to himself.

Beep—beep—beep—

His smartwatch let out an unpleasant sound from his wrist.

Object alert message.

A warning message from the American Object Association arrived.

[Emergency evacuation alert.]

[All American citizens currently residing in Korea are strongly advised to evacuate immediately on the directed flights.]

[Special mental pollution is a concern across South Korea.]

[Especially, escape from Seoul immediately.]

[Failing to return within 48 hours may result in being unable to enter the country for reasons of mental pollution.]

The moment James received this message, it hit him like being struck by a hammer.

Did he really think of visiting such a suspicious lake?

How could he not feel anything strange after such a suspicious lake appeared?

He had thought of himself as a bit of an object expert, but to make such a fatal mistake…

Ding-dong. Ding-dong. Ding-dong.

An urgent-sounding doorbell rang.

Proving the urgency, he heard banging on the door without waiting for James’ response.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Mr. James, I assume you’ve received the emergency contact. We’ve come to take you.”

Familiar English with an accent.

People from America had arrived to pick up James.

The American Object Management Association.

They had sent people to retrieve James.

James began to leave Seoul, packing only the bare minimum, half out of his own will and half out of necessity.

*

The lake was filled with noisy sounds, and cheerful singing echoed across the vast body of water.

Under the starry sky, Sehee Research Institute employees were enjoying a party while admiring the beautiful view of the lake.

The deck of the boat was brightly lit with warm, sparkling lights creating a cozy atmosphere, while the cheerful Golden Reapers bounced around the deck, adding vibrancy to the festival.

As the delightful aroma of barbecue filled the air, the dazzling fire shows by the cooks captivated the researchers’ attention.

With the sizzle of grilling as background noise, the atmosphere of the Sehee Research Institute party continued to heat up.

From a slightly darker but pleasant spot, away from the center of the festival, someone was observing the Sehee Research Institute party.

It seemed Sehee Research Institute was as lively as ever.

There was no sign of anxiety about having a party at a suspicious lake.

The object’s ability lurking in Yangcheon-gu Lake seemed to reduce discomfort and worries, preventing anyone from worrying about the object.

The issue was that Sehee Research Institute had never been a place of discomfort or worry.

Everyone was so lost in their own little worlds that it hardly felt different.

In fact, it was the Golden Reapers, smiling broadly yet maintaining their guard, who felt most like researchers.

Seoah, who had seemed the most like a researcher, had recently been in a bad state, leaving only Kim Jungrwi as the sole normal one at the Sehee Research Institute.

With the burden of preparing for the object left to the Golden Reapers, I enjoyed the party, snuggling up in Yerin’s arms and sampling all the delicious food one by one.

“Hey, Reaper, Reaper. Try this too.”

Nom, nom.

“This sashimi is delicious too!”

Nom, nom.

Yerin was feeding me various foods, and surprisingly, all of her choices were delicious, so I found myself receiving everything like a little chick.

In the midst of this, Yerin called me from a spot where exceptionally lively music was blasting.

“Reaper, Reaper. Look over there, over there! It’s hilarious!”

As Yerin poked my cheek, I turned my gaze to see a completely unexpected scene.

The only normal one in the Sehee Research Institute, Kim Jungrwi.

The one who never makes jokes was dancing with flashy movements!

When Jungrwi danced, a small Golden Reaper on the table mimicked his moves.

Wiggle, hop.

When Jungrwi danced, it looked dignified, but when the Golden Reaper did it, it turned cute.

I was rather shocked by that sight.

The fact that the Golden Reaper mimicked his dance was amazing.

But it was even more shocking to see Jungrwi doing such things.

Seeing Jungrwi like this truly confirmed the object’s influence.

Ding-dong. Ding-dong. Ding-dong.

Suddenly, an unpleasant bell sound rang out.

Looking around at the unpleasant sound, the lake was now shrouded in thick fog, quietly sinking.

So the object of the lake has finally appeared.

It didn’t seem like it planned to harm any humans right now.

As the sound of the bell, sticky like a corpse, resonated over the deck, the thick fog began to rise, wrapping around the boat.

In contrast, the Sehee Research Institute people laughed and chatted as usual amid the ominous bell and thick fog.

On the contrary, the Golden Reapers looked tense, scanning their surroundings.

The dense, clingy fog began to rise, curling up like creeping vines over the deck.

Ding-dong.

And as the final bell rang out, those who touched the fog fell unnaturally into a deep slumber.

While the Golden Reapers hurriedly caught those suddenly falling asleep to prevent them from getting hurt, I calmly observed the center of the fog.

[Hehehe.]

The old woman’s laughter was heard from within the fog.

Creak.

The sound of claws scraping something began to creep up on deck through the mist.

The first thing visible was a claw stained with human blood.

Then a withered, corpse-like arm.

Matted hair resembling a broken broom.

A face with empty eye sockets and sharp teeth growing wildly.

Twisted and protruding spines breaking through the skin.

[Plenty of toys again this time, huh?]

The voice of the evil-looking old woman echoed, and a hideous creature emerged from the fog.

And I locked eyes with the repulsive thing that had crawled up onto the deck.