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In the center of the Mini Reaper Garden, a secret construction was underway.

The Golden Reapers were mischievously executing their playful plans while avoiding the gaze of the Gray Reaper.

Like they were setting a trap, the Golden Reapers dug a deep pit.

Seemingly enjoying themselves, the Golden Reapers chuckled every time their eyes met while digging into the ground.

The location of the pit was precisely calculated by the Blue Reaper.

Right below where the Gray Reaper would pop up when entering the Mini Reaper Garden!

The Golden Reapers, making a hole trap there, appeared to be having a blast unlike any other day.

They exchanged playful smiles, their eyes sparkling with the thrill of their covert operation.

While their work resembled children’s antics, the end result was impressively precise, like it was crafted by a skilled artisan.

In the usually tranquil Mini Reaper Garden, a cute and discreet plot was quietly unfolding, unbeknownst to the Gray Reaper.

*

Ugh, sticky.

I surveyed the surroundings while shaking off the black liquid that was all over me due to ghosting.

The isolation room that Trinity provided me had turned into a complete mess.

Well, given that Trinity probably brought me here with the intention of getting rid of me from the start, it was a natural outcome.

The foul-smelling object could indeed be dealt with in no time.

Thud thud.

As I slowly chased after the woman who escaped, I gathered my thoughts.

Honestly, I was genuinely startled when the objects attacked me in the isolation room.

Of course, it wasn’t because those attacking objects were special or strong that made me shocked.

I was shocked because I could see the track of destruction from the objects.

Normally, when you look at an object with your ‘eyes’, you’d only see the destruction conditions, not how to execute them.

But this time, even the objects started to show the track and method of destruction.

<"Clap twice after three seconds, then do a back tumble to make the building collapse.">

These methods began to appear.

Originally, objects were limited to destroying their surroundings, like when I faced the Hungry Ghost in Songpa District.

So, in my excitement, everything turned into complete chaos around me.

Perhaps, because I’ve been munching on objects lately, I’ve gotten too strong for such an incident to occur.

Of course, that’s not 100% certain.

It could just be that those Trinity lackeys are too weak, so I might have to experiment with other objects too.

As I chased after the woman, the barriers began to come down.

Thump thump.

The dividers held a sound strong enough to make my ears ring and slammed to the ground.

That sound resembled the enormous steel jaws snapping shut, signaling a shift in the atmosphere of the institute.

The emergency lights spun, scattering dim red light.

The red emergency lights cast long, dancing shadows and transformed the areas divided by the barriers into an ominously eerie ambiance.

The loud buzzing that started with the emergency lights echoed hauntingly between the steel walls.

The brightly lit corridor was now shrouded in a dreary red glow, and the place was torn up by the dividers looking completely alien.

Now, just at a glance, it began to ooze the vibe of a ‘Trinity Research Institute Emergency’.

Oh, it felt like watching a monster escape from a research facility in a horror fiction.

So interesting.

Following the scent of the woman, I heard a familiar voice.

“Open! I said open!”

Near the blockade, I saw the woman at a console, trying to operate something.

*

Suddenly, the entire institute was shut down.

The director must still be lying down, so it’s clearly that man’s doing.

It must be the deeds of that unlucky security chief.

Tap, tap.

The sound of her fingers tapping on the console resonated through the tense air.

Her increasingly frantic tapping showcased her growing anxiety.

At first, she pleaded with the surveillance camera to open it, but now she was in the state of giving up.

It was clear that man had no intention of letting her go.

“Open! I said open!”

With a being with an unknown power chasing after her!

She didn’t want to fight such a monster.

Fighting should be left to the researchers and the security team!

Every second wasted in here felt like her lifespan being viciously cut down.

Cold sweat ran down her face as she began to feel increasingly anxious.

An unidentifiable chill seemed to seep deep into her.

Fear overwhelmed her mind, gnawing away and causing confusion.

It felt as though the monster was right behind her.

Huh, calm down.

The woman closed her eyes and tried to steady her heart.

There probably would be no way to kill those soldiers right away.

There were more than a hundred soldiers, so she must have at least 300 seconds or 5 minutes to spare.

Think rationally.

As the deputy director of Trinity, logically and rationally.

Her rapidly pounding heart began to settle down.

Yes, let’s calmly open the barricade!

The woman opened her eyes with a calm mind.

“AHHHHH!”

And she screamed in shock.

Right in front of the console monitor, the head of the Gray Reaper emerged.

Seeing the bizarre grin of the Gray Reaper, the woman felt like she might faint.

Her mind went blank, breath came short and fast, and her heart raced wildly as if it would burst through her chest.

The woman tossed aside her composure and turned around, hurriedly fleeing.

Hah, hah.

However, panting heavily, she had no choice but to stop her steps.

In a state of panic, running in a frenzy, she slammed into a dead end.

A fatal mistake.

She clutched her heart, which felt like it might leap out, and fearfully turned back to see her path.

The red emergency lights spun around, illuminating the corridor, but under that ominous glow, the Gray Reaper was nowhere to be seen.

Did she lose it?

Just as that hopeful thought crossed her mind, the Gray Reaper suddenly appeared like a ghost under the red light.

The Gray Reaper stood submerged in dark shadows, head bowed low.

“!!!”

As the red light spun around.

One step.

One step.

Even without moving, it drew closer like a ghost.

The panicking woman plopped down to the floor and pushed her body backward with her hands.

“I don’t want to. No, don’t come near.”

But soon the wall stopped her back, and the Gray Reaper flickered as it approached.

I can’t escape!

The woman squeezed her eyes shut in fear.

Hah. Hah.

Rough breathing sounded alone in the darkness and silence.

For a while, nothing happened.

Did I imagine it all out of sheer panic?

When the woman opened her eyes with that suspicion, what she saw were the small feet of the Gray Reaper.

“Ah… no.”

And when she raised her head, the Gray Reaper was there, ready to punch like it had played enough.

*

The headless woman’s corpse began to bubble.

Oh, Phase Two?

It felt too timid and weak for being 1.5 times the strength of a Hungry Ghost.

Her condition for destruction was the same as the Hungry Ghost, [Exhaustion of Regeneration.], so she shouldn’t die from this.

“Hah, hahahaha.”

A chaotic, splitting and tearing voice erupted from the bubbling corpse.

“I’m not scared, not scared.”

Thwack! A huge blade slammed against the ground.

An object formed from gigantic blades emerged, ripping apart the bubbling corpse, reeking of foulness.

It looked sturdier and stronger than the Hungry Ghost.

Moreover, it seemed completely unfazed by the fear induced from the ‘eyes’.

Just how strong could it be?

*

Inside the Control Room of the Trinity Research Institute.

People dressed in security attire were gathered around monitors amidst a chaotic arrangement of advanced equipment.

“Chief, the guiding work is complete.”

“Mm, yeah. Good.”

The security chief, who ordered the operation to guide the deputy director using the dividers, wore a satisfied smile.

“But is this really okay? Using the deputy director as bait…?”

“It’s fine, fine. The deputy director is completely unnecessary in the institute. She was merely made deputy because of her loyalty and high affinity for evolution liquid.”

The security chief continued speaking with a smirk of disdain.

“Now, let’s begin the Gray Reaper test. Starting with the ghosting interference frequency experiment.”

“Yes! Understood.”

The security chief promised with a serious expression.

“Since the director isn’t present, we must fulfill our duty. If we can take care of her, great, but let’s at least gather as much data as possible.”

*

Those who escaped from the cage were still practically in confinement.

Whenever they tried to get past the bars, those blue Mini Reapers blockaded them with stern expressions.

Yet, the atmosphere among the people wasn’t all that bad.

“Wow, a butterfly!”

“Me too, me too!”

Thanks to the noisy laughter of the children ringing from all around.

There were quite a few children, likely because many families came to visit, and the Blue Reapers were joyfully entertaining the kids with various magic.

<"Look, glowing butterflies are flying!">

<"Big soap bubbles are appearing!">

As mysterious strings decorated the skies, the kids’ delighted giggles spread through the area.

And the massive Water Golem that had eliminated the enemies was now lying on the ground, becoming the children’s playground.

“It’s so squishy!”

The kids were bouncing atop the enormous Water Golem, hopping excitedly.

They called it the Giant Gray Reaper Trampoline!

It was hard to believe they were people who had even been kidnapped, as a joyful atmosphere spread around.