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There were safety lines scattered throughout the interior of the Sehee Research Institute to guide visitors.

“Hey, Unnie Sehee. Is it really okay to open the isolation room to visitors?”

“There have been so many requests to see the Gray Reaper that we had no choice. The association’s permission has come through, so as long as nothing happens, it should be fine.”

Sehee said with an expression that suggested she didn’t think much of it.

Honestly, I wished they wouldn’t open the Reaper’s isolation room.

If people kept coming and going, I wouldn’t be able to play with the Reaper!

It would be strange if researchers were hanging around inside the isolation room while people came to gawk.

At 10 a.m., a large crowd wearing visitor IDs began streaming along the safety lines.

The guide was Senior Kim Jungrwi.

Perhaps because it was the first public reveal of the Gray Reaper confinement room, a considerable number of people gathered to see the Gray Reaper.

Noticing the crowd, the Gray Reaper’s antennae tilted slightly toward the magic mirror.

Then it swayed left and right.

The Golden Reapers rushed toward the magic mirror, bouncing around and making a fuss.

“Wow.”

Gasps of admiration came from the visitors.

The Reaper was indeed kind of cute.

Unlike before, perhaps due to the improved public opinion, all the visitors were looking inside the isolation room with friendly gazes.

There were exclamations about how it was amazing that they were actually watching TV or how cute the Golden Reapers were, with sounds of excitement echoing down the corridor.

A peaceful and joyful atmosphere.

Thank goodness, it didn’t seem like an accident would happen.

*

In the cozy bed with delicious snacks, and the Mini Reapers frolicking about, the isolation room looked similar to usual, but today it was even more chaotic.

The isolation room had excellent sound insulation, so it wasn’t excessively loud, but there were so many people beyond the magic mirror that it felt raucous from an outside perspective.

Favorable emotions were rushing in from outside the isolation room.

The Blue Reapers, feeling shy, turned transparent and hid in a corner, gazing toward the magic mirror where the people’s affection could be felt.

In contrast, the Golden Reapers ran toward the magic mirror filled with people, beaming brightly.

Some even pressed themselves against the magic mirror, trying awkwardly to catch a glimpse of the other side.

They could just go ghosting, so why aren’t they doing that?

Sometimes I just can’t understand what the Golden Reapers are thinking.

Ignoring the noisy outside, I switched on the TV to tune into the news.

What appeared on the screen was my own reflection, falling through the air.

Expressionless but somehow appearing relieved.

[So, this is the Gray Reaper after defeating the giant jellyfish.]

[Yes, it’s certain based on the context.]

What was showing was a rebroadcast of James being interviewed on the news.

From what James said about what he consumed, it was as if my story filled the entire world.

The scene of “me dancing” that had become rare lately also started popping up on TV here and there again, which was quite troublesome.

Yerin looked happy surrounded by a slew of Reaper merchandise.

It seemed she was purchasing a lot of dolls and figures at a fair price.

Even with the real deal right next to her, was a figure really necessary?

“Wow!”

At that moment, a cheer that could pierce through the walls of the isolation room echoed.

When I turned my head, the Golden Reapers were gathered in a circle.

Doom-chit doom-chit.

And in the center was a Golden Reaper dancing flamboyantly.

People started growing more and more raucous while watching the Golden Reaper wobble and dance with its small body.

While it was nice to have more firewood, it was too noisy, so I had to chase them away.

I ghosted and snuck among the crowd.

“Hey? The Gray Reaper has vanished.”

Suddenly disappearing seemed to create a disordered atmosphere in the corridor.

And as I flipped the switch to turn off all the lights in the corridor, an uneasy tension began to creep in.

“Huh? What is this?”

In the dark, people relied on their phone lights.

In the midst of them, I suddenly appeared to surprise everyone.

Hehe, if people get startled and run away, maybe I can return to my peaceful daily life?

However, my prediction was only half right.

About half of the people were startled and created space, while Kim Jungrwi was calming them down.

But the other half looked at me and rushed over, starting to pet me all over.

“Gray Reaper is so cute!”

“Is something about the hair twitching?”

Amidst the chaos, Yerin also clung to me.

I was just being tossed around, cuddled by people here and there.

This is all James’s fault.
Next time we meet, I’ve got to pull a prank.

*

Late at night, in a detective agency with a faint smell of coffee, loud TV noises filled the room.

[This incident has prompted the Trinity Research Institute to take profound responsibility.]

[Though it was a personal misconduct of the Director of Research Institute No. 3, they bear significant responsibility for not catching it in advance.]

It was a story related to the collapse of the Trinity Research Institute No. 3.

“Well, they really went and ruined it. Ahjussi.”

The blonde girl looked slightly bitter, glancing at her palm while recalling the two researchers she had met in the desert from Trinity Research Institute.

“I wanted to take revenge on the ones who made me like this, but now it seems I’ll never get the chance.”

“Young Miss….”

The girl, wearing a slightly sad expression, smiled faintly at the Black Agent.

“But what will happen to the other research institutes now?”

“Other institutes affiliated with Trinity are likely to be disbanded as well.”

Tilting her head slightly, the girl asked, “Didn’t the investigation conclude that it was the fault of Research Institute No. 3?”

“Nevertheless, this incident is too big. Someone will have to take responsibility.”

In the Black Agent’s thoughts, the biggest issue was the ‘Evolution Liquid.’

Coincidentally, that topic was also being discussed on TV.

[So you’re saying that the Trinity Research Institute No. 3 carried out experiments changing humans into ‘Objects?’]

[Yes, based on the materials discovered at Research Institute No. 3, it’s almost certain.]

The materials identified in the investigation of the ‘Evolution Liquid’ revealed, shockingly, that it was made from humans.

A liquid crafted by torturing humans to evolve them and control objects—a madman’s product.

While terrible documents about the Evolution Liquid were pouring in, one particularly grabbed attention even from the indifferent public.

It was revealed that the snacks sold at Trinity Research Institute No. 3 were made from the scraps left after creating the Evolution Liquid, dubbed ‘Human Flesh Snacks.’

I bought a snack, and it turned out to be a human cube.

The shock for the people was immense, and the reactions were heated.

That snack was delicious, fragrant, and cheap, enjoyed by quite a number of people.

Thus, the movement to dissolve the Trinity Institute had begun.

The girl, quietly listening to the TV, got up from her seat and turned off the television.

As she opened the curtain, moonlight spilled in over her.

“The detective has only been telling me to wait lately. At this rate, when will I be able to live under the sun?”

“Surely, there will come a day when you can stand beneath the sun.”

“That should definitely be the case, right?”

Seeing the girl with a slightly anxious yet brave expression, the Black Agent smiled back.

*

Near the canopy sky of the Mini Reaper Garden, there was a flying Candy House.

It was the Candy House inhabited by the Blue Reapers.

Originally floating over the Sea of Hot Chocolate, the house had taken to the skies to avoid the ever-jovial Golden Reapers’ attention.

Inside, ten Blue Reapers were all gathered, peering into a bubble-like crystal created from foam.

What they saw in the crystal was the scene of Sehee Research Institute’s laundry room.

Inside, a Gray Reaper was watching a spinning washing machine with a bored expression.

[Mom, I'm scared!]

Seeing that expression, the Blue Reaper trembled in fear.

Inside the washing machine, numerous Golden Reapers were spinning round and round.

How they knew, I don’t know, but all the Golden Reapers that had been hit by the marshmallow hammer had been captured and put into the washing machine.

The Golden Reapers seemed to be having fun spinning, but to the Blue Reaper, it was a terrifying sight.

Without physical immunity, the fragile Blue Reaper would get severely hurt!

Other Blue Reapers hugged their quivering companion tightly, trying to comfort them.

And the reflection of the Gray Reaper in the crystal turned and began to stare at the Blue Reapers.

It had a significant expression as if it understood they were right there.

Startled, the Blue Reapers discarded the bubble crystal and huddled together, trembling.

*

In the deep of night, at the excavation site of Trinity Research Institute No. 3.

With most people having finished work for the day, a researcher was left behind, examining the excavated items.

“What is this?”

[A headless lizard. It has the ability to come back to life if thrown into fire, even when dead.]

As the researcher pointed to an object and asked, a vintage lamp at their waist responded.

The researcher diligently took notes, writing down the lamp’s words.

The researcher walked around the temporary storage unit containing numerous objects excavated from Research Institute No. 3, repeating questions and note-taking.

At that moment, a peculiar object caught the attention of one wandering researcher.

It was a purple hermit crab, decaying into blackness.

Its claws had fallen off and it lay dying, exhausted and weak.

Seeing the object that looked like a hermit crab, the researcher lifted the lamp and asked,

“Last question. What about this crab?”

[It’s a companion of the Purple Moon.]

A playful voice resonated from the lamp.

[So, will you now make a contract?]

“No.”

The researcher placed the lamp into a storage box surrounded by thick alloy and sealed it up.

[Caution: Handle with care.]
[It lures people in.]
[For more details, check the report.]