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After finishing my work, I left the Deputy Director’s Office of Sehee Research Institute and headed to the Sleeping Room.

Upon entering the Sleeping Room, I saw a sturdy Isolation Room surrounded by reinforced glass in the center of the room.

It was a dedicated isolation room for the sprout.

As I guessed, the sprout, which had been moved to the Sleeping Room, was growing fresher day by day.

While I was looking at the sprout with a satisfied smile, I noticed something strange.

‘What is this?’

As I opened the reinforced glass and took out the pot to check, a tiny dark blue fruit had begun to form next to the sprout’s leaf.

As I observed the fruit that was as pretty as a dark blue jewel, I felt a gaze.

Blink. Blink.

“!”

I was startled.

The sprout had opened its eyes and was staring at me intently.

Looking sleepy, the sprout yawned widely and then, with an adorable face, giggled and handed me its fruit.

“You want me to eat it?”

As I took the fruit, the sprout mimed eating it repeatedly with its mouth.

Then it closed its eyes again and fell asleep.

The fruit given by the “Object”…

Naturally, I shouldn’t eat it, but isn’t it okay since it was given by the Reaper series?

I thought like Yerin Oh, but I shook my head vigorously to dismiss it.

So what should I do with this fruit?

*

As I entered the gate, the sprawling view of an airport shimmering under soft modern lighting came into sight.

The terminal, showcasing sleek design and minimalism’s elegance, was spread out with wide, clean corridors leading to several gates.

The check-in area was neatly organized, with kiosks arranged to provide easy access to airport information.

The spacious and efficient area, seemingly well-planned, had very few passengers.

Everyone wandering around looked like staff members.

Maybe it was because this was a newly established airport affiliated with the research institute.

It was a new and interesting scene, but my mood wasn’t exactly cheerful.

The reason was…

The fragrant scent of burnt material reminded me of the burning Seoul Forest.

It was the delicious smell of burning that wafted faintly throughout the airport.

Anyway, it definitely wasn’t because I had failed to play a prank.

Maybe it was because I was frowning, but instead of playing around on top of my head like usual, the Golden Reaper had climbed onto my shoulder with a worried expression.

And it stroked my cheek as if trying to comfort me.

When I picked up the Golden Reaper from my shoulder, it stretched its hand toward me and smiled brightly as if it was having a great time.

Seeing that made me chuckle, so I patted the Golden Reaper’s head and followed Yerin as she walked out of the airport.

In front of the airport, there was a large limousine bearing the mark of the James Research Institute, seemingly prepared in advance.

As Yerin and I entered the vehicle, the interior décor was as spacious and luxurious as its exterior.

“Wow, the chairs are soft and nice.”

Yerin hugged me and said while shaking my hand.

“Then, we will depart now.”

While I was looking around the sparkling interior of the vehicle, I heard the voice of the secretary sitting across from us, and the vehicle began to glide forward with a smooth vibration.

As we passed through the almost empty airport parking lot and exited the airport, I noticed a large crowd of people near the exit.

They were holding signs written in English and shouting.

[Break the cursed barrier!]
[Embrace your fate!]
[The end is waiting for us!]

Yerin seemed to be bothered by those people, pointing them out with her finger as she asked, “Who are they?”

“They are doomsday believers. They are people who view the Object as divine punishment.”

Yerin tilted her head in confusion.

They were indeed the kind of people you would expect, but they were oddly the type you hardly see in Korea.

Is it because once you venture a bit away from the big city, you can easily encounter the ‘messenger of God’ in the Object?

Korea has such good accessibility for civilians towards Objects.

It felt a bit refreshing that such people existed in America, which is famous for its strict Object management.

Did Yerin think the same way? There was a hint of curiosity mixed in her voice.

“Are there many people with such strange thoughts?”

“No, not at all. Of course, compared to Korea where visible collective actions aren’t prevalent, it might seem like a lot.”

After hearing the secretary’s words, Yerin continued the conversation.

“So, it’s not that America is strange; it’s that what isn’t in Korea is strange?”

“That’s right. There have been instances where doomsday believers were fed to the hungry ghosts by the association, but even considering that, it’s still a small number.”

The mention of doomsday believers being fed to the hungry ghosts slipped out unexpectedly.

Yerin seemed to think it was a new story, but she brushed past it as if it were conceivable from the association.

Well, our country’s association is somewhat peculiar.

I saw the demonstrators raising their voices while looking at our limousine.

The secretary seemed to think of those people as “doomsday believers,” but I thought a bit differently.

I could smell the delicious burnt scent coming from those people.

*

Perhaps because of frequent exchanges between research institutes, the provided accommodation was quite satisfying.

Especially the ball pit!

The Reaper seemed to like the accommodation as well, loosening its sullen expression and swimming around in the ball pit.

When I jumped into the ball pit, the Golden Reapers clung to me, and I felt my heart warm up.

The next morning, the secretary guided us to the helicopter landing pad located on the rooftop of the hotel.

The helicopter I saw from the roof looked different from what I usually saw.

At first glance, it looked like it was made of wood rather than steel.

“Is it wooden? That’s interesting.”

“It’s a type of wood that blocks spirits. It’s essential for where we are going.”

The secretary answered my question with a calm expression.

This wood must be the material of the famous Spirit Barrier.

Looking closely at the helicopter, I noticed wooden gloves were meticulously affixed to it in an obsessive manner.

Where on earth are we going?

“You will see the scenery that must be seen when visiting the Rocky Mountains. It’s a view shown to researchers who have just started working here.”

As the helicopter took off high into the sky, it began to soar with the Reaper and me aboard.

And, from a distance, I began to see a giant wall, the Spirit Barrier.

The Reaper seemed fascinated as it pressed itself against the window, intently gazing down.

The helicopter didn’t stop at the wall; it kept moving forward.

Beyond the barrier, to the forbidden deep place.

And from there, I could see a bizarre landscape with my own eyes.

The view I saw from the helicopter, which hovered at a shocking height, was definitely otherworldly.

A gigantic pit gaped open from the ground, so vast I couldn’t see its end even from this height.

There were marks around the pit as if someone had forced it open.

The huge whirlpool-like hole, blending ominous blackness, was absorbing light, showcasing its presence.

No matter how hard I tried to peek down, the center was invisible, and no matter how far I looked, the ends were also out of sight.

Even if America is vast, something felt off.

Could such a gigantic pit really exist?

“You’ve noticed, haven’t you? That pit continuously distorts space. The closer you get to the center of the pit, the more distorted it becomes, to the point that you cannot reach the center at all.”

The mysterious wood distorting time was fascinating, but the grandeur that I could confirm with my own two eyes from the pit was on a different level.

“Researchers assigned to the Rocky Mountains learn humility from witnessing this sight. They see how precarious this seemingly peaceful Earth truly is.”

“That’s definitely true…”

I answered quietly with a slightly stiff voice.

I acutely felt how weak humans were in the face of such a monumental Object.

Are humans truly okay?

However, seeing the bored expression of the Reaper next to me filled my heart with a sense of reassurance.

The Reaper is invincible, after all. It should be able to manage somehow, right?

“If you exclude the danger of the Objects, it’s also a beautifully magnificent view, which makes it quite popular.”

As I continued to look at the swirling pit, I felt a sensation akin to being sucked in, along with an inexplicable unpleasant odor akin to oil.

*

Under the bustling city with labyrinthine streets, there was a man infiltrating into a secret, deep place.

He had been working undercover for several months to investigate the ‘Object drugs’ spreading across America.

And the man finally had the entity before his eyes.

[The Burning Steel Pig]

The Object, discovered in Korea, existed deep in this underground.

His heart raced wildly.

Now all he had to do was escape from here and report.

All he needed was for the gathering in this doomsday believer’s den to end.

As the religiously tinged group finished their prayers, the man let out a sigh of relief.

‘Now I can go back safely.’

But it seemed like the man’s wishes weren’t going to be fulfilled easily.

A kind-looking middle-aged woman suddenly appeared and offered him a whiskey glass.

“How about a drink?”

Caught off guard by the unusual development, the man swallowed hard and accepted the whiskey glass.

High-proof whiskey that was on fire, blazing brightly.

As the man lifted the glass, an unexpectedly delicious smell hit him hard.

It was undoubtedly an Object!

Confirming this, the Object measurement device hanging from his wrist lit up in red.

The red light indicated first-degree mental pollution, a perfect brainwashing that one couldn’t be aware of.

In that moment, due to the tension, time for the man began to stretch endlessly.

When did they find out?

“Did you think you could deceive us?”

Upon hearing that, he swiftly threw the glass against the wall and began to run.

But he couldn’t take more than a few steps before the ground erupted with gunfire.

He felt a burning pain in his side.

“You should’ve been more careful, Agent.”

“It’s okay. You won’t die. You have to live and become part of us.”

Amid the darkening vision, he saw the flaming whiskey glass approaching.