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Researcher Yerin Oh trudged out of the office with a tired expression.

Peering through the window in the deputy director’s office, I noticed that the sun had already set, and complete darkness had settled in.

Hehe.

When I turned my head over my shoulder, I found the sprout perched there, giggling with a cheerful expression.

Once the spirit camera I had coerced Sehee, the research institute director, to purchase arrives, I should be able to identify the true nature of this sprout.

Is it just a sprout wandering around in a ghostly state while asleep, or is it some sort of hallucination bringing mental pollution?

In fact, up until today, I was about 80 or 90% convinced it was a hallucination, but now my thoughts were shifting a bit.

No wonder, the sprout had discreetly conveyed information I wasn’t even aware of.

At first, it seemed like a faint sound mixed in with the giggles.

However, while I was discussing Yerin Oh’s report omission, the sprout’s words became clearer, and I began to feel something akin to emotion or intent.

It was a communication method distinctly different from language.

Though it wasn’t as clear-cut as language, and the method of delivery was a jumbled mess of emotions, it certainly was a means of communication and information sharing.

If I were to translate the sprout’s words into human language, it would feel something like this:
‘Oh, you’re lying!’

With joyful feelings, it conveyed a sense of intent that seemed to say I was being deceived.

It seemed I had developed a new sense of communication with the sprout.

In the end, I casually probed about the ‘Sugar Flamingo’ that Yerin Oh had hidden, and I was able to get a confession out of it.

I placed the sprout in the palm of my hand and started to knead its soft, chewy cheeks like glutinous rice cakes.

Hehe.

The sprout giggled as if it were ticklish, grabbing my finger.

At first glance, it seemed like it was pushing me away, but the new sensation felt more like ‘Do it more!’

Knead, knead.

Gently rubbing its cheeks, I spoke.

“So, you communicate like this? A messy but sincere way of expressing yourself.”

I was beginning to grasp the communication methods of objects.

One of the famous hypotheses, [Objects do not know language, but read thoughts].

That theory was quite close to the truth.

It leaned more towards feeling emotions rather than reading thoughts, but at a glance, it might appear as though it was reading thoughts.

If humans communicated this way by sharing emotions, many misunderstandings would have disappeared…

By the way, with a communication method like this, it’s understandable why the Golden Reapers don’t watch TV much.

They wouldn’t be able to comprehend what was being said on TV without knowing the language.

Then, how does the Gray Reaper watch TV?

Tap, tap.

The moment my thoughts went to the Gray Reaper, the sprout began to tap my cheek with its tiny palm.

“What’s up?” I said as I turned my head, and the sprout put a finger to its lips as if to say it was a secret.

Feeling the intense will emanating from the sprout, I had no choice but to nod in agreement.

*

I was gazing at the completely submerged Trinity Research Institute site in Gangnam in a ghosting state.

Around me, the cloud fish had transformed into cotton candy, floating around leisurely.

These cloud fish, floating everywhere in the sky, were excellent informants, helping me understand the origin of this incident.

‘Thanks for the directions.’

I expressed my gratitude to the cotton candy fish and took a small bite out of its delicious-looking side.

‘!’

The cotton candy fish protested, asking why I was eating them after thanking them for the directions.

Well, obviously, I ate it because it looked tasty, but maybe cotton candy fish aren’t that bright because they’re fish?

As I giggled and relayed my will, the cotton candy fish scattered in all directions, fleeing.

The Trinity Research Institute was shattered without a trace left behind.

Naturally, it was an institute that should have disappeared, so it was only fitting that it ended this way.

Didn’t they call that black liquid ‘Evolution Liquid’ at the Trinity Research Institute?

In my opinion, that so-called ‘Evolution Liquid’ is the most harmful substance in the world, so I don’t understand why everyone is so eager to use it.

Do they really think there’s potential for the salvation and evolution of mankind in such a stinky, malice-filled liquid?

After smashing it up this badly, surely those who chant ‘Evolution Liquid is humanity’s hope!’ would vanish.

I turned to look at the incoming police cars and association vehicles as I slowly made my way toward Gwanak-gu.

It was time to eliminate all the remaining ‘Evolution Liquid.’

*

The research institute looked chaotic today, filled with the hope that the Reaper might return.

The reason? Breaking news.

The morning news broadcast on TV was bringing forth strange incidents.

The incredible event that the Trinity Research Institute located in Gangnam had vanished without a trace was unfolding.

[This is the Trinity Research Institute located in Gangnam.]

[As you can see, the institute has disappeared without a trace.]

[It’s truly an enormous sinkhole.]

[While it’s smaller than the sinkhole in Songpa District, the size of the sinkhole that just occurred is still beyond common sense.]

The moment I saw that sinkhole, I instinctively thought,
‘Ah! The Reaper did this!’

Which meant that others could easily think of the Reaper too.

And our research institute had a special-grade object that escaped while we had done nothing, turning into a useless institute.

But oddly enough, Sehee seemed more calm than expected in this urgent situation.

Could it be that she had some trick up her sleeve?
“Sehee, are you alright right now?”

When I voiced my concerns to Sehee, she confidently replied with a beaming face.

“No problem!”

She said I’d know more when we checked the Reaper’s isolation room, so I hurriedly headed there.

Could it be that the Reaper had already returned?

However, what I found in the Reaper’s isolation room was something entirely different.

There was a Gray + Reaper inside the isolation room.

Tup-tup.

A black Reaper meticulously painted gray was pacing around inside the isolation room.

With a height of about 1 meter, gray skin, and a very similar appearance.

Surely, aside from those sharp shark teeth, the Gray Reaper looked quite similar.

Is this really okay?

I clasped my hands together and prayed to the Reaper, who was probably somewhere out there.

‘Reaper, please come back quickly before the fake Gray Reaper gets caught!’

*

The black agent and the blonde girl, who had survived a truly deadly crisis, sat down in place, gasping for breath.

“Thank you for saving me!”

Sitting on the floor, the blonde girl gently smiled at the Red Reaper that had protected her and the black agent, petting it affectionately.

The Red Reaper wore a somewhat disgruntled expression, as if it was not pleased.

Seeing the Red Reaper’s expression, the blonde girl thought, ‘Does it not like being petted?’ and tried to pull her hand back, but—

Swoop.

The Red Reaper snatched her finger, placing it back on its head and pressing it down.

The blonde girl watched this and couldn’t help but smile slightly, as if she’d seen something cute, gently stroking the Red Reaper’s head with her finger.

Watching that, the Golden and Black Reapers surged around the blonde girl, eager for her to pet them as well.

“Alright, alright. I got it. Thank you all for your help!”

The blonde girl repeated, ‘Thank you,’ as she expressed her gratitude to each of the mini-reapers.

The black agent observed the girl, reminiscing about the first time he had seen her.

The granddaughter of the association president, who seemed exceedingly happy and radiant.

But finding her somewhat superficial, he had approached her, marking the beginning of their relationship.

The girl, once looking anxious despite her abundance, seemed now to have cast off all her worries as she had lost everything.

How long had it been since she had been surrounded by hundreds of mini-reapers? Eventually, the morning sunlight began to rise beyond the fog wall that had vanished.

The black agent quickly opened a large umbrella to shield the blonde girl, but she shook her head and pushed the umbrella away.

“It’s alright, sir.”

With a mischievous smile, the girl spread her arms wide, welcoming the sunlight completely.

Her body wasn’t burning nor turning to ashes.

With her eyes closed, soaking in the sunlight, the girl opened her eyes and smiled radiantly.

“The sun after such a long time is truly beautiful.”

The sunlight pouring down over the horizon, full of blue trees, was showering the girl.

Her sparkling blonde hair glimmered even more beautifully.

The black agent, watching this scene, spoke.

“Indeed, it is beautiful, young lady.”

A faint smile appeared on the black agent’s face as well.

While the girl basked in the sunlight with a happy expression, she turned around to face the black agent, saying,

“Sir, I think we need to head to Sehee’s research institute.”

She added softly that she felt like she should meet the new ‘mom.’

*

With many of the mini-reapers having exited the garden, the mini-reaper garden was quiet.

In that tranquil place, a Golden Reaper, wandering around, discovered something interesting.

It was a fluffy white ball, like a cloud.

Bathed in the gentle light of the mini garden, it sparkled white, and it was large enough for the Golden Reaper to sink right into it.

It floated through the air, pulling at the Golden Reaper’s curiosity.

‘Youngest?’

The Golden Reaper approached slowly, holding the fluffy ball, pondering why it seemed like the youngest.

The Golden Reaper rummaged through the fluffy ball, feeling like it was opening a gift box.

How long had it been since it started rummaging through the soft and warm fluff?

Suddenly, an orange mini-reaper’s face popped out from within.

It was an orange reaper, sleeping with a leisurely expression, eyes closed.

‘Youngest!’

The Golden Reaper raised both hands in joy at the appearance of the new youngest.