A heavy shockwave from fists colliding swept through the forest, sending up clouds of dust.

I pushed through the quickly dispersing dust and kept moving forward.

Step, step.

With a lively gait, I made my way toward the battlefield where the Black Reaper and the giant were clashing.

My destination was the large eye resting beneath the giant’s foot!

As I approached the giant, the noise and vibrations of battle intensified, and an unpleasant white flame clung to my body.

Should I call it an unpleasant valley?

The white flame, endlessly resembling firewood, felt as off-putting as the stench of a sewer wafting from delicious-looking food.

The eye I looked down upon seemed indeed to be a passageway connecting to another world.

Though colorless, it was filled with an opaque, unidentifiable realm.

Before diving into the eye, I glanced up at the Black Reaper who was fighting so hard.

The 5-meter tall Giant Black Reaper, realizing where I was headed, raised its hand and waved me off.

It made me chuckle a bit to see that a 5-meter giant was using the same way of sending off as it did when it was mini.

I leapt into the eye, leaving the Black Reaper’s farewell behind.

*

Seoah was sprinting urgently in the outskirts of Gangdong-gu, which had become deserted.

Behind her, Object Recovery Team Employees, equipped as much as possible, were following closely.

They were armed with a huge transparent shield and a truncheon, donned in sturdy anti-blade suits and helmets.

A bit of a peculiar sight was the black tentacles sprouting from their helmets.

Although Seoah was running through the now-empty danger zone of Gangdong-gu, she didn’t seem particularly anxious.

Of course, she didn’t trust the Research Institute Employees.

She trusted the Black Reapers that were blended into the black recovery team helmets.

The Black Reapers, transformed like slimes and sticking to the helmets, were giggling and occasionally peeking around.

“Left at the next alley!”

Seoah darted around the winding, complicated alleys as if she knew the way well, thanks to the Sprout Reaper sitting on her shoulder.

Hehe.

With the giggles only Seoah could hear, the little Reaper was guiding her on where to go.

How long did they zigzag through the alleys?

Seoah and the recovery team arrived in front of a building that radiated an uncomfortable vibe.

Thud. Thud.

A strange, tremendous sound echoed from the building, like arriving at a construction site.

Seoah and the recovery team sweated nervously at the overwhelmingly tense atmosphere and slowly began to step into the building.

The loud rumbling noise echoed from the building’s basement.

After searching for the entrance leading underground, they found people whose bones were shattered all over.

“Deputy Director. It seems difficult to move these injured people with the current equipment.”

“True. Let’s have a few stay behind and call for an ambulance.”

Though they appeared peacefully asleep, they were too badly injured to move carelessly.

Despite their severe injuries, there was a strangely familiar scent coming from them.

A refreshing and crisp aroma reminiscent of blue.

When Seoah and the remaining team members reached deep into the cave, a giant water giant was executing a dynamic dropkick.

[Kind Mom Golem Dropkick!]
[Dropkick!]

Behind the massive water blob resembling a gray Reaper, the little Blue Reapers and a missing Sehee Research Institute Security Room Employee could be seen.

Surrounding them were clones with the same faces and attire.

As Seoah and the recovery team arrived in that chaotic open lot, the clone-like men turned towards Seoah and began charging at her.

“Everyone! Prepare for battle!”

The team leader of the recovery team, who had been running beside Seoah, stepped forward and yelled loudly.

And Seoah stepped back, protected by the recovery team.

Bang!

It was hard to believe such a loud noise came from the sound of shields and fists clashing.

“Don’t think of them as humans!”

The team leader’s shout, along with the recovery team moving in perfect unison, showed they were dealing with the enemies more effectively than expected.

I thought they only trained at the gym all day, but it seems they were also doing group suppression training.

Seoah couldn’t help but feel slightly impressed watching the recovery team’s superior combat performance.

[Warm Mom Golem Windmill!]
[Windmill!]

Of course, the Blue Reapers appeared even more impressive.

*

Once inside the eye, a fascinating environment awaited me.

Below, the endless black mirror-like floor stretched in all directions.

Only a faint light emanating from the distant path ahead served as the world’s landmark.

The slender rays of that faint light extended in a straight line, appearing as the only road in this darkness-filled world.

And along that uniquely illuminated path, countless people lay prostrate.

I stood staring at the end of that luminous path.

The giant’s destruction condition was .

Surely, there seemed to be an eye beyond that light.

Step.

As I took a step towards the light, a sound of something shattering filled the air, and a vision appeared.

It was the image of a man endlessly crossing a high-heat desert that felt like his lungs were burning.

[My wish may reach the god.]

I could hear the man’s voice, who seemed to walk on despite all his flesh burning away.

At the same time, a bright red flame ignited at my fingertips.

It was a flame that clung to me like a curse, refusing to let go.

I gritted my teeth against the pain burning my bones.

It was scary to take another step, but thankfully, the pain began to slowly subside.

From my heart, warm light was flowing from the golden firewood.

The firewood given to me by Yerin, always filled with happiness, erased the pain from the dark, curse-like flames.

Looking down at my feet, one man who had been lying there had turned to ashes, scattering around.

When I turned back, it looked like the light I had been in was now so far away.

I placed my hand on my warm heart and took another big step forward.

Step.

As I took another step, I spotted an old man walking across the frozen snowfield.

[My wish may reach the god who has perished.]

Simultaneously, my fingertips began to slowly transform into powdered ice, scattering away.

Perhaps the white flame had caused my physical immunity to vanish, as the firewood was being consumed continuously for regeneration.

But there was still enough firewood.

Step, step.

I kept walking toward the light indefinitely.

With each step forward, I encountered numerous people waiting for and wishing upon the god.

They subjected themselves to trials and tribulations, hoping to reach the god through that.

They set themselves on fire and stabbed blades into their bodies.

Then, my body too ignited, and sharp blades protruded from it.

If I were human, I would have died a long time ago from such wounds, but it was fine.

There was enough firewood.

The firewood given to me by Yerin still had warmth within it.

Now, I could see the end of this long path.

I arrived right before the source of light that illuminated the way like a lighthouse.

Something different from the despairing people that adorned the road was now decorating the roadside.

A black hard mass and a completely mangled steel lamp lay forlornly.

Step.

I took my last step toward that final obstacle.

There, I spotted a man walking over a dead land.

The man, dressed like a noble, held an elegant steel lamp and walked across the blackened land.

The ground had already melted, turning into a sludge-like oil, and with each step he took, the man’s body melted away.

[May the god hear my wish.]
[May eternal doom fall upon humanity that killed the god.]

At the same moment, my feet turned black and crumbled away.

Thud.

Having lost both my feet, I fell flat on the ground.

It hurt.

My feet melted away at a speed that matched the regeneration of firewood.

Is this ‘Evolution Liquid’?

It was painful.

If I just gave up and turned back, surely all the wounds would disappear, and I would be restored.

‘Physical immunity’ was such a capability.

Still, I had to move forward.

In a world where such giant monsters roam, it wouldn’t be good for the firewood and Yerin either.

I gritted my teeth and slowly crawled across the ground with my arms.

As I entered the brightly shining landmark, the source of light revealed itself.

It was a belt made of immense light.

Is that the ‘eye’?

And in front of that eye stood a muscular man dressed splendidly, staring at me.

He looked just like the giant currently battling the Black Reaper outside.

Could it be he’s asking me to fight here?

I was startled and barely managed to stand on my melted legs, but the man’s eyes were unfocused.

It seemed he was staring somewhere far away.

It felt reminiscent of past remnants, much like the countless people who had adorned the path.

Cautiously crawling by the man’s side, a calm voice reached my ears.

“Have I failed?”

The man was speaking as though he were looking ahead, observing something.

Unlike the voice soaked in the giant’s madness, it was calm and steady.

“If so, then you succeed. The Last Alchemist.”

Upon hearing the sharp voice, I turned to check, just as the man’s body began to dissolve into powder.

Strangely, in front of the man, it felt as if a blue-haired woman stood there.

As I stared at the spot where the man had vanished, I crawled slowly again, stretching out my hand to reach the shining ring.

At that moment, the light ring soared into the sky, and simultaneously, the space began to crack.

Everything faded like a tale from a dream, and the many scars left on my body vanished like bubbles.

When I opened my eyes, I was back in the forest, where traces of the giant and Black Reaper’s fight were vividly present.

Just a moment ago, the forest had been filled with great sounds, but now it lay enveloped in calm tranquility.

The giant, having met its destruction condition, had disappeared somewhere.

While I was surveying the quietly still forest, a golden light surged from the shadows of the trees.

The Black Reaper and Golden Reapers, all having confirmed my arrival, began to swarm around me.

“Mom!”

I became a cocoon of mixed black and gold and collapsed onto the dirt floor.

Looking up at the sky among the wriggling Mini Reapers, a large ring of light adorned the heavens.

It didn’t look much like an eye, but it was undoubtedly the ‘eye.’