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The fight with the giant in America was really tough.

It always felt difficult to battle an object in America, so it must not have been just my imagination.

If I ever travel abroad with Yerin again, we should definitely go somewhere other than America.

Lying on the dirt floor with my body relaxed and gazing at the sky, I saw the sparkling starlight and moonlight shining down on me.

The small moons, like mini reapers, were lined up irregularly around the large gray moon.

Besides their size, the irregularity gave a vibe that was very much like the mini reapers.

And an enormous ring drawing a circle in the sky embraced all the mini moons.

While not too bright, the light ring was certainly noticeable.

That simple circular ring looked very much like the light ring I had seen in the ‘eye.’

Aside from the fact that the eye took up space in the sky like a suddenly appearing mini moon, it didn’t seem particularly special.

It would have been fun if I could shoot beams from the light ring or something.

Like saying, ‘Satellite Attack!’ for instance.

Around me, the gathered black reapers and golden reapers were playing in the open lot created by the aftermath of the fight, rolling around in the dirt.

Thwack thwack.

When the golden reaper swung its tiny fist, the black reaper skillfully blocked it with both hands.

Shake shake.

Then, shaking its head, it assumed a stance as if to demonstrate and threw a punch.

Unlike the carefree thwacking of the golden reapers, it was a punch with grace.

Clap clap clap.

“Impressive!”

The golden reaper clapped, praising the black reaper as if it were the coolest thing ever.

The black reaper, showing its shark-like teeth, grinned confidently with a ‘hee hee’ laugh.

Is the fighting gaining popularity among the golden reapers? The golden reapers gathered in the open lot, grabbing the black reapers one by one and attending fighting classes.

Watching the little ones flail their limbs around made me chuckle a bit.

Slightly smiling as I watched the mini reapers’ fighting training, one black reaper came up to me and began pinching my cheek.

“Let’s do it together, Mom!”

The black reaper cheerfully suggested that I join in.

Hmm.

Though I wasn’t confident about exercising, it felt a bit hard to refuse.

Before I knew it, the mini reapers increased in number, surrounding me with countless golden and black reapers.

With bright eyes, the mini reapers looked up at me like meerkats.

Sparkling gazes and pure curiosity poured down on me from all directions.

Pretending to give in, I stood up, and a black reaper exactly my size was there, eagerly punching the air, waiting.

As the mini reapers circled around me, an impromptu mini reaper colosseum was created.

Wait, wasn’t this a suggestion for me to take fighting classes?

I can’t even exercise better than the golden reapers, let alone the black reapers!

“Go, Mom!”

Hearing the enthusiastic cheers of the golden reapers, I reluctantly raised my fist, and the black reaper expertly closed the distance.

Bang!

Then a loud impact echoed in my head.

As I raised my guard upon seeing the punch, the black reaper’s punch slipped through my defenses, flowing like water.

Thanks to my physical immunity, it didn’t hurt, but I couldn’t even throw out a single punch.

“Mom is weak!”

The golden reapers laughed joyfully.

This is domestic violence!

Domestic violence continued until the investigators from the American Object Association arrived to look into the scene.

*

Before I knew it, time had passed, and it was morning in the forest.

Employees from the Object Association were rummaging through the woods, taking photos and gathering information.

They were documenting huge footprints and the shapes of broken trees or buildings.

The most numerous pieces of data were the big and small baby footprints.

Footprints of mini reapers, gray reapers, and the footprints of a giant reaper measuring 5 meters tall.

This site once again proved that gray reapers can easily travel long distances.

However, the team leader in charge of this site was troubled by another issue.

At a large investigation camp, the team leader was surrounded by numerous materials at the table.

Sitting in front of the table and slowly flipping through the documents, the team leader of the Object Special Task Force muttered softly to himself.

“This is a big problem.”

Among the documents he was flipping through were brief investigation results on the people rescued from the Eye cult.

“Yes, I think this is a very big problem.”

And, as if in response to his self-talk, a low voice was heard.

Surprised that there was anyone around, the team leader looked up and saw an investigator from the support team approach the table with a serious expression.

The team leader relaxed his surprised expression and said calmly to the investigator who had come down from the association’s headquarters.

“It’s quite fast, considering I haven’t even submitted the report yet.”

“This matter is too serious for that. We believe it is a very big issue at the Object Association level as well.”

The report placed on the table was a haphazard collection of various notes and field logs cut and pasted together.

At the top of that report, it was hastily written.

[The potential for artificial superhuman emergence through torture.]

The investigator cradled his head, as if it was a headache, and grumbled.

“Really, really big news. Once this information spreads, kidnapping and torture will probably run rampant.”

“But controlling the information won’t be easy either. The Eye cult isn’t present only in America, after all.”

A gentle breeze fluttered the pages of the report on the table, turning them slowly.

The report mentioned that victims of the Eye cult had exhibited some sort of object-like or superhuman abilities.

*

When Seoah, who was just interrogated about the Eye cult kidnapping issue, returned to the research institute, she found a massive construction site.

“Construction? What kind of sudden construction is this?”

It was too large-scale to be merely maintenance due to some issue.

And following the construction materials, she ended up in the basement where a huge golden statue used to be.

A ton of construction materials were being transported underground, and work was actively underway to create a massive bathroom.

Seoah was trying to figure out what on earth this construction was about when she spotted Sehee, brightly instructing people.

“Director Lee Sehee!”

“Yikes.”

When Seoah called Sehee’s name loudly, Sehee let out a brief groan and began to flee quickly.

“Director Lee Sehee! What on earth are you spending the money for on this construction?”

Seoah ran after Sehee, asking, but Sehee plugged her ears as if she couldn’t hear and ran off into the distance.

“Oh, my head hurts.”

Ultimately, failing to catch up with the nimble Sehee, Seoah was struck by a sudden headache and held her head while catching her breath.

After all, if I visited her office, I would have to meet her, so why was she running away?

Complaining to herself, Seoah looked around.

She thought the already started construction was unavoidable, and was just going to take a quick look, but something quite peculiar was happening at the construction site.

It was probably Sehee’s doing.

On the shoulders of the construction workers, the golden reapers were smiling brightly, wiping off their sweat, while the heavy construction materials were being carried by enormous black reapers.

Envious of the black reapers lifting the heavy materials, the golden reapers were carrying tiny bits of rubble on their shoulders, moving around clumsily.

Imitating the heavy footsteps of the black reapers, the golden reapers dropped the rubble with a ‘thud’ at the scrap pile.

Thinking the weak golden reapers were slightly cute, Seoah snapped back to her senses.

The golden reapers were so cute that she almost forgot about her duty as a researcher.

Shaking her head slightly to regain focus, as she observed the dire situation in the basement, her heart grew heavier.

Exposing construction workers to objects with mental pollution!
They must be out of their minds…

Seoah rubbed her temples against the increasingly worsening headache.

[Please don't get tired.]
[Please don’t get hurt.]

The blue reapers caring for the workers.

Orange reapers floating around while hauling concrete debris.

A sprout reaper pot placed in a resting area set up in one corner of the construction site.

Black reapers displaying strength rivaling that of cranes.

And golden reapers cheering on the workers and clearing away stone rubble.

It was hard to tell whether this was a construction site or a mini reaper garden.

Finally, Seoah read through the facility’s blueprints and hurriedly set out to find Sehee.

What Seoah confirmed in the documents was utterly ridiculous.

An indoor swimming pool and bath in the basement, as well as a water park connecting the underground with the ground level.

And this water park was beyond twice the size of the Sehee Research Institute’s premises.

She had to quickly find Sehee and put a stop to this.

*

Late at night, in a hospital room near Songpa District.

The security team employee slowly opened his eyes.

An unfamiliar ceiling and a bed with curtains like those in a hospital.

The slight buzzing of a refrigerator’s pump could be heard softly.

Ah, I’m glad it’s a hospital.

Though it was the second day since I arrived, every time I woke up, I was anxious that this might be the cave that felt like hell.

The younger brother he had been searching for was currently in isolation.

It wasn’t due to mental pollution from an object, but it seemed like he needed treatment due to severe violence.

As I squirmed uncomfortably with the bandages wrapping my body, a small sound began to emerge.

Rustle. Rustle.

Sounds of something rustling came from beyond the curtain.

It sounded like someone was peeling an apple with a knife.

No way?

Slowly pulling aside the curtain to look outside the bed, a blue reaper was seen sitting next to the bedside, diligently peeling an apple with a careful expression.

“Reaper!”

The security team employee wanted to leap up with joy but couldn’t stand properly due to the bandages wrapped around his body and the pain.

[Please lie down properly and wait.]

Seeing the pained expression on his face, the blue reaper arranged some unintelligible strings with a worried look, and he sank back into the bed, feeling a soft and strange pressure.

As the blue reaper carefully peeled the apple, which was larger than its body, it brought out a small piece of the apple on a fork made of water.

[Ah, please.]

Is the blue reaper going to feed me the apple!

The security team employee was ecstatic.

Even after growing closer to the blue reaper, this was an event that had never happened!

Inflated with anticipation, he opened his mouth wide and waited, and the wobbly apple slowly came near his face and—

It poked his cheek.

The apple missed and rubbed against his cheek, and the blue reaper was flustered, not knowing what to do.

The blue reaper seemed to be wearing its hat too low, causing it not to see properly, hence it couldn’t feed the apple correctly.

But the employee only looked on with a blissful smile.

[Please close your eyes!]

Until the blue reaper, noticing the employee’s expression, forced his eyes closed.