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The sunny courtyard of the Sehee Research Institute, unlike the snowfield where the purple moon was shining.

I was lying on a fluffy marshmallow under the sunlight.

And above me, a whole lot of Golden Reapers were clinging to me, rolling around with joyful expressions.

Honestly, I was really surprised when I met the Golden Reapers after waking up from my dream.

Golden Reapers don’t roam where there are no humans, so I thought I would never be discovered!

I wondered if the Sprout Reaper, who sensed the dream and followed me, had snitched, but the Sprout Reapers shook their heads, insisting it wasn’t them.

Actually, I had something quite concerning in this dream, so I was thinking of heading back right away.

Just like that, I was quietly captured inside a snowman and taken to the Sehee Research Institute.

The Golden Reapers watched me with curious eyes, as if they thought I might just run away at any moment.

What the Golden Reapers ultimately wanted from me was a little different from what I expected.

Lying in the courtyard of the Sehee Research Institute with the Golden Reapers, rolling around and eating snacks!

Come to think of it, the Golden Reapers always liked to cling to my body.

Recently, after I had gotten annoyed with the clinging Golden Reapers and had peeled them off, was this wish thrown out?

I actually thought the angry Golden Reapers would punish me by making me ‘drink 1 liter of Evolution Liquid,’ but it turned out to be softer than I expected.

Later, I secretly hid some Evolution Liquid underneath Gwanak-gu’s soil to have something to feed the Golden Reapers if they wronged me.

Hehe.

The Golden Reaper crunched on a uniquely textured long snack and offered it to me as if it tasted better than expected.

‘Mom!’

As the Golden Reaper chewed and gulped down the snack I bit into, it laughed joyfully.

‘!’

Then, the other clinging Golden Reapers began to shove various snacks they thought were delicious into my mouth.

It was a torture scene that would probably cause a human to burst open from overeating.

And in this brutal-looking torture happening in the courtyard of the Sehee Research Institute, there were others suffering aside from me.

There were four Orange Reapers buried in the flower bed, looking like Sprout Reapers.

What on earth did they do wrong to be buried like that, especially when the Orange Reapers would hate getting dirt or mud on them?

Maybe that’s why the faces of the usually calm Orange Reapers were wrinkled with distress.

The Red Reaper was nearby, playing in the dirt, happily smearing its mud-covered hands over the soft fur of the Orange Reapers while building a sandcastle.

And next to them, a White Hungry Ghost, bound at the limbs with a candle wick stuck in its abdomen, was crying.

Kkyuhing!

Seeing the White Hungry Ghost tied up with the Orange Reaper made it seem like they teamed up for some kind of rebellion.

As I was admiring the strangely lively courtyard, I noticed it might be lunchtime, and I saw Yerin waving her hand as she approached.

“It’s a Reaper!”

Yerin, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, was smiling and welcoming me as usual.

And I began to stare closely at Yerin’s neck.

The reason I came in so quietly was just one:

I had to return to the Sehee Research Institute anyway to check on Yerin.

At first, I thought it was just a dream, but there was something that nagged at my mind.

The timing and numbers of the ‘Purple Reapers’ surfaced a bit oddly in my thoughts.

The moment the Purple Reaper appeared was right after I held out for an hour, and immediately after defeating ‘Nameless.’

And the numbers weren’t just one, but several.

So it seemed strange to think it appeared because I destroyed the purple moon.

Rather, it would make more sense to say it appeared after I took down the Hermit Crabs disguised as humans.

If that were the case, the Hermit Crabs I took down in the dream would become real.

‘Then could it be, the mini Yerin in this world too?’

I arrived at such a thought.

‘!’

And then I discovered it.

A purple line that perfectly wrapped around Yerin’s neck as if forming a complete circle.

Perhaps it was due to the harm from the object, but it looked too neat to be a scar like something drawn with a pen.

Yet there was definitely a scar in place.

‘No! My Yerin!’

I felt my heart ache, thinking it was my fault that she got hurt.

*

Ever since Yerin came to work at the Sehee Research Institute, she felt something was strange.

“The Reapers are weird.”

That feeling started right from the entrance of the Sehee Research Institute.

At the front gate of the Sehee Research Institute stood a tiny Golden Reaper security booth, like a woodpecker’s house.

From there, a Golden Reaper popped out, patting Yerin’s neck with a very worried expression.

After that, every mini Reaper she encountered looked shocked at Yerin’s neck, showing signs of concern.

Yerin didn’t mind much since it was a scar she had since childhood, which she didn’t remember at all.

Originally not caring much about the mini Reapers, she felt strange with their sudden worry.

Even the usually indifferent Gray Reaper gasped upon seeing Yerin, making her suddenly uneasy enough to check her old scar in the mirror.

But there was nothing strange there.

“What on earth is going on?”

*

Under the waterfall of Evolution Liquid pouring endlessly, a Blue Girl and her Master stood.

They had safely guided the survivors from the nearby city before returning to look around the sinkhole.

“It’s so massive that we can’t really prepare for it.”

The Master looked up at the waterfall of Evolution Liquid from the sky, wearing a troubled expression.

“If we can’t resolve this situation, it feels like humanity will have to live on top of the mountains about 30 years from now.”

The Blue Girl added quietly, “It’s truly a serious matter,” as she closed her notebook filled with dense annotations.

Then, the Blue Girl said with a sly smile.

“Still, by that time, I’ll have reached the realm where I can solve that situation as an ever-growing magical book and alchemist, right?”

At the Blue Girl’s playful comment, the Master smiled slightly too.

“Sure, I believe in you. ‘The Last Alchemist.’”

Then the Master hardened his face again and spoke.

“I’m going to the kingdom’s capital now to report the Evolution Liquid issue. You focus on your tasks.”

“Yes, I will.”

The Blue Girl replied with a serious expression.

This situation harbored a lot of stories.

The loss of the moon that protected humanity, the collapse of the city.

The magical book that hadn’t died while being contaminated by Evolution Liquid.

And is the Evolution Liquid really beneficial to humans?

But the Blue Girl thought it was likely that what the Master said wouldn’t get through.

Since the alchemist guild had already become ‘that man’s’ private property.

After parting with the Master, the Blue Girl wandered through the endless snowfield,

In an endless white space filled with nothing.

And there, she discovered a Hermit Crab left alone.

‘Even though the purple moon has become such a state, there are still minions left.’

With the faint premonition that this Hermit Crab would play a significant role in the future, she held it in her arms and set off with the now enlarged White Hungry Ghost.

*

Before long, the beautiful starlight poured over the courtyard of the Sehee Research Institute.

I was still lying in the courtyard.

It seemed the Golden Reapers had no plans to return me to bed.

Lying here for three days felt a bit much.

And next to me, the White Hungry Ghost with a candle wick stuck in its abdomen was crying.

Kkyuhing!

The transformed White Hungry Ghost had been lighting up the courtyard of the Sehee Research Institute, day and night, for three full days.

I thought that given the wish was simply ‘let’s lie down and play together’ and it was smiling, I wouldn’t be too angry…

But was I actually quite upset?

From the looks of the mood, the Golden Reapers seemed inclined to continue lying here for over a week.

Even so, I couldn’t stay here, lying down, when there was a comfortable isolation room waiting for me.

‘!’

In that moment, a good idea popped into my head to lighten the mood of the Golden Reapers.

Something more adventurous than just lying around here.

*

The brownish walls.

A ceiling so low that a mini Reaper could touch it by jumping.

A passage too narrow to spread both hands fully.

The Golden Reapers moved carefully down the maze-like passage with tense expressions.

In the hands of the Golden Reaper were a large shield and a short sword.

Following closely behind was the Red Reaper, wielding a long spear made of flames.

And at the very back of the party, the Blue Reaper holding a staff cautiously trailed behind.

They formed a perfect party of a knight, a spearman, and a magician.

As they proceeded carefully, a monster made of shadows revealed itself before the party.

“Attack!”

At that moment, the Golden Reaper raised its sword, emitting determination.

The Golden Reaper pushed the monster back with its large shield, while the Red Reaper struck with the long spear from behind the Golden Reaper.

Kiiieek!

The shadow monster wailed in pain, burning fiercely in the flames before it vanished.

And in the spot where the monster had been, three large star candies appeared.

The mini Reapers each took one star candy and kept moving down the passage with joyful expressions.

I wondered how long they wandered through this labyrinth.

The Golden Reaper found an unusual place after quite some time of wandering.

“Stop!”

At that, the Red Reaper with the fiery spear and the Blue Reaper with the staff froze in place.

Before the Golden Reaper stood a grand door, lavishly decorated.

“Boss Room!”

The door was tinted with shadows, glowing ominously.

With eager expressions, the Golden Reaper, the Red Reaper, and the Blue Reaper pushed open the door to the dungeon boss’s lair.

As the darkness retreated, revealing the vast room, they heard a low voice.

“Finally, you’ve come, challenger.”

The ultimate boss revealed itself, standing grandly atop a massive podium.

It was the Purple Reaper, whose crab-like horns were shrouded in shadows.