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Free City Alliance, deep underground.

In that place shrouded in thick darkness, there existed a gathering spot for Object Bodies that had lost their hosts.

They flowed in like a spider weaving its fingers together, maneuvering through the intentionally perforated, complex passageways spread across the city.

At the end of those passages lay a gigantic cylindrical Object tank.

The tank was so immense it matched the area of the alliance city.

Though the tank was quite deep, its sheer width made it feel like a pancake.

And just as its size was vast, its status was equally elevated—almost rivaling that of the ‘moon.’

Inside the tank, fingers that were elongated and had numerous joints wriggled like worms, distinctly different from human fingers.

Scattered within those fingers were transparent bubbles containing something that resembled a human fetus, wriggling and moving.

That grotesque sight was the result of the Object Bodies that entered the tank.

Surrounding the tank, wills that humans could never hear constantly seeped out.

‘I should have seized my chance…’
‘I will become a legend of the City Alliance.’
‘I can’t die yet.’

From regrets akin to the laments of the deceased.

‘I must eat humans, humans!’
‘I can still hear voices, I need to eat more. More!’

The delirious murmurs of Scavengers varied greatly.

Over the tank, occasionally, chunks of sparkling gold would fall.

Each time, the finger-worms would swarm toward the gold, much like a shoal of fish rushing for bait, or parasites digging into a host’s muscles.

The worms craved the warmth and kindness contained within the gold, something they could never satisfy.

In that tank, a distinctly large and elongated finger worm was swirling around the entire tank.

Those fingers had a horrific appearance, as if fused with shiny gold and dull metal wires.

On each giant finger worm, there was a monitor blinking red, relaying messages.

[Ambush Failed.][Ambush Failed.][Ambush Failed.]

The red glow of the monitor shone intensely like a warning signal.

It seemed to broadcast shocking information.

That light shone clear even in the darkness, making the space feel even more ominous and foreboding.

The messages on the monitor continued to change.

[A new operation is needed.]

It looked as if it was conversing, and at times, it resembled the soliloquies or thoughts common among humans.

[Increasing difficulty of target acquisition to extreme level.]

The glow of the message gradually shifted to a sticky, glistening red.

[Conceptualizing an operation suitable for the target.]

As the message about conceptualizing an operation concluded, the monitor started to fill with an incomprehensible series of characters.

*

In the Sehee Research Institute, where warm sunlight streamed in.

The Cloud Whale soared into the sky carrying me and Tyrannosaurus.

My most precious Tyrannosaurus had completely transformed from before.

It was covered in splendid metal!

Moreover, it was considerably different from James’s creation.

Originally, according to James’s design, the Tyrannosaurus was supposed to be wearing armor, but now, the glowing Tyrannosaurus was perfectly fused with armor deep down to its very bones.

Initially, I tried to wear the armor as per the design, but it didn’t sit well with me.

It felt like an unsightly donkey with a flashy saddle on its back.

Since the glowing Tyrannosaurus had been created purely from my imagination, it lacked a bit of detail up close.

So I boldly used a Halo to completely transform the armored Tyrannosaurus into the perfect Mecha Tyrannosaurus.

‘Hehe, it looks amazing.’

Seeing Tyrannosaurus reborn in such a splendid form brought a satisfied smile to my face.

My lacking imagination had been filled by James’s armor, resulting in a Mecha Tyrannosaurus that was twice as cool.

Additionally, its status had significantly strengthened, reaching at least the level of a standard Object, if not exceptional.

After some minutes of gazing at the Mecha Tyrannosaurus atop the Cloud Whale, I found myself near the Free City Alliance.

And as I got closer to the Free City Alliance, the air began to fill with an overwhelmingly noxious odor.

‘Wow, this is really serious.’

Having arrived here, I understood why the Mini Reapers hesitated to join me.

Aside from a few clinging to my hair, the stench was enough to make anyone run to the Mini Reaper Garden.

I wondered just how much patience the Mini Reapers who remained in this city had?

I slowly lowered the altitude of the Cloud Whale, landing on the outskirts of the Free City Alliance.

‘Let’s go!’

And I boldly began to march toward the Free City Alliance on my Mecha Tyrannosaurus.

Air filled with pollution.

Oddly shaped vehicles crafted from Objects.

A diverse array of people blending seamlessly into the throng of the three-headed Astrolabe.

Perhaps that’s why the city’s response was somewhat different from my expectations.

‘?”

I thought there would be a commotion like when I released my ghosting and appeared in the midst of Seoul.

Or perhaps since the city was filled with harmful Objects, I anticipated an ambush…

But rather than an ambush, there were no special reactions at all.

Instead, despite my presence atop the magnificent Mecha Tyrannosaurus, people carried on with their mundane lives.

“Gray Reaper. An elite Object that wiped out several cities! Be careful.”

“Don’t provoke it!”

“It’s too risky for mercenaries. Call our clan members!”

Though it was in Chinese and I couldn’t understand, they were surely expressing admiration.

I felt a mix of fear and reverence from the crowd.

Everyone respected the Tyrannosaurus.

Hehe, no matter where it is in the world, the Tyrannosaurus deserves respect.

The vehicles passed solemnly around me, not even honking their horns, moving at a slow pace.

Pedestrians walked by as if it were entirely normal for me to be riding a Tyrannosaurus.

This city might smell terrible and have people who seemed out of their minds, but it felt comfortable enough for me to settle in.

Hehe.

*

In the Free City Alliance, at Cheong’s group’s hideout.

“PIG, unfortunately, was already gone by the time we arrived…”

Cheong spoke in an exaggeratedly mournful voice.

“This is a relic of Uncle PIG.”

With a playful smile, Cheong held up the exoskeleton that was ordered from Uncle PIG.

It was a ‘Cheong-exclusive’ exoskeleton that didn’t utilize any Objects.

It was a convenient exoskeleton that supported the load on the legs and helped absorb the recoil up to the shoulders.

While mercenaries in the Free City Alliance usually preferred enhancing their muscles and bones with Objects, for Cheong, who didn’t use Objects, this was an essential tool.

“Sniff, I’ll make good use of the exoskeleton.”

As Cheong comically sniffled, the orange Reaper above also began to thump to a sorrowful rhythm.

A woman holding a cigarette joined in on the act with exaggerated gestures.

“Sniff sniff.”

Meanwhile, a man with four arms looked at their antics with a stare that clearly said, ‘What on earth is going on?’

However, when the woman elbowed him for emphasis, he had no choice but to adopt a ‘sniff sniff’ pose.

“I’m not dead yet!”

Amidst that playful atmosphere, a stranger sitting in the corner of the hideout shouted with a sulky expression.

Just a while ago, she was a woman using the Snail Body and the ID PIG.

At that voice, Cheong responded playfully.

“No, Snail Body Uncle PIG actually died back then.”

Then, with a serious expression, Cheong followed up with a question.

“Why on earth were you going around looking like that?”

PIG replied with a flustered expression.

“Well… yeah, it involves relying on someone else; I should explain, of course.”

Then, he began to spill the details of his situation.

Starting with how there were too many rowdy folks, he’d been meeting people using a remotely controlled robot.

And the fact that his Object resistance was so low that even a little integration would bring him the Red Voice.

PIG described that he only used Objects for the necessary camouflage like lungs, skin, and some organs.

After hearing PIG’s circumstances, Cheong let out a giggle and casually asked a curious question.

“By the way, why did you use that particular snail robot form?”

“? Because it’s my preference?”

When PIG answered matter-of-factly, Cheong stopped laughing and nervously moved away a bit.

*

‘It’s peaceful.’

Cheong sat blankly, hugging the orange Reaper, quietly watching the group chatter away.

Though Uncle PIG had turned into Aunt PIG, it seemed she blended quite well with the group.

After all, even if she was a bit out of it, she often took on requests together, right?

Moreover, Cheong himself felt Aunt PIG was much friendlier now that she’d shed the Snail Body.

Others likely felt the same.

Cheong thought, ‘Indeed, it was that Snail Body that was the problem,’ and nodded in agreement with the orange Reaper.

At that moment, a sharp beep echoed from the computer set up in the hideout.

“Request?”

Hearing that sound, the male member murmured in confusion.

The man approached Cheong, looking serious after checking the request on the computer.

“Cheong, you need to check this out yourself.”

“?”

Cheong tilted his head, checking the request details.

Then, Cheong’s expression turned serious.

This request was undeniably aimed at ‘Cheong.’

The content of the request stated that it was confidential and would be explained in person, and it promised a reward paid upfront upon accepting the request.

Moreover, the reward was none other than the relics of Cheong’s parents that he had long wished to reclaim.

Spotting the client’s name, Cheong’s eyes widened.

The King of Mercenaries in the Free City Alliance, the Giant Deity.

And the preliminary meeting location was the ‘Central Tower’ that stood tall in the center of the city.

This request was clearly anything but ordinary.

The fact that it specifically targeted Cheong and the cryptic existence of the relic being offered drew in suspicions.

However, the hope of being able to return the relics of his parents deepened Cheong’s internal struggle.