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Yerin was getting ready for work at the Sehee Research Institute under the blue light shining through the window in the early dawn.

“What should I bring today?”

With a smile on her lips, she was choosing toys to play with alongside the Gray Reaper, her heart light like a child going to an amusement park.

Beyond the open window ventilating the room, the sounds of the awakening city reached her ears.

The busy footsteps of employees heading to work clicked away, and cars passed by with a smooth engine hum.

Yet, the streets were cloaked in the quiet and cold atmosphere typical of early morning.

From the shared entrance, a soft voice floated in saying, “Have a good day.”

That voice rang the clearest in Yerin’s ears among the sounds of countless dawns.

It sounded almost mechanical, slightly alien—coming from the Manager-type Association Doll that the owner of the building had deployed to handle various chores.

Clad in a blue, angular uniform and moving with precision, the doll resembled a nutcracker, hinting at its non-human nature.

This was far from the typical household dolls made for emotional interaction with humans.

“The number of Association Dolls is increasing.”

Yerin muttered quietly, unable to hide her ominous feelings.

Was it because the Mini Reapers disliked them, or was there a different reason?

Yerin found those dolls to have a deeply unsettling vibe.

Especially the high-end dolls that looked very much like humans evoked a stronger sense of dread.

They didn’t feel like they would attack humans like other Objects might.

It was something much creepier.

Just the thought of them made her stomach churn a bit.

Lost in her thoughts, Yerin snapped back to reality at the sight of the Golden Reaper with a radiant smile waiting at the entrance.

“Hehe.”

The Golden Reaper was part of the greeting service provided to all researchers by the Gray Reaper, probably because of those Association Dolls.

Clomp, clomp.

Following the spirited stride of the Golden Reaper, Yerin stepped out of the entrance and turned back to say goodbye.

“I’ll be off.”

In the spot where Yerin waved, there were a White Hungry Ghost and a Lead Doll.

Instead of the Golden Reaper, who would sleep by 10 PM, it was the White Hungry Ghost provided for nighttime security.

The White Hungry Ghost was gently perched on the knee of the Lead Doll, which sat quietly as if it were asleep in a chair.

Yerin looked at that scene as she took a step into the blue dawn.

*

Mini Reaper Garden, Marshmallow Plains.

There, many White Hungry Ghosts, granted amnesty due to the Association Doll crisis, were frolicking around.

Yerin had released the White Hungry Ghosts to replace the Golden Reapers, who easily fell asleep if they were not close by.

The White Hungry Ghosts were numerous, small, and possessed quite a level of combat strength, making them exceptional bodyguards.

Of course, they couldn’t compare to the Golden Reaper, but given that the young Golden Reapers were dozing off by 10 PM, they weren’t very effective for nighttime security.

Well, any lack in combat strength could be addressed by calling out to me like the Mini Reapers.

Introducing the Emergency Security Bell of the White Hungry Ghost!

In reality, it would probably be easier to let the Mini Reapers loose in Seoul to smash all the Association Dolls, but there were some ambiguous aspects, so I left it alone.

From my perspective, they didn’t seem too harmful.

Even though the Mini Reapers disliked them intensely, there was no harmful smell coming down from the Color Universe.

But since the Mini Reapers absolutely hated them, I placed security Hungry Ghosts among the Sehee Research Institute Staff.

Plus, I was waiting for an event, which is why I had paused on the doll destruction.

I glanced down at the flyer I had read multiple times.

[The First of Its Kind in South Korea! Confirmation of the Doll Fair hosted by the Korean Object Association!]

[Object Fair = Failure? NO!]

[Experience new possibilities at the differentiated Doll Fair presented by the Korean Object Association!]

[Exhibition Items]

[Diverse household helper dolls for everyday use]

[Colossal dolls that can replace heavy machinery at construction sites]

[Advanced medical assistant dolls to be active in healthcare ]

[Dolls for education that will bring innovation to the field ]

[Experimental lab assistant dolls for research and development]

[Many other dolls are prepared!]

[For more information, check the official website of the Korean Object Association!]

[Join South Korea's challenge towards the future with the Korean Object Association!]

[Inquiries: Korean Object Association (Phone: ■■-■■■■-■■■■ / Email: info@■■■■.■■■)]

Object Fair!

Of course, it was a fair focused solely on ‘dolls’ among Objects, but I was still looking forward to it.

Would there really be no incidents this time!?

I had small hopes.

I wished for the future when delightful Object Fairs would be held periodically in Seoul, starting from this event.

Even if the dolls turned out to be truly harmful and had to be destroyed, it could wait until after the event.

Hehe.

I read through the flyer featuring several introduced dolls again, folded it neatly, and tucked it into the mouth of the nearby Hungry Ghost.

Looking around, I noticed numerous White Hungry Ghosts loitering around me.

Could it be that they received their amnesty?

Or had they not bothered me since the [Hell of Devious White Hungry Ghost]?

So I examined the White Hungry Ghosts closely; they were divided into two groups.

One was busy searching for something, while the other was milling around me.

Kkyuhihi.

Seeing the White Hungry Ghosts wearing sly smiles while lost in thought, I could guess the reason.

These little buddies were waiting for the Orange Reaper.

They seemed to be searching for the Orange Reaper, anticipating the fate of the leading traitor.

But sadly for the White Hungry Ghosts, the Orange Reaper had long since received amnesty through legal dealings with me.

Hehe.

Turning my head to look towards the courtyard, I spotted a large golden statue.

It was a statue made from the golden horn stolen by the Orange Reapers from the Free City Alliance.

It was a statue of a Triceratops, my next favorite after Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Just as Tyrannosaurus felt like a domain I should create, I was very pleased to have a statue of Triceratops instead.

I looked at that golden statue and smiled with pride.

*

James Tower near Songpa District of Seoul.

That place was busy with a constant influx of food, materials, and fuel.

However, among all that hustle and bustle, there was no sign of human presence at all.

Replaced in the spots where humans should be were instead some unsettling entities.

Those were the Association Dolls.

James had tried to refuse entry for the dolls into the site but, with all construction work and hard tasks being handled by the dolls, there was no choice left.

Still, James made it a point that no dolls could get into the tower itself.

So James along with employees he brought from the US personally transported the goods piled up in the tower parking lot into the tower’s interior.

It was unavoidable.

“Hmm.”

James glanced at the CCTV, his voice low and thoughtful.

On the screen, a single doll was slowly walking toward a tightly closed door and turning the handle.

It looked as if it were trying to find a way into the tower.

A chill ran down James’s spine.

The problem was that there were not just a few such dolls.

Different dolls were checking various entrances, each one just once.

As if there was something orchestrating and controlling all the dolls.

If this action was the doing of the ‘Korean Object Association’, at least it would be a relief.

Then it could be brushed off as somewhat of an inept industrial spy.

But what if this had nothing to do with the Association?

Seoul would be facing unimaginable dangers.

James tore his gaze from the monitor and looked out the window.

There, dolls moved in organized rows, carrying goods back and forth.

Perhaps he noticed something suspicious on the CCTV.

The lifeless-looking dolls appeared to have a chilling glint in their eyes, as if they were trying to see through something.

What exactly were they moving for, and by whose will?

*

Clack, clack.

A doll in a blue uniform wandered slowly through the empty corridor of the building Yerin had just left.

Like a patrol, the doll moved back and forth through the unoccupied hallway, but oddly stopped each time it passed in front of the entrance.

Creeeak.

Making sounds reminiscent of a poorly oiled machine, the blue doll turned its head and stared at Yerin’s door for a long time.

Eventually, it resumed its clacking sounds as it began to move again.

The White Hungry Ghost sitting on the Lead Doll’s knee listened intently to that sound.

Even the White Hungry Ghost could tell that doll’s behavior was suspicious.

As the sound of the doll’s footsteps faded away, the White Hungry Ghost let out a sigh of relief.

At that moment, the darkness enveloping the room around the White Hungry Ghost suddenly lifted, showering it in a warm golden light.

Feeling a sense of familiarity from somewhere, the ghost turned its head toward the light.

‘!’

The White Hungry Ghost, surprised to see the light, squirmed.

Curiosity got the better of the ghost as it looked up, and what entered its view was the thinly closed eyes of the Lead Doll gazing down at it.

Those eyes, deep and warm, yet looking somewhat sleepy; the gaze from a being that could not move caused the White Hungry Ghost to be filled with dread.