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The newly established isolation room in the corner of the Sehee Research Institute was filled with unexpected sights.

The room had transformed into a playground for Mini Reapers.

On the bed, Golden Reapers were bouncing up and down on a fluffy blanket, treating it like a trampoline.

And on the table opposite the bed, all sorts of snacks were piled high.

Gathered around were the Black Reapers, cheerfully munching on snacks with bright smiles.

In the center of the room sat a Lead Doll, surrounded by Mini Reapers and White Hungry Ghosts waiting for their turn.

On the knee of the Lead Doll, a small Golden Reaper was jumping up and down, looking up at the Lead Doll.

‘Pet me!’

So, the Lead Doll smiled gently as the Golden Reaper wished and slowly began to pet.

Watching this from outside the isolation room, Seoah was checking a report.

The title of the report was “[Lead Doll Desire Risk Assessment].”

Inside the report were results of tests on the types of desires that the Lead Doll reacted to and the risks associated with their realization.

After thoroughly checking the report, Seoah closed it and spoke.

“It definitely doesn’t seem dangerous.”

“If that’s the case!”

Yerin interrupted Seoah’s words happily, but Seoah shook her head.

“Still, just like Researcher Yerin Oh said, we can’t leave it outside the Institute.”

“Hiiing.”

And behind them, James and the Tattooed Alchemist were deep in conversation.

“Does that mean the doll was saying ‘that desire has been fulfilled’? No matter how I look at it, that ‘kingdom language’ is quite perplexing.”

“Well, this language is more about realizing than learning. In fact, it seems odd that anyone could interpret it at all.”

James slowly walked forward, peering through a glass window that overlooked the interior of the isolation room and said.

“While it looks similar to the Gray Reaper, its behavior is entirely different. A compassionate object that grants every request….”

Then the tattooed woman came over to James and muttered as if she truly regretted something.

“If only the Gray Reaper were like that object, so many things would be possible…. It’s really a shame. Maybe through alchemy, we could eliminate all objects in the world.”

Perhaps because the Alchemist felt immense potential from the Gray Reaper’s energy when she forged a sword last time, she seemed quite interested in experiments and research involving the Gray Reaper.

“Well….”

James, hearing the Alchemist’s words, slowly rubbed his chin and muttered.

“I can’t help but think that a good future doesn’t seem likely.”

James was seriously eyeing the Lead Doll, which was ‘punching’ the Golden Reaper at the request of the White Hungry Ghost.

*

In the shallow area of the Mini Reaper Garden, connected to the courtyard, lay the Marshmallow Plains.

I was lying there, staring at a small TV connected to the courtyard by a line.

[Concerns are growing over the mysterious ‘cognitive ability loss’ incidents occurring around Seoul recently.]

[According to the police, over 20 similar cases have been reported in the past three months.]

[Victims reportedly fall into a state of sudden cognitive loss, unable to recognize their surroundings.]

[In particular, witnesses have been shocked to see the victims with lifeless gazes staring into the void.]

[So far, there doesn’t seem to be any specific commonality among the victims’ age, gender, or occupation.]

Although the news still hasn’t definitively linked it to objects, my gut feeling told me it was connected.

Well, I’m not 100% sure, so it might not be.

So, to confirm this, I poured my will into the Golden Reaper who was stuck to my cheek.

‘That’s the work of a wicked object.’

However, the Golden Reaper seemed solely focused on my face, not even glancing at the TV, and just tilted its head in confusion.

Well, the Golden Reapers have never shown interest in the TV, yet always gathered around me when I watched….

Are they trying to steal my snacks?

As I explained what had happened in detail, the Golden Reaper furrowed its brows in anger and raised its fists.

‘Bad object!’

And then it dashed off somewhere.

Shouldn’t I just wait for the Golden Reapers to sort it out?

Hehe.

While I was watching the Golden Reaper leave with a giggle, I started hearing a faint will.

[No way! I’m absolutely not giving up!]

Turning my head, I saw the play that had recently gained popularity among the Mini Reapers, “[Blue Reaper and the Tower at the End]” being performed.

It was already a rather popular performance, but this new revised version was receiving even more praise from the Mini Reapers.

‘Awesome!’

Around the performance area, Mini Reapers were densely gathered, watching with enthusiasm.

Especially the Blue Reapers were huddled together in a corner, their eyes sparkling with excitement.

[So brave!]
[So cool!]

They were so passionate that every now and then they would make slogans out of strings made of water.

Originally a one-man play operated by a Yellow Reaper controlling several doll outfits, the revised version featured other Reapers joining as actors as well.

[I did it. My magic….]

When I turned my gaze, I saw the Blue Idol Reaper passionately acting with a serious expression.

I didn’t think any other Blue Reaper could perform like that, but this one seemed to enjoy acting.

[Burn all the legs!]

Qkyu-hing.

As the Blue Idol Reaper cast the spell, the limbs of the counterpart, the White Hungry Ghost, were all set ablaze and vanished.

That White Hungry Ghost was actually the same one that had fought the Blue Idol Reaper and had come back to life.

A White Hungry Ghost with two legs and a white tie, just like a butler ghost.

Although it burned, ripped apart, and froze every time during performances, it had no choice; it was its karma.

Watching the White Hungry Ghost struggling in flames, I slowly munched on popcorn scattered all around the performance area.

Hehe.

*

Stepping outside the Mini Reaper Garden and entering the Sehee Research Institute, the Pink Girl was turning her head this way and that as if dazed, unable to collect her thoughts.

‘So many people!’

No matter how much she searched her memory, the only person she had met was her grandfather, and the Sehee Research Institute felt overwhelmingly crowded for her.

It was total chaos!

The girl was so tense her body froze, and her eyes were darting around restlessly.

Despite the fact that only a minimum number of staff accompanied her for security, it seemed overwhelming.

Observing her, the Blue Idol Reaper gently patted the Pink Girl’s cheek to convey her will.

[It’ll be okay. Don’t worry.]

Upon receiving the Blue Idol Reaper’s will, the Pink Girl felt her heart calm a little.

“Thank you.”

The Pink Girl smiled faintly and patted the Blue Idol Reaper’s head.

Clunk.

The room the Pink Girl entered was a small meeting room set up in the corner of the Sehee Research Institute.

“Hello.”

Inside the meeting room, a slightly fierce-looking tattooed woman grinned and waved her hand.

A familiar language.

In this Sehee Research Institute, filled with unfamiliar sounds from the Pink Girl’s perspective, hearing the ‘kingdom language’ suddenly brought a wave of relief.

Phew.

A sigh slipped from the Pink Girl’s lips, as if she had been holding her breath.

At that moment, the tattooed woman spoke to the Pink Girl.

“Okay, then let’s start with the basics.”

So, the tattooed woman began discussing various things with the Pink Girl.

The events that unfolded at the Tower at the End, and their conclusions.

And everything that happened afterward.

*

The Alchemist entered the room, placing a thick report on the desk.

James glanced up at the sound.

“Was there anything unusual?”

“There were a few things.”

The Alchemist replied that way and sat down with a somewhat confused expression.

“It seems time has passed far more than I expected. I might be separated from that girl by a few hundred years.”

But upon hearing this, James merely made a small ‘hmm’ sound.

“Did you expect anything like this?”

“I figured it might be the case. I thought that once you said you hadn’t seen the girl with blue hair. Looking at the artifacts that have been uncovered, it appears that blue girl was quite a famous figure.”

As the Alchemist stood up after hearing James’s words.

“And the girl’s shadow is no problem. It’s just a loss caused by forgetting memories, and as she builds new memories, it will restore.”

“The magical book that devours shadows is quite notorious. Alchemists who have left behind regrets in their lifetime sometimes end up becoming such magical books.”

Thus, while the Alchemist and James talked about the report, she mentioned it was time to return to her sister and left.

Once the Alchemist departed, James began flipping through the report she had left behind.

[The black planet floating in the sky has not yet disappeared and is slowly approaching.]

[Though the black planet is formless, many on Earth feel a sense of unease.]

[In response, the Object Association….]

[….]

The sound of flipping pages echoed in the quiet room, with the TV playing softly in the background.

*

In the skies of South Korea, Cloud Fish were lazily flying around.

A golden comet streaked across the Cloud Fish.

It was the Golden Armored Reaper, flying across South Korea, turning harmful objects into dust.

‘!’

At that moment, the Golden Armored Reaper received some kind of message and began looking up at the sky with a serious expression.

Information about harmful objects appeared on the Golden Reaper Network.

‘Harmful objects!’

‘They make people dazed!’

Hearing that news, the Golden Armored Reaper began flying towards Seoul.