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In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where all I could see was the horizon, there lay a solitary island.

I was lying on the edge of a cliff on that island, soaking up the sunlight.

Waves continuously crashed towards the island, creating walls of water that collided with rocks, showering the sky with white foam.

The constant sound of impact comforted my mind like white noise enveloping nature.

When I shifted my gaze, I saw a landscape full of darkness contrasting against the brilliant sunlight pouring over my body.

A deep, dark cave in the center of the island.

James Research Institute employees were endlessly going in and out of the cave with equipment and documents, their heads topped with Mini Reapers.

The Mini Reapers perched on their heads were watching the employees work with amused smiles, seemingly entertained by the scene.

Even though they were attached humans of the Mini Reapers, the atmosphere here felt quite different from that of the Sehee Research Institute.

At the Sehee Research Institute, once employees were chosen by the Mini Reapers, they quit working entirely, citing the need to take care of them…

“Hmm, this is the Sehee Research Institute before the Golden Reaper appeared…”

‘….’

‘….’

Upon reflecting, it seemed that the employees at the Sehee Research Institute were never much for work even before being chosen.

It looked like the issue wasn’t the Mini Reapers but the people instead.

Even though there appeared to be quite a number of employees on the island now, the truth was that the number had significantly decreased.

After all, a considerable number of employees and victims had left aboard the ship James came in on.

If they returned with James, they’d probably be transferred from Korea to another country.

The victims certainly didn’t appear to be Korean.

‘….’

As I basked in the sunlight, the sun began to dip below the horizon.

In truth, I should have returned to the Sehee Research Institute already, but strangely enough, I felt like lounging on this island, so I stayed.

“Mom, stay with me!”

“Kind Mom!”

Curiously, the Mini Reapers gathered around me as I lingered in one place for so long.

Some climbed up to pat my arms with their tiny palms, while others formed a line to bite my feelers one by one.

Some just leaned against me, closed their eyes, and lay down.

In that way, the children without attached humans kept playing around me.

A few of them had rolled off the edge of the cliff initially, but they seemed to have lost interest in rolling and now left me be.

However, time to part with those kids started to approach.

“Hurry up!”

At that moment, afar, the Mini Reapers aboard the ship bounced up and sent me their wishes.

Thinking back, I noticed the number of employees remaining on the island had noticeably decreased.

It seemed only those left to investigate the island remained, while the rest intended to continue exploring the Pacific.

The Mini Reapers leaving my side looked at me with longing expressions as they spoke.

“Can Mom come along too?”

Of course, I planned to ignore those eyes and keep lying on the edge of the cliff.

Tap.

Peep.

Tap.

Peep.

Tap.

As they headed towards the ship, the Mini Reapers turned back with an expression dripping with reluctance.

“Mom will follow, right?”

“She must have woken up by now!”

That was the sort of vibe.

Once the Mini Reapers climbed aboard the ship, it began to slowly move forward.

I propped myself up on the cliff and gazed beyond the horizon.

The sun slowly leaned towards the horizon, painting the sky in golden and orange hues.

The clouds adorned the sky with colors resembling flames, while the sea below shimmered like molten metal endlessly stretching out.

When I turned to look the other way, I saw the immense ship gradually distancing itself.

From the height of the cliff, it felt somewhat ominous.

On one side was a sea resembling molten gold, but on the opposite side, the once-warm colors began to shift to a cold blue.

From my perspective, it felt like looking at a finely crafted panoramic photo.

“Hmm.”

The ship sailing towards the opposite side of the sun seemed to head toward an endlessly cold and dark place, despite being filled with light and warmth.

Looking at the deck of the receding ship, I noticed the Mini Reapers clinging to the rail, gazing in my direction.

It looked somewhat like meerkats.

“Mom!”

“Mom is watching!”

One was waving its hand brightly with a big smile.

Another looked on with a still-longing expression.

Some just stared blankly at me.

In various ways, the Mini Reapers focused their attention on me.

As I sat on the cliff bathed in sunlight, watching the Mini Reapers heading towards the dark sea, I felt a bit odd.

Was it nostalgic, perhaps?

Or was it an unsettling feeling like the dark sea?

I felt a little of both.

So, I decided to stay on the “James Explorer.”

In a flash, I teleported onto the ship, and the meerkat-like Mini Reapers all rushed towards me.

“Mommy!”

“Mom is here!”

The Mini Reapers swarmed around me, turning me into a cocoon.

“…, this is already super annoying.”

Barely a second after arriving on the ship, I had brushed aside the ominous feeling and wanted to go back to the Sehee Research Institute.

*

On the vast ship cruising slowly across the Pacific.

I lay on soft, fluffy marshmallows, watching as the ship sliced through the water.

“Truly, lying on marshmallows feels like finishing up—not that I’m complaining.”

Setting up a garden on the deck as if connecting it to the courtyard of the Sehee Research Institute, I summoned the Marshmallow Garden and lay down there.

My body was half in the salty ocean breeze of the Pacific, and the other half was tinged with the aroma of hot chocolate from the Mini Reaper Garden, creating an oddly delighting sensation.

When I turned my head towards the garden, I spotted Mini Reapers lined up like they were having a sports day at elementary school.

And behind them, White Hungry Ghosts scampered on the marshmallow, being chased by an Incinerator Golem.

Turning my head back towards the Pacific, I saw the employees from James Research Institute measuring the entrance to the garden with all sorts of experimental equipment.

It was a scene with an immense disparity, something rarely seen at the Sehee Research Institute.

After all, the courtyard of the Sehee Research Institute was about 80% like the Mini Reaper Garden.

“It’s a bit surprising that the Sehee Research Institute isn’t going under.”

Upon deeper thought, it seemed Sehee hadn’t suffered losses from any ventures.

Was she unexpectedly skilled at making money?

“Well, as long as Sehee is around, it should be fine.”

With that thought rounded off, I observed the Mini Reaper sports, noticing something odd: only the Golden Reapers were participating.

“The Golden Reapers haven’t been isolating the others, so why is that?”

As I observed closely, I discovered the reason.

The Golden Reapers racing in the contest were all using time acceleration to dash at extraordinary speeds.

Time acceleration can only be used by Golden and Sprout Reapers, and since Sprout Reapers wouldn’t participate in a running competition, it naturally became a Golden Reaper exclusive race.

As I watched the diligently racing Golden Reapers, a thought struck me concerning the new ability I had attained.

Since I could capture time, could I catch a fleeing Golden Reaper?

Hehe.

Considering this made my heart race, which had long since disappeared.

Filled with curiosity and anticipation, I activated my ability towards the ones sprinting on the field.

“Ah!”

At that moment, the Golden Reapers who’d been speeding suddenly froze in place.

On the children’s faces, confusion was evident, and they began to look around in a panic at the surprising turn of events.

Oh, this works well even on Golden Reapers.

I couldn’t help but grin at the sight.

So, I stood up and rushed towards the Golden Reapers, who couldn’t use time acceleration.

“If you get caught, it’s game over!”

With that, the Golden Reapers frantically scattered in every direction trying to escape.

“Not like this!”

“Run away!”

Unlike their usual laid-back smiles as they dashed around, they now seemed quite frantic.

My heart swelled with hope, convinced I could finally catch a fleeing Golden Reaper.

Though I intended to activate time acceleration, under my influence, I couldn’t use it myself either.

No!!!

My dream, my hope!!!

In an instant, an overwhelming feeling of despair washed over me.

Out of spite, I turned the fleeing Golden Reapers into the game over state from a distance.

“Not like this!”

“Mom, you liar!”

“I’ve turned into a game over…”

The Golden Reapers looked up at me, gripped by an immense sense of betrayal.

Seeing that expression, I felt a bit guilty, but I couldn’t help but laugh at the same time.

Hehe.

Turning my head, I noticed the Incinerator Golem busy running around in the distance.

“By the way, the number of White Hungry Ghosts has drastically decreased. Is it because of the White Hungry Ghost Incinerator Golem?”

I tilted my head in curiosity as I gazed at the now tranquil Marshmallow Plains.

*

In the cozy underground chamber, deep of night like a warm bed.

That was the Paradise of White Hungry Ghosts.

Candy stars studded the ceiling, twinkling like stars in the night sky, while the floor was covered with fluffy, soft candy powder.

Kyuheehee.

The joyful laughter of White Hungry Ghosts never ceased within the chamber.

More than half of the White Hungry Ghosts who lived in the Mini Reaper Garden had already flocked to this underground paradise.

However, even in this sweet heaven, there lay a dark secret.

Originally, the owners of this chamber were jelly worms.

But most of them had been captured by the White Hungry Ghosts and stripped of their freedom.

The reason?

Simply put, they had tried to escape from the underground chamber.

It was to prevent the existence of the White Hungry Ghosts and their paradise from being revealed to the world.

The jelly worms had become prisoners trapped in a giant candy jar.

Their jelly bodies were distorted against the transparent wall, their eyes filled with despair.

But not all hope was lost.

One brave jelly worm still remained free.

This little hero was hiding in the dark shadows of the underground chamber, watching for an opportunity.

An opportunity to escape from the underground chamber!

The jelly worm gazed at the hot chocolate bubbling at the chamber’s exit, steeling its resolve.