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In the deep area of Sehee Research Institute, at the end of a corridor lined with gray walls and cold metal doors, there was a room marked with a sign that read “Gray Reaper Isolation Room.”

Yerin walked lightly towards that room, her face filled with anticipation and excitement.

“Finally…!” Yerin muttered in a small voice.

As soon as she heard the news that the Pacific situation had been resolved, Yerin rushed over to this place.

The resolution of such a global-scale incident meant the return of the Gray Reaper, and Yerin couldn’t hide her elation at the thought of meeting the Gray Reaper.

When she swiped her security card, the door opened slightly, and Yerin entered with glee.

But her smile quickly faded.

Inside the room, there were only Mini Reapers lounging on the bed, and there was no sign of the Gray Reaper anywhere.

Awww.

A disappointing sigh slipped out of Yerin’s mouth.

She looked around the isolation room again, tilting her head.

‘Guess it’s still not back…’

Although a sense of loss brushed her heart, she quickly gathered herself upon seeing the Mini Reapers sticking to her feet and patting her.

Yerin sat on the bed in the center of the isolation room.

Then she picked up the remote and turned on the large TV mounted on the wall.

As the screen brightened, a news channel appeared, and the announcer’s voice began to fill the quiet room.

[Breaking news. The large-scale mental pollution that had engulfed the Pacific has dramatically been resolved.]

[This incident originated from the heart of the Pacific and affected not only the West Coast of the U.S. but also Hawaii and the Japanese archipelago.]

[Notably, the key figure in resolving this crisis is our country’s special object, the ‘Gray Reaper.’]

[According to the announcement from James Research Institute, the Gray Reaper independently entered the middle of the Pacific and demonstrated astonishing abilities in eliminating the objects in a short time.]

[With this achievement, the capabilities of the Gray Reaper have once again been validated, and some Object Associations are reportedly considering raising the Gray Reaper’s rank.]

[Experts claim that the Gray Reaper’s abilities exceed the existing special class, suggesting discussions about establishing a ‘transcendent class.’]

[Meanwhile, the economic damage caused by this incident has been estimated to be astronomical, and governments worldwide have initiated rapid recovery efforts.]

[Thanks to the Gray Reaper’s actions, casualties were minimized, but there are also growing concerns about the aftermath of the mental pollution, requiring thorough measures from relevant authorities.]

As the announcer’s clear voice echoed, recorded footage began to flow on the screen.

The Gray Reaper floated serenely on the sea, soaking in the morning sunlight with its eyes closed.

At that moment, Yerin noticed the reactions of the Mini Reapers gathering around her.

‘Mommy!’

‘Mom!’

The Mini Reapers, spotting the Gray Reaper on TV, bounced around happily with bright expressions.

‘…’

And there were Mini Reapers showing no reaction, wearing indifferent expressions.

Most of the Mini Reapers exhibited no interest, as though they were unaware of the very existence of the TV.

Yerin grabbed one of the bouncing Golden Reapers and looked at it with sparkling curiosity.

“Seems like more Mini Reapers are enjoying TV… Did the Reaper catch it?”

Yerin muttered to herself, genuinely curious.

‘?’

However, the Golden Reaper merely tilted its head while looking up at Yerin.

Just then, Yerin’s gaze stopped as she scanned the room.

Something felt off.

‘Do I see fewer Mini Reapers?’

The number of Mini Reapers had noticeably decreased compared to when she first entered the isolation room.

As she realized that, Yerin’s eyes widened, and a smile spread across her face.

“The Reaper is back!”

Yerin’s face began to flush with color, and her heart raced with anticipation.

Without hesitation, she got up and waved goodbye to the Mini Reapers.

‘Bye!’

‘Bye!’

Several Mini Reapers laughed and waved their small hands at Yerin.

Yerin dashed out, passing through the courtyard and entering the Mini Reaper Garden.

The sweet scent of hot chocolate and the fluffiness of marshmallows surrounded her.

Mini Reapers were everywhere, no matter where she turned her gaze.

And finally, she spotted the Gray Reaper, who was patting the bellies of the Golden Reapers.

Yerin gazed at the scene, mesmerized for a moment, then dashed towards the Gray Reaper with a bright smile.

*

Mini Reaper Garden, Marshmallow Plains.

‘No way!’

‘Mom lied to me!’

I was playing around, patting the bellies of the Golden Reapers who had turned into blobs.

Hehe.

The blobs of Golden Reapers were all Golden Reapers that had rushed over to fuse with me.

Whether it was fun to fuse or not, I had gathered so many Golden Reapers flocking around, when suddenly, a brilliant idea struck me.

‘Wouldn’t it be fun to lure the Golden Reapers with fusion as bait and turn them into blobs?’ That was a perfectly sensible thought.

So, I gathered a ton of Golden Reapers using fusion as bait, and BOOM!

The result was this Golden Reaper Blob Land.

‘No way!’

I listened to the indignant cries of the Golden Reapers while I pat their plump bellies.

After playing with the Golden Reapers for a while, Yerin appeared in the Mini Reaper Garden.

“Reaper! Let’s go have fun at the theme park!”

Then, without warning, she picked me up as if I were a cat and began carrying me somewhere.

Could it be that the theme park she has been working on for quite some time is finally completed?

I thought about that as I obediently followed Yerin’s lead toward the theme park.

*

In the glaring midday sun heating the asphalt, the entrance to Gray Reaper Theme Park was filled with an unexpected hustle and bustle.

Even though lunchtime was approaching, there were long lines of people waiting in front of the ticket booth.

Yerin let out a small sigh as she looked down at the Gray Reaper standing beside her, seemingly in a daze.

Originally, they had intended to sneak out of the research institute and play just the two of them, but things had gone south.

No matter how chaotic Sehee Research Institute was, it was a stretch to boldly exit through the main gate with the Gray Reaper.

They had planned this based on the tendency of the security team to leave during lunchtime, but at the onset, Sehee Unnie had stuck close, saying, “Let’s go play together!”

Just as they were about to step outside the research institute, they were caught by Seoah Unnie, who was resting near the front gate.

As their escape plan seemed to come to a deflating end, Sehee Unnie loudly broadcasted over the research institute’s PA system, “It’s a picnic day for Sehee Research Institute!”

Ultimately, Yerin’s attempt to escape to the theme park turned into a group outing for Sehee Research Institute.

Awww.

As Yerin stood in line at the ticket booth with the Gray Reaper, she felt the gazes of people gathering around her.

This time, it was filled with looks of kindness and curiosity.

Yerin felt a bit flattered, her shoulders subtly lifting.

When they reached the ticket booth, the staff appeared slightly startled upon seeing the Gray Reaper but greeted them with a cheerful voice.

“Welcome to Gray Reaper Theme Park!”

“Please give me the unlimited pass!”

Upon hearing that, Yerin lifted the Gray Reaper and presented it toward the ticket booth.

The Gray Reaper wore a look of horror, but Yerin giggled at that.

However, perhaps because it was made for Mini Reaper waistlines, there wasn’t a suitable place for the Gray Reaper to wear it.

It was too loose to put on a finger, but too small for the wrist or ankle.

‘…’

As Yerin pondered, the Gray Reaper chuckled, watching her.

“Ah!”

After much thought, Yerin ended up tying the pass to the Gray Reaper’s head.

The Gray Reaper wore a ponytail with a sulky expression.

As they exited the ticket booth, Sehee Unnie and Seoah Unnie were waiting.

Seoah Unnie had strapped the belt onto the Golden Reaper she usually carried, and that Golden Reaper was clapping in thin air while giggling.

There was probably a budding Reaper in an ethereal state next to it.

Golden Reapers that were close friends with the budding Reaper often played clapping games, seeming to enjoy surprising onlookers.

Sehee Unnie didn’t hesitate to strap unlimited passes onto all the Golden Reapers she brought, showing no concern for wasting money.

She shouted at Seoah Unnie, who was looking as if she thought it was a waste of money.

“If just one has a belt, the others get sad!”

“!”

Upon hearing that, Seoah Unnie looked startled as if she suddenly understood the ‘deep meaning’ behind it.

Seeing that, Yerin smiled slightly and spoke to her sisters.

“So, where should we go first?”

Thus began Yerin and the Gray Reaper’s tour of the theme park.

*

As the red sky of twilight wrapped around Sehee Research Institute, the last granddaughter of the Association President, the Red Reaper, was looking up at the sky.

The hair of the Red Reaper fluttered in the evening breeze.

The last Red Reaper’s gaze was fixed on the heavens, and within it swirled a hint of contemplation.

‘Attached Human, huh…’

The last Red Reaper’s small determination seeped outwards.

Unlike most Red Reapers, the last Red Reaper had a slightly different thought about Attached Humans.

Most Red Reapers seemed to either have the Man in Black Suit as their Attached Human or showed no desire to make one at all.

In contrast, the last Red Reaper, like some Red Reapers who created Attached Humans, harbored a small wish to seek one.

‘Revolution!’

Suddenly driven by her intent, as she turned her head, an accustomed sight caught the last Red Reaper’s attention.

The only Red Reaper who was not a granddaughter and the most adored Red Reaper was stretching both hands skyward, radiating her will.

Then other Red Reapers began to echo “Revolution!” one by one.

Watching that scene, a small smile formed on the lips of the last Red Reaper.

A moment later, drawing in a deep flame as if she had made up her mind, the last Red Reaper slowly yet definitely began to rise into the air.

The Red Reaper set off to the north, flying in search of an Attached Human.

To the cold north, where her small warmth might be of help.