---

The morning began as a day like any other.

Suddenly, a blackout struck Seoul.

It was accompanied by a complete failure of electronic devices and localized communication breakdowns.

The cause was quickly revealed.

A magnetic sphere suddenly rose in the midst of Gangnam.

Once a terrifying object like a steel tower that inflicted serious damage on the Korean Peninsula.

But not anymore.

An object whose countermeasures were already well-known was no longer a source of fear.

The magnetic sphere, with its widely understood characteristics and containment methods, was swiftly isolated by agents equipped with specialized containment devices.

However, the failure to isolate the magnetic sphere hinted at another incident.

An object leak occurred at the object expo!

The news spread rapidly.

In an attempt to confirm the facts, the captured images of the expo venue were horrifying.

Objects hurriedly struggled to escape outside.

It suggested that most of the objects exhibited at the expo had escaped the isolation facility.

Given that it was an expo meant to demonstrate the safe containment of high-risk objects, significant damage was anticipated.

[Who on earth planned this expo?]

[To exhibit objects like the ‘Gray Reaper’ at such an expo? We need to clarify responsibility and punish accordingly.]

[Whoever thought of displaying the [Thief Who Doesn’t Steal] should be imprisoned for murder!]

[Isn’t the [Thief Who Doesn’t Steal] an object that the government was specially managing due to its high potential for criminal use? To take this out and exhibit it? What on earth were they thinking?]

TV panels unanimously raised their voices, demanding punishment for the involved parties.

When this incident was first reported, experts estimated a 90% probability that everyone inside the expo had perished.

Strangely enough, many high-risk objects were included among those exhibited.

Fortunately, after deploying drones to film the expo, it was revealed that only a few individuals had died.

However, the sighting of a small-sized object resembling a Gray Reaper, dripping blood and wandering around, stirred anxiety among the people.

Moreover, the fact that all the people within the expo were asleep felt ominous.

What on earth was happening at the expo?

But the government’s response was limited to sealing off the expo with military forces.

Many voiced their doubts, but the government’s reply was as follows:

[We cannot immediately deploy the military.]

[The density of objects outside the expo is too high, and some objects cannot be dealt with using firearms alone.]

[Given that no additional casualties have occurred so far, we believe reckless attempts to breach will cause even greater damage, and we intend to proceed cautiously.]

[While I cannot specify the exact timing for entry, after securing a list of the exhibited objects, we will prepare thoroughly, equip ourselves, and then enter.]

While it sounded reasonable at first glance, it was an answer that left an impression of stalling for time.

*

An elderly man walked confidently out in front of an empty courthouse.

It was Oh Muryong, the association president who had just been acquitted.

The trial of Oh Muryong had garnered considerable media attention.

However, that attention had now shifted elsewhere.

High-risk objects deployed at the expo.

The containment failure incident at the expo.

The blackout incident at Gangnam Station.

The lukewarm military responses.

All those pressing issues had redirected public focus.

Once Oh Muryong boarded the pre-arranged vehicle, it immediately sped off.

“Sir, you’re truly impressive. With all this hubbub, the trial talk will surely die down.”

“Too few victims.”

Tsk-tsk, Oh Muryong said.

“Drag it out as long as possible. There needs to be a little more bloodshed.”

“There’s already sufficient attention. Is there really a need to prolong this?”

“….”

“Yes, I understand.”

The middle-aged man, who had shown quite a perplexed reaction, composed himself and replied calmly in the face of Oh Muryong’s cold gaze.

*

Crack, the broken wood returned to its original state as if time was rewinded.

It was an object with extraordinary regenerative abilities, despite being wood.

[Humans will overcome the tree’s nightmare.]

This condition was already confirmed, but just to be sure, I tried turning the Golden Tree into shredded wood, but as expected, it had no effect.

Objects that could not be destroyed through ordinary means had ambiguous conditions, while those that were easily destructible tended to provide more intuitive hints.

[Cutting off the head and body will kill it!]

Such obvious fatal hints are given as if they were clues.

In other words, it meant that the Golden Tree was not easily killed by normal methods.

Therefore, as the hint suggested, I needed to overcome the nightmare, but how could I do that?

I splashed water on a nearby person and kicked at them, but they showed no signs of waking up.

Instead, the Golden Reaper that had been clinging to that person was understandably furious and charged at me.

Puddukdak.

I stroked the tiny fist-punching Golden Reaper while waiting for it to calm down.

Fortunately, the Golden Reaper calmed down quickly and returned to its original position.

After much deliberation, I wandered slowly around the expo.

Thump thump.

How should humans overcome the tree’s nightmare?

Should I also fall asleep with them?

Time was running out.

The dim night had somehow turned into morning.

The Golden Reaper’s time was being consumed.

It would be wise to resolve this incident before a day of protection for the Golden Reaper passed.

‘!’

As I moved quite a distance away from the tree, I stumbled upon a shocking murder scene.

‘No!!!! Don’t!!!!!’

I screamed silently.

A corpse that had been torn to shreds lay in tatters.

A Tyrannosaurus lay dead in a horrifying state.

Of course.

Dinosaurs are stupid, so they were torn to pieces by the Golden Reaper while trying to eat a human.

I suppressed my sadness and moved on again.

*

As I wandered around the expo, thinking of ways to destroy the tree, I found no sharp methods.

Waiting for someone to overcome the nightmare seemed too improbable.

[Humans will overcome the tree’s nightmare.]

When I touched the Golden Tree, I felt a pulsating power.

A pulse of power intended to put humans to sleep.

Since it seemed directed at humans, it bounced off me, an object, without effect.

If I don’t resist this pulse, could I fall asleep immediately?

Since I am ‘formerly human,’ if I entered the dream, destroyed it, and emerged, would that count as overcoming?

Thinking that, I accepted the pulse with my body.

Then, in an instant, my vision went dark and my consciousness faded away.

Zzz

*

Although the Central Research Institute was dismantled due to public outcry, the officials understood its necessity.

A research institute capable of containing objects that could ghost.

An institute that could safely contain high-risk objects without significant risk.

It was a research institute stained with corruption and distrust but still needed.

‘Discovery of the hidden Hungry Ghost.’

‘Concealment of employee deaths.’

‘Providing the cause for the collapse in Songpa District.’

Yet, public sentiment was too poor to simply resurrect the Central Research Institute.

Thus, the officials decided.

To secretly re-establish the Central Research Institute.

And a proposal was made to me to take on the role of deputy director of the newly created secret Central Research Institute.

Me, who was locked away in prison just for having been the deputy director of the Central Research Institute.

“How strange. How strange.”

But this was indeed odd.

There was no reason to call me back if they were going to restart the Central Research Institute.

More precisely, there was no reason to sneak me out of prison.

Of course, I accepted the proposal and now stood here.

In front of the new Central Research Institute.

What I held in my hand was an appointment letter.

An appointment letter stating that someone was to be appointed as the director of the Central Research Institute.

It was the appointment letter for the man who died in the Hungry Ghost incident 30 years ago.

For the Central Research Institute to be completed, the object resembling that man must come to the institute.

Bang.

The sound of the seal being stamped on the appointment letter echoed loudly.

With this, that man would be locked in the director’s office, starting to write incomprehensible papers.

Upon entering the director’s office, something unusual occurred.

“!”

The director’s office was still empty.

The director had vanished.

‘Ah, this was why.’

The reason the deputy director position of the new Central Research Institute had fallen to me.

The director’s appointment was not happening.

“Ha, hahahaha.”

For some reason, I felt like laughing.

I wiped the smile from my lips with my finger.

“That man has come back to life.”

Maybe it was because I was that man’s son; a strange sense of inevitability washed over me.

I had lived my life hating that man, yet I found myself inexplicably amused.

Perhaps those who proposed the deputy director position expected something different if I, the son, was in charge.

But, that expectation was misplaced.

So what would happen next?