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I sat hunched over near the uncle, blankly staring at the reddish desert that seemed to burn.

Before long, the cave entrance was crowded with people.

“Can’t at least one of us go in?”

“Please, just let my child in!”

There were many people gathered at the cave entrance pleading to be let in.

I asked the uncle if he could accept up to 99 more people on a first-come, first-served basis, but he replied that it would be difficult.

If the uncle said it was hard, then it probably meant it wasn’t going to happen.

I sat on a flat rock, propping my chin up and watching the people.

“Isn’t the whole 100 people limit just something you all made up?”

“If interpreting the object was so easy, why are there so many research institutes?”

“Tell them to reinterpret it! Look at the size of the cave. It might fit around a thousand people!”

For some reason, the crowd of angry people kept gathering at the cave entrance to protest.

The atmosphere felt like they were ready to force their way in at any moment.

In reality, inside or outside the cave, there were only water and shade; why were they so desperate to get in?

At the noisy cave entrance, a dismembered corpse was still lying around.

I suggested cleaning it up, but the adults said it was better to leave it as an example, so it stayed.

The uncle was sweating profusely as he carried water buckets and distributed water to the people at the cave entrance.

If only half of that attention was given to me….

“Things are getting dire.”

I faintly heard a gloomy voice from one of the Trinity researchers.

“What?”

What exactly is reaching a limit?

Curiosity made me look back, but the Trinity researchers who were loitering near the entrance had already disappeared.

Once the angry crowd backed off, the uncle’s expression finally showed signs of taking a break, though it still looked dark.

“Uncle, is there a problem?”

“The shade outside the cave is almost full. If more people come, it will cause issues.”

“Limit?”

“Yes, young miss. It’s a limit now.”

I finally understood what the Trinity researchers had meant.

While I was happily conversing with the uncle, the atmosphere inside the cave shifted.

“Monster! A monster has appeared!”

A horrific-looking monster crawled along the ceiling and glared at us.

It looked so terrifying that I tightly grasped the uncle’s hand.

Long arms like a whip.

Eyes that were disturbingly large.

A monster with blue skin and bulging black veins.

“What the hell is that?”

“They didn’t say anything about something like this appearing!”

The panicked people were in a chaotic uproar.

The monsters on the ceiling were drooling black saliva, as if they were licking the crowd.

Were they searching for something?

Hehehe.

The monsters let out a low howl.

It felt strangely mocking.

“Miss, keep quiet and follow my lead.”

The uncle’s low voice contrasted with the panicked crowd, which gave me a bit of reassurance.

The uncle moved expertly to the center of the cave.

Observing the surroundings, the uncle spoke in a small voice.

“I can’t see two of the Trinity researchers.”

“They haven’t been seen for quite some time; they might have been taken deep inside the cave before us?”

“That might be the case, but we need to consider that possibility. Two monsters that seem to have intelligence and two missing researchers—it’s quite suspicious.”

I whispered to the uncle.

It was a scary situation, but holding the uncle’s hand made me feel completely unafraid.

Rustle.

The monsters, closely observing the crowd, crawled on the ceiling like cockroaches, then jumped down and stood to block the entrance.

At the same time, the uncle yanked my arm painfully and began to dash deeper into the cave.

“AAaaah!”

Screams echoed from the entrance, followed by the sounds of blood and flesh scattering.

When I glanced back, I saw monsters swinging their whip-like arms wildly, tearing people apart at the entrance.

We fled to the altar across the lake, but we were cornered anyway.

The uncle and I were caught in an instant.

The approaching monsters on both sides prompted the uncle to shout.

“Why are the Trinity researchers doing this?”

“Huh? Well, naturally.”

Suddenly, one of the monsters began speaking human language.

Just as the uncle had said, they were Trinity researchers!

But the creature speaking was struck down by a whip from the other monster.

“Ah, team leader! I’m upset you hit me out of nowhere.”

“If anyone hears this, what should I do?”

Though a bit clumsy, they were clearly speaking.

“Seriously, you killed everyone while counting numbers. What—who cares if someone hears?”

“Did you not think someone could be outside? Someone might still be alive. I told you to be careful!”

The monster referred to as the team leader turned his head and said.

“I don’t care why this is happening. Kill.”

At the team leader’s gesture, the whip from the other monster shot toward me at lightning speed.

Death was upon me, yet it didn’t feel real at all.

With a deafening crash, blood splattered everywhere.

The uncle wrapped around me.

“Ah… Uncle.”

Then a sharp pain in my abdomen caused me to lose consciousness.

*

As the Black Agent and the Blonde Girl collapsed to the ground, the Trinity team leader shouted.

“Hey, idiot! I said to save at least one!”

“I had no idea someone would try to shield another at this moment! Their hair color is completely different, so they can’t be family…”

The team member, grumbling while examining the corpses, raised his voice to call the team leader.

“Team leader! This child is alive!”

“Huh? How is that possible? We could penetrate through ten people with our strength.”

“This girl has a good object. It’s said to be from China—a rumor says it could save the life of someone about to die once. Its effect is quite spectacular.”

The team member said, looking at the girl who was merely unconscious and peacefully sleeping.

“Is she the daughter of someone important? Things just got complicated.”

The team leader spoke with a troubled voice while placing the girl on the altar.

“Still, there’s no turning back now. As long as we don’t get caught, it’s fine.”

The Trinity researchers had transformed back into human form, gathering their hidden clothes.

Fully dressed, the team leader lifted a dagger from the altar and prepared to plunge it into the girl’s heart.

Watching the team leader, the team member expressed his concern.

“Are you sure about the interpretation?”

“What the hell are you talking about suddenly?”

“Honestly, your decoding level is slightly over 50%, so I’m getting a bit anxious. How about we just hide in the cave and wait for rescue?”

“Well, that does seem a bit safer. But I can’t wait for rescue after attacking someone important’s daughter.”

The team member muttered, “Ah, I see. We’re in a tight spot,” and agreed.

The team leader then plunged the dagger into the girl’s heart.

At the same moment, the team leader vanished without a trace.

“Team leader? Team leader?”

The team member tugged at his hair in frustration.

“Ugh, this is annoying.”

Probably, only one could escape per sacrificed victim.

“Well, if the cave is cleaned up nicely, anyone would come in as a victim, right?”

The team member mumbled as he walked toward the cave entrance.

*

Hmm, no matter how I look at it, that seems to be a red skull.

I shone my hand camera on the skull and looked around, confirming that it indeed appeared to be a red skull.

A massive skull with its mouth wide open and hands casting a shadow.

It felt like it would rise and wreak havoc if I checked the destruction conditions.

As I approached the rock that looked like a red skull, people were anxiously loitering around, clearly afraid of something.

“I heard that a monster came out of the cave and killed everyone.”

“What should we do? If not there, we won’t be able to find water….”

As I stealthily approached in a ghosting state, they were discussing something serious.

Since it seemed the Golden Reaper hadn’t reached this area yet, there were no signs of the Golden Reaper on the people’s shoulders.

The Golden Reaper is slower than me due to their rescue efforts, so it couldn’t be helped.

There are too many people hovering near the rock?

Waking the red skull might injure too many people.

While I pondered, a thought floated into my mind.

Hehe.

I had a feeling it would be a fun idea.

*

Boom!

The sand exploded violently.

“The Gray Reaper is here!”

“A reaper has appeared!”

The Gray Reaper suddenly emerged.

Having just witnessed the massacre in the cave, we began to flee in terror.

The Gray Reaper popped up from the sand and grabbed our feet, pulling us in.

What if we got dragged away by an object of extreme danger?

Only death would wait for us.

“Haah. Haah.”

As I caught my breath and looked down, the Gray Reaper was peeking up from the sand, glaring at me.

“AAaaaah, please save me!”

Another companion was caught by the Gray Reaper and struggled.

Why on earth is the Gray Reaper here?

“Hahaha, rock! Run to the rock!”

A companion who climbed onto a rock called us with laughter.

“You fool! Run away!”

Already the Gray Reaper stood behind him, its head peeking over the rock and watching intently.

Then, the Gray Reaper’s hands, bursting out from the crimson rock, grabbed his ankles.

“AAaaah!”

The companion who climbed the rock panicked and kept scaling the rock to escape the slowly approaching Gray Reaper, but the size of the rock had its limits.

Eventually, our desperate escape continued until we were far from the cave.

When we paused to catch our breath and looked back at the cave, we saw the head of the Gray Reaper swimming through the sand like a shark fin.