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As I looked up at the massive, burning red skeleton, a strange sound reached my ears.

“Grraaaah.”

Following the sound, I found a mysterious blob of slime wriggling where the heart had turned to ash.

A black, ghastly-smelling mass.

It was an unbearable stench.

The Golden Reapers, with their sharper senses than mine, had already fled far away.

What in the world could this be?

As I got closer, it almost felt like it was trying to say something.

“I don’t want to die.”

“Help me.”

Though it was a squished and distorted little voice, I could clearly hear “Help me.”

Seeing a blob like this speak reminded me of a similar-smelling thing I encountered before.

A human-monster hybrid that attacked me in a cave.

Upon taking a closer look, this melted mass seemed to be wriggling in a human shape as well.

There was another harmful monster like this?

Then it must die.

Without much thought, I launched a hit to the slime person’s head.

Sizzle.

As I knocked off the head, the slime boiled and writhed before exploding with a “pop.”

The slime person, muttering things like “I don’t want to die” and “Help me,” died just like the cave monster, leaving only black blood behind.

The blob could no longer hold its shape and became black blood, flowing and spreading in all directions.

Thump.

The Golden Reaper, still asleep, was punching above my head.

Hmm.

Surely, he would be angry.

But it seemed fun.

I lifted the sleeping Golden Reaper and plopped him into the slime.

At that moment, the Golden Reaper, who usually slept soundly, suddenly jumped out of the slime with a start.

Shaking off the slime as a ghost, the Golden Reaper seemed furious, but then returned to the Golden Reaper garden.

Oh, he really is mad.

Even when I tried summoning him back to my palm, he turned his back and didn’t look at me.

“I’m sorry, I won’t do it again.”

I stroked him with sincerity.

As I kept petting him, he glanced at me and then returned to sticking to my head with a smile.

Indeed, Golden Reapers are kind.

*

I climbed onto the burning skull.

Since the skull was big, the flames attached to it were huge, engulfing my entire body.

Is this something a human can actually do?

It didn’t seem like there would be any fireproof suit that would let me step into the flames…

Looking up at the red moon from atop the tall skull, I felt it was a bit closer.

Condition for destroying the red moon.

[Place the red skull at the center of the desert, light it on fire, and dance atop it.]

I saved the red skull, and the fire was lit.

Now I just needed to place it in the center and dance!

When I return to the research institute with Seoah, Yerin will probably have bought some new pudding again, right?

I have to finish this quickly and get back.

The center of the desert is directly beneath the red moon.

Sitting on the burning skull, I waited while playing with the Golden Reapers for the red moon to come right over the skull.

But the red moon didn’t seem to have any intention of coming near the skull at all.

It felt more like it was orbiting around the red skull.

The movement pattern of the red moon had changed.

What is this? Should I really carry the skull?

*

Hiding under the Golden Reaper pyramid to avoid the hot moonlight, I took a short break.

It sounds strange to say it’s hot moonlight, but it really was hot, so I couldn’t help it.

On my palm sat my little guardian angel, the Golden Reaper.

The Golden Reaper tapped my palm.

A signal to throw him into the sky.

I stepped slightly out from the pyramid, preparing to throw the Golden Reaper high up.

I knew this little golden fellow was much stronger than any human, but he looked so small and weak that I always had to be careful when throwing him.

Gently lifting my palm, I tossed the Golden Reaper into the sky.

For a human, it would be a terrifying height, but the Golden Reaper was grinning broadly and having fun.

Spinning high in the sky, the Golden Reaper performed a splendid pose as he landed like a gymnast.

“Oh! Well done.”

I clapped my hands and patted him, and he beamed at me.

He looked even happier than when I tossed him.

Was he not asking to be thrown up just because it was fun, but rather to receive compliments?

Well, he’s cute anyway.

Suddenly, the Golden Reaper, who had been gazing at me earnestly, whipped his head around and started staring at something beyond the horizon.

At that moment, the sky split open.

A massive red pillar of light came crashing down from the sky.

And all sorts of objects began to emerge from all directions.

“Reaper! Objects are appearing!”

I hugged the Golden Reaper tightly and looked around cautiously.

Sand soldiers had sprung up all around me.

The quick-witted Golden Reaper usually alerted me to the emergence of threatening objects, but this time he seemed uninterested.

Did he think these objects posed no threat to me?

Fortunately, the newly emerging objects showed no interest in me and just rushed toward the pillar of light.

After a while of concentrating on the pillar, the Golden Reaper lost interest and started dancing while looking at me.

Dancing?

Why all of a sudden?

Though it was sudden, the Golden Reaper, smiling broadly and dancing, truly looked like he was enjoying himself.

*

Ah, what a hassle.

I was dancing in the flames.

For almost an hour.

Looking down, I saw the Golden Reapers giggling and chatting amongst themselves while dancing along with me.

You all must be having fun.

In truth, I started dancing from a somewhat despairing mindset.

It was impossible to move the skull, and the red moon showed no sign of approaching.

What the heck.

I thought, “Whatever! I’ll just dance!” and began to do so, and it turned out to be the right choice.

A spotlight fell on me as the red moon began to creep closer.

At the rate it was approaching, it seemed like I needed to dance for about three more hours.

The dance model was the doo-chit-doo dance of the black penguin that I had seen plenty of in photos before.

But I had never danced before, so it proved quite difficult.

So, will I keep dancing until the red moon is above my head? Just as I thought that, another hindrance appeared.

Objects started to swarm around me, attacking.

Wait a minute! I have to dance for three straight hours in flames while fending off these objects?

Moreover, I first need to take down that massive flame-spewing skull.

Is this something a human can do?

No, even before considering if I could, figuring out how to destroy it seemed impossible.

Fortunately, I didn’t need to deal with the approaching objects; all I had to do was keep dancing.

The Golden Reapers energetically dealt with the objects like, “We won’t forgive anything interrupting our party!”

The approaching objects were shredded to bits by the Golden Reapers, as if put through a grinder.

Three hours.

I hope it passes quickly.

*

After the pillar of light came down from the sky, the moonlight gradually weakened.

It was probably the Gray Reaper’s doing.

The hot moonlight emitted by the red moon had also become nearly powerless.

The temperature dropped to a normal level, so there was no need to hide anymore inside the Golden Reaper pyramid.

Plus, the desert was gradually shrinking.

The desolate desert that used to show nothing but horizon in every direction was now gone.

Looking around, I could see a transparent dome and the familiar city skyline beyond it.

All of this was a result of the emergence of that pillar of light.

Perhaps the Gray Reaper was working hard to save people at the place where the light pillar was?

The distance to the light pillar seemed close enough to walk.

With the Golden Reaper happily dancing on my palm, I slowly headed toward the light pillar.

I have to go greet the Gray Reaper!

*

A dance party erupted in the Gray Reaper Isolation Room, which was devoid of the Gray Reaper.

It all started with the Golden Reaper.

Then, when Yerin saw the suddenly dancing Golden Reaper, she joined in and started dancing as well.

Of course, Yerin and I couldn’t keep up with the endless stamina of the Golden Reaper, and we collapsed in exhaustion, catching our breath while watching TV.

As expected, the unexpected actions of the Golden Reaper weren’t for nothing, as the news was showing shocking footage.

Doo-chit-doo.

The awkwardly dancing Gray Reaper and the surrounding Golden Reapers twirling joyfully.

It was a high-definition video capturing the scene.

The Reapers could be seen dancing grandly under the spotlight at the center of the desert.

And around the dancing skeleton of the Gray Reaper, people were gathered in a circle.

The superstar Gray Reaper?

What in the world is happening?

“Sis! Sis! There’s Unnie Seoah over there!”

“Oh, thank goodness she looks fine.”

Having spotted Seoah for a brief moment in the passing footage, we felt a wave of relief.

Indeed, the Gray Reaper is the one of faith and trust.

Our institute’s guardian deity!