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Late at night, the Sehee Research Institute Security Room was bustling with people.

Under normal circumstances, only a few tired-looking employees would be sitting at their desks, struggling to stay awake, but tonight, there were plenty of staff with bright, sparkling eyes.

Of course, it’s not because they were working hard—it’s the Sehee Research Institute, after all!

The staff had even pulled out popcorn and were glued to the CCTV screen as if they were watching an entertaining TV show.

On the CCTV screen, the Golden Reaper was bouncing around with pudding in tow.

The research institute employees were enjoying it like they were watching videos of cats or puppies.

“The Golden Reaper is so cute. I want to take one home.”

“Me too.”

At late night, the Golden Reaper pattered along the dark corridor, where even the lights were off.

The Golden Reaper was trying its best to sneak around, glancing around cautiously, but hiding on such a dark night was impossible.

The Golden Reaper glowed just like the Gray Reaper!

The corridor with no light was softly shimmering with the glow of the Golden Reaper.

What seemed to be a smooth and enjoyable journey for the Golden Reaper suddenly hit a massive bump.

The path was blocked!

A huge steel wall loomed right in front of the panicked Golden Reaper.

Having been wandering freely, the Golden Reaper stopped dead in its tracks, peering around and checking its surroundings.

“I guess it didn’t know that certain sections drop barriers after midnight.”

“Considering the Golden Reaper often falls asleep right at night, it probably didn’t know the time.”

The Golden Reaper shuffled back and forth around the closed door.

It seemed to be searching for a gap to slip through, but there was no way an Object Standard Barrier would have such a gap.

If it had been the Gray Reaper, it would have ripped through the barrier and casually continued on its way with pudding, but the Golden Reaper didn’t seem to have any such plans.

“Shall I open it for you?”

“Hey, if you get caught, it won’t end with just a pay cut!”

“But it’s just so sad.”

The Golden Reaper didn’t seem to know any other way and kept wandering around near the barrier.

It knocked on the steel door and even tried to climb over the barrier.

After every possible attempt failed, the Golden Reaper hugged the pudding and plopped down on the floor with a sad face.

The high-performance CCTV that Seoah had set up captured the Golden Reaper’s face perfectly.

“Ah, I don’t know. Let it go!”

One of the security room employees, unable to bear the sight of the sad Golden Reaper, recklessly operated the controls to raise the barrier.

Rumble.

With a loud sound, the barrier began to rise slowly.

*

The Golden Reaper was worried while staring at the pudding.

Pudding…

It has to be eaten quickly to be tasty.

But the path to the Attached Human was blocked by a massive steel wall.

A steel wall that could be easily broken through.

However, the Golden Reaper could only crouch and wait, knowing that breaking a human’s belongings would make them sad.

But then, a miracle happened.

Rumble.

With a loud sound, the steel wall began to rise slowly.

The Golden Reaper wiped away its sad expression and dashed toward the steel wall.

It’s really just a moment away from the Attached Human now!

*

In the Sehee Research Institute Director’s office.

Most people had clocked out, but I remained in the director’s office, holding onto a book like I was still a student.

Ah, I’m going to die.

This is not a test you can just study for three months to pass!

I heard that it’s easier to get into the related field than expected, so why is this so hard?

Wasn’t I meant to be in the related field?

Grumbling internally about the “Daily Objects” that led to the creation of such laws, I turned the pages again.

At that moment, a cute sound of ‘knock-knock’ came from the office door.

A completely different cute sound from Seoah’s terrifying knock.

When I opened the door a crack, I found the Golden Reaper presenting pudding as if offering a pizza.

I placed the Golden Reaper in my palm and accepted the pudding.

This is the pudding that everyone says is delicious.

I was thinking of trying it, but I was too busy and hadn’t gotten around to eating it.

“Did you bring the pudding? Thanks.”

While I gently patted the Golden Reaper close to my face, it somehow gave me a gloomy look and patted under my eyes.

Oh no, could it be dark circles?

Wait, is it worried because I look tired?

“Yeah, yeah. It’s all good. Today, I’m just going to eat pudding and rest.”

I tore open the pudding and took a little bite with a spoon for the Golden Reaper.

Then I took a bite myself.

It’s been a while since I studied hard, but seeing the Golden Reaper smile brightened my spirits.

I began to feel an unfounded confidence that I might just pass the qualification exam.

It cannot be helped.

Today, I’ll eat pudding and rest, and from tomorrow, I’ll work hard!

*

Lying on the factory floor while gazing at the floating puddings in the sky.

“Oh no. This is bad.”

Yerin was pacing back and forth, watching the pudding foam spreading far and wide.

Is this really something to worry about?

Just think of it as the entire nation getting free pudding.

Anyway, today was too tiring.

Wasting firewood while brawling with the Hungry Ghost subspecies.

Wasting firewood by hastily expanding the Golden Reaper’s garden.

Wasting firewood by squashing the Hungry Ghost subspecies with space manipulation.

I used too much firewood and am now exhausted.

All of this was my fault for dragging my feet, so it’s my own doing.

Tap tap.

The Golden Reaper was poking my cheek while I laid tiredly sprawled out.

As if urging me to eat, it was poking my cheek while presenting pudding.

Accepting the pudding offered by the Golden Reaper and looking at the puddings floating in the sky made me feel somewhat relaxed and happy.

Now pudding is going to come into the Sehee Research Institute, right?

Even though I was tired, just thinking of the delicious pudding I would eat in the future made me feel happy.

Hehe.

The Objects I just dealt with were two in total.

The murder bear robot and the Hungry Ghost subspecies.

But I gained no abilities.

I suspect it’s because both of them are physical Objects.

Even if I destruct a muscular Object, I never gained muscle myself.

Especially this time, the Hungry Ghost subspecies had remarkable muscles, and I wanted to at least experience gaining a strength-related ability once.

Lacking strength to even open a bottle, I have to rely on Yerin to do it for me, which is inconvenient.

If there’s no one around to help, I have no choice but to blast through the bottleneck by colliding.

Munch munch.

Gathered with the Golden Reapers, we were eating pudding when Yerin came over and called us.

“Alright, let’s head back to the research institute now!”

Since I was just staring and not moving, Yerin strode over, slipped her hands under my armpits, and lift me up.

She lifted me like a cat and placed me in the vehicle.

And just like that, we took off.

Watching the pudding factory grow increasingly distant, I thought:

Oh, there was that slime that I might accidentally drop the Golden Reaper into, but I had been too tired to recall it.

I felt a bit regretful.

*

James gazed out the hotel window at the morning sun.

It had been a long day.

After the Gray Reaper left the factory, there were many things for James to deal with.

After the Gray Reaper left, he called the Object Disposal Unit to find any Objects that might be hiding inside the factory.

He sent the fainted interpreter to the hospital and dispersed the crowd gathered in front of the factory.

Now, he needed to meet a lawyer for potential fallout from the pudding bubble leak incident, meet some well-known reporters to get newspaper articles out, and so on.

It’s been a long day, but the day wasn’t over yet.

Just then, as he took a breather in his hotel room, his smartwatch buzzed with a call.

The caller was a “friend” living in China.

A man leading retro ninjas.

“It’s been a while since I heard from you. Why the sudden call?”

[….]

“There was indeed a problem. Right after setting up the factory in Korea, we were attacked under the guise of an accident. I’d never have set up a factory in Korea if it weren’t for your request.”

[….]

“The Gray Reaper? I met it, not that I wanted to meet it so soon. Well, it seems to be related to the Artifact No. 0, for sure.”

[….]

“I’m not sure yet about this incident. The timing is quite coincidental, but Korea has a lot of such accidents, so I can’t make any judgments.”

[….]

“Yeah, then. Let’s meet next time, friend.”

James hung up the phone and lay back on the bed.

He had a troubled expression on his face.

*

Arrival!

Leaving the pudding factory, they finally arrived at the Sehee Research Institute Reaper’s isolation room.

In my arms was a soft, warm sleeping Reaper.

Slowly leaning my body, I lay on the bed with the Reaper.

The Reaper looked extremely tired today, having not even touched the snacks in the car before falling asleep.

After fighting the Hungry Ghost, it looked a bit more tired, and I noticed the light flickering less in its chest.

The Reaper cuddled in my arms either dreaming or smiling slightly with its mouth closed.

By the way, seeing it in the isolation room certainly felt different.

The Reaper had turned white.

Ever since I touched that book, it had faintly turned white, but I wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.