On the gentle slopes of Kkachisan Hill, preparations for an event were well underway.

The Object Research Institute’s Annual Conference, hosted at the Kkachisan Research Facility, was in full swing. The Black Agent moved through the bustling venue, assisting with the final checks and preparations.

The work, which had started early in the morning, extended into the afternoon. When the preparations hit a lull during lunchtime, the Black Agent took a moment to catch his breath, gazing down from the low hill.

The agent was exhausted—worn out by the recent disbandment and reformation of the association, as well as the numerous incidents that had occurred in Seoul.

The expansive view from Kkachisan Hill offered a rare moment of solace. Below, small buildings lined up like matchboxes, and the roads twisted like ribbons, dotted with cars that resembled beetles crawling along.

The sound of car horns and engines, muffled by the distance, became a familiar background noise that the agent found oddly comforting.

"Hey, mister!"

A small voice accompanied by the sound of hurried footsteps came from behind. A blonde girl bounded up the steps and greeted the Black Agent with enthusiasm.

Her cheeks were flushed from the exertion of climbing so many stairs, and in her hand was a pamphlet for the conference.

"Look at this!" the blonde girl said, thrusting the pamphlet into the Black Agent’s face.

The pamphlet outlined the schedule for the conference, with topics divided into morning and afternoon sessions.

Kkachisan Object Conference.

Location: Kkachisan Object Research Institute.

Hosted by: Kkachisan Object Research Institute and the Object Management Association.

Morning Sessions.

Processes for Enhancing the Financial Soundness of the Research Institute.

Research on the Increasing Trend of Objects and Methods of Response.

Introduction to the Effects of Objects on Humans.

Localization Strategies for Object Response Weapon Systems.

The blonde girl pointed excitedly to one of the topics.

"They’ve found cases where people become superhuman due to indirect exposure to Objects! Superhumans! Have you ever seen one?"

"I haven’t seen one myself yet. But with the increasing reports and the government actively searching for them, it’s only a matter of time before we do."

As he answered the girl, a friend’s face flashed through the Black Agent’s mind.

The Yellow Detective.

He wasn’t the type to have explosive physical abilities, as the conference presentation suggested. However, his intuition, almost bordering on precognition, certainly qualified him as a superhuman in the agent’s eyes.

"Who do you think will be the first superhuman discovered in Korea? Maybe it’ll be me?" the blonde girl giggled as she looked down, amused by her own joke.

The Black Agent had already received instructions from the association regarding superhumans.

If a superhuman is discovered, report it to the association immediately.

Do not attempt to detain them; instead, establish a rapport.

When the opportunity arises, attempt to neutralize and isolate them using adequate resources and force.

The Black Agent saw no reason to share these grim directives with the cheerful girl.

"It’s more likely that most cases won’t be as obvious as the ones in the presentation. See here?" he pointed out another part of the pamphlet.

Athletic records, such as those in the Olympics, are showing noticeable improvements.

These improvements are difficult to explain through advancements in technique and training alone.

As the number of Objects increases, so too does the rate of record-breaking performances, suggesting a possible connection to Object influence.

"Wow, does that mean all humans might eventually become superhuman?"

"If this trend continues, that might be the case. But it’s hard to say when that will happen."

The blonde girl lost interest in the pamphlet and handed it off to the secretary standing quietly behind her.

"Oh, right, mister!"

"Hm?"

"Did you know? Tonight there’s supposed to be a blood moon—a red moon is going to rise."

The girl mentioned how excited she was to see the moon tonight, then skipped back down the stairs.

A piercing screech echoed through the otherwise tranquil isolation chamber.

The cause of the disturbance was the Polaroid photo that Yerin had given me.

I had placed the photo on the table while watching TV when suddenly, the head of a black penguin began to rise from the picture.

It peeked out, cautiously surveying the isolation chamber.

Perhaps it assumed I couldn’t see it since my back was turned, but little did it know, I didn’t rely on my eyes to see...

So, when the penguin turned to look in the other direction, I lunged and grabbed its neck tightly.

Squawk!

What exactly was this penguin? Based on its vibe, it felt like a "harmful bird" to humans.

I tightened my grip with my right hand and delivered a swift chop to its head.

The headless penguin flapped around for a bit before dissolving into black sludge.

The foul-smelling, sticky sludge reeked of oil and felt unpleasant to the touch.

I brushed off the sludge in my ghostly form and turned my attention back to the photo.

The penguin that had always danced merrily beyond the picture was now gone.

All that remained was a disquieting, exotic landscape—a painting of sorts that no longer held any value.

I tossed the photo aside and left the isolation chamber.

The cool air of the research lab’s corridors greeted me.

While I appreciated the warm and cozy atmosphere of the isolation chamber, there was something refreshing about the bright, cool air in the lab’s hallways.

Tap, tap.

As I walked down the empty corridor, I began to hear voices.

There were Seo-Ah and Sehee.

What was Seo-Ah doing outside for a change?

After leaving the director’s office with Seo-Ah, we walked down the research lab’s corridor.

It had been a while since I last had a chance to talk with Seo-Ah, especially after the incident with the Golden Reapers, so I decided to make the most of it.

"The Golden Reaper we placed in the break room has disappeared. I wonder where it went?"

"...."

This was just meant to be small talk, but Seo-Ah didn’t respond.

Instead, she was sweating profusely. Was she feeling unwell?

"Wow, look at all that sweat. If you’re not feeling well, you should skip the conference. I was thinking of skipping it myself, anyway."

"No, I should attend. The association is expecting me to be there."

Seo-Ah had agreed to participate in the upcoming Kkachisan Conference.

Initially, I was supposed to go, but Seo-Ah volunteered instead.

Honestly, I didn’t really want to go to this conference. Discussions about financial stability and other dry topics weren’t my idea of a good time.

So when Seo-Ah offered to go, I was more than happy to let her take my place.

She insisted on preparing on her own, but she rarely went on business trips or field inspections. As someone who had been on numerous such trips, I decided to share some advice with her.

I was walking down the corridor with Director Lee Sehee.

When she suddenly brought up the Golden Reaper, my heart nearly stopped.

Thankfully, she didn’t seem to suspect that I had taken it.

Afterward, she started sharing tips on what to be mindful of during business trips.

Most of what she was saying was stuff I had already told her.

She was basically repeating my own advice about being cautious around Objects because of how often accidents occur.

The problem was, Director Lee Sehee hardly ever followed my advice.

And then she’d end up getting kidnapped, trapped, or caught by the association...

And now she’s telling me the same things I once told her!

The more I think about it, the more absurd it feels.

"If you follow my advice, you’ll avoid getting kidnapped!"

She said confidently, flashing a determined expression.

I stared at her, dumbfounded, until she seemed to realize something.

The Gray Reaper, who had appeared out of nowhere, was staring at her with a similar expression.

"D-don’t look at me like that!"

"I just remembered, okay? It was Seo-Ah who told me all this…"

"I’ve been kidnapped enough times to know what I’m talking about!"

Director Lee Sehee’s confidence quickly deflated, and she fell silent.

A few days before the Kkachisan Conference, a large and bright blood moon appeared in the sky.

And the next day, it appeared again.

Only in the Gangseo district.

The young lady was slightly excited about this unusual phenomenon, but no matter how I looked at it, it didn’t seem like a good omen.

I wrote a report on the persistent blood moon.

Then I sent it to the association.

It might take some time for a response.

We need to act quickly—I just hope it’s not too late.

"Mister! The red moon is out again tonight?"

"Miss, perhaps it would be better if you returned to your family home until this red moon disappears?"

She shook her head.

The young lady smiled brightly as she politely declined.