Thump, thump.

As I woke up, I felt something striking me from all sides.

Golden Reapers had appeared in droves and were frantically hitting me.

What on earth is going on?

And since when could these guys appear without me summoning them?

The Golden Reapers looked extremely anxious.

Noticing that I was awake, they stopped hitting me and began gesturing wildly, trying to explain something.

Their rudimentary body language was difficult to understand, but I could tell that the situation was urgent.

Is it that urgent?

Well, if it's that bad, there's something we can do.

I turned into my ghostly form and spread my arms wide.

The Golden Reapers also turned ghostly and swarmed into my embrace.

Those who couldn't fit into my arms clung to my body instead.

As our spectral forms touched, I could sense what the Golden Reapers wanted to convey.

A powerful, simple message.

Danger!

The beloved human is in danger!

The intensity of their emotion made me immediately use the ability I had gained from the black penguin.

I could faintly sense the flickering presence of a Golden Reaper far away.

I focused on that presence and used my ability.

The place I arrived at couldn’t possibly be in Korea.

It was a desert filled with red sand and rocks.

There’s no way such a place exists in Korea, so this must be the result of an Object’s influence.

One Golden Reaper came running toward me with a look of relief.

When I caught it in my hands, I realized it was in a completely tattered state.

What happened to you?

I held it close and fed it some energy.

The excess energy quickly regenerated the missing arm.

The emaciated Golden Reaper regained its vitality in an instant and hugged my cheek tightly, as if in thanks.

Who could have hurt the Golden Reaper like this?

Judging by the condition of its injured arm, it looked like the result of clashing with a physically immune Object.

Normally, it would have thrown its whole body into the attack and then revived in the Golden Reaper Garden.

That would have been the painless, rational choice. But this time, it seems it used only one arm, likely to protect its "beloved human," Seo-Ah, for as long as possible.

The one who hurt the Golden Reaper was probably the Object right in front of me.

An Object made of red rocks, likely with physical immunity.

Its destruction condition: Destroy the core.

I felt a surge of irritation, probably because this thing had hurt the Golden Reaper.

I gently removed the Golden Reaper that had worked so hard and sent it back to Seo-Ah.

Then, with a wave of my hand, filled with frustration, I summoned countless Golden Reapers from the garden.

The Black Agent and the blonde girl finally found a place where they could rest.

In fact, it wasn't so much that they found it as they couldn't help but find it.

In the vast expanse of red desert stretching out to the horizon, a massive boulder stood out—a giant rock formation with a yawning cave mouth like a gaping maw.

It was so large and distinctive that anyone passing through the desert would have used it as a landmark.

The enormous cave cast a deep shadow, and the cool air inside helped to cool their sweat.

"Wow, we can finally rest," the blonde girl said, sitting on a suitable rock, her sweat-soaked dress clinging to her.

The Black Agent, however, didn’t relax and carefully checked the cave’s depths, where he found something useful.

A massive underground lake had formed inside the cave.

It was likely groundwater that had risen to the surface, creating the lake.

Above the lake was an opening in the cave’s ceiling, allowing the night sky to reflect on the water.

The red moon and starlight reflected on the mirror-like surface of the lake created a stunning scene.

For a moment, he wished they weren’t in a situation caused by an Object.

The water was surprisingly clear and pure, unlike the usual murky water found in desert oases.

A quick check by the Black Agent indicated that the water was safe to drink.

"Miss, there’s water here. This should help us survive for quite some time."

He filled a small canteen with lake water and handed it to the blonde girl.

"Wow, I was so thirsty I thought I was going to die. Thank goodness."

"Now we should be able to hold out until rescue arrives. Since this incident happened right in the middle of Seoul, it shouldn’t take too long for help to arrive, so that’s one less worry."

The blonde girl’s face relaxed a bit, relieved by his words.

In truth, she was nearly at her limit.

The unusually hot weather, the difficult desert terrain, and the Objects roaming around, killing people—all of this was draining her strength rapidly.

There was something the Black Agent hadn’t mentioned, considering her condition.

The cave was remarkably comfortable in terms of temperature, with clean water to drink.

On top of that, it was easy to find.

In a normal survival situation, this would have been considered a stroke of luck, but given that it was tied to an Object, it felt more like a trap.

A place that seemed to lure people in?

But if they wandered the desert, they wouldn’t survive a day.

The Black Agent’s concerns only deepened.

The TV in the Director’s office at Sehee Research Lab was broadcasting news about the strange event in Gangseo District.

Most of Gangseo had been blocked off by a transparent barrier, and beyond that, an unfamiliar desert stretched out.

The fate of those inside was unknown.

The Association, usually criticized for its slow response, had taken action with unusual speed.

Some were even commenting that the Association had finally gotten its act together.

What do I do about Seo-Ah? This is my fault for not going with her!

As soon as I heard the news, I jumped up and started running.

I was heading to the deepest part of Sehee Research Lab: the Gray Reaper's isolation chamber.

The baseless thought crossed my mind that if anyone could do something about the barrier surrounding Gangseo, it would be the Reaper.

It felt like the kind of thought Yerin would usually have, but right now, the Reaper was my only hope!

The Association would likely struggle to breach the barrier, and even if they did, they’d probably get in too late, or have to rely on help from other countries.

But if the Reaper clapped its hands or kicked a few times, wouldn’t the barrier shatter?

If the barrier were gone, the Association's rescue team could enter, greatly increasing the chances of saving Seo-Ah.

But when I opened the door to the isolation chamber, the Gray Reaper was nowhere to be found.

Instead, the room was filled with Golden Reapers, playing with Yerin.

"Sis, what brings you here?"

"Where’s the Gray Reaper?"

"I’m not sure. Judging by how it left so many Golden Reapers behind, it must have gone pretty far."

Sure enough, the room was packed with Golden Reapers.

"Is something wrong?" Yerin asked, noticing my expression.

Instead of answering, I turned on the TV in the chamber to show her the news.

[Inside Gangseo, a mysterious desert has appeared, and the situation remains completely unknown.]

The screen showed footage from a helicopter filming the barrier around Gangseo.

"Oh! Isn’t that where Seo-Ah went on her business trip?"

"Yeah. That’s why I came to summon the Gray Reaper, but it’s not here."

Yerin stared intently at the TV, not sure what to do.

"What should we do?"

"Isn’t there anything we can do?"

"… Ah! Maybe that’s why!"

Yerin seemed to realize something as she rambled to herself, so I asked her what she meant, and she shared an interesting theory.

"Actually, it’s supposed to be the Gray Reaper’s nap time right now. I thought it was strange that it wasn’t here, but if there’s something like this happening, it makes sense."

"You think the Gray Reaper sensed Seo-Ah was in danger and already went to Gangseo?"

"It’s just a guess. It could have gone off to play, so I’m not sure."

Bang, bang.

Yerin scooted over and patted the seat next to her.

"Then you should wait here with me, Sis."

"What?"

I was planning to head back to the Director’s office to check on the Association's rescue efforts, but Yerin suddenly said something strange.

"We need to wait for the Gray Reaper to return! If it didn’t go to help, and it’s just out playing, the best thing we can do is meet it as soon as possible and head to Gangseo!"

It was clearly nonsense, but for some reason, it sounded oddly convincing.

"Besides, all we can do right now is ask the Association for updates on the rescue operation. We might as well do this too!"

Was it the charm of the cozy isolation chamber? Or maybe the warmth of the soft Golden Reapers?

"I guess we have no choice. But I’ll at least take some precautions."

I sent a lab-wide alert from my phone.

Security team, search for the Gray Reaper while carrying pudding.

Researchers, keep pudding nearby while you work.

If anyone spots the Gray Reaper, contact the Director immediately.

"This is about all we can do. Now all that’s left is to wait for the Gray Reaper here."

Reluctantly, I sat down next to Yerin and started playing with the adorable Golden Reapers.

If the Reaper really had gone off to play, we’d need to leave for Gangseo as soon as it returned, so I decided to wait in the Reaper’s isolation chamber.

I hope nothing happens to Seo-Ah.

It was frustrating to realize that the lab couldn’t do anything to help one of its researchers in danger.

In the red, dusty desert, massive stone cubes lay scattered and powerless.

Fifteen shattered red cores were strewn across the ground.

The moment the Gray Reaper appeared, the situation was resolved in an instant.

Unlike when they were alone, the Golden Reapers didn’t hold back, charging straight at the enemies and smashing them to pieces.

They ended the crisis swiftly and decisively.

The fifteen Golden Reapers that had destroyed the Object’s cores clung to the Gray Reaper, beaming with joy.

The other Golden Reapers gathered around the Gray Reaper’s feet, gazing up at it with envious expressions.

The Gray Reaper looked around, expressionless.

"Wow!"

I clapped my hands in applause at the relaxed-looking Gray Reaper.

Seeing me, the Golden Reapers, who had been standing idly by, followed suit, clapping along.

"Reaper, I’m so glad you’re here! Thank you for coming!"

Overwhelmed with emotion, I ran to the Gray Reaper and hugged it tightly.

A mysterious Object, the highest risk-level Object, an Object whose actions defied understanding.

I remembered all the reasons I had been wary of the Gray Reaper, but none of that mattered anymore.

I hugged it, pouring all my relief, gratitude, and happiness into the embrace.

Then, the Golden Reapers swarmed around us, clinging to both the Gray Reaper and me.

The Gray Reaper seemed uncomfortable with the situation, looking somewhat grumpy, so I poked its cheek.

That grumpy face of the Gray Reaper was just too cute!