After dealing with the red moon, I discovered a new ability.

I could now summon the Golden Reaper Garden into reality. This ability was versatile, allowing me to cover an entire area with the garden or bring in just a small portion of it. Considering it was a lesser version of the original, it was still quite impressive.

The things in the garden were fictional creations, born from the dreams and hopes of the Golden Reapers, yet I could materialize them into the real world!

If the Golden Reaper started to imagine more practical things, this power could become even more useful.

For now, it was mostly the ability to summon snacks wherever and whenever I wanted, but still...

I summoned a piece of bread from the garden and took a big bite.

Nom nom.

Well, at least I wouldn’t starve if I were stranded on a desert island.

Feeling a bit bored, I decided to test out my new ability.

Late afternoon, Sehee Lab’s backyard.

The Gray Reaper and I were lying on a picnic mat, enjoying a peaceful picnic.

Nom nom.

The Reaper picked up a shell-shaped bread, taking small bites and chewing it slowly.

Its face was as expressionless as ever, but the way its cheeks puffed up like a squirrel’s, moving nonstop as it ate, showed it was enjoying the bread.

At first glance, it might seem like an ordinary picnic time at the lab, but today was a bit different.

There were shell-shaped bread growing on the trees.

Hot chocolate flowed like a river.

Marshmallows floated through the sky like clouds.

The scene in the backyard of the lab looked like something out of a fairy tale.

It would’ve been nice if Sehee could’ve joined us for this picnic.

But Sehee had been busy with something in the director’s office lately, always working on something.

It was a shame she wasn’t here to enjoy this rare, fairy-tale-like break.

The Gray Reaper had altered reality to create this new landscape—a first for it.

Watching the Reaper display a power I’d never seen before made me wonder.

There was that time it suddenly showed off a new ability when Sehee was kidnapped, right?

After rescuing her, it suddenly started emitting a pleasant scent.

And in Dobong-gu, it had unexpectedly summoned a mini Golden Reaper.

It was so cute that I’d almost forgotten.

It seems like it’s suddenly gaining new abilities, but why?

Could it be that the Reaper has been hiding its true power?

In a dimly lit apartment with thick blackout curtains drawn.

The Black Agent had secretly arranged this safe house.

He and the blonde girl were seated at a table, with a serious expression on the Agent’s face and a playful one on the girl’s.

“Miss, could you share what you know? I think it’s necessary to understand the situation.”

“I don’t know much. I was attacked by monsters, lost consciousness, and when I woke up, I had turned into an Object.”

The girl blew on her palm, and flames flickered to life.

“I’m not sure if it’s a characteristic of being an Object or if I’m special, but I’ve learned what I can do.”

As she played with the flames, her expression turned mischievous.

“First, I’ll turn to ash if exposed to sunlight. I can also revive the dead and transform into a bat.”

“That sounds... like a vampire.”

“With these red irises, it does seem that way, but there are some differences. I can spew fire, and I can feel the flames created in my heart flowing through my entire body.”

The flames on her palm grew, expanding to the size of a basketball.

“And what about blood? Do you need to drink it?”

“Unfortunately, yes, I need to drink blood. The blood feeds the firewood in my heart. If the firewood burns out, the flames running through my veins will incinerate me, just as if I were exposed to sunlight.”

The Black Agent fell into deep thought after hearing this.

The blonde girl could feel her heart racing as she watched him.

What if he rejects me, calling me a monster?

If that happens... what should I do?

She was so anxious that she even considered a last resort.

“How much blood do you need, and how often? The most critical thing is to avoid the Chairman’s attention, and the biggest issue might be your need to consume blood.”

Contrary to her fears, the Black Agent was concerned with something entirely different.

She felt the flames in her veins burn hotter, warming her skin.

“I don’t need much blood. Just yours would be enough.”

In truth, she just didn’t want to drink anyone else’s blood.

“Oh! And I have some vague information too, would you like to hear it?”

“Please, share whatever you know. We have too little information as it is.”

Clearing her throat, the girl spoke in a low voice.

“‘Create the moon. Stand in the desert. The heart will lead the way.’”

She mimicked a deep voice as if quoting someone.

“Did you hear that from someone? It sounds like it.”

“No, it was the first thing that came to mind when I woke up. I don’t know who said it or why, but it’s been etched in my mind ever since I woke up on the altar with a knife in my heart.”

“That’s definitely worth remembering. It seems crucial to understanding our current situation.”

The Black Agent quickly jotted down her words, adding a few notes.

<Create the moon. Stand in the desert. The heart will lead the way.>

<Create the moon – Connection to the red moon?>

<Stand in the desert – Connection to the red desert?>

<Knife in the heart. Flames from the heart. A guiding heart?>

<Object status uncertain. Miss’s ID remains intact. ‘No Name’?>

The girl watched him write for a moment, then grabbed his face and turned it toward her.

“There’s something more important. We need to find those Trinity researchers and get revenge.”

She smiled darkly as she spoke.

My office, which used to be proudly devoid of paperwork, was now overflowing with books and documents.

“Ugh...”

A groan escaped my lips.

“I don’t want to study.”

The insidious ‘Daily Object’ was giving me a headache.

This was all because of new laws that had been passed after the black penguin appeared, causing so much injury and death.

The law now required that all individuals and organizations dealing with ‘Objects,’ including the media, obtain a specific certification.

Our lab had been exempt from this requirement because we had been established before the law was passed, and our record of successful containment served in place of the certification.

Since we were housing the Gray Reaper, our lab had always been exempt based on our containment achievements!

But now, with this new law, after a three-month grace period, the certification would be mandatory.

However...

It’s too hard!

I had been feeling smug when I heard that the exam was getting harder to prevent the proliferation of Object research labs, but now that I had to face it myself, this trial was brutal.

I should have studied when I had the chance, instead of laughing at others.

Knock, knock, knock.

The knocking on the door was ordinary, but somehow it filled me with dread.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Director Lee Sehee? Please open the door.”

Ah, it’s Seo-ah, of course.

She’s here to torment me.

She must be here about the audit they’re conducting on Object research labs, right?

I tiptoed over and locked the door, beginning my silent protest.

“I did everything according to the rules! I did nothing wrong!”

“Open the door, Director!”

Bang, bang, bang.

The pounding on the door was terrifying.

Personal room in Oh Moo-ryong’s mansion.

“Grandpa!”

A blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl happily threw herself into Oh Moo-ryong’s arms.

“Oh, my dear granddaughter.”

Oh Moo-ryong smiled warmly, stroking the girl’s hair.

Knock, knock.

A precise knock echoed through the room.

“It seems it’s time for me to work. Go back to your room and play for a while.”

“Yes, Grandpa!”

As the blue-eyed girl left, a man entered, bowing respectfully to Oh Moo-ryong.

“Chairman.”

“Yes, what is it?”

The man raised his head and began his report.

“We have eliminated all traces that the young miss was ever at the Gachi Mountain lab.”

“Hm.”

Oh Moo-ryong made a satisfied sound as he turned away.

The man bowed and exited the room.

After the man left, Oh Moo-ryong approached the fireplace and manipulated something.

A dark entrance was revealed.

A grand, secret underground passage that had been painstakingly hidden.

Oh Moo-ryong slowly began walking down the passage.

After taking an elevator deep underground, he arrived in a high-tech laboratory.

The moment Oh Moo-ryong appeared, researchers in lab coats flocked to him, bowing their heads.

Deep within the underground lab was what Oh Moo-ryong had been seeking.

A cryogenic pod.

Inside lay a blonde girl, completely devoid of blood.

Oh Moo-ryong pulled out a locket from his pocket and stared at it, muttering to himself.

“I can’t lose you like this. Never.”

Inside the locket was a picture of the blonde girl, smiling brightly.