Late in the evening, the Golden Reaper sneaked into the research facility through a slightly open door and began to quietly move down the deserted hallway.

Each step was careful and deliberate as it made its way across the neatly tiled floors of the research facility. In the middle of the dark corridor, dimly lit by sporadic lights, there was a brightly illuminated area—the 24-hour management office.

Inside, a night watchman, with a weary face, was nodding off to sleep. He was an old man who, every time he saw the Golden Reaper, greeted it with a warm smile and offered some yokan. Although the yokan wasn’t particularly tasty, the warmth behind the gesture made the old man endearing to the Reaper.

Usually, the Reaper would jump up and down on the old man’s shoulders as a form of massage in return, but sneaking by like this made the Reaper feel a pang of guilt.

Next time, I’ll give you double the massage!

With that small promise, the Reaper quietly tiptoed past the management office. Fortunately, the old man, drowsy as he was, didn’t notice the small shadow slipping across the floor.

But then, a much larger obstacle appeared in front of the Golden Reaper: a large room full of humans that it had to pass through to reach its beloved human.

The room was filled with large, humming machines. Several humans with haggard expressions were seated in front of them.

Ugh, they all look so tired and worn out. I’ll make sure to play with them a lot next time to cheer them up!

The Reaper didn’t know what those machines were, but judging by how anxious the humans got when anyone approached, they were probably important.

The Reaper slowly and cautiously began to sneak past the machines, trying not to be seen.

"Hey, hey, look at this," one of the humans said.

"What is it?" another replied.

Voices! I’m going to get caught!

The Reaper froze, waiting for the humans to stop talking.

"Come over here. Do you see that?"

"Is it hiding?"

The humans were whispering to each other, their tones playful. It seems like humans, just like us, like to play tricks when they’re bored!

"I’ve never seen a Reaper trying to hide before."

"Should we pretend we didn’t see it?"

More humans started gathering around.

I can’t let them catch me!

"Take a picture quickly and then scatter! The Reaper can’t move while we’re watching."

Click, click.

The strange sound filled the air, and the humans began to disperse.

Phew, I didn’t get caught after all.

But now the humans seemed healthier after making that 'click, click' sound. What could it be? I’ll have to figure it out later!

The Trinity Third Research Director’s mansion always had an eerie atmosphere.

Late at night, the director was receiving a report from his butler.

"The two members of the Night Raven organization we hired have both been killed. It seems the operation can no longer proceed."

"Is that so? How far did the Night Ravens manage to get?"

"They succeeded in shutting down the factory and stealing the briefcase. However, they lost the briefcase to the Gray Reaper, so only the factory shutdown was successful."

After calmly setting down the wine glass he was holding, the director stood up and gazed at a golden-horn ornament as he spoke.

"That’s a small blessing amidst the misfortune. At least the factory was shut down. James’s factory cannot be allowed to operate in Korea. We cannot allow 'Alchemy' to spread here."

The butler remained silent.

"You seem to think that even the factory shutdown will be undone because of the Gray Reaper," the director said, letting out a low chuckle.

"Heh, heh, heh."

The director’s laughter echoed through the room.

"This factory houses an Object that not even the Gray Reaper can handle. It’s a replica of an Object that the Gray Reaper failed to defeat before."

With a satisfied smile, the director sat back down and resumed enjoying his wine.

Deep within the pudding factory.

What was once a bustling factory was now eerily quiet, the silence only broken by the occasional shrill sound of a malfunctioning emergency alarm. The alarm’s rhythm was off, irregular, highlighting the chaos and disorder in the air.

The red emergency lights cast long, distorted shadows and bathed the cold steel structures in an ominous crimson glow.

At the center of this unsettling steel structure, a massive, grotesque Object was roaming.

It was an Object that oozed black sludge—a creature resembling the Anglerfish that had disappeared into the Songpa District sinkhole, its whereabouts unknown until now.

The writhing tentacles and slick, glossy skin were similar to the Anglerfish, but this one was seeping a foul-smelling black liquid.

The black oil that dripped from the creature’s skin seeped into the factory floor, spreading its stench and contaminating the surrounding area.

This Object, resembling the Anglerfish, occasionally opened its sharp, menacing mouth full of teeth and bit savagely at the surrounding steel structures.

There seemed to be no reason for the creature to remain in this desolate space, devoid of humans or prey, but it clung to a machine deep within the factory as if protecting something precious.

After witnessing the teddy bear’s dramatic entrance and exit, the Reaper suddenly reappeared and handed me a strange briefcase.

It was an antique-looking, elegant briefcase.

It looked expensive—where on earth did the Reaper find it?

Since it’s unlikely the Reaper took it from somewhere legitimate, I should probably return it if the owner shows up.

Tap, tap.

The Reaper, walking slightly ahead of me, seemed a bit bored and started playing by itself on the asphalt inside the factory.

Hopping along the white lines painted on the asphalt, the Reaper seemed to be stepping mindlessly, as if uninterested, but its small feet only touched the white lines.

Heh heh.

If the Reaper realizes I’ve noticed, it’ll sulk, so I’ll pretend I didn’t see.

In my mind, I quietly cheered on the Reaper, curious to see how far its asphalt adventure would go.

Walking with Yerin along the asphalt laid inside the factory.

We followed the direction where I felt human emotions until we arrived at a particular building.

A large building with the number <7> written on the wall.

As soon as we entered, I could sense a large number of Objects surrounding us.

Pink, bunny-shaped dolls.

They wore chef hats and held cooking utensils.

[Pudding!]

[Pudding!]

The Objects, with their chef hats and cooking tools, were clearly designed to make pudding.

We’ve finally found them—the Objects that make pudding.

Now, if I can get these Objects back to work, delicious 'ninja pudding' will surely be made.

But there were a few problems.

The bunnies’ eyes were far from friendly.

If it weren’t for my presence, they looked like they’d jump at us in an instant.

They felt more like killer dolls than confectionery ones.

And then there was the stench coming from their bodies—a vile odor of black sludge.

If these dolls made pudding, it would probably stink as much as they did.

Should I destroy them, even if it means degrading my abilities?

Or should I try to tame them like 'cute puppies'?

As I pondered, a desperate voice rang out.

"Rescue team, please save me!"

It was the voice of a frail man, barely holding on to life.

Looks like there’s no time to tame them—I’ll have to take the degraded abilities and destroy them.

The translator was at his limit.

"Please save me! Please save me!" he cried out.

It was getting harder to breathe, and he felt like he was about to die.

The murderous bunnies were right behind him, the menacing sounds of their cooking tools slicing through the air.

"Run faster, or you’ll get stabbed in the backside in five seconds!" James shouted, running ahead with a calm demeanor, even glancing back at the translator.

The translator turned to look and saw a giant whisk thrusting toward him.

This is it. I’m really done for. I’ll never take on a job like this again, the translator thought as the golden light flashed before his eyes.

A small, golden light.

A wave of shimmering gold tore through the bunnies, glowing brilliantly even under the ominous red lighting.

I’m saved at last.

Overwhelmed with relief, the translator collapsed to the floor, sobbing.

Leaving the people who were overjoyed to be alive, I quickly started observing the Golden Reaper Garden.

"Reaper? What’s going on?" Yerin asked, curious as she poked my cheek when she saw me suddenly close my eyes.

But I had something more important on my mind.

Pudding!

In the middle of the Golden Reaper Garden, I saw a facility I hadn’t noticed before.

A golden, glowing chef’s hat.

Cooking tools on the scale of the Golden Reapers.

And a matching kitchen counter.

I was worried we might end up with bunny-shaped pudding, but this is a relief.

The Golden Reapers, filled with curiosity, approached the suddenly appearing cooking facility. Each one claimed a chef’s hat, and as soon as they put it on, bunny ears popped out, and they started expertly making pudding.

But the Golden Reapers’ cooking process was a bit unusual.

Instead of regular pudding preparation, it was a specialized, assembly-line production.

One Golden Reaper poured a heap of sugar and melted it, then dipped a finger in to taste, flapping its newly grown bunny ears in satisfaction.

Another Reaper mixed eggs with a joyful laugh, while another secretly nibbled on sugar as it transported ingredients.

Each had their own task, but there was a sense of unity.

The sound of boiling water, eggs being whisked, and glass cups being set down rhythmically—it all came together like a performance.

It was mesmerizing, like watching a perfectly synchronized dance, the process so captivating I couldn’t take my eyes off it.

It’s a success!

I could feel it even without tasting it.

The ninja pudding is definitely going to be a success.

Hehe, I can’t wait to try it when it’s done.

With the goal finally achieved, I felt a wave of happiness wash over me.