Dreamscape

I was dreaming.

It was a dark and dreary dream.

The kind that felt as real as reality itself, with no noticeable differences from the waking world. The only reason I knew it was a dream was because of the sleep-inducing ability I gained from handling the Golden Tree.

The vast wasteland was littered with the remnants of shattered Objects.

Dry earth and arid air surrounded me.

For reasons I couldn’t quite explain, I had a sense that this place was the "Golden Reaper Garden."

Even though the Golden Reapers were nowhere in sight and the landscape bore no resemblance to the Garden, the feeling was unmistakable.

Black, sticky substances oozed from the broken remnants of Objects, pooling around them like blood seeping from wounds.

Despite being surrounded only by the wreckage of Objects, there was an eerie atmosphere that sent chills down my spine.

In this unsettling setting, familiar figures appeared.

Ninjas, clad in black masks and black clothing.

A seemingly endless horde of them stretched to the horizon like a swarm of black cockroaches.

They were bowing their heads toward an empty throne.

The throne was constructed from the debris of the destroyed Objects.

Though the throne was vacant, it exuded a unique, chilling presence, radiating an aura of dominion.

The ninjas bowed their heads with expressions of reverence and fear mixed together.

They were showing respect to the unseen owner of the throne.

Then, a low chanting began to rise.

It was an incomprehensible hymn from the tongueless ninjas.

Though the song had no discernible lyrics, the emotions of reverence and awe were unmistakably conveyed to me.

Reverence and worship!

An inexplicable sense of omnipotence spread through the firewood within me.

Even within this dream, I could feel the firewood absorbing these emotions and growing.

As I indulged in the omnipotence filling the firewood, I suddenly sensed a gaze and turned to see a black silhouette atop the throne.

It was pitch-black.

And blood-red.

A somber reflection of myself.

The moment our eyes met, the dream began to push me out.

It felt as though the dream itself was telling me I didn’t belong here.

The space around me blurred and started to crack like glass, shattering into pieces.

Through the hazy vision, I glimpsed an unfamiliar sky.

Seven moons, glowing in a spectrum of colors like a rainbow, orbited around a burning black moon.

***

When I awoke, I immediately noticed the absence of warmth in my arms. The Reaper that had been sleeping peacefully in my embrace was gone.

"Reaper?"

I looked around, but the Reaper was nowhere to be seen. I decided to go out and search for it.

It was strange—the Reaper rarely wandered around alone for no reason, especially in the dead of night.

I made my way through the dark corridors and finally spotted the Reaper outside.

In the cool breeze of the institute’s backyard, the Reaper stood, gazing up at the moon.

Its hair fluttered in the wind, and one hand was extended toward the sky, reaching out to the moon.

It was like something out of a novel or a movie, exuding a mysterious aura.

In the dark night, with the trees and grass as a backdrop, the Reaper looked quite enchanting as it stared up at the moon.

I quietly observed this otherworldly scene from behind and pulled out my phone.

I wanted to capture this beautiful moment in time and preserve it forever.

As I reviewed the photo I had taken, I noticed something had changed.

The Reaper’s color had returned to normal!

It had turned slightly white after touching that book, which had worried me a bit, but now it was back to its original color.

Thank goodness.

***

The Assistant Director’s office was filled with the sound of the TV.

"[The pudding incident seems to have caused less trouble than initially feared. What do you make of it?]

[At first, it was predicted that accidents would occur as the bubbles burst and pudding fell, but…]"

"I’m relieved," Seo-ah Unnie said calmly. "It doesn’t look like this will turn into a major issue. Especially since James didn’t mention us at all and just chalked it up to 'factory malfunctions due to Object occupation.'"

To be honest, I had expected to be dragged to the Assistant Director’s office and chewed out within an inch of my life after the incident!

Surprisingly, Seo-ah Unnie let it go without much scolding.

I was sure it was thanks to the Golden Reaper, who was sitting on her shoulder, acting all cute.

Thank you, Golden Reaper!

Lately, it seemed like Seo-ah Unnie was getting less angry.

"The real problem is these guys…."

"Oh…"

Seo-ah Unnie looked down at the desk with a worried expression.

Five Golden Reapers lay sprawled out, looking like lifeless corpses.

They were wearing tiny chef hats and had rabbit ears, making them twice as cute.

But they didn’t react when poked with a finger.

Even when lifted, they hung limply, like liquid with no strength left at all.

The poor Golden Reapers had been overworked at 10,000 times or even more, and now they were utterly exhausted.

Although the Gray Reaper didn’t seem particularly concerned, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for them.

When I first saw them, I thought they had worked themselves to death.

Since they don’t breathe, they really did look like corpses when they weren’t moving, which gave me quite a shock.

Thankfully, they weren’t dead.

If I brought a spoonful of pudding to their mouths, they would slowly chew and swallow it.

So, we moved them to Seo-ah Unnie’s private room and began taking care of them.

Nom, nom.

I fed the Golden Reapers slowly, one by one, as they lay in my palm.

Ah, they’re so cute!

Just taking care of them made me feel like I was being rewarded.

Even Seo-ah Unnie was sincerely focused on taking care of the Reapers with intense concentration.

I’d never seen her this focused, except when reviewing documents….

It was just another peaceful day at Sehee Research Institute.

But I did wonder why I hadn’t seen Sehee Unnie around lately.

***

In a grand hall, like a scene from a forgotten era.

At the center was a magnificent mosaic laid out on the floor, its intricate tilework depicting various stories.

It was an exotic scene, filled with images from myths I had never seen before.

"Humans killed the gods. And then they needed them again."

"Gods were cruel, but they protected humans."

The third research director read aloud the phrases inscribed in the mosaic.

The chairs and tables surrounding the mosaic were made of the finest wood, inlaid with gold and silver, their surfaces gleaming with a soft, radiant light.

The round table encircling the mosaic was filled with ominous items, as if prepared for a suspicious religious ritual.

A freshly varnished skull placed on a golden plate.

A mysterious, still-beating heart on a silver dish.

These objects were arranged with meticulous care, following some unknown order.

After staring at the mosaic for a long time, the third research director turned to the butler standing beside him.

"Isn’t the culture of other worlds quite charming? So, what’s the news?"

"The operation targeting James has been a complete failure."

"So, it’s a total failure, then. James will undoubtedly start spreading his diluted alchemy in Korea now. We’ll need a countermeasure."

He appeared calm, but there was an underlying anger in his tone.

"Wasn’t the Gray Reaper the one who struggled against Agwi? What could we have missed? Was this James’s doing? No, he doesn’t have that level of technology yet."

The third research director muttered as he paced restlessly around the mosaic before looking up and asking.

"There must be more to report. Have you found out why we failed? Let’s hear it."

The butler handed over a few photos and documents to the third research director and began his report.

"Based on CCTV footage and other data, there doesn’t seem to have been any external interference aside from the Gray Reaper. All the data suggests that the Gray Reaper successfully dealt with Agwi. The research institute has concluded that a reassessment of the Gray Reaper’s combat power is urgently needed."

The third research director reacted uncharacteristically irritably to the butler’s report.

"No. Absolutely not. There’s no way that thing could have gained the power to defeat Agwi."

"But based on all the information we’ve gathered so far, there doesn’t seem to be any other possibility…."

The third research director pushed the butler aside with his palm, then strode past him and out of the mosaic-adorned hall.

"Have them investigate again. This time, they’d better not bring back a half-baked report."

He issued the command with a stern glance over his shoulder before marching out.

***

Gangseo District, now a Desert

The disaster that began at the Gachisan Research Institute had transformed the entire Gangseo District into a desert.

The damage was immense.

Gangseo had been one of the more populous districts in Seoul, but now the entire area was gone.

A refugee camp for the displaced residents was set up nearby in Yangcheon District.

However, due to the high death toll during the desertification, the camp wasn’t as full as expected.

And then, it started to rain in the camp.

A soft, drizzling rain.

It was a light rain, but it never stopped.