As the black agent opened the door, the gentle light of the moon spilled into the living room.

The room, shrouded in thick darkness except for the silver beams filtering through the heavy blackout curtains, had an ethereal, almost mystical atmosphere.

In the soft moonlight, a blonde girl stood at the center of the room. Her golden hair shimmered beneath the faint silver glow, making her shine even brighter against the muted background.

Under the moon’s light, she gazed up at the sky, her presence so faint that it seemed she might dissolve into the light at any moment.

As if to keep her from disappearing, the black agent slowly approached, breaking the silence with his steady voice.

"Miss."

His voice, firm yet gentle, echoed softly through the room, disrupting the tranquil stillness.

"Oh, you’ve arrived, sir."

The girl turned towards him with a bright smile.

Her smile was warm, as radiant as the moonlight, momentarily giving the impression that the dimly lit room had brightened.

After gazing at the agent with that same warm smile, the girl returned her attention to the sky.

"The weather is lovely today. Not a single cloud in sight."

Her voice was soft, laced with a wistful longing as if she were speaking of something more than just the weather.

As the agent moved to stand beside her, the girl stretched out her delicate hand, covering the moon with her palm.

Strangely, her hand appeared somewhat transparent.

Like red acrylic, faintly translucent.

"Miss, your hand—?"

"Oh, this? It happens when I bathe in the moonlight lately. I’m not sure why, but I don’t think it’s anything bad."

"I see."

Looking at the girl, the black agent thought to himself.

Even with all his studies about Objects, there were still so many unknowns.

The fact that both he and the girl had clearly died yet returned to life.

The mysterious connection between the girl and the red moon.

And now, the gradual transparency of her body.

There were countless questions, but for now, he could only move forward with what he knew.

The agent cleared his throat to deliver the news she had been waiting for.

"Miss, it seems the detective has found a way for you to walk under the sun."

"Really? Then let’s leave right now!"

Her response was immediate.

The girl’s smile lit up her face, as bright as the moon itself, as she excitedly grabbed the agent’s hand, urging him to hurry.

Their destination was Odaesan, a remote region far from the city’s safety, where Objects roamed freely and dangers lurked.

The black agent began gathering the necessary equipment, moving around the room with purpose.

The girl followed him, helping with the preparations as much as she could.

Within moments, they were ready to set out on their journey to Odaesan.

Lying in the isolation ward, I watched the Golden Reapers busily going about their work.

Wearing tiny chef hats, they diligently made pudding, their rabbit ears twitching as they moved, creating a delightful scene, like a miniature kitchen brought to life.

Even though there was no longer a need to make pudding—thanks to the steady supply of "Gray Reaper Pudding"—the Golden Reapers continued working in the pudding factory, undeterred.

It seemed like a personal preference for them, as they often shared pudding they had made themselves with their favorite humans.

Kind of like giving someone handmade chocolates, I guess?

The minds of the mini Reapers are hard to understand.

After finishing their work, the rabbit-eared Golden Reapers, each carrying their share of pudding, scattered with big smiles on their faces.

It felt oddly reminiscent of office workers heading home after a long day.

I picked up a floating pudding, encased in a bubble, and took a bite.

Nom nom.

The rabbit-made pudding was as delicious as ever.

Even though it was the same James-brand pudding as always, it tasted better somehow.

Maybe it’s because I watched them work so hard to make it….

Is this what it means to savor the taste of the upper class?

While I was lounging on the bed, eating pudding with a Golden Reaper, it suddenly got up as if it had just remembered something and tugged on my pinky.

"?"

I looked at the Golden Reaper in confusion. It hopped up and down excitedly, trying to communicate something.

From the intent it conveyed, it seemed to be talking about a place, but I couldn’t quite figure out where it was referring to.

Was there a place in Sehee Lab I didn’t know about?

Thud, thud.

I followed the Golden Reaper, who was now in its ghostly form, as it led the way.

It hopped along happily, frequently turning back to check if I was still following, and I couldn’t help but smile at how cute it was.

We descended a long underground staircase, eventually arriving at a newly constructed facility hidden beneath Sehee Lab.

So this place existed in Sehee Lab?

The most prominent feature was a large golden statue that stood at the center.

Though made of gold, the statue’s expression was stern, not at all the kind of face a Golden Reaper would make—it looked like it was supposed to represent me.

The Golden Reaper that had led me here jumped for joy, clearly delighted by the statue’s presence.

The underground facility was almost entirely empty, except for the golden statue, but the Golden Reaper seemed to be having a great time.

Seeing many other Golden Reapers gathering and running around the statue, it seemed to be quite a popular spot among them.

This thing is enormous.

The statue was so big that looking up at it made my neck hurt. It sparkled as if it was cleaned daily.

The "Gray Reaper" merchandise sold on TV must have made quite a bit of money, and now I knew where all that money went….

It was all used to build this golden statue.

Is this Sehee's doing?

Yerin didn’t have the authority to embezzle this much money, and Se-ah didn’t seem like the type to waste research funds on something like this.

Sehee, though she seemed perfectly normal, had her odd moments….

Staring at the massive golden statue of myself gave me a strange feeling.

A mix of pride and embarrassment.

I didn’t understand why the Golden Reapers loved this statue so much, but since they did, I figured the Black Reapers, with their similar personalities, might like it too.

I lightly activated the Mini Reaper Garden and summoned the Black Reapers to the scene.

However, instead of enjoying it, the Black Reapers seemed anxious.

They kept glancing around nervously, as if expecting an attack.

I picked up one of the Black Reapers, gently stroking it as I asked,

"What’s wrong?"

The Black Reaper didn’t answer but instead led me toward the golden statue, pointing at the plaque attached to it, asking what the inscription said.

Right, the Mini Reapers could sense emotions, but they couldn’t understand speech or read text. Maybe I should teach them Korean at some point.

I looked at the plaque. It had a simple inscription:

"Gray Reaper Golden Statue"

When I told the Black Reaper that it was just my name, its eyes widened in shock as it stared at me.

"Name?"

I reassured the Black Reapers, who were trembling with fear, gently stroking them as I spoke.

"It’s okay. There’s nothing wrong."

Glancing around, I saw that the other Black Reapers had gathered, watching me with worried expressions.

"Is it okay to call your name?"
"Is it safe to write your name?"

The Black Reapers, melting into slime, quivered with a fear I couldn’t quite understand.

What’s the big deal about a name?

I sat down on the ground, gathering the Black Reapers into my arms and projecting my intent.

"It’s fine. There’s nothing to be afraid of."

After a long while of comforting them, the Black Reapers finally returned to their mini forms and smiled brightly.

Whew, parenting is tough.

Once they overcame their fear, the Black Reapers joined the Golden Reapers, laughing as they gazed up at the giant statue.

With the towering golden statue and the small creatures dancing around it, the scene looked like some sort of ancient religious ritual.

In the city ruins near the burnt remains of the Spiritual Barrier, where the last embers had long since died out, strange flames began to rise once more.

"What a mess."

James looked at the ruins, now engulfed in mysterious flames that burned steadily, unaffected by the wind.

"A complete mess. This area seems beyond saving."

A friend from the Object Association nodded in agreement as they surveyed the devastation.

"Who would’ve thought so much of that ‘Burning Drug,’ which causes mental contamination, was buried beneath the city?"

Even in their protective suits, the burnt smell clung to everything, almost tempting.

"By the way, I read your report, and it’s absurd."

James's friend waved the report in his hand.

The title of the report was "Gray Reaper Observation Report."

The report detailed the activities of the Gray Reaper in the U.S., along with a thorough analysis of its abilities.

It confirmed once again that the Gray Reaper was impervious to physical damage and could phase through objects, among other abilities.

The list of abilities went on and on.

"It has so many abilities, yet none of this was properly reported. Are you sure Sehee Lab can continue to handle the ‘Gray Reaper’?"

"Absolutely. I think Sehee Lab is the only place that can. Any other lab would just bring about disaster."

James’s support for Sehee Lab was strong, though perhaps a bit shaky in reasoning.

"The most surprising part is this."

At the end of the report, there was an urgent addition:

• The Gray Reaper has no vocal cords but can understand Korean at a native level.
• It understands English to a lesser degree, focusing mostly on individual words.
• It seems capable of communication through gestures and writing.

James's friend pointed to this part of the report.

"Why classify this as top secret? An Object capable of communication offers limitless potential."

"That’s exactly why. The Gray Reaper doesn’t seem to want anyone to know it can communicate."

James added quietly, "Honestly, I even considered leaving it out of the report entirely."

"Maintaining the current relationship with the Gray Reaper is crucial. Make sure you stress that when you return to the Association."

"Got it. It’s important to keep things as they are—having an Object like the Gray Reaper indirectly on our side is invaluable."

Amid the mental contamination that made it nearly impossible to approach, the two men struck a deal regarding the Gray Reaper.

It was a promise to maintain the status quo.

A thick fog rolled over the area surrounding Odaesan, so dense that visibility was nearly zero.

Emerging from the mist, the staff of Trinity Research Facility No. 1 began to appear, each one burdened with large containers that reeked of oil.

[Be careful. This fog is an Object itself.]

The voice of the deputy director crackled through the radio, reaching the ears of the staff as they trudged onward.

Above them, cloud fish swam through the thick fog, creating an otherworldly scene.

But the researchers paid no attention to the strange beauty of their surroundings, focused solely on reaching their destination.

The deputy director looked up at the sky, where a mysterious orange moon hung, casting its eerie light through the fog.