Thump Thump.
A strange pulsation emanated from the ominous eye imprinted on the ground.
It felt similar to the power of the white flame.
At the same time, a shockwave burst forth from the giant’s shredded body as it slowly began to rise again.
"Pain. Death. Eye. Guidance."
The giant, seemingly unconscious, gradually restored its torn body, forcing out the words one by one with great difficulty.
Ah, come to think of it...
Watching the giant's body slowly regenerate, I realized my fatal mistake.
It had been so long since I was physically hurt that I focused too much on it.
I should’ve checked the destruction conditions with my "eye" first!
As I gazed at the giant slowly regenerating, I verified the destruction conditions.
<Retrieve the eye from within the eye.>
It was clear that the giant wouldn't be easily killed by just cutting through space.
At least it wasn't like the condition for the ogre, <The stone created by the Object of the Beginning.> That was a relief.
Given that the condition seemed straightforward, it looked manageable.
Clearly, the "eye" must refer to the magical circle spread across the ground, which seemed to be supplying power to the giant.
From the moment I saw it, it looked more like a window, and sure enough, it seemed more like a passageway.
I glanced at the cult leader, whose body was almost fully regenerated, and smiled.
"Let’s see if you can regenerate so quickly when there’s nothing left of you."
I spread both hands, then squeezed them together as if crushing something.
The space around the giant twisted violently, creating a massive black sphere that swallowed the giant whole.
"Hmph, it's done."
Of course, since I hadn’t fulfilled the condition, it would regenerate. But since it wasn’t the type that regenerated instantly, it would probably take some time.
As long as I could use my abilities, it wouldn't be a problem.
However, contrary to my expectations, the black sphere failed to shred the giant and instead exploded into a burst of white flames.
"Behold, the flesh is but a fragile vessel bound by the chains of mortality."
As the giant reappeared, its form had changed significantly.
The once ornate clothing that adorned its body was now tattered, exposing its muscular upper body, which was grotesquely covered with numerous eyes.
Those eyes shed white flames like tears.
"When you let go of this fleeting world, your soul will soar beyond the eye."
The giant, which had once resembled a human apart from its size, had now completely transformed.
White flames flared from its eyes like beams of light, and with each step, fiery footprints scorched the ground.
It was truly a transcendental sight!
Unlike me, who was just cute, it looked like a real Object—just a little bit jealous.
Rachel wasn’t running.
Even when the Golden Reaper charged forward, glowing like a lighthouse, and when the Gray Reaper appeared, rolling around, she remained standing on a distant hill, as if rooted in place.
Rachel knew she should run.
The Golden Reaper had probably sacrificed itself in that way to tell her to flee.
But after seeing the Golden Reaper smiling brightly, despite its tattered body, she couldn’t bring herself to move.
The battlefield where the Gray Reaper and the giant cult leader fought had turned into utter chaos.
The cult leader, now a monstrous figure, spewed flames from its mouth, while the Gray Reaper was busy dodging, barely keeping pace.
The Golden Reapers scattered everywhere, leaping about.
Whenever the Gray Reaper was about to be caught, it would suddenly reappear in the distant location of a Golden Reaper, just as it had when it first appeared.
After watching for a while, a tiny fist suddenly struck Rachel’s cheek.
Thud, thud.
The Golden Reaper, unusually angry, was pummeling Rachel’s cheek with its little fists.
After hitting her for quite some time, the Golden Reaper crossed its arms, puffed out its cheeks, and glared at her.
"I’m sorry. I just... couldn’t bring myself to move," Rachel apologized, gently placing the Golden Reaper on her palm and stroking it to express her regret.
With each stroke, the puffed-up cheeks of the Golden Reaper gradually deflated, and soon it gave in, grinning sheepishly as if it couldn’t help itself.
Then, it started urging Rachel to leave, motioning that the place was dangerous.
With the Golden Reaper's insistence, Rachel hurriedly began to descend the hill.
At the last moment, Rachel glanced back and saw the expressionless Gray Reaper still fighting the cult leader.
Silently cheering for it, Rachel left the battlefield.
White flames surged across the forest, cutting through the air.
Amidst the flames that burned only Objects, the vibrant greenery of the forest created a strange sense of unease.
"The path to divine truth shall be paved with shards of pain."
The white flame, which had even started nullifying abilities, was incredibly annoying.
Though it didn’t completely block attacks like spatial cutting, any significant injuries were quickly healed, and time passed without any progress.
I kept running with my tiny legs, teleporting to where I had spread out the Golden Reapers whenever the giant closed in.
The Golden Reapers, however, seemed to think this was just a slightly dangerous game of tag, their faces filled with joy.
The more I watched the white flames that illuminated the lively forest, the more a strange certainty grew within me.
‘If I devour those flames, all my problems will be solved.’
‘Better yet, I’ll acquire the giant’s abilities.’
These thoughts kept popping into my mind.
"Amidst the depths of agony, the soul begins its awakening."
With the giant's murmuring, a massive surge of flames rushed in from all directions.
Startled, I teleported to the distant location of the Golden Reaper.
Even just grazing the flames had turned my left hand completely to ash.
The white flame that had clung to my burning shoulder emitted a horribly unpleasant smell, like rotting wood.
If it didn’t smell so bad, I would have already devoured the white flames, but the stench was so off-putting that I couldn’t bring myself to eat it.
Come to think of it, the Black Reapers originally had white logs, right?
If so, maybe they could consume these white flames without a problem.
I summoned a Black Reaper onto my palm and asked if it could eat the flame.
Shake, shake.
The Black Reaper shook its head vigorously in refusal.
"Mom is better," it said, giving me an answer I didn’t quite understand, while shaking its head again.
"Does this mean I really have to devour it myself?"
As I pondered, the Black Reaper gazed at me with a sorrowful expression.
It suddenly transmitted a determined message: "Mom, you have to watch closely!" Then, before I could stop it, the Black Reaper tried to dart off somewhere.
"Stop! I got it! Stop!"
I quickly grabbed it, remembering the incident with the black slime, not wanting a repeat.
The Black Reaper, wriggling in my grasp, tilted its head and looked at me with a puzzled expression.
These Reapers always seemed so intent on sacrificing themselves to convey something.
So, it probably meant I shouldn’t consume the white flames at all.
Looking up, I saw the giant now fully ablaze, even its hair transformed into white flames.
If I couldn’t eat the flames, what could I do now?
I needed to find a way to hold the giant down long enough to jump into the eye.
The Black Reaper, listening to my thoughts, tilted its head once again as if wondering why I was even thinking about it.
Suddenly, an enormous number of Black Reapers surged from beneath my feet.
They gathered into a mountain and formed a massive shape.
A towering 5-meter Black Reaper, with cute shark-like teeth, had appeared.
Thump Thump.
A strange pulsation emanated from the ominous eye imprinted on the ground.
It felt similar to the power of the white flame.
At the same time, a shockwave burst forth from the giant’s shredded body as it slowly began to rise again.
"Pain. Death. Eye. Guidance."
The giant, seemingly unconscious, gradually restored its torn body, forcing out the words one by one with great difficulty.
Ah, come to think of it...
Watching the giant's body slowly regenerate, I realized my fatal mistake.
It had been so long since I was physically hurt that I focused too much on it.
I should’ve checked the destruction conditions with my "eye" first!
As I gazed at the giant slowly regenerating, I verified the destruction conditions.
<Retrieve the eye from within the eye.>
It was clear that the giant wouldn't be easily killed by just cutting through space.
At least it wasn't like the condition for the ogre, <The stone created by the Object of the Beginning.> That was a relief.
Given that the condition seemed straightforward, it looked manageable.
Clearly, the "eye" must refer to the magical circle spread across the ground, which seemed to be supplying power to the giant.
From the moment I saw it, it looked more like a window, and sure enough, it seemed more like a passageway.
I glanced at the cult leader, whose body was almost fully regenerated, and smiled.
"Let’s see if you can regenerate so quickly when there’s nothing left of you."
I spread both hands, then squeezed them together as if crushing something.
The space around the giant twisted violently, creating a massive black sphere that swallowed the giant whole.
"Hmph, it's done."
Of course, since I hadn’t fulfilled the condition, it would regenerate. But since it wasn’t the type that regenerated instantly, it would probably take some time.
As long as I could use my abilities, it wouldn't be a problem.
However, contrary to my expectations, the black sphere failed to shred the giant and instead exploded into a burst of white flames.
"Behold, the flesh is but a fragile vessel bound by the chains of mortality."
As the giant reappeared, its form had changed significantly.
The once ornate clothing that adorned its body was now tattered, exposing its muscular upper body, which was grotesquely covered with numerous eyes.
Those eyes shed white flames like tears.
"When you let go of this fleeting world, your soul will soar beyond the eye."
The giant, which had once resembled a human apart from its size, had now completely transformed.
White flames flared from its eyes like beams of light, and with each step, fiery footprints scorched the ground.
It was truly a transcendental sight!
Unlike me, who was just cute, it looked like a real Object—just a little bit jealous.
Rachel wasn’t running.
Even when the Golden Reaper charged forward, glowing like a lighthouse, and when the Gray Reaper appeared, rolling around, she remained standing on a distant hill, as if rooted in place.
Rachel knew she should run.
The Golden Reaper had probably sacrificed itself in that way to tell her to flee.
But after seeing the Golden Reaper smiling brightly, despite its tattered body, she couldn’t bring herself to move.
The battlefield where the Gray Reaper and the giant cult leader fought had turned into utter chaos.
The cult leader, now a monstrous figure, spewed flames from its mouth, while the Gray Reaper was busy dodging, barely keeping pace.
The Golden Reapers scattered everywhere, leaping about.
Whenever the Gray Reaper was about to be caught, it would suddenly reappear in the distant location of a Golden Reaper, just as it had when it first appeared.
After watching for a while, a tiny fist suddenly struck Rachel’s cheek.
Thud, thud.
The Golden Reaper, unusually angry, was pummeling Rachel’s cheek with its little fists.
After hitting her for quite some time, the Golden Reaper crossed its arms, puffed out its cheeks, and glared at her.
"I’m sorry. I just... couldn’t bring myself to move," Rachel apologized, gently placing the Golden Reaper on her palm and stroking it to express her regret.
With each stroke, the puffed-up cheeks of the Golden Reaper gradually deflated, and soon it gave in, grinning sheepishly as if it couldn’t help itself.
Then, it started urging Rachel to leave, motioning that the place was dangerous.
With the Golden Reaper's insistence, Rachel hurriedly began to descend the hill.
At the last moment, Rachel glanced back and saw the expressionless Gray Reaper still fighting the cult leader.
Silently cheering for it, Rachel left the battlefield.
White flames surged across the forest, cutting through the air.
Amidst the flames that burned only Objects, the vibrant greenery of the forest created a strange sense of unease.
"The path to divine truth shall be paved with shards of pain."
The white flame, which had even started nullifying abilities, was incredibly annoying.
Though it didn’t completely block attacks like spatial cutting, any significant injuries were quickly healed, and time passed without any progress.
I kept running with my tiny legs, teleporting to where I had spread out the Golden Reapers whenever the giant closed in.
The Golden Reapers, however, seemed to think this was just a slightly dangerous game of tag, their faces filled with joy.
The more I watched the white flames that illuminated the lively forest, the more a strange certainty grew within me.
‘If I devour those flames, all my problems will be solved.’
‘Better yet, I’ll acquire the giant’s abilities.’
These thoughts kept popping into my mind.
"Amidst the depths of agony, the soul begins its awakening."
With the giant's murmuring, a massive surge of flames rushed in from all directions.
Startled, I teleported to the distant location of the Golden Reaper.
Even just grazing the flames had turned my left hand completely to ash.
The white flame that had clung to my burning shoulder emitted a horribly unpleasant smell, like rotting wood.
If it didn’t smell so bad, I would have already devoured the white flames, but the stench was so off-putting that I couldn’t bring myself to eat it.
Come to think of it, the Black Reapers originally had white logs, right?
If so, maybe they could consume these white flames without a problem.
I summoned a Black Reaper onto my palm and asked if it could eat the flame.
Shake, shake.
The Black Reaper shook its head vigorously in refusal.
"Mom is better," it said, giving me an answer I didn’t quite understand, while shaking its head again.
"Does this mean I really have to devour it myself?"
As I pondered, the Black Reaper gazed at me with a sorrowful expression.
It suddenly transmitted a determined message: "Mom, you have to watch closely!" Then, before I could stop it, the Black Reaper tried to dart off somewhere.
"Stop! I got it! Stop!"
I quickly grabbed it, remembering the incident with the black slime, not wanting a repeat.
The Black Reaper, wriggling in my grasp, tilted its head and looked at me with a puzzled expression.
These Reapers always seemed so intent on sacrificing themselves to convey something.
So, it probably meant I shouldn’t consume the white flames at all.
Looking up, I saw the giant now fully ablaze, even its hair transformed into white flames.
If I couldn’t eat the flames, what could I do now?
I needed to find a way to hold the giant down long enough to jump into the eye.
The Black Reaper, listening to my thoughts, tilted its head once again as if wondering why I was even thinking about it.
Suddenly, an enormous number of Black Reapers surged from beneath my feet.
They gathered into a mountain and formed a massive shape.
A towering 5-meter Black Reaper, with cute shark-like teeth, had appeared.
Boom!
A tremendous splash of water echoed as it crashed into the ground.
<World’s Strongest Mom Golem Punch!>
<Golem Punch!>
The 5-meter-tall Mom Golem, swinging its fists at incredible speed, was effectively dealing with the cult leader's army.
No matter how numerous they were, the size and speed difference was overwhelming, making it impossible for them to approach.
<Mom is strong!>
<Strong!>
The already powerful Mom Golem had grown even stronger.
The Blue Reapers, trained in the Colosseum, handled it like professional fighters.
<Stronger than the Black Reaper!>
Compared to the Black Reaper they had always fought alongside in the Colosseum, the cult leader's clones were small and weak.
<Mom Golem's continuous punch!>
Although the clone army seemed endless, the Blue Reapers were confident they could keep fighting forever.
The giant Black Reaper, covered in white flames, was battling the fire-breathing giant.
And it was doing much better than I expected.
Boom!
The flaming fist of the giant cult leader unleashed a massive shockwave, like a bomb going off.
The punch burned through Objects’ powers and hit with the force of a tank shell explosion.
It was an unfair attack that could even bypass immunity and deliver a direct explosion.
Yet, as the white flames dispersed, the Black Reaper stood there, having taken the brunt of the punch on its shoulder, grinning with its shark-like teeth.
Rather than feeling any danger, the Black Reaper seemed to revel in the thrill of battle, enjoying itself immensely.
I had suspected something was different ever since it melted in the evolutionary fluid, but I never imagined the Black Reaper’s toughness wasn’t just physical immunity.
Tap, tap.
The Reaper’s light steps skimmed the ground, moving gracefully.
Its footwork was so smooth that it seemed to dance like a ghost, barely touching the ground.
Though the giant was huge, with powerful, solid muscles, it appeared slow and cumbersome compared to the nimble Black Reaper.
Even though the giant seemed capable of fighting hand-to-hand, it couldn’t keep up with the Black Reaper’s refined, warrior-like stance.
The giant tried to spew flames in frustration.
Whoosh.
At that moment, a sharp sound cut through the air like an arrow.
Boom.
A heavy impact followed, as a powerful straight punch slammed into the giant’s face.
The punch was a direct hit, timed to exploit a momentary opening.
In slow motion, the blow delivered a devastating shock to the giant's exposed jaw.
The giant, knocked senseless by the punch, fell forward.
It was like watching a fight between an amateur and a professional boxer—it wasn’t even a contest.
Even though the giant seemed to know a thing or two about fighting, it was no match.
The giant Black Reaper turned toward me, flashing a bright, triumphant smile.
It looked at me as if expecting praise, brimming with pride.
It was oddly adorable, like a giant 5-meter baby.
"You did great! Keep it up!"
The Black Reaper beamed at my praise and quickly resumed its fighting stance.
The Black Reaper’s combat skills, honed by endless battles with the Blue Reaper in the Colosseum, had reached the level of a master.
As soon as the Black Reaper readied itself, the giant staggered to its feet like a zombie, once again rising to fight.
"We shall awaken from the sleep of the mundane and ascend to the realm of eternity."
It seemed that the giant would never stop until the destruction condition was met.
Well then, it was time for me to do what I had to do.
<Retrieve the eye from within the eye.>
While the Black Reaper bought me time, I had to meet the destruction condition.