Under the clear, transparent blue sky, warm sunlight filtered down through the trees.

As the light scattered through the leaves, it created a sense of a peaceful midday, one of those moments when you could feel the serenity in the air.

And basking in the sunlight, a few Golden Reapers clung here and there to the branches, enjoying their sunbathing.

It’s so peaceful.

For the past few months, there hadn’t been any major incidents, which only added to the sense of calm.

However, the news continued to bring unsettling updates every day.

“Object danger zone declared in the heart of Siberia, Russia!”

“Copycat killer terrorizes Mapo District! Residents are in fear.”

While Se-hee’s lab enjoyed peaceful days, the world shown on the news seemed as chaotic as ever.

Lying in the backyard of Se-hee’s lab, listening to the news and looking up at the sky, I noticed two large rings in the sky.

Two enormous rings of light, perfectly concentric, stood out against the blue backdrop.

These rings, which the cult leader had called the “Eyes,” had doubled in number after we dealt with the Angler Reaper.

But for some reason, every time I looked at those “Eyes,” an uneasy feeling crept over me.

Despite their powerful abilities—negating powers and evading attacks—they never gave me the urge to actually use them.

Thud!

The sound of wood hitting wood echoed through the sunny backyard.

Along with it came the quick patter of small feet and the occasional playful hop.

Turning my gaze to the clearing in the backyard, I saw the Golden Reapers sparring with wooden swords, whittled from branches.

Lately, they had been practicing sword fighting more frequently, though I couldn’t quite figure out why.

Normally, they’d quickly lose interest and move on to other games, but this time, the swordplay had been going on for much longer.

It even felt like they were systematically organizing tournaments, with thousands of Golden Reapers participating in league-style duels.

Maybe they had watched some impressive sword fighting in a movie or a drama?

Their cheerful expressions as they swung their tiny wooden swords were just like those of children playing pretend sword fights.

Laughter and smiles filled the air.

But when you watched their movements closely, it wasn’t just play.

They moved with quick, sliding footwork, measuring distance with precision.

And when they attacked, they struck with lightning speed, as if landing a decisive blow.

Their faces may have resembled those of kids playing, but their movements told a different story—it was like watching a real kendo match.

Not too long ago, they were just swinging swords clumsily, but now, they had become skilled fighters, far beyond what I could mimic.

“Oh, wow!”

A group of Se-hee’s lab employees had gathered in the backyard, watching the Golden Reapers spar with admiration.

But unlike during the Colosseum days, there were no bets being placed over lunch.

Kim Jung-roe, the one who had taken a firm stand against gambling in the lab, stood at the corner of the backyard with a serious expression, his arms crossed.

“Ah! Oh no!”

One of the Golden Reapers collapsed after taking a blow to the head, lying on the ground as if it had lost. One of the researchers, looking concerned, rushed over and gently placed the defeated Reaper on their palm.

Nom, nom.

As the researcher tried to console it, they started feeding it little bits of pudding.

The moment the Golden Reaper tasted the pudding, its sulky expression disappeared, replaced by a radiant smile.

The researcher, clearly prepared for this, wiped the Golden Reaper’s mouth with a small handkerchief.

The Golden Reaper, tickled by the gesture, giggled and jumped back onto the ground, ready for another match.

Before the match began, it waved to its researcher companion, beaming brightly.

“Good luck!”

The researcher called back enthusiastically, cheering it on.

I found it amusing.

I sometimes struggled to tell the Golden Reapers apart, but the researchers seemed to have no problem recognizing them, even though they all looked the same—aside from a few like the Horned Golden Reaper.

The atmosphere in the backyard had gradually shifted to something familiar.

Little golden beings moved their tiny limbs with determination, striving for victory.

And the researchers cheered them on, like proud guardians.

By lunchtime, the backyard of Se-hee’s lab had transformed into something resembling an elementary school sports day.

Golden Reapers looked toward their human companions with resolve, feeding off their support.

When the matches ended, everyone sat together, sharing a meal.

Is Se-hee’s lab always like this?

Every now and then, I wondered what Seoul’s research lab had been compared to this.

But seeing how happy the Mini Reapers were, I figured it was probably okay.

Mapo District, usually bustling, had become eerily quiet due to the rumors spreading through the area.

Despite it being after work hours, the time when the streets would normally be crowded, hardly anyone was out.

This was because of the rumors that a copycat killer of the recently deceased serial killer was on the loose.

Already, it was believed that ten people had fallen victim to the copycat, though the actual number might be higher if unreported cases were taken into account.

Despite the rising number of victims, the investigation into the killer’s whereabouts was moving sluggishly.

The main reason was a lack of resources—most were focused on the dangers posed by Objects rather than human criminals.

Two police officers, patrolling the empty evening streets, walked side by side.

“Do you think we can actually catch the guy like this?”

The younger officer sighed, waving his flashlight around aimlessly.

“Hey, patrolling is the basics. If someone doesn’t show up on CCTV or leave any evidence, we’ve got to catch them the old-fashioned way. Smart criminals are often caught by these brute-force methods, trust me.”

The senior officer patted the junior on the back, giving him a pep talk.

The copycat was mimicking the exact methods of a killer caught years ago.

From the publicized details to the unpublicized ones, everything matched.

The original killer had attacked people in the night with a short folding knife, targeting the heart and neck with brutal precision, leaving no evidence behind.

But unlike the original killer, this copycat showed no signs of being caught.

“I heard some people are saying the copycat might be an Object.”

“What? Who’s spreading that nonsense?”

The senior officer turned to look at his partner, incredulous.

“Well, the killer appeared after the original died suddenly, and there’s no evidence, so people are getting desperate.”

“I can’t believe people are jumping to Objects just because things are tough. Back in my day…”

As the senior officer started ranting in his old-school way, the junior officer tuned him out, scanning the surroundings carefully.

Other than the lack of people, it was a perfect night.

A large, yellow full moon hung in the sky, illuminating the quiet streets.

But as he continued to walk, a strange feeling crept over him.

Alone?

“Senior? Where are you?”

Looking around, he realized no one was there.

Tap. Tap.

Just then, the sound of light footsteps echoed.

Turning his gaze forward, he saw a towering staircase stretching up toward the sky, with a massive full moon looming behind it.

At the top of the stairs, silhouetted against the glowing moon, stood a man.

“It’s a beautiful night.”

The man’s voice, quiet and calm, seemed to come from right behind the junior officer.

Thud.

A short blade pierced directly through his heart.

The man at the top of the stairs had already disappeared without a trace.

As the officer coughed up blood and turned around, he saw the figure of the serial killer who had been reported dead, staring up at the sky.

“Ah, such a killer moon,” the killer said, paying no attention to the dying officer behind him, his gaze fixed on the bright full moon hanging above.

Floating, floating.

Looking up at the sky from the isolation room, I saw the Orange Reaper and the Sprout Reaper drifting through the air together.

They had started hanging out a lot recently, despite seeming like an unlikely pair.

The most peculiar thing about their partnership was that the Sprout Reaper, usually always asleep, would keep its eyes open whenever they were together.

As for the Orange Reaper, its eyes were always closed in its usual calm expression, so I could never tell if it was awake or not.

I was lying half off the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, when the door to the isolation room burst open, and Yerin came rushing in, out of breath.

Had she been running from Seo-ah or Kim Jung-roe again?

“The underground facility is finally complete!” she announced.

But the news she brought was something else entirely.

The massive structure resembling a golden bathhouse, with its enormous golden statue, had been finished.

Oh!

I jumped up from the bed in excitement, and the Mini Reapers, who had been lazily draped across me, perked up and stood at attention, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.

I wasn’t particularly fond of baths, but hearing that the facility had been built for me and the Mini Reapers piqued my curiosity.

Apparently, it had murals and sculptures of the Mini Reapers decorating the walls. I hadn’t seen those yet, but I’d get a chance to check them out now.

The Mini Reapers were hopping around excitedly, clearly just as eager.

It wasn’t just fun they were looking forward to—they also seemed to feel a sense of pride.

I had heard they had helped a lot with the construction, so it made sense.

Let’s go!

As all the various Mini Reapers gathered together, I followed behind Yerin, thudding along with eager steps.