The checkpoint leading into Mapo District had become eerily quiet, with hardly anyone attempting to pass through.

Rumors of the dangers lurking in Mapo's nighttime had spread, and as a result, fewer and fewer people dared to approach.

Even those reckless enough to attempt entry had disappeared after the appearance of the towering black silhouette in the heart of Mapo.

The shadowy figure, standing tall like an ominous presence, sent waves of unease through anyone who caught sight of it.

In the midst of this, Ye-rin hid behind the shadow of a parked car, waiting for the right moment.

Determined to meet the Reapers no matter what, she stealthily approached the checkpoint, pressing herself against the wall just beneath the window.

The emergence of the black silhouette had diverted the guards' attention, weakening the checkpoint's security. It was the perfect opportunity.

Creep. Creep.

As all eyes were fixed on the ongoing battle in Mapo, Ye-rin silently slipped through the open window.

Though Association staff were manning the checkpoint, they were too distracted by the black silhouette to notice her sneaking past.

Once through, there was nothing stopping her. Ye-rin sprinted toward the location of the gray Reaper and the ominous black figure.

The streets of Mapo were eerily empty, the once lively patrols of Golden Reapers now nowhere to be seen. The oppressive light of the yellow moon illuminated the deserted city, casting long shadows across the empty streets.

Despite the desolate surroundings, Ye-rin’s heart raced with excitement.

I’m finally going to meet my Reaper!

Any thoughts of danger were absent from her mind.

The Reapers were invincible, after all.

In the distance, a tiny silhouette stirred on a nearby rooftop. Though it was far away and barely visible in the dark, Ye-rin recognized it instantly.

It’s the Reaper!

When it came to the gray Reaper, Ye-rin’s eyesight was better than a hawk’s.

Even though she couldn’t make out its features from this distance, Ye-rin could sense that something was bothering the gray Reaper. It seemed troubled.

Is something wrong?

Concerned, Ye-rin cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted out as loud as she could.

“Reaper, hang in there!”

Even though her voice couldn’t possibly reach the Reaper, the moment she shouted, the gray Reaper whipped its head around and spotted her.

A smile of pure joy spread across its face as it recognized her.

The next thing Ye-rin knew, the gray Reaper had appeared right in front of her, its small feet making soft thump thump sounds as it trotted over and leaped into her arms.

The gray Reaper radiated happiness, and as Ye-rin gently stroked its head, the environment around them began to change.

The hard, black asphalt disappeared, replaced by a soft, white marshmallow-like ground.

It was as if the landscape from a fairy tale had taken over the real world.

The marshmallow ground spread slowly, creating a surreal scene where concrete buildings seemed to awkwardly sprout from the pillowy white earth.

It had been a week since they’d last met, and energy, or firewood, surged into me without end.

Simply holding Ye-rin close was enough to provide me with an abundance of firewood.

With the influx of energy, I decided to summon the Mini Reapers that I hadn’t called upon due to fuel efficiency issues.

The first to appear was the massive black Reaper.

It would hold off the giant fake Reaper while I absorbed Ye-rin’s energy.

The colossal black Reaper, towering as tall as the buildings, stepped forward to challenge the equally massive fake Reaper.

With a mighty roar that seemed to shake the air, the black Reaper moved nimbly as it engaged the black silhouette in battle.

Meanwhile, I summoned the blue, orange, and sprout Reapers for rescue operations.

The blue Reaper would handle healing and support.

The sprout Reaper could rewind time if any buildings collapsed.

And the orange Reaper would manipulate probabilities, minimizing the number of injuries.

Finally, I called forth the gluttonous Reaper, despite its notoriously poor fuel efficiency. Its own firewood reserves were nonexistent, but it seemed overjoyed to be summoned after so long.

Go wild!

With my command, the gluttonous Reaper crafted massive greatswords in each hand and charged toward the fake Reapers, ready to tear them apart.

I, on the other hand, reclined on the soft, fluffy back of the white gluttonous Reaper.

Nestled in Ye-rin’s arms and snacking on bits of the white Reaper’s marshmallow-like fur, I enjoyed a much-needed rest.

This was it—automated hunting, carried out by my Mini Reapers, fueled by Ye-rin’s endless supply of energy.

Elsewhere, in a small one-room apartment in Mapo, a woman sat huddled in the corner, clutching her blanket in terror.

It had been such a happy day.

She had been playing with her Golden Reaper, laughing and getting ready for bed. Everything had been perfect.

But now, that same Golden Reaper stood in front of her, teeth clenched, protecting her with its life.

Its heart had a gaping hole in it, but it had managed to kill the fake Reaper with a surprise attack.

Yet from the shadows, another fake Reaper began to rise, slowly.

Seeing the new threat, the Golden Reaper glanced back at the woman with a sorrowful expression.

It was exhausted, having burned through all of its firewood, and could no longer protect her.

I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.

With its left arm severed and golden flames dripping like blood, the Golden Reaper wept, its tears falling as it stood defenseless.

Unable to hold on any longer, the Reaper collapsed, disintegrating into golden dust.

It awoke in the endless plains of the Mini Reaper Valhalla.

The human is in danger!

As soon as it opened its eyes, the Golden Reaper sprinted back toward the gray Reaper, paying no attention to anything else. It only cared about returning to the human it was meant to protect.

It might already be too late.

But the Golden Reaper couldn’t give up.

When it arrived at the woman’s one-room apartment, it could feel her overwhelming fear.

It phased through the door in its ghostly form and was met with a horrifying sight.

A malicious object, grinning wickedly, swung a deadly sword.

The woman, frozen in terror, couldn’t move a muscle.

The blade, grown so large it could split her in half, was mere inches from her face.

The human is in danger!

Even though the Golden Reaper had returned to protect her, there wasn’t enough time.

The fake Reaper’s blade was already at her nose, and the Golden Reaper had only just arrived.

No matter how much it accelerated time, it wouldn’t reach her in time.

No!

Desperately, the Golden Reaper stretched out its restored hand toward the woman, pouring all its will into the action.

It wanted to grasp space itself, just like its mother had taught, but it was impossible.

Impossible, but the Golden Reaper refused to give up.

Just as the dire scene seemed hopeless, something round and plump floated into the room.

The sight was utterly out of place on the battlefield—a soft, white, glowing gluttonous Reaper bobbing through the air like a balloon.

Upon seeing the gluttonous Reaper made of white flames, the Golden Reaper stopped crying and threw its arms up in a joyous cheer.

Snack Brother!

With the Golden Reaper’s will fueling it, the gluttonous Reaper accelerated like a missile, leaving a trail of fire in its wake before colliding with the fake Reaper in an explosive blast.

The fake Reaper, despite its immunity to physical attacks, was no match for the fiery essence of the gluttonous Reaper’s sword techniques.

Boom!

With a deafening explosion, both the fake Reaper and the white flaming gluttonous Reaper vanished without a trace.

Though startled by the sudden explosion, the woman began to calm down, soothed by the delicious scent that the Golden Reaper emitted.

Pat. Pat.

The Golden Reaper had climbed onto her shoulder and gently patted her cheek. Only then did the woman release a deep sigh of relief, realizing she had survived.

But just as the situation seemed to settle, a loud noise echoed from outside the room.

Kwoom!

A powerful shockwave shook the entire building as if it were about to collapse.

Terrified, the woman clutched the Golden Reaper tightly and hurriedly escaped the building.

When she stepped outside, she found herself standing on the soft marshmallow ground, surrounded by the battle between the Mini Reapers and the giant shadow.

A massive black Reaper clashed with the enormous shadow, their punches sending shockwaves through the air.

Buildings that crumbled under the repeated impact were immediately restored, as if time itself were being reversed.

Meanwhile, blue Reapers flew across the sky, covering every person in Mapo with protective water bubbles.

Protect the people!

The blue Reapers, though exhausted and dimming from overuse, quickly recovered and returned to continue their protective work.

The white flaming gluttonous Reapers moved through the streets, offering warmth to those who had fled the cold.

Kyuhihing.

A white gluttonous Reaper approached the woman, looking at her with a pitiful expression as it set itself aflame to ward off the cold.

The scent of the gluttonous Reaper’s fire was strangely sweet.

The gluttonous Reaper incinerated the fake Reapers, while the black Reaper snapped the neck of the massive impostor.

Ah, finally... peace.

I should have brought Ye-rin along from the start. Who knew these objects would be this difficult to deal with? Not preparing for that was my mistake.

I looked up at the sky and saw the yellow full moon gradually shrinking. As the Mini Reapers ran about, doing their work, the presence of the yellow moon began to fade.

Was it because fear was dissipating?

Judging from the nature of the yellow moon, it seemed obvious that was the case.

It was almost time for sunrise.

Once the sun came up, the conditions for the yellow moon's destruction would be met.

After confirming that the yellow moon was destroyed, I planned to retreat to the isolation room and take a month-long break.

After spending a full week living on the streets of Mapo, I was longing for the warmth and comfort of Se-hee Institute.

How should I torment the yellow Reaper? I have to make it pay for all the trouble it caused...

As I daydreamed about how to bully the yellow Reaper once the moon was destroyed, I heard Ye-rin's voice.

“Reaper, look! They’re showing all the Reaper stuff on TV!”

Ye-rin, nibbling on one of my antennae, showed me a video on her smartphone.

The footage displayed Golden Reapers escorting people to safety, the black Reaper striking a triumphant pose as it pummeled the giant fake Reaper, the gluttonous Reaper elegantly slicing through enemies to protect civilians, and the orange Reaper herding cloud-like meat creatures as it transported Golden Reapers.

How did they even manage to film this?

Pondering that, I looked up at the sky and saw countless black drones hovering overhead.

Thanks to the broadcast, I could feel positive emotions radiating toward me from nearly every human within my range of perception.

If this was the case, I couldn’t even begin to imagine how many people across Seoul were now fond of me.

But I had a feeling that all those admirers would chase me to Se-hee Institute, becoming a nuisance.

The thought of my peaceful life at Se-hee Institute being interrupted made me frown.