Every person living on this land is blessed.

Or rather, every person on this land is cursed.

Twenty years ago, a blessing from the stars descended upon southern Italy.

A blue light, so bright it covered the entire night sky, fell upon the earth. Every Object that came into contact with that light fled in terror.

While the rest of the world was being torn apart by Objects, southern Italy remained untouched by them ever since the moment of that blessing.

Thus, it was called the Star’s Blessing.

However, from that point on, anyone who entered the land where the Star’s Blessing had fallen could no longer leave.

The moment they tried to leave the region, they would turn to ash.

Like a vampire exposed to sunlight.

Thus, it was also known as the Star’s Curse.

But the true curse that befell this land was something else.

It was the people chosen by the stars.

Late at night, by a beautiful starlit pier.

A man wearing a black coat, which blended into the night sky, stood atop a pier building, peering below.

He was examining a seemingly deserted warehouse through a special telescope that didn’t reflect light.

“Two guards outside, one inside. Just as the intel suggested.”

The number of guards might seem too few for protecting something important, but if even one of them was among those chosen by the stars, it was a different story.

In fact, it could be considered an excessive amount.

A chosen one possessed the strength of at least ten ordinary people.

Without the element of surprise, breaking through the "field" that protected a chosen one with mere firearms was nearly impossible, hence the calculated risk.

But now that he had a clear shot at the chosen one inside, those calculations no longer mattered.

The man carefully aimed his silenced gun and pulled the trigger.

The muffled sound echoed three times.

All three bullets hit their mark, each piercing a target's head.

His marksmanship was nothing short of incredible.

Then, he climbed down from the rooftop and cautiously approached the warehouse.

“All that’s left is to retrieve the item and deliver it. Then this job is over.”

As he approached the warehouse, he noticed a translucent trail stretching out from the nearby wall toward him.

“!”

The swirling trail reminded him of water currents in a vortex. As soon as he saw it, he twisted his body away from the trajectory.

The moment he dodged, everything in the path of the trail began to twist.

It forced the metal walls to coil into spirals and crushed the concrete beyond as something slashed through it all.

And soon enough, more trails erupted from every direction, occupying the space around him.

The man rolled away, dodging the trails, and took cover behind a container on the other side.

“Did you dodge all that? Lucky, aren’t you, gunslinger?”

Hearing a voice from beyond the wall, the man began to piece things together.

A power that shot something from one's line of sight.

Capable of rapid fire. Could even target places out of sight.

It was likely the person hadn’t had their abilities for long if he had never even heard rumors of such a power.

Two chosen ones?

“Honestly, I don’t get it.”

Step, step.

He listened to the steady, unhesitating footsteps approaching and estimated the enemy’s position.

He then slowly climbed up the building.

“I can’t understand why they regard a weakling who relies on guns for sneak attacks so highly.”

The moment his opponent finished speaking, the man dropped from the stacked containers above, aiming his gun at the target.

The opponent quickly turned, as if expecting such a move.

But the man needed only a split second—the time it took his opponent to turn his head.

The smug look on the kid’s face, relying on his “field” for protection.

As trails erupted from the kid’s eyes, all aiming for the man’s body, the man’s single bullet slipped through a gap in the “field,” drilling into the kid’s forehead.

Sehee Lab, the hallway near the sleeping quarters.

“Alright, I’m coming. Stop rushing me.”

It was long past quitting time, but Seoa was slowly making her way to the sleeping quarters, tugged along by the Sprout Reaper.

The Sprout Reaper, in a hurry, was tugging on her hair, urging her to hurry up.

When she opened the door to the sleeping quarters, the first thing she saw was the Sprout Reaper’s pot, deep within the room.

Soft moonlight streamed over the small pot, casting a mystical aura.

As if entranced by the atmosphere, she approached the pot slowly and noticed the Sprout Reaper looking up at her.

It was rare for the pot-bound Sprout Reaper to be awake, as it spent most of its time asleep.

“Did you bring me here just to show me the Sprout Reaper in the pot?”

She whispered to the Sprout Reaper on her shoulder, but it shook its head vigorously.

Hmm?

Upon closer inspection, Seoa noticed a tiny fruit budding on the Sprout Reaper in the pot.

She had heard that a few people had received fruits from it, but this was the first time she had seen the tiny fruit growing.

“So, you wanted to show me this fruit?”

Again, the Sprout Reaper shook its head.

Then, it leaped off her shoulder and tapped the spirit camera.

“?”

Seoa, puzzled, looked at the pot-bound Sprout Reaper through the spirit camera.

“What?”

Astonishment filled her voice as she spoke.

Through the spirit camera, she saw that the Sprout Reaper was cradling something tiny in its arms.

It was a Mini Sprout Reaper, even smaller than the Sprout Reaper.

As if the Mini Reapers weren’t small and cute enough already, here was an even smaller, more endearing little one!

The Mini Sprout Reaper looked as delicate and lovable as a newborn animal.

“So this is what you wanted to show me?”

The Sprout Reaper, who had been shaking its head the whole time, finally nodded with a bright smile.

Realizing that Seoa was looking through the spirit camera, the pot-bound Sprout Reaper lifted the Mini Sprout Reaper toward the camera, as if to say, “Isn’t my little sibling cute?”

Unable to help herself, Seoa grinned.

She pulled out her notebook and began jotting down observations about the Mini Sprout Reaper.

“Seems like the miniature version of the Sprout Reaper appears as soon as the fruit forms.”

“Contrary to previous assumptions that it would only appear once the fruit is consumed.”

“The Mini Sprout Reaper is currently tiny compared to the regular Sprout Reaper, but it likely grows as the fruit matures.”

“Further observation is needed.”

After closing her notebook, the pot-bound Sprout Reaper extended the Mini Sprout Reaper toward her, as if inviting her to hold it.

Seoa took the tiny Sprout Reaper and placed it on her palm, where it swatted at the air with tiny hands.

She brought a finger close to it, and it hugged her finger like a doll.

“It’s warm.”

Seoa smiled, filled with warmth, as she looked at the Mini Sprout Reaper.

Days after the Purple Reaper left to find a human attachment.

I was in the sunlit courtyard of Sehee Lab, practicing with a newly repaired Light Sword.

Unlike last time, I was playing cautiously, like swinging a child’s plastic sword, trying not to break it.

After all, if you swing a toy sword with full adult strength, it’s bound to shatter.

My sparring partner was the Golden Reaper’s Fifth Sword.

Despite the vast difference in reach and weight, we managed to have a decent fight.

When I swung hard, the Fifth Sword would spin in the air to parry, like a baseball caught in a fast spin.

The rapid, golden gleam of the spinning blade was quite impressive.

I even tried mimicking it, but with this uncoordinated body, I was hopeless.

I couldn’t manage a full spin and ended up face-first on the ground each time.

Back when I was human, I could handle physical activity, so this must be due to the “Gray Reaper” body.

The alchemist who repaired the sword sat in a corner of the courtyard, chatting with James.

At first, James seemed suspicious of the alchemist, but as soon as he saw the stone-colored Agu, his attitude turned friendlier.

They had opened the Book Zero and were discussing various topics.

James seemed thrilled to discover that the alchemist could interpret the language in Book Zero.

I was also holding some hope for these two.

James, who had money and resources to make grand things.

And the alchemist, who, despite limited funds, could create Objects with a close resemblance.

With their powers combined, maybe they could build a Mecha-Tyrannosaurus?

I was already using the Golden Reapers to orchestrate my plan.

Hehehe.

One of the Purple Reapers scattered around the world had arrived in a strange, unsettling land.

If it had been an ordinary Object, it wouldn’t have dared approach, but as a high-ranking Purple Reaper, it only took a bit of willpower to step in.

By resisting the aura that tried to push it away, the Purple Reaper could even recharge its energy—a convenient dual benefit.

It was there that the Purple Reaper spotted a man.

He wore a hardened expression, as though burdened by a story.

Something about his rigid face intrigued the Purple Reaper.

Opening its tiny palm, it recalled the attachment criteria shared by the Golden Reaper.

The Golden Reaper’s conditions were simple:

He must be at least 50% human.

He must not be a wicked person.

This man was purely human, so he passed.

He didn’t seem like someone who’d harm humanity, so he passed again.

Passed?

Still, it seemed too simple, so the Purple Reaper tilted its head, looking puzzled.

Strange.

Deciding to make its own judgment, the Purple Reaper quietly followed the man to observe him closely.