Originally an expensive cruise, the suite room had become even more costly as objects continued to multiply.

A man sat on a table and chair on the suite’s balcony, enjoying his coffee while the fresh sea breeze brushed past him.

A faint smile spread across his lips as painful memories flickered by.

'I once thought this was just a painful journey for my sister, but I never imagined it would resolve this way.'

The life of a "Selector," which had been consumed by the pursuit of his sister’s traces, had taken a toll on his body.

But now, that life had returned as a fortune, allowing him to embark on this journey with his sister.

Now, he stood at the starting point of a journey to travel the world, just as his sister had always wished.

What he thought would be a lonely trip had transformed into a noisy and happy one, with his sister’s resurrection.

The cruise suite room was furnished luxuriously: plush carpets, a cozy sofa, a large flat-screen TV, and exquisite teak furniture, all illuminated by soft lighting.

If the Purple Spirit hadn’t brought his sister back, he wouldn’t have been able to enjoy any of this.

Turning his gaze toward the room’s interior, he saw his sister and the Purple Spirit seated at the dining table.

His sister looked exactly as she had in those distant memories.

It was as if time had leapt forward, and her appearance was so identical to how she used to be that every time he blinked, he feared all of this might just be a dream.

Across from his sister sat the Purple Spirit, wearing an eye patch.

Once completely rusted while protecting the man, the Purple Spirit had now recovered significantly.

The only remaining scar was on one side—its eye, which had a faint red tinge, like rust.

Noticing this, the Purple Spirit had crafted an eye patch and was now wearing it with a bright smile.

The man’s sister was poking at the Purple Spirit’s soft cheeks, teasing it.

Always fascinated by objects, his sister was especially fond of the Purple Spirit.

As a result, she often played pranks on it.

After poking the Purple Spirit’s cheeks a few more times, she offered it an espresso cup.

"Here, try this. It’s the same coffee my brother drinks."

As expected, his sister started teasing the Purple Spirit again.

The small cup of espresso, which appeared large to the Purple Spirit, made it hesitate.

The Purple Spirit wanted to mimic the man’s actions, but it also loved sweet things and hated bitterness.

The two sides of the Purple Spirit seemed to be fiercely battling inside its small head.

The Purple Spirit stuck out its tiny tongue and gave the hot espresso a tentative lick.

Finding it far too bitter, it pulled back, sticking its tongue out in a pained expression.

Seeing this, the man stood up, picked up a sugar cube—something he didn’t particularly like—and crunched it loudly in his mouth.

He then offered a cube to the Purple Spirit.

The Purple Spirit, now smiling broadly, eagerly began nibbling on the sugar cube.

Watching the scene quietly, the man ruffled his sister’s hair playfully.

"Don’t tease it too much."

With a slightly pouty voice, his sister responded, "Okay," and turned on the TV, sitting down in front of it.

[There are places in the world beyond government control. One such place is the Free City Union, where three cities are governed by their respective ruling families.]

[But behind this freedom lies a high crime rate and weak security. A world outside the reach of law and order—what kind of life unfolds in this place?]

The TV broadcast a documentary-style narration about the famous Free City Union in China.

Just beyond the bustling streets, dark alleys could be seen, filled with people moving through the shadows as if the night never ended, the streets illuminated and lively.

The unique cityscape reflected a place where object technology had developed as much as in the United States.

"The Free City Union?"

Watching the TV, his sister muttered, then suddenly lit up and called out to him.

"Brother! How about we make China our next destination?"

In response, the man gently tapped his sister on the head with his fist and replied,

"Absolutely not."

Mini Grim Reaper Garden, Marshmallow Plains.

Thump thump.

As I wandered aimlessly over the marshmallow terrain, I noticed a lot of four-legged Golden Spirits.

Is this some new trend?

Sometimes, I found it hard to understand the Golden Spirits' sense of fun.

Compared to other strange behaviors they enjoyed, like filling every washing machine in Sehee’s lab with Golden Spirits, this four-legged play was relatively tame.

That time with the washing machines had been hilarious, especially seeing the lab staff panic when they discovered them.

Four-legged play, huh...

I was ready to dismiss it as just another of the Golden Spirits’ odd quirks when I suddenly felt something suspicious.

My highly knowledgeable and wise brain was sending signals.

‘No, no matter how you look at it, four-legged play is strange.’

Curiosity welled up within me, and I began to carefully observe the four-legged Golden Spirits. Some of them quickly scurried away on all fours.

It was a panicked escape, the kind that made you want to shout, "Run for your lives!"

About 70% of the four-legged Golden Spirits fled, while the remaining 30% continued to amble around, oblivious to my gaze.

I picked up one of the nearby Golden Spirits and started examining it.

Its plump belly, golden like sunlight, was soft to the touch.

As I stared at it for a while, the powerful illusion fell away, revealing its true form.

Its texture and appearance remained the same, but its eyes had turned into buttons.

‘!’

Another doll suit made by the Yellow Spirit.

No wonder their four-legged play was so skillful—it had this secret behind it.

I slowly unzipped the four-legged Golden Spirit squirming in my grip.

‘….’

Inside, with a sheepish smile that said, "Oops, I’ve been caught!" was the Golden Spirit.

So it really was a Golden Spirit.

I had half-expected to find a white Eater Spirit inside, but it turned out the Golden Spirits were genuinely playing their four-legged game.

A bit disappointing.

Feeling slightly let down, I started playing along with the four-legged Golden Spirit, and soon other mini reapers began crowding around, pestering me for attention.

Why don’t they form bonds with their beloved humans instead of bothering me?

Through my frequent observations of the mini reapers, I had discovered something interesting.

About 30% of mini reapers didn’t have beloved humans.

What was fascinating was that even though the number of mini reapers was growing rapidly, this ratio remained almost constant.

I once heard that some ants don’t work and just play. That came to mind.

‘You little ant-like creatures!’

With this thought, I enthusiastically squeezed the Golden Spirit’s plump belly.

The Golden Spirit didn’t understand my intention and simply giggled, enjoying the affection.

The most intriguing thing, however, was that none of the "Orange Spirits" had beloved humans.

They were smart and kind, so why didn’t they bond with humans?

It was a day when my curiosity deepened even further.

Near Sehee’s lab, in a small one-room apartment.

Boing boing.

The Pudding Spirit was bouncing around on the dining table of the tiny apartment.

It was a bit scared that it might hear that strange voice again, but so far, nothing had happened.

Of course, if it listened closely toward the sky, faint voices could be heard.

‘It’s mom!’

‘Delicious pudding!’

‘Where is the legendary pudding?’

But unlike the voice of the Red Star, these voices were not unified and felt strangely comforting.

While listening to the sounds from the sky and waiting for its beloved human to return, the window slowly began to open.

Creak.

The eerie sound of the window sliding open was followed by the appearance of a figure on the other side.

A fluffy tuft of fur.

An orange face.

A mischievous expression.

It was clearly an Orange Spirit from the Mini Grim Reaper Garden, so it should have been an ally.

Yet, for some reason, the Pudding Spirit felt uneasy and began to back away slowly.

The Orange Spirit, holding a large bucket, approached and set the bucket down with a loud thud.

Then, the Orange Spirit began poking the Pudding Spirit, as if asking for some pudding.

The Pudding Spirit, reluctantly, tore off a piece of its pudding and plopped it into the bucket.

But the Orange Spirit, still smiling, continued to stare down at it, exerting silent pressure.

The cruel exploitation continued until the bucket was full.

Whimper.

Sensing that resisting would lead to the same harsh treatment the white Eater Spirit had received, the Pudding Spirit had no choice but to obediently share its pudding.

‘It’s a secret from the Eater Spirit.’

And with that last thought, the Orange Spirit left.

The Orange Spirit soared through the sky, surrounded by cloud meat, with a sad expression.

The reason was simple: it had been caught swindling the Golden Spirits.

The pudding it had taken from the Pudding Spirit was passed off as the "Legendary Pudding," a scam that earned it high praise.

Since none of the Golden Spirits had ever tasted the Pudding Spirit’s pudding, which the Eater Spirit cherished, the prank had a high chance of success.

‘Prophet Brother!’

‘Oracle Brother!’

‘Legendary Pudding!’

The Orange Spirit basked in countless praises from the Golden Spirits.

Some had even made a statue in its honor.

It was dubbed the "Oracle Orange Spirit Ice Statue."

The "Ice Palace for the Adventurer Who Discovered the Legend," built by the Golden Spirits, also became the Orange Spirit's possession.

However, perhaps because the praise was built on lies, the Orange Spirit’s ambition to become the king of the snowy land came to an abrupt end.

The reason was simple.

Standing there, with a terrifying expression, was the Eater Spirit, carrying the Pudding Spirit on its shoulder.

The Pudding Spirit had revealed the secret!

Once the truth about the lie was exposed, the grand statue was destroyed, and the Orange Spirit was expelled from the majestic palace.

'The grudge formed through pudding must be resolved with pudding.'

Determined to take revenge on the Pudding Spirit for breaking their promise, the Orange Spirit fled, turning its gaze outward.

For the time being, it would be difficult to return to the lab, so the Orange Spirit decided it was time to embark on a journey.

Like many mini reapers who left in search of beloved humans, the Orange Spirit wasn’t necessarily seeking one, but it thought this might be a good opportunity to leave Sehee’s lab behind and venture far away.

Its destination: the crowded, vast western continent.