A massive underground cavern deep within the Free City Alliance.

It was filled with the abyssal darkness where no light could reach.

Pillars with grooves carved for the worms to crawl, and an endlessly expansive cavern.

The combination of these two created a vibration that spread a sinister resonance through the air.

This resonance felt like the wailing of thousands of ghosts.

Amidst this resonance, the sound of Object prosthetics walking along the grooves of the pillars could be heard.

Tadadak, tadadak.

The sound, like the continuous tapping of a corpse's fingernails on a stone, possessed a nerve-wracking power that unsettled anyone who heard it.

The wailing of the ghosts and the tapping of fingers blended together, creating an atmosphere of pure terror.

But that eerie atmosphere was not to last forever.

Grurrrrk!

With that chilling noise, the sinister mood of the cavern shifted in an instant.

The finger-worms that had been writhing in the tank began to spasm as if salt had been sprinkled on leeches.

Their pale, sagging bodies twisted and tangled together, creating a grotesque spectacle.

And that wasn’t all.

The sticky, unpleasant-smelling liquid in the tank started to bubble violently, like boiling water, emitting scorching heat.

The worms' abnormal convulsions and the ominous transformation of the liquid sparked feelings of horror and disgust.

At the same time, the three worm monitors tangled with wires attached to the tank began flashing with urgent red warning lights.

[An Object that kills Objects.]

[The Gray Reaper has infiltrated.]

[Why? Why? Why?]

The letters on the monitors conveyed raw panic and confusion.

Meanwhile, the underground tank continued to boil violently, spewing heat.

[Though there is hatred, it does not seem hostile.]

[If that is the case, it’s fine.]

After a moment, as new words appeared on the monitors, the convulsions of the finger-worms and the heat of the tank gradually subsided, returning to calm.

[A special Object, beyond that of any ordinary one.]

[The 'Colossus' who has reached that point can defeat the Gray Reaper.]

[But the Colossus is not yet ready.]

All three monitors displayed the same message.

[Then, let’s buy some time.]

That sentence hinted that there was a plan amidst this chaotic situation.

Free City Alliance, Central Tower.

Cheong stepped out of the taxi and slowly descended in front of the Central Tower.

Her gaze was fixed on the peak of the towering structure that rose high into the sky.

“It’s incredibly tall.”

Looking up at the Central Tower, Cheong spoke to the Orange Scion with a hint of awe in her eyes.

This tower, the symbol of the Free City Alliance, held more stories than any other place.

The symbol of the Free City Alliance.

A place where the influence of the city’s three ruling families did not extend.

Now the residence of the Colossus, but previously the home of the legendary Mercenary Kings of the Free City Alliance.

It was truly the place where legends resided.

Cheong had no intention of becoming the top of the mercenary world herself.

But looking at the tower where so many legends had left their mark, a small sense of excitement stirred in her chest.

As Cheong was lost in thought, a man emerged from the Central Tower.

With a cold expression, the man approached Cheong and began to guide her indifferently.

“Follow me.”

Taking a deep breath, Cheong steadied her nerves.

She passed through doors that were usually closed, entering a lobby with a shiny floor and massive security gates.

People bustled around, but Cheong strangely felt like she was standing alone in the wide space.

‘It’ll be fine.’

As if to dispel her anxiety, Cheong placed a hand on the Orange Scion resting on her head like a hat.

The familiar warmth of the Orange Scion spread to her fingertips, offering a bit of comfort.

Suddenly, the image of her companions left back at the hideout flashed through her mind.

In truth, they had all opposed this mission.

The request itself was suspicious.

The Colossus had specifically requested Cheong, and no one else was allowed to enter the Central Tower.

Furthermore, the reward was none other than the keepsake Cheong had longed to reclaim.

It was as if the request had been crafted specifically to lure her in.

But Cheong couldn’t refuse this opportunity.

She couldn’t turn her back on the keepsake, a remnant of her memories.

In this situation, the only thing Cheong could rely on was the Orange Scion by her side.

She found hope in the presence of this unpredictable being.

The hope that she would complete the mission safely and retrieve the precious keepsake.

Lost in her thoughts, Cheong followed the guide into a glass-walled elevator.

Through the transparent walls, the outside world was visible.

As the elevator rapidly ascended, Cheong felt as though she were soaring toward the sky.

The buildings around her grew smaller, and the ground beneath her feet receded into the distance.

As she rose higher, her view expanded.

The entire expanse of the Free City Alliance came into view.

The scene visible through the glass looked like a painting.

The colorful buildings forming the city, the winding roads, and the countless people walking on them.

In reality, the city was twisted and horrific in many ways, but from a distance, it looked like a colorful mosaic of stained glass.

Ding!

After gazing out for a while, she had arrived at the top floor.

A long, grim hallway made entirely of dull metal.

Unlike the luxurious hotel-like lobby on the first floor, the top floor gave off the atmosphere of a storage hangar.

“This is as far as I can guide you. The Colossus is in the room at the end of the hallway.”

Thud. Thud.

The hallway was windowless, dimly lit with minimal lighting, creating a gloomy atmosphere.

At the end of the corridor stood a massive, heavy iron door, like the entrance to a solitary cell.

As soon as Cheong opened the door and stepped inside, an endless darkness unfolded before her.

“Is anyone here?”

The floor of the room seemed to be flooded with water, as her steps created soft splashing sounds with each step she took.

After walking a few more steps, the door behind her slammed shut with a loud bang, and one by one, the lights in the dark room flickered on.

At the center of the room, there was a massive metallic mass.

A mixture of dazzling gold and dull black metal, it was drenched in dark red blood.

Around it, a glowing red liquid pooled on the floor, and next to it lay a gruesome pile of corpses with holes bored all over their bodies.

The moment Cheong saw the heap of corpses, the stench of blood became so overpowering that it was difficult to breathe.

Just moments ago, there had been no smell at all!

“The final piece has finally arrived.”

At that moment, the massive metallic mass began to move.

With a creaking sound, the mass took the shape of a person and rose from its spot.

That being, with a body that gleamed with metallic light, was the Colossus.

In the peaceful marshmallow plains without the Gray Reaper.

Around a mountain of four-legged golden reaper doll suits, white ghouls had gathered.

The gathered white ghouls were playing rock-paper-scissors with their short fingers, which couldn’t fold properly.

The victorious ghoul stood on its hind legs, exclaiming a joyful “Kyuu!” while the defeated ghoul, with a sad "Kyuhinghing," walked dejectedly to the corner.

It was a place where joy and sorrow mingled.

The losers laid down on their bellies in the marshmallow plains, where the Gray Reaper frequently roamed, while the victors ran around in golden reaper costumes.

Anticipating the Gray Reaper’s brutal retaliation, the rock-paper-scissors game was a cruel selection process for sacrifices.

Kyuhinghing.

While riding the glowing mecha Tyrannosaurus and exploring the strange city, time passed, and the sun began to set.

Just as I was about to show off the powerful strength of the mecha Tyranno in this harmful city, a festive atmosphere started to spread across the city.

The neon-lit streets.

The upbeat music and dancing people.

Delicious-looking foods and snacks.

Sensing the festive emotions, even the golden reapers, who had been hiding in my hair to avoid the stench, peeked their heads out to observe.

Cautiously, they emerged and started mimicking the people’s dancing.

Were they trying to imitate the dance of the holographic bunny girls? Grabbing onto my antennae like poles, they started spinning quickly with agile movements.

It was probably supposed to be a sexy dance...

While the original dance involved slow spins around the pole, the result was more like a mini reaper windmill, spinning like a fan!

As the golden reapers combined their bright smiles with their fast-moving bodies, every move began to feel like a circus performance.

As I wandered the city, watching the golden reapers try out different dances, I stumbled upon something truly astonishing.

!!!!!!!!!!

Between the buildings, holographic Tyrannosaurs were intricately moving, shaking their enormous bodies.

“Tyranno!”

I stood up on the mecha Tyranno and reached out toward the holograms.

Then, the Tyrannosaurus opened its mouth wide and let out a simulated roar.

Startled by the sudden movement, I couldn’t help but smile.

Hehe.

A Tyranno festival.

A magnificent festival where giant Tyrannosaurs roamed, leaping between rooftops.

Machines floated through the sky, scattering fluffy marshmallows.

Countless dinosaur holograms roamed the city.

Lively music and joyful dancing.

It was a festival more splendid than any on Earth.

Sitting on the back of the mecha Tyranno, I began snatching marshmallows from the sky as I excitedly watched the festival unfold.

Boom!

As the Colossus’s heavy fist slammed into the ground, blood splattered everywhere.

Cheong, the Orange Scion’s cherished human, barely managed to dodge the attack, but it was clear she wouldn’t last much longer.

“You’re wasting your time on something futile.”

The Colossus muttered in a cold voice.

His icy gaze pierced through Cheong.

Huff. Huff.

Cheong’s pale face and ragged breathing made it clear she was nearing her limit.

‘Cheong is close to her breaking point.’

The Orange Scion was constantly trying to manipulate the probabilities, but it was useless.

The Colossus, despite looking like a crude assembly of metal and golden horns, was immune to any probability manipulation.

Even though his structure should have collapsed with just a slight tweak in probability, he remained intact.

“It’s no use. It seems you won’t understand unless I explain.”

The Colossus spread his massive hand, and the components making up his hand began to disassemble, falling to the ground piece by piece.

“It’s a basic ability.”

Then, when the Colossus extended his hand again, the disassembled parts reassembled into the shape of a hand.

‘!’

Probability manipulation!

The Orange Scion’s eyes widened in shock.

An enemy using the same ability as her!

“We studied the Gray Reaper’s ‘death induction’ and eventually surpassed it, reaching the realm of ‘probability domination.’”

The Colossus continued speaking with a low laugh.

“Our ability, nearly perfected, surpasses even the Gray Reaper. Your feeble probability games are meaningless.”

As the Colossus clenched his hand in the air, Cheong’s probability of dying began to spike wildly.

‘No… my cherished human is in danger!’

The Orange Scion poured all her strength into suppressing the probability, but it wasn’t enough.

Thud!

A small hole opened in Cheong’s body.

It was as if a punch had been driven straight through her like a hole punch.

The Orange Scion’s beloved human, Cheong, was turning into a corpse riddled with holes.

And with every drop of blood Cheong lost, the pool of blood on the floor rose noticeably higher.

With the rising blood, the Colossus grew stronger.

“It’s time to finish this.”

The Colossus, now nearing the rank of the moon, reached out once more toward Cheong.

‘No!’

A perfectly sealed building, unreachable even to her mother.

An overwhelmingly powerful enemy that couldn’t be defeated.

A human in grave danger.

The Orange Scion, emerging from Cheong’s embrace, looked back.

‘I had fun.’

Golden flames began to rise from the Orange Scion’s body.

‘I wanted to play around a bit longer….’

If probability manipulation wasn’t working, she had to use even stronger probability manipulation.

As the Orange Scion’s body burned, the bloody floor began to morph into fluffy clouds.

As her body grew fainter, the corpses surrounding them disappeared, replaced by peaceful cloud formations.

And with one last mischievous grin.

A massive orange moon began to rise.

Not the faded, weakened orange moon she had become, but a brilliant, radiant orange moon, scattering its light.

In the chaotic, festival-filled Free City Alliance, a resplendent orange moon rose, one that rivaled even the sun.