Mini Grim Reapers' Garden, Marshmallow Field.

In the middle of the Marshmallow Field, the Red Grim Reaper was carving a white grim reaper with a serious expression.

It was a stark contrast from the first time they had carved the white grim reaper with an air of vanity.

Srrrrk. Srrrrk.

With skilled hands, the Red Grim Reaper began sculpting the skin of the white grim reaper.

As sharp horns and frills started to emerge from the white grim reaper, it gradually began to resemble a triceratops.

After some time passed, the Red Grim Reaper successfully completed carving two white grim reapers.

Then, they positioned the two white grim reapers in a rather impressive pose.

“Finished!”

The two white grim reapers, resembling triceratops with their raised heads, were complete.

The Red Grim Reaper smiled with satisfaction, looking at the two horned white grim reapers.

Nearby, the Golden Grim Reaper and the Black Grim Reaper, who had been wandering around the Marshmallow Field, noticed the scene and started clapping.

"That’s awesome!"

"Well done!"

Seeing the praise from the mini grim reapers, some of the golden ones, seemingly intrigued by the Red Grim Reaper’s sculpture, began capturing wild white grim reapers from the Marshmallow Field and chopping them into pieces.

Hehe.

With a proud expression, the Red Grim Reaper, who was smiling at the mini grim reapers’ compliments, summoned a stamp made of fire in both hands and stamped it forcefully on the body of the white grim reapers.

“Revolution!”

Suddenly, a charred mark of a scythe and a hammer appeared on the bodies of the white grim reapers.

Kyuing-hing.

From behind the proud triceratops-shaped grim reapers, a sorrowful cry of a white grim reaper echoed.

Nearby the Red Grim Reaper’s sculpting area, there was a deep pit. The sound was coming from there.

It was the pit where discarded white grim reapers, over-sculpted by the Red Grim Reaper, had piled up.

Though the white grim reapers didn’t feel pain, they emitted sorrowful cries, bemoaning their pitiful situation.

Kyuing-hing.

As the Red Grim Reaper boasted about their creation and the mini grim reapers clapped, the sound of small footsteps approached.

Before long, the steps came up right behind the Red Grim Reaper.

Then, a hand softly reached down and began to gently pat the Red Grim Reaper.

“You did a great job with the sculpture.”

A familiar voice.

A voice the Red Grim Reaper had waited for a very long time.

‘!’

Startled, the Red Grim Reaper turned their head so quickly it was as if their neck would snap, their eyes widening in shock.

Squatting behind the Red Grim Reaper, patting their head, was a blonde girl.

The blonde girl, who had been asleep for a very long time, had woken up and was looking down at the Red Grim Reaper.

“It’s been a while.”

At her words, the Red Grim Reaper’s eyes filled with tears, and they clung to the blonde girl’s cheek.

Songpa District, Seoul Special City, James Tower.

James was standing at the entrance connecting the parking lot to James Tower.

He was holding a clipboard, checking the supplies and making a list as they were brought through the entrance.

“We’ve finally managed to move all these supplies properly.”

A researcher with green hair, holding a clipboard just like James, said from the side.

“Yes, it’s such a relief. I didn’t think the manpower would arrive on time.”

James responded with a look of deep relief.

Indeed, there were far more people around James Tower now compared to before.

It was no longer just James, a few researchers, and the security team struggling to manage the tower.

With Alex’s departure, the workload had increased even further for the remaining staff.

In fact, there had been a plan to hire local personnel in Korea, and quite a number of people had already been employed.

However, with the emergence of the “association dolls,” a major problem arose.

James had tried to hire people who didn’t use the dolls, but finding such individuals in Seoul was nearly impossible.

Even those who had been hired eventually began using the association dolls, leaving James with no solution.

During this period of severe manpower shortage, the American Object Association sent a large number of personnel to supplement their workforce in response to the doll situation.

The supplies being moved from the parking lot into James Tower were varied and massive in volume.

It looked as if they were preparing for war or an apocalypse.

Huge amounts of food and clean water.

Weapons to combat objects and all sorts of materials.

James was transforming the tower into something resembling a shelter.

‘It seems like we’ve done all the preparations we can.’

As James was writing the list with these thoughts, a group of people started approaching him.

It was the security team, the largest group that had arrived from the mainland United States.

“Sir, it’s been confirmed that Alex purchased an association doll.”

“So it was true…”

James frowned bitterly as he looked at the photo the security team handed over.

The photo showed a doll found in Alex’s apartment.

It was an expensive, high-end doll, nearly indistinguishable from a human woman in appearance, though its proportions were so unrealistic that one could tell at a glance that it was a doll.

After verifying the photo, James gave strict orders to the security team.

“Make sure to remind all the staff again: absolutely no prolonged contact with the association dolls.”

And so, a photo of Alex’s doll, with its exaggerated proportions, was pinned to the corkboard in James Tower’s security office.

As evening fell, and the sky darkened, stars began to twinkle, and the Doll Fair commenced.

The opening ceremony was marked by a dazzling display of fireworks lighting up the sky, filling the faces of the crowd with excitement and anticipation.

Having used Ghost Form to arrive alone at the entrance of the fair, I looked up at the fireworks, savoring the festive atmosphere.

Since the mini grim reapers disliked the association dolls, I couldn’t bring them along. And Yerin seemed to be wary of the dolls as well, so I had come alone.

In truth, Yerin probably would have come along if I had asked, but I didn’t want to cause a commotion by walking around without using Ghost Form.

As I slowly approached the entrance, with the fireworks bursting overhead, I saw association dolls with unique appearances welcoming the guests.

The dolls stationed on either side of the entrance greeted me with charming smiles, saying, “Hello! Welcome to the fair!”

On the opposite side, another doll gestured with both hands toward the interior of the fair, saying, “Incredible association dolls are waiting for you!”

Upon passing through the entrance, I saw many unusual dolls on display, the likes of which I had never seen around Songpa District.

There were dolls that seemed to be made of crystal, with transparent exteriors, dolls adorned with brightly colored flowers and extravagant dresses, and even dolls holding books, resembling scholars.

I slowly made my way further into the fair, marveling at the variety of dolls, each as impressive as the objects they resembled.

Among them, there were a few that sent chills down my spine.

One, in particular, was shaped like a baby.

It looked like a cheap baby model, crawling around with a creaking sound and occasionally opening its mouth.

However, its mouth was painted black inside, giving off an unsettling vibe.

Who on earth would buy a doll like that?

There were many other dolls that stood out.

A giant doll, about 5 meters tall, was lifting a heavy steel structure in a demonstration.

It was called a "construction doll," meant to replace cranes at construction sites, according to the display.

There was also a doll with multiple hands handling experimental equipment all at once, and another whose body stretched like a snake.

‘Unlike the TV ads, there sure are a lot of creepy dolls here.’

Considering they advertised these as replacements for the Golden Reapers, they certainly looked bizarre.

As I continued exploring the exhibits, I noticed a particularly interesting pavilion.

It was a display that hadn’t been featured in any of the external TV ads or brochures, but the name was written above it.

“Grand Object Security Doll Exhibit”

‘Oh!’

Being quite interested in the combat capabilities of dolls, I quickly made my way into the pavilion.

The security dolls were categorized from Level 5 to Special Grade.

Naturally, I headed straight for the pavilion displaying the strongest dolls, in the Special Grade section.

Apparently, many others had the same idea, as the pavilion with the Special Grade security dolls was noticeably more crowded than the others.

At the center, high up on a podium, stood a magnificent doll.

It was painted in the form of a bodyguard, with a black suit-like exterior.

Standing at approximately 5 meters tall, its upper body was disproportionately large and imposing.

Unlike the more human-like dolls, its mechanical joints and protruding parts were clearly visible.

At this point, it looked less like a doll and more like a robot.

The nameplate proudly displayed its combat rating.

“Agu-Grade Security Doll”

Agu-grade!

As I stared up in awe at the Agu-grade security doll, it turned its eyeballs, rotating them in a circle, and then… it started looking directly at me.

‘!’

Could it see me while I was in Ghost Form?

Omu-ryong Estate, in the heart of Seoul.

In the lab deep within the estate, two antique lamps were burning furiously.

Beside them, Omu-ryong let out a maniacal laugh.

Omu-ryong’s body was already blackened in patches, as if rotting, and his two eyes gleamed with a sinister red light.

“Just a little more, just a little more...”

In the center of the lab was a sunken pit, filled with a strange, viscous liquid, and in the middle of the liquid was a girl, her eyes covered.

“Grandfather?”

The girl's voice trembled with unease.

But Omu-ryong ignored her voice, continuously pouring the ground remains of human corpses into the liquid.

The corpses were from the clones of his granddaughter, who had been in preservation.

Small fingers, like those of a little girl, floated to the surface of the liquid before slowly dissolving.

The liquid easily dissolved human remains, but it seemed to have no effect on the “granddaughter doll” in the center.

However, even after all the clones had been ground up, the liquid was still incomplete.

“Not enough. It’s not enough. It’s not enough.”

Omu-ryong’s bloodshot eyes darted around the lab, searching for a solution.

And then, he found it.

The preserved body of his real granddaughter, stored in a cryogenic pod.

It was something Omu-ryong, in his right mind, would never have done, but now consumed by madness, he began grinding up his granddaughter’s body and mixing it into the liquid.

At that moment, the liquid started to churn and emit a radiant glow.

“Hahaha, it’s complete!”

The surface of the liquid smoothed out like glass, shimmering with vibrant colors.

Unlike the foreboding, foul-smelling evolutionary liquid he had used before, this colorful liquid exuded an air of beauty and mystery.

It looked like a gateway to another world.

A portal to a colorful universe filled with hues.

“Gr... Grandfather? I hear strange voices.”

The granddaughter doll looked around anxiously, but Omu-ryong, his eyes gleaming, simply stared at the liquid, transfixed.