As we strolled along, the mini reapers bobbing beside me, the humid jungle air surrounded us like a tangible presence. The heat and steam filled the atmosphere, though I felt neither hot nor out of breath. Unlike humans, I didn’t need to breathe, making it enjoyable to explore this strange jungle crafted by the Green Moon.

If I were human, the oppressive humidity and heat would make this place feel like a sauna, unbearably sticky and unpleasant. But here, this jungle held endless surprises—from massive ferns to glittering, star-shaped fruit hanging on trees. And all the animals were dinosaurs!

Aside from the ugly T. rex, this jungle was truly impressive.

From the feathered, lip-plated, pot-bellied T. rex, it was clear these dinosaurs weren’t replicas of real ones. They seemed to be molded from human imagination and expectation.

‘Is there a T. rex around here?’ I was wandering through the jungle, hoping to find one. I had an idea inspired by the golden reapers making “dino hats” out of small dinosaurs. If another T. rex appeared with those ridiculous feathers, lips, and belly, I’d reshape it into a “real” T. rex by plucking feathers, trimming lips, and flattening its belly.

But since no T. rex seemed to be nearby, I sat beneath a tree laden with the star-shaped fruit. Curious about its taste, I sliced one in half with a spatial cut and placed a piece in the black reaper’s mouth beside me.

The black reaper looked grateful, its expression turning to excitement as it chewed. But suddenly, it scrunched up, its eyes squeezed shut, tongue sticking out as if the fruit were incredibly sour.

So cute.

I tugged on its extended tongue playfully. Judging by the black reaper’s reaction, the fruit wasn’t as tasty as it looked. I set it on the ground, prompting the black reaper to give me a betrayed look before pouncing at me with a little growl.

‘Mom?’

Curious golden reapers approached, tilting their heads at the sight of me and the black reaper tussling. I isolated the black reaper in a spatial bubble and shared the fruit with the golden reapers.

Their faces all scrunched up in unison, tongues out and wincing. It was a priceless scene. Of course, they all later swarmed around me, biting like suckerfish as payback, but it was worth it.

The Twisted Creatures in the Depths of the Jungle

From the forest’s shadows, twisted creatures emerged.

“Welcome back. Long time no see.” “Welcome back. Long time no see.”

Unlike the other dinosaurs, these abominations weren’t true life forms. The control room’s white outer wall, streaked with dried blood, faintly emitted a metallic scent. Hearing her former colleagues’ voices in the twisted creatures' tones sent chills down the woman’s spine.

Mingming’s reaction was different this time. Usually avoiding conflicts with dinosaurs, Mingming now radiated open hostility toward these monsters. The woman hid behind his massive, soft back, eyes fixed on the creatures.

The monsters suddenly fell silent, their heads spinning around and around in unison until a human head attached to one creature couldn’t withstand the rotation any longer and fell to the ground.

“What… am I?” “What am I?” “What am I?”

The disembodied head’s distorted words trailed from its lips as the creatures slowly advanced toward Mingming and the woman.

Gripping Mingming’s green fur tightly, the woman watched in horror as the monsters charged at him.

“Miing!” Mingming’s eyes glowed gold as he let out a loud cry. Shoots sprouted from the ground, winding around the creatures.

The woman, surprised, realized Mingming’s power was indeed that of an object.

'So he’s an object…,' she thought with a pang of disappointment. She couldn’t freely call him “Mingming” anymore. But even Mingming’s vines couldn’t hold the creatures, snapping each time they struggled.

Soon, it was a brutal fight between Mingming and the raptor-like beasts. Their claws tore into his flesh, while Mingming crushed them with his enormous hands.

The fight seemed endless until the raptors pulled back. Mingming was left bleeding heavily, his wounds so deep that pools of blood formed around him, and his once-massive body had shrunk.

“Miiing,” he whimpered.

The woman tried to stem the bleeding, pressing her clothes against his wounds, but it was no use. The raptors, with their self-healing ability, showed no signs of injury. Each time a bone broke, it branched out like a tree, and torn skin fused grotesquely with surrounding tissue.

Mingming whimpered again, looking up at the sky as night fell upon the jungle, with the Green Moon hanging unusually large in the heavens.

Riding a True Tyrannosaurus Through the Jungle

Clad in black armor, I roamed the jungle atop a massive T. rex—a true T. rex without feathers, lips, or belly fat. Though I’d been ready to “reform” a fake if necessary, finding a real one was far better. My skills weren’t exactly refined, and I’d probably mess up if I tried a T. rex “makeover.”

Training this beast was a challenge. True to its reptilian nature, it tried biting me constantly, refusing to follow commands. Even stabbing it with the black reaper’s greatsword only provoked more aggression.

But my superior brain prevailed. I solved it with my black reaper armor, using it like an exoskeleton to assist me in riding and controlling the T. rex.

Just then, I sensed an urgent signal from a golden reaper nearby.

“Mom!”

Turning around, I saw the mini reapers collapsed in the golden reaper’s arms, looking worn out. I fashioned a bed-like platform on the T. rex’s back and laid them down. Checking each one, I found them all drained and exhausted.

Were they affected by being in space?

Only the golden and black reapers remained alert, though even the black reaper looked a bit tired. Realizing the gravity of the situation, I tried to open the mini reaper garden, but it wouldn’t respond. Space and the Green Moon’s domain had drained our power.

Breaking the Green Moon, or getting back to Earth—one of those had to be solved.

Just then, the Green Moon rose overhead.

‘Found you!’

The Green Moon’s Awakening

The monsters in the jungle looked up, feeling the gaze of the Green Moon—the creator of this jungle.

An escaped, self-preserving moon. A moon that had lost its consciousness.

But now, a battle with an abandoned servant had rekindled its will, choosing the twisted creatures below rather than its former servant.

In a sickening transformation, the creatures’ bodies tore apart and exploded, reforming into something foreign to this jungle.

They grew, heads reaching for the sky, bones of various creatures creating countless new limbs.

And with it came a surge of endless power.

<The Green Moon has chosen us.>