Paradise of the Mini Reapers: Sehee Research Institute!

As Researcher Helmet raised his head, a large banner hanging at the entrance to the parking lot of Sehee Research Institute caught his eye.

Behind it, a temporary structure made of colorful, circus-like tents had appeared.

“What on earth… overnight, something like this….”

Helmet looked up at the massive tent that had suddenly materialized overnight, his expression a mixture of surprise and confusion.

No matter how he tried to recall, there hadn’t been any prior notice of such an event.

‘This must be Director Lee Sehee’s doing.’

If it were Deputy Director Park Seo-Ah’s project, he would have been informed at least a month in advance.

It looked like the structure was built in response to the recent influx of visitors to the institute, likely due to the Red Reaper’s recent heroics in saving people worldwide.

Just then, a Golden Reaper poked its head out of the pocket on his lab coat and crawled up to his shoulder.

Perhaps excited by the new additions to the institute, the Golden Reaper looked quite enthusiastic.

“Alright, let’s go in together and take a look.”

Helmet patted the Golden Reaper’s head and headed toward the entrance of the tent.

Inside, he found the setup to be more sophisticated than he expected.

The structure resembled a museum rather than a circus tent.

Along the softly lit ceiling and in the hallway leading from the entrance, numerous photos of the Mini Reapers were displayed.

Photos of Red Reapers flying through the sky, wielding scythes and hammers, and burning ooze.

A high-resolution image of a joyful Golden Reaper breaking through the atmosphere.

The rest were pictures from magazines circulated by the institute’s researchers.

Most of these were from the magazine referred to by researchers as Weekly Mini Reaper!

This mysterious magazine appeared in the institute’s break room every Monday morning, with no indication of who produced it.

Some researchers even joked that an object secretly creating the magazine must be hiding in the institute.

The magazine occasionally featured photos of the Gray Reaper, posing like a model with its eyes closed and dressed in flamboyant attire.

Who on earth was making it?

Considering it included photos of the Gray Reaper in clothing, it was likely the work of an actual object.

After walking down the photo-filled corridor, Helmet was approached by Sehee, who handed him a bundle of pamphlets and briefed him on today’s tasks.

The tasks were straightforward:

Handing out pamphlets.

Patrolling and managing the event space.

And lastly, allowing people without a bonded reaper to meet a Mini Reaper.

With that, Sehee handed him a large cardboard box, big enough to hold chicks, and disappeared somewhere.

Inside the box were Mini Reapers, colorful and lively, rolling around like noisy little chicks.

‘Ngh!’

‘Ah, someone bit me!’

Though soundless, they were chaotic as they tumbled around.

Playing with the Mini Reapers, time flew, and soon, guests began filing into the tent one by one.

The recent green ooze incident seemed to have attracted a considerable crowd.

The number of visitors appeared ten times larger than Helmet had anticipated.

‘If they hadn’t set up this tent, the institute might’ve been overwhelmed.’

As Helmet moved the now-empty cardboard box and surveyed the event space, he noticed a crowd gathering in one area.

It was labeled as the Mini Reaper Photo Zone.

This was a place where people could take photos with bonded reapers or free-roaming reapers in the photo zone.

Various props were prepared here, including rare items in Mini Reaper sizes that were hard to find elsewhere.

There, a woman was taking a picture of a Golden Reaper.

“Let’s do a V-sign!”

The woman in the photo zone flashed a V-sign at the Golden Reaper, who was raising its arms joyfully.

However, the Golden Reaper looked perplexed, not fully understanding the concept of a “V-sign.”

‘Ah, that one must be a Golden Reaper that was born not too long ago.’

It was a rare Golden Reaper, visible only within about three days of its birth.

Slightly smaller than other Golden Reapers, it had a somewhat expressionless face and lacked full comprehension of human language.

Even the always cheerful Golden Reapers seemed to learn things over time, gradually picking up cues when around humans.

Though they didn’t understand language directly, they became more perceptive.

Despite the woman’s continuous efforts to explain, the Golden Reaper kept looking down at its fingers, trying to make a V-sign, its head tilted in confusion.

Finding the Reaper’s puzzled expression adorable, the woman gave up on teaching it the V-sign and quickly snapped a photo.

Click.

Large Hospital Near Songpa District

The lone survivor of James Space Station woke up quickly, unable to dream due to the long sleep.

“Sigh.”

As she tried to rise, pressing a throbbing head, she noticed something on her stomach.

She felt something warm and soft.

Lifting the blanket, she saw a small green object, about the size of her palm, curled up inside.

Though it was unfamiliar in appearance, she instinctively knew it was a new Mini Reaper.

And she could feel it on an instinctive level.

‘Mingming was alive all along!’

This little one was ‘Mingming.’

Green skin.

Triangular cat-like ears poking out.

Golden, glowing eyes.

A mouth forming a cute curve.

Despite the physical differences, she felt a connection that went beyond appearances.

It was undeniably Mingming.

Tearing up with emotion, she gently lifted the tiny Mingming.

Carefully, so as not to wake it.

And as she brought Mingming closer to her face, she could hear its small, steady breathing.

“Miing. Miing. Miing.”

It was a soft, rhythmic sound, as though deeply asleep.

‘Hehe, how cute.’

With a fond smile, she gently prodded Mingming’s large leaf-like appendage.

“Ah!”

However, the leaf seemed quite sensitive, and Mingming woke up immediately.

Blinking sleepily, it quickly realized the situation and panicked, attempting to fly away.

“Ming!?”

The woman, sensing she might lose it forever if she let go, held on tightly as Mingming struggled to escape.

Realizing it couldn’t break free, Mingming curled up and began to emit a green glow.

Suddenly, soft, grass-like fuzz sprouted all over Mingming, turning it into a mossy ball.

Mingming emitted a quiet sound.

“Miing.”

Though it was much smaller than before, it looked similar to the form she’d seen in the space station.

Except now it was slightly elongated, like a caterpillar.

Probably because the inner form of the Reaper resembled a human.

“No need for that.”

Gently stroking the fluffy grass, she spoke in a tender voice.

“I already know. How could I not recognize you?”

Swoosh.

The green fuzz that had rapidly sprouted began to fall away, revealing the Green Reaper’s slightly worried expression.

Looking down at it, she gave the Green Reaper a big smile.

In response, the Green Reaper happily flew up and nestled into her arms.

“Ming!”

It was the reunion of an object and a human, both survivors from space.

Seoul Forest, Deserted and Isolated from Civilization

I was advancing deep into Seoul Forest with the Mini Reapers at my side.

This was the place where I had first been reborn as an object.

Where I’d gained my ghosting and physical immunity powers.

And where I’d faced countless brushes with death.

Moving further in, I came upon the ruined village, now turned to ash.

‘This is the village with the Flaming Iron Pig statue.’

I walked through the quiet forest, feeling a faint sense of nostalgia.

Beyond the village, the real Seoul Forest emerged, almost devoid of human traces.

‘There used to be a den where I met Sehee nearby.’

‘And beyond that boulder, I remember where the Great Mole used to fly around.’

As I retraced these memories, I continued through Seoul Forest.

Tread, tread.

The Mini Reapers followed behind, purging harmful objects along the way.

‘Finally, I’m cleaning up the objects in Seoul Forest.’

When I was born, I was too weak to manage it, and afterward, the forest was too vast for me to handle alone.

Moreover, since the Mini Reapers usually didn’t venture into uninhabited areas, the cleanup had only begun now.

Spreading the Mini Reapers throughout Seoul Forest, I moved toward the most crucial spot.

The origin of Seoul Forest—the Steel Tower.

As I approached, the atmosphere felt distinctly different from the last time I saw it.

The mist that once blanketed the clearing had disappeared.

The reverent silence had faded.

In place of the sacred calm, a faint, crumbling sound filled the clearing.

And in the center stood the Steel Tower, now marked by black cracks on its surface.

‘Nostalgia must refer to the view of the seven moons I once saw from atop the Steel Tower.’

Looking up at the slowly crumbling Steel Tower, that thought crossed my mind.

‘Since it’s breaking down on its own, there’s no need for further interference.’

I decided to confirm the Tower’s destruction conditions one last time.

But as I observed the Steel Tower with “eyes,” something previously unseen started to appear.

< >

A blank condition for destruction.

And above it, through the darkened tip of the Steel Tower that seemed to reach the sky, a blackened star loomed in view.