In a major hospital in downtown Seoul.

The massive hospital at the heart of Seoul had transformed into a temporary refuge for victims of the collective cognitive loss incidents.

At the request of the Korean Object Council, James slowly stepped into the hospital.

A team of staff equipped with cutting-edge technology followed closely behind him.

As he walked through the hospital corridors, he sensed an air of pervasive sadness and melancholy.

"Even for a hospital treating victims, this is a bit excessive. Something’s definitely off."

His doubts were clarified the moment he entered the patient room where the cognitive loss victims lay.

"No…."

"Humans are hurt."

"They can’t recover."

Golden Reapers, gazing sorrowfully at the victims, were sobbing openly.

Crawling up onto the beds, they sobbed as they gently touched the cheeks of the patients with their tear-streaked faces.

"So, that explains the atmosphere in this hospital."

Due to the emotional aura of the Golden Reapers, the hospital nurses and doctors had absorbed the sadness, spreading a mournful feeling throughout the facility.

"The humans are in pain…."

Even the cheerful Golden Reaper sitting atop James’s head let out a tearful sigh and hid itself in his shirt pocket.

However, something else caught James’s eye, a detail that intrigued him.

White Maws moved busily between the patients, carrying lanterns lit with a white flame.

After inspecting each patient, the White Maws would return to the Golden Reapers, shaking their heads sadly.

"They can’t find the culprit."

"What will happen to the humans?"

"The poor humans…."

In response, the Golden Reapers cried even harder, collapsing on the beds in helpless despair.

"So, that’s the tracking ability of the White Guardians."

Taking note of this, James opened his notebook and jotted down additional observations under the entry on White Maws that he had previously gathered from the alchemist.

Afterward, he moved to a quieter corner and took the sobbing Golden Reaper from his shirt pocket, offering it a small snack.

Nom nom.

Even as it continued to sniffle, the Golden Reaper took tiny bites, chewing the treat softly.

As the grid-patterned sky shattered, a golden comet plunged down to Earth.

Enveloped in magnificent, fiery flames, the comet revealed itself to be the Golden Armored Reaper.

"Beautiful…."

The bob-haired girl, forgetting she had nearly faced death, stared in awe.

Thunk.

At that moment, a gaping hole appeared in the chest of the green reptilian monster.

Blood exploded in every direction, spraying the air with a sharp, metallic scent, and fragments of flesh scattered around.

Simultaneously, the scent of burning flesh mixed with the golden flames, filling her nose.

The comet-like brilliance of the Golden Armored Reaper was breathtaking, but its blood-soaked armor struck fear into the girl’s heart.

Even though she knew the Golden Reaper was a beneficial object, her instincts compelled her to back away.

Thud.

As the green reptilian monster’s body crumpled to the ground, its corpse began to pulse.

Thump. Thump.

An orb emerged from the creature’s stomach and was drawn toward the girl’s own orb.

"Huh?"

When she took out the orb she had tucked away in her pocket, she noticed it was now about 20% full, with a vibrant liquid pulsating inside.

"Just like the man in my dream said—gather the orbs of the other 10 participants, and it’ll fill."

At that moment, a man emerged from the green reptilian monster’s corpse, only to slowly vanish, just as the man in the wrinkled shirt had.

In the blink of an eye, the girl found herself back in reality.

The fog that consumed sound was gone, the grid-patterned sky replaced by the familiar blue sky and the warmth of the sun.

"Are you alright?"

"Please open your eyes."

"Someone call 911!"

"Another person has collapsed over here!"

Back in the real world, a crowd had gathered, buzzing with activity near where the girl stood.

At the center of the commotion lay the man in the wrinkled shirt from her memory, surrounded by people administering first aid.

"That man?"

The man, at the center of attention, was the same one she had last seen as the vicious saw-armed monster.

A few moments passed, and then the man in the wrinkled shirt slowly got to his feet, unsteady but alive.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, I’m fine."

Though he seemed dazed and wobbly, he appeared unharmed.

"That’s a relief. So, just as the man in my dream said, it’s okay even if I eat the orb or die during the festival."

Seeing him there, the girl’s heart settled somewhat.

A decision formed in her mind.

Since eating the orb wouldn’t condemn her to be a monster forever or lead to death, she couldn’t keep avoiding it just because it felt eerie.

Fearful as it was, she had no choice if she wanted to save her sister!

Resolute, she prepared to swallow the orb, but the Golden Armored Reaper flew down in front of her, blocking her from doing so.

The Reaper shook its head firmly.

Though it didn’t speak, the girl felt as though it was saying she shouldn’t eat the orb.

But without another way to save her sister, she tried again, only for the Golden Armored Reaper to block her path once more, gazing intently into her eyes.

And then, something clicked within her, as if she’d connected with the Reaper’s intent.

"I’ll fight for you!"

It was as though the Golden Armored Reaper was saying those very words to her.

In the Mini Reaper Garden, at the Marshmallow Plains.

I was seated there, watching a performance by the Yellow Reaper.

It had started spontaneously when I asked Yellow Reaper a question, but I quickly became absorbed in the unfolding drama.

At the center of the stage was a doll of a Golden Reaper with red eyes, while the Blue Idol Reaper narrated through waves of intent.

"Once, there was a Golden Reaper."

"A Golden Reaper who secretly bit the cheeks and limbs of the Mini Reapers entangled all around!"

As the curtain fell, the stage shifted, and a tall pedestal rose in the middle.

Atop it, several angry Golden Reaper dolls held down the red-eyed Golden Reaper doll.

"But there’s no glory that lasts forever."

"The Golden Reaper, who grew bolder with each bite, was eventually captured and brought to justice by the other Golden Reapers."

The red-eyed doll laughed dramatically, chuckling "Heh. Heh. Heh." while radiating intent toward the other Golden Reapers below.

"Biting is… so much fun!"

With those parting words, the red-eyed Golden Reaper was promptly swarmed by the others, who all took turns biting him in revenge.

Nom-nom.

"Eek!"

"And thus began the Great Golden Reaper Biting Craze."

With the Blue Reaper’s narration, the play concluded.

"It’s like the opening to a cartoon or movie…."

I muttered, watching as the stage slowly dismantled itself, and glanced at the Yellow Reaper in my hand.

"So, you’re saying this whole mess started because of that Golden Reaper?"

Raising one arm to demonstrate, I revealed the swarm of Golden Reapers latched onto my arm, like squid caught on a fishing line.

Nod.

The Yellow Reaper nodded in agreement.

On closer inspection, I noticed that a few of the attached Golden Reapers had red eyes.

"How can their eyes change without the influence of the Red Exalted?"

Curious, I poked at a Golden Reaper’s eye, noticing a rough-cut red glass piece covering its eye.

"!"

It was a dangerous, sharp contact lens, sharp enough to slice human skin. Only the physically resistant Golden Reapers could wear them safely.

They were all imitating the secret-biting Golden Reaper.

This might take a while to subside.

Unlike the other Mini Reapers, who left quietly when I threw them off, these vampire-like Golden Reapers kept biting me, making it all the more annoying.

"What should I do…?"

Stomp stomp.

I spotted a Golden Reaper wandering by, and an idea for a prank formed.

"Mommy’s here!"

Placing the Golden Reaper on my palm, it sat and laughed happily.

"That’s right, that’s right."

Smiling gently, I patted its head, then detached one of the vampire Golden Reapers from my arm and set it beside the compliant one.

Then I nudged the vampire Golden Reaper’s head closer to the calm one’s cheek.

Chomp.

"Ouch! He bit me!"

The vampire Golden Reaper reflexively bit the calm one, crocodile-style.

This might be the trick! I could use Golden Reapers as bait for the vampires to bite instead of me.

Hehe.

Just as I thought I’d be able to remove all of them and finally relax, I felt a soft bite on my hand.

Looking down, I saw two Golden Reapers gnawing at my fingers.

"The biting Golden Reaper disease has spread like a vampire infection."

Sigh.

Late at night.

The bob-haired girl looked at the orb in her hand, smiling.

"It’s already half full. I’ll be able to save my sister soon."

Petting the Golden Armored Reaper sitting on her shoulder, she whispered.

"You’re really strong, aren’t you?"

"Thank you for helping me!"

The Golden Armored Reaper closed its eyes and smiled softly, enjoying her gentle touch.

In a building located in Seodaemun District.

James had rented an unassuming building in Seodaemun as a temporary command center.

Though he hadn’t found any direct clues at the hospital, he was able to track down the location thanks to a report left by a detective.

<Some victims of cognitive loss were reported to have collapsed in specific locations.>

While it was nearly impossible to identify anything from just one or two instances, today was different.

There had been five reported incidents in this area alone.

Among them was a man in a wrinkled shirt and business slacks, whom James was able to bring in for questioning.

"Language comprehension, no issues. Physical abilities, intact."

Despite the various equipment from James's lab, the man still couldn’t recall why he’d been in Seodaemun or shake off a dazed expression.

But as James looked at the man through the window, the Golden Reaper perched on his head began to cry softly.

“In situations like this, Golden Reapers are usually more accurate.”

James was now convinced that the root of this incident lay somewhere in Seodaemun.