Inside the facility, where the broadcast called for capturing the "enemy of humanity," a human slaughterhouse.

The flickering red emergency lights cast eerie, writhing shadows on the walls and floor.

Shouts, footsteps, and sharp alarms echoed from all directions.

Amid the noise, the Silver-haired Girl recognized the familiar voices of other children from the "facility."

“What should we do?”

The Brown-haired Girl’s voice trembled.

Her eyes were wide with fear, and she held tightly onto the Silver-haired Girl’s hand.

“Why would they deploy the trainees if this horror is discovered…?”

The Silver-haired Girl, too, couldn’t hide her confusion.

But she was trying to think of a solution, doing her best to stay focused.

A large, elongated room with one entrance and one exit at either end.

A room filled with horrifying sights.

Footsteps echoing from all around.

"We can’t stay here. But where should we go?"

Despite all her time spent in the "facility," she couldn’t recall any escape route.

At that moment, she noticed something small in her line of sight.

Far away, a suspicious Object with a tiny sprout on its head was waving at her.

[Human! This way!]

The voice was familiar.

It was the same voice that had told her to eat the fruit.

Despite being faint, it was clear in this cacophony of noise.

Seeing that the Brown-haired Girl didn’t react, she realized it might only be audible to her, like a kind of mental contamination.

"But there’s no other choice."

Gripping the Brown-haired Girl’s hand, she led them toward the Sprout Object’s direction.

There, hidden in the wall, was a small square opening.

It was camouflaged by the hanging meat, making it hard to spot.

"There’s a hole here! Bloodstains… It looks like some kind of waste disposal chute."

The Brown-haired Girl, surprised, praised her for her sharp eyes and wondered how she’d found it.

The Silver-haired Girl glanced instinctively at the Sprout Object.

[Hurry up!]

The Sprout Object looked anxiously at her, hopping on its tiny feet.

Its appearance seemed harmless and friendly toward humans.

Recalling the warnings to be cautious of friendly Objects, she pushed the thought aside.

Since the moment she ate the fruit, there was no turning back.

Besides, there was no other visible way to escape.

She gave the Sprout Object a small nod and, with the Brown-haired Girl, threw herself into the hole.

Mini Reaper Garden, Marshmallow Plains.

I lay on the ground, close enough to the courtyard to catch a wireless signal, watching a small TV.

[Our next story is an update on the recent "Blue Mist" incident in the Pacific Ocean.]

[The James Institute announced that they will dispatch researchers to investigate the situation.]

[Remarkably, all dispatched researchers will be accompanied by Mini Reapers, classified as friendly Objects.]

[The James Institute stated that only employees who can work with human-friendly Mini Reapers will be selected for explorations in hazardous areas.]

[However, some domestic research institutes have raised concerns about over-reliance on Objects.]

Hearing that a proper investigation team was finally being sent lifted my spirits immensely, freeing me from the tedious five-minute daily monitoring I’d had to endure.

Hehe.

The "Blue Mist" situation had always made me uneasy, and it annoyed me that no other institutes seemed willing to investigate.

It must be difficult to explore the ocean directly.

James Institute is certainly competent!

As the cheerful news ended and commercials played, I stared blankly at the unexpected scene unfolding on TV.

The screen was filled with Golden Reapers.

In the ad, Golden Reapers were happily munching on cookies.

[The best snack for Golden Reapers!]

[A snack made in a professional lab, safe to eat!]

[Golden Reaper Cookies!]

The ad ended with a Golden Reaper hugging a cookie with a blissful smile, and the product logo appeared.

"Sehee…."

The voice narrating the commercial was Sehee’s, and the cookies were made by the "Sehee Institute."

The ad likely was shot there too, given the sheer number of Golden Reapers on screen.

It was surprising that Seo-ah allowed the ad, but even more shocking was the ad’s existence.

It meant there were now enough humans attached to Golden Reapers for such a commercial to be worthwhile.

I should check the Golden Reaper count later.

Could it really be in the millions?

As I was pondering this, I saw a group of Golden Reapers charging toward me with angry glares.

Each of them held a long marshmallow with a message written on it.

Reading the message:

<Yellow Reaper - capable of manifesting illusion halos.>

<Fake-Eye Patch Purple….>

<….>

"Isn’t that the summary of the halo tests I wrote? I must’ve forgotten to clean it up."

Then the Golden Reapers began hitting me with those marshmallows.

"Mom’s rules!"

"Rules!"

I had to endure a long bout of thumping as they scolded me for not following the rules I’d set.

Sniff, sniff.

Across the vast, endless waves of the blue Pacific Ocean, a giant research ship moved forward slowly.

As the sun set beyond the horizon, coloring the sea in orange hues, the hull cut gently through the rolling waves.

A woman stood on deck, and the sea breeze swept over her.

The occasional call of seagulls was drowned out by the sounds of waves crashing against the hull and wind brushing past the mast.

Everyone was quiet, mesmerized by the vastness of the ocean, simply staring at the water.

Yet, each person had a Mini Reaper perched atop their head, giving the scene a peculiar look.

Black Reapers sat on their human companions’ heads, staring blankly out at the sea.

Golden Reapers stood upright, arms spread wide, as if savoring the ocean breeze.

The woman looked down at her Mini Reaper, but her companion was still sound asleep.

Though Mingming had fluttered around before boarding, it had fallen asleep as soon as they set foot on the ship.

Mingming wrapped itself in cabbage leaves, its skin turning to match the vegetable in protective coloring.

"Every time it falls asleep, it does this. Is there a reason?"

The woman poked Mingming’s cheek, smiling softly, then looked around the ship.

The "James Explorer" lived up to its name, with an impressive appearance.

The hull stretched over 250 meters, resembling a floating fortress.

Numerous antennas and satellite dishes on the deck enhanced its formidable presence.

Sturdy composite armor and ominous cannons added to its defensive capabilities.

Of course, these wouldn’t mean much against a powerful Object.

The ship’s greatest defense was likely the “Mini Reapers” roaming around, matching the number of crew members.

Seeing the Mini Reapers perched on people’s heads, it felt like they could handle any Object that might appear.

Deep within the underground "facility."

In the dim light coming through a small window, two men stood in a room.

One man, near the window, looked out, resembling a noble figure cast in shadows.

The other man knelt with his head bowed nearby.

"Your Excellency, why did you let them go?"

"Because they are necessary."

When the kneeling man asked, his master looked up at the artificial starlight from the cavern ceiling with a contented smile.

As he gazed at the false starlight, a look of genuine pleasure spread across his face.

"Finally. I have found the most needed livestock."

When the man by the window said this, the kneeling man raised his head in surprise.

But when he looked up, his master was no longer there.

"Once I acquire that piece, I—and we—will rise to the surface and wield the power to rule over all."

The master’s voice came from behind, as if he had teleported.

"But we still lack something."

Then, his master, who had been far away, appeared beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

The kneeling man was so tense he could barely breathe under the touch.

"That’s why your role is crucial. Make sure the stray lamb struggles with hope until its last breath."

"Yes."

The kneeling man squeezed the words from his lungs, but by then, his master’s presence had already vanished from the room.