At the end of the square chute they had slid down like a slide, they arrived at a waste disposal area.

Dried blood, blackened bones, and a foul stench filled the space.

“Ugh.”

The soft, mushy texture of the residue stuck to the floor made the Silver-haired Girl feel even more nauseated.

She felt like she was going to vomit but crouched down to hide among the waste.

The Brown-haired Girl followed, dropping down behind her, also looking like she was about to be sick.

As they hid, they could hear a variety of sounds.

The emergency alarms, which had been deafening in the slaughterhouse, now sounded faint and distant, indicating that they were quite far from it.

But unlike the bell, footsteps still echoed near the waste disposal area.

Peeking down the corridor from the shadows, they occasionally saw people in Human Army uniforms running back and forth.

"Are all those people Objects too?"

The Brown-haired Girl’s voice trembled, and the Silver-haired Girl turned to see her looking pensive.

"Or maybe some of them were deceived, like us?"

"I’m not sure…."

The Silver-haired Girl secretly thought they were likely all Objects.

Judging by the slaughterhouse and the fact that Objects had transformed into humans, it didn’t seem like any actual humans had been spared.

But she kept this thought to herself.

The Brown-haired Girl had always wanted to become part of the Human Army far more than she had.

When the clamor of footsteps finally ceased, the Silver-haired Girl began moving slowly.

Their destination was the sprout-headed Object waving and hopping in the distance.

Though still somewhat suspicious, it was their only option—an adorable guide they had to trust.

Outside the facility, in an abandoned building hidden away in a secluded spot.

After their escape, the Silver-haired and Brown-haired Girls had finally made it here.

Breathless, they looked back, still able to see the commotion back at the facility.

“Phew, we barely… managed to escape….”

The Brown-haired Girl slumped against a wall, catching her breath.

Her clothes were torn, and her face still held a look of tension.

The Silver-haired Girl, watching the facility cautiously, replied to the Brown-haired Girl’s words.

“It’s strange. Why did they suddenly stop pursuing us?”

The Brown-haired Girl looked at her with a worried expression.

“You’re right. At the end, it almost felt like they let us go on purpose. Do you think it’s a trap? But then, why would they bother setting a trap?”

The Brown-haired Girl’s voice held a hint of unease, echoing the Silver-haired Girl’s suspicions.

They couldn’t think of any reason why they would deliberately let two “fugitives” with nothing to their names go.

“I don’t know! Even if it is a trap, all we can do is keep running!”

The Brown-haired Girl suggested they abandon the futile speculation and changed the subject.

“I never thought we’d leave the facility like this. What do we do now?”

Having grown up with the facility as her whole world, the Brown-haired Girl had no idea what to do next.

"A future where I don’t become part of the Human Army…."

Hearing this, the Silver-haired Girl gazed into the corner, as if lost in thought, before responding.

“First, we need to get as far from the facility as possible. I plan to head to the surface. The facility claims the surface is destroyed, but I won’t believe it until I see for myself.”

“In that case, I guess we’re heading over there.”

The Brown-haired Girl looked at a large tunnel opening in the distance.

A massive cavern, likely connected to the outside world.

As the gentle waves of the Pacific Ocean caressed the massive hull of the James Explorer, I stood by the railing on the deck.

The endless horizon touched the sky, and the sunlight shimmered on the calm waves like a dance.

I found myself standing aboard the famous ship I’d seen so often on the news.

I had never intended to board it.

They claimed the ship could automatically hunt down Objects, so there was no reason for me to come along.

But after hearing about the James Explorer so many times on TV, my curiosity got the better of me.

The ship looked just as I’d seen on the news.

No, perhaps even grander and more magnificent.

The massive hull resembled a floating city.

Its sleek white exterior, adorned with golden embellishments, gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight.

Because of the luxurious white, the ship felt more like a cruise liner than a research vessel.

Of course, that impression would change if you looked at the advanced equipment, antennas, and cannons scattered around.

Plodding along the deck, I saw Mini Reapers playing with their human companions everywhere.

Golden Reapers splashed in the pool, holding their human’s hand and laughing brightly.

Black Reapers transformed into large hats to shield their humans from the sun.

As I walked past the Mini Reapers playing with their humans, I noticed something odd.

It seemed like there were more Mini Reapers than humans on board.

Looking over the railing at the sea, I saw Black Reapers clinging to the railing in large numbers.

And peering into a lifeboat hanging nearby, I saw it was filled with Golden Reapers, packed in like baby chicks.

“Ah, it’s Mom!”

“Mom!”

Tired of their endless pleas for attention, I threw the clingy Golden Reapers overboard into the Pacific Ocean before heading below deck.

Mini Reapers crowded every space, not just the deck and lifeboats.

If I looked out a window, I’d see a Golden Reaper clinging to the outside, gleaming with a mischievous smile.

Golden light gently glowed from the stairs connecting the deck and the interior, which I assumed was another Golden Reaper hiding and laughing.

Hmm.

The James Explorer felt more like a Mini Reaper theme park than a research vessel.

Wandering around, I spotted a small cabbage out of nowhere.

What’s a cabbage doing here?

Moving closer, I saw the cabbage on the table wasn’t a cabbage at all but a Green Reaper.

The Green Reaper was nestled inside a tiny cabbage leaf, snoozing softly.

Come to think of it, there was a steamer for dumplings in the dining area.

Seeing the cabbage-wrapped Green Reaper reminded me of a prank I’d played before, putting Golden Reapers in a steamed bun steamer.

The Golden Reapers had relaxed inside, munching on the buns as if the steamer were a sauna.

Feeling mischievous, I picked up the cabbage-wrapped Green Reaper and headed to the dining area.

Arriving at the dining hall, I opened the steamer.

Inside were three dumplings and an Orange Reaper napping peacefully.

…

As I stared in surprise, a broadcast announcement echoed throughout the ship.

[An emergency has been detected.]

[An unidentified island has appeared on our route. I repeat, an unidentified island has appeared.]

[There is a high possibility this is an Object. All research personnel must immediately gather at the designated emergency assembly points.]

[This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill.]

Deep in the dark cave lit by artificial starlight, two girls with silver and brown hair staggered forward.

Their faces showed signs of extreme exhaustion, and their clothes were stained with dust and sweat.

“Are you okay?”

The Brown-haired Girl looked at her friend with concern.

The Silver-haired Girl nodded weakly.

“Yeah, just a bit tired.”

The two girls paused to catch their breath, watching their surroundings carefully.

Their eyes were filled with fear and vigilance.

The past few days had worn down their spirits.

“I still can’t believe it.”

The Silver-haired Girl spoke in a low voice.

“To think that even the people in the city were all fake.”

The Brown-haired Girl nodded.

“I still remember the shopkeeper. He was such a cheerful man… but he was an Object too….”

The two girls fell silent for a moment.

The world they had known had collapsed too quickly.

Life in the underground facility.

The soldiers, believed to be humanity’s last stronghold.

The "humans" they occasionally met during permitted outings.

All of it had been one massive deception.

Without their adorable guide,

Without the tiny Sprout Reaper by her side, the Silver-haired Girl might have crumbled.

Suddenly, a strange sound came from deep within the cave.

The girls instinctively crouched low.

“We have to go.”

The Silver-haired Girl grabbed the Brown-haired Girl’s hand and spoke urgently.

“Our destination is just ahead. Just a little longer.”

The Brown-haired Girl nodded and lifted her head.

Ahead of them lay an enormous passageway, its mouth wide open.

A cave that facility children weren’t allowed to approach.

The girls assumed it must lead to the surface.

“That’s it.”

“If we get through there, we’ll finally….”

[Be careful, human!]

Before they could finish their conversation, thick fog began to fill the surroundings, spurred on by the Sprout Reaper’s warning.

The fog was so dense that they couldn’t see each other.

Holding tightly to the Brown-haired Girl’s hand was the only way the Silver-haired Girl could feel her presence.

As the fog enveloped them, a man stepped out from within it.

Even with the dense mist, his figure was eerily clear.

“A runaway lamb struggling with hope, I see.”

The man was hunched over, as if he were perpetually bowing.