A vast exploration ship glided slowly over the endless expanse of the Pacific Ocean.

Standing on the deck of the James Explorer, I gazed into the boundless horizon, lost in thought.

The ship moved so slowly it felt as if time itself had stopped, and oddly, that sluggish pace brought a sense of comfort.

“So leisurely…”

Since the James Explorer was on an Object search mission, its slow pace seemed intentional. Normally, I wouldn't think twice about a ship’s speed, but being aboard, I found myself surprisingly attuned to this unhurried rhythm.

The gentle sound of waves and the leisurely voyage had a certain charm to it.

Suddenly, an amusing thought struck me.

“If I gathered enough cloud meat, could I lift this ship?”

I let out a small chuckle as I glanced up at the sky, only to be met with an unexpected sight.

The radar on top of the ship was spinning wildly.

And clinging to it were countless Mini Reapers.

“Round and round!”

“Round and round!”

The Mini Reapers clung on with blissful expressions, spinning as if they were on a playground ride.

Beneath the radar, a long line of Mini Reapers had formed, waiting for their turn.

It was strange to see the radar spinning so quickly. And with all those Mini Reapers hanging on, you’d think it would break, but no one was stopping them.

Were they ignoring it because it wasn’t causing any actual issues?

Or did they simply lack a way to control the Mini Reapers?

Either way, seeing a few Golden Reapers mixed in with the Mini Reapers suggested that their antics weren’t a problem.

Humans might struggle to conceal their emotions, but the Golden Reapers would surely pick up on it in an instant.

“It seems like the radar was intentionally set to spin at high speed just for the Mini Reapers.”

Watching the Mini Reapers spinning around the radar, I suddenly felt an unexpected pang of hunger.

At first, it was just a fun sight, but the more I watched, the more their spinning motions began to stimulate my appetite.

“Hm, what exactly am I craving?”

After some thought, I finally realized the reason.

The spinning Mini Reapers reminded me of vertically stacked kebabs.

Round and round.

Round and round.

Realizing this, I couldn’t help but crave kebabs even more.

“Oh, that’s right. There’s a kebab station below deck.”

I took one last look at the spinning Mini Reapers.

They now looked entirely like kebabs, and the sight only heightened my appetite.

“They even look tasty...”

Amused at the thought, I headed down the stairs below deck.

Step, step.

With each step, I could almost smell the fragrant aroma and hear the sizzle of kebabs in my mind.

The dining area wasn’t far. Just a narrow corridor, a turn to the left, and I was there.

I opened the door and entered the dining area.

“Kebab!”

But what awaited me was only despair.

“No way…”

The kebabs I’d seen the night before were gone, replaced by other dishes.

I glanced over at the kitchen with a disheartened look.

Holding onto a sliver of hope, I scanned the kitchen area, but there was no trace of kebabs there either.

“Maybe I should ask Yerin to make kebabs when I get back to Korea?”

I was lost in thought when I noticed a Black Reaper behaving suspiciously in the kitchen.

Covered head-to-toe in sticky flour, the Black Reaper was creeping around stealthily.

“What on earth is it up to?”

My curiosity piqued, I watched as the Black Reaper approached the deep fryer with a mischievous grin, then without hesitation, plunged into the oil.

Surprisingly, the kitchen staff just smiled, pretending not to notice.

The chef, who had been preparing fried dishes, transferred the now golden-brown Black Reaper onto a tray with a smile, making sure to place it somewhere visible so no one would accidentally eat it. He even stuck a decorative flag on top.

Once the tray was moved to the dining area, the Black Reaper started nibbling on a piece of fried food next to it, giggling.

Munch, munch.

It was a scene of fried food consuming fried food, a tragic tale of cannibalism.

“Oh!”

Whenever the Black Reaper noticed a staff member approaching, it would close its eyes and pretend to be fried food.

Though, unless it was as golden as the Golden Reapers, there was no hiding its true nature.

The staff, upon spotting the Black Reaper, would laugh quietly, take a photo, and move on.

Watching all this gave me an idea for a playful prank.

Step, step.

I casually strolled over to the tray of fried food.

“This looks delicious, maybe I should eat it!”

Then I picked up the fried Black Reaper and pretended to take a big bite.

Thinking it had fooled me, the Black Reaper kept its eyes shut, only to flail in shock as I moved closer.

“Noooo!”

Hehehe.

In an interim rehabilitation facility located on the outskirts of Songpa District, at the James Tower, two girls sat side by side, gazing out the window.

The sunlight glinted off the silver-haired girl's hair as she sat next to her friend, a girl with warm brown hair.

Through the window, they could see the blue sky and the bustling cityscape beyond, still unfamiliar to them.

“At last…”

The silver-haired girl murmured softly.

“It’s finally starting to feel real that everything underground was a lie.”

The brown-haired girl nodded.

“Yes, it’s like waking up from a dream. To think that the underground cavern we thought was the whole world was just a breeding ground…”

Their hearts were still tangled with confusion and betrayal.

Not long ago, they had believed they were the last remnants of humanity after the world’s end.

But reality was quite different.

Though the outside world wasn’t perfectly peaceful, it was still functioning.

The life they had endured was nothing more than a hellish illusion crafted by an Object.

“What are you going to do now?”

The silver-haired girl asked.

The brown-haired girl pondered for a moment, her eyes catching sight of a Golden Reaper playing patty-cake with itself in the corner of her vision.

“I think I’ll stay here a little longer to learn more about the Gray Reaper and the Mini Reapers who saved us.”

She reached out and picked up the Golden Reaper, who returned her gaze with a playful smile.

“What about you?”

“I think I’ll stay too, at least for a while. This little one seems to like Korea as well.”

The silver-haired girl held up the Mini Flower Reaper, visible only to her.

The two girls exchanged smiles, their eyes a blend of fear and hope.

“It’s still a bit overwhelming and scary,” the brown-haired girl said quietly.

“Even though life there was a lie… at least what we had to do was simple and clear.”

“I feel the same way,” the silver-haired girl agreed, nodding.

“But it’ll be okay.”

The Golden Reaper and the Mini Flower Reaper nodded in unison, smiling brightly in agreement.

At the top floor of James Tower, rising above the buildings in Songpa District, James let out a heavy sigh in his office, where the night view of Seoul could be seen through the wide window.

He was reviewing the final report on the recent Object incident on his monitor.

The report included everything from data on the “human slaughterhouse” to the current condition of the rescued victims.

James’s cherished Golden Reaper sat by him with its eyes tightly covered by a white cloth, looking dejected.

“Can’t I take off the blindfold yet?”

The Golden Reaper poked James’s cheek and tapped at its blindfold, but James held its hand firmly to prevent it from removing it.

“Not yet.”

“Hmph.”

With a sullen expression, the Golden Reaper slumped onto James’s shoulder.

“So most of them decided to stay in Korea.”

Scrolling through the report, James read through the stories of each of the rescued individuals.

With each page he turned, his expression grew heavier.

Most of them had lost their families at the time of abduction.

There was no longer a “home” waiting for them to return to.

“The fall of humanity…”

“Considering that these incidents were orchestrated by humans turned Objects, they were likely designed to trigger mental contamination right from the abduction.”

With a grim look, James moved on to the next page of the report.

It detailed the results of the numerous Golden Reapers stationed within the rehabilitation facility.

Conclusion

Overall mental health of patients has significantly improved, with observed decreases in depression, increases in happiness, and resolved sleep issues. Continued monitoring and maintenance plan recommended.

At the end of the report, a notable finding was appended.

The sun-like scent of the Golden Reapers appears to directly reduce mental contamination. Further verification required.

After reading the remark, James closed the report.

“It seems placing Golden Reapers is far more effective than conventional psychological treatments, social adaptation programs, or job training.”

Feeling a bit astonished, James turned on the TV and removed the Golden Reaper’s blindfold.

“This blindfold is so uncomfortable!”

The Golden Reaper playfully swatted James’s cheek in mild annoyance.

At that moment, news about an Object incident began to air on TV.

[An unusual phenomenon of giant butterfly Objects appearing across regions in China and Europe has recently been reported.]

[These massive butterflies are causing severe destruction to nearby buildings, and experts believe they may be the same species as those that recently appeared in Seoul.]

[Thanks to the quick response of the Golden Reapers, the damage has been somewhat contained, but the sudden appearance of these butterflies in unexpected locations has drawn global concern and attention.]

[The U.S. Object Association is conducting a thorough investigation into the cause of this phenomenon and is working closely with various governments to formulate a response.]

On the screen, a Golden Reaper was shown slicing a butterfly the size of a building in half with a gleaming sword, scattering radiant light across the scene.