In the center of the desolate battlefield, the new Black Reaper carefully cupped the orb left behind by the scarred Reaper in both hands.

The orb was warm.

It felt as though the scarred Reaper's warmth still lingered within it.

"Senior..."

The new Black Reaper whispered softly, gazing down at the orb in its hands.

The countless scars on the surface of the orb seemed to tell the stories of the battles the scarred Reaper had endured.

The long struggles, the pain that was withstood, and the hope that had never been relinquished.

All of that seemed to be contained in this small orb.

"I can't just sit here."

Though it felt as if the weight of sorrow might crush it, the new Black Reaper's resolve grew stronger.

Sadness still lingered, but from within it, new emotions began to rise.

Determination, and responsibility.

"I won't let the things the senior taught me be in vain."

At that moment, the orb glimmered faintly.

It was as though the scarred Reaper's spirit was responding to the new Black Reaper's resolve.

Emboldened by that tiny spark, the new Black Reaper tightly held the orb to its chest and slowly stood up.

As it stood, the emotions flowing from the new Black Reaper began to shift.

Uncertainty and hesitation faded, replaced by a firm will.

How did the shift in will affect the firewood?

Golden firewood began to spread from the new Black Reaper’s heart, slowly transforming its body.

Something descended upon the shape of the mini Reaper, reminiscent of the gray Reaper.

It had long sleeves, almost like the long arms of an ancient god.

The new Black Reaper could feel a powerful force boiling inside it.

It was a new strength, similar to the Golden Reaper’s First Sword or the Crown Reaper, but distinct.

Then, the colors of the vast color universe filled the new Black Reaper’s body.

"Mom..."

The new Black Reaper looked up, gazing at the color universe above.

"I'll work hard until Mom arrives."

With a quiet vow, the new Black Reaper, clutching the orb tightly, began walking toward the stronghold.

Thud thud.

Each step was firm and steady.

Behind it was the desolate battlefield, and ahead lay an uncertain future, but the new Black Reaper was not afraid of what was to come.

The light of the color universe followed the new Black Reaper’s footsteps as it walked across the barren land.

And as it continued moving forward, a faint halo appeared above its head.

In the midst of the chaotic Marshmallow Plains, where golden Reapers were rampaging, I suddenly felt as though the shape of the blade that had pierced through the golden Reaper looked familiar.

In that moment, a sudden realization struck me.

"It looks like the ghost Reaper’s offering."

As that thought passed through my mind, my gaze naturally began to scan the area.

That’s when I noticed something shimmering near the golden Reaper with glowing eyes.

It was a ghost Reaper.

Instead of using a method like invisibility, which mini Reapers could easily detect, the ghost Reaper had camouflaged itself with a piece of cloth.

The cloth, almost magically, mirrored the surrounding environment, blending perfectly with its surroundings.

However, being connected to all mini Reapers, I could see right through its flawless disguise with just a little focus.

I quietly approached the ghost Reaper and quickly reached out to grab it.

"!"

The ghost Reaper’s eyes grew wide with surprise.

From its expression, I could read its confusion: "How did you find me?"

"Did you do that to the golden Reaper?"

I asked, and the ghost Reaper chuckled and nodded.

"Thief!"

In an instant, the ghost Reaper’s will exploded as it pulled out an intangible, translucent blade.

Was it called a "thief" because it was a reinforced blade?

"Knife!"

It swung the blade toward my hand.

I had a feeling this would happen, so I was ready, and I snatched the "knife" away, just like I did with the offering last time.

"…."

The ghost Reaper’s face fell into a pout.

From its expression, it was clear it felt wronged, as if to say, "But I did it for Mom..."

I gave it a puzzled look and poked the ghost Reaper’s chubby cheek.

The ghost Reaper began to flail its arms and explained what had happened.

"Offering!"

"Thief!"

"Automatic hunting!"

It seemed the ghost Reaper, being so new to life and without a "attachment human," had a limited vocabulary.

It was better than a newborn golden Reaper, but still quite hard to understand.

But I persisted, asking the ghost Reaper repeatedly to clarify its intentions.

"So the offering was made for me, who likes automatic hunting, and the thief was made for me to get stronger against the outerworld beings?"

The ghost Reaper beamed with a big smile and nodded.

"I see? Well, I guess it can’t be helped."

I said this and handed back the offering and the thief.

A joyful smile spread across the ghost Reaper’s face.

It raised one "knife" in each hand toward the sky.

"Offering!"

Then, with an air that seemed like it would strike me again, I grabbed its hands and sent my will.

"But don’t just stab me at random, only stab when I say I need it."

I firmly requested.

I didn’t want to be startled awake by something stabbing me in my sleep.

As I was talking with the ghost Reaper, golden Reapers began gathering around me.

"Mom!"

"The younger sibling is calling!"

"The human is here!"

The golden Reapers who gathered around began to spill their wills excitedly.

"What’s going on?"

I tilted my head in confusion and began following the golden Reapers as they led me out.

The courtyard inside the Sehee Research Institute looked like a world straight out of a fairy tale.

Mini Reapers of all kinds ran about, and tiny creatures the size of fingernails played freely.

The silver-haired girl sat at the heart of this mystical scene.

The mini Reapers curiously poked at the sprout growing from her head, but the silver-haired girl paid no mind.

Soon, she would meet the legendary Gray Reaper, a Special Grade Object.

"Will the Gray Reaper really show up?"

"I never met it despite going to find it every time in my dreams, but maybe today I’ll finally meet it?"

As if responding to the girl’s anxiety, the mini flower Reaper, who was with her, softly whispered.

[Mom, it will come soon!]

Of course, this mini flower Reaper would also be classified as a Special Grade Object, but the Gray Reaper was of a completely different level.

It could appear anywhere in the world, and no one could stop it—this was the true meaning of a Special Grade Object.

Thud thud.

Just as the mini flower Reaper’s prophecy seemed to be fulfilled, the Gray Reaper appeared in the courtyard.

Even though it simply appeared, its presence overwhelmed the surrounding area.

The Gray Reaper’s gaze swept past the silver-haired girl.

Without a second thought, it summoned a huge monster and sat on it, casually watching TV.

The silver-haired girl’s mind raced.

"What should I do? I need to talk about my dream... Should I just tell it directly?"

But the Gray Reaper seemed completely uninterested in her.

It only stared blankly at the TV screen.

Aside from occasionally tossing away the mini Reapers who clung to it, there was almost no movement.

"What if I speak up and it gets angry?"

Her anxiety grew.

At that moment, the mini flower Reaper, acting in place of the frozen girl, stepped forward.

It approached the Gray Reaper, sending waves of energy.

[Mom!]

[It was a dream!]

[Mom got stabbed by a transparent blade!]

The Gray Reaper’s expression changed slightly, and its hair on its head fluttered.

Then, as if uninterested, it adjusted its posture and returned to watching TV.

It looked as if it were balancing on a giant exercise ball.

Though it seemed still as though it wasn’t listening, the mini flower Reaper continued to send energy, confident that the Gray Reaper was listening.

[The Black Reapers look dangerous!]

[There’s an outerworld being!]

[The color universe is showing!]

It quickly sent several short, intense messages.

Then, as if completing its task, it returned to the silver-haired girl’s arms, smiling proudly.

[Let’s go back now!]

A satisfied smile spread across the mini flower Reaper’s face.

The silver-haired girl slowly stood up and began to leave the courtyard.

"Goodbye!"

"You’ll have to come back!"

From behind, the mini Reapers who had been playing with her waved their goodbyes.

As the silver-haired girl left the Sehee Research Institute's courtyard, the tension that had been building up seemed to ease.

But still, there were questions lingering in her mind.

"Did the Gray Reaper really hear about the dream?"

[Yes!]

The mini flower Reaper’s response was certain.

"Really?"

The silver-haired girl asked, still puzzled, but the mini flower Reaper responded even more firmly.

[Mom’s antennae fluttered. She definitely heard it!]

"Antennae?"

The silver-haired girl tilted her head in confusion, but the mini flower Reaper simply replied, “Antennae are antennae!”

Late at night, Seoul Forest was enveloped in silence.

The moonlight, shining in all its colors, filtered through the leaves, casting shadows as I stood alone, holding the golden Reaper.

I stood where the steel tower used to be, looking up at the sky, deep in thought.

"A Black Reaper has gone missing here, around Seoul Forest."

I sent my will as I looked down at the golden Reaper in my grasp, who nodded in response.

The golden Reaper seemed genuinely pleased to have provided an answer to my question, smiling happily.

"But, a Black Reaper went missing and you didn’t report it to me?"

"Ah!"

The atmosphere suddenly became tense as the golden Reaper began struggling to break free from my grip.

I immediately turned the golden Reaper into a golden plush.

"No!"

The golden Reaper flopped sadly, its body limp.

I enjoyed the soft sensation of the golden Reaper in my hands as I extended my senses across Seoul Forest.

But despite my efforts to focus, I couldn’t detect the presence of the missing Black Reaper.

Instead, only the unstable shifting of space was clearly felt.

"There has to be an entrance nearby..."

I pushed aside my growing unease and began to wander through the dark Seoul Forest.

In the center of the golden horn containment zone, I released my ghost form and sat down, carefully placing the golden Reaper on the ground.

The golden Reapers around me looked up expectantly.

There were so many that the golden light leaking from their small eyes seemed almost blinding.

I slowly reached out and picked up the closest golden Reaper.

I began gently rubbing its forehead and then down to the back of its head, as if I were washing a baby’s hair, being careful not to miss any spots.

Though there was no soap, the golden Reaper seemed content with the action.

"Hehe."

At that moment, the golden Reaper wiggled in my hand, as if ticklish.

"Ticklish? This one’s a bit unusual."

Most golden Reapers would relax in my hands, almost as though they were receiving a gentle massage, eyes closed in bliss.

Thud, thud.

Suddenly, I felt a slight vibration above my head.

Looking up, I noticed the golden Reapers that had been massaged now climbing on top of my head.

The little ones, with tiny fists clenched, were patting my head.

At first, I thought they were attacking me, but as I examined more closely, it seemed they were trying to give me a massage.

Perhaps they were so happy from the massage that they wanted to return the favor?

But with mini Reaper-sized hands, it seemed unlikely they could do much of a massage.

I went on, touching each golden Reaper one by one, but I felt a slight disappointment.

"Nothing."

I had hoped to find a small horn growing, perhaps after only a few days.

So, I carefully examined each of their scalps, but unfortunately, I didn’t find any signs of horns.

Sigh.

Disappointed, I returned to the mini Reaper garden, where a golden Reaper was flying around with glowing eyes.

"???"

I was taken aback by this new golden Reaper mutation.

The golden Reapers were helpless against the powerful force of this new golden Reaper, who was playing with them in excitement.

"Strong!"

"Aah!"

It looked a bit like the "war festival" from when I fought against the hybrid.

As I observed, I wondered if this new golden Reaper could be useful for automatic hunting.

While watching the festival, I suddenly noticed something strange on the golden Reaper’s body.

A translucent blade was protruding near its heart.

"What’s this?"

It was a blade perfectly sized for a mini Reaper.

Too small to pierce a human, and too small even for a human to wield.

"Wait, that blade’s shape... I’ve seen it somewhere before?"

I racked my brain, trying to recall where I had seen that shape.

The new Black Reaper continued training alone in the empty training ground.

Revisiting the techniques the scarred Reaper had taught it, the new Black Reaper gradually, but surely, gained strength.

Though it felt somewhat lonely, with all the other Black Reapers asleep, it silently worked hard, determined to be useful.

Sometimes, it would look up at the sky through the hole in the ceiling, wondering when the scarred Reaper would return from its scouting mission.

Since the scarred Reaper had been with it since the day it arrived at the stronghold, the new Black Reaper felt a bit lonely without its presence.

After some time, the new Black Reaper took a short break from training, staring up at the sky.

"I wonder when the scouting mission will end..."

The new Black Reaper paused its training, thinking about visiting the scarred Reaper once the day’s practice was done.

And just as it was about to resume its training, the world suddenly shook.

A giant pillar of light pierced the sky.

A massive pillar of firewood, as if reaching toward the color universe, rose up from beyond the horizon.

At that moment, the stronghold itself shook violently.

Simultaneously, every Black Reaper in the stronghold awoke.

A rumbling sound came from deep underground, and within moments, hundreds, thousands of Black Reapers rushed out of their tunnels.

The air around us resonated with their will.

"Charge!"

"The enemy is approaching!"

Like a huge black wave, the Black Reapers rushed forward, heading in one direction.

The scene was overwhelming.

At the sight, the new Black Reaper, mesmerized, followed the black wave.

Although it couldn’t keep up with their speed, still too inexperienced, it ran desperately with its small legs.

From far away, the sounds of battle reached its ears.

Flashes of light burst, and the ground shook.

The new Black Reaper watched from a distance as the space around it twisted, torn apart by the blades of time.

It was like a battle raging in the middle of a massive storm.

When it finally caught up, the battle had already ended.

The battlefield, now empty, bore only the remnants of the fight.

The ground was dug up, and deep craters marked the field.

"Where is it?"

The new Black Reaper looked around, scanning the battlefield.

The Black Reapers who had finished the fight were carrying away the melted, exhausted Reapers, but there was no sign of the scarred Reaper.

Frantically, the new Black Reaper searched everywhere.

"Senior, where are you?"

The small hope echoed in the vast field, but there was no answer.

Growing more anxious, the new Black Reaper searched the battlefield, peering into every pit and behind every rock.

But the scarred Reaper was nowhere to be found.

"No..."

Finally, the new Black Reaper spotted a familiar rock.

Seeing it, a heavy weight sank into its chest.

"No!!!"

In the middle of the barren field, devastated by the battle, the rock had blackened and was reduced to ashes.

Beside it, a single orb, like those used to illuminate the stronghold, lay alone.

The orb was covered with wounds, just like the scarred Reaper.

Yet, faintly, it still held the warmth of firewood.