Following the contract with the Man of the Lamp, Junior 2nd proceeded towards China.

As she set foot in the unfamiliar land, she exhaled deeply.

The exotic scent and noise enveloped her.

On the train heading toward the "Cult," Junior 2nd was captivated by the vast landscape outside the window.

A river crossing the fields, fog faintly rising above it, and the distant mountain range.

Everything felt new and foreign.

"To think there were so many Golden Grim Reapers in China..."

She murmured, scanning her surroundings.

She had heard rumors that the Golden Grim Reapers had spread globally, but seeing it firsthand made her realize the extent of their influence.

She had heard that the Free City Alliance in China had become a special zone for Mini Grim Reapers, but she hadn’t imagined there would be so many of them in other areas as well.

Since information about China rarely leaked out, and they were so strict that researchers negligent in Object management were sentenced to death, she had assumed they would be hostile to Mini Grim Reapers.

However, now she saw that far from being hostile, they appeared to be quite friendly.

People playing joyfully with Golden Grim Reapers were visible between the train aisles and seats.

There were even dedicated passages along the train's walls for the Mini Grim Reapers to walk through.

"I thought this was something only at Sehee Research Institute..."

When her eyes met a Golden Grim Reaper bouncing around in the Mini Grim Reaper-only passage, the Golden Grim Reaper waved its hand at her with a cheerful laugh.

"Hello?"

Junior 2nd smiled slightly and waved back.

Her beloved Grim Reaper, the Golden Horned Reaper, also hopped up to greet the Golden Grim Reaper above.

The Golden Grim Reaper jumped down from the passage and started chatting with the Golden Horned Reaper.

"Your horns are amazing!"

The Golden Grim Reaper seemed fascinated by the horns and began poking at the soft horns repeatedly.

After watching them for a moment, Junior 2nd took a parchment contract out of her bag and unfolded it.

It was a mystical contract that only she could see, likely made with the power of an Object.

She checked the contract’s contents once again.

“Go to the 'Cult' and fulfill the two wishes of the saint 'satisfactorily.'”

The vague word “satisfactorily” troubled her.

Even if the wish was granted, if it wasn’t deemed "satisfactory," it wouldn't count as fulfilling the contract.

Moreover, other clauses of the contract were filled with difficult conditions, such as the prohibition of the involvement of the "Gray Grim Reaper."

Still, she had no choice but to accept the contract.

She had to save her senior, but also, as written in the note her senior had left, she had no choice but to accept it.

"Senior..."

Junior 2nd murmured as she took the envelope her detective senior had given her.

She unfolded the note inside the envelope, which contained several pieces of advice.

“When presenting the contract, there's a high chance the lamp will be handed over initially, but under no circumstances should you accept the lamp that grants wishes.”

“Never, ever accept it. The contract is a gamble with a low chance of winning, but the lamp is a one-sided contract that cannot be won.”

...

There were other helpful pieces of advice, but the large words at the bottom of the note were not very useful.

“Follow your heart and choose freely.”

"Ha..."

Junior 2nd sighed again, folding the note and putting it back in the envelope.

The advice that seemed most important only left her more confused.

What did it mean to choose freely, following her heart?

She had wanted to punch the Man of the Lamp every time he added new clauses, but now she wondered if she should have done it.

Turning her gaze out the window, she lost herself in thought, watching the rapidly passing landscape.

The vast plains, birds flying gently above, and the mountains slowly swallowing the setting sun caught her attention.

"Can I really complete this contract successfully?"

A gentle warmth came from her shoulder as the Golden Horned Reaper hopped up and rubbed its head against her.

The warm feeling from the soft golden horns made Junior 2nd smile.

"Thank you, I’m so glad you’re here."

Junior 2nd whispered to her beloved Grim Reaper.

The Golden Horned Reaper responded with a little laugh.

The train steadily continued toward its destination.

The sunset outside the window was a deep red.

She gazed at the fading sky with the Golden Horned Reaper, silently promising herself.

"I can definitely do this."

Though she didn't know what awaited her ahead, she felt that with the Golden Horned Reaper by her side, she could overcome any trial.

In the depths of Sehee Research Institute, the Gray Grim Reaper's containment room.

I leaned back on a soft bed, absentmindedly watching the news on the television.

The screen showed the dazzling achievements of the Mini Grim Reapers.

The scenes of Mini Grim Reapers handling 'super-grade Objects' around the world looked like something out of a movie.

The Golden Grim Reaper's First Sword splitting the sky.

The Purple Grim Reaper slicing through enemies from the shadows.

And the Golden Cloaked Grim Reaper piercing through enemies like a golden comet.

"People must really love the Mini Grim Reapers' activities since they appear so often."

I let out a sigh, watching the frequent appearances of the Mini Grim Reapers on TV.

Seeing them even on the news made me feel like automatic hunting was right around the corner.

Hehe.

The television introduced the Mini Grim Reapers as 'Objects from South Korea,' depicting them almost as if they were Korean.

The news anchor’s voice seemed filled with pride at the Mini Grim Reapers’ achievements.

At that moment, a sweet, tangy scent tickled my nose.

Turning my head, I saw a Golden Grim Reaper holding out a large strawberry and smiling brightly.

"Mom, have some!"

As I ate the strawberry the Golden Grim Reaper handed me, it laughed with happiness.

These strawberries were bought by Yerin and piled up like a mountain in the containment room.

"Mini Grim Reapers need to eat some fruit to stay healthy!"

Yerin had made such an absurd comment and brought in these strawberries.

Compared to candy, they probably weren’t that sweet, but the Mini Grim Reapers looked happy as they ate them.

Even Mini Grim Reapers from other areas flocked into the containment room to eat the strawberries, filling the room with Mini Grim Reapers holding big strawberries and munching away.

The Mini Grim Reapers held strawberries the size of their heads and nibbled on them.

Om nom nom.

The sound of strawberries being eaten came from all directions.

It was truly a strawberry festival.

Among the children joyfully eating strawberries, one stood out.

A Golden Grim Reaper who took a strawberry and ate only the stem, leaving the flesh behind.

"That’s not how you eat it."

I gently tugged at the stem it had in its mouth.

"No way!"

The Golden Grim Reaper refused to let go, biting down firmly on the soft stem with its little teeth.

Even as I lifted it up, it stayed suspended in the air, unwilling to release the stem.

"Fine, do whatever you want."

I figured nothing bad would happen to the Mini Grim Reaper just for eating the stem, so I let it be.

Watching it munch on the stem, I had the strange feeling that something similar had happened before.

It was probably when Golden Grim Reapers had just been summoned...

"Is it tasty?"

At that time, another Golden Grim Reaper tilted its head, watching the one eating the stem.

"Yeah!"

Believing it, the other Golden Grim Reapers also took a bite, only to wrinkle their faces in disgust.

"Tastes bad!"

But the one eating the stem seemed to enjoy it so much that despite knowing it was awful, the others kept trying.

"Ugh."

"Tastes bad!"

I couldn’t help but admire the sight.

And I made a note of the important information: "If a Golden Grim Reaper pretends something bad tastes good, others will be deceived."

At that moment, a new report came on the television.

[A famous terrorist group in China has been eradicated.]

The screen showed figures wrapped entirely in black cloth.

They were targeting Objects in containment and killed anyone who got in their way, causing significant civilian casualties.

Though they were elusive terrorists, the Chinese government had finally tracked down their base and eradicated them using the military.

"Could this be the story about the Gyeoyang Mountain ninjas?"

I tilted my head while watching the news.

After getting off the train and walking for a while, Junior 2nd finally arrived at the location the Man of the Lamp had told her.

However, what lay before her was a city that had been completely reduced to ruins.

"What... is this?"

Junior 2nd looked around in confusion.

The broken buildings looked as if a giant monster had bitten them, leaving holes everywhere.

There was a faint smell of burning coming from somewhere, and every time the wind blew, dust rose and blurred her vision.

"So... I’m supposed to grant the wish of someone living in that building?"

She muttered in a baffled voice.

According to the contract, the place the Man of the Lamp had pointed out was indeed here, but it hardly seemed like anyone could live in this place.

The buildings were completely collapsed, as if they had been hit by artillery, leaving only charred ruins and skeletons of their frames.

It was a truly desolate scene.

The Golden Horned Reaper, perched on her shoulder, quietly surveyed the surroundings.

"What do I do?"

Junior 2nd sighed deeply and fell into thought.

She had already encountered a hurdle in the first step of the contract.

How could she find the saint and grant her wish in this place?

No, were there even any survivors left?