Seoul Object Story

Probably because the Black Reapers which had been crying loudly had finally cried their hearts out, they stopped crying and roamed around me laughing. They roamed around and looked at my face once and shouted, ‘It’s Mom!’ before roaming around again.

When they became used to roam around me, they became more and more attached to me. They pulled my hair, clung to my cheeks, and made a fuss by putting my antennae in their mouths.

It felt like they were no different than the Golden Reapers. The only things that separated them from the Golden Reapers were their colours.

When I picked up one of the Black Reapers that had been roaming around me, it opened its mouth wide and laughed. Even though it looked exactly like the Golden Reapers, it had something different aside from their colour.

Their teeth were sharp.

When I put my finger in its mouth and looked through it, I saw small, cute shark teeth growing out closely together.

The Black Reaper bit my finger and tilted its head to express its question about what I do before licking my finger with my tongue..

Maybe because its tongue was small, it was ticklish.

While watching the Black Reapers run around laughing, I rose to my feet and conveyed my will to them.

Let’s go meet the other mini reapers!

Then, the Black Reapers stood.

Since their numbers were as many as the Golden Reapers, their momentum were powerful.

Plop-! Plop-!

Let’s go!

As I walked ahead, they started following me, following my footsteps. Then, they jumped toward the edge of the black sphere!

When I landed on the fluffy marshmallow floor and looked back, I could see the Black Reapers started to fall like water flowing out of the black sphere. Then the Black Reapers bounced off the marshmallow ground like water splashing, spreading out inside the Garden of the Mini Reaper.

The Golden Reapers who had been waiting for me to come out also ran towards the Black Reapers with bright smiles, probably because they realized the number of their youngest siblings had grown.

That’s how the cute chaotic party began. It was a party where the mini reapers jumped around everywhere, holding hands and running around!

Maybe because there were twice as many guys who had the personality of the Golden Reapers, it was a party that was twice as chaotic.

In the center of the party, a transparent flamingo that I had never seen before was burning instead of a campfire, while Marshmallow Hungry Ghost and Jelly Pig were being eaten little by little by the mini reapers.

I lay down next to the warm flamingo bonfire, eating the Hungry Ghost and looked up at the sky.

Just what did this flamingo do that it became a bonfire and had a dedicated Golden Reaper attached to it?

As I was thinking about this and that, the black sphere that was just floating in the air caught my eye. I managed to get all the Black Reapers out, but there was still a corpse with poor fuel efficiency lying inside.

Should I get rid of the corpse to make the sphere disappear?

I briefly thought about that, but soon realized that it’s not a big deal. Once I thought about it as a mere ‘Boba Pearl Sun’ that decorated the Garden of the Mini Reaper, it become something which had its own charm.

Since it’s probably time for Yerin to wake up, I should go back and eat some pudding.

I waved goodbye to the mini reapers and told them I would be away for a moment.

The Golden Reaper and the Black Reaper smiled brightly and waved back.

As expected, it was better to see the mini reapers laughing rather than crying.

*********Gangnam-gu, right next to Songpa-gu, which had completely collapsed, used to be quite intimidating simply because of the sinkholes which swallowed the Hungry Ghost and numerous Objects. But now it had taken on the appearance of a bustling and merry centre of Seoul.

On the outskirts of such a lively Gangnam-gu, there was the ‘Trinity 1st Research Institute’, which had a large research complex all to itself. The research institute, which had wide roads and ginormous parking lots befitting its large site, was strangely quiet and gave off a mysterious atmosphere.

Perhaps because they strictly prohibited outsiders from entering, the atmosphere between the lively city and the quiet research complex was quite apparent. A high wall was placed between the city and the research complex, further emphasizing the difference in atmosphere.

Deep inside the quiet and isolated Trinity 1st Research Institute, a secret experiment was taking place. It was an experiment on the ‘black liquid’ created by Trinity 3rd Research Institute.

It was a taboo liquid known for its history of destroying Gwanak-gu and turning people into monsters, but the director of the Trinity 1st Research Institute didn’t care much about it.

“Impressive. It’s a really impressive substance.”

On the screen the director was looking at, an armadillo made of jewels was screaming in pain inside the black slime. On the other hand, the deputy director frowned as he watched the armadillo screaming and eventually melting away like flesh dissolved in hydrochloric acid.

“I don’t know why they called this ‘evolution liquid’.”

The deputy director, who was standing next to the director and watching the same screen as him, expressed his doubts.

“Rather, shouldn’t they consider this a poison that was potent against Objects?”

The deputy director shifted his focus to another experiment footage.

The ‘Black Jewel Armadillo’ that seemed to have survived inside the mucus was seen being pierced by a pistol bullet and bursted apart.

The wound from the pistol regenerated instantly, but it’s appearance was much more fragile than when it’s still a Jewel Armadillo which didn’t even flinch even when hit by a large-calibre Vulcan.

The deputy director continued talking while looking at the scene.

“It induces complete destruction to the Object with a probability of almost 90%, and the surviving Objects seem to deteriorate as well.”

The director nodded at the deputy director’s opinion.

“That’s why it’s interesting. There are many Objects that humans cannot touch, yet here it is: a liquid that kills the Objects with a probability of 90%! This is a revolution that will turn the Object policy upside down.”

As the director spoke, seemingly a little excited, the armadillo turned into a corpse on the screen. The armadillo that had been hit by the pistol bullet without mercy could no longer regenerate and lay still like a corpse.

“In addition, the surviving Objects were also physically weakened. The limited regenerative power is a deterioration that was way better than the Objects’ original defence that cannot be wounded by modern firearms.”

The director said in an excited voice that the time where humans could kill all Objects would eventually come.

However, the vice director said with a slightly worried expression.

“But there is so much we do not know about this ‘evolution liquid’, so it seems that a lot of research will be necessary.”

“Yes. Research is necessary, it is necessary. This liquid will be the milestone that will lead to eternal life.”

“Huh?”

The deputy director asked in a surprised voice at the director’s sudden words.

“Eternal life?”

“You need to know by now. The other power of the ‘evolution liquid’ is bringing the dead back to life.”

At that moment, the deputy director felt something ominous from the director’s meaningful expression.

*********Warm and snuggly.

Even though the private room that James had prepared for me was comfortable and nice, Sehee Research Institute was still the best. I returned to Sehee Research Institute a few days ago, I still found it comfortable and not boring.

Lying down in my containment room in Sehee Research Institute, I felt like I was in heaven. Around me, the Golden Reaper and the Black Reaper were lying on the bed, imitating me.

In fact, this was the Black Reapers’ first time outside the garden. Even though they were similar to the Golden Reapers, they were a homebody who didn’t really like going outside, so it was quite difficult to drag them outside.

On the table in front of us was a large ‘Gray Reaper Pudding’, and inside it, the Golden Reapers and the Black Reapers were slowly eating the pudding like ants.

[ Russia has designated some areas of Siberia as off-limits. ]

News about Russia was playing on the TV like background music. It was news that some remote areas that had lost their ability to manage Objects were prohibited for anyone to enter.

As far as I know, Russia had driven many difficult Objects to Siberia, so I thought that might be why something like that happened.

As I was lying on my warm bed watching the TV, a loud voice rang out.

“Reaper! Reaper! Reaper! Reaper! I’m back!”

Yerin, who headed to the hospital as soon as we got off from James’ private plane, was finally coming back.

It took longer than I thought, was her condition that serious?

“Hi to you too, Golden Reapers!”

Yerin opened the containment room door wide and came in with a bright face, looking at the Golden Reapers and greeting them.

As emotions of joy and happiness poured into them, the Golden Reapers also smiled brightly and greeted Yerin.

“!”

But moments later, Yerin was surprised to see the Black Reapers who were playing with the Golden Reapers. However, she still smiled brightly and greeted them.

“Wow, Black Reapers! Hello, Black Reapers!”

But the Black Deaths did not welcome Yerin like the Golden Deaths. Instead, they began to glare at her and show her their sharp teeth.

Yerin looked at the Black Reapers growling silently and backed away, not knowing what to do.

On the other hand, the Golden Reapers were extremely surprised by the Black Reapers’ action and poked the Black Reapers as if telling them that their action was not right.

The Black Reapers, who were growling as if they would rush towards Yerin and bite her at any moment, looked at me with pitiful faces after being poked by the Golden Reapers. However, since they should never attack Yerin, I shook my head with a firm expression.

Hiiing-!

Then, the Black Reapers made a pitiful sound like a baby bird crying, and then lost their form and melted, becoming limp like slime.

But since it was not right, I ignored the Black Reapers who looked sad.

By the way, the Black Reapers could make sounds. They could do things that even I couldn’t do…

Yerin, who seemed shocked after being threatened by the Mini Reaper, slowly entered the containment room and reached out to touch the Black Reaper that had melted like slime, but unfortunately, she couldn’t.

Just like a magnet repelling another magnet, when Yerin’s hand approached them, they changed shape and made it absolutely impossible for her to touch them.

“Sob… Reaper. They hate me…”

Yerin’s sad emotions spread throughout the containment room. The sadness was as bad as 100 families of victims gathered at a bombing site.

How wronged must one be to be this sad?

Yerin was a human being with such rich emotions that any Mini Reaper would like her, so why does the Black Reapers hate her?

I lifted one of the Black Reapers and conveyed my feelings.

Why do you hate her so much?

The Black Reaper tilted its head and conveyed its intentions.

Traitor!

It was an answer that felt ominous, not matching its cheerful expression.