Seoul Object Story
Chapter 266: The Blessing of the Stars: Epilogue (3)

In the Sehee Research Institute courtyard, where a gentle breeze blew, researchers bustled during lunchtime.

Among them, a researcher with a sad expression was walking around, asking people about the whereabouts of the Golden Hungry Ghost Reaper.

In the researcher’s hand was a photo that was now useless, as all the researchers knew about it.

“Still haven’t seen it?”

A sense of despair was evident in the researcher’s voice.

Though several days had passed since its disappearance, the researcher hadn’t given up and continued searching for the Golden Hungry Ghost Reaper.

And watching this from afar, hesitation flickered in the eyes of the ‘Pudding Reaper’, formerly known as the ‘Golden Hungry Ghost Reaper’.

The appearance of the Pudding Reaper, revived in the mini Reaper garden, was quite different from before.

Its golden color, resembling the sun like a Golden Reaper, remained, but its overall silhouette had changed, as if deeply immersed in a large pudding.

Moreover, even its sweet scent and the sensation when touched had changed, leading to a worried expression.

What if they don’t recognize me?

Even the Pudding Reaper itself found its current appearance a bit unfamiliar, so it was obvious the attached human would feel an even greater sense of disconnect.

Watching this, the Hungry Ghost Reaper gently pushed the Pudding Reaper’s plump pudding body.

It’s okay.

As it gently pushed the Pudding Reaper with this intention, the Pudding Reaper gained a little courage.

Encouraged, the Pudding Reaper cautiously began bouncing towards the researcher.

Good luck.

The Hungry Ghost Reaper smiled warmly as it watched.

It had first discovered it and even found its attached human.

There were difficult times when it suffered from mental pollution.

But seeing it revived and approaching its attached human again, the Hungry Ghost Reaper’s heart naturally warmed.

Are attached humans and Objects somehow connected?

They might not recognize it.

But like people who could accurately distinguish their own attached Golden Reaper among countless others.

The researcher who had been searching for the ‘Golden Hungry Ghost Reaper’ realized its identity the moment they saw it and hugged the Pudding Reaper tightly.

“I was really worried.”

The researcher, tearfully embracing the Pudding Reaper strongly as if about to cry.

The Pudding Reaper, not knowing what to do, scooped up a bit of its pudding and offered it.

And the researcher, accepting and eating the pudding, smiled brightly.

It was a happy moment between an attached human and their attached Object.

As the Hungry Ghost Reaper watched this scene, suddenly numerous memories with its master flooded back.

The days spent with the master it truly loved.

They were really fun.

Soaked in memories, the Hungry Ghost Reaper suddenly missed its master.

Looking for the Gray Reaper, the lead doll its master had entered, it found it in a corner of the courtyard.

It was a place where Golden Reapers had gathered only golden jellies similar to themselves to build a giant jelly hill.

The Gray Reaper, loitering nearby, was doing something whenever the Golden Reapers who built the jelly hill were away.

Concentrating intensely like the moment it created Tyranno, clenching and unclenching its small fist.

As it opened and closed its palm like that, the red jelly placed on its palm was turning golden.

Looking closely, it was using spatial replacement to swap the golden jelly at the center of the jelly hill with red jelly.

It was truly stealthy and excellent spatial replacement, something it usually couldn’t even do.

Almost ‘Sword No. 1’ level spatial control!

Though it was often said to have become kinder among the Golden Reapers lately, it was still very mischievous when no one was looking.

“Kyu…”

The Hungry Ghost Reaper forced itself to look away and walked towards the depths of the mini Reaper garden.

I should go see the blue master lying in bed today.

The Hungry Ghost Reaper always liked its master.

Probably.

After hiding five red jellies like single beans hidden in a bowl of rice, I left the courtyard.

Normally I would have swapped everything except the top layer, but since it was ‘Kind Mother Week’, I only swapped a little and stopped.

Actually, I shouldn’t even play such pranks during ‘Kind Mother Week’, but my heart was so full of mischief that a little prank spilled out.

Hehe.

The Golden Reapers will forgive me for that much.

Thump thump.

Walking through the quiet corridors of Sehee Research Institute, I started observing the Objects trapped in containment rooms after a long time.

There were still plenty of harmful Objects suffering from mental pollution.

Even after killing the blue star, the mental pollution remains.

As I observed the polluted Objects like this, I felt the need to deal with the ghost cat and the blue lizard.

The lizard, I can just carry it.

The ghost cat, I can trick it by saying we’re going to eat tonkatsu, and then take it to the jelly pig hospital.

As I walked through the quiet corridor thinking about various things, I felt something was a bit strange.

Even if it’s lunchtime, does it make sense for there to be absolutely no one around?

Moreover, looking closely, all the CCTVs were turned off.

The end times. The end times.

It was a situation unimaginable during my time as a researcher at the institute.

!

As I continued wandering the corridors, I encountered the reason for the quietness.

<Make everything clean!>

<Please become clean!>

Blue Reapers were diligently moving around, cleaning Sehee Research Institute with magic.

Ah, no way. Did they turn off all the CCTVs just so they wouldn’t interfere with the Blue Reapers’ cleaning?

Come to think of it, I haven’t seen any cleaning staff lately.

Even knowing the reason, it was still the end times.

An institute that entrusts security and cleaning to Objects?

It was typical of the comfortable and lax Sehee Research Institute, but it was hard to call it a ‘research institute’.

The helmeted researcher sat in the lounge, watching researchers boast about their Golden Reapers.

“My Golden Reaper remembered up to ‘P’ yesterday.”

“Really?”

Fortunately, the people chosen by Golden Reapers had given up on having them write reports by proxy, but they had started comparing how smart their Golden Reapers were.

Of course, the Golden Reapers showed no interest in such comparisons and just ate the pudding given by their attached humans with ‘Om nom nom’.

Ho ho.

Hearing their conversation, the helmeted researcher smiled proudly, feeding snacks to his Golden Reaper.

My Golden Reaper remembered the order up to ‘O’ when I asked it to try for the first time yesterday.

Though it was a completely meaningless comparison, it had a strange magic that made one want to do it.

It felt like a psychological test or the personality tests that were popular these days.

And since the results were better than those overheard in the lounge, he felt his shoulders naturally straighten with pride.

Just like the lounge filled with talk about Golden Reapers, news related to Golden Reapers was also playing.

It was news shocking enough to instantly overshadow even the Italy incident.

[The news we have for you today is rather unusual: a research institute in Japan has appointed a Golden Reaper as its director.]

[This is causing even greater shock as it happened in Japan, which is considered second only to the US in Object research.]

Simultaneously, the TV screen showed a Golden Reaper actually standing on a large podium.

And beside it, the ‘former’ institute director was holding a microphone with a serious face, answering questions.

The reporters’ questions mostly boiled down to one thing:

Why on earth did you do such a crazy thing?

The answer to that was simple.

Because it’s cute.

[Upon hearing this news, the Japanese Object Association strongly protested, calling it absurd.]

[While many research institutes and organizations are expressing opposition, surprisingly, the US Object Association has given a positive response.]

“Ugh.”

Perhaps from seeing such an absurd scene, the headache started getting worse.

It felt like my head was being hit with a giant hammer.

It felt like my head would break at any moment.

Seeing this, the Golden Reaper patted the helmeted researcher’s cheek with a very worried expression.

The Golden Reaper’s truly sad-looking expression and the warm scent of sunshine.

In that moment, all trivial worries vanished, and the headache disappeared as if washed away.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore. I’m okay.”

Well, since it’s this cute, being an institute director should be fine.

The helmeted researcher smiled happily and stroked the Golden Reaper’s head.

Seeing its attached human no longer hurting, the Golden Reaper also looked truly happy.

Mini Reaper Garden, Marshmallow Plains.

Feeling like a chef, I was making a simple dish using a bread knife.

Like splitting soft bread in half and spreading strawberry jam to eat.

I gently sliced open the white Hungry Ghost’s back, spread jam, and placed it on the ground.

Kyuhinghing.

Raising my head and looking around the marshmallow plains, it was already full of the Hungry Ghost jam bread I had made.

It looked like red peppers being dried in the sun.

To make it look even more delicious, I sprinkled sprinkles on top.

It was a dish meant to change the white Hungry Ghost’s expression, which had been laughing ‘Kyuhihi’, back to one of grievance.

There was just one unfortunate point.

I shared it with the mini Reapers, telling them to eat, but they refused, saying it was too much.

They eat it readily when it’s just torn apart, but they won’t eat the white Hungry Ghost that has been made even more delicious through cooking?

What strange creatures.

It was well-received by the Orange Reapers.

They even borrowed a few mini white Hungry Ghosts and created a dish that impressed even me.

They hollowed it out, stuffed it with meat, and put it in the oven.

Amazing!

I praised the Orange Reaper, stroking its fluffy hair.

While cooking Hungry Ghost, I had somehow run out of the mini white Hungry Ghosts I had caught.

Already used them all?

Looking around, I couldn’t see any white Hungry Ghosts.

The number of white Hungry Ghosts seems to have decreased lately, but it must be my imagination.

Getting up and walking around, I saw Golden Reapers running around playing.

Perhaps playing animal is popular these days, as the number of Golden Reapers running on all fours had increased.

Hmm, something’s strange?

Strangely, these Golden Reapers looked like they were about to cry ‘Kyuhinghing’.