Seoul Object Story
Chapter 281: Free City Alliance: Epilogue (3)

Yerin was on the Sehee Research Institute shuttle bus, looking at the scenery outside.

It’s changing much faster than I thought.

The scenery of Songpa-gu, which once looked like ruins, was gradually returning to its original state.

It was a change happening as the Hungry Ghost hidden in the sinkhole disappeared and James Tower was built.

Newly constructed buildings and newly opened restaurants.

Waving inflatable tube men soliciting customers were frequently seen.

While observing the scenery through the window like that, Yerin smiled softly, seeing something faintly reflected in the glass.

A Golden Reaper was trying to slowly open the bag’s zipper, but its antennae got caught in it.

The Golden Reaper was so focused on trying to free its antennae that it didn’t even notice Yerin turning her head and looking down at it intently.

Pushing the zipper wildly with both hands, shaking its head side to side.

It could easily get out if it used its ghost form!

Strangely, it felt like Golden Reapers only used their ghost form when absolutely necessary.

Yerin, who considered herself a mini Reaper expert, could guess why they didn’t use their ghost form.

It wasn’t some special mini Reaper creed, but it seemed Golden Reapers valued the sensation of physical touch.

Just looking at their tendency to cling particularly to humans showed that.

Clinging with their whole body.

It was a slightly peculiar behavior even compared to other mini Reapers who liked humans.

Is it similar to how the Gray Reaper, which sees its surroundings like eyes through its skin, doesn’t wear clothes?

Ah, eye contact.

The Golden Reaper, finally freeing its antennae from the zipper, made eye contact with Yerin.

The Golden Reaper gasped with a ‘Huk!’ expression, its mouth wide open in surprise.

Just looking at its expression, it seemed to be shouting, ‘I have been discovered!’

“You were following me?”

Yerin smiled gently and slowly stroked the Golden Reaper.

Hehe.

The Golden Reaper, laughing like a child whose prank had been discovered, clung to Yerin’s hand with an embarrassed expression.

Click clack.

After getting off the shuttle bus, she slowly walked to her studio apartment.

Yerin placed the Golden Reaper on the table and turned on the TV.

The TV was broadcasting stories about the dolls announced by the Object Association today.

Dolls? Was there a department developing such things?

Even Yerin, who knew people at the Association Research Institute to some extent, was hearing this for the first time.

It was possible she wouldn’t know if it were a top-secret project, but it didn’t seem likely that the corrupt and lethargic Association Research Institute could keep secrets well.

Well, Reaper will take care of any Object-related accidents.

Though it felt like a big accident was about to happen, Yerin dismissed it with her endless trust in the Gray Reaper.

Meanwhile, the Golden Reaper visiting Yerin’s house had no interest in the TV and was observing Yerin’s number one treasure, tilting its head.

Mother?

It was a lead doll dressed up in a voluminous dress with lots of frills.

It even held a fancy parasol, exuding an atmosphere that made it hard to think of it as the Gray Reaper.

And though it looked empty to the Golden Reaper, it was a strange doll that somehow faintly exuded Mother’s feeling.

Seeing this, Yerin could think of the game to play today.

Playing house with the Golden Reaper using the Gray Reaper doll!

It was a happy game where a transcendently kind mother appeared to the Golden Reaper.

The Golden Reaper played with that kind mother doll, eating snacks and doing puzzles together.

But all good things must come to an end.

As it passed 10 PM, the Golden Reaper became increasingly sleepy.

Eventually, it collapsed while playing, hitting its head on the table with a thud.

Yerin smiled softly at the sight, then held the Golden Reaper in her arms and went to bed.

I was sitting in the mini Reaper garden’s marshmallow plains, holding a Halo in my hand and examining it.

Ability Nullification Halo, Perfect Evasion Halo, Illusion Materialization Halo.

All identically shaped Halos.

White, round rings, shining like an angel’s halo.

And Halos that, when worn on the head, caused the whole body to crack and crumble, bringing agonizing pain.

What I was currently pondering was that pain.

The Halo I pulled from my heart didn’t hurt at all, so there must be some solution.

The first thing to consider was the number of Halos.

Like when I wore two Halos in the Labyrinth’s illusion, the more Halos I wore, the more severe the pain became, so it was a natural deduction.

Since there was one principle in my heart, the hypothesis was that wearing a Halo caused pain.

If this hypothesis was true, the solution was simple.

I just had to take the Halo out of my heart and hang it in the sky.

The problem was that I didn’t know how to take it out either.

The second hypothesis to consider was the color of the Halo.

The Death-Seeing Halo had a slightly different shape, but its color was a familiar gold.

Gold was the color of the firewood burning in my heart.

The hypothesis was that if the other Halos were also dyed with the color of firewood, I might be able to use them easily.

So, I had taken out the Halos and was conducting all sorts of experiments.

I tried putting them into my heart, and I even tried grilling the Halos on branches with firewood, like grilling meat.

But despite various attempts, the color didn’t change.

Ah, I don’t know!

I need Halos when fighting the bad guys from the Color Universe, but it’ll probably resolve itself when the time comes.

I sent all the Halos back to the sky and lay down on the ground.

Then, a brightly burning worm caught my eye.

It was the three worm-shaped jelly siblings that appeared after returning from the Free City Alliance.

I skillfully joined those three featureless jelly siblings together, making them look like an inflatable tube man for attracting customers.

One worm for the torso, one worm for each arm.

Hehe.

When I set it on fire, it began to writhe towards the sky, just like a real inflatable tube man.

“Kyuhihi.”

And watching that worm, white Hungry Ghosts gathered in droves, laughing.

As if they thought I had forgotten the ‘Ice Palace Incident’.

Ho ho.

But I was just looking for an opportunity to wipe out the white Hungry Ghosts in one fell swoop.

But the number of white Hungry Ghosts seems to have decreased too much.

By now, a truly enormous number of white Hungry Ghosts should have gathered, but there are too few.

Turning my gaze, I saw quadrupedal Golden Reapers leisurely running across the fields.

For Golden Reapers, this trend is lasting too long, isn’t it?

A suspicious feeling began to sprout vigorously in my mind.

The Golden Reaper was endlessly running away in a place that was chaotic and confusing all around.

!!!

Behind that Golden Reaper, Mother, who had recently become round, was chasing with a scary expression.

Plump Golden Reapers must be caught and eaten!

Mother could easily lose it if she put her mind to it, but strangely, her body felt heavy, and she couldn’t shake it off.

Near the Golden Reaper, other Golden Reapers were running, also fleeing.

Golden Reapers that had become round like Mother.

And when the Golden Reaper looked down at its own body, its belly was protruding slightly.

Caught you!

A Golden Reaper running beside it was caught in Mother’s grasp and dragged away.

Startled, it looked back, and Mother was chasing right behind.

!

And a large hand slowly approached the Golden Reaper, grabbing it firmly.

Nooo!

The Golden Reaper struggled not to be eaten, but eventually, it was sucked into a large mouth.

!!!!!!!!!

Bluish dawn.

The Golden Reaper, startled by the nightmare, woke up.

Crawling out of Yerin’s embrace, the Golden Reaper let out a sigh of relief.

The Golden Reaper didn’t know much about dreams, but it was greatly relieved that it wasn’t reality.

Still, perhaps because it was a little anxious.

The Golden Reaper began to carefully examine its limbs and other body parts.

And when the Golden Reaper looked down at its own belly, it was shocked.

Gained weight!

The Golden Reaper, kneading its belly fat, placed its hands on both cheeks like Munch’s Scream.

“Reaper. Let’s play together.”

Yerin’s sleep-talking suddenly reached the despairing Golden Reaper.

When the Golden Reaper turned its head, a massive amount of firewood emanating from Yerin was being continuously absorbed by the lead doll and the Golden Reaper.

In front of a large cruise ship docked at the harbor.

Actually, it would have been fine to fly directly to Korea on cloud meat, but Qing had flown to the harbor to try riding a cruise ship at least once.

Looking up at the cruise ship, as large as a building, Qing couldn’t hide her anticipation for various things.

Having lived only in China, the very fact of going abroad made her feel a little excited.

Moreover, the destination was Korea, the Orange Reaper’s hometown!

Of course, Korea was classified as a slightly dangerous country in the Object era, but no matter how dangerous, it wouldn’t be as bad as the Free City Alliance.

As the wheels of her carrier clattered across the deck, a refreshing sea breeze tickled her nose, welcoming her.

Deeply inhaling the air filled with the scent of the sea, she slowly walked towards the cruise ship’s railing.

Pleasant music flowed gently, and the cruise ship was busy with preparations for departure.

Seagulls flew around the cruise ship as if bidding farewell, and far beyond the horizon, dazzling sunlight shattered on the sea, shimmering.

Amidst the languid afternoon atmosphere, blended with the sparkling waves, the Orange Reaper began to poke Qing’s cheek.

An unfamiliar foreign language was heard from the direction the Orange Reaper pointed.

“Brother. Did you say we’re going to Korea this time?”

“Mm.”

There stood a Caucasian man wearing a fine coat and a very young-looking woman.

They looked quite similar, and due to the age difference, they seemed like father and daughter.

But such things weren’t very important.

The most eye-catching thing was one.

The Purple Reaper perched on the woman’s head!

The Purple Reaper wearing an eyepatch and the Orange Reaper with a crown began to exchange glances.

Seeing this, the woman approached Qing with a very pleased expression.

“Wow, is that an Orange Reaper?”

Perhaps out of consideration for Qing, the woman spoke in simple English.

At that moment, with the loud blast of the cruise ship’s horn, the journey to Korea began.

Crossing the sea, the cruise ship started heading towards Korea.

Against the backdrop of white seagulls and the endlessly stretching blue horizon, Qing somehow felt that her connection with these people would last longer than expected.