Seoul Object Story
Chapter 318: Epilogue of the Ash-gray Girl (2)

In the Mini Reaper Garden, on the Milk Bingsu Snowfield.

The ghost Object that had become a topic of conversation among the Golden Reapers was wandering around there.

‘Where am I?’

‘Who am I?’

‘I don’t know.’

The ghost Object was in a state where everything felt unfamiliar, as if it had just been born.

So, to properly understand itself and the world, it began to roam the Mini Reaper Garden.

The first thing that caught its eye was the Golden Reapers.

‘Ghost!’

‘Find it!’

The Golden Reapers were walking around, leaving tiny footprints on the cold snowfield.

‘I feel a weak connection to those golden Objects.’

The ghost Object sensed a faint connection and kinship with the Golden Reapers.

And inside the golden Reapers, it saw an endless flame of affection shining like a warm sun.

‘Am I also one of those golden Objects then?’

The ghost Object pondered this question as it left the Milk Bingsu Snowfield.

Avoiding the Golden Reapers that were thoroughly searching the snowfield, it entered the Hot Chocolate Sea and discovered a cookie house floating on the surface.

Inside that tiny cookie house, a Blue Reaper was poking its head out.

There was no cover in the Hot Chocolate Sea, so the Blue Reaper and the ghost Object ended up making direct eye contact.

<Gh… Ghost!>

The Blue Reaper, looking extremely startled, left only the message <P… Please let me escape from here!> before disappearing in an instant.

‘I feel a slight connection to that blue Object as well.’

The ghost Object saw a faint but definite flame of kindness along with its connection to the Blue Reaper.

‘Am I a golden Object? Or a blue Object?’

After seeing the Blue Reaper, the ghost Object felt even more confused about its identity.

‘I wish I could be a warm Object like the golden or blue ones.’

The ghost Object vaguely thought this as it began to fly towards the Jelly Jungle.

‘!’

And the ghost Object discovered an Orange Reaper floating gently in the sky with a kind expression in the shadows of the forest.

But contrary to that kind expression, a dark desire to bully was swirling inside the Orange Reaper.

[Today, I’m going to secretly steal Pudding Reaper’s pudding.]

Due to lack of experience, the ghost Object couldn’t properly interpret the Orange Reaper’s thoughts, but it could roughly understand the meaning.

[I’m going to steal a precious item from a weak Object!] It was truly a terrible Object that bullied the weak.

What was even more terrible was that it felt a connection and kinship with the Orange Reaper as well.

The ghost Object became a little scared to confirm its own identity, but it shook its head to shake off the feeling and set out again.

Upon arriving at a plain full of marshmallows, it discovered an Object that felt strongly attractive.

It was the Gray Reaper, sleeping comfortably on the ground.

‘Ruler? Creator?’

‘No. Mom!’

Strangely, the moment it saw the Gray Reaper, the ghost Object realized its identity.

As it floated closer, it saw various colorful Mini Reapers sleeping around ‘Mom’.

‘Mom’ was frowning slightly as if having a nightmare, emitting a faint will.

‘I don’t want to work.’

‘It would be nice if the Mini Reapers killed all the Outer Gods…’

The moment it heard that will, the ghost Object realized what it had to do.

‘Mom is struggling!’

‘I have to take Mom’s place!’

<I must shoulder the Divine Throne instead!>

The ghost Object, its yellow eyes burning, slowly began to approach the Gray Reaper.

Poke! Poke! Poke!

Suddenly feeling like someone was touching my forehead, I woke up to find a suspicious-looking Object stabbing my forehead with a knife.

And not just any ordinary Object, but a Mini Reaper with firewood.

Moreover, it was one I had never seen before.

Does a Mini Reaper appear even if it’s not ‘Moon’ but ‘Moon’-level?

Or is it because that white one used an ability similar to mine?

As I was quietly observing with my eyes closed, the excited Mini Reaper started making strange noises.

‘I am in the process of inheriting the throne. Mom!’

Not only was it suspicious to stab me with a knife, but to say such things…

At that moment, I opened my eyes, grabbed the new Filial Impious Reaper in my hand, and took away its knife.

‘No! My filial piety!’

After taking the knife, the new Filial Impious Reaper struggled and emitted a resentful will.

It was so upset that it even shed a tear.

‘Filial piety? Could it mean a knife for being filial?’

Why on earth is this ‘filial’?

And upon closer observation of the struggling Mini Reaper, I realized its appearance seemed familiar from somewhere.

A snow-white ghost.

Blood-red traces.

A ghost shaped like a cloth.

‘Ah, is this that? The Ghost of the Snowfield?’

It looked like the ‘ghost’ that was the Golden Reapers’ new exploration target.

‘I’m confiscating this knife.’

I confiscated the soft, rubber-like knife that the Ghost Reaper was holding.

It doesn’t hurt because it’s soft, but strangely, being stabbed by this knife feels unpleasant.

I should go to the courtyard later and give it as a gift to the mini hippo.

Hehe.

‘Nooo!’

Seeing the Filial Ghost Reaper cry sadly made me feel even better.

Near Songpa District, at James Tower.

A few days after the Gray Reaper had torn the sky.

James, finally having some free time, was resting in his personal quarters, almost lying down in his chair.

“It’s finally over.”

Hearing James’s voice filled with deep fatigue, the Golden Reaper climbed onto his shoulder and patted him as if to say ‘well done’.

And as James slightly lifted the cup to drink some warm coffee, what was in the cup wasn’t coffee but a completely different beverage.

It was ‘hot chocolate’ with a rich flavor, smooth texture, and extreme sweetness.

The taste of hot chocolate, which seemed to naturally coat the inside of his mouth, was quite familiar to James.

It was hot chocolate from the Mini Reaper Garden, after all.

Surprised, James put down the cup and turned towards the Golden Reaper, but the Golden Reaper was just grinning.

It was as if it was saying, ‘I removed the poison and brought you something delicious!’, which made him chuckle a bit.

“Well, I suppose hot chocolate is fine at times like this.”

James smiled slightly and slowly drank the hot chocolate again.

With the faint sound of the TV in the background, James slowly sank into thought.

‘As shown in Relic No. 0, the Gray Reaper has gathered all seven colored moons.’

James recalled a memory from quite a long time ago.

James and the United States actually had two options.

Choose between Relic No. 0 and the Gray Reaper as a way to overcome the Object Incident.

Or choose the ‘Black Masked Figures’, also known as ‘Ninjas’, who claimed to have the ‘only method’ for the Object Incident.

That choice was based on the difference in stance regarding the ‘Immutable Black Sphere’.

The masked figures who insisted that the Immutable Sphere should never be allowed to come into contact with the Gray Reaper.

And Relic No. 0, which depicted a future where they made contact.

In the end, what they chose was not the suspicious Black Masked Figures, but the Gray Reaper.

‘I wonder where they are now. What they’re doing.’

The masked figures disappeared the moment James and the United States chose a different path.

And the regular communication with their leader was also cut off.

It felt unsettling, as if they were waiting for something.

At that moment, another story began to flow from the TV, informing of a new incident.

[Recently, strange objects and ruined buildings have been discovered in various parts of the country.]

[Anachronistic objects that seem to belong in medieval or fantasy worlds are reportedly appearing suddenly, as if they’ve fallen from the sky.]

[The Korea Object Council has officially designated this phenomenon as the ‘Object Phenomenon’ through an official announcement.]

[As the exact cause and nature have not yet been identified, citizens are urged not to approach any discovered objects or buildings carelessly.]

[Currently, the government and relevant agencies have begun investigating the Object Phenomenon, and are preparing countermeasures with the highest priority on citizen safety.]

[Korea Object News will promptly report any additional information related to the Object Phenomenon as it becomes available. We ask for your attention and any information from our viewers.]

“No time to rest.”

James looked down at his personal communication device that was ringing incessantly and drained the hot chocolate in one go.

Part of a message was displayed on the device.

<The current Space Conjunction Incident appears to be the phenomenon described in Relic No. 0. Quick response needed.>

Late at night, deep in Seoul Forest.

Near the Steel Tower that the Gray Reaper had left in the care of the Mini Reapers.

Thump thump.

Black Reapers were circling around the Steel Tower, holding long spears made of water.

They were Black Reaper sentries guarding the Steel Tower.

Originally, guarding the Steel Tower was a task assigned to the Golden Reapers, but since Golden Reapers fall asleep at night, Black Reapers were doing the night watch instead.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

They marched around making beeping sounds as if keeping time in the military.

At that moment, a huge metal mass fell from the sky.

Beep?!

As the Black Reaper crushed under the metal mass crawled out and looked up, the Steel Tower was gradually twisting and breaking into pieces.

At the same time, the entire Seoul Forest began to vibrate.

The Steel Tower, which had stood with an overwhelming presence dominating Seoul Forest, slowly lost its shape and collapsed.

Like a giant kneeling down, the Steel Tower slowly but completely crumbled.

‘!!!’

The Black Reapers were so surprised by this sight that they created a flurry of exclamation marks above their heads.

At that moment, a black light shot up into the sky from among the collapsed debris, and at its tip appeared a Black Star emanating an ominous aura.

This Black Star looked like an omen heralding the arrival of a new era.

‘We need to call Mom!’

The Black Reapers, exuding a will that screamed ‘This is bad!’, began to run around frantically near the Steel Tower.