Seoul Object Story
Chapter 93: The Pudding Factory (5)

Late in the evening, the Golden Reaper sneaked into the institute through an open door and began to move quietly through the deserted corridors. With each step, it carefully tiptoed across the floor, as if playing a secret game.

In the middle of a dark hallway with only a few lights on, there was a space filled with bright light.

It was an administrative office open twenty-four hours a day.

Inside, an elderly man in charge of the office, who always gave the Golden Reaper Red Bean Paste Jelly with a warm smile, was dozing off with a tired face.

The Golden Reaper didn’t find Red Bean Paste Jelly very tasty, but it liked the elderly man because he made it feel warm and loved.

It would always jump on his shoulder and give him a little massage in return for the snacks. Sneaking around like this broke its heart.

Next time, I’ll give you two massages to make up for it!

Making this small promise, the Golden Reaper passed the management office at a brisk pace. Fortunately, the dozing old man didn’t notice the small shadow crossing the floor.

But then, an even bigger obstacle appeared. It was a large, human-filled room that it had to pass through to reach the human it loved.

Large items that made a humming sound filled the room, and people with blank expressions sat in front of them, groaning and looking tired.

Cheer up! I’ll play with you guys a lot next time!

The Golden Reaper didn’t know what the things in the room were, but since people started to fidget when it got close, they must be important, right?

It hid behind one of the items and began to slowly pass by, trying not to get caught.

“Hey. Hey, look at that. Aw.”

“Hmm, what’s up?”

Someone’s talking! If I move now, I’ll be caught! Hmm, until the humans stop talking, I have to stay still and wait for a chance.

“Jeez! Just come here. Look, look at that?”

“What? Hmm, wait… No way… Is it hiding? Aw~!”

The humans are whispering! They sound mischievous! Oooh, so humans also play around when they’re bored! Just like us!

“Hehe! It’s my first time seeing a Golden Reaper hiding like that.”

“Yeah, it’s so cute. Hmm, so we should pretend we didn’t see it, right?”

Huh? More and more humans were gathering… I can’t get caught!

“Everyone! Only take one picture each and disperse! Don’t you see the Reaper can’t move right now? Chop Chop!”

Click-! Click-!

Very strange noises rang in the room, then the humans began to disperse.

Phew, what a relief. I was just about to get caught!!

After that ‘click click’ sound, it seemed like the humans became happier.

Hmm, just what is that? Hehe! I’ll find out next time!

Late at night in the residence of the 3rd Director of Trinity Research Institute, a place perpetually cloaked in a gloomy atmosphere, the 3rd Director was listening to a report from the butler.

“Two members of the Night Crow who were entrusted with the request have died. It appears that further actions will not be possible.”

“Is that so? How far did the Night Crow go?” The director’s voice was smooth, almost soothing.

“They succeeded in shutting down the factory and stealing the bag. However, the bag was stolen by the Gray Reaper who appeared out of nowhere, so it could be said that they only succeeded in shutting down the factory.”

The director calmly put down his wine glass and stood up. His gaze drifted to the golden horn decoration on the wall.

“It’s a blessing in disguise. At least they ordered the factory to close. James’ factory should never be allowed to run in Korea. After all, we can’t allow ‘alchemy’ to spread in Korea.”

“…”

“Hah! It seems like you think the factory will not close thanks to the Gray Reaper.” The director’s lips curled into a sinister grin as he let out a chuckle. “Kekekeke…”

He continued, “It’s okay because the factory has a hidden Object that even the Gray Reaper can’t deal with. Hahaha! It’s a replica of the Object that the Gray Reaper couldn’t win against.”

With a satisfied smile, the director sat down again and sipped his wine, savoring the moment.

Deep inside the pudding factory, the once vibrant assembly line had succumbed to an eerie silence, broken only by the sporadic wail of the emergency siren.

Its rhythm was disturbingly irregular, amplifying the sense of confusion and chaos that now pervaded the factory.

The red emergency lights flickered ominously, casting long, distorted shadows that danced across the cold steel structures. These crimson beams painted the machinery with an unsettling glow, transforming the factory into a scene from a nightmare.

At the heart of this foreboding environment was a massive and grotesque creature. This eldritch abomination, a monkfish-like entity, oozed black mucus from its body, creating a slick, foul-smelling pool around it.

The Object resembled the fabled Hungry Ghost, which had vanished into a sinkhole after the Songpa-gu incident.

However, unlike the Hungry Ghost, this creature’s smooth, glossy skin was marred by the black mucus. The stench was suffocating, and the dark fluid seeped into the factory floor, corrupting the very ground it touched.

Occasionally, the Object opened its cavernous maw, lined with sharp, menacing teeth, to gnaw at the surrounding iron structures.

Despite the desolation and absence of humans and prey, the Object remained in the deepest recesses of the factory. It clung to a machine at the core of the complex, as if guarding something precious.

After the teddy bear’s grand and oh-so-fabulous entrance (and exit), Reaper suddenly disappeared and then reappeared out of nowhere, handing me this super weird briefcase.

It was one of those fancy, antique-looking briefcases, the kind that screams “I cost more than your entire wardrobe!”

Seriously, where on earth did it even find that thing? Did it raid some rich guy’s attic or something?

Not that I thought Reaper had any grand reason for bringing it to me. It’s probably just another one of its random pranks.

Ugh, guess I’ll have to return it whenever the real owner comes looking for it.

Plop-! Plop-!

I glanced over at Reaper, who was trotting along just a bit ahead of me, looking like it was about to die of boredom. I mean, look at it. There it was, playing this cute little game on the grey asphalt of the factory.

It was hopping from one white line to another. Even though it acted all cools and indifferent, like it wasn’t even paying attention to the ground, its teeny-tiny feet were only stepping on the bright white lines.

Hehehe, so cute!

If Reaper knew I had noticed its little game, it would definitely get all huffy and pouty. So, I had to play it cool and pretend I didn’t notice anything.

I silently cheered it on in my heart, eager to see just how far Reaper’s Asphalt Adventure™ would take it.

I strolled along the asphalt inside the factory with Yerin by my side. My senses were tingling with the faint vibrations of human emotions fluttering in the air.

Following those signals, we finally arrived at this big building. It had a huge < 7 > painted on the wall.

Stepping inside, I could feel a swarm of Objects gathering around me and Yerin.

My eyes widened as I took in the scene.

They were the cutest pink, rabbit-shaped dolls ever! And not just any dolls—they had tiny chef hats and were clutching the cutest little cooking utensils. Could they be any more adorable?

[ Pudding! ]

[ Pudding! ]

Doll-like Objects, wearing a chef’s hat, holding cooking utensils, and shouting [ Pudding! ]…

Even an idiot could tell that they were Objects that made the pudding.

Heheheheheheehehehehe! I finally found it.

The Objects that made the pudding!

Hihihihihihihi! Now, once I put those Objects back to work, they’d start whipping up that delicious ‘Ninja Pudding’ again, right? Right?!

But, of course, there had to be a hitch.

First off, those bunny dolls? Their eyes were so not friendly. Like, seriously unfriendly, murderous even!

Hehe, if it weren’t for my mightly presence, I bet they’d be pouncing on poor Yerin in a heartbeat.

And then there was this awful stench coming from the dolls—ugh, it was the worst!

They were covered in some kind of nasty, foul black mucus. Oh no!! If they started making pudding like that, it’d definitely smell and taste gross! Yuck!

I was stuck with a tough choice: Should I zap these smelly dolls into oblivion, even if it meant losing their super-cool pudding-making powers?

Or maybe I could tame them, like I did with the ‘Cute Puppy’?

As I was lost in my deep, important thoughts, a desperate annoying voice interrupted them.

“Are you from the rescue team?! Please save me!”

The voice belonged to a thin man who sounded like he was about to run out of breath.

Sigh… Looked like I wouldn’t have time to tame it…

Guess I’d have to settle for a less-than-perfect version of their pudding powers for now.

The Interpreter was at his breaking point. Every fiber of his being screamed in exhaustion.

“Please save me! Please save me!” he screamed, his voice raw in desperation. His chest heaved, each breath a battle against the suffocating dread clutching at his lungs.

Behind him, the horrifying clatter of the killer rabbits’ cooking utensils grew louder and louder, the metallic clinks echoing like a death toll.

“Tch. Run a little faster, won’t ya? If you keep this pace, they’ll stab you in the ass in five seconds!” James shouted from ahead, his voice startlingly calm and relaxed.

He even had the audacity to glance back with a nonchalant expression.

The interpreter risked a look over his shoulder, and it scared the shit out of him. A massive whisk, gleaming and menacing, was hurtling straight for him.

This is it. Ah, this is really the end. Sniff. Why did I ever take on this stupid job?

A montage of his life flickered before his eyes, a chaotic whirl of memories and regrets. But just as the impending doom seemed inevitable, a burst of golden light exploded into his vision.

It was a small, faint, golden light, but it was enough.

Under the ominous blood-red lighting of the factory, the brilliant golden wave surged forward, ripping through the rabbits.

I’m alive…

The realization hit him with such force that his legs buckled. He collapsed to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

I left the relieved survivors behind and darted off to the Garden of the Golden Reapers.

“Reaper…? What’s wrong?” Yerin asked with a puzzled expression as she saw me closing my eyes and concentrating. She poked my cheek, trying to get my attention.

Rude! Don’t disturb me! Hmph, I have bigger things to think about! Hehe… Pudding!

In the middle of the Garden of the Golden Reaper, I spotted a facility I had never seen before.

There was a golden chef hat, golden cooking utensils, and a shiny countertop to match it.

For a split second, I worried I’d get something weird like a rabbit-shaped pudding, but hehe! This was way better!

The Golden Reapers gathered around the new cooking setup, their faces full of curiosity.

Each one grabbed a chef hat, and the moment they put them on, adorable rabbit ears sprouted from their heads. Then they got right to work, cooking the pudding with skill and enthusiasm!

But the Golden Reaper’s cooking style was a little bit unique? It wasn’t like an ordinary pudding cooking process, but rather a specialized production routine where everyone had a special role to play.

Some Golden Reapers dumped in heaps of sugar, melted it down, and then dipped their fingers in to taste. Their little rabbit ears flapped with delight at the deliciousness.

Others were happily whisking eggs, laughing and giggling, while a few sneaky ones snuck bites of sugar, sneakily looking around to make sure no one saw.

Even though they all had different tasks, they moved with a sense of unity.

The sounds of water boiling, whisking eggs, and clinking glass cups all blended into a cheerful, grand symphony.

Their coordinated movements, all carried out at a constant speed and beat, looked like a well rehearsed dance, and it was so mesmerizing I couldn’t take my eyes off them.

Heheheheehehe!!! It’s a success!

I just knew it, even without tasting it yet—the Ninja Pudding was going to be perfect.

Hihiihi, I couldn’t wait to try it when it was done.

Was it because I finally achieved my goal? I felt very happy!!