Seoul Object Story

Dozens of Golden Reapers gathered together, assembling into what could be described as a pyramid. It was like one of those human pyramids children form during the annual sports meet, just in this case, it was far cuter with each Reaper holding onto the next with their tiny arms and legs.

Well, since the inside was hollow it was more like a hut.

The desert was still a scorching death trap, but thanks to the Golden Reaper hut providing some much-needed shade, it was tolerable, albeit barely.

The culprit for this relentless heat was definitely the red moon shining in the sky. It didn’t blaze with sunlight but still managed to roast everything in sight. Seriously, whose bright idea was this?

Ah, it’s so hot. I’m going to die…

A sip of water would have been lovely right about now, but in this endless expanse of sand, the only thing gushing forth was my desperation.

Next to me, the Gray Reaper flailed its arms and legs with an indifferent expression. It was as if I was looking at a child making snow angels—except we were in a desert, and the sand was hot enough to fry an egg. Or, in my case, fry my skin.

“Reaper,” I called out, even though I knew full well it couldn’t understand a word I said. Still, a little conversation never hurt anyone, right?

The Gray Reaper paused its flailing and turned towards me, staring at me with those glowing yellow eyes.

“Thanks for showing up, I really thought I was about to die back then.”

I looked around at the vast, seemingly infinite expanse of the desert. “This place is huge, isn’t it? Whichever direction we look toward we can always see the horizon. I never thought I’d see something like this in Seoul.”

I sighed again, letting my mind drift. “This is my first time dealing with an Object-related incident, and I have to say, it’s rough. Makes me never want to go on another business trip. How does Director Lee Sehee keep doing this? She’s like a magnet for disasters and yet, she’s always out chasing down Objects.”

The Gray Reaper didn’t respond, obviously. But those eyes, they were full of… intelligence? Was it possible it understood me? Or was I just projecting my desires? Either way, having it listen to me was surprisingly comforting.

Maybe this was why Researcher Oh Yerin was so enamored with the Gray Reaper.

Then all of a sudden, the Gray Reaper flicked its head toward the sky and with a swing of his arm summoned more Golden Reapers.

We made eye contact and it disappeared somewhere just as quickly as it appeared.

Meanwhile, I found myself surrounded by newly summoned Golden Reapers, each one giving off a faint, golden glow. I hugged one of them, feeling oddly calm despite everything.

Strangely, I didn’t feel anxious. The Gray Reaper had a way of conveying a sense of reassurance, even in the midst of this bizarre desert.

Maybe, just maybe, I was starting to understand exactly what Researcher Oh Yerin saw in the Gray Reaper.

***

As the TV blared loudly through the room, I let my anxiety escape into the air with a whisper.

“Will it be okay?”

No sooner had I spoken than a Golden Reaper climbed up to my shoulder and patted my cheek to comfort me. The Gray Reaper still hadn’t returned, so I really hoped that it had gone to save Seoah.

The area around Gangseo-gu shown on TV was a complete disaster zone. The association had actually done something unprecedented: they had responded quickly. Not only that, they were even making a very aggressive move that made me question if this was really the Korea I knew.

All kinds of bombs were being exploded around Gangseo-gu to inflict damage on the barrier. In the meantime, requests for support had already been made to countries such as the United States, Japan, and China.

It was an extremely unusual move from the association, which was always too proud to ask for any help.