Chapter 481
A deep and dark cave located inside a dome in Japan.
The endless corridors boasted a depth that seemed capable of swallowing even light.
The humid air seeped deep into the lungs, and droplets of water constantly fell from the moss-covered walls, breaking the silence.
The uneven floor and slippery mud made each step slow.
The winding passages were so tangled that they completely robbed one of their sense of direction.
Through this, a group of people silently moved forward.
At the front of the group was, surprisingly, a young girl.
In her hand, she held a black sword, its white and golden eyes shining brightly.
This faint light was the only source of illumination on their path.
The people following her wore outfits similar to modern military uniforms, yet they were somehow out of place.
They carried weapons that didn’t belong to this era.
Black swords and hammers that didn’t reflect light.
The weapons were covered in countless battle scars.
It was as if the weapons themselves didn’t like the blood stains on them, occasionally narrowing tiny golden eyes in displeasure.
The faces of the group all seemed worn out.
Someone had their arm wrapped in bandages, another limped slightly as they walked.
Their clothes were torn and soiled, with dried, blood-red stains scattered across them.
It was clear how many battles they had fought.
Yet their eyes were still sharp.
Like predators, they clearly stared ahead even in the dark, and their steps were so quiet that no fatigue was noticeable.
There was no sound of their breathing.
“Be careful.”
The girl spoke in a small voice.
There was an unexpected weight in her tone for someone of her age.
“We’ll be arriving at the target point soon.”
At her words, the group became even more tense.
They tightened their grip on their weapons and closed the distance between one another.
They had fought countless battles together, and had survived under her leadership.
Perhaps that was why, in their eyes, trust ran deeper than fear.
As the sound of droplets falling and their quiet footsteps filled the space, they came face to face with a vast open area that stretched toward the sky.
And there, filling the space, were the grotesque and twisted bodies of monsters.
“Let’s go.”
With the girl’s calm words, the people, their weapons tightly gripped, rushed toward the open area.
The grotesquely twisted bodies of the monsters scattered across the open area resembled scenes from hell.
The light from the holes in the ceiling, streaming in from the colorful universe, illuminated the grim battlefield.
The only sound that filled the quiet space was the constant dripping of water against the damp cave walls.
Just minutes ago, this place had been in the middle of a life-or-death battle.
The monsters’ screams and the sound of weapons clashing had filled the cave.
But now, everything was quiet.
With everything over, the people sat down, exhausted, resting their bodies against the ground.
“Ha… ha…”
The rough breathing of someone was audible.
It seemed as if the aftermath of the battle had not yet faded.
Some carefully adjusted their bandaged arms, others roughly fixed their torn uniforms, and some wiped sweat from their brows.
Their faces were deeply etched with fatigue, but there was also a sense of relief from victory.
Nearby, the black Reapers stood.
The little Reapers, who had been cutting down monsters with their cold weapons moments ago, now stood with worried eyes, watching over their attachment humans.
Their small golden eyes were filled with concern.
“Human, are you hurt?”
“We could fight for you…”
Though the attachment humans could not hear the black Reapers’ thoughts, they understood what the little ones were trying to express by looking at their faces.
The attachment humans smiled and gently patted the heads of the black Reapers.
On one side of the cave, a few technicians were busy at work.
Their movements were marked with fatigue, but precise, as they installed cylindrical machines, which began to resemble small lighthouses on the cave floor.
The surface of the machines was etched with intricate circuit-like patterns, and every so often, golden light flickered, hinting at the machine’s vitality.
Even though the battle had ended, the girl did not let her guard down.
Her posture still reflected the inertia of a seasoned veteran who had been through countless battles.
One hand was still tightly gripping her sword, and her sharp eyes scanned the surroundings.
Meanwhile, an older man approached her.
“Ah, my joints…!”
He exaggeratedly collapsed onto the ground, as if to show the strain.
His military uniform was stained with dust and monster blood, and dried sweat had left white traces on his forehead.
Only then did the girl relax a little and turn to face the man.
“Sir, are you okay?”
Her voice was mixed with worry and warmth.
It was a stark contrast to the sharpness of her voice during the battle, and now it carried a pure, youthful innocence.
“Well, I’m fine for the most part.”
The man answered with a wry smile. After taking a deep breath, he added in a bright tone.
“But, we finally succeeded.”
The girl’s face brightened.
Her eyes sparkled as if she had finally achieved a long-held dream.
“Yes, once the device is fully installed, we’ll have succeeded. Finally, we’ll be able to handle the dome without needing large numbers of Mini Reapers.”
Her words carried both pride and a bit of relief.
It was as if she was letting go of a heavy burden she had carried for so long.
“Right. We always have to prepare for the worst, so this training was absolutely necessary.”
The man continued, his tone becoming slightly playful as he seemed uncomfortable with the serious situation.
“We can’t just keep relying on these little ones.”
As he said this, he playfully poked the black Reaper sitting on his shoulder.
Hehe.
At that, the black Reaper let out a cheerful, childlike laugh.
In that moment, the golden light emanating from the cylindrical machine grew brighter.
What had been a faint flicker, like a distant lamp, gradually grew more intense, and soon it was shining so brightly that it resembled a small sun inside the cave.
The droplets clinging to the damp cave walls reflected the light, sparkling like a rainbow, and the air’s moisture drifted like a golden mist.
“The preparation is complete.”
A technician’s voice echoed through the cave.
His face showed a mix of pride and tension.
The girl slowly stretched out her small palm.
There, instead of a sword, a black Reaper with mismatched eyes was now sitting.
The white and golden eyes, glowing in contrast, stared toward the device.
“Then, please take care of it.”
The girl’s voice was soft, but it carried a firm trust.
It felt like she was speaking to a comrade who had fought alongside her through thousands of battles.
The black Reaper looked up at the girl with a confident smile.
The expression was full of “Trust me.”
With a quick shake of its small body, the Reaper dove toward the cylindrical machine like a diver.
In that instant, the golden light pouring from the machine exploded in intensity.
The light surged upward like a pillar toward the ceiling of the dome, made of the colorful universe.
When the brilliant beam hit the dome’s surface, cracks began to appear, like the breaking of a mirror.
At first, it was just a thin crack, but it quickly spread like a spiderweb.
Finally, the dome began to shatter into pieces, as if it were shattered glass.
“The James Institute’s equipment is always amazing. I never thought something like this would be possible.”
The old man’s muttering, full of admiration, reverberated.
His voice held both awe and relief.
Now, they could destroy the dome without needing to gather hundreds or thousands of Mini Reapers.
The cylindrical device seemed like a perfect blend of modern science and object technology.
The subtle, flickering circuits and golden patterns created a mysterious beauty.
This small machine amplified the power of the Mini Reapers, allowing a single ordinary Mini Reaper to break the dome.
Of course, even this groundbreaking device had its limitations.
Unlike the method where the Mini Reapers simply stood at the center of the dome and threw firewood at it, this device had to be installed at the precise weak point, which was always changing.
That was more difficult than gathering numerous Mini Reapers, but in the age of objects, one had to always be prepared for the worst.
The girl smiled gently as she watched the crumbling dome.
In the depths of the Mini Reaper Garden, on the marshmallow plains.
Following the will of the Golden Reapers, I arrived through teleportation and witnessed a strange scene unfolding before me.
A leaden doll, tinged in blue, was holding the Hug Reaper tightly in its arms, not letting go, as if it were an old toy.
Normally, the Hug Reapers never refused an embrace, but this time was different.
Shaking with fear, the Hug Reaper desperately tried to escape, but the doll’s arms clung tightly.
Of course, as the Golden Reapers had said, it didn’t seem like it had been eaten.
As I turned my head with these thoughts, the Golden Reapers began explaining the situation.
“It tried to eat!”
“But it couldn’t!”
“It’s not a bad sibling, so it couldn’t eat!”
The Golden Reapers’ explanation was still fragmented, but it was enough to understand what had happened.
Perhaps the leaden doll had bitten, but didn’t eat?
Last time, it devoured the Unchanging Orb, and now it was after the Hug Reaper…
Had I increased its greed by taking the leaden doll’s pudding last time?
“Mum, what do we do?”
“What now?”
The Golden Reapers, unsure of what to do, were helplessly staring at the leaden doll and the Hug Reaper.
Well, to the Golden Reapers, the leaden doll was “kind but fake mom” and the Hug Reaper was “kind sibling.”
The leaden doll didn’t seem ready to let go of the Hug Reaper, so I slowly approached and reached between its arms to rescue the Hug Reaper.
At that moment, the leaden doll’s will echoed.
[No…]
There was a deep sense of loss in its voice.
It felt as if it had lost the most precious thing in the world, like when the Golden Reaper lost the last piece of pudding.
Perhaps that’s why the leaden doll seemed to be licking its lips at the Hug Reaper.
Well, it must be a misunderstanding.
The docile and kind leaden doll wouldn’t do such a thing.
The Hug Reaper quickly darted behind my ankle.
It was unlike its usual self.
“Hug…”
The normally laid-back Hug Reaper was now crouched, its small body trembling as it warily watched the leaden doll.
“Why is it acting like this?”
I let out a will, curious about why the leaden doll was so fixated on the Hug Reaper.
[It’s delicious.]
The reply was completely unexpected.
Delicious?
The sincerity in the leaden doll’s will made curiosity stir within me.
Come to think of it, the Golden Reaper did look tasty…
Without thinking, my hand moved.
I grabbed the Hug Reaper hiding behind my ankle and quickly shoved it into my mouth.
“Hug!”
The Hug Reaper, with my hand biting into its arm, looked at me with eyes full of betrayal.
It desperately struggled, but it was already too late.
The Golden Reapers around us began to make a fuss.
“Mum’s eating sibling!”
“Sibling’s being eaten!”
“Detchi!”
But the children’s wills didn’t reach me, merely passing by.
I was too shocked by the unexpected taste spreading in my mouth.
[It’s delicious.]
It was an indescribable taste.
It felt like a taste that could come from a rainbow, a flavor that reminded me of the colorful universe.
I swallowed the Hug Reaper’s head without hesitation.
Hehe.
“Come to think of it, didn’t this one beat the Foreigners on its own?”
As I was chewing the Hug Reaper, I suddenly remembered that time.
The First Sword couldn’t even do this…
Curiosity began to swell within me.
