Chapter 517
In the space dominated by deep darkness, only a single light existed.
A golden flame burned quietly, surrounding the area, but even that light seemed infinitely small in front of the endless darkness.
The light flickered from a candlestick on a round table that looked like it was made of white marble.
Around the round table, positioned at the edge of time and space, were nine seats, placed at equal intervals, each with a golden candlestick in front.
The man of the lamp was sitting in one of those seats.
His face was still obscured by a writhing mist, but within it, a strange emotion seemed to shine through.
His gaze, directed toward the blue girl sitting opposite him, was filled with complex feelings.
“Is that so? Then, in the end, I—no, the original—was deceived.”
There was no anger or disappointment in the man’s voice.
On the contrary, it was the opposite.
It was as though he had solved an old puzzle or read a story that had reached an intriguing conclusion, an expression of subtle satisfaction.
As if he and the original were not connected at all.
“Ah.”
The blue girl, who had been watching the man of the lamp, suddenly brightened her eyes as if something had just come to her mind and murmured.
“By the way, now that we’re here, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask.”
Her voice was filled with anticipation, as if the long-unsolved mystery was about to be revealed.
“What exactly was the price for this round table contract?”
At the blue girl’s question, the mist that had been covering the man’s face wavered slightly.
“I’ve taken a few things as the price for the contract, but honestly, it seemed ridiculously insufficient to me…”
Her words contained genuine confusion.
Of course, the “king” who had offered a mountain of treasures as the price would never think that way, but the blue girl truly believed it.
The ability to preserve infinite time, to resurrect the dead, by combining the powers and memories of nine souls—such a thing was a miracle that no treasure could ever be valued at.
In the darkness, the man of the lamp slowly opened his mouth.
His voice carried the calmness of someone revealing a long-held secret.
“Well, I guess it doesn’t matter if I tell you now.”
The mist that had been covering his face subtly shifted.
Interestingly, it seemed as though the mist was smiling.
“The price was the very fact that the round table exists.”
The blue girl’s pupils slightly trembled.
The man of the lamp, enjoying her reaction, slowly continued.
“The round table created by this contract was like an insurance policy, or rather, a spare life. It was an immense contract that preserved power, memories, and even nine companions.”
Each of his words pointed out parts the blue girl hadn’t even considered.
“But once something like that is created, failure becomes almost inevitable.”
The man’s voice deepened.
“Because that’s what trying to touch a god means.”
At those words, the blue girl’s eyes widened.
Her expression was one of pure admiration for the unexpected insight.
It was as if she had found the answer to a complex riddle, or like the final piece of a huge puzzle had found its place.
But soon after, the blue girl let out a playful “Hehe” laugh.
She had never once thought of this contract as an insurance policy.
It was merely one of the necessary arrangements to accomplish an absurdly difficult task.
Her laughter was not one of victory, but rather the relief of seeing a long-laid plan finally come to fruition.
In the afternoon, when a soft light bathed the Marshmallow Plains, the Golden Reapers surrounded the Purple Unchanging Reaper and were laughing heartily.
In contrast, the Purple Unchanging Reaper wore the same sulky expression as usual.
As if irritated.
“Let’s play with the younger one.”
“She’s just like her sister!”
The cheerful will of the Golden Reapers echoed across the plains.
The Purple Unchanging Reaper sighed but eventually stood up.
Maintaining the usual indifferent expression, he began to run toward the Marshmallow Plains.
Stumbling along.
The Golden Reapers, with white Reapers on their heads, followed him, running in a somewhat comical manner.
The sound of tiny footsteps created a light rhythm on the Marshmallow Plains.
Happy Golden Reapers playing with the Purple Unchanging Reaper.
It seemed more like the younger Purple Unchanging Reaper was playing with the Golden Reapers.
In the sky above the Marshmallow Plains, fluffy clouds drifted lazily, and a sweet scent spread with the breeze.
Within that, the Mini Reapers’ joyful run continued.
As I watched that scene, a sense of calm filled me, and I couldn’t help but smile slightly.
Just as I was watching the round, happy Mini Reapers having fun, a distant murmuring sound began to reach my ears.
Though it was quite a distance from the amusement park to the Marshmallow Plains, the unique transport made from white Reapers allowed people to come easily.
“Kyuu… Kyuu… Kyuu…”
The rhythmic cries of the white Reapers vibrated through the air of the plains.
On their backs, saddles were installed, and the Mini Reapers and their Attachment Humans were sitting on them.
“Reapers, we’re here!”
I heard Ye Rin’s familiar voice.
Among the group, the Sehee Research Institute’s people, including Ye Rin, had mixed in.
Under Sehee’s instructions, the plains had quickly transformed into a lively resting area.
Food trucks lined up, selling a variety of foods, and cozy tables and chairs were scattered around.
Among them, the most eye-catching was the huge white Reaper campfire set up by the Red Reaper.
The flames emitted a soft, sweet light, warmly illuminating the faces of those gathered around it.
“Lots of humans!”
“Humans!”
Perhaps because the Mini Reaper Garden was filled with humans after a long time, the Mini Reapers looked incredibly happy.
Cutting through the atmosphere of this resting place, a beautiful piano melody rang out.
Turning my gaze to find the source of the sound, I saw a blue lizard enthusiastically tapping on the piano keys.
As the small lizard danced across the keys, a sweet melody filled the air.
The blue lizard, who usually practiced hard, seemed especially excited today.
Perhaps it was because many more spectators had gathered than usual.
The lizard’s performance now had a touch of flair and passion not seen before.
At times, it played classical music, other times jazz, and occasionally, its unique improvisational pieces.
The lizard’s performance didn’t stick to any genre; it perfectly blended with the atmosphere of the moment.
Each time, the people in the resting area stood up and clapped naturally.
Some swayed to the rhythm, and the Mini Reapers tapped their tiny feet with joy.
If the blue lizard hadn’t been part of the Mini Reaper Garden, it would have easily fulfilled the ten-thousand-person requirement.
Fortunately, the blue lizard had already become part of the Mini Reaper Garden, destined to play the piano for me forever.
“Hehe.”
As I watched the blue lizard’s performance and smiled, I suddenly heard a familiar cry.
Meow.
The source of the sound was the adventurous white ghost cat.
“It’s been a while.”
As I greeted it while holding the cat, the ghost cat let out a casual meow, maintaining its usual indifferent expression.
But its tail swayed happily, as if pleased.
Like an adventurer returning from a long journey, the ghost cat began to tell tales.
The first story was about a mysterious cave it found in a giant valley.
The cave, filled with blue crystals, shimmered with light like dancing waves.
As the ghost cat spoke of its white body being dyed by the blue light, its eyes sparkled as if reliving that scene.
The second story was about its adventure through a pit of powerful objects.
It emphasized how dangerous it had been, proudly wagging its tail as it recounted the story.
The ghost cat seemed to have enjoyed many adventures.
Well, it was probably an exaggerated tale.
“It must have been fun…”
I said as I gently stroked the soft back of the ghost cat.
As the story was coming to an end, the ghost cat yawned lazily.
Perhaps tired from the long journey and storytelling, its eyelids drooped heavily.
I looked down at the cat, who had already dozed off beside the warm campfire.
Like an adventurer who had returned to find a peaceful sanctuary, the ghost cat rested peacefully before the campfire.
Turning my head, a small puppy’s distinctive cry rang out through the peaceful atmosphere of the resting place.
Woof woof!
Now, a truly adorable puppy, looking lively, was running around among the people.
With every tiny step, its eyes were filled with joy, and its tail wagged endlessly.
People smiled brightly and reached out whenever they noticed the puppy.
When someone petted its head, the puppy wagged its tail happily, and when someone scratched its belly, it rolled around with a happy expression.
The puppy’s pure reactions warmed the hearts of those watching.
Though I felt a bit uneasy about how the white Reapers were loved, I decided to let it slide today.
It was a good day, after all, the day the Golden Tyranno was born.
Turning my gaze away from the cute puppy, I noticed the large balloons people were holding.
The Blue Idol Reaper had created special balloons by stuffing white Reapers with helium and turning them into balloons.
Kyu-hing-hing…
The distorted cries of the white Reapers from the helium balloons were especially popular.
I liked that sound so much that I took a balloon for myself.
The balloons floated gently in the Mini Reaper Garden’s soft sky.
I smiled softly as I watched them.
At this moment, everything seemed perfect.
Ye Rin’s happy laughter, the Mini Reapers’ cheerful pranks, and the joyful commotion of the objects.
Everything blended harmoniously to create this special moment.
“Today is such a wonderful day…”
Lost in such peaceful thoughts, I suddenly noticed something beyond the white Reaper balloons in the sky.
A suspicious silhouette began to emerge.
Starting with the towering plateau and stairs that seemed to reach the heavens.
And above that, the fallen massive Black Giant.
It was something I recognized from my memories of the Black Planet.
But something was different.
The Black Giant I had looked up at before was hazy like mist.
But the giant before me now was dark and clear, like deep shadows.
‘Not an illusion, it feels real…?’
Before I could finish that thought, the Black Giant slowly began to move.
‘!!!!’
As its massive form rose, the surrounding air grew heavy.
It was as if all the light in the world was being absorbed, and the Black Giant’s presence overwhelmed the surroundings.
