The moment the Gray Reaper touched the tree, the sky was filled with blinding light.
That light proved victorious against the Object slowly devouring America.
Shattered time and space were returning to their proper places.
Now, I’ll probably scatter into shredded remains all over the place.
Still, it’s a relief to close my eyes knowing James City’s crisis has been properly resolved.
The vice mayor moved his stiff neck to look up at the sky.
His slowly deteriorating eyes faintly captured celestial bodies above.
Beautiful moonlight poured down over the vice mayor’s head.
Even though his body had shattered into countless pieces, his heart brimmed with a sense of accomplishment.
“It took only six hours, but I managed to protect James City.”
With that, the vice mayor released the last ounce of willpower keeping his form and consciousness intact.
The hand gripping the control console loosened as it began accepting its fate.
Though his body grew colder by the second, the vice mayor didn’t lose his smile.
As he broke free from the endlessly looping distorted time, a whirlwind of emotions surged within him.
He had fulfilled his duty, protected the city he loved, and now escaped the constraints of time while ensuring James City remained safe.
In the dimming corner of his fading vision, golden flames flickered.
The vice mayor thought those flames resembled the fire of angels sent to guide him.
Everything around me was absolute chaos.
Buildings of mismatched styles and materials lay haphazardly scattered everywhere.
A marble column resembling an ancient temple gleamed freshly cut on the ground.
Next to it, a section of fresco depicting some religious scene was sharply sliced into a square shape.
Nearby rested a broken piece of an ornate iron furniture, its grand patterns outdated and aristocratic-looking.
A lavish chair fit for nobility lay neatly halved nearby.
If not for the massive barrier in the distance, one might mistake this place for a museum demolition site instead of James City.
But who is this Girl with Blue Hair? She feels familiar yet unmistakably foreign. How strange—it feels like déjà vu without any memory.
Strange things happened, but this newfound ability is pretty satisfying.
Time manipulation.
Just like how you can manipulate space, I can now slightly manipulate time.
Well, it’s more like accelerating or slowing down my own time rather than freely rearranging or cutting-and-pasting reality like in the movies.
Still, moving faster than even the Golden Reaper sounds fun! More mischief ahead!
Hehe!
Tubangtubangtubangtubang!
Even without ghosting, just walking normally leaves lingering afterimages—so fast it’s entertaining!
While wandering through the ruins, I sensed someone floating in midair.
In this desolate void where no one should exist…?
Ah, so this person must’ve been the one I felt earlier when heading toward the tree. Their presence grew stronger as the logs accumulated.
They were trapped between time and space but are gradually returning to reality due to the destruction of the tree and Indigo Moon.
Unfortunately, they’re already fragmented beyond repair, practically dead.
I don’t know if it’s because of my spatial abilities or this new time power, but I somehow feel like I could save them.
Let’s call it practice for Yerin’s arrival—I gathered the scattered fragments from the dimensional rift.
Consider it repaying the favor for replenishing the logs when approaching the tree.
Surprisingly, the task wasn’t too hard.
Had it shattered into 3D pieces, I’d have abandoned it long ago, but the fragments looked like glass panels smashed apart, making it more like solving a puzzle.
Easier still since I could freely arrange the shards with mere thought.
Thus, the work became enjoyable, like assembling a giant jigsaw puzzle.
Turns out puzzles suit my taste quite well.
Once I get back to Sehee Research Institute, I should ask for some proper puzzles featuring scenic views instead of buff black men every time I complete one.
By the time people noticed the disappearance of the tree inside the barrier, footsteps approached nearby.
Did they spot it via satellite? They sure work fast!
Just as armed personnel in hazmat suits started showing up, I successfully completed the puzzle.
A sleekly dressed ahjussi descended from thin air.
When I confirmed his face post-completion, it turned out to be the same vice mayor ahjussi glaring at me.
Regaining consciousness, he stared directly at me before raising his hand skyward and shouting,
“The gods exist!”
Then, overcome with emotion, tears streamed down his face as he cried out louder,
“And they have gray skin!”
The expressions of the hazmat-clad employees from James Research Institute twisted awkwardly upon hearing this nonsense.
And then the staff proceeded to zap the babbling ahjussi with electricity, knocking him unconscious, before carrying him away.
Poor guy—he held such an important position as vice mayor, yet got swept away by spacetime madness…
Inside the Small Studio Apartment of the Security Room Employee injured during the Glass Flamingo incident.
Through the small window of the cozy apartment, soft light filtered in.
Fine mist particles emitted by the quiet humidifier danced gracefully under the gentle illumination, creating a fog-like effect.
Despite the limited space, the room was meticulously organized, spotless.
Not a speck of dust could be found anywhere—not on the bookshelf covering an entire wall, nor beneath heavy furniture.
On the compact yet sturdy bedside table sat a neatly sliced apple, perfectly bite-sized.
On the bed lay both the Security Room Employee and the Blue Reaper.
The Blue Reaper gently moved a chilled towel across the sleeping employee’s forehead.
“Mmm…”
Awakening, the employee opened their eyes to meet the Blue Reaper’s gaze.
Startled, the Blue Reaper vanished instantly, leaving the damp towel to flop onto the bed.
Picking up the fallen towel and placing it on the table, the employee glanced around—the room remained impeccably clean.
Since the Glass Flamingo incident, the Blue Reaper had been visiting nightly while the employee slept.
During these visits, the Blue Reaper would tidy up the room or sit quietly beside the bed watching over them.
It wasn’t exactly what the employee hoped for—they wanted to share pudding and play games together like with the Golden Reaper.
Instead, the Blue Reaper developed an even stronger tendency to vanish whenever awake.
The employee felt oddly frustrated watching the increasingly agile Blue Reaper disappear.
'Aren't we supposed to be closer now?'
'Why are you acting like this?!'
Gone was the Blue Reaper, leaving behind only a faint refreshing scent in the otherwise empty room.
Without the Gray Reaper or the usual rambunctious Yerin, the Isolation Room felt eerily silent.
After having an old dream last night, I decided to stop by the Isolation Room for a routine facility check.
Though not particularly distant in time, the dream felt ancient—as if recalling memories from long ago.
It was part of the experience meeting the Gray Reaper trapped in the Seoul Forest Cave.
However, the dream unfolded differently from reality.
In the dream, overwhelmed by joy after escaping, I returned to the research institute without noticing the Gray Reaper growing pale and brittle.
This led to another dream where I struggled to maintain the institute without the Gray Reaper.
Finally waking up to the nightmare of the crumbling Gray Reaper staring at me accusingly.
Could something be wrong?
Though unimaginable for the Gray Reaper to be hurt or endangered, the ominous dream left me slightly worried.
As if my concerns reached heaven, breaking news interrupted.
[Breaking news just in.]
[Reports indicate 'James City,' renowned for object research, has been partially destroyed.]
[Domestic institutes collaborating with 'James Pudding' may also be affected.]
Onscreen, helicopter footage showed a half-broken building.
Standing atop it, overlooking the ruined city, was none other than the Gray Reaper.
Reaper-ah, what exactly are you doing there?
Sehee Research Institute Sleeping Room.
Thanks to the well-designed Lounge, the usually quiet Sleeping Room buzzed today with activity.
The cause? A Strange Object sprouting from the edge of a flowerpot.
The pot contained fresh, cute dicotyledonous leaves swaying gently.
Aside from its indigo hue, it appeared lush and vibrant.
Of course, even if green, it was undoubtedly 100% an Object.
After all, there was a face beneath the sprout.
Identical to the Gray Reaper, a Mini Reaper peeked out with only its head visible, buried up to its neck in soil and sound asleep.
