Apartment of Yerin, who moved after the Association Doll incident near Sehee Research Institute.
Inside Yerin’s dimly lit and empty room located in that apartment, a presence was felt.
Yerin had gone to work at Sehee Research Institute, leaving her home unattended, and mini hungry ghosts were gathering in droves.
They were pitiful hungry ghosts with parts of their bodies burnt black.
The gathered mini hungry ghosts headed toward the room where the Lead Doll sat.
Upon arriving, the mini hungry ghosts sat on the floor in a fan shape, looking at the chair where the Lead Doll sat.
After waiting for a few minutes, the Lead Doll slowly opened its eyes, as if its eyelids weighed a thousand pounds.
And upon noticing the gathered hungry ghosts, the Lead Doll smiled gently and gave a small laugh.
“Kee-hee!”
The mini hungry ghosts leapt onto the Lead Doll’s knees upon seeing that smile, one by one, orderly.
The Lead Doll softly embraced the incoming hungry ghosts.
“Hehe.”
Sitting on the Lead Doll’s knees, the mini hungry ghosts enjoyed being petted, showing satisfied smiles.
It was a small moment of peace for the mini hungry ghosts, who were usually burned by the Red Reapers and torn apart by the Golden Reapers.
A warm moment for the mini hungry ghosts.
A happy rest that continued until the Lead Doll fell asleep again.
While the mini hungry ghosts enjoyed this fleeting happiness, a small golden head peeked through the tightly shut entrance door.
It was a Golden Reaper who had followed the ‘ke-hee’ laughing hungry ghosts heading somewhere.
“!!!”
Witnessing the hungry ghosts’ happy moment, the Golden Reaper froze in shock as if it had seen something that shouldn’t exist.
A kind mother.
A clothed mother.
A smiling mother who hugged.
A mother who didn’t torment hungry ghosts.
An impossible fantasy mother.
Central Seoul Forest, Steel Tower.
I lay in front of the Steel Tower, waiting for it to completely crumble.
Though sounds of breaking kept coming, no matter how long I waited, the Steel Tower wouldn’t fall.
“Continues breaking but nothing changes.”
Maybe because the Steel Tower is so large, it takes forever to collapse?
“I don’t know.”
Factoring in that the Steel Tower is an Object, it was still unusually massive.
As big as a skyscraper yet felt entirely different from one.
Skyscrapers have windows and entrances and various structures.
But the Steel Tower? A shiny, smooth, seamless metal monolith.
Rare would be the person who wonders how many people it’d take to hug a skyscraper.
But with a giant tree—or the Steel Tower—it’s common.
Lacking any structure, its size hit hard.
I walked up to it, spread my arms wide, and pressed against the Steel Tower.
“Roughly 100 Gray Reapers would need to gather to measure this circumference.”
Collapsing back onto the ground, I lay there.
As I rested, Golden Reapers tidying up Seoul Forest giggled and started clinging to me.
They climbed all over my body and gathered on my belly.
“Mommy’s tummy!”
“Soft!”
Bounce, bounce.
Using my soft belly like a trampoline, they began playing.
This wasn’t as bad before; lately, just lying down flat makes all nearby Golden Reapers rush over like I’m some irresistible ride!
Like a must-not-miss amusement park attraction!
Is my belly really that squishy?
Pinching it slightly, I wondered.
Watching them bounce around, I sensed a new ability awakening.
Timing-wise, it must be the Green Moon’s power.
Similar to the Green Moon’s overgrowth ability—but subtly different.
Watching the Golden Reaper bouncing on my belly, an idea popped into my head using the Green Moon’s power.
Hehe.
I grabbed one happily playing Golden Reaper.
“?”
To its confused expression, I blew firewood energy into it.
“You’re now a chubby Golden Reaper!”
But knowing full well my firewood won’t make it gain weight, the Golden Reaper just giggled.
Probably thinking, “Mom’s acting weird again?”
I mixed the Green Moon’s power into the firewood, flowing it into the Golden Reaper.
The famed Green Moon’s overgrowth ability!
“!!!”
First to notice the change were the Golden Reapers watching from my belly.
“It’s getting bigger!”
Through the Mini Reaper Growth Ability, the Golden Reaper, originally palm-sized, began growing larger.
Pathetic compared to the Green Moon’s global plant explosion, but enough to temporarily puff up a mini reaper twofold.
And that was enough to startle the Golden Reaper.
“!!!”
My captive Golden Reaper looked at its hands, antennae shooting up in surprise as it struggled to escape my grip.
“Eh-ho!”
“Now you’re a chubby Golden Reaper too!”
Hehe.
As I laughed, other Golden Reapers backed away fearfully.
“You turned into Yellow Sibling!”
Released, the Golden Reaper flopped onto the ground, staring at its slightly pudgy belly.
“…”
Soon, the open lot in front of the Steel Tower was filled with double-sized Golden Reapers sprawled everywhere—each a victim of what they called “Ddjiggi.”
Thanks to the Green Moon’s power working remotely, I successfully plumped up all the Golden Reapers.
Once the effect wore off, the Ddjiggi Golden Reapers lay dejectedly around.
Hehe.
Finally, a prank succeeded after so long.
Outskirts of Songpa District, Sehee Research Institute.
A woman arrived at Sehee Research Institute with a Green Reaper perched on her head.
Recently discharged from the hospital, she seemed quite excited.
The much-longed-for Sehee Research Institute!
Smiling faintly, she spoke to the Green Reaper atop her head.
“Are you excited too?”
“Ming!”
Upon their arrival in the courtyard, countless mini reapers rushed over.
“Sibling!”
“New sibling!”
Observing this, the woman fiddled with her camera, scanning the courtyard.
No gray reaper….
According to the James Research Institute report, the gray reaper often leaves its post.
I expected low chances of seeing it, but its absence made me feel a little deflated.
“Ming!!!”
The Green Reaper, munching pudding with the mini reapers, suddenly flew skyward, letting out a loud “ming” sound.
“?”
Confused mini reapers and humans alike.
But soon enough, grass sprouted wildly across the courtyard.
From within the grass, tiny creatures began appearing.
“!!!”
Mini rabbits the size of mini reapers, cute critters like mini googly-eyed frogs.
Creatures that had melted into dark green slime during the Green Moon’s rampage.
Even the cheerful Red Reapers had looked a bit sad burning that slime, such was their popularity.
“Tiny baby bird!”
“Tiny rabbit!”
The mini reapers greeted the returning mini animals with bright smiles.
Clomp-clomp.
With mini googly-eyed frogs perched on their heads or feeding mini hamsters seed-shaped jelly, the courtyard of Sehee Research Institute became lively.
“Sibling amazing!”
“Amazing!”
The Green Reaper had thus blended in with the mini reapers.
*
Near Sehee Research Institute, amidst lush foliage.
Despite significant restoration, Songpa District still had plenty of desolate, uninhabited spots.
In one such secluded area, hidden behind dense shrubbery, the Yellow Reaper had set up its own small hideout.
Away from the chaotic Mini Reaper Garden, a quiet personal space created by manipulating Black Reaper Doll Outfits.
Inside this sizable cave made of doll clothes, piles of various dolls were stacked high.
From simple teddy bears to humanoid dolls resembling different people, even white hungry ghost dolls and association dolls.
All kinds of dolls were there.
Then came the sound of small footsteps.
Shuffling steps dragging dirt.
Hearing this, the Yellow Reaper paused its doll-making, giving a slightly wrinkled smile.
The owner of those steps entered the cave with familiar motions and greeted the Yellow Reaper.
“Hi! I’m here!”
Seeing the cheerful Ashen Girl, the Yellow Reaper responded with joy, emitting a sound akin to “Huh-hee.”
“Aww! You’re laughing weird again!”
The Ashen Girl, clad in tattered clothing, puffed her cheeks in irritation at the laugh.
Then she massaged the Yellow Reaper’s cheeks, forcing it to smile properly.
“This way!”
“Hee-hee.”
The Ashen Girl grinned brightly while facing the now properly smiling Yellow Reaper.
