Chapter 86: Kkachisan - Aftermath (1) |
Seo-ah POV:
---
The pillar of light shining down on the burning giant skull grows brighter and brighter.
And towards that pillar of light, the red moon approaches closer and closer.
The red moon being swallowed into the pillar of light evoked the scene of causing a total lunar eclipse.
If the red moon fully enters the pillar of light, something might happen.
There was no basis, but I had a conviction for some reason.
The numerous people gathered around the skull, looking up at the sky, must also be thinking the same while gazing intently upwards.
The moment the red moon completely disappeared, obscured by the deep red pillar of light.
The dome dividing the desert and Seoul shattered and rained down in countless fragments.
From the transparent sky that never showed the sun or moon of Earth, the familiar moon was visible.
The transparent dome transformed into countless shimmering fragments raining down, glistening under the moonlight in a spectacular scene.
A refreshing breeze ruffling clothes.
Cold moonlight.
Crisp air.
The hot, dry, and stifling desert atmosphere completely vanished.
The pillar of light disappeared, and the burning skull scattered into dust.
The ominous red moon emitting sinister light was also gone.
It felt like the events in the desert until now were just a dream.
"It's over!"
"We finally survived!"
The people who had maintained silence amid the tension began to breathe out and indulge in freedom.
Finally.
It's finally over.
The Golden Reaper dancing on my palm hopped away to the spot where the skull had been.
Chasing after the Golden Reaper, pushing through the hazy dust, I arrived at the place.
Where the skull had been, the Golden Reapers had gathered and were merrily dancing together.
And in the center of the Golden Reapers.
Gray Reaper was lying sprawled out.
Its eyes were open, but its expression looked several times more tired than usual.
"Reaper!"
I ran over and hugged Reaper from behind.
Reaper didn't welcome me back, seeming too tired to even move, going completely limp.
But even looking bothered is part of Reaper's charm, so it's okay!
"Now, we can return to the Sehee Research Institute!"
Finally, the Kkachisan business trip is over.
Being my first trip, I was able to gain great lessons.
The two lessons from this trip are,
1. The Sehee Research Institute is the safest place.
2. For the next trip, I must absolutely bring Gray Reaper along.
***
3rd Person POV:
---
When the black agent opened his eyes, he saw the dark night sky and an ordinary moon.
No red moon.
In the far distance, familiar modern buildings were visible.
It seemed he had escaped from the red desert, but the red sand scattered on the ground denied that thought.
"Uncle, you're awake?"
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A blonde girl welcomed the black agent with a bright smile.
"Miss?"
The agent had trouble understanding this situation.
"I was definitely dead, so what's going on here?"
He was sure he had died from his abdomen being pierced!
The girl stared intently at the agent as she spoke.
"I revived you, Uncle. I don't really know why I could do such a thing. I just suddenly realized I could. I don't know why I'm alive or why I can do this."
The blonde girl's irises were stained red.
Like the red moon.
"Miss, your eyes?"
"Ah, this?"
The blonde girl looked at her reflection in a nearby lake as she spoke.
"When I woke up after dying, my eye color had changed? Well, changing eye color is better than dying."
Turning her head back, the girl stared piercingly at the agent and said,
"Come on, let's get moving. With the red moon gone, I'll turn to ash if exposed to sunlight."
"What? What does that even mean?"
"Come on! Get up quickly. Find a safe place before I turn to ash."
The blonde girl urged the black agent.
The agent seemed flustered by her urging, but soon began seriously considering a solution.
"Then, how about going to the Chairman's house?"
"No way. If Grandfather finds out I'm an Object, he'll probably isolate me at the Research Institute."
"The Chairman does have that tendency, but would he really do that to his own granddaughter?"
"Oh yes, he absolutely would. He might even dissect me himself."
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The girl giggled as if something was funny and walked across the sandy area.
"Well, I can't help it then. Let's go to the safe place I've prepared. We can stay there for a little while at least."
The black agent made up his mind and strode off.
The blonde girl stared intently at the agent and muttered softly,
"Uncle, we'll be together from now on."
The girl smiled faintly and slowly followed behind the black agent.
***
Reaper (MC) POV:
---
A cheerful singing voice rang out from the isolation room.
Three maniacs were shaking me around like a puppet doll.
Seo-hee, Yerin, and the new maniac Seo-ah.
The three dancing maniacs and the Golden Reapers merrily joining their dance for some reason.
On the TV, my dancing was playing on an endless loop.
No.
Why.
Why was that recorded?
I thought the center of the desert wasn't visible because of the dome created by the red moon!
Red moon! You didn't do your job properly?
The video showed my awkward movements as I flailed my arms and legs in an attempt to dance.
It's a video of me failing to dance, yet they found it so amusing that every news channel had to play it at least once.
Watching that video made my arms and legs cringe, so I haven't been able to watch the news lately.
They say it's a hugely popular video these days, and the Sehee Research Institute even started selling merchandise.
Normally, the Association would have banned the sale of Gray Reaper goods, but the popularity was so high they couldn't bring themselves to prohibit it this time.
I thought the interest and popularity would die down after a few days, but the attention shows no signs of waning.
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The 'Director', 'Deputy Director', and 'Researcher' of the Research Institute are grabbing my arms and legs and manipulating me like a puppet doll in sync with the dancing video.
The future of the Research Institute looks bleak.
While the flame in me was piling up alarmingly, I didn't want to gather flame like this.
In the seemingly endless dance time, I stopped thinking.
I need to escape to the Golden Reaper Garden!
***
The sweet and comfortable atmosphere of the Golden Reaper Garden.
Visiting the Golden Reaper Garden after a long time, it had changed quite a bit from before.
The most noticeable thing was the red skull-shaped cushions arranged in the garden.
They were large cushions in the shape of the giant burning skull head I had fought in the red desert.
The Golden Reapers were merrily dancing on top of those large cushions.
It seemed the Golden Reapers had defeated the red skull and added this structure, though it didn't seem very practical. But if the Golden Reapers liked it, that's fine.
Apart from that, the scale of the garden had greatly expanded.
It seemed the garden grew more abundant in proportion to the number of Objects the Golden Reapers defeated.
There were more varieties of snacks, more open space, and more places to rest.
The field of beds had grown so wide that the end was difficult to see, and the cocoa river flowing between them had significantly increased its flow rate.
Floating on the river were snacks that the Golden Reapers and I loved - puddings, marshmallows, and pastries!
And many unidentified structures had also emerged.
Like the large skull-shaped cushions mentioned earlier, structures derived from the defeated Objects.
The Object made of rotating red cubic rocks had its material changed from rock to marshmallow, delighting the Golden Reapers.
Additionally, there were chocolate soldiers being devoured by the Golden Reapers, indicating that quite a few Objects I hadn't seen were defeated.
I lay on a bed, eating a crispy pastry while watching the dancing Golden Reapers.
Perhaps from dancing for too long, the Golden Reapers' dancing skills had become exceptional.
The original me can't dance, so it's strange that the copies dance better, isn't it?
***
??? POV:
---
A modern-day fortress surrounded by high walls with numerous guards on patrol.
The residence of the Association Chairman, Oh Mu-ryong.
Currently, a heavy sorrow and silence hung over the residence.
"I'm sorry, sir. We couldn't find her."
"..."
Oh Mu-ryong remained silent, gazing at the pond.
"Judging by the destroyed decoy doll provided by the Chinese and the traces of blood found, it seems unlikely that the young lady survived..."
As Oh Mu-ryong turned to him wordlessly, the man continued his explanation.
"The traces left at the Red Desert altar have been identified as the young lady's blood. Based on the amount and spread of the blood, it appears she was pierced through the heart while still alive."
“I see.”
Oh Mu-ryong spoke in a hoarse voice.
"So, you couldn't even find her body?"
The middle-aged man reporting knelt down on the floor and said,
"Yes, that's correct. We thoroughly searched the interior of the desert but couldn't find it."
"I see. Well, if that's the case, there's nothing we can do. You're dismissed."
It was a rather dry reaction, unlike how he usually doted on his granddaughter.
However, the man didn't seem to find it strange, simply responding with an embarrassed "Yes," before backing out of the room.
With the people who came to report now gone, the garden fell silent.
After gazing at the pond for a while, Oh Mu-ryong muttered softly to himself,
"It had been used for a long time. Things are bound to break down after prolonged use."
Murmuring to himself, Oh Mu-ryong slowly walked back into the residence.