Chapter 129: Black Rust (6)

‘RS’, the city where I lived, was a joyful place.

Every time I walked the streets, the city buzzed with vitality and hope.

No matter where I looked, life seemed to flourish. People of all ages and backgrounds filled the streets, their presence enhancing the city’s energy.

In this hopeful and lively city, the newly constructed buildings appeared to symbolize its ongoing development.

Children played freely in the well-maintained park, their laughter echoing against the backdrop of lush greenery.

Such a vibrant and dynamic city might sound unbelievable to someone who only heard about it and didn’t see it for themselves.

After all, in this day and age, a city where Object-related accidents rarely occur is indeed a rarity.

However, perhaps as a price to pay, our city also saw its share of psychopaths who committed heinous acts and drew ominous red circles. Safety-related accidents, like gas explosions, were also not uncommon.

Still, it was far better than the desert Object that massacred people or the lake Object that kidnapped them in Seoul. Unlike Objects, psychopaths and safety accidents were threats that could be managed.

The city’s residents worked together to create a safer environment by forming a community to prevent accidents and report any suspicious behavior.

Although the community’s efforts had yet to show results, there was still hope.

Then, out of nowhere, the city full of hope seemed to become the setting of a disaster movie. Roads that once seemed sturdy suddenly collapsed, and many people’s neighbors turned into Objects that devoured people.

“Oh, I’m dying.”

While fleeing from an attacking Object, a building collapsed toward me, and I lost consciousness.

When I came to, I was buried in rubble. My mouth was dry, and my lower body, trapped under the debris, ached. Surviving this was nothing short of a miracle.

But it seemed like there was no way forward from here. I could still hear screams and the sound of crumbling concrete, signaling that chaos and destruction still reigned in the city.

I might die from dehydration or be killed by a murderous Object. As I lay there, waiting for my final moments, something strange caught my eye.

A golden Object resembling a small Gray Reaper leaped around the rubble, gesturing energetically.

Following its lead, an Object with an indignant expression that looked like a plushie stumbled over and devoured the debris. Miniature Golden Reapers carried rubble on their tiny backs and feet.

Were they conducting a rescue operation?

It was fascinating to see Objects trying to save people.

Still, I didn’t think I would survive.

Exposure to the hot sun during my unconsciousness left me with a severe fever, and I felt parched and dizzy.

Suddenly, something emerged from the shadows of the rubble.

It was an Object in the shape of a girl made of clear, water-like substance, reaching out to those buried and conjuring water out of thin air.

The blue child spotted me and slowly approached. When it saw my eyes open, it flinched in surprise and hid behind the rubble.

Moments later, it peeked out through a gap and looked at me with a serious expression.

Is my condition that dire?

The blue child then pulled its hat down tightly, as if to avoid looking forward, and approached me slowly.

It gently shut my eyelids and enveloped my body in a refreshing, water-like energy, which brought me great relief.

When I peeked with my eyes still closed, I saw the blue child writing unknown symbols in the air.

< Scars get healed! Please! >

< Don’t lose to the sunlight! Please! >

After writing its message(?) in the air and giggling like a mischievous child, our eyes met. Its face showed such surprise that it quickly dissipated like mist and vanished.

So, there are fairy-like Objects that helped people, too?

I finally felt a glimmer of hope for survival.

At the same time, I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of the cute appearance of the blue child.

*******Strangely enough, as soon as the chase began, the whole city seemed to just fall apart.

Clap-!

With another clap from the Gray Reaper, the earth gave way beneath us.

A sinkhole opened up, swallowing only me and the Gray Reaper. It was meant to be a trap for my enemies, yet the Gray Reaper stood unfazed.

The lamp’s red flames blazed relentlessly, but the Gray Reaper's advance was unimpeded.

Clap-!

The Gray Reaper drew closer, its movements as methodical as its expression was indifferent.

Clap-!

It approached with an almost leisurely pace, clapping its hands with a chilling detachment. At that moment, the lamp’s light extinguished, as if snuffed out by a gale.

“W-what!”

The lamp is broken?

A wave of familiar madness washed over me.

My vision bled into red, a sign of impending doom.

This had to be because I hadn’t drawn a red circle.

No!

Why didn’t I draw the red circle?

No!!

The paint—it’s inside me!

No!!!

*******The lamp wielded by that man had a funny way of reminding me of my own abilities.

Well, it wasn’t exactly my power that let me see how an Object was about to meet its end; it was my knack for twisting probabilities to make things go pop.

And oh boy, interfering with that lamp’s power? A piece of cake! All it took was a single clap from me.

As I pranced over to the man, making the lamp’s flames flicker and die, I could see him starting to go a little wobbly.

Instead of getting scared or something, he began acting like Junior Number 2—digging out his own organs and squishing them around, trying to draw red circles on the ground.

But that wasn’t even the weirdest part.

The more circles he drew, the more he started looking like an Object himself. Blood gushed from his belly, and the red circles on the floor greedily sucked up the crimson flood.

Then, without any warning, the clear sky turned a deep, alarming red, and blood started raining down like it was auditioning for a horror movie.

The man, now as dry and frail as a mummy, got up and wobbled around, staring at me with those empty eye sockets. It was like the lamp’s light was still shining from within him.

Suddenly, the world around me was drenched in blood.

It bubbled and fizzed like it was boiling, and out of it came all these blood-drenched Reapers that looked just like me but all twisted and wonky.

Their mouths opened, and a creepy, metallic scraping sound filled the air.

< mortals="" struck="" down="" the="" divine="" one.="" yet,="" in="" their="" time="" of="" need,="" they="" yearned="" for="" its="" return.="">

< Though the Divine One raged with fury, it shielded the wayward mortals. >

The strange language felt oddly familiar, like déjà vu with a side of the weird. Even though it was my first time hearing it, something about the story rang a bell.

< mortals="" struck="" down="" the="" divine="" one.="" yet,="" in="" their="" time="" of="" need,="" they="" yearned="" for="" its="" return.="">

< Though the Divine One raged with fury, it shielded the wayward mortals. >

The distorted Reapers kept blabbering on, repeating the same eerie message over and over like a broken record.