Chapter 138: James City (6)

In a residential area that had narrowly avoided sinking into one of the gaping holes in Songpa-gu, a house stood out. Its walls, recently painted in calming colors, drew the eye. The large windows revealed a spacious living room filled with neatly arranged moving boxes, patiently waiting to be unpacked.

This was the home of two sisters who had just relocated from Seoul Forest.

The sisters rested side by side in the expansive living room of their new, affordable house—a price secured by the home’s unsettling proximity to the sinkhole. The elder sister, her skin inked with tattoos, sat upright on a slightly worn but soft sofa. Her gaze was blankly fixed on the TV screen, the flickering light casting soft shadows around the room.

The woman couldn’t help but be amazed every time she saw this so-called TV. The idea that something like this could exist without alchemy or a magic book was beyond her comprehension.

But enjoyment? That was another matter entirely. The TV flashed with endless news, scenes shifting rapidly, accompanied by the urgent voices of reporters. Yet, it was unclear if she derived any pleasure from this onslaught of information.

She watched more out of obligation than interest. Her younger sister had dragged her out of her room, insisting she watch the news with her.

But instead of focusing on the flashing screen, the younger sister lay on the sofa, her head resting lightly on her older sister’s lap, her body stretched out lazily.

“You were so eager to watch TV when we were in Seoul Forest. Why aren’t you paying attention now?”

The elder sister’s voice was light, tinged with mild curiosity as she observed the one who had coaxed her into watching the news, only to ignore it herself.

“I’m just resting.”

The younger sister giggled, seemingly pleased with herself, her eyes twinkling as she looked up at her elder sister’s face.

Feeling slightly burdened by that gaze, the elder sister gently covered her younger sister’s eyes with her palm.

[ It has been confirmed that the Director of the 3rd Division of the Trinity Research Institute has been found dead! ]

“!”

The sudden news was beyond belief.

That man is dead?

“The Director of the 3rd Division of the Trinity Research Institute is dead? Who killed him? No Object could kill him!”

“You didn’t know? It’s been on the news a lot. They say the Gray Reaper killed him.”

The Gray Reaper?

There’s no way an Object could overcome the black liquid...

The woman quickly arrived at two possible conclusions. Either this Gray Reaper was something truly extraordinary, or the news was a lie. But knowing that arrogant man, he wouldn’t have faked his own death. He must truly be gone.

She had never imagined that the man, the primary architect of the world’s downfall, would meet such a meaningless end. Even now, when she closed her eyes, the acrid stench of the black liquid that had tainted the world seemed to fill her nostrils...

“Are you okay, Unnie?”

The younger sister’s voice broke through, tinged with concern as she noticed her sister’s vacant expression.

*********Crossing the crack in the barrier, I was met with a sight so bizarre that it made me forget all about my revenge on Yerin for a moment. Hmm, how should I describe it? It was like all the worlds were dancing just for me!

Wherever I looked, the chaos swirled and shifted, almost as if the creator was tweaking things just for little ol’ me. Everything was so foggy and undefined at first, but as soon as my gaze touched it, it became all clear and solid.

The misty fog retreated, pushed away to the edges of my vision, and the world, once a mess of chaos, started to piece itself together. But—oh dear—it didn’t look quite right.

The earth and sky seemed like they’d been mixed together in a blender and then stitched up in a hurry. Stable? Not at all! It was a patchwork world teetering on the edge of falling apart.

After gawking at the strange landscape for a while, I finally decided to move. My eyes caught sight of a tree, faint and distant, and I started toward it, one tiny step at a time.

“!”

What followed, however, stunned the deputy mayor.

Despite its skin tearing and limbs being blown away, the Gray Reaper pressed on, gritting its teeth against the agony.

Could it really be risking everything to save James City?

The deputy mayor, who had dedicated his life to understanding Objects, had never witnessed such selflessness from one of them. Each painful step the Gray Reaper took stirred something deep within him.

He had seen too much, and endured too many tragedies caused by Objects. To him, their nature was evil—monsters that deceived, destroyed, and dragged humanity into the abyss.

But as he watched the Gray Reaper struggle forward, that conviction began to waver.

Was it possible that this creature was more than a monster? Could it be... altruistic, like an angel?

The thought took root in his mind, only growing stronger with every wound the Gray Reaper suffered.

When its ankle was severed, sending it crashing to the ground, his heart broke.

And when a gaping hole opened in its body, golden flames pouring out, the deputy mayor’s sorrow became overwhelming. Tears streamed down his face, unbidden.

Before he knew it, the deputy mayor found himself cheering for the Gray Reaper, hoping—against all logic—that it might prevail.

*********After trudging through that bloody, painful path of penance, I finally stood before the tree. The space around me, which had torn me apart so many times, had calmed down, and in its place was this sweet, fruity scent.

It was so unique, but at the same time, it felt like something I had smelled before—like a forgotten memory.

Finally, it was over.

I placed my hand on the tree, and it trembled like a little puppy under my touch.

[ You’ve worked hard. You can rest now. ]

I poured all my will into those words.

And then, I saw something I’d never seen before.

There was this vast, dark night sky above me, and the air was filled with that sweet, fruity scent again. But it didn’t last long—soon, the smell of petroleum from the black liquid in the distance started to overwhelm it.

In the middle of this orchard under the blue moon, there was a mysterious girl with blue hair. And nearby was a fruit tree, taller and larger than the others, reaching up as if it could touch the stars.

The girl gently placed her hand on the tree and spoke in a soft, melancholic voice, “I’m sorry. Please try a little harder.”

Then she turned around and met my eyes. She looked surprised at first but then smiled like she understood something. That smile was so gentle, it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

But then, everything began to fall apart. The sky, the earth, the floating fragments of space—they all shattered like broken glass. The whole world was filled with these tiny pieces of light, swirling around like snowflakes in a blizzard. It was so bright, so white, it felt like everything else had just... faded away.

And then, as the light slowly dimmed, the familiar outlines and colors started coming back. The world around me came into focus again.

The twisted landscape was gone, replaced by a familiar night sky, but something was different. There was the usual large moon, but also a red moon, a blue moon, and a deep blue moon, all shining down together, casting a soft, strange light over everything.

Under this moonlight, the ground was littered with debris—like someone had carelessly cut and pasted pieces of different worlds together with a sharp blade.

There were fragments of buildings I’d never seen before, and strange, unknown items scattered among them, all sharply cut and tattered.

And around this land of debris, James City’s barrier formed a round horizon, holding everything within.