Chapter 141: James City: Epilogue (3)

In the candy house perched above the chocolate sea within the Garden of the Mini Reaper Garden...

Crack-! Crack-!

The air was split by the sound of something crumbling.

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Startled by the noise, the Blue Reapers swiftly cast their search magic. Their efforts, however, only deepened their despair.

A ‘Gray Reaper Shark,’ with nothing but its antennae visible above the bubbling sea of hot chocolate, was ravenously attacking the candy house.

The Gray Reaper’s eyes, burning with a vengeful fire, glinted with unrelenting determination.

Splash-! Splash-!

In an instant, a gaping hole appeared in the floor of the candy house, through which piercing yellow eyes emerged from the dark, hot chocolate sea, locking onto their target.

The gaze soon fixed on a Blue Reaper who had swung its marshmallow hammer.

As if to announce, Found you!

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A gray hand surged out from the sea of hot chocolate, reaching toward the Blue Reaper who was sobbing in terror.

The slowly advancing hand sent shivers through the Blue Reapers, who trembled in unison.

The hand seemed to relish their fear as it seized the Blue Reaper it had singled out.

The Blue Reaper, engulfed in dread, pulled its hat down into the hand, trying to shield itself from the horror that was about to unfold.

At that moment, the Blue Reaper heard its Creator’s chilling message.

Should I put you in the washing machine like the Golden Reapers?

The Blue Reaper’s tears flowed freely at the thought. The prospect of being subjected to such a fate promised not only severe pain but possibly death, slow and agonizing. Ȓ

The Gray Reaper chuckled at the sight of the Blue Reaper’s escalating fear and conveyed its will once more.

If I put you in the washing machine, you’d be seriously injured, and that wouldn’t be fair, right?

Hearing this, the Blue Reaper felt a glimmer of relief and thought, Mom is so kind.

Hmm, then... Yes! Yes! I will confiscate your hat for an hour!

Seeing the Blue Reaper’s brief moment of relief, the Gray Reaper grinned wickedly, snatched the hat, and fled to America.

The Blue Reaper, feeling the absence of its comforting hat, reached up with a trembling hand. The hat, its source of solace, was gone!

Stripped of its beloved hat and unable to move properly, the Blue Reaper sank into despair over the hour-long confiscation.

As the other Blue Reapers gathered around the hatless one, their faces etched with concern, they did little to alleviate its profound emptiness and anxiety.

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The Blue Reaper couldn’t help but shed tears as it desperately searched for its mother.

*********While decked out in his exclusive, high-end protective suit, James strutted through the barrier like he owned the place.

Naturally, the first order of business was to tidy up the mess of relics strewn about.

What a haul of artifacts... Quite a few of them look eerily similar to Relic Number 0.

He thought this as he hefted a thick book, its edges expertly sliced.

There, all better now, right?

The Golden Reaper fluttered down from my shoulder and peered at the Bud Reaper in its flowerpot with a curious gaze. Maybe because the Bud Reaper looked so pitiful, the Golden Reaper nudged the star candy towards its mouth.

Lick-! Lick-!

The Bud Reaper’s tiny tongue flicked out and began to taste the star candy, little by little.

I snapped a photo with my phone. Just for data purposes, of course.

The title was—

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I couldn’t help but smile faintly at the adorable picture of the Bud Reaper with its little tongue out, looking as cute as ever.

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After I returned the hat, the Blue Reaper perked up like a flower in spring.

I had actually planned to “accidentally” extend the hat’s confiscation by a whole extra day. But, oh dear, the Blue Reaper’s desperate little cries melted my heart. I ended up giving it back before the hour was even up.

It turns out, it’s a bit tough to prank someone when they’re already feeling weak.

But hey, fairness is important.

I glanced down at the Blue Reaper, all cozy and beaming up at me from the palm of my hand. Then my eyes wandered to the state of the hotel room—ugh, it was almost as messy as my containment room!

Yerin had kicked off her blanket and was snuggled up with the Golden Reapers. Some of the Golden Reapers were sprawled across the floor, fast asleep, while the mini Hungry Ghost sat on the table, gazing up at me with its big, curious eyes.

I pressed the mini Hungry Ghost’s belly, and it let out a cheerful ‘Gyuuu’ sound.

As I peered out the window, which was brightening with the morning light, a mischievous idea popped into my head.

Since my last prank didn’t quite hit the mark, why not try another?

I looked back at the white Hungry Ghost and let out a giggle.

Then I turned to the Blue Reaper, still looking all cheerful and content.

Hey, could you make this place look like a party’s about to start?

*********When I woke up, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The hotel room had been transformed into a watery wonderland, with decorations and trees all made of shimmering water.

It was like a party thrown by mermaids or something!

In the middle of this watery extravaganza, the Reaper was perched on the table, clutching a fork and knife in each hand.

The table was set with an array of utensils, and a big bowl sat in front of both the Reaper and me. The bowl’s lid occasionally rattled, making me wonder what surprise awaited underneath.

I couldn’t help but think, Please don’t let it be a Golden Reaper. Please!

The Reaper had a reputation for playful pranks, so I braced myself and lifted the lid. To my surprise, there was the White Hungry Ghost inside, looking at me with the saddest little eyes.

It did have a knack for playing pranks on the White Hungry Ghost and the Cute Puppy. Was this some sort of twisted joke?

Despite the Reaper’s blank expression, it looked oddly pleased with itself.

“Gyuuuuu...”

The Hungry Ghost whimpered as the Reaper’s fork and knife hovered menacingly. It was a mix of pitiful and, well, kind of hilarious.