In the early dawn, under the blue light filtering through the window, Yerin prepared for work at Sehee Research Institute.
“What should I bring today?”
A smile touched her lips. Like a child heading to an amusement park, she excitedly chose toys to play with Gray Reaper.
Through the open window, left ajar for ventilation, the sounds of the waking city drifted in.
The sharp click-clack of commuters’ hurried footsteps, the soft hum of car engines passing by.
Yet, the distinct quiet and cool air of early morning still lingered.
From the building’s main entrance, a low voice murmured, “Have a safe day.” The sound cut through the other morning noises, reaching Yerin’s ears most clearly.
It belonged to the manager-type Association Doll stationed by the building owner to handle various chores.
Dressed in an angular blue uniform, moving with disciplined precision, the doll’s nutcracker-like mouth seemed designed to emphasize its non-human nature—a stark contrast to the typical household dolls built for emotional connection.
“They’re getting more numerous. Association Dolls.” Yerin muttered softly, unable to hide a sense of unease.
Was it because the mini Reapers disliked them, or was there another reason? Yerin found the dolls deeply unsettling.
The feeling intensified with the expensive models, the ones most closely resembling humans. It wasn’t the fear that they’d attack like other Objects.
It was something more… insidious.
Just thinking about them made her stomach churn slightly.
Lost in thought, Yerin was jolted back to reality by a golden face popping out from the entryway.
The Golden Reaper, here to escort her, beamed. It was the Golden Reaper escort service Gray Reaper provided for all researchers, perhaps because of the Association Dolls.
Following the Golden Reaper marching bravely ahead, Yerin stepped out the door, turning back to say goodbye.
Inside, near the entrance, sat the lead doll and a white Hungry Ghost.
The Hungry Ghost was provided for night security, replacing the Golden Reapers who fell asleep promptly at 10 PM.
The white Hungry Ghost rested on the lap of the lead doll, which sat demurely on a chair as if asleep.
Seeing them, Yerin stepped out into the blue dawn.
Mini Reaper Garden, Marshmallow Plains.
White Hungry Ghosts, granted special amnesty due to the Association Doll situation, played exuberantly.
They were pardoned to substitute for the Golden Reapers, who easily fell asleep unless near me.
The white Hungry Ghosts were numerous, small, and possessed considerable combat power, making them excellent bodyguards.
Of course, they couldn’t compare to Golden Reapers, but the Golden Reapers, being children of a new nation, would nod off and fall asleep by 10 PM, making them unsuitable for late-night guarding.
Well, any lack in combat power could be solved by telling them to call me, just like the mini Reapers.
Thus, the White Hungry Ghost Emergency Security Bell!
Honestly, it would be easier to unleash a horde of mini Reapers onto Seoul and smash all the Association Dolls, but I held back due to some ambiguity.
The thing is, they didn’t seem particularly harmful to me.
Even though the mini Reapers intensely disliked them, they didn’t emit the harmful scent descending from the Color Universe.
Still, since the mini Reapers hated them so much, I assigned guard Hungry Ghosts to the Sehee Research Institute personnel.
And I was also holding off on doll destruction because there was an event I was looking forward to.
I held the flyer I had read countless times and looked down at it.
An Object Expo!Of course, it was an expo focusing only on ‘Dolls’ among Objects, but still, I was excited.Will there really be no incidents this time?!I held a small hope.I wished for a future where fun Object Expos would be held regularly in Seoul, starting with this one.Even if the dolls turned out to be truly harmful and needed smashing, it should be done after the event.Hehe.I reread the flyer introducing various dolls, then carefully folded it and stuffed it into the mouth of a nearby Hungry Ghost.Looking around, numerous white Hungry Ghosts loitered near me.Could it be because they received amnesty?Or because I hadn’t tormented them since the ?Observing the white Hungry Ghosts closely, they seemed divided into two groups.One group was busily searching for something, while the other lingered around me.Kyuhihi.Seeing the white Hungry Ghosts smiling slyly while thinking about something, I could deduce the reason.These guys are waiting for the Orange Reaper.They seemed to be searching for the Orange Reaper, anticipating the fate of the primary traitor.But unfortunately for the white Hungry Ghosts, the Orange Reaper had already been pardoned through a plea bargain with me long ago.Hehe.Turning my head towards the courtyard, I saw the large golden statue.A statue made from the Golden Horns the Orange Reapers had stolen from the Free City Alliance.It was a statue of a Triceratops, my second favorite after the Tyrannosaurus.I also liked the fact that they specifically chose a Triceratops, as if the Tyrannosaurus was territory only I should create.Gazing at the golden statue, I smiled proudly. *** Seoul, Songpa-gu vicinity, James Tower.The place bustled with a constant influx of food, materials, fuel, and more.But amidst the busyness, there was no trace of human presence.Where humans should have been, something eerie occupied the space instead.Association Dolls.James had tried to refuse the dolls entry onto the site, but now, all construction sites and difficult tasks were handled by dolls, leaving him no choice.Still, James strictly forbade any dolls from entering the tower itself.Therefore, moving the supplies piled up in the James Tower parking lot into the tower was done by James and the staff who followed him from America.It couldn’t be helped.“Hmm.”James watched the CCTV feed, letting out a low sound.On the screen, a doll slowly walked, stopped at a firmly closed door, grabbed the handle, and turned it.It looked as if it were searching for a way into the tower.A chill ran down James’s spine.The problem was that there wasn’t just one or two dolls .Different dolls were checking different entrances, exactly once each.As if something was coordinating and controlling all the dolls.If this action was orchestrated by the ‘Korean Object Association’, it would be somewhat fortunate.It could be dismissed as rather clumsy industrial espionage.But what if this was unrelated to the Association?Seoul would face unimaginable danger.James tore his eyes away from the monitor and looked out the window.There, dolls moved in perfect rows and columns, transporting cargo.Perhaps because he had noticed something suspicious on the CCTV feed?Their seemingly lifeless eyes seemed to hold an eerie glint, as if trying to see through something.For what purpose, and by whom, were they being moved? *** Clank clank.A doll in a blue uniform slowly walked down the empty corridor of the building Yerin had left.As if patrolling, the doll paced the deserted corridor, but strangely, it would pause each time it passed Yerin’s front door.Creeaak.Emitting a sound like poorly oiled machinery, the blue doll turned its head and stared at Yerin’s front door for a long time.Eventually, it began walking again with clanking sounds.The white Hungry Ghost, sitting on the lead doll’s lap, listened intently to the sound.Even to the white Hungry Ghost, the behavior of those dolls seemed suspicious.As the doll’s footsteps faded, the white Hungry Ghost let out a sigh of relief.At that moment, the darkness enveloping the white Hungry Ghost suddenly lifted, and a golden light poured down, warmly enveloping its entire body.Feeling a somewhat familiar warmth, the Hungry Ghost turned its head towards the light.!Lifting its head to face the light, the Hungry Ghost startled and struggled.Drawn by curiosity, the Hungry Ghost looked up, and its eyes met the narrowly opened eyes of the lead doll looking down at it.Deep, warm, yet somehow sleepy-looking eyes of the lead doll.Meeting the gaze sent by a being that should never move, the white Hungry Ghost was thoroughly terrified.
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Of course, it was an expo focusing only on ‘Dolls’ among Objects, but still, I was excited.
Will there really be no incidents this time?!
I wished for a future where fun Object Expos would be held regularly in Seoul, starting with this one.
Even if the dolls turned out to be truly harmful and needed smashing, it should be done after the event.
I reread the flyer introducing various dolls, then carefully folded it and stuffed it into the mouth of a nearby Hungry Ghost.
Looking around, numerous white Hungry Ghosts loitered near me.
Could it be because they received amnesty?
Or because I hadn’t tormented them since the ?
Observing the white Hungry Ghosts closely, they seemed divided into two groups.
One group was busily searching for something, while the other lingered around me.
Seeing the white Hungry Ghosts smiling slyly while thinking about something, I could deduce the reason.
These guys are waiting for the Orange Reaper.
They seemed to be searching for the Orange Reaper, anticipating the fate of the primary traitor.
But unfortunately for the white Hungry Ghosts, the Orange Reaper had already been pardoned through a plea bargain with me long ago.
Turning my head towards the courtyard, I saw the large golden statue.
A statue made from the Golden Horns the Orange Reapers had stolen from the Free City Alliance.
It was a statue of a Triceratops, my second favorite after the Tyrannosaurus.
I also liked the fact that they specifically chose a Triceratops, as if the Tyrannosaurus was territory only I should create.
Gazing at the golden statue, I smiled proudly.
Seoul, Songpa-gu vicinity, James Tower.
The place bustled with a constant influx of food, materials, fuel, and more.
But amidst the busyness, there was no trace of human presence.
Where humans should have been, something eerie occupied the space instead.
James had tried to refuse the dolls entry onto the site, but now, all construction sites and difficult tasks were handled by dolls, leaving him no choice.
Still, James strictly forbade any dolls from entering the tower itself.
Therefore, moving the supplies piled up in the James Tower parking lot into the tower was done by James and the staff who followed him from America.
It couldn’t be helped.
James watched the CCTV feed, letting out a low sound.
On the screen, a doll slowly walked, stopped at a firmly closed door, grabbed the handle, and turned it.
It looked as if it were searching for a way into the tower.
A chill ran down James’s spine.
The problem was that there wasn’t just one or two dolls .
Different dolls were checking different entrances, exactly once each.
As if something was coordinating and controlling all the dolls.
If this action was orchestrated by the ‘Korean Object Association’, it would be somewhat fortunate.
It could be dismissed as rather clumsy industrial espionage.
But what if this was unrelated to the Association?
Seoul would face unimaginable danger.
James tore his eyes away from the monitor and looked out the window.
There, dolls moved in perfect rows and columns, transporting cargo.
Perhaps because he had noticed something suspicious on the CCTV feed?
Their seemingly lifeless eyes seemed to hold an eerie glint, as if trying to see through something.
For what purpose, and by whom, were they being moved?
A doll in a blue uniform slowly walked down the empty corridor of the building Yerin had left.
As if patrolling, the doll paced the deserted corridor, but strangely, it would pause each time it passed Yerin’s front door.
Emitting a sound like poorly oiled machinery, the blue doll turned its head and stared at Yerin’s front door for a long time.
Eventually, it began walking again with clanking sounds.
The white Hungry Ghost, sitting on the lead doll’s lap, listened intently to the sound.
Even to the white Hungry Ghost, the behavior of those dolls seemed suspicious.
As the doll’s footsteps faded, the white Hungry Ghost let out a sigh of relief.
At that moment, the darkness enveloping the white Hungry Ghost suddenly lifted, and a golden light poured down, warmly enveloping its entire body.
Feeling a somewhat familiar warmth, the Hungry Ghost turned its head towards the light.
Lifting its head to face the light, the Hungry Ghost startled and struggled.
Drawn by curiosity, the Hungry Ghost looked up, and its eyes met the narrowly opened eyes of the lead doll looking down at it.
Deep, warm, yet somehow sleepy-looking eyes of the lead doll.
Meeting the gaze sent by a being that should never move, the white Hungry Ghost was thoroughly terrified.
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