Seoul Object Story

The Golden Reapers were all smiles, their hands waving in the air as our carts zoomed along the rails. They looked as happy as when they’re spinning ‘round in the washing machine! Well, if we just looked at the speed and how fast we were twirling, this ride and a washing machine were kind of similar, teehee.

At first, the air was tense, like they were seriously racing each other. But now, it felt like we were at an amusement park! It was like a super-fast carousel that just went ‘round and ‘round and ‘round in one place at crazy speeds.

Whoever made this rail thingy was definitely a little bonkers.

It was a wild ride that would just jump off the rails all by itself, even though we were just sitting there doing nothing!

From one rail to another, we went deeper and deeper underground and ended up on a tiny, round rail. On the round rails, that looked like yummy donuts, me and the Mini Reapers just kept spinning and spinning. It was like being in a big, whirly spinny thing!

After spinning for a while, I started to get an idea of the structure of the rail maze.

This silly vehicle wasn’t a gentle, slow thing like a cable car, but a super-duper fun way to travel that jumped from rail to rail! Looking up, I saw tons of rails all tangled up like spiderwebs. And since most of them ended in round circles, I think I figured it out.

To get where I wanted to go, I had no choice but to make my cart jump!

Looking around, the Mini Reapers seemed to have totally forgotten about the race and were just having fun. I braced myself by looking at the end of the rail that dipped down, as if it was saying, “Jump here!”

Maybe I could win this time?

While the Mini Reapers were distracted, I jumped onto the rail that went up, up, up! I told the Mini Reapers what I was gonna do while my cart was zooming upwards.

I’m number one!

When I looked back, the surprised mini-reapers were scrambling to find the buttons on their carts to chase me.

Hehehe, it took them a while to find the buttons, but it was too late now!

Hihihihihihihi!

I’m gonna win this time!

I zoomed up the rail and raced towards my destination in the distance.

*********The tattooed woman raised the potion vial, its pale glow cutting a feeble arc into the menacing shadows.

The light landed on a face, stark white and gleaming in the darkness.

The illuminated figure turned its head towards the woman and began a slow approach.

Thud-! Thud-!

Heavy footsteps echoed, and a long, distorted silhouette emerged from the gloom. Like a leviathan rising from the abyssal depths, the blurry shape gradually sharpened into horrifying clarity.

Long, slender fingers encased in black gloves.

Thin, stick-like limbs.

And a perfectly round head, disproportionately large for its spindly frame.

Despite its emaciated appearance, the guardian was clad in a meticulously tailored black uniform. Its rigid posture and tightly closed mouth reminded the woman of a severely disciplined butler.

Bow.

The thing greeted the alchemist sisters with slow, but precise movements.

The woman frowned.

By all appearances, the guardian seemed to be functioning correctly. Its movements were formal and respectful.

But she’d definitely seen teeth in the darkness. Hadn’t she?

It was disconcerting.

However, her doubts were swiftly overshadowed by the Hungry Ghost butler’s flamboyant action.

The Hungry Ghost butler extended a hand inward with a polite, sweeping gesture.

Then, as if guiding them, blue flames sprang to life throughout the dark space, banishing the shadows.

“Wow.”

The younger sister gasped, gazing around the revealed chamber.

Massive bookshelves, arranged in a circular pattern around them, were crammed with lavishly bound books, their gilded spines gleaming with an antique luster.

And in the passageways between the shelves, numerous butlers stood with heads bowed in welcome. They remained silent, but their presence created an unsettlingly obsequious atmosphere.

As the woman followed the slowly advancing butler, her younger sister trailed behind, her face alight with childish wonder. The butler led them to a dead end, blocked by a colossal iron gate.

A large brazier stood before the gate.

As soon as the woman saw the brazier and the iron gate, she immediately realized why those structures were placed there.

It’s a pretty well-made alchemist’s workshop. It follows the standard structure properly.

A green flame would erupt from the brazier, triggering a puzzle to unlock the iron gate. The books would likely begin to chant some cryptic clue, while the butler guardians would press themselves against the walls, awaiting the solution.

As the sisters approached the brazier, a surge of green flames blazed forth, painting the surroundings in its eerie light.

Wavering green.

The woman watched, waiting for the puzzle to materialize. She was rather confident that she would be able to solve it easily. After allshe was a decent alchemist in her own right.

But no matter how long she waited, no challenge appeared.

The green flames grew in size, gradually reaching towards the ceiling, but nothing else happened.

“Unnie, the green flame looks so cool. Is it barium?”

The younger sister’s excited voice cut through the silence, her recent chemistry lesson clearly fresh in her mind. But the woman had no time to answer.

Rattle-! Rattle-!

Books began vibrating on the shelves, tumbling to the floor one by one. Simultaneously, the blue flames that had illuminated the chamber flickered and died.

Flickering green flames, quaking bookshelves, and the encroaching darkness. An ominous atmosphere filled the space, and the younger sister clutched the woman’s arm, her face anxious.

When the last of the blue flames extinguished, only the green blaze in the brazier remained.

But ominously, despite its size and intensity, the green light didn’t spread far, serving only to deepen the shadows and the feeling of dread.

The butlers had vanished into the shadows.

All of a sudden, a white face dropped from above, hurtling towards the younger sister. It was a butler, its mouth gaping to reveal rows of grotesque, human-like teeth.

The woman snatched her sister, throwing them both to the floor in a desperate roll.

Tak-! Tak-!

The butler, its face pressed against the stone, lifted its head towards the sisters and began a disturbing clicking sound with its teeth. Stone fragments, which it had apparently been grinding, crumbled and spilled from its mouth.

It was a bizarre, sickening sight.

“U-unnie… Your arm…”

The woman’s arm was cut off from the middle part to the elbow, it was probably eaten while she was trying to dodge.

“Quiet. Did you forget that I’m an ‘Object’? I won’t die from something like this.”

She gritted her teeth, clutching the potion vial with her remaining hand.

White flowers that mimic the sun, red trunk soaked in blood, roots that fall on the Magic Book…

Repeating the incantation silently, she scattered the potion’s contents.

Alchemist’s Shield!

White flames erupted in the air, forming a protective circle around the sisters.

The butler, charging with jaws wide, bit into the shield, but it failed to penetrate. Instead, the fire spread across its body, engulfing it in a searing inferno. It thrashed on the floor in agony.

“Run!”

The woman sprinted towards the brazier, scattering the potion in all directions as she ran.

The reagents had no visible effect, but the sight of their comrade immolated seemed to deter the other butlers, who approached cautiously now, keeping their distance from the scattered potion.

Tak-! Tak-!

The clicking of their teeth sounded like the obscene licking of ravenous mouths.

“Sister, what do we do?”

The younger sister was terrified, her small hands desperately clutching the woman’s bleeding arm. She was likely trying to stanch the flow, but there was no way a weak girl like her, could stop the bleeding with her bare hands. The attempt, in fact, probably made the wound bleed more profusely.

The woman plunged her remaining hand into the green flames, repeating another incantation.

Green flame that burns the devil, the Magic Book’s sacrifice, the whispering leaf. The serpent that ushers the dawn!

In the green inferno, the leaf she held and her remaining hand began to dissolve into shimmering particles of light. Simultaneously, a torrent of green flames erupted from the brazier, writhing like a monstrous serpent.

The butlers and the younger sister stared upwards, their eyes fixed on the colossal, writhing form. The serpent, seemingly coiled along the ceiling, looked down and exploded in a cascade of green fire.

The wave of flames consumed the butlers, incinerating them completely, leaving no trace. The woman, pale and drained, urged her sister onward.

“Let’s go quickly. Since it’s alchemy without white flowers, it will regenerate quickly.”

The younger sister glanced back in alarm, just as misshapen white lumps began to materialize in the air. Like a scene from a macabre horror film, the doughy masses writhed and coalesced, reforming the butlers.

The younger sister supported the woman, and they stumbled towards the iron gate as the regenerated butler Hungry Ghosts, now even more grotesque, surged forward.

“Sister, what now?”

The younger sister said, looking up at the imposing iron gate.

The woman, leaning heavily on her shoulder, spoke in a faint voice.

“Just push it. Judging by their appearance, the door’s locking mechanism isn’t working properly.”

The imposing, seemingly impenetrable gate swung open with just a slight push from the younger sister.

They gradually walked into the darkness beyond.

The Hungry Ghost butlers, their regeneration now complete, scrambled after them on all fours.

But the iron gate slammed shut.

Creaaaak-! Creaaaaak-!

The butlers could only claw at the metal, their frustration palpable, but futile.

*********After a looooong race, me and the Mini Reapers finally got to the other side!

Then… I just flopped onto the ground with a pouty face.

Mom, you’re weak!

Weak!

Sob-! Sob-!

I thought my plan was a stroke of genius!

But… the Mini Reapers were way better drivers than I thought. The skill gap was huge, it was like comparing someone who’s just learning to drive to an F1 driver!

Whenever I jumped wrong and fell down, the Mini Reapers jumped perfectly and just zoomed ahead.

You’re weak, Mom!

The Black Reaper and the Golden Reaper kept poking fun at me with huge grins on their faces.

Only the Blue Reaper came close to my face, which was smooshed on the ground, and patted my cheek.

See? I only have the Blue Reapers on my side!

The Blue Reaper got a little shy as it came closer and then said…

Mom… Um, you’re weak…!

The Blue Reaper, who teased me with a funny face like the Golden Reapers, flew away with a silly smile, like they were a little embarrassed.

Noooo! Et tu, Blue Reaper?!

As I was feeling all sad about being teased, I heard something coming closer.

Thud-! Thud-!

It was the sound of heavy footsteps!

An Object with the face of a White Hungry Ghost appeared out of the darkness.

Wearing fancy clothes the Hungry Ghosts welcomed us politely with their long, skinny arms and legs.

The one in front came closer and bowed its head.

Hmm.

They were being polite, but I had a feeling this guy had ugly teeth, like the one we saw before.

And… it smelled kinda… bloody.

I called out to the little White Hungry Ghosts and told them…

Bite it!

The mini Hungry Ghosts jumped out of my arms and bit the butler Hungry Ghost on the back of its neck, where it had bowed its head.

The butler opened its mouth really wide in pain, and… ugh! I saw lots of gross teeth!

Ew, yucky!

Why did they have such icky teeth?

I reached out to the butler Hungry Ghost, who was squirming because the mini Hungry Ghosts were biting it.

Carefully, I grabbed the air and started pulling out the teeth, one by one.

“Kieeeeekkkkk!”

And simultaneously, the butler Hungry Ghost, who had been quiet before, let out a really loud and scary scream!