NOVEL NEXT 3rd Person POV:
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A cave located on the shore of Yangcheon District Lake.
A famous tourist spot that all visitors to Yangcheon District Lake must visit.
Into that cave where countless tourists come and go, a reporter entered with a calm expression.
The reporter was dressed lightly and had a happy expression, as if he had come for sightseeing, but the hand gripping the camera was damp with tension.
It was unavoidable, as two senior reporters who had gone to cover this lake had already gone missing.
In fact, the reporter did not want to cover this Object this time.
Yangcheon District Lake was not an Object that reporters or media companies should handle, but a national disaster that the nation itself should delve into.
It's not about the size of the lake.
It was about this phenomenon that was driving the entire nation of South Korea insane.
No matter how much the general public clamored for the lake to be opened, it was not normal to open it to the public this quickly.
The whole country has gone mad!
Even the major Object media company the reporter belonged to was the same, and except for the two missing seniors and himself, no one felt anything was strange.
The two seniors who felt something was strange left to cover the story with the determination of war correspondents, but in the end, they did not return.
No, they could not return.
They went missing just like that.
To finish their investigation, the reporter ended up coming here.
The reporter's musings were broken by a loud exclamation.
"Wow, look at that!"
The sounds of tourists exclaiming and camera shutters echoed from all around.
Turning towards the direction of the sound, an amazing sight was visible.
Cave walls that seemed to flow with a mixture of crystals and blue gems.
A cave pulsating with light gushing from the sparkling water surface.
If one came as a pure tourist, it would surely be an unforgettable sight.
But the reporter regained his composure and moved his steps deeper into the less crowded parts of the cave.
There were two objectives.
The first was to find out what happened to the missing seniors.
The second was to obtain evidence of the 'suspicion of human sacrifice at Yangcheon District Lake' that his seniors had tried to cover.
The deeper, less crowded parts of the cave revealed yet another scenery.
Amethyst, sapphire, and emerald-colored crystals adorned the walls and ceilings, scattering the rhythmic light they received like a kaleidoscope into various colors.
Pillars that seemed to support the sky, delicate arches decorating the scenery - it was like an artwork born in nature.
Since this cave was created by an Object, it must be an artwork created by an Object to lure humans.
And the Object that lures people is....
While having various thoughts, the reporter advancing deeper into the cave saw a suspicious group of people ahead.
A large full moon visible through a rounded hole in the ceiling.
Rock formations that looked like stairs leading up towards the full moon.
A pool of water connected to Yangcheon District Lake, spread out below.
And people throwing themselves into the pool from the end of the stairs.
"!"
Found it.
The people who fell into the lake did not resurface.
They sank into the water just like that.
Finally found it.
The evidence that the seniors were trying to find - <People lured by the Object and sacrificed>
While frantically taking photos as evidence, a familiar voice was heard.
"Our youngest is quite something, to have come this far."
"Senior?"
But no matter where the reporter looked around, the senior's figure was nowhere to be seen.
"I'm here. Here."
Only the senior's voice could be heard.
"Haha, where are you even looking?"
The voice echoing from various parts of the cave only added to the confusion.
In the midst of this, the reporter's eyes met the senior's.
Standing next to the chillingly blue-glowing moon, the senior was gesturing.
Behind him, the other missing senior was also waiting with a smile.
"Senior? What happened?"
Wiping away the tears welling up unnecessarily, the reporter slowly climbed the stairs following the senior.
[Kig, what would be good this time?]
Then, a strange voice was heard.
It was the wicked voice of an old woman.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, the reporter regained his senses.
The seniors were nowhere to be seen, and before the reporter knew it, they were standing at the edge of the stairs, looking down into the pool.
[What are you doing? You're awake!]
Something sharp pierced the heart.
Through the blurring vision, grotesquely twisted monsters were seen quarreling.
***
A cheerful enter sound rang out from the keyboard.
James stood from his seat, rolling his stiff shoulders from the paperwork.
Tired.
The aftermath of the pudding factory incident was slowly being wrapped up. It was about time to return to the United States.
There was too much to do in the US to stay in Korea for long.
James left the study and sat comfortably on the sofa, turning on the TV.
[Experience the fantastic lake and dreamy cave up close!]
As soon as he turned on the TV, an advertisement for a floating hotel near a famous tourist spot these days appeared.
Even to James, it looked like quite an attractive tourist destination.
"Hmm, it might not be a bad idea to stop by before returning to the US."
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Seeing the refreshing view of the lake, James couldn't help but mutter to himself.
Beep beep beep
James' smartwatch started emitting an unpleasant sound.
An Object alert message.
A warning message arrived from the US Object Association.
<Emergency Evacuation Alert>
<American citizens currently in South Korea are strongly advised to leave immediately on the nearest available airplane>
<A high-level mental contamination is suspected across Korea.>
<Leave Seoul immediately.>
<Failure to return within 48 hours may result in denied entry due to mental contamination.>
The moment James received this message, he felt a shock like being hit in the head with a hammer.
He was thinking of visiting that suspicious lake for fun?
With such a suspicious lake appearing, he didn't find it strange at all?
He thought he was an Object expert, but he made such a mistake.
Ding dong~ Ding dong~ Ding dong~
An urgent-sounding doorbell rang.
Proving its urgency, without waiting for James' response, the sound of knocking on the door and voices came through.
Knock knock knock-!
"Mr. James. You must have received the emergency contact. We've come to pick you up."
A familiar English accent.
People from the US had arrived to pick up James.
The US Object Management Association.
They had sent people to retrieve James.
Half-willingly, half-forced, James began leaving Seoul with only the bare minimum of luggage.
***
Reaper (MC) POV:
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The lake was filled with boisterous sounds, and cheerful singing voices echoed across the vast expanse.
Under the starry night sky, Sehee Research Institute employees enjoyed a party while admiring the splendid view of the lake.
The deck of the ship was brightly lit with warm, sparkling lights, creating a cozy atmosphere, and the Golden Reapers running around with bright faces added liveliness to the festival.
In the festive atmosphere, the aroma of barbecue wafted through the air, and the chefs' dazzling fire shows captivated the researchers' attention.
With the sizzling sounds as the background music, the Sehee Research Institute party grew more and more lively.
Slightly away from the center of the festival, in a slightly darker but atmospheric spot, someone was looking down at the Sehee Research Institute party.
Sehee Research Institute is still the same.
They didn't seem to have any worries about having a party on this suspicious lake.
The ability of the Object lurking in Yangcheon District Lake seemed to reduce any sense of discomfort or worry about the Object.
The problem was that Sehee Research Institute was originally a place without discomfort or worry.
Everyone's heads were too much in the clouds, so they didn't feel much difference.
Rather, the Golden Reapers, who smiled brightly while still remaining vigilant of their surroundings, seemed more like researchers.
With Seo-ah's condition deteriorating lately, the only sane person left at Sehee Research Institute was Kim Jungroo.
I left the preparations to the Golden Reapers and enjoyed the party, nestled in Yerin's arms, picking up and eating various delicious foods one by one.
"Reaper, Reaper. Try this too."
Munch munch~
"The sushi here is also delicious!"
Munch munch~
Yerin was feeding me all kinds of food, and unexpectedly, all her choices were delicious, so for now, I was just accepting whatever she gave me like a baby bird.
In the midst of this, Yerin called me from a particularly lively area with loud music playing.
"Reaper, Reaper. Look over there, look over there. It's hilarious!"
When Yerin called me while poking my cheeks, I turned my gaze and saw an unexpected scene.
Kim Jungroo, the only sane person at Sehee Research Institute.
Kim Jungroo, who absolutely never jokes around, was dancing with dazzling body movements!
When Kim Jungroo danced, a small Golden Reaper on the table followed his dance moves.
Swaying, jumping.
While Kim Jungroo's dancing looked dignified, the Golden Reaper made it look cute when mimicking it.
I was quite surprised to see that scene.
Not only was the Golden Reaper copying the dance surprising,
But for me, seeing Kim Jungroo do such a thing was even more surprising.
Seeing Kim Jungroo act like that, the Object's influence is clear.
Ding. Ding. Ding-!
Then suddenly, the sound of a bell rang out.
Looking around at the unpleasant ringing, the lake had already been obscured by thick fog and fallen silent.
Finally, the lake's Object has appeared.
It doesn't seem to have any intention of harming humans right now.
As the sticky, corpse-like ringing sound reverberated across the deck, the thick fog began to cover the ship, following the sound.
Even amidst the unpleasant ringing and thick fog, the Sehee Research Institute people were laughing and chatting as usual.
In contrast, the tense Golden Reapers were looking around in all directions.
The thick, viscous fog began to rise onto the deck, coiling around like wriggling vines embracing everything.
Ding-!
And as the final bell rang out, the people touched by the fog unnaturally fell into a deep sleep.
As the Golden Reapers scrambled to catch the suddenly sleeping people to prevent injuries, I calmly watched the center of the fog.
[Keh-keh-keh.]
An old woman's laughter came from within the fog.
Skkrrrrk-!
Along with the sound of claws scratching something, something began crawling up from the fog onto the deck.
The first thing visible were claws stained with human blood.
Then a withered, corpse-like arm.
Tangled hair like a broken broom.
A face with empty eye sockets and sharp teeth protruding haphazardly.
A twisted spine bursting through the skin here and there
[Looks like there are plenty of playthings this time too.]
An ominous old woman's voice was heard, and a grotesque monster emerged through the fog.
And that grotesque thing that climbed onto the deck met my gaze.