Seoul Object Story

The Seoul Forest Village had been reduced to nothing but ashes. The flames, which started from one house, spread mercilessly due to the tightly packed wooden structures, proving utterly devastating.

In the center of what was once a bustling village, now a field of ash, researchers and staff members scoured the ruins, sorting through debris and meticulously organizing data. Their efforts were relentless as they worked to uncover clues.

Perched atop a hill overlooking the scene, two men stood in stark contrast to the chaos below. One, clad in a pristine black suit, exuded an air of cold authority. The other, donning a jaunty yellow suit, seemed far more carefree.

“Completely burned to a crisp! Can’t say I’m surprised—wooden buildings and all that!”

The man in the yellow suit kicked at some charred remains as he spoke.

“…”

His companion remained silent, his gaze fixed on the destruction below.

“Ah, Han Kangcheol, who practically built this place himself, is gone now, along with the entire village. Looks like Seoul Forest might just vanish for good. And here I thought we’d find someone… Now? Who knows if we’ll even fulfill the request. You’ve got plenty of people here, right? Any leads? Like, maybe a violin or something?”

“…If you want information, file a formal request with the Central Research Institute.”

Unfazed by the curt reply, the man in yellow continued rummaging through the wreckage, undeterred by the indifference of the man in black, who made no move to stop him.

“Hmm… Lots of stories about the Gray Reaper floating around, but no solid evidence. Same thing happened a year ago, didn’t it? Circumstantial stuff pointing to the Gray Reaper, but nothing concrete. Maybe this time they’ll frame it as another ‘Gray Reaper torches entire village’ headline.”

“…Without opposing evidence, the most reasonable conclusion prevails.”

“Nah, not criticizing or anything. It’s just… well, Seoul Forest doesn’t allow electronics, so there’s only so much we can do. Last report mentioned circumstantial evidence too, right? If it turns out some entirely different Object caused this mess, though… that’d be catastrophic.”

With that, the man in yellow picked up a twisted piece of burnt wood and shouted triumphantly.

“Oh wow! Look at this! A violin! This must be the one the client was looking for. Guess I’ve got something to tell them now!”

“…”

And with that, the man in yellow wandered off, muttering about talking to more people. Meanwhile, the man in black, without sparing him a glance, returned to filling out documents, murmuring instructions.

“If you’re looking for details about violins, ask Director Lee Sehee of the Sehee Research Institute. She might know something.”

“Thanks~ See ya!”

Waving goodbye, the man in yellow sauntered off, leaving the man in black to his paperwork. On the cover of the document folder lay the words: “Record of Seoul Forest Village Fire Incident.”

***

After the Seoul Forest incident, chaos reigned supreme within the research institute. Into this pandemonium burst Yerin Oh, fleeing from an enraged Kim Jungrwi.

“So… you just ran here?”

“Yeah, Senior Jungloe was furious. Probably because reporters kept pestering him. Then it came out that I wasn’t actually staying in Seoul Forest when the fire broke out.”

Laughter bubbled uncontrollably at the absurdity of it all. After signing her name in the visitor log, Yerin had promptly left work, giving Kim every reason to be mad. Still, knowing Kim, he’d calm down after venting a bit.

“Think we’ll lose the Reaper to the Central Research Institute this time? Feels like public opinion is leaning toward treating it like last time’s ‘Cute Puppy.'”

“Probably. But even the Central Research Institute might struggle to contain the Reaper.”

Yerin wore an expression tinged with regret, though she knew sending the Reaper away was inevitable given current sentiment.

Since the Seoul Forest incident, the atmosphere at the institute had grown tense. One internet article in particular had stirred things up. Though previously dismissed as a third-rate tabloid, the publication gained fame after its exposé on the Gray Reaper last year.

‘Daily Object.’

Anyone familiar with Sehee Research Institute would recognize the nuisance that frequently popped up uninvited.

Ever eager to capitalize on sensationalism, Daily Object now pushed hard for the Gray Reaper conspiracy theory. According to their narrative, the Gray Reaper was the ultimate puppet master controlling Objects, responsible for plunging the world into despair.

Whoever conducted those interviews must’ve spun quite the tale, considering how they managed to paint the Reaper as summoning fiery monsters through voodoo rituals.

“Hey, this is a report issued by the Central Research Institute. Anyone with researcher clearance can read it freely. Thought you might not have seen it yet, so I brought it over.”

“Huh, really?”

What conclusions did the Central Research Institute draw from this case? Hoping for something favorable towards Sehee Research Institute felt wishful thinking at best.

Yerin leaned in close beside me as we both began reading the report together, despite the discomfort. Better to share than let her feel left out.

“This appears to involve a new Object called the Steel Pig Statue (tentative name) linked to the Gray Reaper.”

“Mutated individuals totaled eight, all part of one family residing in Seoul Forest. Despite extreme physical deformities, tracking proved straightforward due to consistent genetic markers.”

“The Steel Pig Statue seems capable of producing flaming rice cakes. Numerous accounts describe an irresistible aroma, suggesting ingestion causes bodily mutation.”

“It seems everyone except the patriarch was locked inside the house, likely to monopolize the flaming rice cakes.”

“After consuming the flaming rice cakes, victims reportedly lost the ability to eat anything else. Prior to being confined, neighbors often witnessed them vomiting repeatedly.”

“Victims were fattened before being sacrificed to the Steel Pig Statue.”

“No connection has been found between this Steel Pig Statue and the mass deaths previously reported in Seoul Forest.”

Though detailed, the report thankfully stated that while the Gray Reaper had been sighted, no clear causal link existed.

Yerin visibly paled upon reaching the section detailing the abductions and deaths, clearly shocked by the scale of tragedy.

Yeah, the pile of bones found in the basement was pretty damning…

Knock knock knock.

Startled, Yerin looked around frantically, but escape routes were nonexistent. Hehe, no back doors in this office.

When her panicked gaze landed on me, I offered a reassuring grin.

“Surely not snitching, Director?”

“Director Lee, may I come in?”

And with that, Kim entered, grabbing Yerin by the arm and dragging her away. Her pitiful screams echoed as the door slammed shut behind them.

***

Following these events, the Seoul Forest outpost returned to its usual quiet, though the mood remained somber. The face of my replacement radiated gloom matching the overcast sky.

Ever since the man in yellow visited, delivering the scorched violin as a keepsake, he’d been inconsolable, clinging to it while silently weeping. Even suggestions of taking leave fell on deaf ears.

Turns out, the person he’d been searching for was his younger sister—a victim of the Seoul Forest incident. Witnesses confirmed her death, ruling out any chance of survival.

Holding the charred violin in one hand and what was presumed to be his sister’s remains in the other, the replacement muttered deliriously.

“Gray Reaper’s fault… Gray Reaper’s fault… Gray Reaper’s fault…”

On his phone played what people referred to as a “cyber reckoning” video, courtesy of Daily Object. Normally nonsensical ramblings, but today’s episode focused intently on portraying the Gray Reaper as pure evil.

Ordinarily, I’d have told him to turn it off, but compassion—and self-preservation—kept me silent. His bloodshot eyes suggested he might snap if provoked further.

All I could do was wait for the shift to end, praying for time to pass quickly.

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