“I am the number one in the martial arts world, number one of past and present, and number one under heaven. I already have no enemies, having surpassed the Martial God who needed your help. I do not desire your insignificant power.”
Heavenly Demon answered.
Despite being a cross-dressing man wearing face powder, his face was full of pride. He’s not someone who lies.
Lying is surprisingly difficult. You have to grasp reality, predict the future, then create fictional events to deceive.
That’s why perfect lies are difficult.
It’s much easier to simply bury harsh reality.
Though it’s funny that many choose sinking over apologizing when given those choices.
No, the important thing isn’t that Heavenly Demon’s answer isn’t a lie.
“Why did you call me?”
Eunjae lived well, for a harvester, and died. Since this world is ruled by power, unlike other worlds, he broke through his problems with strength alone.
So I thought there would be no reason to come to this world again until someone else fell to the surface.
Then it’s likely not related to Eunjae. Looking around, it’s completely different from Yasle’s techniques that I know.
They called me through a completely different method.
Perhaps they called me deliberately targeting me.
Unlike that witch, do they have a technique to call me properly this time?
Hehe.
Then, it’s worth the effort. The value of using my mind extensively is very high.
I looked at Heavenly Demon. Heavenly Demon also stares at me. Then slowly opened his mouth.
“The transformation of bones and flesh and transfer of power that you gave to the Martial God. Can you give that to anyone?”
Transformation of bones and flesh? Eunjae said something like that while looking at his body right after becoming a harvester. Searching through the faded man’s memories, something like that appears in the martial arts genre.
Obtaining a new body. Transfer of power means charging energy—or qi—to others. Though the faded man is throwing a fit saying that’s not it, it’s not my concern.
In short, those two terms refer to becoming a harvester.
“Yes, that’s right. Following the request of the person who called me last time, I gave blessings to 3 people per day.”
I don’t know if I can still use the contract text or not. And carelessly using it could be troublesome if it spreads too much like last time.
This time I’ll increase numbers while controlling them.
So I spoke as if what I did in the previous world was my ability. In truth, there’s no limit to the numbers. I know because I’ve tried making tens of thousands of people into harvesters at once by reading the contract text in a large space.
But limited resources like random draws are important. That creates desire, right?
And when desire grows, I can make demands too.
The method used to call me to this world, that is.
Hehe.
“I have one thing to say.”
I spread both hands making a gesture showing I mean no harm while speaking the contract text.
“I’ll give myself to you. In exchange, when you finish everything later, I’ll take everything you have then. How about it?”
Heavenly Demon stared at me for quite a long time after hearing my words.
“Is there a price?”
Oh ho. That’s right. This is a deal. Quick-witted, aren’t you?
But I have no intention of taking separate sacrifices. Increasing uncontrollable monsters only gives me headaches.
“I’ve said everything.”
I already said in the contract text that I’ll take everything later.
Of course, I don’t need anything else so I only take warmth.
But I’ll keep using the contract text as is since I don’t know what might happen in the future.
I also feel anxious that something might go wrong if I modify it needlessly.
Of course, a cleaner sentence might be possible, but I have too little to risk experimenting.
Let’s play it safe. Safely.
While I was thinking that, Heavenly Demon who heard my words turned around.
Behind him. In the direction of his gaze stand many people. Judging by their varied attire, they don’t seem to know the technique to call me.
Regular subordinates?
“Who will make a contract with this thing?”
He could have said “this one”, but he says “this thing”. Well, since I’m not human, such expression isn’t strange.
So let’s go with that.
It’s up to you how to determine your attitude towards me after all.
At that moment, a person who had been quite far away came running.
Looking closely, it’s clearly visible. Their attire is different from the people around here. There’s more of a lived-in feeling.
The people at the place that summoned me have completely removed the word individuality from their entire bodies. They wear black clothes and hats with cloth covering their faces.
“Only one protector?”
When Heavenly Demon spoke, two more people rushed out from behind. It looks like juniors running up when someone important calls.
Heavenly Demon looked down at those three then pointed at me.
“Make the contract.”
The three shouted “Yes, your command” loudly then stood before me. They’re full of anxiety and fear, and faintly show expectation too.
Expectation is a good sign.
So I happily recited the contract text, and they agreed.
Now I don’t need the dark purple mist either.
For example, think of a person drawn on a 2D plane. He can only see in two dimensions. Up, down, left, right.
If you then stab that person with a pencil from above, they would suddenly feel as if they were pierced.
The principle is similar.
When approaching 3D space from 4D, there’s nothing visible to the eye. That doesn’t mean you can reverse time though. It just literally feels like there’s one more axis.
Time stopping or moving forward seems to derive from this, but I wonder if I could turn time backward if I get stronger later or learn the method?
Let’s put that in a corner of memory for now.
I made contracts with them.
Then as always, with a ripping sound their skin split and pure white skin rose up, and their black or brown hair instantly dyed purple.
I touched the light, and the light dyed dark purple. At the same time, I obtained their memories.
First, protectors are like soldiers.
In order of highest rank, they have the names Gapjae, Eunchun, and Byeongil.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult is just that. They don’t have separate names like Monotheistic Sect or Bright Divine Sect.
Surprisingly, Eunjae wasn’t the first Heavenly Demon. He was the third generation.
None of the three know much information. They were born in villages ruled by the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, and tried hard hoping to rise to high positions since they had talent in martial arts.
There are some interesting memories too.
When you become a protector from a simple believer, they plant bugs in your body. But surprisingly, these humans. They don’t mind since everyone does it. How did they brainwash them…
Is it like how no one questions when the country where the faded man was records fingerprints and assigns numbers to adults?
Without thinking much, they lived taking what the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult gave and doing what they were told, and rose to become protectors of someone called an elder among protectors.
Then they came here after following along when told they would summon a monster called Chaos who gave special power to the Martial God.
The warmth is very small compared to the light.
But the moment they became harvesters, suddenly the warmth increased greatly.
What’s the principle behind this?
No, it was too small compared to the light originally, but increased to a somewhat decent level. Could it be because all the bugs in their bodies disappeared?
Light is almost certainly the soul.
Warmth is humanity or desire. That kind of thing, I suspect.
So desperate and resigned people have almost no warmth. Thinking about the lights that fell to me, if that state continues long, the light likely shrinks.
If warmth increased because they gained power and could do more things.
I can see how I should proceed from now on.
Though I need to think more, it means light increases if I pour in lots of freedom.
Hehe. The warmth increases.
I smiled while looking at Heavenly Demon.
“I did what humans desire.”
Then I examined my body. Like Rebecca, there’s a possibility the one I’m using as a body could come back to life.
If so, I can give some convenience.
So people don’t forget, let them call her name.
“As you know, my name is Choseol. Call me that.”
Choseol is the name of the body I’m inhabiting, like Rebecca Rolfe.
Though quite tall, the flat chest and solid body shape were because of young age. Like Rebecca Rolfe, I’m using a child.
Is it because children can contain more?
But this child wasn’t living normally well before being captured like Rebecca. She’s someone who was raised with some role from the start.
Most of her life was very fleeting, with memories of often doing something like training in spaces with cloth like where I was first dragged.
Even calling it training, it’s just earnestly thinking about words spoken from outside while in a dazed state from taking lots of drugs. At the final moment they pluck out the eyes, cast some spell, then bind with cloth.
And this time they searched for me in a state where breathing was hazy from wet cloth rather than drugs.
Choseol seems to have been raised to become a sacrifice.
With this much effort required, it would be difficult to spread widely.
No, this might actually be the perfect method for me. Let’s gain knowledge by watching for opportunities like last time.
When I stated my name, Heavenly Demon stares at me as if trying to figure out my inner thoughts.
But my inner thoughts are nothing special.
Just, please give warmth.
When I smiled back with those feelings, Heavenly Demon pointed at me and shouted.
“Seal this thing!”
Oh my.
Is that how it’s going to be?
The people around chant spells. Gapjae, Eunchun, Byeongil, Choseol. These 4 don’t know the language.
Meaning there’s a separate language for using this magic. I can lick the light of someone who knows how to do this later.
While thinking that, cloth that was hanging heavily from the ceiling comes down and wraps around me.
Unlike Yasle, they don’t use a watching method. But this is good in its own way. If they think of it as a blessing wrapper, I can endure.
And I still haven’t heard Heavenly Demon’s true inner thoughts.
Hehe.
Heavenly Demon tested my ability.
In other words, it means he needs blessings. Rather than simply sealing or cutting me down without question to prevent a second Martial God.
For using later.
Before the cloth wraps around me completely, I greet Heavenly Demon who is staring at me.
“See you next time. Miss.”
I wanted to see the expression, but the cloth completely covered my face before I could see it.
But I can see the world through the eyes of the three men called protectors.
Ah!
I can’t see what expression Heavenly Demon makes because all three are bowing their heads.
If I could have seen the expression, I could have gotten many clues about what they’re thinking, what a shame.
But there’s plenty of time. And they will definitely undo this seal from their side.
I’m confident in waiting.
Well then, let’s watch what Heavenly Demon desires.
Surely he will show me his desires while experimenting with these three.