“My body feels light.”
Jeonyang clenches and unclenches his hand, moving around in the quite spacious area.
Meanwhile, I scanned Jeonyang’s memories. Jeonyang was born and raised in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and was originally someone of a very low rank.
Though he couldn’t read well, he wasn’t a bad person.
With a generous temperament, he was the kind of person who would have lived being called big brother in the neighborhood.
But where he was was the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
In his youth he was on the outskirts of the cult, and after winning Heavenly Demon’s favor and becoming able to manage the cult’s affairs, he became addicted to power.
In the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult where strong people get many things, it seems he greatly enjoyed having those stronger than him follow his orders and move as he wished.
But his complex grew just as much.
The fact that he had no strength. He thought he was looked down upon because of that one thing. To relieve that pain, he tormented others.
Then he used Heavenly Demon who liked him to obtain martial arts. Specifically the Heavenly Demon Divine Technique that supposedly only the most important person in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult knows.
But he couldn’t use it even after learning it, so he looked for another method. I was that other method.
And he obtained power.
In a world of strong-rule, power really is important.
I plan to give this person the method Eunjae used too.
Actually when I first saw him, I wasn’t going to give him Eunjae’s memories.
I won’t give power to the person who wants power most. Then they would be compared to other harvesters. A life of being compared is painful.
Can people maintain their sanity long in this kind of environment? In my view, no.
When they go mad like that, they’ll explode and send me lots of warmth.
But I changed my mind after seeing his memories.
It’s better to give this person power.
He’ll become more twisted.
No, precisely this:
His mind, twisted to the limit, will explode as it gains power.
In other words, he’s already at dangerous levels.
He executed people who appeared nothing but loyal, and freely did what he wanted borrowing Heavenly Demon’s authority.
Though he had no intention of ruining the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, he carefully grasped what he could about the cult within his abilities.
Of course, he had no talent for either.
Though harmful from the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s perspective, it’s thankful to me who can gain information from his memories.
Especially, I’m grateful for getting the internal map along with instructions for using the mechanical devices that can be utilized.
“This is my third human body, so it’s cumbersome. Humans need to eat food and need a place to sleep, right? Give me those.”
When I was the faded man, when in Rebecca Rolfe’s body, and now.
That’s 3 times.
I don’t lie.
And now’s the opportunity. While showing signs of not being human, I deliberately asked Jeonyang rather than Heavenly Demon.
Right now when he’s intoxicated with his newly gained power.
“Oh, is that so? Then, I’ll give you a room and assign someone to you. Jeongha. Please prepare it.”
Power is good.
If you can feel it tangibly, it makes you more easily forget what’s truly important.
For example, like the cross-dressing man looking at Jeonyang with a surprised expression. Though it barely shows on his face, I’m confident in reading people’s emotions.
Even more so as the memories I can reference increase with time.
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
As soon as he heard Heavenly Demon’s answer, Jeonyang immediately sat in a strange posture.
It’s cross-legged meditation. Eunjae also briefly did it at first. But it’s a posture he soon stopped using.
Watching him like that, Heavenly Demon took me and went outside. After walking along a long winding corridor for quite a while, he suddenly turned around.
“What did you do to Jeonyang?”
Bewilderment and anger? An easy face to read.
“Overall enhancement of all bodily functions.”
That’s actually true. You get stronger when you become a harvester.
Grip.
His hand grabs and presses down on my shoulder. He’s really rough with a girl’s shoulders.
“If you did anything strange, I’ll make your body unable to live or die.”
Oh my.
Still doesn’t understand?
“You called yourself Heavenly Demon, right? Didn’t you know you shouldn’t lie about your name?”
At my words, Heavenly Demon grabbed my neck. Large and thick and covered in calluses, but rather than a man’s hands, they’re more like a woman’s hands that have done lots of work.
“Do you not know before whom you’re running your mouth?”
Answering a question with a question.
“Human. Have you forgotten before what you’re speaking?”
So I gave the same back. Mirror therapy. Then the hand gripping my neck tightens. The blood vessels in my neck are blocked, and oxygen isn’t flowing to my head.
So what?
The body is just a vessel.
Though I could keep defying him now, if the relationship completely breaks down because of that, the vessel will fly away.
Since there’s still much to do, I put on a capitalist smile here.
Meaning I put on a fake smile because there’s something I want.
“But I keep my contracts. Unlike humans who only think about breaking contracts. I don’t intentionally twist people.”
I’m not dangerous.
Of course, people breaking when I send memories is just a minor mistake. Other than that, I don’t send any special intentions with deliberate will.
Advertisements?
Who properly looks at advertisements? Advertisements are just sent hoping to catch one desperate person.
If I were really going to lead people, I would edit and send only memories full of anger. Or share my coldness.
So I just give power.
“Hey. Isn’t it human nature to pursue greater desires when you gain power?”
When I said they’ll break themselves without me doing anything, Heavenly Demon loosened his hand.
Thud.
My feet touched the ground.
This person thinks that way too.
Right. Someone in a high position would know that. Especially in a world of strong-rule.
“What are you trying to do by attaching yourself to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?”
His gaze is sharp.
But it’s funny. The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult? To Heavenly Demon, the cult is nothing. Rather, he watches as Jeonyang ruins the cult. In fact, he actively helps ruin it by being Jeonyang’s hands and feet.
Therefore, I know what this question means. He’s asking what I plan to do to Jeonyang.
Hehe.
How easy to understand.
“I want to stay close because I need warmth. It’s too cold down there. It’s so incredibly cold, with nothing there, that I can’t stop yearning for the warmth of light.”
Knowing how easy it is to interpret the word ‘warmth’, and hoping Heavenly Demon would misunderstand, I spoke like this.
“I’ll prepare a warm room.”
And Heavenly Demon turned around again. A masculine way of speaking. Though habits remain, can we say the heart has leaned toward the feminine side?
If so, I should tell one more interesting fact.
“Heavenly Demon. Please be aware that humans who receive what’s called a blessing cannot receive it again.”
There is no second time.
At my words, Heavenly Demon moved without any reaction.
You don’t know the power of the blessing yet, right? Until now you’ve only seen healthy people become stronger. But I look forward to when you learn it can heal wounds and grant special abilities.
Though before that, I might be thrown into a fire pit when you ask if I want warmth!
I followed Heavenly Demon.
* * *
How surprising.
I properly received a house.
Though it’s far from where Jeonyang was, they gave me an entire house.
More generous than expected?
Though it looks like the same pseudo-religion, I didn’t expect them to just throw me somewhere to live on my own. There’s not even surveillance.
One room and one kitchen. By this world’s standards, it’s enough house for someone to live in. Of course, seeing how there’s no insulation at all, it seems they prepared it to mess with me.
Happily, they misunderstood it was about being physically cold. Then I should often mention being cold to reinforce that misunderstanding.
Of course, it’s not a lie.
I’m always cold.
Anyway, when I entered the house there were quite a lot of creatures crawling on the floor. If I take warmth from bugs and field mice, they run outside on their own.
The unfortunate point is that mold types need to be scraped off separately. Can’t help it since they have no light. Without light there’s no warmth.
While spending half a day organizing the house, suddenly there was a thudding sound.
Isn’t it too early for betrayal!
Thinking that, I came outside to find what appears to be food piled up. And I see two men leaving in the distance. They must have brought this.
“Goodbye!”
I waved to greet them.
If possible, to let them know there’s a person here.
Why?
Harvesters stand out.
Eye-catching purple hair and powerful strength. Especially in a world that favors the strong, people looking for opportunities will come. I’m letting them know I’m here for when that time comes.
Like that, while laying groundwork for the future, I organized the supplies in the house.
And through the harvesters’ views, I observed this world.
As long as there are harvesters, there won’t be boredom.
First, Gapjae.
This person continues his life as a protector as before. Then at night he secretly trains martial arts.
Of course the technique he trains is Eunjae’s technique. But since he does it outside, there’s a high chance he’ll be discovered someday. I look forward to that time.
Next is Eunchun.
Eunchun became the hall master of the third highest hall from the top. Here, hall is approached as a kind of feudal lord concept.
If the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult leader is king, each hall master is a noble with territory. Their main role is governing certain regions.
Of course, governing doesn’t mean really governing, it’s like gangsters having their own territories.
Having risen to a high position, he’s enjoying himself eating delicious food surrounded by women using that power. He can’t get his head straight from his first taste of power.
And Byeongil.
This person is extremely busy right now.
Since he recreated a technique called Heavenly Demon Domination, elders and those who believe in the Heavenly Demon deity come to pay respects.
I didn’t know, but current Heavenly Demon Divine Cult people don’t unconditionally believe in Heavenly Demon.
Strictly speaking, they don’t believe in the current Heavenly Demon.
Because he cannot use the Heavenly Demon Divine Technique. The one named Jeongha just rose to Heavenly Demon’s position by force when the previous cult leader disappeared.
So they think he’s fake, not real.
And the people pouring out various stories to Byeongil are very dissatisfied with the current Heavenly Demon’s rule.
Meanwhile Jeonyang gets severely criticized. Saying that Heavenly Demon’s lover is arbitrarily controlling the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
They say both Heavenly Demon and that Jeonyang are disgusting.
In other words, it means the current Heavenly Demon is in such a precarious position that many people openly curse him. Enough that the scale of power has tilted sufficiently to the opposite side of Heavenly Demon.
Otherwise, would there be so many people telling Byeongil stories cursing Heavenly Demon?
Hehe.
Finally, Jeonyang.
Even without me telling him, Jeongha already knew the Heavenly Demon Divine Technique. And taught it to Jeonyang.
But Jeonyang couldn’t use it. Most likely Heavenly Demon can’t use it either.
I suspect it’s because even though they knew the Heavenly Demon Divine Technique, the most important part was missing.
Heavenly Demon likely summoned me knowing this. He must have seen records about Eunjae somewhere and had plans to make Jeonyang the next Heavenly Demon.
And that plan succeeded.
The most important part was filled.
Jeonyang can use the Heavenly Demon Divine Technique. Right now he’s smiling brightly while displaying the Heavenly Demon Divine Technique in the training ground.
In other words.
Now the world starts rolling.