“Feeling light as a feather.”
Jeonyang clenched and opened his hand, moving around a surprisingly wide space.
In the meantime, I skimmed through Jeonyang’s memories. He was a man born and raised in the Cheonma Church, originally of a very low rank.
He couldn’t read well, but that didn’t mean he was a fool.
With a bold temperament, he would have been the type to be called big brother in any neighborhood.
But he was in the Cheonma Church.
As a child, he had lurked around the edges of the Cheonma Church, and after catching the attention of Cheonma, he became able to manage the church’s affairs, eventually getting addicted to power.
It seems he found immense pleasure in watching the strong do as he commanded within the Cheonma Church, a place where the strong gained everything.
But that only amplified his complex.
He believed he was looked down upon for his lack of strength. To relieve that pain, he bullied others.
Then, using Cheonma, who liked him, he obtained martial arts techniques—namely, the Cheonma Martial Art, which only the most important figures of the Cheonma Church were privy to.
But even after learning it, he couldn’t use it and sought other means. That other means was me.
And he gained power.
In a world where the strong survive, power truly is important.
I also plan to give him the method Eunjae used.
In fact, when I first saw him, I didn’t want to share Eunjae’s memories.
I wouldn’t give power to someone who desperately wanted it. Otherwise, he would be compared to others. A life spent being compared is miserable.
Can a person maintain their sanity for long in such an environment? I think not.
If he goes mad, he’ll explode and send a lot of warmth my way.
But after seeing the memories, I changed my mind.
This guy prefers to be given power.
That’ll twist him even more.
No, more precisely, it’s this.
A heart twisted beyond recognition will explode with newfound power.
In other words, he’s already at a dangerous level.
He executed someone who appeared to be a loyalist without hesitation, using Cheonma’s authority to do whatever he pleased.
Yet he didn’t seem to plan to destroy the Cheonma Church; rather, he diligently understood it within the limits of what he could do.
Of course, he had no talent on either side.
From the Cheonma Church’s perspective, he was a nuisance, but for me, who could gather information from his memories, it was quite beneficial.
Especially thankful for the internal map and instructions on how to use the mechanical devices available to me.
“The human body is cumbersome at best, isn’t it? Humans need to eat and have a place to sleep, right? So give it to me.”
Back when I was the Faded Man, during the time I inhabited the body of Leverara Rolfe, and now.
That makes it three times.
I’m not lying.
And now is the opportunity. As I intentionally made it clear I’m not human, I asked Jeonyang, not Cheonma.
Having just become intoxicated with the power gained.
“Uh, really? Then just give me a room and a person to keep me company. Jeongha, prepare it.”
Power is nice.
Especially when you can truly feel it, it can make you forget what’s really important.
For example, just like the cross-dressing guy staring at Jeonyang in surprise. Of course, it hardly showed on his face, but I pride myself in reading people’s emotions.
As time goes on, I’ve gathered more memories to reference, making it even easier.
“Yeah, I’ll do that.”
As soon as Jeonyang heard Cheonma’s answer, he immediately sat down in a strange posture.
In a lotus position. Eunjae did that at first too. But then he stopped using that stance.
Watching him, Cheonma took me outside. After walking long down a twisting corridor, he suddenly turned around.
“What did you do to Jeonyang?”
Confusion and anger? A straightforward expression.
“An overall enhancement of physical capabilities.”
It really is true. During the harvesting period, one gets stronger.
Crack.
His hand pressed down on my shoulder. There’s nothing a girl can’t do with that grip.
“If you pull something weird, I’ll make you a body that can neither live nor die.”
Oh no.
Does he still not understand?
“You called yourself Cheonma, right? Didn’t you know you shouldn’t lie about your name?”
At my words, Cheonma grabbed my neck. Though it was thick and calloused, it felt more like the hand of a hard-working woman than a man’s.
“Do you not know who you’re talking to?”
Answering with another question, huh?
“Humanity. Have you forgotten who you’re speaking against?”
So I returned the favor. A bit of mirror therapy, you see. I tightened my grip on his neck. Veins blocked, oxygen failing to circulate in the brain.
So?
The body is merely a vessel.
Though I could push back, if the relationship completely breaks down, that vessel will shatter.
Since there’s still much to be done, I’ll keep the capitalist smile for now.
I have what I want, which means I put on a fake smile.
“But I keep my contracts. I’m not like humanity, which only thinks of breaking contracts. I don’t intentionally twist people.”
I’m not a threat.
Of course, if memories are sent incorrectly, that might be a minor mistake. Other than that, I don’t deliberately send any special intentions.
Advertisements, anyone?
Who actually watches them properly? Advertising is just a way to catch someone desperate.
If I truly wanted to lead people, I would send only edited memories filled with rage. Or share my coldness.
So I only give power.
“Hey, isn’t seeking greater desires a trait of your humanity?”
As I told him that I wouldn’t even need to do anything for them to eventually destroy themselves, Cheonma loosened his grip.
Tap.
His feet hit the ground.
So even he thinks so.
Of course. If you’re in a high position, you’d realize that. Especially in a world that values strength.
“What are you trying to do by clinging to the Cheonma Church?”
His gaze was fierce.
But it’s funny. Cheonma Church? To Cheonma, the Cheonma Church is nothing. In fact, he watches Jeonyang destroy the church. Actively acting as Jeonyang’s hands and feet, destroying it.
So I understood what that question meant. He was asking what I planned to do to Jeonyang.
Hehe.
So easy to read.
“I’m planning to stick around because I need warmth. It’s too cold down there. There’s nothing, so I can’t help but long for warmth and light.”
Understanding how easy it is to interpret the word warmth, and hoping Cheonma would misunderstand, I said this.
“Prepare a warm room.”
Then Cheonma turned his body again. His voice was still manly. Though the habit remained, could we say his heart leaned towards femininity?
If so, I should drop another fun fact.
“Cheonma. Be careful; a human who has received a blessing cannot receive blessing again.”
There’s no second time.
At my words, Cheonma moved forward without any reaction.
Does he still not understand the power of the blessing? Until now, he’s only seen ordinary people grow stronger. But the day he learns it heals wounds and bestows special abilities will be exciting.
Before he desires warmth? He might just be thrown into a blazing fire!
I followed Cheonma.
*
Amazing.
I actually received a proper room.
Though it was a fair distance from where Jeonyang was, they gave me a whole house.
That’s bigger than I thought?
Though it looked like the same kind of cult, I never expected they would actually give me a place to live. There isn’t any surveillance, either.
One room and one kitchen. This would be a perfectly livable house by the world’s standards. Of course, seeing how poorly insulated it is, it seems they intended to see me suffer.
Fortunately, they mistook the cold for physical discomfort. To reinforce that misunderstanding, I need to often mention how cold it is.
Of course, that’s not a lie.
I’m always cold.
Anyways, when I entered the house, there were a significant number of creatures crawling on the floor. Bugs and rats will run outside if they lose warmth.
Unfortunately, I have to scrape off the mold separately. It can’t be helped since there’s no light here. No light means no warmth.
While I was cleaning the house over half a day, suddenly thud.
Isn’t that too fast for a betrayal?!
Thinking that, I rushed outside and saw a pile of what looked like food scraps. In the distance, I could see two men leaving. Those guys brought this.
“Goodbye!”
I waved my hand to them.
If possible, I wanted them to know that I, a person, was here.
Why, you might ask?
The harvesting period is conspicuous.
With my striking purple hair and immense power, especially in a world where the strong are favored, someone looking for opportunity will come.
That’s why I’m making it known that I’m here.
With that, I organized my belongings for the future.
And I surveyed this world from the perspective of the harvesting period.
With the harvesting period in place, boredom won’t be an issue.
First, Gapjae.
This man continues his life from the law enforcement days. At night, he secretly trains his martial arts.
The techniques he practices are, of course, Eunjae’s. But since he’s training outside, the chances of him getting caught increase. I can’t wait for that moment.
Next is Eunchun.
Eunchun has risen to be the head of a faction, ranking third from the top. Here, the faction is akin to a lord concept.
If the leader of the Cheonma Church is the king, the faction leaders are nobles with assigned territories. Their main role is to govern certain areas.
Of course, governing doesn’t mean genuinely ruling; it’s like a gangster having their territory.
He’s climbed to a high position and is reveling in power, enjoying fine food and women, completely lost in the taste of newfound authority.
And Byeongil.
This man is currently extremely busy.
He’s replicating the technique known as Cheonma Gunrimbo, which has garnered the attention of elders and those who believe in Cheonma.
I didn’t know this, but currently, not every member of the Cheonma Church necessarily believes in Cheonma.
To be precise, they don’t believe in him right now.
Because he cannot use the Cheonma Martial Art. Jeongha, bearing that name, ascended to a position of Cheonma simply through strength when the prior leader went missing.
So they see him as a fake.
And those who pour their grievances to Byeongil are quite dissatisfied with the current reign of Cheonma.
They often criticize Jeonyang. Saying Cheonma’s lover is whimsically manipulating the Cheonma Church.
Both Cheonma and Jeonyang are regarded as disgusting.
In other words, it means Cheonma is in a very precarious position, such that there are many openly insulting him. The scales of power have tipped significantly against Cheonma.
Otherwise, would there be so many people badmouthing him to Byeongil?
Hehe.
Lastly, Jeonyang.
Even without my guidance, he already knew about the Cheonma Martial Art. And I’ve taught it to him.
But Jeonyang couldn’t use it. A high probability suggests Cheonma can’t use it either.
I suspect that the crucial part missing was why he couldn’t use the Cheonma Martial Art.
Cheonma probably summoned me after recognizing that. He must have seen some records about Eunjae and planned to make Jeonyang the next Cheonma.
And that plan succeeded.
He filled in the most vital missing piece.
Jeonyang can now utilize the Cheonma Martial Art. Right now, he’s in the training room, spreading the Cheonma Martial Art with a bright smile.
In other words.
Now the world begins to spin.
