The time has come when it’s really cold at night, and chilly even during the day.
The trees that change color have all changed, and the number of bare trees without a single leaf has increased.
Winter has approached quickly.
As if a desolate season has arrived, an event occurred in a very distant place.
Byeongil and Jung Jaewoo.
They were caught by an organization called the Murim Alliance.
Yes. The two people who fled far away after leaving the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult three months ago.
They were caught by martial artists because of their purple hair, and were transported to the Murim Alliance where they were interrogated.
There, it was discovered that they were from the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
In short, it means they were drugged and tortured.
Moreover, it wasn’t just simple, easy-to-understand torture.
Their identities were thoroughly investigated by unknown techniques.
There was technology that’s difficult to imagine existing in the world called wuxia by faded man’s memories standards.
It’s such a strange technique that it’s estimated to be related to Supreme Leader Tongcheon, the Great Kraken.
Of course, it’s not technology that the Great Kraken had. His technology was centered on bioengineering, so the direction of technology is a bit different.
But the Great Kraken isn’t the only immortal in this world.
There are several other immortals besides them.
Originally, the Great Kraken was expelled from another world, invaded this world, was defeated, and fled to the deep waters.
In other words, it means there are immortals who defeated the Great Kraken. Stronger immortals. They live on Mount Kunlun.
Technology estimated to be traces from there is visible.
Isn’t the technology to extract souls from living people and look into their memories at a completely different level?
Moreover, the technology to project images in mid-air was only possible in science fiction in faded memories.
Of course, such technology exists in several worlds where my harvesters are.
Although I’ve only seen it from afar as it’s technology too far for those harvesters to enjoy.
They used something like wooden carvings floating in the air to extract light from the harvesters’ bodies.
Then light dyed dark purple burst out of the body.
In a room where harvesters are having their souls extracted, one person gathers people and explains towards the light that this is a corrupted soul.
They say it became like this because the reverse heavenly demon energy ate away at the soul.
They say this color is chaos that overturns the world, an evil power that shouldn’t be associated with.
That’s too harsh about me.
And as expected, the light was the soul.
I finally found out.
That’s not the only information they discovered.
One of the people gathered on the opposite side of the expert asked if the soul could be returned to its original state.
Then the person presumed to be an expert flatly said there’s no way to cleanse a soul that’s already been tainted.
It means there’s no such technology in this world, at least.
If they could remove my blessing, my warmth would disappear.
If I were classified as a disease and could be cured.
Ugh. It’s horrible.
Or, though they don’t know it, there’s a faint possibility that such technology exists somewhere in this world. There were only humans in that place.
The place where that technology is estimated to have come from. Kunlun.
Those living there might have such technology.
Immortals.
They’re generally called immortals, but they’re mostly special life forms close to one species per individual.
No, some of them are a bit difficult to see as life to begin with.
They must surely be warm…
No. Ahem.
We need to be careful of them.
For now, it seems there are no immortals among those interpreting harvesters in the Murim Alliance. I don’t see any large lights.
But there are people handling special techniques.
They discovered a woman who turns people into harvesters in Byeongil and Jung Jaewoo’s memories.
And they designated her as an evil demoness who corrupts people.
Yes. That’s me.
They grasped the fact that I’m in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, and lamented that many people have already fallen into my hands. Then they announced that they need to strike the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult before more Heavenly Demons appear.
And at the end of that announcement, saying this is how to purify evil energy, they put light into a strange device.
The light that entered slowly melted and disappeared.
At the same time, the view I was watching was cut off.
They can destroy light.
That’s right. The vessel can be destroyed.
It was irrational to think the vessel would be indestructible in the first place.
They erase the soul. They incinerated it so no trace of me remains.
So there’s such technology too.
But I’m not too worried about it.
Because I remember what Eunjae did.
After becoming a harvester, Eunjae killed people freely in the place called the martial world.
Saying it was for revenge, he killed people until he felt satisfied, then returned to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, made a family, and died of old age.
Though he acted a bit strangely in his later years as if suffering from dementia, I think he still achieved everything he wanted to do.
So if the current martial world is at that level, it shouldn’t be a big problem with Heavenly Demon and Oh Myeongseong. These two.
In other words.
It means a mass warmth absorption event will occur when spring comes after this winter!
Given the current era, it would be difficult to fight in winter.
Even considering my limited knowledge, at the earliest, late this spring.
It could be pushed back a few years at the latest, but I don’t think they’ll leave it be so simply. According to what they heard through Jung Jaewoo and Byeongil, who were essentially tortured to death, they will definitely invade.
They’ve fallen into fear that more people like Heavenly Demon might appear.
They directly saw with their own eyes a protector who was simply strong started using the Heavenly Demon Divine Technique. Would they stand by and watch as Heavenly Demons who once turned the martial world into a wasteland are mass-produced?
Fear is a powerful driving force.
Hehe.
Now I just have to wait.
As I was watching what was happening far away in the distant north like that, Soo-oh entered the room.
“Choseol, what are you doing?”
“Just sitting still.”
“Is that why you’ve gotten so fat?”
Soo-oh approaches stealthily and puts her hand on my chest.
It has grown quite big. Because of my large build, the simple circumference is bigger than Rebecca’s. Looking at proportions, I’m just a tall woman.
However, being tall is a disadvantage in this world. They say even if you have a beautiful face, if you’re too tall you’re considered ugly.
Or is it that people don’t come to become harvesters because I’m ugly?
It’s possible.
But I can’t choose the vessel. No, strictly speaking, I can choose.
When the opportunity comes, I’m not leisurely enough to refuse because it’s not human or the appearance is horrible.
But for that, both bodies were beautiful.
It can’t be helped that beauty standards differ by era. From that perspective, Soo-oh is too thin.
“I was just too thin before. Soo-oh is still too thin.”
“Tell that to Master. It’s been so hard lately. I’m losing weight rapidly instead of gaining any.”
Soo-oh complains while lying down on my legs.
Around the time the weather got quite cold, Heavenly Demon and Soo-oh. They both started sparring with swords.
Comparing it to the memories I have, it seems a bit early.
Considering Soo-oh’s late start…
Hmm. Heavenly Demon who’s teaching probably knows better than me who only has memories, so she’ll teach well.
“I don’t know much about fighting, so do as Heavenly Demon teaches you.”
“Uwaaah!”
Still, she doesn’t say she dislikes it.
It seems she doesn’t mind becoming stronger herself.
But Soo-oh is staring at me intently.
I know how her gaze or body is moving, but I don’t know what she’s thinking.
If I don’t know, I should ask.
“What is it?”
“No, I was just thinking it’s strange how Choseol insists on using formal speech. You use formal speech no matter who you’re talking to, right?”
That’s right. I’m using formal speech.
Respect and courtesy sometimes become powerful weapons. It’s more beneficial for me to crawl below others than to stand above them.
It’s not too late to stand above others and rule even after they know everything about me.
“Is it strange?”
“Using it with a child younger than you, and even a servant, I think it’s strange.”
She’s referring to herself.
I thought she was accepting it without much question, but it seems she found it odd.
Originally, Soo-oh was sent here as my servant. And I received ownership from Heavenly Demon.
But I gave Soo-oh freedom. Freedom to do whatever she wants.
“It can’t be helped. I decided to do this from the start.”
At my words, Soo-oh stares at me intently. It’s an expression mixed with doubt, disappointment, and various other emotions.
“It feels like you’re putting up too much of a wall.”
Hm. It’s understandable to feel that way. She understood correctly.
I am putting up a wall.
A very, very, very solid wall.
I’m putting up a wall to absolutely not show what’s behind it.
I have no intention of showing what’s behind the wall to anyone.
Because behind it, there’s nothing but screams driven mad by cold.
Though Heavenly Demon seems to have glimpsed traces, seeing how she’s sympathizing with me, she didn’t see it properly. The reality would be more horrible and disgusting.
If the door attached to the wall opens even once, it’s over.
Like taking a drug that completely destroys brain cells, I’ll never be able to go back.
If it opens, after that, I’ll do atrocious things until I hit a wall somewhere and become unable to gain warmth ever again.
“This is something I can’t show even if I want to.”
“You have no intention of opening your heart?”
That’s quite a piercing question.
This topic is troublesome.
At least while I’m in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, I intend to act as a person who doesn’t harm anyone.
Let’s shift the focus of the conversation.
“Oh ho, now you’re full. Do you think even this much is not enough? Even though I’ve given many things I can give, it’s not enough… Alright. Try to take it if you can!”
I grabbed Soo-oh and tickled her side.
Soo-oh screams and runs away.
I chase after her, and Soo-oh runs out of the house screaming.
“Uh… Maybe I should have come another time?”
A beautiful woman wearing pure white clothes is standing at the entrance with an awkward expression.
I didn’t know she was coming because this person isn’t a harvester. I thought maybe a stray cat had come since people don’t come anyway.
“Soo-oh, we have a guest.”
“Welcome!”
As if nothing happened, Soo-oh goes to Gu Milmil and guides her into the house. I go to the kitchen and prepare the tea that Yin Simwon brought as a gift not long ago.
“Heavenly Demon’s disciple, right.”
Gu Milmil uses formal speech with Soo-oh in an awkward tone.
“You don’t need to use formal speech since I’m not the direct disciple!”
Soo-oh bursts into laughter and talks with Gu Milmil. A direct disciple means a disciple who inherits everything the master has.
Soo-oh means she’s not at that level since she’s just having her martial arts looked after.
“You’re in a higher position, Miss Gu Milmil, aren’t you?”
What kind of relationship will they have over there?
Thinking that, I boiled the tea with the never-extinguishing fire.