Chapter 42

Tikgeshni was glaring at me.

There were a few things I could think to say, but there was one question that stood out as most important.

“Why did you stop me?”

Normally, if one person failed, it would be assumed they made a mistake somewhere along the way. However, the people in Andrew’s Future Hope Church who understood Yasure’s knowledge debated and improved upon it before conducting the ritual.

The possibility of failure was significantly low.

And not long after starting the ritual, I was killed.

This means there must be some way for them to detect the ritual. Whenever someone attempted the ritual and failed, that person was always the first to be killed.

That’s right.

The enemy can detect the ritual. They know how to stop it and have the skill to find and kill.

To be honest, I never even imagined Tikgeshni until now, but here she is, rushing towards me the moment I arrived in this world.

Now that I know the conclusion, the process makes sense.

So I asked with irritation. Tikgeshni gripped her cane tightly.

“Why? Why?! Look at what you’ve done!”

Then she pointed around. What was once human now stood there. Their heads had all turned into dark purple spheres. There’s no warmth or light left in them now.

What remained of Tisah was only the lower half. Where the upper body should be, there’s a hole like a flower in bloom. It looks like when a heavy object falls on glass, breaking the center and cracking the edges.

“Is this what it looks like when humans die?”

“So, why did you stop me before?”

This is the first time I’ve created something like this. No, honestly, this is the first time I’m experiencing this phenomenon. I’m completely baffled.

I don’t know if this is possible because descendants are numerous, their bloodlines connected, and everything can be retrieved; or if Tisah and his descendants are special.

I’ll have to investigate later.

But this is the first time I’ve seen this phenomenon.

Which means the reason Tikgeshni ran around trying to stop me before wasn’t because of this.

While waiting for Tikgeshni to answer, she suddenly swung her cane. The cane was shaped like an upper human skeleton, complete with a skull and spine. Red blood splattered onto my face following the shape of the skull.

The blood came from Tikgeshni’s palms.

She must have plunged her hands into the spine protrusions to draw blood. That’s why she was gripping the cane so tightly earlier.

[Decapitation Carnage]

With those strange words, my head flew off into the air.

The world spun around.

But did you forget? This isn’t my real body. Earlier, I manipulated a polygon-like mass to create this form. So, I grabbed my head with my hand.

Thud, thud, roll…

Oh.

I dropped it.

Hmm. Something feels off.

Shouldn’t I be lying on the ground looking at my body now? Even if unknown abilities keep the nerves connected despite decapitation, I should still be able to move while seeing with my eyes.

But I’m just…here.

Even though my vision spun when my head was cut off, now my perspective is not from the floor but from the head itself.

No. That’s not right. Didn’t I say earlier?

My body is like an amorphous mass of polygons.

Was I really cut?

Do I need to be cut?

In fact, can I even be cut?

While thinking about that, the resolution lowered as if disappearing like fragments in an old game. Then, as if I’d never been cut, my head reappeared on my neck.

Until now, anyone who received blessings had their heads cut off and died. So this must be the method of execution.

“Really, Tikgeshni was the culprit all along. Did I use this to kill someone I blessed?”

“You need warmth to regenerate, right?”

A question with another question.

But looking at it now, it seems unlikely it’ll be expelled again.

Will you answer?

“No. Have I ever said such a thing even once?”

Thinking about it, the person who experimented with wounds was Tikgeshni. She frowned.

That’s right. She figured it out without conversation. Though I did act to mislead her.

“What about you stopping me? What part of me scares you so much that you try to prevent me?”

I asked. I’ve never done anything dangerous to anyone. At least not until the very end.

I patiently endured.

“You’re the rule. When intelligent beings in this world feel intense frustration and despair, you cause massive explosions. And that behavior was simply to eat people, right? How could anyone not be afraid when there’s an active rule moving forward to consume others? Unless someone is so unintelligent they can’t comprehend the future, who wouldn’t be scared?”

I nodded slightly then stopped, sensing something off. There’s a misunderstanding that needs clarification.

“I don’t eat people.”

“Eating warmth causes people to die.”

“No. Eating warmth causes transformation. Don’t you remember? After I consumed warmth, the offering was killed by someone beside me.”

That’s why Yasura gave me offerings in a separate room with warriors present. Because losing warmth turns someone into a monster.

“So if it’s not death, what is it? Moreover, the humans you blessed. Each one became intoxicated by that power and changed! Everyone turned into monsters! And that kid went mad with power seeking revenge!”

That kid is probably Yasura.

“Tikgeshni. I gave blessings, but I didn’t particularly change anyone’s heart. Let me ask you. If I twisted people, could Tisaha have appeared?”

The most alien person. And at some point, purely a good person. Not just nice, but someone who could be firm when necessary.

“You made it happen hoping for this!”

Ah. Indeed.

It could be seen that way.

I shook my head side to side.

“No. I did nothing. To begin with, there was nothing I could do to someone like Tisaha, Wide, or Isla with strong self-identity. You’ll remember too, Tikgeshni. When you gave the title ‘Outsider’ and tested making them say it, those with strong self-identity didn’t flinch.”

At that, Tikgeshni glared at me with a very sharp expression.

“Experiment? You planned it all along, eating Yasura’s memories! Then you spread the method to summon you by pretending to give that title!”

Shouting that, Tikgeshni tried to swing her cane again. All strange magic originates from this cane.

So I extended my arm to grab it. Correction. Several bodies whose heads turned dark purple moved and grabbed Tikgeshni’s cane. They’re moving? Like my own limbs. This works for me.

Ah, she’s trying to escape.

Grab her.

Numerous hands pinned Tikgeshni down.

“Guh!”

Several people whose heads turned dark purple rushed in, pressing Tikgeshni’s entire body into the ground as she groaned. A ominous dark blue energy began to move.

I’m irritated.

I grabbed that dark blue energy.

“Khhup!”

Like having my throat seized, Tikgeshni convulsed. Of course, while my hand is actually inside her chest, it hasn’t physically pierced through.

This body is strange. But as long as it doesn’t get hurt, that’s fine. There’s still something I want Tikgeshni to do.

I absorbed the dark blue into dark purple. Then a tingling sensation at my fingertips disappeared.

When I pulled my hand out, there was no wound on her chest.

As my hand fully withdrew, Tikgeshni gagged and coughed.

I lifted Tikgeshni up so she was sitting properly. Well, “sitting” in the broadest sense since she’s restrained in a seated position by puppet-like figures.

“Don’t run away. I’m irritated with you, Tikgeshni.”

Half of it is actually directed at God, but please serve as my scapegoat. We’ve spent half a year together, after all.

“Is this your true nature?”

Tikgeshni asked while calming her rapid breathing.

“I don’t know what constitutes ‘true nature.’ I’ve already told you everything about myself, haven’t I? I’ve always wondered, why are you so afraid of me? At least until the Future Hope Church fell, I didn’t do anything dangerous.”

Then Tikgeshni laughed. Not out of fear, but in mockery.

“I already said it. Thinking about a monster that eats people and will actively hunt them down in the future. Moreover, a monster that supposedly gives blessings freely while craving something called warmth? The blessing and offering couldn’t possibly be equal. There had to be something else. So I thought I needed to uncover it before you truly became dangerous.”

Tikgeshni continued speaking while muttering with her palm against her cheek.

“But that kid ignored my words to seek revenge against the Ansellus Kingdom.”

He would usually listen to Tikgeshni’s words, right? Ah. Yes. Clearly this person misspoke.

“Did you say something like ‘Let’s stop the blessings for now’? Same tone…Yes, that’s correct.”

Before I finished speaking, she glared at me as if wanting to kill. Of course, I remember what I told Yasura!

To cover Tikgeshni’s impending angry words, I quickly spoke.

“I really did give blessings. Tikgeshni. Frankly, I don’t even know why people grow stronger or gain abilities. I just did everything Yasura wished.”

“So you were deceiving us all this time, pretending to know nothing.”

Yes, I pretended to know nothing. I deceived you. Because if I revealed my true intentions and did as I pleased, my head would have flown off, wouldn’t it?

“I don’t recall lying.”

“You probably didn’t lie.”

Heehee. That’s right.

“You waited so long to obtain Yasura’s memories. Then you taught those you blessed the method to summon you. What kind of world do you intend to create?”

Now Tikgeshni questioned me with a voice filled with worry. I gradually felt her sinking, a sign of resignation and despair gnawing at her heart.

As if I plan to destroy the world.

I have no such intention.

Initially…

“I don’t even know what ‘world’ means. I merely want warmth, Tikgeshni.”

That’s really all there is to it.

Whether it’s traveling to various worlds, increasing harvesters, or creating proxy blessers – it’s all because I want warmth.

Suddenly…

I looked up at the ceiling.

Then, deep within my heart, the gray man who was once male muttered.

“I want to punch the face of the god who made me like this.”

Being male once, that brash tone emerged. But regarding impulse…well, it’s not that urgent on this side.

Shall I drink barley tea or doryeong tea today? That level of impulse.

At my words, Tikgeshni’s head shot up dramatically. Her eyes staring at me were perfectly round.

“What?”

“Didn’t you know? I was also a human a very long time ago. Without reason, I woke up shivering from the cold in the depths where there was no sea or sky, only discovering the concept of ‘sea’ as I realized I was submerged.”

In ancient times when neither sky nor sea could be distinguished. Suddenly, a small light floated above and slowly expanded. That light grew and formed the night sky.

Upon encountering others, I recognized myself.

I was the vast ocean covering the floor. Initially, I thought it might be an ocean planet, but it was just a flat plane.

An endless flat plane.

Below a certain boundary layer, it was full. Unable to rise above that boundary.

At first, I could reach the nearby light with my arms when close to the surface, and now I’ve risen to this point.

“Tikgeshni, people shouldn’t criticize me. I kept the contract – giving myself and being reclaimed upon death. Though I didn’t expect to extend to descendants, I never intended to reach them originally.”

Pointing at the sky,

“I contracted first, yet you interfered. That’s breach of contract. Breach should be penalized, right?”

Actually, it’s been unexpected chaos from start to finish, but still. Honestly, I didn’t expect to capture Tikgeshni so easily. Hmm, I wonder if I can fire a death beam, but the dark purple energy doesn’t budge with that thought.

Since appearing in this world, all my actions have been impromptu, motivated by irritation. So, opportunity.

“I’m not a cruel rule. In the future, instead of exploding those who come near me, I’ll bestow blessings. Of course, only when they consent.”

Omitting the part about no contract without consent.

Tikgeshni glares, telling me not to lie.

“It’s like lending money and collecting interest. Sure, if someone receiving power wastes their life and dies, it’s a loss for me, but isn’t that how investments go?”

Of course, omitting the fact that I profit from the moment of contract since I gain warmth. And the fact that killing someone who made a contract transfers their warmth to me.

“Offerings eat the fruit in front of them. Blessings are like planting seeds and waiting for the tree to bear fruit. I chose the method to obtain more fruit. I have no intention of harming the tree. Rather, I hope it grows well.”

Just like Tisaha.

That’s why I chose blessings over indiscriminately obtaining warmth.

Choosing the better method brought unexpected gifts.

“In the future, I have no intention of interfering artificially. If someone wishes for a blessing, I’ll grant it.”

“How many offerings do you plan to devour, monster?”

Heehee. Good question, Tikgeshni.

“The offerings? Those were given willingly by Yasura, weren’t they?”

Then Tikgeshni, who had a blank look, thought deeply and looked at me with an expression of realization. What did she understand?

“What exactly are you trying to persuade me of?”

Ah.

Oh no.

Caught.

But I asked. Rules are rules, even if I set them myself, I can’t lie.

“Summoning method. I want you to write it in a book.”

Originally, the evil entity summoning magic was taught to Yasura by Tikgeshni. By the way, the reverse summoning method is not magic but a heritage of the Yeongyang Church Nation, which I cannot use.

“Go away!”

Tikgeshni glared at me with an expression ready to take her own life.

Looks like persuasion will be difficult. And figuring out what to do about this situation is the biggest problem right now.

Until now, it’s been the family watching Tisaha’s final moments while others stayed outside.

There’s much to resolve.

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