Chapter 81

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on February 6, 2025

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Hee hee.

I’ve obtained the memories of both a man named Jeongha and another man called Gugyeong-yong.

When the Heavenly Horse shot a beam and killed me, I was worried if I could still gain warmth like this, but not only did I receive warmth, the memories also came through perfectly.

Learning various facts after acquiring the memories of two sect leaders…

Like how Eunjae was the third Heavenly Horse while Jeongha was the sixth, or how Gugyeong-yong took Eunjae’s traces very seriously.

I also learned that Choseol is actually Eunjae’s granddaughter.

A descendant… of this body.

Truly, one cannot just overlook their own offspring.

Though the contract continues, in order for me to see things from their perspectives, I must be contained within it.

Logically speaking, since I’m not contained within it, it’s only natural that I can’t see it.

The more I know, the more I realize how much I don’t.

If I’m the descendant of the Harvester, will I be able to enter that world?

If I enter that world, I might easily reach the descendant of the Harvester, but it seems hard to extend my hand from beneath the surface.

If I keep filling in these gaps one by one, someday I’ll be able to establish an automatic warmth harvesting system. Since I have plenty of time, I’ll proceed step by step.

In other words, it’s low priority right now.

What’s most urgent at the moment is how the Heavenly Horse sees me.

Just before the Heavenly Horse became the Harvester.

The Heavenly Horse saw not a girl, but a giant upside-down ocean floating above the sky, and the Heavenly Horse felt fear towards that ocean.

That ocean… is me.

The Heavenly Horse was once the Bright Right Guardian, the personal bodyguard of the sect leader. This means they confirmed Eunjae’s traces alongside Gugyeong-yong.

So the Heavenly Horse knows what that ocean is. Just as Gugyeong-yong was shocked upon seeing me, the Heavenly Horse has good reason to be afraid.

Of course, I also viewed things through Eunjae’s perspective. I thought maybe dementia had set in during his later years, but I didn’t expect him to see me as such a terrifying monster.

Actually, I really am a monster, so Eunjae’s ability to perceive this is quite impressive.

While thinking about what to do next, I observe the Heavenly Horse.

She examines her naked body and checks her reflection on the water’s surface. After touching her body several times, she looks up at me and asks:

“What’s going on with this skin color?”

I pointed to a place where a shattered corpse lay. It once belonged to someone named Jeonyang.

“If there’s a fatal wound related to life, it turns like this. Why it turns blue, I don’t know.”

I also don’t know why her hair turned purple.

Or why her skin became so pale. At first, I thought it was simply because her skin regenerated smooth and white.

But even those with originally darker skin tones turn pale.

It’s not albinism either, as there are no side effects like sunburns. After becoming a Harvester, there are no records of them suffering from skin issues.

To be honest, I don’t know much about Harvesters.

“Is that so…”

The Heavenly Horse said this and slowly walked toward where Jeonyang’s corpse lay.

Not much of it remains, just an upper torso lump of meat, which the Heavenly Horse lifted and looked upward.

Far away, I can see a few people looking down.

Moments ago, Eunchun lunged at them with a sword, giving Jeonyang the chance to break through the wall and escape with the Heavenly Horse.

Yet those people are still looking down.

Yes.

Eunchun died in battle.

Even though Eunchun could use some aspects of the Heavenly Horse technique, they couldn’t withstand the combined attacks of Omyeong-seong, Gumil-mil, and the Bright Left Guardian Yeongjedok.

But here’s something strange.

According to Gugyeong-yong’s memories, Omyeong-seong uses a martial art called Heupsung Grand Law. This technique sucks in others’ qi and makes it their own.

And yet, Omyeong-seong attacked Eunchun.

This means Omyeong-seong attacked Eunchun, who was using me as fuel. They used Heupsung Grand Law to suck in Eunchun’s energy.

For some reason, I can slightly see the world through Omyeong-seong’s eyes.

Though compared to other Harvesters, it’s like watching a broken TV—blurry and unclear—but I can still feel a little bit.

Hee hee.

In other words, Omyeong-seong sucked me in using Heupsung Grand Law.

Heupsung Grand Law is a technique that sucks in qi.

Which means there’s a possibility I’m a mass of qi.

Moreover, the picture quality is gradually improving. Perhaps if enough time passes, Omyeong-seong might become a Harvester too.

Hmm.

These three will likely die soon. The other two don’t matter much.

But since I’m interested in what happens to Omyeong-seong, I need to let them go for now.

Jeonyang essentially died fighting them, so if the Heavenly Horse wanted, they could kill them all.

They wouldn’t stand a chance against the Heavenly Horse, and it’s highly unlikely they’d even be able to escape.

I need time to see what happens to Omyeong-seong. I have to create that time.

“Heavenly Horse, are you going to burn Jeonyang?”

At my question, the Heavenly Horse steps back with the corpse, as if I’m trying to steal it from her.

“Do you mean to take Jeonyang from me?”

“Why would I?”

At my counter-question, the Heavenly Horse gives me a puzzled look before hesitating and speaking.

“I thought you said you’d take everything after the final act.”

Now that I think about it, the contract did have such a clause.

Honestly, since I only care about the warmth and leave the body or light alone, this feels like a very new question.

How should I explain this?

If I say I only take the warmth, there’s a risk of exposing the fact that I’ve been playing around with the concept of warmth.

So I need to choose my words carefully.

Purely stating facts while leading them to misunderstand.

“That means I’ve come to witness the last warmth. I watched Eunjae’s final moments too.”

I omit the part about taking the warmth. To make it sound like I’m guiding them to death. Like a deity who escorts souls.

Deities of death are inherently unsettling, and my appearance as an upside-down ocean doesn’t help—it looks ominous.

Therefore, I need to tread carefully, observing her reactions.

“Humans have cultures for sending off the dead, right? Burning them, burying them, or preserving them. How do you handle it here?”

I subtly guide her thoughts toward a funeral instead of killing the people above.

The Heavenly Horse remained silent for a long time while hugging the corpse. After a considerable amount of time passed, Omyeong-seong’s blurry gaze shifted and moved away.

Good. As long as Omyeong-seong survives, my purpose is fulfilled.

As long as the Heavenly Horse doesn’t suddenly decide to decapitate them and place the heads on stakes, my goal is achieved.

“We should prepare a mourning period.”

The Heavenly Horse spoke softly.

“Does it take 44 days? What kind of culture is that?”

The Heavenly Horse burst into laughter and started walking with the corpse. It’s a path I recognize.

It leads to the elevator I saw when I first arrived here.

But…

What should I do?

The Heavenly Horse walks on water, but I can’t perform tricks like levitation!

Before I knew it, the water deepened, and the severed remains of Gugyeong-yong were swept away into the depths.

Judging from the surge of warmth below, fish are feasting.

I just swam normally underwater.

At first, I considered swimming properly to catch up.

But I need time. And while I’m at it, I’ll alter my appearance.

Among various swimming styles, I chose freestyle.

Halfway across the water, I hear laughter from afar.

Near the elevator, the Heavenly Horse is giggling softly.

“A purple-light immortal known as Sajigohon. Yet you can’t even swim properly?”

Immortal?

Ah, here immortals or gods hold that status.

The light-faded man knows all the Jade Emperor-type beings as immortals.

I want to respond, but swallowing water isn’t fun, so I silently continue swimming. Of course, freestyle takes longer.

This is a dock I’ve landed on before.

I climb out, wring the water out of my clothes, shake myself off a few times, and head toward where the Heavenly Horse is.

Inside the elevator, the Heavenly Horse looks at me with a mocking expression.

“You look quite different from what lies beyond your exterior.”

Through the Heavenly Horse’s eyes, I appear as just a girl. But my image isn’t clear.

It’s not like the ocean appears either. However, she isn’t recalling memories.

This means she’s seeing me through some other method.

And this perception only lingers in memory.

So Eunjae’s view wasn’t due to old age; it was a different perspective.

Given that memories remain, I may face some tricky considerations when creating Harvesters in the future.

Let’s deflect this with a joke for now.

“It’s because I’m heavy and sink. Remember that swimming is quite difficult.”

At my words, the Heavenly Horse nods in understanding.

Until now, I’ve differentiated between my true form and the body I inhabit.

Using terms like humanity or human flesh.

Once you label something as a monster, you tend to overlook its unknown aspects, thinking it’s normal. Humans inject their perspectives, but monsters don’t have that luxury, right?

Can you connect the ugly sight of freestyle swimming to a powerful monster?

If your imagination is that vivid, then it’s my loss.

Otherwise, it’s my win.

It’s neither a monster that must be dealt with nor a foolish one that should be killed.

Striking a balance is tough.

Clack.

The elevator opens.

We return to a room filled with signs of battle. The Heavenly Horse gently places Jeonyang’s corpse on the bed.

Judging by how she sits in front of it, she has no intention of chasing Omyeong-seong. She needs time to mourn the deceased.

By the time she’s done, Omyeong-seong will likely have left the Heavenly Horse Sect.

Hee hee.

I stand in front of the door where the Heavenly Horse is.