Chapter 134

From Victoria’s point of view, my appearance is completely filled with the look of Soo-oh. But it’s not entirely just like Soo-oh; strangely, there’s also a bit of Choseol in it. Well, the only thing Soo-oh left behind was a verse named “Soo-oh’s Divine Art Choseol.” So it’s not weird that Choseol’s appearance is mixed in there too. But I don’t know why exactly Soo-oh left something like this behind. I didn’t even know about this kind of technique until now.

Victoria approaches me. She’s slightly taller than me. “5 feet? No, 3 inches shorter. You’ve gotten really small?” “That’s right. This is what being human feels like.”

Strictly speaking, this body itself is a monster’s body. The vessel is still intact. But since it’s never been alive, it feels more like a lump of clay.

“So you said you don’t want to go home. What will you do if we part here?”

What to do?

“I’ll just keep living.”

Since I can pass as a human, blending in isn’t an issue. At least from what I see in Victoria’s memories, there’s never been a Harvesting System here. Therefore, in the Third World, the chances of getting killed just for having purple hair are slim.

The method to expand the Harvesting System, create a closed religious sect, and make contact with high-ranking people… Though the problem this time is creating an entirely new religion rather than using an existing one.

Still, somehow, it’ll work out.

I looked around.

The ground has sunk, like a sinkhole. Since this place was dug underground, it makes sense that if it collapses, it creates a pit like an antlion trap. Fortunately, unlike a regular sinkhole with vertical walls, it slopes toward the center, so you can climb up.

I moved to go up first, leaving Victoria who seemed lost in thought.

If I grab the rock ahead…

If I grab it…

Hmm…

Choseol could have easily grabbed and climbed, but at my height, I can’t reach even if I jump. Trying to use the footwork technique from Soo-oh’s memories, but I can’t generate enough propulsion.

It seems I need some kind of boost. This thing.

In the First World, magic power. In the Second World, Qi.

I fundamentally can’t use such powers. Even in Soo-oh’s body, I couldn’t use them.

Anyway…

While searching for something to hold onto and climb, suddenly water started climbing up my legs, forming a giant water droplet around my lower body.

What is this?

Thinking maybe it’s finally time to kill me, I turned around.

But no.

Victoria was looking at me with an expression like she’s seeing a very pitiful creature.

“Leaving you alone like this feels unsafe, let’s go together.”

“Are you kidnapping me?”

“What kind of ugly thing are you saying? You’ll probably starve to death soon if I leave you alone. Don’t you have any incredible powers?”

Victoria walked over to me, waved her hands a few times, and steps made of water appeared. Carefully testing them, she confirmed their strength and grabbed my arm.

“What kind of incredible power?”

“The power I’m using now. Didn’t you give it to me?”

Slurp.

A small stream of water moves in the air.

She’s manipulating the water freely. Must be an ability gained when faced with imminent death by drowning.

I shook my head.

“No, that’s your ability. If the person contracting with me desires earnestly, they occasionally gain powers.”

This “earnest desire,” based on conjecture, seems to occur when someone can’t overcome their situation alone. People in relatively safe environments didn’t gain abilities when they became harvesters, but those who were close to death did.

“This?”

The water droplets form a question mark. Already handling it skillfully.

Based on information from faded memory manga-like works, which might be far from reality, it seems like this pulls in the potential that person could possess.

That’s why they can use it so well right after obtaining it.

Wide or Tisah.

Both handled their powers well immediately after gaining them, though their combat methods grew more refined over time.

Still, watching Wide control fire or Victoria control water, it seems like knowing how to use the power and the method itself comes naturally when you gain a psychic ability.

But I don’t know where it comes from. According to the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign’s information, what I take is Taiji.

Interpreted as chaos that can become anything and do anything.

It’s not the combination of Yin and Yang as I initially thought. The Primordial Heavenly Sovereign called the infinite possibilities preceding that “Taiji.”

If that’s possibility, and if that’s warmth, then their warmth should decrease when they gain special psychic abilities.

But that doesn’t happen.

Instead, they shine brighter with light. Even though I’m inside the light, making it glow dark violet.

“So that’s why you left without hesitation. If you’re like a god, I thought you’d give me power and ask me to do something in return.”

Ah~

That’s right. It’s in the memories of Daegon and the Primortal Heavenly Sovereign too.

Immortals or gods often have many contractors and frequently engage in exchanges where they give something and receive something in return.

“I’m not a god. That’s why I don’t do things like that. All I did while I was below was ask if someone falling into despair wanted to contract, and if they did, we’d contract.”

But that’s not salvation.

Because it’s a structure where you inevitably gain warmth.

Meaning, even at the lowest point, any situation is a high point compared to that. Of course, there were times when harvesting at the warmest moment gave more warmth than usual.

But those are rare.

Most of the time, long life gives the most warmth. So, I’ll maintain the policy of freedom.

“Isn’t that what a god would do?”

Holding my arm, Victoria asks me as we ascend the water-made stairs to the sunken area.

“No. If I were a god, wouldn’t I not need contracts?”

The gods I imagine are like that. Perfect. Absolutely capable of everything. Anything below that is just pretenders or ignorant ones.

Still, I don’t plan to outright deny it.

If someone claims to be a god, or someone nearby says they’re a god, I’d probably just go along with it.

Unless they interfere with my warmth collection, in which case I’d bear a grudge!

“Why the question?”

“I don’t know anything. I’m being held by a human child, but her hand is quite warm, so my current feeling is to just stay quiet.”

Victoria looks at me with the gaze reserved for children.

Do I really look like a child? This time, it’s purely subjective. There’s no need for me to look like a child.

I had to suppress myself to gain Yasle’s trust in the Future Hope Church, but it’s fine to part ways with Victoria here.

Soo-oh’s last words before chanting the spell are still lingering.

By the time we finished talking, we reached a small hill. There are traces of collapse scattered throughout the hill.

The base where I was summoned was dug out in this area, so if it collapses, the whole thing sinks.

“Wow, this is all destroyed.”

Victoria looks around in amazement. Following her gaze, it retraces her path in reverse. The final destination is the place where she was abducted.

She remembers every place she passed through.

After thinking about something, blinking her eyes and staring into space, she suddenly looks down at me and speaks.

“You, you don’t really have anywhere to go, right? Let’s go together.”

It’s true I don’t have a specific place to go, so I nod.

“Alright.”

“You agreed so quickly. Were you waiting for it?”

“It’s fine wherever we go.”

“You shouldn’t follow strangers who offer candy outside.”

“That’s obviously what you should do.”

Because making wicked people into harvesters gathers warmth quickly.

It gathers fast, in large amounts, and ends swiftly.

Harvesters made from virtuous people are like healthy food, while those made from wicked people feel like fast food.

Of course, if the world is dominated by wicked people, they might live longer and give me more warmth. But so far, harvesters who only chased benefits and wielded power usually starved to death quickly.

Thinking about that while answering, Victoria looks at me with an intense expression.

“You. Until we reach my house, don’t stray from me.”

And she said seriously,

It’s funny because she’s treating me completely like a child, so I say,

“Obsession is bad.”

“It’s not obsession, it’s protection. Anyway, you were this huge monster, and now you’re completely like a kid…”

Victoria grabs her head as if it hurts. Objectively, it does make sense. Victoria, still a student, sees someone who looks younger than her.

Plus, no sense of caution in behavior.

It’s understandable she’d be troubled.

Victoria looks around, then tightly grabs my hand and starts walking.

“You called me a monster, yet you’re holding my hand too tightly, aren’t you?”

For some reason, it feels like Soo-oh’s perspective, so I point out the comment Victoria muttered earlier as a joke.

“I think the same thing. But you’re just too much like a kid. By the way, how old are you?”

Age…

If I count only human memories, how old was that again?

“Almost three digits but still two digits?”

“You were basically a grandma.”

Even while exclaiming that, Victoria keeps holding my hand as we walk. The direction Victoria is heading is the harbor where she was abducted.

Looks like she plans to take me back home.

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