As predicted, Cheonma takes the harvesting period and conducts experiments.
Cheonma pushes them into different locations and delivers distinct messages to each one. But the sentences are really strange.
If you’re going to explain, at least do it properly! Why are there so many metaphors?
The Faded Man yells out “Gal!” from the depths of his memory and wonders if they don’t know how to recite incantations.
He knows from memory, but who teaches in such a dumb way?
If you’re going to teach, at least do it right!
Hearing that, the harvesting period sits awkwardly and moves something presumed to be Qi within his body. There’s a huge difference from what Eunjai does.
Since he remembers how Eunjai did it, can’t he do it too?
Anyway, Cheonma taught three different martial arts to the trio.
Shouldn’t the same martial art be taught for an experiment? Doesn’t Cheonma know about variance control?
There are such questions, but as an observer, I have no choice but to just watch.
Gapjae and Eunchun, these two learned swordsmanship from Cheonma.
Byeongil learned something known as step techniques all by himself.
All three are excitedly mastering their martial arts.
Seeing them thrilled about getting stronger makes them seem really pure.
They soon become astonished by how quickly they are learning.
When I compare their memories, I can’t really see the difference, but they seem to feel a huge discrepancy. They often mumble in surprise about how phrases are interpreted automatically or how this is so easy to understand.
And then there’s Byeongil, who’s bouncing around, saying his body feels so light.
However, none of them use the methods Eunjai employed. They just pull from Qi outside of their bodies, optimize it for their own, store it in their abdomen, and then use it.
When Eunjai became the harvesting period, he used what was in his abdomen and occasionally pulled from what was in his head. Gradually, he stopped using what was below and only extracted what was above.
This is because what’s below depletes quickly and takes a long time to refill, but pulling from above doesn’t get depleted.
I understand there’s a theory of upper, middle, and lower dantian and Qi circulating in the meridians, but honestly, I still don’t get it.
What’s with all this complicated writing?
Isn’t it easier and faster to pull power from above?
Eunjai did the same.
So, I slowly introduced the method Eunjai used to the three harvesting periods. Fortunately, this doesn’t require as much capacity as summoning magic.
And it’s clear how much to cut for someone to accept it.
If someone has a strong heart, they won’t hear my words, but I think these three should be able to listen.
A month after slowly inserting Eunjai’s method into their minds, they finally see light shining from their swords in a purplish hue, and they smile in delight.
But suddenly, Gapjae starts acting strangely.
He’s hiding his power. Having learned how to extract power with his mind and tried using it, he hasn’t used the power in his head even once since.
What’s he up to?
If his power increases, shouldn’t he be able to rise?
He must have been living until now for that reason, so why not use a power he can access?
He looks at Eunchun.
And immediately brags to Cheonma, claiming this is a strong technique and that he could become the master instead of just a guardian.
Cheonma looks at him with an expression of disdain, though surprise glimmers through as well.
Byeongil begins attacking using his step techniques. I can’t help but think he might end up injuring himself, but he emits waves of Qi as he moves.
It’s amazing, but wouldn’t it be better to just slash once more with a sword?
But that’s not the main point.
The main thing is that all three of them began using power pulled from above their heads, just as I sent Eunjai’s memory.
I watched closely while they extracted power from their heads, noticing that they’re pulling from me through the connecting threads.
All the harvesting periods are connected to me. However, by entering someone’s body, I rise from the ground.
If the harvesting period expands, the world collapses.
If all of me is within a person’s body, the world doesn’t collapse.
I still don’t understand. Even now, the thread connecting me doesn’t go down but stays connected through this flesh.
But if I use my power, the world starts to shatter, just like a heavy rock lifting a glass pane.
The laws of the world are also ambiguous.
Logically, if you contain me, shouldn’t it immediately become heavy and break?
Or does this mean it’s fine if I’m inside someone’s body while the harvesting period covers the world?
I truly don’t know. If I go back down, will there still be monsters?
The more time passes, the more unknowns pile up faster than the solutions.
Still, I must do my best to solve one question at a time.
That’s the only way to obtain warmth.
Let’s rewind a bit.
Cheonma checks each of the three’s skills while looking at them. Then he gathers the Cheonma Church members.
He sets up a massive board and holds matches there. Listening through the ears of the three, it’s clear this is a traditional event in the Cheonma Church.
In this event, people fight one another. The victor rises in rank. The Cheonma Church claims only the strong survive, shouting that strength is most important.
While strength is indeed important, one has to be cautious of backstabbers, right? I don’t think humans can handle that stress for long.
So those in power will shape the laws.
To exploit even more easily.
And if someone stronger appears, they can kill with the strength of many.
Especially for a religious group, I’m sure they’ll enforce it even more…
I can’t understand the structure of the Cheonma Church. But whether I understand or not, this society operates that way. I note these questions at the back of my mind and resume observing reality.
Cheonma proceeds with the event, directly introducing the three as those he taught.
Not a false statement.
As soon as he finishes saying that, the gazes of those around shift. But the three stand dignified in their places.
And with Cheonma’s announcement, the event begins.
People draft the matchups and they start fighting.
The matchups are structured so that lower-ranking fighters battle to rise.
Ah, there’s some mechanism in place.
People tire when they fight. However, by frequently fighting, the stronger they get, the more benefits they receive. That’s because they face weakened opponents.
If they’re lucky, they might even end up with serious injuries.
It’s easier to win by fighting.
And, as expected, the rankings are similar.
Between opponents of similar strength, it’ll be a fierce battle. However, they don’t fight against those just above or below them. They fight against someone who has been at the bottom for a long time.
Climbing up is incredibly difficult.
As expected, there’s a rigid ladder structure in place. This is how humans are!
But with sufficient strength, you can leap over it.
Gapjae hides his power while Eunchun and Byeongil display theirs.
Their momentum doesn’t stop.
Rather, the more they fight, the more accustomed they become to fighting. Watching the exhausted ones around them, many are falling from depletion of their Qi more than from physical exhaustion.
But they don’t have to worry about that. They’re receiving infinite supply from their heads.
I’m the one supplying it.
But shouldn’t it feel like the more they pour it out like water, the less they have, or that they’re losing power quickly? It’s a little strange, there’s no feeling of depletion at all.
Am I really that strong?
If it were heavy, I’d get it, but asking if I’m strong? Not really sure.
Of course, if I pressed down with this weight, glass would shatter. But that’s meaningless. Once I feel that heat again, the biting cold will snatch it all away.
If I could hold onto that heat forever, I’d break glass bottles as soon as I entered another world.
Instead, the dip from happiness to cold is so drastic that it’s agonizing. Continuously doing this would likely drive me completely mad.
It’s better to receive warmth little by little.
Since the world is so vast, I plan to maintain a certain balance while harvesting warmth without engulfing the entire world.
If I strike every corner of the infinite world, I’ll gain infinite warmth.
It’s cold, but that means there will also be warmth.
Hehe.
For that future, I will put in the effort.
Gapjae, who seems to have ulterior motives, dropped out early. Listening to him, it seems he got congratulatory remarks mixed with jealousy, a few ranks higher than his original, but that soon faded. Many feel sorry for him instead.
Because Eunchun and Byeongil have grown strong enough to challenge the leader.
They ridicule him for only being able to do this much after receiving training from Cheonma. But Gapjae is thinking differently.
He’s intending to cultivate his own power more. You might think he’s like Tisah, but he doesn’t have that kind of personality.
Instead, he’s sneaky and greedy.
I’ll need to keep an eye on what he does. I can make predictions based on memories, but for now, it’s still unclear.
Meanwhile, Eunchun and Byeongil keep progressing.
Both managed to claim victory against the leader they faced for the first time.
But that was it for Byeongil. After winning, he collapsed there.
Eunchun won once more.
Yet, Eunchun doesn’t look happy. Rather, he stares menacingly at the collapsed Byeongil.
The technique Byeongil used at the end was called Cheonma Gunrimbo, which supposedly neither the current Cheonma nor previous Cheonmas could use.
It was supposed to be a legendary martial art that appeared in practice but never returned, right?
It existed in practice, yet I don’t understand how he knows it so well.
However, Byeongil is receiving more attention.
Both Gapjae, Eunchun, and Byeongil don’t have any time to observe Cheonma, so they have no information on what he’s thinking, which is unfortunate.
But I’m sure.
Cheonma will release my seal.
Because they’ve demonstrated powerful strength.
Of course, I still have the choice of whether to tell the next harvesting period about the method Eunjai used.
Hehe.
One, I’ve obtained a tool I can control.
Let’s see how I can use this to move the Cheonma Church.
Then three days passed.
During that time, Eunchun and Byeongil each took their places among the leaders they had taken down. To celebrate the conclusion of this event, a feast was held with abundant food and drinks.
As the feast came to an end and everyone returned to their daily lives…
Chwa-ru-reu-reu.
“Come forth.”
The ties binding me were released. Peering through, I see a burly, muscular man with a strong jawline looking up at me.
See? My predictions were right?
