Chapter 45

What should I do…

A man burst into the room and started screaming his head off.

I can hear people running from outside the door. The clanking sounds mean some heavily armed folks will be barging in soon.

Tungkesuni is watching the guy who collapsed on the floor, shaking with a lifeless face. Let’s assume she’s panicking because of threats.

Is it such an unusual sight that it made him faint?

Maybe it could be seen as a ceremonial parade with purple orbs floating above heads?

No, people around here probably rarely encounter something like this.

Back when I was human, I considered dancing to legendary pop tunes, but here they’d likely just swing swords at me thinking I’m doing some weird voodoo.

Even though my head’s covered by a dark purple orb and I’m halfway zombie-like, it’s quite the shocker…though kinda disappointing.

Time to figure out what I need to know about these orb people.

Because knowing about these orb people might help me escape this place.

Tungkesuni has no choice but to stay put. If she realizes I can’t get out of this mess, she’d be justified in stabbing me.

It’s not like I made some mysterious magical contract with Tungkesuni where if she doesn’t write books, something terrible happens.

Just a regular person-to-person contract.

There’s always a risk of getting scammed, but we still choose to trust each other.

Though in reality, “trust” is written but means “the force of law.” And without painful enforcement, contracts have no value.

I use this illusion of trust regarding myself.

In other words, from Tungkesuni’s perspective, she thinks she made a dangerous contract with some powerful outsider entity that’ll kill her if she breaks it.

I deliberately planted that misconception.

So I can’t rely on Tungkesuni. Need another approach, but I don’t trust my own persuasion skills.

Not the kind of smooth talker who can instantly charm people, so instead I intimidate while pretending to be some superpowered outsider.

Though right now it’s more like stomping someone’s head into the dirt. Still counts as persuasion though. Yep.

Currently, the only unit under my control are these orb people.

Speaking of which, technically none of them have ever truly contained me.

To put it metaphorically, it’s less like containing me and more like flipping a cup upside-down into the ocean.

Grab any nearby orb person. Preferably one around Rebecca Rolfe’s height for easier light exposure. Then gently push me in, like before when giving blessings.

Dark purple smoke emerges. When it happened with Rebecca, cracks formed on her arm with dark purple mist seeping out, but this time the arm itself turns smoky.

Ah, so that’s why I could stick my hand into Tungkesuni’s chest earlier.

The dark purple mist flows in without resistance. Inside, there’s faint traces of purple energy swirling around black light.

Hmm…

Uuuuhh…

Oh!

I’ve successfully entered.

And deeper than usual too…

Sssshhhh…

The dark purple orb slowly shrinks. Then a girl’s face pops out – one of Tisah’s granddaughters.

As I watch, her eyes open.

“Grandpa?”

Oh no, it’s a kid. Figures, anyone Rebecca Rolfe’s height wouldn’t be an adult. If she screams now, there’s no going back.

Kid’s screams tend to drive adults into chaos.

Trying to close my eyes, but my hands are misty smoke right now.

Just as I think “this is bad,” the little girl closes her eyes on her own.

Huh?

Not like I’m consciously controlling her? Just feels like normal observation from inside. Weird.

“Infernal witch, stay away from the holy one!”

Suddenly, an armored knight charges at me and swings his sword. The blade cuts right through my neck.

Ding!

My head rolls off again.

Seriously, how many times is my head getting chopped off today?

Of course, the severed head blurs and disappears like a low-res image, while a new one regenerates instantly.

Looking at my opponent, the knight’s holding the girl protectively while pointing his sword at me, preparing to strike again. So I use the orb person to restrain him.

“Graaaah! What are you all doing?! Protect this holy presence immediately!”

His shout prompts the people near the entrance to start moving. If this continues, both the orb people and I are doomed.

Quickly, I thrust my hand into the nearest orb person’s chest.

Since my hand’s turned to dark purple mist, there’s no messy blood or flesh, just smooth entry. As the black light consumes him, the purple orb on his head slowly shrinks.

Then the man’s face appears.

“What…what’s happening?”

Crap, he’s conscious.

If he panics now, things will spiral out of control. Wish he’d close his mouth and eyes like the girl did earlier…

Wait…

He does exactly that.

Is he obeying commands? Or am I directly controlling him? Feels more like he’s following orders. Don’t know how, but facts are facts. Interpret later.

Need to act fast.

What to do…

At minimum, restoring their appearances while maintaining consciousness would help expand our numbers. That gives us a chance to turn the situation around.

Immediately grab the knights holding swords and shove myself in to remove their orbs.

During this process, I realize something important.

Normally, I need to say the lines:

“I offer myself to you. In return, when you complete everything, I’ll take all you possess. Deal?”

Verbal contracts reduce resistance when entering.

But these guys have no resistance. Already lost their warmth? But previously, warmth-drained monsters were connected to me yet hostile.

Concluded: losing warmth turns creatures into hostile monsters.

Feels like contracts were already made long ago.

They all have purple hair. Tisah originally had brown hair.

Could descendants of the Blessed One automatically inherit contracts? Like rental agreements that continue unless explicitly terminated?

Then why no shared vision?

Oh no…

Contract transferred but they haven’t accepted me yet?

Contract ended but fulfillment pending?

More Blessed Ones benefit me.

Good is good.

Expand first.

I circulate around the room, transforming orb people into Blessed Ones.

Glance at the entrance where armed people hesitate to enter, weapons drawn.

All frozen in fear, including the guy who earlier collapsed from screaming. He’s now glued to the doorway.

Check faces behind them.

No priests from the Seongsin Church visible.

Seems nobody definitively knows my true identity. Though hidden observers might exist, at least memories here show no knowledge.

Assume unknown for now and proceed.

Have some time before restoring dozens of people to normal.

Need to think during this period.

Tungkesuni?

Her smile grows wider with each new Blessed One I create.

Scared smile.

From her perspective, probably looks like a monster increasing its host population.

But she already agreed to write the book. No plans to spare her. She’ll read it to obtain the summoning method.

Books will be clean.

Likely much smaller volume too.

Faster than cutting and pasting Yasle’s memories, can directly transmit the summoning method.

While quickly sorting out present and future matters, number of orb people steadily decreases.

Running out of time.

Need to decide my position moving forward.

Can’t pretend to be normal anymore after showing head regeneration. Rule out playing righteous hero coming to save everyone.

Could betray Tungkesuni, make her write then kill her, but given people’s memories here, she won’t immediately be labeled a witch and imprisoned.

Already said it.

King Tisah was good.

Continuously spread positive influence. This is Ansellus Kingdom’s most prosperous era.

Trials remain fair for now.

After hearing Tungkesuni’s story, they’ll likely cross-verify. So need to keep her under control.

If she escapes, no way for me to catch her.

What to do…

How to establish legitimacy in this situation…

Even if survival isn’t guaranteed, stop overreaching. With nothing, excessive desires are mere fantasies.

Just need to survive until Tungkesuni finishes writing.

Whatever she says, the newly blessed people here mustn’t die. Conversely, Tungkesuni can’t become a regicide and lose her head either.

Until the book’s done.

Yes.

Set direction.

Make resolution.

Ultimately, this role was given by Tungkesuni. If things go wrong, blame her entirely.

After transforming the last orb person, I sit beside Tisah’s corpse.

Checked the upper body cracks while I was up, but still clueless.

With a simple “Rise now,” awareness returns to Tisah’s bloodline present here – his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Looking at them, I state the facts.

“I am what humans call an outsider. I’ve come to collect payment according to the contract from those I’ve blessed. Is there some divine law in your Seongsin Church that prevents contract enforcement? Isn’t it true even in your laws that prior contracts take precedence? Answer me, humanity.”

First strike victory. Come at me if you’re mad, Seongsin Church’s god.

Pouring my soul into outsider roleplay…

After restoring the final orb person, I sit beside Tisah’s body.

Checking the upper body cracks yielded nothing useful.

Simply declaring “Arise” causes awareness to return among Tisah’s blood relatives present – his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Looking at them, I state the facts.

“I am what humans call an outsider. I’ve come to collect payment according to the contract from those I’ve blessed. Is there some divine law in your Seongsin Church that prevents contract enforcement? Isn’t it true even in your laws that prior contracts take precedence? Answer me, humanity.”

First strike victory. Come at me if you’re mad, Seongsin Church’s god.

I pour my soul into outsider roleplay…

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