Chapter 77

The faint light outside the window had all but vanished, and morning came again after a pitch-black night.

Half-asleep, I dragged Soo-oh out of the room and headed toward the kitchen.

Soo-oh’s body was back to normal, but she didn’t know how to do much of anything. From what I could tell by checking her memories, all she’d ever done was hold a mop and clean or run errands.

Of course, it’s normal for her not to know much—she’s still in single digits age-wise. Still, if someone wanted to put her to work, they could. In this world, there are kids working in restaurants depending on circumstances.

But I had no intention of making her work… because I don’t even know how to cook. Sure, I’m aware of countless recipes from other worlds, but the ingredients here are just a little off.

For example, if I knew how to make kimchi but there was no cabbage or chili peppers in this world, then obviously I couldn’t whip up that dish, right? It’s kind of like that.

At least I know how to prepare things, so the food kinda-sorta looks edible. Today, I managed to avoid burning anything, though if you asked about the taste… well, let’s just say I’d deserve a slap for serving something so bland.

Still, Soo-oh ate happily, which was a relief.

As we sat by the hearth eating breakfast, I noticed some movement outside.

I stepped out to find eight people standing there.

One of them was someone I recognized. He’d been standing where the hall master was when I first arrived in this world—not where the enforcer usually stands, so he’s likely another faction leader.

Judging by his attire, he doesn’t seem like someone who practices sorcery.

“Who are you?”

When I asked, the man I recognized stepped forward and introduced himself.

“My name is Gija Cheon. I am the head of the Heavenly Palace.”

So, he was indeed a faction leader. The “Heaven” here isn’t *that* heaven—it uses a different character—and refers to the administrative wing of the main temple of the Celestial Horse Sect. They handle minor tasks involving maids and servants, meaning this guy would be one of the most reliable contacts if those underlings were moving around. Assuming, of course, reports reliably reach higher-ups.

He scanned me closely before speaking.

“I heard you were a monster who eats people, yet here you are, just a woman.”

Behind me, I could feel Soo-oh clenching her fists, but this wasn’t worth getting mad over, was it? I signaled for her to stay calm and confirmed what he said.

“I don’t eat people.”

Just a woman who needs warmth.

Anyway, thanks to information gathered through some clever maneuvering by Gapjae, this guy turned out to be an antagonist of the current Celestial Horse leadership.

Why did he come here?

His gaze shifted briefly to Soo-oh behind me before returning to me.

“So, it seems. Do you know the person who dyed themselves purple? Some third-rate warrior barely qualified as an enforcer somehow ascended to become a hall master. Is this position really open to anyone?”

Hehe.

Finally, someone wanting to get involved with the Harvesting System approached. Took longer than expected—I thought Eunchun and Bing would’ve shown up right after becoming elders.

But better late than never, right?

I answered him.

“It’s open to anyone. But there’s a daily limit of three people.”

The man named Gija Cheon stared at me intently, trying to figure out what I was thinking. After a while, he asked:

“Are those three chosen by the Celestial Horse Sect?”

Cutting straight to the chase, huh?

“No. It just works out that way.”

The contract document allows for thousands, even tens of thousands, at once, but I didn’t mention that. Fewer numbers mean better control.

People value scarcity more when options are limited. Normally, goods cost money, but in this case, the currency is people.

When choices are restricted, obsession grows stronger.

“Three, huh? Alright then, give your power to these three.”

He picked three men from the group of seven standing behind him and brought them forward.

Some looked tense, staring at me anxiously, while others gazed blankly into space with empty eyes.

They clearly expected me to just hand over my power automatically—as if commanding me was natural. To them, I wasn’t a monster, just someone who grants strength.

This guy already postured against the Celestial Horse Sect earlier, so I considered pushing back here—but decided expanding the Harvesting System would be more beneficial.

So, I proposed the terms.

“I’ll offer myself to you. In return, once you complete everything, you’ll give me everything you possess. Sound good?”

The three agreed, and they transformed into Harvesters—purple-haired, pale-skinned beings. Gija Cheon circled them carefully, inspecting every detail.

“It’s strange. I can’t sense any energy from them. Yet, one of them, who couldn’t even enter the Flow of Energy Rankings, now has their vital force awakened. But it’s not like they’ve been reborn—it’s as if they’ve simply reached their peak potential.”

Muttering to himself, he checked each person’s pulse by grabbing their wrists and probing with internal energy.

Right. One used to be an enforcer, another a mere laborer, and the last one was treated like livestock—just a slab of meat.

Especially the last one reminded me of Choseol.

But unlike Choseol, who spent most of her life suspended in the air bound by ropes, this man grew up differently in finer details. Still, both share the same upbringing—raised without regard for their humanity.

Their cerebral cortexes have almost atrophied; they can barely think. Their vacant stares aren’t random—they’re incapable of thought altogether.

I remember hearing somewhere that extreme stress can turn humans into this state. This guy was deliberately cultivated this way for a long time.

Nails hammered into hands to keep them fixed in place, parasites bred inside to induce convulsions for exercise, feeding tubes inserted into necks to deliver nutrients…

If this world resembles wuxia fiction even slightly, I can guess what these people are used for—ingredients for alchemical pills.

It’s still a hypothesis for now, but soon enough, the truth will reveal itself.

Light and warmth?

Almost nonexistent. Barely a speck. But even that tiny bit is fine by me!

Gija Cheon stepped closer to me.

“This is impressive. I’ll visit often, so if you need anything, just ask me. I’ll provide whatever you require.”

He sounded like someone planning to seize power easily—so funny.

He leaned in close, bringing his face near mine, and spoke directly into my eyes.

“However, don’t tell the Celestial Horse Sect about this.”

Ah, so this was something done behind the Celestial Horse Sect’s back.

Indeed.

This guy also wants to overthrow the Celestial Horse Sect. A majority of the faction leaders have already turned against them, and this man is one of them.

Carefully considering this, I decided how to respond.

“The contract was made with the Celestial Horse Sect first. I honor contracts. But unless asked, I won’t answer.”

Simply operating within the bounds of the contract.

Nothing more.

Figure it out yourself.

That’s what my words implied—multiple meanings packed into a single sentence.

If you don’t understand, it’s your fault.

Hehe.

“You’re giving passive support, huh? You seem sharp, so you’ll probably live long.”

The man chuckled darkly and placed his hand on my shoulder.

“Alright. Now, how exactly does this ‘one day’ work? Does it start precisely 24 hours later?”

While fondling my shoulder, he asked.

Calling it a cooldown period feels weird. It’s hard to explain why exactly “one day” became the standard since there’s technically no cooldown.

There are two criteria that sound plausible enough to avoid further questioning.

Sunrise and sunset.

Which should I choose?

If this guy likes to nitpick…

“Sunrise.”

Without hesitation, he accepted sunrise as the timing.

“So, if I need more power, I’ll have to visit at dawn. Got it?”

Suddenly, his face went pale, and he quickly removed his hand from my shoulder. He stared at his own hand in shock, then looked at me as if I were something terrifying.

Did he try to use qi to probe inside me when he touched my shoulder?

I felt nothing.

Yet this body shouldn’t lack qi perception entirely…

“Forgive me. I shall take my leave now.”

With a half-hearted wave, he turned and hurried away with his group, heading back toward the Celestial Horse Sect building.

What exactly did he see inside me?

Leaving behind only questions feels pretty cowardly.

Ugh.

I returned to the kitchen. As soon as I walked in, Soo-oh ran up and hugged me tightly.

Not sure why she suddenly developed such attachment, but people don’t usually bond this fast.

We spent some time together.

Of course, we weren’t just idling around.

I tried mimicking the techniques Eunjai remembered.

No sword available, so I just swung a stick around instead.

There’s a noticeable difference between male and female movements. Not only that, but my muscles alone aren’t enough to generate proper momentum.

It’s not just about lacking brute strength—it requires another type of energy to propel the motions.

Ideally, qi should flow through certain points, but none exists in my current body.

The lower dantian, middle dantian, upper dantian—all three zones are completely empty. What gives?

I vaguely recall the sensation or memory of manipulating qi in someone else’s body, but I can’t replicate it here.

Even imitating the posture used by others when releasing energy feels futile—nothing flows out.

Looks like there’s no special energy stored here either.

Or maybe all that energy is being consumed just to sustain my presence.

That’s a plausible hypothesis.

So, Rebecca Rolfe could use her heart for extraordinary abilities, but I can’t.

To test this theory, I spent the entire day experimenting, mimicking Eunjai’s movements and the actions of the first-world swordsman.

And what did I learn?

This counts as exercise. Big time.

Doing it with Soo-oh makes it worthwhile.

---