Chapter 83

So, listen up.

Cheonma’s back in control of the Cheonma Church.

Well, technically speaking, they never really lost control, since Gyeong-yong’s last-ditch effort failed miserably.

Cheonma still owns the church, but there won’t be a funeral for Jeonyang—at least not yet.

Apparently, they’re preserving the body with bandages until “the right time” for the funeral comes around. Funeral culture is surprisingly consistent everywhere; when it comes to sending off the deceased, everyone agrees it should happen during an auspicious period. Cheonma nodded silently without much fuss.

By the way, according to Cheonma’s perspective, the people handling this are from a place called Woljedang—one of the ten halls associated with the Ten Eternal Elements, though it was previously pretty low-key.

This is where the practitioners who specialize in rituals and sacrifices gather within the Cheonma Church. It’s also tied to my goal.

But I’m not getting my hopes up because, after reviewing the memories of both the previous and current Cheonma, the summoning process is ridiculously complicated.

While Yasure’s method involves simply offering someone as a sacrifice to summon, here we have to meticulously cultivate and nurture the offering before the summoning can even begin.

It’s not something just anyone with newfound powers can pull off.

Of course, appearances might deceive—what I’ve seen so far could change once I actually get my hands on the technique.

For now, though, Yasure’s method using containers seems more efficient than what I’ve observed here. Still, if an organization like the Cheonma Church has the resources and manpower, their approach might work too…

The point is: don’t settle for one method. Keep exploring all avenues because you never know where the breakthrough will come from.

Always remember: relying solely on easy methods might leave you stuck down the line.

Anyway, today marks one week since Cheonma transformed into a woman.

Choseol and I live peacefully in a small house. In the mornings, we wake up, prepare breakfast, rouse the kid, feed them, then spend some time organizing and teaching Soo-oh about this world based on the knowledge I’ve gleaned.

Granted, this info might be skewed since it’s mostly derived from Gyeong-yong’s memories, but that’s unavoidable. After all, even combining the external experiences of everyone else doesn’t stack up against Gyeong-yong’s extensive knowledge.

Surprisingly, even Cheonma hasn’t traveled much beyond their usual territory.

Mornings wrap up with that, and afternoons are reserved for light exercise. I demonstrate advanced techniques I remember, though unfortunately, most require mysterious forces like magic power or qi to fully utilize.

Soo-oh will figure that part out eventually—I mean, I’m not just showing her; I’m also directly transferring memories. People with strong egos tend to reject these kinds of intrusive memories instinctively, either blocking them outright or refusing them altogether.

Having foreign thoughts shoved into your head feels kinda like having your identity trampled on. And let’s be honest—if there were ads mixed in, wouldn’t you want to turn them off?

Ugh.

I’ve gained plenty of skills, but individually, they seem impressive…until you realize how flawed they are and how none of them connect organically.

If only someone would become a harvester after hitting rock bottom, then level up their skills and summon me properly—it’d make things so much easier.

But alas, what can you do? My method isn’t about forcing others to conform to my concept. Sure, brainwashing people into madness and making them summon me would yield quicker results, but we need to think long-term.

Imagine entering a world capable of unraveling my true nature—or inventing technology that could expose everything about me.

Wouldn’t it be arrogant to assume I’ll remain undetectable across every single world?

Humans will fight anyway, whether pushed or not. That’s what I believe in humanity.

Thus, the idea is to empower them while accepting whatever warmth they offer in return. Of course, there’s always the possibility someone won’t kill another person no matter what. Most humans are selfish, but isn’t it normal for a few oddballs to pop up occasionally?

How many people who’ve lost loved ones—family, lovers—can truly lower their sword when vengeance is within reach?

On the flip side, if society becomes overrun by apathetic individuals who shun others, it creates problems. If most people behave this way, the very warmth embedded in light diminishes, leaving harvesters unmotivated to act.

I witnessed this firsthand in the second world.

Humans bred specifically to serve as ingredients for alchemy—those poor souls didn’t gain any physical strength as harvesters. Instead, they developed abilities that hastened their demise. Their light was already dim even before becoming harvesters, lacking any trace of warmth.

They were utterly useless.

A world resembling George Orwell’s *1984* would actually be better. Oppressed people clinging to hope amidst despair can shine brilliantly once they break free.

Not so great, however, is Evgeny Zamyatin’s *We*. Emotionless humans likely possess little warmth, making it difficult for them to find purpose even when driven to despair.

And Aldous Huxley’s *Brave New World* is downright terrible. There, harvesters wouldn’t even exist because excessive pleasure prevents people from falling into despair.

Scarcity fosters desire and greed, creating a fertile ground for growth.

In such a world, those who hit rock bottom will claw their way upward at any cost once they gain strength—even if climbing higher means sacrificing something precious.

Though, if there’s no chance to ascend to another world, all their efforts may amount to nothing.

Still, observing the second world taught me something important:

There’s a way to transcend worlds using neither Yasure’s nor this world’s techniques.

If there’s a second world, there must be a third—and maybe even more!

So, even if I suffer losses now, I’ll invest in the future.

One day, when my harvesters spread across all worlds and send me their warmth, I’ll happily sink into the abyss, content and fulfilled.

Heheh.

When that happens, I’ll surely feel no chill.

“Choseol, what are you thinking about? You’re smiling strangely.”

Soo-oh suddenly approached me mid-workout, tilting her head curiously while scrutinizing my face.

“I was imagining a future filled with warmth. I love warmth.”

Soo-oh frowned slightly, pointing toward the kitchen. She meant the fire burning perpetually inside—a flame that refuses to die out.

“It’s warm over there.”

“Maybe a bit too warm during midday.”

True, the flame emits heat, but otherwise looks ordinary despite its strange properties.

You can’t move it directly. If you stick a branch into the fire, the branch catches flame—but once removed, it extinguishes instantly. The fire only persists within that specific space.

Words like “coordinate system” briefly flicker through my mind but are quickly dismissed.

Once, I considered dousing it with water, but if it went out, I’d have to restart the fire manually with logs.

Understanding its structure isn’t necessary since it works conveniently enough like a phone—so I’ll just use it without worrying about the mechanics.

Anyway, I looked at Soo-oh standing in front of me.

She held a wooden stick in one hand.

Martial arts. How should I proceed?

We’ll need martial arts to survive moving forward, but I can’t teach them directly.

Should I transfer memories? That’d essentially be like handing her a book and telling her to study on her own.

What if the memory transfer gets interrupted midway? Or should I create dire scenarios to force her into practicing?

Why am I stressing about this anyway?

Let her grow naturally. Let her.

Whether she lives or dies, all I care about is receiving warmth.

At that moment, fragments of the faded man’s memories resurfaced.

Weak trainer.

Huh?

No, seriously.

It irritates me when my harvesters turn out weak. Don’t you want your dog to dominate other dogs outside?

Here’s the perfect opportunity to raise someone, yet if she ends up weak, it’ll reflect poorly on me.

Grrr.

Think logically.

Raising someone now will help me train future harvesters effectively. From the first world, I learned expanding numbers recklessly collapses the entire system.

Thus, quality over quantity.

However, killing lots of people requires elite harvesters.

“What are you thinking about?”

“I’m pondering how to handle Soo-oh.”

How do I raise her to become someone worth talking about?

Not that I intend to become a professional educator anytime soon.

That sounds exhausting.

Suddenly, Soo-oh dropped her sword. When I glanced at her face, she rushed toward me with tears welling up in her eyes.

“I wanna stay with Choseol!”

Startled, I hugged her. What brought this on?

Did she think I was going to abandon her?

“Soo-oh, I’ll never leave you.”

Though, it’s possible she might grow to dislike me later during adolescence. Everyone goes through that phase, right?

A memory surfaced—an RPG character I painstakingly leveled up only to lose them abruptly, forcing me to start over.

Guess I romanticized those moments due to lack of real-life experience. Sigh.

I patted Soo-oh gently.

“Just relax. Do whatever makes you happy, Soo-oh.”

Afterward, I shifted my gaze toward the remnants of the fence surrounding our home.

There stood a pale-skinned woman with a complex expression, staring at me intently. Upon meeting her gaze, she leaped over the fence and approached.

“You seem almost human.”

Same line as last time.

“This body is.”

“So are your actions.”

If she knew the truth, she’d probably lose respect for me. Humans should naturally feel that way, right?

Regardless, I know why Cheonma came. Waiting silently, I signaled for her to continue. With a small sigh, she began.

“We’re holding Jeonyang’s funeral tomorrow. Wear the designated attire and attend.”

Even if I can’t participate in weddings, attending funerals is expected. I nodded in agreement, then gestured toward Soo-oh clinging tightly to me.

“Prepare clothes for her too.”

“Understood. I’ll arrange it.”

With that, Cheonma turned and headed back to the main hall of the Cheonma Church.

Funeral…

“Tomorrow’s gonna be busy.”

I informed Soo-oh.

“Funeral?”

She tilted her head, clearly unfamiliar with the concept.

“It’s a ceremony where living people honor and release the memory of the deceased.”

“You lost me.”

She’s too young to grasp it now.

As I watched Cheonma’s retreating back, I picked up Soo-oh—who was still hugging me—and tossed her onto the yard.

“Kyaaah!”

“Finish your workout.”

No cutting corners. No crying faces allowed, Soo-oh.

To sum it up:

Sir, one more set please.

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