A few days have passed, and Cheonma hasn’t shown up.
But did anyone else come during that empty time? Nope, no one.
Wow, seriously?
They really hyped it up!
I guess they’re busy watching the Promotion Battle. It’s a once-a-year event, right?
I can understand that.
This time, the one who climbed up from the very bottom to challenge everyone is Oh Myeong-seong.
He even decided to challenge Cheonma.
The Cheonma Church ignited with bets on how far he can go. At first, I thought it was just that, but then I realized there’s not much entertainment in this world.
When such a thrilling event happens, everyone will be glued to it.
As for me, I can watch both the gaze of the two and the onlookers from the Harvesting Period, but Soo-oh isn’t in the same boat, is she?
To get stronger, she needs to watch high-level matches too.
So, on the last day of the Promotion Battle, when Oh Myeong-seong was set to battle Cheonma, I took Soo-oh’s hand and headed toward the village.
Upon entering the village, it was packed with people from the entrance.
Seriously, where were all these people hiding? The streets are so crowded.
It even seems like there are more than last year.
“Wow.”
Soo-oh gasped beside me. Has she never experienced such a crowd before?
Well, if I dig through my memories, she might have. There were times when a bunch of kids her age gathered while working at the Cheonma Church. She had been bullied there, so maybe that’s why she’s okay in a crowd.
I know that if someone lacks social skills, they can be scared merely by a lot of people, but it seems she’s not like that.
Not long after we entered, Inshimwon came right over.
“You’ve come.”
“Is it strange to come today?”
At my question, Inshimwon nodded. The duel between Cheonma and Oh Myeong-seong.
He knows that it’s not just about Cheonma and the challenger fighting.
It’s a match between the Harvesting Periods.
A fight that happens among those who use me as a weapon. Of course, I’ve seen similar things, but they used their own abilities rather than pulling me out as a weapon.
“I will lead you to a good spot.”
“Let’s go.”
I was wondering if we’d see well from afar, but since he said we’d go to a nice spot, I immediately nodded in approval.
This is how connections work.
Hehe.
So, I headed to the arena with Soo-oh.
It’s not a proper venue with spectator seats, just a wide-open square in the middle. The good spots are in the tall buildings around the square.
Originally, it’s a place where high-ranking believers reside, but on such days, it seems to be commandeered.
Yeah. It’s not rented out; they just push through with strength and power.
I really like this.
The more rough it is, the more I shine.
In a society where violence is prioritized, immediate powerful gains can be made. It’s an attractive bait, right?
So, shouldn’t they come to me quickly, saying the Harvesting Period is near?
I pondered as I headed to the highest floor and entered a room with a window overlooking the square.
“Wow, Choseol. This place is amazing.”
Soo-oh seemed more fascinated by the interior than looking down at the people outside.
Didn’t she see an even better interior while working elsewhere?
Or perhaps back then, she was too tense to enjoy it.
That place was where a kid could die at any moment.
Even failing to adapt could mean death, and if a high-ranking believer was in a bad mood, one could be killed just for fun.
Such a world isn’t supposed to be ‘normal,’ but in the Cheonma Church, it certainly is.
Having grown up in such a world, Soo-oh likely faced similar experiences.
Things learned in childhood are hard to forget, right?
Just like how a person who grew up in an abusive environment would tend to pass that violence down to their children, a Cheonma Church member would likely pass down similar ideologies to their offspring.
Of course, it’s not like everyone who was abused would do the same to their children, but how many of those are there?
More often than not, there are people who are unaware of their actions.
Only a few would be considered the ‘special’ ones.
Evil spreads more easily and further.
Even those who learned it don’t realize they’re doing something wrong because it’s just a ‘normal’ thing for them.
And that’s how people are easily broken and manipulated.
Why do malicious customs arise in the military?
Once they vanish, they can reemerge. Even in places without military presence, people begin to torment one another as if they were in a military environment.
That’s not only because it’s enjoyable and fun, but also because it breaks people down, making them obey easily.
Power is sweet.
I enjoy that sweetness. It’s what fuels my warmth harvesting. If most people were morally upright, I’d actively drain warmth from their lives.
But most people live swept up in instincts and impulses.
Hehe.
A world where many feel uncomfortable with this fact is a good world. I wish all worlds were like that.
“Choseol, let’s have something like this at home too!”
Suddenly, Soo-oh yelled from the soft bed.
“I’m not going home.”
“Oh. Right. I guess that makes sense.”
The house is rectangular, and the shorter corner is shorter than the shortest corner of the bed.
Of course, I could mention it to Cheonma to change it, but I have no intention of doing that. If she wants to, she has to tell Cheonma directly.
Once a desire is born, fulfilling it is quite delightful. It’d be nice for her to experience something like that once.
And just getting something without putting in effort could also result in it not fitting and having to throw it away.
“It’s starting soon.”
I said as I looked out the window. People gathered around the square, and in the center stood a blue-skinned woman in black and a white-clad man with purple hair.
The announcer boomed as they introduced the challenger first.
Then came the introduction of Cheonma.
As Oh Myeong-seong was introduced, the crowd that only cheered suddenly bowed and shouted, “Cheonma!”
Soo-oh was stunned by the aura of Cheonma and was staring in amazement.
After the two side exchanged greetings, they drew their swords, and the fight began.
BAM!
It was hard to believe the sound was caused by swords clashing, as a shockwave erupted, sending people surrounding the square flying.
“Oh my….”
Inshimwon, standing beside me, gasped in awe.
And it was as if it started with an introduction, as the swords of Cheonma and Oh Myeong-seong moved swiftly, clashing against each other.
Every time swords clashed, a thunderous noise erupted, and sparks flew like a chainsaw whenever the blades collided.
One move, two moves, three moves.
Cheonma and Oh Myeong-seong gradually quickened their pace until by the second move, I could no longer track them with my eyes.
But I still sensed how many times they bounced off each other.
Sometimes Oh Myeong-seong would bounce off twice with his arm, while Cheonma would once. What does that mean?
I might remember how to fight, but I don’t fully understand how well they fight.
Anyway, I can’t see with my eyes.
Six moves, seven moves, eight moves.
And from the sidelines, Soo-oh seems absorbed, watching. No, it’s not just Soo-oh. Gapjae is on the platform, while Byeongil is about fifty degrees clockwise from where I am, all gazing at the fight as if entranced.
And now the tenth move.
Like a rebound, Cheonma and Oh Myeong-seong distanced themselves.
Then, a violet aura surged from both their swords.
But something strange.
Soo-oh was focused a little above the tip of the sword I could see.
It’s not just Soo-oh; Gapjae, Byeongil, and Inshimwon look the same.
There’s something much bigger than what I can see.
This means I can’t see Qi at all. Is this also why magic seemed bland in the first world?
Perhaps this is also why I couldn’t properly use Rebecca’s body.
While pondering this, they clashed again.
Of course, from my distant view, I can’t see anything now; only those who can sense it or the fighters themselves can feel it.
The sound echoing from them fighting is no longer like two people fighting; it’s a loud noise like two giant machines colliding.
By now, there are hardly any people surrounding the square.
After the violet aura surged and clashed once, most of the people lost consciousness and fell to the ground.
And with the continuous shockwaves, they rolled away to the opposite side of the square.
However, there are still some awake.
Since they’re people I’ve seen with Cheonma, they all must be skilled individuals.
Now, the sound of swords clashing almost sounds like a continuous vibrating noise.
One misstep could mean losing a limb, no, it feels like one might just vanish completely.
But surprisingly, the fight concluded neatly.
At the 279th move, from Cheonma’s perspective, both stepped back.
I thought the fight would resume, but Oh Myeong-seong stacked his hands.
“I admit my defeat. Thank you for the teachings.”
Unlike the beginning, it was so quiet around that I could hear him clearly.
Then, Cheonma praised him for his skill, while offering him a title called “Light of Cheonma.”
Simultaneously, cheers for Cheonma echoed all around.
So I couldn’t hear any more exchanged words between the two. With everything to see over, I patted Soo-oh’s back, who was still in a daze, staring out the window.
“Let’s go home.”
“I want to meet Musabu!”
Immediate resistance flew back.
Soo-oh looked as if she desperately wanted to go tell Cheonma what just happened. Inshimwon next to us had a bitter smile. He’s looking like it’s none of his business.
“If you’re thinking of approaching someone who’s exhausted, you can go.”
Soo-oh pondered deeply at my words. Why is there so much for her to think about? I threw out a remark for her to know what choice she’s making.
In other words, I advised her to think of the other party. But seeing her character, it’s only natural she’d ignore that. Lately, her rebelliousness has increased, and as family, it wouldn’t be odd for her to start asserting herself.
“Hmm. I’m good for today. Let’s go back.”
That’s strange.
Soo-oh didn’t ignore my words.
Instead, she grabbed my hand. Her hand is shaking, oddly enough.
I thought the current Soo-oh was hard to understand, but I walked back home with her.
