The situation gradually worsened.
And as the situation became urgent, people came to me.
Especially those who had fled after suffering serious injuries in battle came to me, risking their lives, bowing their heads and asking for blessings.
They said the Cheongong clan leader had forbidden anyone from entering where I was, but it wasn’t that the Cheonma Church members believed in the authority of the Cheongong clan leader or the power of Cheonma.
They were simply terrified of the bugs swimming inside their bodies, the Sam-si.
This bug causes immense pain to anyone who dares to rebel against higher-ranking members within the Cheonma Church.
The bug has created a structure where it attempts to rise up in rank at any cost.
However, I learned that once the harvesting period begins, the bug inside will disappear.
Moreover, once I realized that severed arms, legs, and severely damaged body parts would fully regenerate, people came to me fully prepared to die.
But only three a day.
A game of subtlety began to unfold.
And those above, who should limit it, remained silent as anyone unable to fight could return to the front lines.
The upper echelons were too busy engaging in faction battles.
Some wanted to push Oh Myeong-seong out, others aimed to make Gumi Mil their leader, while others had entirely different agendas. It’s all very diverse.
On top of that, the clan leader was systematically unearthing the convoluted threads of the Cheonma Church. Though the traces of severing ties remained, they had also bound people together.
As the traces of pain, which had restrained the people, disappeared, they gradually began to find their freedom.
To put it another way, they were losing control.
Actions taken for a greater good were ironically dismantling the cohesion of the Cheonma Church and ultimately leading to its disintegration.
The clan leader had inadvertently aided in the downfall of the Cheonma Church.
However, the Murim Alliance that the Cheonma Church must contend with is of a colossal scale.
When the harvesting period ends a life, I gain the warmth along with the memories of the deceased. Of course, I don’t obtain everything, but by organizing fragmented information, I can learn a lot.
The Murim Alliance is vast.
Moreover, it’s growing even larger.
As it expanded to the extent that it influences the entire region where people reside, it became so significant that not joining it could lead to losses.
Dividing into factions is an ancient tradition among people.
Especially in a world where groups have formed by catering solely to those within their own perimeter for extended periods.
No, to be precise, it’s the opposite.
Continuing from the tribal era.
A massive war of such proportions occurs that it shatters identities, and unless there’s an event so terrible that all conventions and values are obliterated, it’s hard to accept the grander concept.
After all, people have survived till now primarily due to the social identity they have built.
It’s almost like a hodgepodge, but the growth of a massive group works smoothly as long as there’s an immediate goal.
Annihilation of the Cheonma Church.
For a world where not many will die again like in the era when deities roamed.
Being a victim offers a lack of restraint in pursuing vengeance.
There’s no resistance to killing people. Because it’s not just about killing people; it’s about slaying the wicked for our families, our interests, and the greater good.
Ideologies sometimes spread with more intensity than narcotics.
If someone is somewhat skilled with a sword in the Murim Alliance, they come to hunt the Cheonma Church.
On rationale, there’s a righteous cause, and in reality, the more people someone kills, the higher they rise in rank.
The scale has grown so immense that it’s being monitored by the central government ruling over this vast land, but they are unlikely to take action until the Cheonma Church disappears.
Why would they? They don’t pay taxes anyway.
They’re no different from wild animals.
What happens after the Cheonma Church collapses is anyone’s guess.
In any case, the Cheonma Church is fracturing while the Murim Alliance is expanding.
In terms of numbers, the Cheonma Church will fall.
The signs are already present.
Now it has been about ten days since the war began.
During that time, Cheonma hasn’t come even once.
To be precise, they’ve been unable to come.
As days pass, Cheonma Church members die. And is it true that unfortunate events tend to overlap?
Now there are more people selling out the Cheonma Church in the nearby villages.
Conversely, the number of those coming from the Murim Alliance is gradually increasing. Not just the weak, but skilled fighters too.
The answers are becoming clear.
I thought this while sending the harvesting period visitor home and sitting on the porch.
Unlike the dire situation viewed through others’ eyes, not much was happening here.
Since it became known that only three could be harvested a day, sometimes when more than that number approached, there would be quite a commotion, but that was the most significant trouble here.
So far, nothing major had happened.
Not yet.
*
The next day.
Finally, a Murim member had reached a position where they could see the Cheonma Church.
As a result, the bells rang loudly enough to be heard from the main hall to my house. Guess the alarm bells sound similar everywhere.
Ding-dong, ding-dong, the loud noise filled the location of the Cheonma Church.
Nonetheless, the number of those arriving at the Cheonma Church conference room was only half of what it should have been.
Ultimately, those present, including Cheonma and Oh Myeong-seong, decided to engage in battle immediately.
From the northwestern entrance of the village, an army from the Murim Alliance, wearing white headbands, appeared, and the battle had already begun.
“Choseol. Stay inside.”
I was leisurely watching the ongoing situation from indoors when suddenly Soo-oh frowned, brandishing her sword as she stood up.
“What’s happening?”
“There’s a hostile intent.”
With that, Soo-oh opened the door.
As the wooden door swung open, the yard came into view, but there were no signs of life around. Not a glimmer of light either.
I thought perhaps Soo-oh had sensed what was happening in the village, but as soon as she stepped outside, a sound sliced through the air.
Whoosh!
Soo-oh raised her sword, deflecting something.
What fell to the ground was an oddly shaped arrow.
No, it wasn’t an arrow. It looked like an arrow, but it was a solid piece made of metal.
“Choseol, get outside. Quick!”
Soo-oh suddenly approached me, grabbed my arm, and pulled me outside.
Not long after, a long iron rod pierced the house. If I had stayed inside, I would have been skewered.
The Cheonma Church headquarters is atop a cliff, and the only entrance capable of being accessed is a gentle slope from the north to the west.
At the most gradual western side lies the village, which is currently being invaded by the Murim Alliance members.
Well, that makes this a flanking maneuver.
“Choseol. They’re the bad guys.”
Soo-oh held her sword, overlaying it with purple smoke. I shifted my gaze to where Soo-oh was glaring fiercely.
From the north woods, arrows were flying. At the edge of the forest, a silhouette of a person camouflaged with natural materials was approaching this way.
The distance from here to the forest is quite far.
But you mean to say they shot those iron rods from there?
If one possesses internal energy, they can exert superhuman strength. Given that premise, it’s not impossible, but to shoot so many at once?
The figure approaching here was holding something strange in their hand.
It was neither a bow nor a crossbow.
It looked like a spear gun, but there was no sound when the spikes flew earlier. That means, at least, it wasn’t using gunpowder.
Soon, they aimed the spear gun’s pointed section at us.
And right after.
Without any sound, a spear came flying our way.
Soo-oh grabbed my arm and threw me aside, raising her sword.
Crash!
Metal shards scattered in all directions.
Yet, Soo-oh stood there, sword in hand, completely unharmed. She deflected them all.
“Grr.”
“Don’t!”
I was about to say something in response to Soo-oh’s scream, but instead, it came out as a wheezing gasp due to the iron piercing my chest. My lungs and diaphragm were pierced through.
Due to my larger frame, and considering the wide spread of the iron spikes, it wasn’t an attack from which a person could simply escape even if tossed aside.
One pierced my chest, and another skewered my thigh.
Thus, synchronizing with the light, I immediately drained warmth from them.
From far away, flesh and bones erupted, and the weapon held in their hands embedded itself into their flesh. Although just parts of them, as I glimpsed their memories, I realized a startling truth that I had somewhat anticipated.
The name of this weapon was Sealing Needle.
It’s a technique of the Immortal.
Two peculiarities.
First, the container. This is a device that shoots the needle. It’s presumed to utilize qi in a manner similar to how magic works in the First World.
And the Iron Spike called Sealing Needle. Once embedded in one’s body, it drains the qi from them. Given the differing appearances before and after firing, it seems there’s a mechanism that allows qi to be absorbed only after firing.
The two humans, transformed into monsters after losing their warmth, went into a frenzy in search of it.
But they were swiftly subdued by weapons reminiscent of lightsabers.
They’re strong.
Their identities are disciples of the Immortal.
It refers to those who learn by studying in the realm where the Immortal resides.
If I were to speculate based on the fragmented memories remaining, it seems similar to how Daegon creates Fishmen loyal to him.
Using humans to create their kind.
It seems all Immortals employ such methods.
They came equipped with a special item called a treasure to remove those who create harvesting periods.
Yes. I thought they were targeting Cheonma through flanking, but it wasn’t the case.
The Murim Alliance aims to eradicate the harvesting period of the Cheonma Church, while these individuals intend to eliminate me.
To be precise, both factions, the Murim Alliance and the Immortal side, must have made this decision.
They must have drawn out the souls of Jungjae-woo and Byeongil, extracting diverse information regarding the Cheonma Church.
In other words, the goal of the faction described as disciples of the Immortal is me.
I looked over at Soo-oh, who was fidgety beside me.
Wow, but I didn’t know Soo-oh would be this strong.
I had an inkling she might be somewhat strong, but this level? I began to advance again, observing the disciples of the Immortal. Then I looked back at Soo-oh.
With this level of strength, she should manage to survive on her own.
I pointed east with my finger.
Yes.
There, it’s just stone pillars and a complex lake.
It simply means to flee far away.
If the Cheonma Church wins, we can return later. Otherwise, we can just make a break for it like this.
After all, surviving is the priority, right?
Soo-oh looked at me with teary eyes.
I held both of her cheeks, bumped my forehead against hers, and pointed again in the distance.
Soo-oh mumbled for a while but ultimately raised her sword, moving forward.
Huh?
No, I said to run away, didn’t I?
“I will protect Choseol.”
Soo-oh said, raising her sword.
Really.
She just doesn’t listen.
What a fool.
