Hehe.
I have gained the memories of both Jeongha and Guseongyong.
When Cheonma shot a beam of light and killed, I worried if I could still gain warmth, but not only did I receive warmth, but the memories came through perfectly as well.
With the memories of the two leaders, I learned various facts.
If Eunjai is the 3rd Cheonma, then Jeongha is the 6th Cheonma, or that Guseongyong took Eunjai’s traces seriously.
I also realized that Choseol is actually the granddaughter of Eunjai.
So, I’m a descendant. This body.
I guess descendants can’t be overlooked.
While the contract itself remains, to see through their perspective, I need to contain myself.
Logically thinking, it’s natural that I can’t see since I’m not contained.
Although I’ve learned a lot, the more I know, the more I realize how much I don’t know.
As a descendant of the Harvesting Period, can I enter?
If I’m in that world, I could easily reach the descendant of the Harvesting Period, but it seems hard to stretch my hand below the surface.
If I fill in such gaps one by one, I could eventually build an automatic warmth harvesting system. There’s plenty of time, so let’s take it step by step.
In other words, it’s a low priority.
Right now, the highest priority is how Cheonma sees me.
Just before becoming the Harvesting Period.
Cheonma looked at me and didn’t see a girl but rather a vast, inverted ocean in the sky. And Cheonma felt fear toward that ocean.
But that ocean is me.
Cheonma was once the personal bodyguard of the leader known as Guseongyong’s Radiant Guardian. Meaning, Cheonma confirmed Eunjai’s traces together with Guseongyong.
So, he knows what that ocean is. Just as Guseongyong was horrified seeing me, there’s a reason Cheonma might fear me too.
Of course, I did see through Eunjai’s perspective. I wondered if she had dementia in her later years, but I never thought she would see me as a terrifying monster.
Since I actually am a monster, it shows how impressive Eunjai’s skills must be to realize that.
I watch Cheonma while thinking about what to do next.
She examines her naked body and checks her reflection on the surface of the water. After touching her body multiple times, she looks up at me and asks.
“What’s up with this skin color?”
I point to where the shattered corpse is. Once known as Jeonyang.
“If there’s a fatal wound related to life, it turns out like this. As for why it’s blue, I don’t know either.”
I don’t even know why her hair turned purple.
I don’t understand why her skin turned white either. At first, I thought it was just the skin regenerating to a smooth state and turning white.
But even those originally with darker skin turn white.
That does not mean it’s vitiligo, nor are there side effects like sunburns. Since becoming a descendant of the Harvesting Period, they don’t remember suffering from skin issues.
Honestly, I don’t know much about the Harvesting Period.
“Is that so.”
Cheonma said that and slowly walked to where Jeonyang’s corpse is.
There isn’t much left already, but lifting up the chunk of flesh that’s only the upper body, Cheonma looks up.
I can see a few people far away looking down.
Not long ago, Eunchun had thrust a sword at them, and in that moment, Jeonyang jumped down with Cheonma and broke through the wall.
Yet they are quietly looking down.
Yes.
Eunchun died while fighting.
Eunchun could use a bit of Cheonma Martial Art, but she couldn’t win against the three: Oh Myeong-seong, Gumi Mil, and the Radiant Captain Yeong Jeok.
But there’s something odd.
According to Guseongyong’s memories, Oh Myeong-seong uses Heupsung Grand Law. This technique sucks Qi from others and makes it his own.
Yet, he attacked Eunchun.
Meaning he attacked Eunchun while using me as fuel. He attacked Eunchun with Heupsung Grand Law and absorbed his energy.
Maybe that’s why, but I can see the world slightly from Oh Myeong-seong’s perspective.
Of course, compared to other Harvesting Periods, it’s like watching a broken television, so visibility is poor, but I can feel a little.
Hehe.
In other words, he absorbed me with Heupsung Grand Law.
Heupsung Grand Law is a technique for sucking Qi.
So, I might just be a mass of Qi.
Moreover, although it’s very slowly, the clarity is improving. Perhaps with time, Oh Myeong-seong could also become a descendant of the Harvesting Period.
Hmm.
With this situation, it seems those three will die soon. The others don’t matter to me.
But I’m curious about what would happen to Oh Myeong-seong, so I need to save them for now.
Since Jeonyang is practically dead from fighting them, if Cheonma decides, they’ll die.
Even if they team up, they can’t win against Cheonma. They likely won’t even be able to escape.
To see what happens to Oh Myeong-seong, I need time. I need to create that time.
“Cheonma, are you going to burn Jeonyang?”
At my words, Cheonma takes a stance to move away from me while hugging the corpse. It’s like she believes I’m going to snatch his corpse.
“Are you trying to take Jeonyang away from me?”
“Why would I?”
At my question, Cheonma looks at me with a puzzled expression. After stuttering a few times, she finally spoke.
“Didn’t you say you’d take everything once it’s finished?”
Come to think of it, that was indeed in the Contract Document.
Honestly, once I take the warmth, I have no interest in body or light, so this question feels remarkably fresh.
How do I explain this?
If I just say I’m taking the warmth, there’s a chance they’ll find out I’ve been playing around with the word ‘warmth’ until now.
So, I need to phrase it carefully.
Speaking only the pure facts while making it seem suggestive.
“That means I’ll come to see the last warmth. I watched Eunjai’s end too.”
I avoid saying “to take warmth.” I twisted the words so it sounds like a guide to death. But I’m not sure I can keep the deception up until the end.
Gods related to death are basically ominous beings, and my appearance, like an inverted ocean, looks foreboding.
Thus, I must be cautious and watchful.
“I know humankind has a culture for sending off the deceased. They might burn them, bury them, or preserve them. How is it done here?”
I subtly guide them to think about a funeral instead of killing those up there.
Cheonma remained silent for a long time, holding the corpse. After quite some time, Oh Myeong-seong’s blurry gaze shifted, and he changed his position.
Great. If Oh Myeong-seong survives, that’s all that matters.
Now, as long as Cheonma doesn’t suddenly decide to kill them and place their heads on the altar, my goal is accomplished.
“Time to prepare the funeral.”
Cheonma said quietly.
“Does it take about 44 days?”
“What culture is that from?”
After bursting into laughter, Cheonma touched the device, and the elevator slowly ascended. I asked her while watching her.
“My appearance?”
“The infinitely wide, cold, and deep ocean.”
From Cheonma’s perspective, I’m just a girl. But I’m not in focus.
It’s not like the ocean is visible either. But she isn’t reflecting on her memories.
She is looking at me in a different way.
And it only remains in her memory.
That means I couldn’t see what Eunjai saw. I thought she acted strangely in her old age, but her gaze was different.
Since memories remain, I might have to face complicated thoughts when creating future Harvesting Periods.
For now, let’s go with a joke.
“I’m heavy and flow downward! Know that swimming is a terribly hard thing.”
Upon my words, Cheonma showed a look of understanding.
So far, I’ve differentiated between my true self and the body I’m in.
Using terms like humanity or discussing what human bodies are like.
Once I think of it as a monster, I might start to overlook unknown parts as if that’s just how it is. If human, their perspective gets involved, but monsters? Not so much, huh?
Even if one wants to observe an alien form, can you really connect such an ugly sight, like dog paddling, to a powerful monster?
If your imagination is remarkable, it’s my defeat.
Otherwise, it’s my victory.
I’m not a monster that must be dealt with, nor am I a monster so foolish that it’s better to kill it. Finding a balance is difficult.
Clank.
The elevator opened.
I returned to a room full of signs of battle. Cheonma carefully laid Jeonyang’s corpse on the bed.
And from the looks of it, it seems she isn’t thinking about chasing Oh Myeong-seong. There’s a need for time to mourn the dead.
In that time, Oh Myeong-seong would have left the Cheonma Church.
Hehe.
I stood at the door of the room where Cheonma is.
“Humans should cry when they’re sad.”
And I closed the door. Suddenly, a witch came to mind, but she’s gone now. Twisted and broken in that cold sea.
I moved toward the place where Soo-oh is waiting.
