The Outer God Needs Warmth-Chapter 94: Soo’s Gangho (14)

Eventually, the only thing left was the request to wait for four years.

And there was also the unpleasant feeling of an empty space where something should have been.

I feel like I’m lost in the vast sea.

Since I am that sea, perhaps there may not even be a path.

Even as I pondered, time moved on.

When the sun sets, I cook dinner with So-oh, and when night falls, I sleep while feeling the night air on the porch.

And when morning comes again, I hold So-oh and tell him the stories I know. Most of them are stories adorned with dreams and hope, disguising justice and morality, and the rest are just a few simple pieces of general knowledge.

I only covered the basics of arithmetic.

I hate doing anything with numbers, so I couldn’t help it.

Anyway, I’m not a parent nor a teacher, so if So-oh doesn’t want to do something, I don’t force him.

So-oh calls me by my name, speaking informally. It’s clear that he doesn’t see me as a parent.

And as far as I know, So-oh’s family is alive. He wasn’t abandoned by his family.

Because all children near the Heavenly Demon Church are forcibly brought in. When they reach a certain age, they are dragged to the Heavenly Demon Church, brainwashed, and have bugs injected into their bodies.

And So-oh knows that this is beyond what any parent can control.

So, instead of having a familial relationship, he likely treats me just like how he was treated in the main temple.

Maybe when he grows older, he might think about returning to his family’s embrace.

No, there’s the matter of the Heavenly Demon. So-oh may not be thinking what I am guessing.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to ask once.

"So-oh, do you miss your family?"

The summer room is so hot that we almost spend all our time on the porch.

At my question, So-oh, who had been lying down on the porch, seemingly stuck to the ground due to the heat, lifted his head.

"Why do you ask?"

He gave me a look, as if questioning why I was suddenly asking such a thing.

"Don’t children want to see their parents?"

I thought most people would feel that way. Even if the family-oriented culture has largely broken down, the bond between parent and child is not easily severed.

So, thinking generally, wouldn’t So-oh want to see his family?

But So-oh glanced around and then asked me.

"What about Choseol?"

"Choseol’s parents are both dead."

Because the former leader of the church had captured Eunjae’s descendants to unlock the secrets of the Heavenly Demon Technique. In fact, they came very close to discovering it.

The Heavenly Demon Technique used by Eunjae was fought through using me.

And since I wasn’t asked but Choseol was, I shared Choseol’s situation. I don’t know what happened to the parents of the man who was once in the faded memories.

"I see. I guess I should meet them someday. Yeah."

It’s a strangely indifferent attitude.

"Don’t you want to meet them? You remember your parents, right?"

"I remember. That’s exactly why I don’t want to meet them."

I tried to understand So-oh’s answer. But I failed. If you remember, wouldn’t you want to meet them?

Looking through So-oh’s memories, his relationship with his parents wasn’t bad. Of course, his older brother and sister disappeared, leaving only his younger brother and sister, but that was a common occurrence in that neighborhood.

Wherever you go, children in the middle stages are missing. They’re all taken to the Heavenly Demon Church, and only about half of them return alive.

There are many ways to die within the Heavenly Demon Church.

Of course, not everyone is like that. Looking through Gabja’s memories, the people living in the village west of the Heavenly Demon Church are not taken to the main temple.

The village attached to the west is part of the Heavenly Demon Church, but there are other villages as well.

To make it easier to understand, think of the Blue House as the main building of the Heavenly Demon Church, with the village to the west being Seoul. The village So-oh was taken from is a provincial city.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. Why are you suddenly asking?"

So-oh asked in a strangely irritated tone.

"I was just curious."

It’s something I had been thinking about for a while, and if it had been yesterday, I would have asked if he would be able to live well if he became independent.

But now, four years are tied up.

So, it became an insignificant question.

For some reason, So-oh crawled over to me, held my body, and buried his face in it. I thought he’d get too hot, but he held on tightly.

As I wondered how long this would last, So-oh finally pulled away, saying he was too hot.

And around that time, the Heavenly Demon approached.

It seems lunch time has already passed.

I stood up from my seat.

"Let’s have lunch first."

"Wow!"

So-oh got up from his seat.

And for the first time, we had lunch together, including the Heavenly Demon who arrived before we started.

By the way, the Heavenly Demon lamented that the food was incredibly tasteless, asking if we ate this every day.

Well, compared to the food the Heavenly Demon eats at the Heavenly Demon Church, it is indeed tasteless.

After cleaning up, the two of them started their training.

I waited for So-oh to train on his own before planning to go to the village with the Heavenly Demon. Then suddenly, I thought it might take too long.

So, I told the Heavenly Demon that I would walk to the village first and then left the house.

It’s time to create a Harvester.

This time, I’ll go to the village with the Heavenly Demon.

If there is an unknown group, it’s important to go with the highest-ranking person.

And if Harvesters continue to be kidnapped, it will be easy to figure out.

I walked across the ground where the heat was rising, heading toward the village. I stood by the entrance of the village, waiting for the Heavenly Demon.

Before long, the Heavenly Demon appeared, having crossed the path I had walked in an instant.

Isn’t she faster than a car?

"Why are you so fast?"

"Because I’m the Heavenly Demon."

It’s funny that she thinks that’s a valid answer, but it’s not entirely wrong, so I accepted it and went into the village with her.

Once inside the village, the atmosphere had clearly changed.

When I entered alone, there were eyes watching me secretly, but now, there’s nothing but awe and reverence. Everywhere the Heavenly Demon walks, people bow to greet her.

If it’s a religion, it makes sense.

The Heavenly Demon Church is more like a gathering of people who worship force, with no formal doctrines or written rules. But it’s still a religion.

No, strictly speaking, there’s only one place with doctrines.

Moonjeongdang.

It operates in a way that feels oddly out of place. While the Heavenly Demon Church is made of religion and force, Moonjeongdang handles only religion.

The Heavenly Demon is more of a symbol.

Of course, I didn’t say this to the Heavenly Demon. We’ve talked about swords and other things, but people’s thoughts are never set in stone, right?

I have no intention of speaking about the fact that I’m seeing things through the Harvester’s perspective. After all, it’s one of the few weapons I have.

And I’m not foolish enough to reveal that weakness. Not knowing the thoughts of a Harvester is a critical flaw.

The Heavenly Demon and I moved through the people who were bowing.

"Who are you planning to bless?"

When we reached the center of the village, the Heavenly Demon stopped and asked me.

I looked around.

There were many faces I had seen before. Some of them were limping. They had been perfectly fine before.

I wasn’t planning to touch them yet.

Hmm.

Yeah. I’m making a plan on the fly.

Where the Heavenly Demon’s power reaches. Perhaps this is the moment when the Heavenly Demon has the highest favorability. Whatever request I make now will be granted.

We’re venturing here.

Moonjeongdang is so secretly hidden that it’s hard to see unless the Heavenly Demon explicitly destroys the Heavenly Demon Church.

I do want to give power to the oppressed, but rather than that, I want to gain knowledge that will allow me to summon myself.

"I will give it to the Moonjeongdang Lord."

The Heavenly Demon’s expression was filled with doubt.

"Moonjeongdang Lord? Why him?"

I pointed at the village with my finger.

"The person who gave me a share of himself has gone missing from here. You’ll remember. The man who gave fruit to So-oh and me with good intentions."

I raised my voice.

"He trampled on the goodwill he gave me. I need to meet the Moonjeongdang Lord."

I made it sound like I was going to ask for punishment. I had no real intention of seeking punishment. After all, I’m the most malicious one.

But if I can gain warmth, I don’t care what happens.

However, the element of helping the lowly is very important.

Outward appearance and justification.

I experienced that power in the first world.

What I’ve learned, I’ll use it well.

First, let’s make sure who’s right.

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"Heavenly Demon. I am the power that the Heavenly Demon Church desires, aren’t I?"

The Heavenly Demon had said this before.

"Yes. You’re at the end of the Heavenly Demon Technique. Or perhaps, you’ll be at the end of all destructive actions."

The Heavenly Demon nodded.

"So rejecting me would make you a heretic? Is the Moonjeongdang Lord truly a heretic? Or not? Hehe. Let’s go meet him."

I scattered the spark.

I joked, claiming that I’m the end of the Heavenly Demon Church, and declared that anyone rejecting me is evil. I provided the justification for those who had helped me with goodwill to defy.

The Celestial Maiden.

She gave goodwill as someone from the heavens. In return, I’m allowed to use that goodwill as a weapon. So, if you get hurt, come to me. If your friend dies, come to me.

I will lend you strength, so do what you want.

Arm yourself with goodwill and find the right path.

No matter how much blood flows beneath that, I will bless it.

I swallowed the words I shouldn’t say yet, then made a few remarks with the Heavenly Demon, criticizing the Moonjeongdang Lord and repeatedly saying that anyone who feels uneasy about my power is an enemy of the Heavenly Demon Church.

Then, together with the Heavenly Demon, I went to meet the Moonjeongdang Lord.

It’s time to acquire knowledge.