I pulled my hand back when I noticed the fine hairs on Hyungkeshni's face standing completely on end.

She fits the wild animal metaphor perfectly—the kind that eats whatever is given but remains sensitive, as a wild creature should.

As I stepped back, my gaze shifted to the oversized staff that seemed ill-suited for Hyungkeshni’s small frame. It radiated a sticky aura.

It was reminiscent of the weapons used by the warriors of the Future Hope Sect but had a subtly different texture. The standard weapons of the sect were more coarse, whereas this one felt downright viscous.

But honestly, I didn’t like either type.

In a fantasy world, there should be people knowledgeable about magic. However, individuals like Chekina or Patricia, whom I first encountered, had been raised solely as warriors of faith. Their knowledge was lacking.

The person standing before me seemed to possess a wider range of knowledge.

Still, I had to hold back. Move more slowly. Patience was necessary to gain warmth.

I returned to my spot. A beast needs to stay in a safe place.

If not provided warmth, it would throw a tantrum! Sure, a democratic citizen’s ultimate protest might lead to the guillotine, but there was no one here who truly owned themselves, so there was no helping it.

“Do you have any more questions?”

At my question, Hyungkeshni hesitated, then pulled the fabric she had thrown back earlier down over her head, covering it completely.

“Ah, haha. No, nothing. Now that I’ve learned your true nature, that’s enough. This witch shall take her leave.”

With those words, Hyungkeshni, still paying close attention to me, exited through the door.

That person, whether a girl or someone merely appearing as one, was one of the four figures present inside the circle earlier. One of the highest-ranking individuals.

If there were four of them, could they be the Four Heavenly Kings?

Some might not have attended, so let’s tentatively call them high-ranking officials. Someday, I’d like to make them like Joanna, standing loyally by my side.

When I turned my head, Joanna was looking at me with an expression of fear.

Huh?

Hmm. Was there something particularly scary about what I just did? I told Hyungkeshni what she wanted to know, thanked her for bringing me into this world, and shared my gratitude.

She pulled me up from where I had been, endlessly stagnant like a vast ocean.

So, I tried to convey that I was thankful and that no one was inherently bad. Perhaps I should have been more direct?

But exposing myself too openly seemed like a bad idea. Once again, I’m not a mind reader.

Joanna had simply been watching my conversation with Hyungkeshni. I had no way of knowing at which point she began feeling afraid.

Her heart had been beating heavily, and I assumed it was due to excitement. But considering her autonomic nervous system, there wasn’t much difference between excitement and fear.

The turning point seemed to be when Hyungkeshni quietly muttered, "What on earth have we done?" That’s when Joanna’s condition noticeably deteriorated.

If that was when she started fearing me in earnest, could she have been sympathizing with that fear?

I don’t know.

Well, if you don’t know, you ask.

“Joanna. Are you afraid of me?”

At my question, Joanna’s heart pounded violently. Come on, I’m not going to eat you. Joanna slowly nodded but then stopped abruptly, tightening her abdominal muscles.

“Yes, I am afraid.” “Why?”

Her response, spoken with tension, suggested it wasn’t due to an overtly fearsome event. Joanna hadn’t been scared when I absorbed the warmth of that pitiful sacrificial victim.

If she felt fear during this latest event, I had to understand why.

Joanna hesitated significantly. Sure, when someone you serve asks, “Am I scary? Why?” it’s natural to think, Is this person about to kill me? But I had never exhibited any authoritarian tendencies.

Perhaps my position alone made her feel burdened.

Bear it. My curiosity takes precedence.

I tilted my pitch-black eyes, waiting silently in front of her until she finally gave up and met my gaze.

“I was able to barely grasp what kind of person Lady Rebecca truly is, and… that’s why.”

“Is that so? I’m just like stagnant water. Like an endless, still sea beneath a night sky where stars are born, eternally unmoving.”

Huh? Come to think of it, if I’ve been pulled up this far, there’s a possibility that if I return below, subspecies of mine might emerge.

Yesterday, the one whose warmth I drained twisted and mutated. When its head was severed, blue blood spilled out.

I think I saw that light splash into my body when it fell.

If I go back down, I might be in trouble. In the wild, empty territories inevitably get claimed by someone.

Then, I have to do my best in this world.

Wild animals are frightening. Especially since they can attack, whether carnivorous or herbivorous.

Some people will dislike me—enough to feel threatened and preemptively eliminate me.

Maybe I should’ve acted more like a pet. If I were like a cat, I could’ve charmed some animal lovers into protecting me. But Rebecca Rolf isn’t some little girl.

At this rate, I feel like I’ll grow big enough to have three heads. I’m small now, but considering this size already…

Or perhaps, having already died, I might not grow at all.

Mediocre threats are only worth squashing. Either ban something completely for being too dangerous or deem it harmless.

Dangerous isn’t an option. What am I supposed to do with this body? At most, I could take a dozen people with me, but then I’d just end up back at the bottom.

If I’m unlucky, I might vanish even from the bottom.

That wouldn’t be entirely bad, but for now, I want to use this group a bit longer to acquire warmth. After all, I’ve already started planning a harvest system!

It’d be better to seem more harmless.

“I entered this body and am sincerely doing what’s asked of me. Why should anyone fear me?”

Joanna didn’t respond to my question. Instead, she swallowed hard as though words had almost escaped her lips.

To me, it sounded like a vague criticism.

Something like, You’re insufferable.

I’m fine hearing anything, but if I press further, Joanna might collapse from stress. Let’s leave it at this for now.

Hyungkeshni will probably report back to Hieronymus, won’t she? I’ll push the issue further next time we meet. When he makes his decision, I’ll make mine.

I hope he comes by dinner tonight.

Thinking that, I quietly sat on the bed.

Hieronymus found himself in a difficult situation.

The instructor responsible for training the warriors of faith—the highest-ranking one, Witega—had paid him a visit.

Though slightly shorter than Hieronymus, that was only because of Hieronymus’s immense build. Witega himself was by no means small.

The muscular man, like most who had devoted themselves to this religion, had lifeless eyes. Filled with despair and hatred, he was the kind of person who couldn’t live without finding something to vent his frustrations on.

He was also one of the four figures who had been beneath the tiered pyramid.

“Hieronymus, one of the men under me came to me yesterday, asking for a blessing for himself.”

“Reject it, Witega. That power turns people into monsters. We need to start with those lower down the chain.”

Hieronymus was considering various possibilities. The worst-case scenario was that these blessings could make the transformed individuals, like Joanna, perfectly obedient to him.

Therefore, it was essential to begin experimenting on expendable individuals.

“I agree. But the man told me something interesting. He said the woman who received the blessing—Joanna—became a complete monster. A frail old woman turned young in an instant and began catching up to him in skill in just a matter of hours, despite his decades of training.”

Witega crossed his arms, his expression grave, as he stared at Hieronymus.

“Listen, Hieronymus, our esteemed leader. If we can use this, it will bring us incredible power. We wouldn’t have to hide in a remote mountain valley conducting gruesome rituals to summon gods of death.”

“She said three per day. And there’s a risk of them exploding.”

At that, Witega let out a chuckle.

“Come now, Hieronymus. Who in the Future Hope Sect is afraid of that? Isn’t this the blessing of the god our sect worships?”

Humans consumed by despair often became bombs capable of massive destruction. It was a known phenomenon.

Once this phenomenon was widely acknowledged, ironically, it led to fewer cases of people being exploited to death. Instead, the system shifted: young workers would be overworked while given decent pay and hope, only to be discarded when they grew older.

Sent off to distant locations where an explosion wouldn’t matter.

Ironically, this reduced the total amount of suffering in the world. However, major cities remained heavily guarded, and the system became less effective in smaller towns.

As a result, there were still those destined for misfortune.

The Future Hope Sect was one such result.

It exploited and consumed humans so steeped in despair they could no longer think clearly. Mimicking the behaviors of any other nation, it sought to exact revenge on those who had made them this way. It didn’t matter what happened, as long as they could get their revenge. They didn’t care about their own lives.

This was where they became so twisted.

“We need the blessing. If you’re that worried, we’ll start with three young ones. The two most skilled and one least skilled. That should be an easy enough test.”

Witega’s suggestion made Hieronymus pause. One way or another, leaving this unchecked wasn’t an option. It was time to test the usefulness of the entity that had introduced itself as Rebecca Rolf.

Hieronymus took the idea further. If the transformed individuals proved valuable, he could label them apostles of the fabricated god Krssaksshibal and use them for his purposes.

“Very well, Witega. Prepare the blessing. You’ll ready the candidates. If we’re lucky, we can move our plans forward by several years.”

“Plans to escape this miserable underground life, right? I like it. I’m curious about the full scope of what’s going on here. If anyone could create a nation out of this, it would be you. Wouldn’t it, king of the holy state?”

Witega’s words didn’t faze Hieronymus.

“There is no king in a holy state.”

“I know. But what’s the difference between a leader and a king? If you create a nation, give me a position. That way, I can have a voice in whatever you do.”

Witega grinned, cold eyes calculating the shifts in power as he spoke. He, too, had a group he needed revenge against, a group that wouldn’t be destroyed by merely releasing a few monsters.

If the Future Hope Sect grew stronger, his chances for revenge would increase. This was why, despite knowing Hieronymus’s true nature, he had chosen to work for this cult and train warriors.

After all, Hieronymus had recruited him for exactly that purpose.

“If you ever create a nation, I’ll promise you one of the highest positions.”

“Excellent. I know it’s an empty promise, but you’ll keep it because you’ll need me for your revenge. Well then, I’ll take my leave now, Hieronymus.”

Witega stood, but as he was leaving, Hieronymus called out with one last question.

“Do you wish to return as a general?”

Witega waved his hand dismissively and paused at the doorway, gripping the threshold.

“No, give me something higher. It’d be pathetic to return as a general of a ruined nation.”

With that, Witega left, shutting the door so quietly it barely made a sound. Hieronymus, left alone, considered whether to reprimand Hyungkeshni for her unauthorized interaction with the entity. Through the magic-infused surveillance, he gazed at it, sitting idly on the bed.

It appeared docile, like a child.
But remembering how bold and feisty the original personality of that shell had been, it gave him chills.

As Hieronymus continued to monitor the entity, he began organizing the plans for the cult’s future.