Today.

White snowflakes fell from the sky.

A thin layer of white cotton blanketed the rocky desert, painting it momentarily in white before disappearing as if it had never been there. Well, it’s a rocky desert because it doesn’t rain much.

I came out to exercise today.

Stopping mid-run, I stood atop a rugged rock and looked down below.

Though I say “looked down,” it was only from the perspective of an average adult male’s eye level. Even standing on a rock, this is the view I get because I’m so short.

Still, I’m on a hill. If I lower my gaze, I can see the Future Hope Sect’s village below.

One part of the underground temple, this village has grown considerably in size. Every time I come outside, I notice more houses being added.

The problem is, as the village expanded, houses began to crop up along my exercise path, one by one. So these days, I’ve had to move further out and run along hills instead of flat ground.

What’s curious is that even after changing my route, the believers all seem to know my exercise path. In fact, when I look through the eyes of those I’ve blessed, I see that when I’m not running, many people are running along the paths I’ve taken.

It’s like how people flock to stores that celebrities visit.

“Outsider!” “Wow, it’s the Outsider!” “Over here, Outsider!”

From quite a distance, children waved at me enthusiastically.

Yes.

That’s right.

It worked.

Though complex sentences or detailed information are still challenging, I can now implant simple words into their minds. And this works not just on those I’ve blessed but on most people.

However, it only seems to work on those who are mentally unstable or on children.

In other words, those with little warmth.

When I look up from that endless cold sea beneath the night sky, perhaps the lights closest to me are like them.

But there’s a problem...

Quite a distance away, hiding in the shadow of a rock, gripping her staff tightly, Hyungkeshni is watching me. I thought I had slowly gained her trust, but at some point, she ended up like this.

I shouldn’t have used the word “Outsider.”

It’s strange, no matter how you look at it.

This was my mistake. If I had chosen a different word, she wouldn’t have reacted this way. But using a completely foreign term would have been even weirder, wouldn’t it?

It’s hard to predict whether people can even pronounce it properly or if the meaning would come across.

So I went with “Outsider.”

As a result, the opportunity to access Hyungkeshni’s memories has grown more distant.

Hmm.

What’s done is done.

Rather than obsess over past mistakes, it’s more constructive to think about what to do moving forward. Of course, I’ve properly reflected on my mistake to avoid repeating it.

For now, let’s run one more lap around this area and then head back to my room.

I waved back at the children waving to me from afar and resumed my run along the path.

 

A few evenings later.

Late at night, when most people were fast asleep, someone shook Rebecca Rolf’s body, waking her up.

When I opened my eyes, Hyungkeshni was standing right in front of me. No, she was standing over me.

“Hello, Hyungkeshni.” “Honestly, that greeting feels so contrived, Rebecca.”

The window outside was filled with darkness, and the surroundings were deathly quiet.

Not just quiet—there was an ominous presence suffusing the air. Joanna, who was sleeping in the next room, couldn’t hear the sound of my or Hyungkeshni’s voices.

Normally, she would. Joanna’s hearing is incredibly sharp.

Even while asleep, she can pick up the faintest sounds. I’ve physically felt her monitoring my condition with her ears while I was asleep.

So, the fact that no sound could escape was due to this ominous presence. It’s a simple deduction.

Hyungkeshni was standing on the bed where Rebecca Rolf had been sleeping, with her shoes still on. It’s been a while since my old memories flared up.

Standing on a bed with shoes on.

It’s a disgusting act, but perhaps in this world, it’s not considered strange?

I entertained a fleeting thought, but the truth is, this situation is quite dangerous.

Hyungkeshni is standing over me, holding her staff, its sharp end pointed directly at my heart.

“Your expression doesn’t change at all.”

Well, this is Rebecca’s body, after all. It doesn’t die. It simply reverts to its original state. If a game character dies, it’s a little frustrating, but that’s about it.

“Why are you trying to stab me?”

Though I have a rough idea of what she’s thinking, I asked anyway.

“Do you really not know? Say the word that the cult uses to refer to you.”

Yes, she’s thinking exactly what I suspected.

“Outsider.” “That’s a word I coined. Why is it that so many people now use it to refer to you? Care to explain, Rebecca?”

She seems frantic.

Almost as if she’s afraid of something.

No—she’s afraid of me.

But I don’t intend to say much. After all, I don’t know how to placate her, nor do I think I’m skilled at speaking.

So, I stick to the truth.

“Yes, Hyungkeshni. That’s the name you gave me, isn’t it? So, I let them call me that.”

Oh?

Hyungkeshni’s hackles seem to have risen. She’s staring down at me with a deeply disturbed expression.

“You let them call you that? But you’ve never said such a thing before!”

True. I’ve never said it outright. And with someone always watching when I meet others, how could I?

Let’s simplify this.

I can explain it like this:

“Do I need to say it out loud?”

The implication being that I can enforce it without words.

And it’s true. It’s purely factual, and I did it because I could. Not because I meant to avoid speaking, but it’s a misunderstanding I didn’t bother to correct.

Hyungkeshni’s hand trembled as she gripped her staff.

The veins in her hand stood out prominently. Is she going to stab me?

I’m fine with that.

On the first day, I licked the person who attacked me, even though they used arrows.

In other words, I can lick anyone who attacks me. If it happens again, I could gain Hyungkeshni’s memories.

Lying on the bed, I looked up at Hyungkeshni, who was staring down at me.

Her face was filled with fear.

Fear so intense it was almost laughable.

It’s the kind of expression that only someone terrified beyond reason can make. How is it that the people I’ve licked seem to have such a deep understanding of facial expressions?

Or is it that those who’ve fallen to the very bottom have experienced every possible emotion before they fell?

“You are…”

Hyungkeshni trailed off.

So I waited. I’m not in a hurry—she is. Besides, I don’t want to provoke her into actually driving that staff into my chest.

“You are an Outsider we cannot comprehend.”

In the end, Hyungkeshni left it at that.

Raising her staff, she brought it down toward my chest.

But she stopped just short of stabbing me.

“People close their eyes when they die.” “I am not a person, Hyungkeshni.”

If she’s given up on understanding, that works to my advantage.

At any rate, it seems I’m not going to die. That’s a bit disappointing, perhaps.

Hyungkeshni climbed off the bed. With the space she vacated, I sat up.

Looking down, I noticed her footprints on the bed.

I brushed them off with my hand.

“What are you doing?” “Who stands on a bed with their shoes on?”

Oops.

That slipped out. I thought I no longer retained such sentiments from my human days, but apparently, this was something I couldn’t overlook.

Maybe it’s precisely because it’s such a trivial thing that it’s stayed with me until now.

“So, you do care about your nest.”

Hyungkeshni sneered. Nest—it’s a term more suited for describing an animal’s lair.

Though, of course, she’s not wrong.

Hyungkeshni turned around to face me. Her expression was a mix of fear, curiosity, criticism, and relief.

Pointing a small finger at me, she said:

“No, if you consider that body your nest, then you must take great care of it. You run every day to maintain it.”

True.

From summer to winter, this small body has grown just a little taller. Though I’m still short, I’m taller than Hyungkeshni.

Sitting on the bed, I looked around. The surroundings were pitch black, the walls steeped in ominous energy.

“What is this?” “Magic. Crude by your standards, I’m sure.”

At her words, I shook my head.

“I don’t know anything about that.” “Are you saying you have something more incredible?”

Hyungkeshni snapped. She looked like someone who’d just been told, “You’re not good at what you’re best at.” But I shook my head again.

“Everything I can do—blessing someone or conveying my will—is something I learned after coming to this world.”

Or maybe… just maybe?

“Could you teach me that?”

Hyungkeshni stared at me intently before turning her head away. The black energy staining the walls dissipated into dark blue smoke.

“No.”

As expected, it’s a skill she won’t share.

“Isn’t this what you’re best at, Hyungkeshni?”

Ah, I could feel a subtle shift in her emotional defenses.

But in the end, she still refused to share.

Not everything goes as planned. So I decided to tease her a little.

“No, what you’re best at, Hyungkeshni, is smiling when you’re scared.”

Hyungkeshni turned her head back to me, looking utterly startled.

Hehe.

Yes.

I can read your expressions.

I placed my hands on my cheeks and mimicked a smile. I might not close my eyes when I die because I’m not human, but…

“People should smile when they’re happy.”

Hyungkeshni glared at me before abruptly leaving the room.