Since yesterday evening, Hyungkeshni hasn’t entered her space until now, late into the night.

Joanna’s gaze feels pointed, almost accusatory.

Yes, I admit, I probably went too far with my provocation at the end.

But at least something happened, didn’t it? I know it did because as soon as the black curtain Hyungkeshni created disappeared, Joanna woke up, hearing my and Hyungkeshni’s voices.

Still, it’s true that Hyungkeshni has been excessively cautious toward me.

Hieronymus, on the other hand, seems almost indifferent to me now.

It’s clear he sees my actions—taking the warmth from sacrifices and bestowing blessings—as just part of the routine.

I’m sure Hyungkeshni has warned him about me, but he’s likely not listening. Or perhaps he doesn’t care what happens to the Future Hope Sect, as long as it can hold out until the Ansellus Kingdom is destroyed.

Nearly half a year has passed.

Two seasons have changed.

And I’ve learned a great deal during that time.

For example, about Hieronymus, the one who summoned me.

His real name is Yasle. He once held a high position in the Yongrang Theocracy.

Yongrang Theocracy was a nation that existed about 15 years ago. It was a theocratic society located in the Arim Jungle, north of where I am now.

But it was destroyed in a religious war. The countries to the east, which predominantly follow the Sacred Light Religion, opposed Yongrang for its refusal to believe in their god. Among them, the devout Ansellus Kingdom led its soldiers to war, completely annihilating Yongrang.

It was a crusade of sorts. Passing through the Cogni Kingdom, they utterly crushed Yongrang.

Yasle is a survivor of that war.

A survivor filled with a singular desire for revenge against the Ansellus Kingdom.

Following that, he constructed a primitive religion as a foundation for the poor and downtrodden, naming a god and creating commandments.

Remarkably, he did this at an astonishing pace. Some people who voluntarily became sacrifices had joined even before the Future Hope Sect had a name.

To them, becoming a sacrifice for me was a form of salvation.

Though, of course, it wasn’t true salvation. Strictly speaking, they were killed by the religion. But at least they believed, up until the moment of their deaths, that it was meaningful.

Their lives were always miserable, so giving their lives for a god at the end felt like a positive to them.

I’ve analyzed Yasle’s methods for building the Future Hope Sect from multiple angles.

Among his followers, Andrew was a relatively late addition. By the time Andrew joined, the sect had already grown into a massive cult.

Something must have happened that made Andrew bow his head and align himself with Yasle. I don’t know exactly what he was thinking at the time.

But as I’ve mentioned before…

There are now Andrew’s subordinates among those who receive my blessing.

Yes.

Andrew is planning to overthrow Yasle and absorb the Future Hope Sect into his control. He’s secretly explained this to his supporters.

That’s how I know.

Whether Yasle is aware of this or not, I can’t say.

But I do know he isn’t doing anything about it.

All I see is him pushing more blessed individuals toward the Ansellus Kingdom.

Wait—aren’t too many being sent to one place?

There’s another front that needs attention.

The Lasve-Cogni Kingdom front has nearly ceased fighting. They’ve set up bases far from the border and are searching nearby villages for Future Hope Sect members.

Why? Because several blessed individuals stationed near those villages have been captured and killed. This has happened multiple times.

Given this, one would think more personnel would be deployed to the front. But since winter began, no one has been sent north.

Instead, the Future Hope Sect is increasingly becoming a common enemy. Witga, along with a trusted subordinate, is heading south.

For reference, that subordinate is someone I blessed—none other than Isla. Though she’s quite young, she’s been transformed into a full-grown adult body and is learning well under Witga’s guidance.

Meanwhile, Wide is leading a large group of blessed individuals in the Ansellus Kingdom.

This group, on their end, is trying to form an entirely separate society of blessed people.

Receiving a blessing enhances a person’s physical abilities across the board. If they’re lucky, they also gain special powers.

In simple terms, they’re like Human 2.0.

It’s only natural for upgraded humans to aim for higher positions. The Future Hope Sect is actively moving in that direction.

As a result, as more blessed individuals transition from mere soldiers to commanders with diverse abilities, my scope of observation has expanded.

And I can see it clearly now.

The Future Hope Sect is starting to creak and groan.

Individual desires are spreading haphazardly, and Yasle shows no intent to enforce strict control.

Why? Because he likely believes that as long as he can destroy the Ansellus Kingdom, nothing else matters.

The lifespan of this disposable tool is nearing its end.

Of course, bringing down the Ansellus Kingdom will be extremely difficult.

Why? Because Ansellus has Tis-ha.

Initially, Ansellus treated Tis-ha as a dangerous defector.

But Tis-ha’s innate goodness shone through.

Not only fulfilling his duties but also actively helping the unfortunate. In an era of such brutal wars, a good person stands out starkly.

And most importantly, he converted to the Sacred Light Religion.

From a dangerous defector to a citizen of Ansellus, and now, gradually, a hero.

All in less than half a year.

Despite Yasle’s intensified offensives, Tis-ha has fought many battles.

He’s lost many people but saved many as well.

It’s a textbook case.

Yasle’s actions have directly resulted in what’s happening now.

Is this what they call poetic justice?

And beyond merely repelling Yasle’s offensives, Ansellus is planning something.

Their target is not Yasle, the leader.

It’s me.

Why? Because the efficiency of my blessings is simply too high. With just one sacrifice, a superhuman capable of taking on ten or a thousand enemies is randomly created.

Anyone would want to destroy such a factory.

Especially when its nature is unknown.

Will they succeed in killing me?

Considering the devices Yasle has prepared to deal with me, it’s unlikely he’s the only one with such technology.

There’s probably a device out there that can kill me.

Of course, I’ve considered defecting to their side. But having accepted sacrifices thus far, it’s likely I’d be rejected.

Religion makes people more conservative.

If not, they become so unrecognizably different that they risk extinction. Like a species mutating too far from its origin.

Maintaining a large, dominant religion requires a degree of conservatism. And in this world, where gods exist, divine words are heard.

Yes.

There are those among the Sacred Light priests I’ve taken as sacrifices who have memories of hearing divine words.

It wasn’t under the influence of drugs or in a trance induced by special rituals. They used the mysterious power of divine energy.

Initially, I thought it was a type of mana. But after licking enough mages and priests, I noticed the difference.

For instance, when mages channel power, something flows from their hearts to their hands. Priests, on the other hand, summon something from their heads, which then exits through their hands.

At the very least, the mechanisms are different.

This means gods do exist.

And they probably don’t look kindly upon me.

A creature that darkens light and steals warmth.

That’s me.

They may call me an Outsider, but compared to what appears in stories featuring Outsiders, I’m just a simple monster.

So aligning myself with the Sacred Light Religion for survival seems unlikely.

But I look forward to Tis-ha leading Ansellus here.

Many will die.

Which means I’ll gain a lot of warmth.

Hehe.

Judging by the timing, many people from various places will gather at the Scard Rocky Desert—this underground temple.

Of course, there’s a slim chance that Ansellus will fall, allowing the sect to invade other kingdoms.

But given the circumstances, that seems unlikely.

The primary issue is manpower.

The Future Hope Sect has many believers, but true fanatics are rare. Most believe only because of the environment. And the newcomers? Many openly hate the sect, even if they feign belief.

Why? Because the sect pillages too much from the villages.

They promise to free people from oppressive lords but take even more themselves. Some villages had good lords.

But the sect’s warriors killed them all, claiming to liberate the people.

Yes. Resentment is growing. Blind violence can’t solve everything. More often than not, it worsens the situation.

Typically, those who receive blessings are loyal to the sect. But I suspect that when Ansellus comes, many will defect.

Some may even turn their spears and blades against the sect.

Well, it’s late, so let me summarize.

First, the Future Hope Sect. The villages around the underground temple are at their peak. People live while witnessing the superhuman abilities of the blessed. But beyond that, things are deteriorating.

The Lasve and Cogni Kingdoms.

They’ve stopped fighting each other and are now targeting the sect’s remnants. Thanks to Witga’s scheming, no official letters of truce have been exchanged. Or, letters might be moving through channels Witga hasn’t intercepted.

In any case, the north is gradually being blocked off. Witga is heading to the Scard Rocky Desert to request reinforcements.

The Ansellus Kingdom.

The Future Hope Sect is winning most major battles here, thanks to the formidable blessed individuals led by Wide. It’s like watching superhumans wreak havoc on a medieval battlefield.

But in other regions, the sect is losing its grip. Tactically victorious, but strategically losing ground.

Most importantly, Tis-ha is preparing a hammer blow.

The target is this place—the underground temple in the Scard Rocky Desert.

The noose is tightening from all sides.

What will Yasle do?

What about Hyungkeshni?

And Andrew—what’s his move in all of this?

I’m curious.

Time will reveal everything. I just have to wait.

“Joanna, sleep well.” “Yes, Rebecca. Sweet dreams.”

I lay quietly on my bed.

Though instead of dreaming, I’ll be observing countless people in real-time!