At last, war broke out.

A battle between a cult and a nation—phrased differently, it could be called oppression.

But in scale, it was undoubtedly a war.

Its size alone made it stand out, especially in an era when wars of such magnitude were rare.

The elite forces of the Ansellus Kingdom and the warriors of the Future Hope Sect were the first to clash.

With every kill, warmth flowed into me.

Hehe!

For the first time in a while, the warmth lingered, filling me with joy!

But warmth, like firewood, burns brightly only to disappear.

Not because the fighting stopped.

The nature of the battle had shifted.

It was no longer a mindless slaughter, where countless lives were snuffed out in chaotic bursts. Instead, it became calculated—focused on minimizing allied casualties while maximizing damage to the enemy.

The Future Hope Sect began employing strategy and tactics.

I knew the reason.

Witga. His skills in commanding people were exceptional. Despite his clash with Yasle, he had taken control and was leading the fight.

Was he prioritizing the battle against the Ansellus Kingdom for now?

Would that mean the Ansellus Kingdom might fail? Would Tis-ha fail?

That’s what I thought—until Andrew approached Witga. It wasn’t a private meeting; both had blessed individuals by their sides. Through them, I could see everything.

Andrew pointed out the current situation, claiming Yasle had abandoned Witga. He referenced how no more blessed individuals were being sent north, suggesting it was over.

Andrew then asked Witga directly about his purpose.

Witga glanced around, locking eyes with everyone Andrew had brought with him. This included me—several times over, thanks to the multiple blessed individuals in the room.

Yes, Andrew had brought many of his blessed subordinates. Isla gripped her weapon tightly, and noticing this, Andrew’s men reached for theirs as well.

A tense standoff ensued.

With a complicated expression, Witga spoke of the destruction of the Cogni Kingdom. When Andrew questioned him further, Witga revealed that he had been a general of the Ogra Kingdom.

Diving into the memories of those who knew the name, I found that Ogra was a kingdom destroyed by Cogni.

Ah, so that’s why.

That explained his proficiency in strategy, tactics, and combat. Even Isla, who hadn’t known, widened her eyes in surprise.

Andrew offered to help Witga if he would join him. But Witga questioned whether Andrew was any different from Yasle, citing his involvement with the sect.

In response, Andrew brought me up.

He claimed that four people—not three—could be blessed at a time. He said he had confirmed this directly with the Outsider.

Andrew framed it as if Yasle had been embezzling blessings.

It was a subtle twist, but I could tell the truth in his words. I’ve always been one to state facts in a way that can mislead.

Andrew followed up by asking whether Yasle’s words could be trusted at all.

As Witga slowly nodded, Andrew smiled.

He clarified that he wasn’t asking Witga to trust him but proposed a deal instead. He asked Witga to ensure that the Ansellus elite reached a specific village. In return, Andrew would help him form an army of blessed individuals and make him its leader.

Witga questioned whether the Outsider would allow this.

Andrew recited my words verbatim.

“The Outsider will bless anyone, as long as a sacrifice is provided.”

Witga froze.

After a pause, he asked Andrew if his intention was to make the Outsider their new god.

Andrew responded calmly, “Isn’t it fitting for a new god?”

After a long silence, Witga deferred his decision. Andrew, in turn, handed one of his blessed subordinates over to Witga, saying he was free to use them as he wished.

Through the blessed individual’s eyes and ears, I caught Witga muttering, “A spy, no doubt,” before brushing it off.

Likely because it was true.

The next day, the blessed individuals without special abilities were sent to the battlefield. They suffered a devastating defeat. The Ansellus elite traversed a week’s journey on horseback in just four days on foot.

This threw the underground temple into chaos. Supplies and weapons were transported from nearby villages into the temple, and many people armed themselves for the coming fight.

I was relocated from my usual room to a chamber deep within the underground temple—the same room I’d first lived in.

In all this, Hyungkeshni remained absent. Whether she was working elsewhere or had fled, I didn’t know. I had thought she might be essential in case of an emergency—clearly, I was wrong.

I should have kept her close, even by acting more amiably.

Failures need analysis and improvement.

So I sought out Yasle.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I want to stay with you.”

I stated my purpose bluntly. Yasle sighed deeply and tried to appease me, but I refused to leave.

He’s the most likely person to have the knowledge I seek.

Yes, why had I stayed idle all this time? Why had I watched as the Future Hope Sect crumbled, its warmth-harvesting machine and its supply network collapsing?

I had been patient.

Excruciatingly patient.

I wanted something—so I watched the Future Hope Sect fall apart, resisted the urge to hasten its collapse, and waited.

Finally.

Yasle was cornered.

Yes. That’s when a young girl clung to him.

An unsettling servant who granted blessings to anyone who offered a sacrifice. A beast that had done nothing but sit idle.

I was uneasy about Hyungkeshni’s absence, but I couldn’t afford to lose Yasle. He possessed knowledge more valuable than any immediate warmth.

For the first time, I clung to him, and Yasle relented.

He gave up.

At the same moment Andrew made his deal with the Ansellus Kingdom. Andrew had opened secret pathways to allow their elite forces to reach Hieronymus.

The underground temple’s collapse was imminent.

I couldn’t miss this opportunity.

Never.

So I followed Yasle closely, with Joanna by my side. The cult members didn’t question my actions—they assumed I was sticking close to him because of the danger.

Thankfully, I blended in seamlessly.

During this time, Witga confronted Yasle.

After a long silence, he suddenly shouted that both the Lasve and Cogni Kingdoms were attacking from the north. He raged about how Yasle’s refusal to send blessed individuals had caused this.

After venting his frustration, Witga asked where Yasle intended to send his forces.

Yasle, unfazed, asked for an update on the war.

Witga explained the situation in detail, claiming that the underground temple could hold out if they fortified themselves.

It was a lie.

Guilt flickered across his face, but I feigned ignorance.

After hearing Witga’s report, Yasle ordered him to head southeast.

A flicker of resignation and hatred crossed Witga’s face before he nodded, turned, and grabbed the door handle.

Without looking back, he muttered, “I’m done with lies,” and left.

Far away, in a secluded spot, Witga told one of Andrew’s subordinates that he would join Andrew.

Yasle had made a grave mistake.

The decision of where to send his forces had been his last opportunity. But Yasle prioritized dealing with the Ansellus Kingdom.

It was the wrong choice.

That night, Witga departed with many followers. Ostensibly, they were heading southeast to face the Ansellus Kingdom. But I knew better.

From that point on, I shadowed Yasle as he inspected the underground temple. Though he initially found it unsettling, he eventually stopped paying attention to me after two days.

On the second day after Witga’s departure:

Boom!

A thunderous explosion shook the temple, causing sand to fall from the ceiling.

The day had finally come.

The Ansellus soldiers, who had reached the village at the temple’s entrance two days prior, had not attacked until now for a reason.

They had been waiting for the Lasve and Cogni Kingdoms.

When the armies of the two kingdoms attacked the temple, the Ansellus forces used the distraction to infiltrate.

A pincer attack.

Led by Tis-ha, the Ansellus soldiers broke through the temple’s defenses.

Inside, there were few warriors left. Most had been sent outside to fend off the Lasve and Cogni forces.

The ones left to defend were ordinary cultists.

They were all slaughtered.

Men who stood to fight, women who tried to hold them back, and even children who rushed out in fear—all were killed.

One of those children was blessed, so I had a rough idea of what was happening. Yasle likely knew too.

The ominous energy I had seen before surged violently, collapsing tunnels and breaking the limbs of advancing soldiers.

But even that couldn’t stop Tis-ha.

They finally reached the deepest chamber—where Yasle was.

Tis-ha, along with several blood-soaked young men and women, stood before Yasle.

Rather than fight, Yasle collapsed the room and escaped through a hidden passage.

I clung to Joanna, who carried me, and followed Yasle.

The passage was long and dark, filled only with the sound of labored breathing.

At last, we emerged outside.

Waiting there were the Ansellus forces, along with Andrew and several blessed individuals.

Surprisingly, Yasle showed no shock.

He calmly pulled a strange device from his robe, and the ominous energy I had seen so often exploded outward from him.

Yasle was strong.

He killed many Ansellus soldiers and even some blessed individuals.

Victory seemed within reach—until Tis-ha and his comrades emerged from the tunnel.

They were incredibly strong, and Yasle was ultimately defeated.

He was left battered and broken, on the verge of death.

At last.

My moment had come.

I had waited so long. I hadn’t stood idle out of apathy—I had no choice. I could create superhumans, but all I could do was regenerate myself.

Even absorbing sacrifices wouldn’t guarantee success.

Most importantly, Yasle was the one who had summoned me here.

He might know how to reverse the summoning.

So I endured. Endured. Endured.

Now, the time had finally come.

I instructed Joanna to let me down and approached Yasle, who was barely standing, drenched in blood.

Sensing my intent, Tis-ha screamed and rushed toward me, while Andrew shouted at him not to kill me.

Amid the chaos, I asked Yasle the question I’d repeated countless times. A question he already knew well.

“I’ll give myself to you. In return, once everything is over, I want everything you have. What do you say?”

With a dark expression, Yasle lowered his head, touched his wounds, and extended his bloodied hand.

He nodded toward me.

“Very well.”

Dark purple mist poured from my body, enveloping Yasle. It touched the light within him, which instantly turned black.

As it did, Yasle’s skin cracked, revealing a tall young man within. His hair had turned purple, his skin blue, and his eyes yellow with black sclera.

He had become a superhuman, blessed by the Outsider.

In that moment, I found what I had been seeking.

His past as a leader of the Yongrang Theocracy, his various skills—all of that was irrelevant now.

I had discovered the method to summon myself into this world!

The reward for my patience was incredibly sweet.

Hehe.

Unconsciously, a wide grin stretched across my face.

I failed to control my expression.

Forgive me.

I’ve finally achieved my goal.